I have it down to four...

[06 Maestro]

ORIGINAL: Valkyrie

January is the time to buy, everyone is trying to clear inventories for everything... TV's, monitors, CPUs, DVD drives. Normally, it's good advice to just wait for new products to arrive with superior performance to drive down the prices of the older stock, but we're in a unique buying situatio due to the crashing economy. Wait too long and inventories will be reduced to balance supply with demand and prices will jump back up. I've been on a bit of a buying spree for the last two weeks. Even game prices on dropping down... Amazon has up to 50% discounts on software right now. Next up... a new TV while they are going for half price.

Enjoy the benefits of the onrushing depression/recession while you still have money to spend! [:D]

You've got the timing right on this. The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is due to open on the 8th of January in Las Vegas. During the following 4 days all the new gizmo's and techs will be made public. Normally, the older items drop in price shortly after the show.

It is likely a good idea to utilize your credit while there is still some available. I have a bad feeling about the economic situation we will be in this summer (northern hemisphere, of course[:)]).

[madgamer2]

Something to note in passing is a game by Koei called Romance of the three Kingdoms XI. Yes there were 10 previous versions but it was the first one that got a friend and myself away from Apple II computers to IBM compatibles. The games in between 1 and 11 varied quite a bit but it was the first one I loved.
Then version 11 showed up and I was hooked. It is available by download only in the USA and CD in Europe and Asia. The AI can be beat but its the way the game is played and the period it simulates that make it fun. It is only $20 by download. It has a very interesting combat system and good economic model that is not hard to learn.
The fun is how to use it. As for the combat ...well combat in China in !84AD is a bit different and requires some time and study to use.
I think there is a demo but it does not reflect the total nature of the game. You can go to www.koei.com and see for yourself. Read a bit about the game on the forum then decide.

Madgamer

[junk2drive]

ORIGINAL: Valkyrie

ORIGINAL: Arsan

ORIGINAL: rowech

KG,

Unfortunately, I can't play the demo without it dragging beyond all belief and basically crashing my computer.  I'm surprised that game takes 1 GB of memory to play and while I supposedly have that, it appears to not be the case...unless Vista's working some magic on it. 

Hi!

If i understand Ok, you have Vista installed on a computer with 1 GB RAM... is that so??
I play BoA 2 on a 5 years old computer , with 1 GB RAM and XP with no problem at all.
But for what i've read about Vista, the OS eat most/all of that 1GB of RAM of yours just by himself. I have been recommended to not install Vista with less than 4 GB RAM [X(]

In any case, i think you will benefit greatly by adding at least another GB of RAM to your computer if you can. Its very cheap!

Regarding games, and letting the excellent BoA2 aside for the moment, nothing can beat TOAW3 in replayability.[&o]
JTCS is also very good "old style" PC war gaming, but TOAW offers much more IMHO.

Regards!

RAM is definitely affordable right now... specials, rebates, and discounts are everywhere right now. However, once the inventories have been cleared, the price will go back up so now is the time to buy.

I just got 4 gig of Corsair "Dominator" DDR2 1066 PC2 8500 CS Ram for $29 (after $30 rebate) from Newegg. I paid $99 for the same memory last July when I was building my new computer. No excuse not to slap in a memory upgrade right now. Depending on your system specs I've seen 4 gig of slower RAM going for $9.99... lots of bargains.

January is the time to buy, everyone is trying to clear inventories for everything... TV's, monitors, CPUs, DVD drives. Normally, it's good advice to just wait for new products to arrive with superior performance to drive down the prices of the older stock, but we're in a unique buying situatio due to the crashing economy. Wait too long and inventories will be reduced to balance supply with demand and prices will jump back up. I've been on a bit of a buying spree for the last two weeks. Even game prices on dropping down... Amazon has up to 50% discounts on software right now. Next up... a new TV while they are going for half price.

Enjoy the benefits of the onrushing depression/recession while you still have money to spend! [:D]

Newegg is my normal choice for computer parts.

