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The Department offers graduate training leading to a Master of Arts in Government and Politics. The Department's mission is to educate its graduate students about the institutions, theories and political processes in local, state, federal and international governments and organizations. The program prepares students for a wide variety of career opportunities. These include careers in the civil or foreign services, positions of political or administrative responsibility in the public or private sectors, careers in the field of education, or for further study as doctoral or law students.
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My Friends!
Frank did it, Ray did it, even Doris in her day did it! Did what? Duets.
There's something irresistible about harmonizing with your homies. From opera to bluegrass, there is an abundant array of musical collaboration to behold. Here are some CDs from the collection I recommend:
Under the Stars (CD 782.1 UND). Opera greats Renee Fleming and Bryn Terfel offer a thoughtful selection on this CD. Yes, it's annoying when opera folk venture out of their repertoire and overpower regular old songs with their big voices, but on this CD that thankfully doesn't happen. Best tracks: "So in Love," " Not While I'm Around" and "Wheels of a Dream."
If, after listening to Renee and Bryn, you hanker for the highbrow, try Great Operatic Duets (CD 782.1 GRE), The #1 Opera Album (CD 782.1 NUM), or Placido Domingo's gem, Duets (CD 782.1 DOM).
America's top crooners have recorded duets. They all seem to pick the same succinct title: Duets. Sinatra is CD 781.64 SIN, Streisand is CD 781.64 STR, Bennett is CD 781.64 BEN.
The country singers have been very chummy. Emmylou Harris has CDs of duets and trios, (CD 781.642 HAR). It seems everyone (Sting, James Taylor and Brad Paisley among others) wants to work with Alison Krauss: A Hundred Miles or More (CD 781.642 KRA). Reba put a lot of thought into this title: Duets (CD 781.642 MCE) and she got Justin Timberlake to help her out on one of the cuts.
One last suggestion: –Featuring Norah Jones (CD 781.65 JON). This CD is loaded with talent. I love the Jones/Parton rendition of "Creepin' in," but there are many tracks worth hitting the replay button on.


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Newegg.com - A great place to buy computers, computer parts, electronics, software, accessories, and DVDs online. With great prices, fast shipping, and top-rated customer service - once you know, you Newegg.
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Found a broken Windows 8 major feature...Pros: Had a gift card and took a shot... Cons: I knew the game only Win 7 but I had heard of some fixes. Nothing worked out for me. Windows Games for Windows shortcomings are really disappointing. I has a gift card and tossed it at this game. I really wanted to play the game. Looks fantastic. Other Thoughts: Would love to see the Games for Windows take off and lead the pack. I hope we see them step up soon. Did you find this review helpful? |
pretty fun gamePros: nice sequel to the original. got it on sale for 10 bucks so can't argue with that Cons: wish it were the game of the year edition Did you find this review helpful? |
MIA KEYCODEPros: nice wrapping, brand new discs, case is great condition. Fantastic that I got it for only 11$ Cons: I have the Key code but when I enter it into windows live it say the code has already been used. Did you find this review helpful? |
Excellent!Pros: This game was even better than the first. The cut-scenes, graphics, and storyline are excellent. The writers really spent some time polishing this one and it shows. Cons: None Did you find this review helpful? |
another batman game! nanananannananaananananana batman!!!!Pros: unique and deep combat system Cons: during some parts of the story, you must play as catwoman. if i were to play as a sidekick, i rather play as robin. Other Thoughts: this was a great sequel to batman arkham asylum. it was definitely worth the $10 i paid for here on newegg. Did you find this review helpful? |
SOLID GAMEPros: Lots to do even after you finish story mode- DX11 looks great even on a single GTX560 ti paired with my i7-875k. Cons: Some challenges pretty frustrating but worth it; and it wasn't free. *no real cons here at all- just being nitpicky* Other Thoughts: Got it on sale here at the 'egg for around a third of what the big box stores were charging for it- More money in my pocket; thanks newegg! Did you find this review helpful? |
Awesome but challenging game!Pros: Outstanding graphics and smooth game play. Installation and set up was fairly quick and easy. This game works perfectly on my PC with an EVGA 680x Superclocked + GPU. I've also got the Asus VG278H monitor and this game is just stunning in 3D. The game picked up and switched to 3D as soon as I launched it, which is great because some games like WOW require you to change to 3D in in-game settings. Cons: The game is difficult and definitely challenging. Some of the Augmented Reality Training parts will drive you bonkers trying to get it right. Or trying to figure out some of Riddler's puzzles to get his trophies. Other Thoughts: I got this game for just $10. I'm having a blast playing it and it works perfectly. Did you find this review helpful? |
Definitely one of the best PC gamesPros: The Display and graphics are awesome.. Great game. Great story plot. And whew! Sexy catwoman!! Cons: You need to register in able to save the game but not a big deal anyways. Other Thoughts: A must have game. The best batman game I have ever played. Did you find this review helpful? |
Fun, looks great tooPros: Great graphics, it's batman, combat is fun, flying around arkham city is fun, it's just a really fun game. Cons: Requires a hefty system to play at max settings. Phys x is neat, but not necessary. It's also optimized for nvidia graphics cards. Voice acting can be a little cheesy, but it's batman. Did you find this review helpful? |
Good game, can't beat the pricePros: Newegg had fast shipping, got it before I even realized it had shipped. Game runs well on my machine, but that's not a pro of the game itself. Cons: None to speak of. Other Thoughts: I picked this up on sale for ten bucks, free shipping. Can't beat the egg on that. Did you find this review helpful? |


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International Relations Committee (IRC)
Displaying active committee roster as of 07/01/2014. Last retrieved on 12/13/2013. Members can log in to view full contact information for committee members.
