The Hidden Blade Assassin's Creed in Depth

i'm thinking of getting a laptop
probably getting the same kind my brother got

it's called "ASUS A53SD-SX453V"
Intel Core i5-2450M (2,5GHz)
6GB DDR3 RAM, 500GB hdd (5400 rpm)
Nvidia Geforce 610M 2GB dedicated
1x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0

does anyone know if that is any good?

First of all, it's an ASUS, so it's bound to be good. The processor and RAM are cover pretty much anything you would need, unless you suddenly decided to start rendering movie-grade 3D projects. The graphics card is the only relatively weak aspect, but then again, is not really a Razer or an Alienware so it'll probably run without any troubles, and if yoy decided to jump into hardcore PC gaming, there is always a wide range of cards to suit your needs.

In other words, it's freakin awesome, for a regular multimedia laptop that is.

AHA! I'm the last perso to reply! ( Just jking! =) but I might be =)). Remember "nothing is true everything is preminted. My regards.

^ Heheh, what?

It's the Last Person to Reply Wins! thread so I think he felt obliged to comment that he'd won. Granted, it's a bit random that he's popped up and that's his first comment in ages.

Everyone who comments after me loses.

Um, Jackreacher, I'm unable to watch your latest vid because it's blocked here. It says:
"This video contains content from EMI, who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMXxrh9rWEQ

Comment number 1408! Unlucky number.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0450385/

That move is awesome.

But, yeah, it's blocked in my country as well.

Here's what I think of E.M.I.:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjbie1O1jxc

AC-maps is now overrun with malware. I advise you to not visit the site until an admin announces "all clear". Here's an excerpt from Google's site advisory:

Once again, abosol1 (Shinkiro on THB) is poised to win Last Person to Reply. Here's his last post:

The tiny print below the "Yes" says, "I WIN?"

does this mean the site is about to die?
about time i say.

don't get me wrong, i loved it, had some great fun there, but it's like a very old dog that has more worms than fur. just let it die in peace

I've just realised, as of yesterday, I've been a member of this site for two years!

Happy anniversary!

Half a year to go for me.

Haha, thanks.

What? I've been longer here than you? It seems like you've been here forever, Phi!

Yep, you have been. Could be that I'm more prolific because I post more and make videos.

Was wondering if you had been featured because I couldn't remember. Turns it you were, in august.

Speaking of featured members and anniversaries: in 6 days it will be exactly a year ago since I got featured.

Yeah, that was what I was thinking. I tend to just read other people's ideas and occasionally jump in if I can be bothered; videos are beyond my capabilities.

Nonsense. All making videos requires is time and the willingness to mess around in the game.

True. It's the time that is the issue at the moment; I'm revising constantly for my A-Levels.

In the summer I'll be on my PS3 for hours so who knows? Maybe I'll be inspired to make a video or two.

Never actually saw the movie 1408, just a commercial for it. Anyone here see the tv series Heroes? In season one, the apartment number Peter Petrelli stays at is 1407 (if I remember correctly). I'm not sure if that was on purpose, or if it's a coincidence.

I've watched all of it. Went terribly downhill after season 1, though. Writing for season 2 went crap because there was a writer's strike or something. Sucked as the series had a lot of potential. Especially Peter getting nerfed really grinded my gears. That guy was awesome and the only one who could take on Sylar, so that basically turned Sylar into a god. Which sucked.
I think it was a coincidence, though.

Season 1 of Heroes was great. Season 2 was bearable, but with crappy writing and plot. After that, it just wasn't worth tuning in. They put themselves in a cluster f*ck.

To anyone who cares....Toonami is back bitches.

Huh, always wondered what you guys posted here... xD;

So, what have you all been playing lately...?
I just finished Alan Wake (PC Version) plus it's DLC, gonna try American Nightmare next...

Thinking of getting Dragon's Dogma as well, still on the fence about it though... =P
At the very least it'll draw me back into console games, been lagging on them for quite a while...

Well I just finished Saints Row the Third, still lots of things to do but it has been awesome, and the DLC seems worthwhile. Right now, I'm trying to save some for Sleeping Dogs, and apart from that I really hope LucasArts reveals that their new Star Wars game is Battlefront 3 on E3.

All clear. Firestorm has disinfected assassinscreed-maps.com. Clear your browser cache before visiting the site. Currently only the maps are online. Fire is applying security updates to the forum software and expects to have them up again next week.

"And so we meet again, abosol1."

i just got a new laptop, the one i wrote abou earlier,
still getting used to the scroll pad, might buy a mouse later

I just finished The Atlantis Complex yesterday. If you were disappointed with the previous book, then you might hate this one.

