Llywelyn Fawr

I'm definitely enthusiastic about guns, but I don't own any (yet) (yes, I know, that's shameful for a Texan!). I've gone shooting a few times, though, mostly at ranges with my ex-Marine and ex-Army friends; it mostly consisted of shooting a few handguns and one particular Mosin-Nagant with a nasty recoil. Now that ammo's back on the shelves, I'm thinking about finally buying myself a handgun for self-defense

paleobotanist

I finally got a chance to play Heart of Darkness, and I have to say I agree with you on all of those points. The colonization system, though a little confusing at first (I was playing as Britain and those damn colonia--uh, Americans completed their colonization of BC before me), is a neat balancing tactic. Maybe now we won't see such monstrously overgrown renditions of Françafrique, Ottoman Empirafrique, or...Greeçafrique. Sins of a Solar Empire sounds cool. I'll have to check it out. Is it more or less complex than HoI 3? I'll be honest, HoI3 is a little intimidating. Yeah, if we could total all my Steam and *cough* non-Steam hours, I would easily be in the hundreds as well. I'll have to check out Distant Worlds as well, it seems. If a fellow Vic/EU/CK player mentions another game, I know I'm bound to get some enjoyment out of it

They usually take a chunk of time to learn, since they can get pretty intricate. I started off on Victoria II, which has the steepest learning curve (apparently; I haven't played Hearts of Iron 3), but I hear it's probably best to start on EUIII to get a feel for the genre. Of course, each game has a totally different focus, and the recommendation to start off on EUIII is moot now that EUIV is out (and I have no idea how it compares!). If you like court intrigue and the history of the 11th-15th centuries, I'd go for Crusader Kings II. If you like a balance between micro and macro-history, EU is best. If you like mostly economic control, the birth of modern political movements, the industrial revolution, and the 19th century, I'd go Victoria II. If you primarily like battling/invading as well as WWII, HOI3 is best. (Can you tell that I'm obsessed with these?) Excellent! I'm glad that I'm not alone. I haven't gotten a chance to get HOD for Vic2 yet, but I think the colonial point system is an interesting way to balance the whole scramble mess (at least from a hypothetical standpoint). What's your experience been with that mechanic?

I was looking through the gaming forum and was sort of surprised not to see a thread about this! If there already is one, I apologize for my blindness. Does anyone else play any grand strategy games, particularly ones by Paradox? My all-time favorite from them is definitely Victoria II, but now that EUIV just came out, I may have to dedicate a large chunk of time to it as well (as soon as I can get back on a nice computer that can run it!).

Neat! I live in Texas, too, but on the other end. I'm trying to think of what to make next, but I'm a little burnt out on IPAs, so I might try making a stout this next time. I've really taken a liking to them lately, especially since a World of Beer location opened up where I live and now I can taste to my hearts' content. On a non-beer note, I've been thinking of trying my hand at honey mead; the craft stuff I had in Russia was much better than any of the stuff I can buy here locally.

I've done it once in the past. In 2009, when IPA trend was really picking up around town, my friend and I tried our hand at making our own. It was okay (nothing great), but we never attempted it again. I've been meaning to get into it again, though. What are you brewing; ales, lagers? How long have you been doing it?