News, Initiatives and Projects
ALA Ahead 2015 - In June, 2010, the American Library Association adopted a new strategic plan. ALA 2015 outlines strategic goals and objectives for the next five years, and sets priorities for the association that will strengthen libraries, the profession, and the public's access to information.
IFLA's 78th Annual Conference - The World Library and Information Congress 2012, 78th IFLA General Conference and Assembly, will take place at the Helsinki Exhibition and Convention Centre in Helsinki, Finland. The ALA membership number to use for your IFLA Conference registration is US-0002.
Public Posts from ALA Connect
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Created in 1923. Functions approved by Council in 1931. Made a Board Committee in 1942 and continued as a standing committee under the reorganization of 1956. Became a Council Committee in 1972. Charge revised June 1993. Size changed from 8 members to 12 members, June 1993. Committee composed of 11 members with two-year staggered terms, with chair appointed annually.
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4/17/2003: Sudan Peace Act: Administration Should Hold Sudanese Government Accountable |
Contact: WASHINGTON - The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has written Secretary of State Colin Powell urging the U.S. government to raise several concerns on the progress of peace negotiations in Sudan in its first report required by Congress. "The Administration report required by the Sudan Peace Act should frankly address the violations of the Sudanese government's ceasefire commitments and clearly state consequences for non-compliance that will result from any future violations," said USCIRF Chair Felice Gaer. The Commission urges the United States to:
The text of the letter follows: Dear Secretary Powell: As the Administration prepares for its April 21st assessment for Congress under the Sudan Peace Act, the Commission wishes to raise several concerns in connection with this important initiative. To promote human rights and a just peace in Sudan, we wish to draw to your attention the following four issues: Sharia law, accountability of the Government of Sudan, additional funding for the Civilian Protection Monitoring Team, and concerns in the marginalized areas. Sharia Law. Sudan is a religiously pluralistic country with a majority comprised of Sunni Muslims but also a large segment of Christians and practitioners of traditional African beliefs. The National Islamic Front's imposition of Sharia law in Khartoum and throughout Sudan has been one of the major causes of Africa's longest running and most deadly conflict. Because religious freedom has been a major issue in Sudan's civil war, the Commission urges the United States to oppose the application of Sharia law to non-Muslims wherever they may reside in the country. Most important, since Sudan is to continue in the near future as a unified State, we urge that national institutions such as the military, law enforcement, the highest level of the judiciary, and others be secular institutions. The Commission furthermore urges that the capital of a reunited north and south Sudan - most likely Khartoum - be a place where people of all faiths can worship freely and where the laws are reflective and respectful of all religions and legal traditions in Sudan. A nation's capital belongs to all of its people. As the peace negotiators continue to tackle the difficult issues, it is imperative that the United States and the international community insist that the laws and practices of the capital of a reunited Sudan serve the interests of all of its people, not only those of one religious group. Accountability of the Government of Sudan. The Commission is also concerned that the Government of Sudan (GOS) has not been held accountable for significant violations of agreements it has made with the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) as part of the ongoing peace negotiations. The Administration report required by the Sudan Peace Act should frankly address the violations of the GOS's ceasefire commitments and clearly state consequences for non-compliance that will result from any violations that might occur in the future. The February 2003 report by the Civilian Protection Monitoring Team (CPMT) clearly states that the GOS violated these agreements on numerous occasions by launching lethal attacks on civilian targets. While the United States publicly condemned these attacks, the Commission is concerned that the GOS has not been held accountable for these actions. We fear the GOS will conclude that it can violate its agreements with relative impunity while continuing to negotiate in peace talks. Indeed, reports from the CPMT indicate that the GOS may be using this period during the cease-fire to rearm and build-up garrison towns in the south from which it could launch devastating offensives should the peace talks end in failure. The April 21 report to Congress should include information on any increase in GOS troop levels in the south since the signing of the Machakos Accord and on GOS arms purchases during the same time-period. The Administration should demand a significant reduction of GOS forces and military equipment in southern Sudan. Likewise, the Administration should ensure that the SPLM does not take advantage of such a reduction should it occur.The Commission is extremely concerned by reports that the CPMT has not been allowed by the GOS to carry out its mandate over the last several weeks. We have received reports that the GOS has, without justification, grounded the CPMT plane since March 7. Additional funding for the CPMT. The U.S. government should ensure that adequate funding is supplied to the CPMT. Reports indicate that the CPMT is short of personnel, equipment, and technical expertise needed to fulfill its mission. For instance, we have learned that the CPMT has only one airplane with which it is to monitor the vast and frequently road-less territory of Sudan. The CPMT has conducted valuable work and could be instrumental in holding all parties to the conflict accountable for actions taken against civilians. The Administration and Congress should work together to ensure that the CPMT is robust and fully capable of accomplishing its mission throughout Sudan. The Marginalized Areas. The Commission also strongly recommends that the April report highlight how the legitimate concerns of the peoples of the areas such as the Nuba Mountains, Abyei, and Southern Blue Nile are being addressed in the context of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development talks. It should be U.S. policy to insist that the concerns of the peoples in these contested areas are fairly and comprehensively resolved. The United States should support the repatriation and reintegration of civilians displaced over the years from these areas as soon as possible. In light of continued human rights violations in Sudan, the Commission has a number of other recommendations that either should be included in the Department's upcoming April report or implemented as U.S. policy:
"While our nation's and the world's attention are understandably focused on Iraq and the global war against terrorism, this Commission believes strongly that we must not lose sight of the goal of bringing justice and peace to the people of Sudan. To the Administration's great credit, you have made bringing peace to Sudan one of the highest U.S. priorities in Africa. Much has been accomplished since the designation in January 2001 of Senator John Danforth as the President's Special Envoy for Peace in Sudan. Much remains to be done. Thank you for your careful consideration of the Commission's views regarding U.S. policy toward Sudan. Respectfully, Felice D. Gaer Chair
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Breaking Movie News And Opinion
Straight from Cinema Blend's fiercely independent entertainment reporters.