Spoiler: Highlight to view

It takes a while for the book to get on track. Plus some of the characters are different than in the prequels. Artemis is suffering from a phsychological affliction, so we can excuse him, but there's no excuse for the others. Foaly spends a lot of time arguing with Artemis near the beginning, which didn't really happen in the other books. Butler is portrayed more as a big brother than a dangerous bodyguard (WHAT? WHY!?).

I was in Central Park today in New York City. I saw a guy in an Assassins Creed shirt. It was black with a large white assassins logo on it. I threw up the "three finger salute" that we briefly talked about in the last stabby chat. He looked at me funny as he walked by (probably because a dude in the park just threw up the shocker while making eye contact with him), but I glanced back at him and I think he finally got it, as he looked back and smiled as he looked down at his shirt.

Also, of you're ever in the park, make sure to pick up something delicious at the 'Wafels and Dinges' cart. mmmmm...

Assassins, they're everywhere.

EDIT:

Assassin's creed has a hand sign?

we talked about the hand signal that Lucy gave Desmond.

recently i've been seing people talk about a game calle Katawa Shoujo, it has apparently gotten a bit of cult status.
so today i decided to try it out, and i freaking loved it.
it's a visual novel game, simlar to Ace Attorney, and basically a dating sim.

it follows a man named Hisao, who after being diagnosed with a heart condition, is forced to go to a special school for the disabled. with each of the five possible love interests being disabled in some way.

the actual gameplay is basically non existant, as it's mostly just text boxes but the game handles the emotional connection to the characters, and how they handle their various problems really well.

i finished one story line today, took around 7 hours, and the connection i got with the characters really felt genuine.
plus the music is great.

if you ever get tired of all the shooty-stabby games, and just want to get to know some characters, i highly recommend it.

My A-level exams are over! I now have three months of holidays with no work. So far my plans include (in no particular order):

Hooray! And congratulations on finishing the exams; you were working so hard! I'm sure you did very well.

Thanks. I must admit, that's the hardest I've worked in a long time. I just hope it will all be worth it. I'm already looking at textbooks I might need for university next year!

I'm interested in how the curriculum is different on that side of the pond. I'm assuming "university" is for your BS/BA/undergrad degree (right after secondary / high school).

How long are the degree programs, and what sort of requirements are there?

I'll attempt to sum up the English education system for you using my own experience. Note that education in Scotland and Ireland differs quite a bit from this, with Welsh education being very similar to the English system. There are also differences in private education but my experience is solely of comprehensive, Catholic education is state-run schools.

Nursery (ages 3-4), primary (ages 4-11) and secondary (ages 11-16) education is compulsory for all children. Sixth form is currently optional but A-levels attained in sixth form (or equivalent courses) are required for university.

In the last two years of secondary school (years 10 and 11) we take GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education). Exams are taken over the two years and, although A*-E grades are technically all passes, most people only consider a C grade or above useful. The overall aim is that all students should attain a minimum of 5 A*-C grades including Maths and English. Personally I took and achieved 11 GCSEs and I would say 10 or 11 is about the normal amount (for my school at least).

In year 12 (lower sixth), most students take 3 or 4 AS-levels (Advanced Subsidiary GCEs) in any subjects they wish. I chose to take Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Religious Studies and General Studies. The results of these are used to apply to university at the start of year 13. Based on a personal statement, teacher references, AS results and A-level grade predictions, universities make conditional offers which are then accepted or declined by students to confirm where they plan to go.

In year 13 (upper sixth), most students drop one of their AS-levels if they took 4, although I chose to carry on all of my subjects to A2 level. University conditional offers usually require specific grades in 3 A-level subjects or they may ask for a particular number of UCAS points (UCAS is the system we use to apply to uni and each grade is equivalent to a certain number of points). The offers very much depend on the quality of the university and the course being applied for, with Cambridge offers being as high as A*A*AA and offers at lower-ranking unis being as low as 200 UCAS points (equivalent to grades CCE). My own offers are:

• University of York (firm choice) - AAB including an A in chemistry
• University of Nottingham (insurance choice) - ABB including chemistry

The results of A2 exams are combined with the AS results from the previous year to provide an overall A-level grade. On results day, UCAS updates to indicate whether the offer has been attained and the university has accepted you.

