Pricewatch!

The above mentioned Gold version that ships with the Magazine "Gamestar" seemingly comes without active copy protection.
Read here for more : http://www.gamestar.de/community/gsp…83&postcount=4

I still have to verify it myself (is Barla there ?), but if it is true, then it is a fine move by dtp, imho (and something I had demanded since its release - personally, I have no problems with copy protections as long as they are removed after a few years, when the product doesn't generate any substancial profits anymore (end of product life cycle) ).

Many budget games come without CP. If you only earn 2$ per copy the 10 Cent for the CP are a factor.

Not sure what it takes to qualify as a stardock premium member, but they sent me a 20% off coupon to use on any game. Maybe some of you might have got one as well. It's not good with any other offers apparently but I thought it might work on pre-orders. The Dragon Age 2 Signature Edition for example is $50 on impulse whereas its $60 on gamersgate and direct2drive—apply the coupon and you can get it for $40. A good deal, though maybe I've been hoodwinked as I told myself I wasn't gone to throw money at bioware until the Dragon Age 2 Ultimate Edition came out…

GoGamer has Planescape Torment (import) on sale for $14.90.

A nice price for anyone looking for a retail boxed copy, which is very hard to find in the US.

Europa Universalis 3 "Complete" and its third expansion "Heir to the Throne" are tempting me for $9 and $6, respectively at Direct2Drive or for a tiny bit cheaper at gamersgate.com (don't want to mess with the Impulse app, though).

Has anyone played these? They seem a little hardcore to me, but maybe I can deal with it now.

Dead Space is 6.78 at GamersGate

They also have LOTR:Conquest for the same price. I almost bit, but reviews and my gut say it's a real stinker…

Originally Posted by Thrasher
Europa Universalis 3 "Complete" and its third expansion "Heir to the Throne" are tempting me for $9 and $6, respectively at Direct2Drive or for a tiny bit cheaper at gamersgate.com (don't want to mess with the Impulse app, though).

Has anyone played these? They seem a little hardcore to me, but maybe I can deal with it now.

It is hardcore. I tried it, but after spending like 2 hours reading a manual and a tutorial somewhere, I still didn't last long. Also, problem (for me) is that it's historically accurate, so if you start as a small province, by the end of the game you'll be (if lucky) a medium province. I.E. it's not like Civilization or most other games where you start small and grow up from there. If you start next to France, and France decides they don't like you, it's game over.
Too hardcore for me

I tried playing EUII, but had no idea what to do… It's so complicated. It has like 50 sliders for policy and then there's taxes and diplomacy and happiness…
It's just an impossible game I think. The tutorials don't teach you enough to really understand how to play successfully…

The EU-games are the best in their niche, which is historical strategy games. Once you get past the steep learning curve, you're in for a treat. Really.

And it's by no way deterministic. EU2 was, but EU3 goes for the plausible outcome. This means that you start in a historically accurate position, but everything you do from there is entirely up to you. I managed to carve out a great Flemish empire, starting from a measly province and ending with the entirety of Europe under my boot, and sizable colonies in the New World.

If you're into strategy games at all, get it. They offer infinite replay value. For those prices, they're a steal.
For those interested, the new expansion to EU3, Divine Wind, will release December 14th, by the way.

I like complicated, so I'm going for it. Thanks all!

Also getting Elven Legacy Collection for $9 from GamersGate.

Lot's of amazing deals out there!

Well, here's a must for all who don't have 'Escape from Butcher Bay' yet

The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena - $5 at Direct2Drive today only (they say…)

also, noteworthy

Alpha Protocol - $7.50

and a few from Impulse, just for fun…

Mass Effect 2 - $10
Demigod - $10

The original Escape from Butcher Bay was great. I still haven't played Dark Athena yet, even though I've owned a copy for quite some time.

Funny coincidence to see it mentioned… I was just watching Pitch Black earlier today on AMC.

Originally Posted by JDR13
The original Escape from Butcher Bay was great. I still haven't played Dark Athena yet, even though I've owned a copy for quite some time.

I would recommend it. It may not be exactly as good as the base game but it is very near to it.

Only annoying thing was that you have to activate the "Quick save" feature manually via console.

OK, here's another.

Civ IV - $5 at Impulse today only

For a Civ newbie like myself, is this a good place to start?

I strongly prefer Civ2. They added a lot of stuff by Civ4, but I'm not sure the overall experience was better. The simple addictive gameplay was sacrificed to move the game toward a comprehensive historical sim. Yes, it's more realistic, but is it more fun?

Thanks, DTE! You know me (and maybe wish you didn't).

It's possible the additions would please you more than they did me. They added religion and culture as avenues to victory. That was a waste for me. Strangely enough, I either militarily crush the competition or occasionally go for technological dominance. If you'd like to convert the entire world to Judaism or rule the world with Michael Jackson videos (for example) as a victory, then Civ4 is just the ticket. After all, it's been argued that the real-world US dominance of global affairs is more due to exporting our culture than anything else. So, again, realistic, but fun?

I absolutely adore Civ IV, but it was also my entry point. I would get Civ IV complete at a minimum, and you can generally get it for $10 or less on sale at this point.

Stat based tactical combat (especially turn-based) always seems more interesting than the alternatives since the alternatives are usually not nearly as deep, nor multi-faceted. At least that's the impression I get, but I wound't be surprised if there are counter-examples.

Really? Civ IV complete is $40 at impulse, on sale, no less. Where did you see it for $10?