published: 2013-02-25
Why Argo Deserved To Win Best Picture My favorite shot in Ben Afflecks Argo isnt during the nail-biting, armchair-gripping finale at the Iranian airport or the heart-palpitating opening sequence with the rioters attacking the U.S. embassy. Its an establishing shot less than 30 minutes into the film that shows the famed Hollywood sign as protagonist Tony Mendez arrives in Los Angeles. filed under: fyc
published: 2013-02-21
For Your Consideration: Why Lincoln Deserves To Win Best Picture For a country founded on religious freedom, it did not take us long to find our national martyred saint. Imitated by children in construction paper top hats and felt beards, revered by the millions of visitors to his temple-like memorial, cited by any President or leader who wants to skim a bit of gravity for their words-- Abraham Lincoln became America's Christ filed under: fyc
published: 2013-02-20
F*ck Your Consideration: Kathryn Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty Doesn't Need You, Oscar Let's just admit it: Zero Dark Thirty has about zero chance of winning Best Picture. It is one of the best films of the year, but after the movie became a political football for politicians who unfairly declared it "pro-torture" to further their own agendas, it's Oscar prospects sunk fast. filed under: fyc
published: 2013-02-20
For Your Consideration: Why Zero Dark Thirty Deserves Best Picture The thesis of Zero Dark Thirty is not torture is a miracle drug. Its also not torture is an abomination or the war in Afghanistan is right or the Pakistani government cant be trusted or prisoners should be allowed immediate access to lawyers. filed under: fyc
published: 2013-02-19
For Your Consideration: Life Of Pi Is The Best 3D Picture, Not Best Picture Life of Pi is an absolutely breathtaking movie. I won't pretend otherwise. When I saw it at the New York Film Festival last fall, I wholeheartedly believed it was a serious contender for the Academy Awards' most prestigious honor of Best Picture. And yet when the Oscars were finally announced, I had no enthusiasm for Life of Pi's nomination. Worse yet, I realized I'd be angry if it actually won. filed under: fyc
published: 2013-02-19
For Your Consideration: Silver Linings Playbook Counters Oscar's Death Obsession With Humor And Honesty Every once in a while, films luck into planet-aligning cinematic situations where everyone involved does their best possible work, creating a work of art. In Silver Linings Playbook, everyone working in front of and behind the camera in service of this uplifting story is operating at the top of their game, and the Academy has gone out of its way to recognize those accomplishments. filed under: fyc
published: 2013-02-18
For Your Consideration: Les Miserables Is The Big, Emotional Film That Deserves Best Picture Les Miserables is the kind of musical that drives non-fans batty, but if you're watching this movie wondering why people are singing everything, you're genuinely missing the point. Musicals express feelings in a way spoken word simply can't, and this version of Les Miserables understands how to drill to the very root of those feelings, in ways nothing onstage really can. filed under: fyc
published: 2013-02-18
For Your Consideration: Les Miserables Lost Best Picture The Moment Russell Crowe Opened His Mouth When an adaptation of the musical Les Miserables was announced, and recent Best Director winner Tom Hooper signed on to direct it, all eyes zoomed in on Les Mis to be a contender. In fact, before anyone even saw it, most people put it on their Best Picture hopefuls lists filed under: fyc
published: 2013-02-14
For Your Consideration: Beasts Of The Southern Wild Is The Mystical Elixir Oscar Desperately Needs Beasts defies classification. It transcends easy genres. It is bold, original filmmaking done on a shoestring budget that is not reflected in its jaw-droppingly authentic production values. The movies four Oscar nominations should be its consolation prize. Its worthy of so much more. filed under: fyc
published: 2013-02-13
For Your Consideration: Django Unchained Might Be The Best Chance To Give Tarantino Best Picture Quentin Tarantino doesnt make the kind of movies you typically think of being honored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Award season is crowded with war-set period dramas about people with disabilities, and Tarantino is all about brash, hyper, bloody tales of revenge and gangsters. filed under: fyc
published: 2013-02-13
For Your Consideration: Django Unchained Is An Hour Too Long To Deserve Best Picture Somewhere inside Django Unchained is the best movie of the year. Part meticulously researched homage and part aggressive, pulsating thump of originality, this re-cut would bleed with furious and vengeful momentum, swagger with the confidence of a gaudy suit and pause just long enough to offer whimsical and brilliant asides filed under: fyc
published: 2013-02-12
For Your Consideration: Amour Is The Most Honest Best Picture Nominee Amour looks nothing like any of its fellow Best Picture nominees. In fact, it looks nothing like any of the Best Picture nominees of the last 20 years. It's a foreign film, of course, which puts it in the company of just four other foreign language films nominated for Best Picture since 1993 filed under: fyc


text: Personal SupercomputerGet your own supercomputer. Massive Compute powersupporting four Nvidia Tesla C2075GPU cards, up to 512GB of memory and support for up to 24TB of disk capacity, the PSC brings HPC to the side of your desk. Dynamic scalabilitymanaged cores, threads, cache, interfaces, and power for energy-efficient performance on-demand. Dual Redundant High Efficiency PSUDual redundant hot-swappable PSUs to maximise server uptime. Key FeaturesBuilding on ground-breaking Tesla solutions, the latest incarnation of the Viglen Personal Supercomputer offers a 4 GPU, E5-2600 workstation with massive memory and disk capacity. Specifications


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ORLANDO, FL (WKMG/CNN) – Some visitors to Universal Orlando got more than of a thrill ride than they expected.