The university course I am hoping to do is an undergraduate degree but it is a 4-year M.Sci/M.Chem (Master in Science/Master in Chemistry). These are different from the traditional M.Sc (Master of Science) which you used to have to apply for after completing your 3-year B.Sc course. The first two years of my course will be the same as the B.Sc course, which can also be applied for and is more appropriate for people who wish to work in a field other than their degree subject or who want to go into teaching. A lot of courses for other subjects will only offer 3-year B.A or B.Sc undergraduate courses but most unis offer the M.Sci as part of undergraduate science degrees. I will spend my final year doing a research project to complete the Masters and then hopefully go on to do a Ph.D, which I will of course have to apply for separately.

Sorry for the essay but it was easier to start at the beginning and work up to A-levels and university courses! If there's anything else you want to know let me know and I'll try to be more brief.

This link sums up education in England quite nicely if you care to read it. The 'Further education' section and onwards is probably what interests you most.

Alright... everything up to university makes me feel like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z7qj70YX08

----

question/comparisons to the US education system.

England:
ages 3-4: Nursury
ages 4-10: Primary
ages 11-16: Secondary/Senior school
ages 17-18: College (is this mandatory education?)
ages 18+: University

USA:
4-5: Pre-School
5-11: Elementary School (grades K-5)
11-14: Middle School (grades 6-8)
14-18: High School (grades 9-12)
18+: College/University (almost synonymous in US... Universities are usually 4-year accredited research institutions, whereas some colleges only offer 2-year associate degrees)

---

Lets pick this up at age 18+:

In the US: BS, BA degrees are 4 years
After this: MS degrees are usually 2 years (I'll stick to the physical sciences... as that's what we're both in)
PhD programs are 4-6 years, depending on field... but you don't need the MS degree first... it's an either/or thing... or you pick up the MS on the way to the PhD. (for reference... PhDs in chemistry are 5-6 years... organic tends to be 5, physical tends to be 6).

Aha, sorry! I tried to keep it brief but explaining 15 years of education to someone unfamiliar with it is quite difficult. Thinking about it, it is a confusing system!

Sixth form college is not mandatory for students at the moment, but under the Education and Skills Act 2008 it will be. This change is effective from 2013 for 16-year-olds and 2015 for 17-year-olds. As far as I am aware (and hope), this does not mean all students will have to do A-levels (or equivalent qualifications like Scottish Highers). I think there will be opportunities for students to do more vocational courses such as hairdressing and car mechanics at vocational colleges.

Okay, so your 4-year B.A/B.Sc (undergraduate) degrees are 3-years here instead. Some in Scotland are 4-years though (I don't know why).

The M.Sci degree is more usually integrated into the undergraduate degree nowadays, making a 3-year course 4 years, but the traditional postgraduate M.Sc that is now less common sounds more like the M.Sc you are referring to. Essentially, they are both research-based courses but the former is automatic, assuming your university is satisfied with your previous 3 years' performance, i.e. you don't have to reapply to continue on to the M.Sci. Traditional M.Sc courses are still available in many subjects, including sciences where, perhaps, the student originally only did a B.Sc at undergraduate level rather than doing an integrated M.Sci. They still usually only take one year here though, but may take two to complete.

The Ph.D. system sounds similar but Ph.D.s in the UK usually only take 3 or 4 years to complete, quite different from your 6 years! In some cases it may be an either/or thing as the two can be done simultaneously but some universities may require an M.Sci/M.Sc before accepting you on a Ph.D. programme! Having a Masters degree may also lower the other requirements for being accepted. Requirements vary greatly from uni to uni though.

The integrated M.Sci's in the fourth year of your undergraduate degree are generally seen as good preparation for a Ph.D and further research/work in the field. You could certainly do a Ph.D with a B.Sc (i.e. a 3-year undergraduate degree) but I think the fourth year to attain the M.Sci is now becoming a generally accepted advantage for going on to do further study and research.

I had no idea the two systems, even at the highest level, were so different! Purely judging from Wikipedia, American Ph.D.s appear to contain far more stages of examination and work submission than UK Ph.D.s so I assume that's why they take longer.

This is definitely subject and even university specific.

Example (for just Chemistry) comparing UC-Berkeley and Yale (both top 10 Chem Programs at this point).