My 168pin SDRAM is ~$59 for 512k stick, lol, not goona put $120 into this machine.

[105mm Howitzer]

Did someone say Campaign Series going to come out with Arab/Israeli scenarios? Sure would love to see Pakistani/Indian OOB from their conflict in the 60's, as that seems to have been forgotten by many.

[Valkyrie]

ORIGINAL: 06 Maestro

ORIGINAL: Valkyrie

January is the time to buy, everyone is trying to clear inventories for everything... TV's, monitors, CPUs, DVD drives. Normally, it's good advice to just wait for new products to arrive with superior performance to drive down the prices of the older stock, but we're in a unique buying situatio due to the crashing economy. Wait too long and inventories will be reduced to balance supply with demand and prices will jump back up. I've been on a bit of a buying spree for the last two weeks. Even game prices on dropping down... Amazon has up to 50% discounts on software right now. Next up... a new TV while they are going for half price.

Enjoy the benefits of the onrushing depression/recession while you still have money to spend! [:D]

You've got the timing right on this. The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is due to open on the 8th of January in Las Vegas. During the following 4 days all the new gizmo's and techs will be made public. Normally, the older items drop in price shortly after the show.

It is likely a good idea to utilize your credit while there is still some available. I have a bad feeling about the economic situation we will be in this summer (northern hemisphere, of course[:)]).

Yes, I'll be paying everything off with my tax refund so I'm using the credit right now before they cut my limits (as I've heard they are doing). After that, it's strictly a cash economy for this girl. I'm going to hunker down for a few years before making any more large purchases.

[madgamer2]

In what school of economics did you graduate from?....if I may ask. With the economy getting worse and you are saying go out and run up your credit card? Please keep us posted after the first couple of months of 09 and let us know what your money situation is after you expend all that money on your credit card. I am sure it will be an interesting read.

Madgamer

[Arsan]

ORIGINAL: rowech

I just bought 4 GB or RAM for our laptop yesterday.  $59.

Good price!
With all that RAM, BOA 2: WIA will fly on your computer!
If you are a fan of the AWI you can't go wrong with this game.
It has quite a lot scenarios (like 20) including three long campaigns (1755/1775/1812 wars) each aroudn 100 turns long with some variants and half a dozen medium lenght scenarios.
You can play both sides and each game is different as the AI in not predictable.
In any case, of course it's nowhere near TOAW longevity (with hundreds of scenarios)[X(]
Regards!

[Valkyrie]

ORIGINAL: madgamer

In what school of economics did you graduate from?....if I may ask. With the economy getting worse and you are saying go out and run up your credit card? Please keep us posted after the first couple of months of 09 and let us know what your money situation is after you expend all that money on your credit card. I am sure it will be an interesting read.

Madgamer

To each their own. If I can buy something at half price today when I know I'm going to need it down the road and prices will be much higher, I'm going to do it. I, personally, have a secure job and live well within my means. My situation in 2009 will be no better or worse than it is today, I assure you.

Doing a panic lockdown on spending is bad advice for those people who HAVE NOT engaged in fiscal irresponsibility in the past. Those individuals who now have cars and mortgages that they can't afford; run a negative cash flow and continue to rely on credit to bridge the gap; and are in a job that may disappear at any time... well, they can use your advice.

However, if you've kept your head and aren't teetering on economic disaster, now is the time to take advantage of your available credit and cash resources to buy the bargains. You are also helping to keep some level of commerce going and not driving your favorite retailer into bankruptcy. If everyone takes your advice to hit the panic button and stop spending, then we will be in another depression for sure... probably taking the rest of the world with us.

I consider the spending I am doing now to be quite responsible for my personal situation...

Everyone else... stop spending at once... no more games... forget the computer upgrade... and can you really afford the electricity to be reading this forum? [:D][:D][:D]

Warning: the above mentioned economic advice DOES NOT come from a Wharton graduate... and I am NOT Suzy Orman in disguise. [:)]