After being stuck for more than two hours, 12 passengers - including one child - have been rescued and returned to safety.
One passenger was taken to the hospital after complaining about neck pain, according to WKMG.
The Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket coaster malfunctioned at the top of the track.
No word on what caused the ride to stop, but park officials did say the ride stopped on its own. Depending on the findings of technicians, park officials said the ride may or may not be open on Thursday.
The park goers left stranded in the air on Wednesday night when the roller coaster they were riding got stuck.
Universal Orlando said the riders were not in any immediate danger, and the theme park officials were doing whatever they could to make them comfortable while fire crews worked to get them down.
According to the Universal website, the roller coaster has speeds of 65 mph and is more than 17 stories above the amusement park.
Copyright 2012 WKMG via CNN. All rights reserved.


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MicMan wrote: because there is nothing fundamental to improve while still staying in the gerne. I dunno. SWTOR has a vastly improved story presentation compared to WoW, what with the story focusing on you instead of shoving you into the role of a nameless extra and having cutscenes that you not only actively participate in but can change depending on your choices and the choices of your party members as well. I dunno if a sandbox MMO can have the same kind of story that a theme park MMO can have, but if PFO at least doesn't make me feel like some NPC is taking credit for my accomplishments, they'll at least one-up WoW in that department.
I prefer to make my own story and not be lead down a path, even if that path has branches. If I want that I will play single player rpgs, they have the story part down. When there are real player journals that log and consolidate info into a readable story based on your own achievements, and exploits, then we can come back and say a game as made major improvements to story presentation.
The story in SWTOR was great...until the end.
But, nope. Go to Illum and do the bidding of a imperial admiral, and get treated like a lackey by a guy who isn't even on the council.
@Sparrow, I don't think most of the fixation with finding a "WoW killer" is coming from players... I believe it's coming from investors and publishers. Obviously if you are going to invest your money into something, you want the biggest return you can possibly get. So every investor/publisher that backs an MMO would love to see the kind of subscription/revenue base that WoW has....just like every software company would love to have the kind of market share that Microsoft has or every grocery chain would love to have the kind of income Walmart does. The problem with that, of course, is unrealistic expectations. If a software company sets itself up with the expectation that it's going to overtake Microsoft in 2 years, it's likely to fail and fail hard. The decisions you have to make and the dependancies on those expectations are VERY different then saying..."Ok I don't need to be huge, I just need to be proffitable in 2 years." . That's a much more realistic and achievable goal for a startup software company....unfortunately it's also alot less atttractive to say..."I'll get a 5 percent return on my investment" then it is "I'll get 500 percent return on my investment." It's also a REALLY, REALLY difficult task to try to set yourself up to try win market share from a well-established successfull brand. Essentialy saying "Ok, I'll do what WoW (or Microsoft) does but I'll do it so much better then them that I'll steal customers away".... that's a REALLY, REALLY tough battle to win... but it's tempting for companies because it IS the largest subscriber base around (i.e. the biggest prize) ....and it's also something that alot of folks think they HAVE to do, because they mistakenly equate the potential MMO audience with WoW's audience. What Ryan and GW are doing (IMO) is really smart and it's the way ALOT of successfull entrants in existing verticals operate. Rather then trying to fight the existing market leader for it's share of the market.... they build up thier OWN unique audience by finding a segment of the market that is being currently underserved or even folks that aren't part of the market yet and that's where they target thier product at. Essentialy they are GROWING the market by doing something very different rather then fighting an existing brand by trying to steal away it's audience. They are also starting small with realistic goals and growing from there. If you look at something like how Apple reinvented itself or how Google has grown, it's a great example of creating your own market and not fighting the market leader for share. Apple for years had been fighting Microsoft for the OS market (and PC manufacturers for hardware) and for years it had been losing that battle badly... to the point where it was pretty much dead (I think it had something like 3 percent market share).... and then it did something really smart, it said "Ok lets not try to continue fighting the same battle we've been loosing for years. Let's find a brand new market that no one's really looking at much right now and grow that.".... and it took a look at phone/tablet/mobile devices...something that really was in it's infancy and not many of the big players were paying much attention to...and it threw all it's resources into that. It stopped trying to be the "Microsoft killer" and became "The company you goto for Smartphones/Tablets and portable muisic devices".