Berkeley requirements (once accepted):
1 - first year report -- write up all work you've completed in your first year as if you are submitting it to a journal (essentially, train you to write up your work properly)
2 - 15 min oral presentation on your work to the entire department, with 5 minutes for questions... no big deal
3a - qualifying exam in second year -- 2 weeks after #2, you and 4 profs in a room giving you an oral exam for 1-1.5 hours. you start talking about your project, but who knows where it goes from there.
3b - outside proposal -- write up a 10-15 page research proposal on something other than your thesis topic, submitted 2 weeks before # 2, and 4 weeks before oral exams -- you then have 30-60 minute oral exam like 3a on this outside proposal
once above is done, you advance to candidacy
4 - submitting thesis with signatures from your committee... no oral defense
also, no course requirements -- research is all that is required
must teach 3 terms of undergrad courses, usually labs.

Yale requirements ca 2010:
1 - must pass 8 qualifying exams on whatever topic the person writing it deems important. given 2 per month for all 5 years. cannot advance to candidacy without 4 passed, i think. no penalty for failing them (not the case at other universities... the university of oregon, you must pass 6 of 8... if you fail 3, you are out)
2 - 3a - 3b -- same as above, advanced to candidacy
4 - public oral thesis defense/presentation at the end
5 - submitting thesis from committee
also, several course requirements, including getting honors grades in 2 courses - 8 total required.
i believe there are 4 terms of required teaching

other universities require more courses and more exams as well as placement exams. Berkeley's requirements are pretty lax, once you get into the school ... except those second year exams...

again, most degrees are 5 years in synthetic chemistry, biology, etc

I must admit, I'm largely unfamiliar with the steps involved in a Ph.D. (I'm just hoping I get accepted onto an undergrad. course at the moment!) but, as far as I can tell, the main assessment for UK Ph.D.s concerns an evaluation of your thesis at the end of the three or four years. From looking around, this seems to usually be an oral examination with both external and internal examiners. Depending on how well you do, the Ph.D. may be awarded immediately, minor changes may be advised before it is awarded or it may be failed outright.

Yeah.

As far as undergrad education goes, there is more flexibility in the US system than others I hear about. You can go to a university and be "undeclared" for 2 or more years, or continually change your major. There are so many "general education" requirements that many people don't settle on a major until at least year 2. Perhaps this is why it takes 4-5 years for most people to get their BS/BA.

Yeah, it's very different here. Essentially, you need to decide what you want to study a year or two before university and have a bit of foresight when choosing your A-level subjects. I think it's expecting a lot of a 15 or 16 year old for them to know a) what they want to do in life b) what they want/need to study to get there c) what subjects they should take before university to enable them to be accepted on a degree course.

For example, I originally had vague plans of studying a biology-based degree so chose all three sciences but not maths as, although still useful, maths has less involvement in biology than in chemistry or physics. No undergraduate biology courses require maths so it just wasn't an issue. When I started considering applying to uni I realised I wanted to do chemistry and my lack of AS/A-level maths suddenly became much more of an issue - many of the top universities were just completely off limits. Thankfully there were still plenty of good universities I could apply to and my firm choice (York) offers a very good Maths for Chemists course in the first two years. I'm actually really looking forward to studying some maths again, although of course I have done a fair bit over the last two years in physics.

Yeah... there's a lot more flexibility here.

When I graduated High School (18, your year 13, just before Uni), I had plans to double major in math and biology... once I got to college/university, I decided to major in Biochemistry and got a Minor in Math. At the end of that, I had plans to get my PhD in synthetic organic chemistry and applied to many of the top schools in the country for this. Once I got to Berkeley, I actually realized I missed the biological applications of chemistry. Fortunate, there was a professor there that just what I was looking for, a chemical biology project. I now use synthetic organic chemistry to probe biological systems... it's actually quite close to med chem.

If I were overseas and had to choose what I was doing with my life at 16, I'd be a high school biology instructor helping with the marching band right now... not that there's anything wrong with that, but I'm glad I had the flexibility afforded to me to figure it out.

It does make the whole system quite difficult. Obviously there are options like taking a year out, taking different, more appropriate A-levels or switching courses once you get to university but they're all quite inconvenient and provide very little flexibility.

In year 10 and 11 I hoped to study marine biology. Luckily, I later realised that there are very few jobs in it and that my scientific interests actually lay in chemistry.

I have a friend who based her whole university application on applying for law, changed to history two weeks before the application deadline and then contacted her choices afterwards to ask if they could transfer her application/offers to the English department! Bear in mind, this girl is pretty intelligent so it's not like she rushed into it with no thought, she just wasn't sure what she wanted to do and the rigid application system didn't help. One university quite happily changed her course to English but another, understandably, flat out refused it and she was left with an offer for a course she doesn't want to do.

TL;DR

Aha, yeah this conversation is of no interest to anyone else.

I have found it interesting... and it's not like this thread has a topic... I'm just trying to win.