That all depends on what you guys mean by 'sandbox' - EQ was pretty much a 'sandbox' game when it first came out - there were no real directions on what to do other than go out and get stronger. Eve as a 'sandbox' game to me is just an excuse for 'no limits pvp anywhere that has anything exciting to do!' - and that is not fun for me. There is a reason that the 'full pvp' servers always are few compared to the 'non pvp' servers - most people don't want to have their fun ruined by someone else. So depending on what 'sandbox' ends up being here - I'll either give it a whirl or skip it without a second thought. And I've played... EQ (for years)
Out of all of those - DDO is the one I find the most fun (I like the modular concept of dungeons - even though the execution of the game and balance problems due to 3.5 levels and such are an issue). If I had to give one game the 'If they just tweaked it a little it would be my favorite' award it would be Warhammer Online - the PvP was great - the flavor of the game was great - the leveling in that game was the most boring experience I've ever had. That combined with a poor engine that had bad issues (if you've played it you would most likely understand) meant I couldn't keep up with it. Same issue with SW:TOR - you can say what you want about the game - but the fact that (it's been proven) the effects file (100 meg of textures) causes the framerate to drop from 50+ to 1-5 when it loads an effect like... lightsaber - cut the people willing to play. WoW runs great - it's responsive - when you click something it works. GW2 got the engine right - but content seems to be lacking - they can fix that. One thing that War and SW:TOR and EQ2 taught me about MMO's though - if your engine runs like crap - people won't bother to stay.
Ckorik wrote: That all depends on what you guys mean by 'sandbox' - EQ was pretty much a 'sandbox' game when it first came out - there were no real directions on what to do other than go out and get stronger. "no real directions on what to do" is definitely not my definition of sandbox. I think most people here probably think of sandbox meaning "a place where I can build my own stuff". EverQuest was most definitely not a sandbox in that sense.
Nihimon wrote: The only game (with a big name) that currently meets that definition is EQ2 (as it has a dungeon creator that users can build dungeons in and give them to the game for other people to run). Eve is touted as 'the sandbox' game and as far as I can tell from playing and reading the community the 'sandbox' tag comes from 2 things: 1. No limits on what you can do (outside a small protected area) - so full PvP anywhere anytime. 2. No direction on what you do - whatever you want to do - it's up to you. EQ (the first one) fit #2 pretty well. #1 is what Darkfall uses to classify the 'sandbox'. That's why I will need to figure out what they mean by 'sandbox' - the only games currently that use that definition are heavily PvP and as such the playerbase is itty bitty.
Ckorik wrote:
A good example of a more or less non-pvp (or at least rarely used PVP) game would be minecraft. Minecraft there is no objective right way to play the game. No objective deffinition of "success", you build an awesome ultimate thing, your friends think it's awesome, your friend builds up something else that's awesome, there's no real objective way to say mine is better than yours, or vice versa. The main thing people think of with sandbox in the PFO planning, is very open ended gameplay, IE the goal of the game is what you make of it. Group 1's goal is to be the ultimate economic powerhouse, he wants to have his hands on as many deals as possible, make as much money as possible, but most importantly, be a huge influence, someone sells you all of their X's, and you laugh because you know next week actions you set in place are about to double the price of what he sold you. For guy 1, it's not about ammasing wealth, it's about holding the local market in the palm of his hand. Group 2's goal is to be an assasain's guild. Someone hands him money, the victim is dead. Guy 2 wants the infamy, he wants when someone mentions that he may be hired, people to shake with fear. Group 3 wants to be a shippers, they hold with pride the fact that anything asked to be moved from point A to point B, gets there, every time. Group 4 is the bane of group 3, bandits, they want to intercept and profit from as much illegitimate gains as possible. They love the hunt, and they love running from those who hunt them after they make their strikes Yadda yadda, add in military powerhouses bent on world domination, military powerhouses bent on keeping the peace and protecting the weaker, adventurers focused on exploring rare dungeons looking for the ultimate loot, someone wanting to be the ultimate swordsmith etc... etc... Basically if you can dream a goal that you would enjoy trying for, you could do it. Compare that to say WoW, where pretty much everyone falls into
Or if they have tons of time, any combination of the 3.
Ckorik wrote: That's why I will need to figure out what they mean by 'sandbox'... Here's a list of all of Ryan Dancey's posts that mention "sandbox". Have you read the Goblinworks Blog? To me, the key aspects of a sandbox are:
Ckorik wrote:
Not entirely... In in EVE there is a wide array of POS's or Player Owned Structures. You can build storage structures, refining structures, research structures, industrial assembly structures, territory control structures, defensive structures, and even take and lose control of certain stations. That is probably the most clear cut sandbox feature in EVE. That feature alone really makes it a sandbox. The fact there are areas where you can build your own content. Not decorate, but build. Also EVE has no classes. Your character's abilities are decided 100% by what skills you do or don't train. And of course EVE does not force you to join an NPC faction. While there are militias that belong to NPC factions most players are part of player alliances that have no tie to an NPC faction.
Nihimon wrote: Thanks for the links - they did explain it Quote:
The high security wording sounds pretty much just like Eve - I'll keep my eye (and ear) open to how it shapes up but that's exactly the reason I never found the games that say 'sandbox' to be fun. :(
My definition of sandbox: The primary mode of interaction is Players interacting with Players. Objects made by players are persistent. The game world is largely defined by where these objects are placed and and how these objects are traded and used by characters. The game environment permits players to explore and interact with the game world in a non-linear manner. My definition of Theme park: The primary mode of interaction is Players interacting with the Environment. Few objects in the game are player crafted. Few player crafted objects are visible to other characters. Most objects in the game are spawned by the environment and player-crated objects are rarely traded or used by characters. The game environment tends to group content into clearly defined zones gated by character power level and characters below the power level gate are severely limited in where they can go and what they can see by environmental threats.
Harrison wrote:
What I've never quite understood in MMO development is why they all only go back to Meridian 51 and 1999. Ryan may know more about this and correct me since it seems like this from the outsiders perspective, but MMO's have existed since the late 80's in the form of MUD's and the industry seems to have pretty much ignored them. Now obviously graphical components change a lot of things, but MUD's lived and died on the strength of their game systems and playability. A lot of the big ones still exist today, twenty years on, and still have reasonable numbers of people playing them. Some of them had amazing quest systems, guilds/class/race setups, settings, faction systems etc. There were so many of them doing unique things that it boggles the mind that all anyone seems to have come up with over the last 10 years is WoW. That being said, if there is one thing I would look at from an MMO perspective that MUD's used that could work for a modern game, the 'wizard' system. Players could eventually join the ranks of creators and add to the content properly. This would obviously need an approval system and be difficult to manage in a 'for profit' game, but if an MMO could actually capture this, they would in my opinion, come to absolutely dominate the market. When you look at modding communities for games like TF2 and Skyrim the desire and talent is out there, it's just how an MMO company manages to tap into it.
What the world wants is a fantasy sandbox where everything "works" like it does in great stories, where people act like role players, where creative folk can add to the world, where everything is balanced so no "build of the week" is dominant, where the game never runs out of interesting things to explore, develop and/or dominate, where players can live in cool kingdoms or build their own, where there's an endless supply of really fun dungeons, that has photorealistic cloth, clothing, hair, and physics, runs on PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android, plus XBox and PS3, has an amazing community filled with harmony, is free to play, millions of people share one server, but everyone's character is unique and special, and the AI could pass the Turing Test. As an industry, we get that, but realistically we have to evolve to that game and it will likely take at least another 20 years. In the interim, we do what we can with subsets of that vision based on what we can get funded, what we think we can build, and what we think customers will pay for.
Ryan Dancey wrote:
While I appreciate the post....you do understand the concept of sleep , don't you sir?
Ryan Dancey wrote:
You're quite right (although personally I can live without the photrealistic side of it ;), and I'll never fault a game company for trying their best, if I could do it myself I'd be right there with you. I just like to add my two cents, and its damn nice to have someone in the trenches actually respond, so I'll never be overly critical of your attempts. :)
Looks like more devs are trying to jump ships on labelling their mmorpgs as themeparks (since SWTOR?), or at least paint the ships with a new lick of sandbox paint (not impressed): Wildstar Online: SANDBOXES AND THEME PARKS: FURTHER ANALYSIS Reading this, sounds like a themepark quest system with (more open world) dynamic content to me and if there is sandbox features either I've missed them or it's been poorly explained (it's not sandbox). I can undertand why companies are changing their marketing jingle, but for the sake of all that is "plain speaking", I wish mmorpg companies would stop trying to invite the whole world to dinner... What SouthRaven says is interesting about MUDs and how apart from EvE (which has less issues to deal with graphics I believe), graphical mmorpgs don't seem to have had as compelling game systems or longevity or rate of change has just been speeding up which leaves graphics behind too soon? I was reading about a player in EvE who lost 6k$ value of a ship recently. What I like about this story is the emergent quality: How did the value get to this point, the sum suggests players attribute a real value (convertible?) to this. What was the scenario for this ship to be destroyed/taken? With EvE, the things that seem to be remembered are these living stories... even if they are disasters (makes for a better story!).
AvenaOats wrote:
A friend of mine who is a now mostly retired MMO player found out I play EVE these days and what he said was interesting. "It's not a game I've ever tried, but I love the stories the people who play it tell me." He's not huge on Sci Fi in general, but he's someone I'm recommending this game to. And it's what I'm really hoping will turn out well in this game. That it generates compelling stories.
AvenaOats wrote: Eve lets you buy items in game that give you a 30 day sub. They are paid for with real money and are items in the game - that once you use them give you 30 days of subscription to the game. Due to this mechanic - people buy these items and sell them on the trade network for in game cash - thus converting real money to game money. Someone who gets an industry going in eve thus never has to pay - instead his time is being paid for in real money by someone who doesn't have the time or care to farm the cash. Because it's an in-game item you can store these on your ship - so when they say $6,000.00 ship - they mean it was a $0.00 virtual goods ship - and a $0.00 worth of goods character - that lost $6000.00 worth of in game credit. Because if you carry them on your ship and get blown up - they go poof. Not exactly something that you'd want to ever have happen to you in something that is supposed to be fun :)
@Chorik that's not quite what happened though. As PLEX has a current value in ISK (Their in game currency) people tend to extrapolate the ISK value of the virtual goods into real dollar amounts. The player in question was transporting a ridiculous number of in game items valued in the billions of ISK. People did the sums and converted that through the PLEX mechanism to a real world dollar amount. Still disastrous for a player though.
Ryan Dancey wrote:
I've been following the Pathfinder development since the beginning but I can't find any mention of what payment model the game is going to follow. Can anyone help here?
I want a game where I can have fun. Unfortunately, for me (since I love Pathfinder) PFO won't be fun, unless.... I would like a sandbox game where a person who simply likes to ruin other people's days by breaking/stealing/interrupting their gameplay are stopped. From what I've read of PFO, this behavior is pretty much encouraged and called "player interaction" and is touted as a feature. That's like saying bullying people, beating people to a bloody pulp, and stealing their stuff is all "social interaction" and therefor is "feature" of life, so stop complaining. It's not fun for me at all and I don't see why a sandbox game must include this aspect. Horizons was capable of this. Yes, it was more static and more of a theme park game, but what it DID have was communities working together and I have to tell you that the first three months or so were fairly glorious and fun. The underlying game engine was horrible, however, so everyone left when it didn't improve. I just feel, from what I know of the upcoming game, that it is catering more to those who wish to disrupt than to those who wish to coordinate and construct.
Chuck Wright wrote:
You seem to be under the impression that this behavior carries no consequences. Sure, if you could kill someone with absolutely no repercussions, people would be killing each other all the time. However, you can't just wantonly kill whoever you want without someone either trying to stop you or trying to hunt your ass down to persecute you. Sure, someone could go around murdering low-level players and stealing anything they can from their bodies, and there's pretty much a 100% chance that at least one person is gonna do this. However, killing a low-level player and stealing their stuff has a couple noted consequences: A) It's an evil action and doing so will forcibly changed you alignment to evil (not so much a consequence for people who are already evil, but can be considered a huge consequence for people who choose a Neutral or Good alignment) B) NPC guards will kill you; if they catch you, do not expect to live very much longer C) People will want your head. If you make a name for yourself as a dirt bag that kills players and steals their stuff, sooner or later someone's gonna put a bounty on your head and people are gonna come kill you and take your stuff, possibly multiple times. D) If it gets bad enough that it can be considered a case of griefing, you are gonna get banned. PvP happens, but don't think there will be no consequences depending on how bad it can get.
Chuck Wright wrote:
If the system is anything like the one EVE uses (and I believe it is from what I have seen), then there are whole swathes of areas within the game where pvp interaction would be absolutely minimal due to guards and the risk vs reward being utterly out of proportion. Griefing itself has been stated as something that could be a bannable offence. But to say that such concepts and gameplay elements shouldn't be there at all? With the possible exception of "A tale in the Desert" I cannot think of a game that doesn't have some of this. Because most people enjoy it. If anything GW seems to be trying to create an environment where your participation in this kind of gameplay is really up to you. I'm really not sure how much more than that they could offer without equally alienating the opposite side of the fence to you, the people who genuinely enjoy that kind of gameplay.
Harrison wrote:
If you are talking high sec areas, IE newbie areas, you are right but it isn't "IF" as a when. if I recall in eve it was flat out an exploit to not get killed by the guards if you kill in high sec.
Chuck Wright wrote:
That's the same basic gameplay as Skyrim, isn't it? Go around and find other characters, kill them, and get stuff. Sometimes you find stuff in the environment which you may or may not have to kill other characters to get. Pathfinder is basically about people who kill other people and take their stuff. What's the difference between being ambushed by NPC characters and being ambushed by PC characters? It's hard to determine when NPC characters have a motive to attack, and unless it is done perfectly there will be failures in the edge cases, either when a lone outcast bandit charges a major guarded caravan or when a fully prepared large gang springs a major ambush on a poor new player wandering through the wrong area. Don't like a certain group of players? Join the group boycotting and blacklisting them, because there will very likely be one. Or join one of the groups dedicated to wiping them out.
DeciusBrutus wrote: <laugh> That's why I don't play Skyrim. As for "griefing" being a bannable offense... well, sounds like a good idea. Now what exactly is griefing? Where does it stop being "role playing the villain" and start being "obstructive to the game"? All I'm saying is that there is a way to have competition and accomplishment without, as I see it, catering to people who get off on ruining the fun of others.
As a side note, I'm explaining why this game isn't the game for me. What I'm not doing is trying to tell anyone that they're going to have "bad-wrong-fun" nor am I looking for reasons to play it. I've played open-ended PvP games and did not care for them. I like "zoned PvP" like Warhammer or DAoC. I was more interested in answering Ryan Dancey's question of "What else is there to want?" and that would be a sandbox MMO that doesn't HAVE to be player-policed to be enjoyable. This game will not allow me to play it as a game, the time investment that is going to be required just to gather raw materials without 8 player-groups of bandits ready to kill you and take your stuff would be beyond any enjoyment level for me. I don't like paying for what feels like a job when I play a video game. That's all, just another perspective.
Chuck Wright wrote: Well I imagine there will be a laid out TOS that defines 'griefing' and what the punishments will be. That being said though your definition of Skyrim as one of those games is flat out strange. Is a DM of a role-playing game 'griefing' his players when he sets out opposition to them? Skyrim has NPC's that seek to kill you, like every roleplaying game in history has. It's about overcoming adversity, and is a key element to pretty much every heroic legend in human history. People will have conflicting goals. Sometimes those conflicting goals will lead to them attacking each other. That's human nature and that will certainly not change in our lifetimes. I'll kill other players, and I may feel good if overcome a tough opponent, but I certainly wouldn't categorise it as 'getting off on it'. You can try casting a moral net over them all by classifying them as griefers but the reality is they all have different motivations and reasonings behind why tey do what they do. A very very small component of players may display true sociopathic behaviour, and they would almost certainly not last in this game. Even if GW didn't stop them, the other players would. Now if that's not enough for you, then perhaps you are correct and this isn't a game for you, I guess that's up to you to decide however. Regardless I wish you luck.
Chuck Wright wrote:
That's well said. But I think you label PFO in error above this post. What you are saying is, why does a sandbox have to have degrees of open pvp or more accurately, grades of "Limited open PvP" [From open areas to semi-pvp to zero-pvp to paint the picture]? What's been said before is that Sandbox = player-player interaction, players as content. You see bandits the AI is not real bandits, other players are; except what you're saying is some minority percentage of those won't be bandits either but griefers. I think you are therefore pessimistic to the possibility of "real bandits" instead of players dealing with NPCs who have arrows over their heads, and hand out fedex quests etc (is this why themeparks took off?). Give the players the chance I say. Great article on why EvE is a good example of pvp + sandbox = success for the players and devs: CCP Online's three design pillars for sandbox MMOs discussion:
And maybe you have good cause for concern, if another player "ruins" your fun once, it can have a permeating negative effect, that's true. Yet, I think the "risk" is worth it and if the community is mostly a good one, it's always going to be a case of one or 2 apples going bad whatever club/society/social collective you are are a part of and having to deal with it. That's applies anywhere. Maybe online games has particular issues is also true.
But this is one eg. Ideally most if not all people you interact with in the game will be other players role-playing their character to the game world in many different guises and capacities. Why is that important Players in Themeparks usually complain at a certain point that the game feels pointless or there is no real goal. This comes down to not enough and frequent meaningful interaction with other players and not enough change or influence on the world. The solution = grind and end-game to keep player on the tread mill. Unless you have a better solution to this conundrum? So pvp is another engine of change: It leads to those emergent situations such as help or hinder another settlement maybe? What is the past history of interactions, if the tables were turned would they help us or exploit our situation? The above eve eg is a bit extreme, but you get the gist of these memorable emergent stories that occassionally blow up and sometimes become (in)famous. Ever wonder why newspaper stories are so full of bad news and not good news? Good stories come out of (overcoming) adversity it seems to me (or a drunken night that goes south!). A lot of games don't have real consequences for losing, so winning feels formulaic, instead of a great achievement. At least some genres correct this. The above does not reference pvp too much nor too directly, yet by including pvp as part of the players-players interactions, it makes the mmorpg sound a lot more like an adventurous place to be, at least to me. If you cut that interaction down, you just lead to players not interacting frequently enough, not meaningfully enough and therefore the stories dry up and the company starts losing players and starts going out of business. The opposite seems to be a problem in other open pvp games where the pvp COMBAT IS the game play. But if there is good opportunity to build settlements and make deals and so on and so forth, it'll be another great accomplishment for players to have resolution of disputes peacefully as well as with weapons. Perhaps ganking is a sign of anxiety because the challenge becomes impossibly high for the victim. But the reverse is what you get without a suitable level of challenge: boredom or apathy in themepark games: So mmorpgs need to move in this direction a bit more imho.
Ryan Dancey wrote: where everything is balanced so no "build of the week" is dominant That is an huge subject all in it's own. I've always felt a huge part of the problem with balancing in a lot of MMO's is that there is too much emphasis on every class being competitive with every other class in 1vs1 fights. I've always taken great opposition to this. Mainly, I think 1vs1 combat is the least important version of PVP that can be taken into consideration. I kind of hope PFO mainly takes the approach of "Screw 1v1 balance. Let's make it so every build has a place inside group combat." If that makes a few of the classes like a rogue, cleric or fighter into 1v1 gods while the bard and wizard get shafted so be it. The 1v1 gods will be missing the AoE damage and group buffs of those classes in group combat.
Just to add to the above discussion. One thing that perhaps a Themepark and a heavy open-pvp combat game both have in common, is that most people most of the time do the same things as everyone else is doing. I wonder if that might be a good measure for a successfully running and fully featured, sandbox mmorpg?
AvenaOats wrote:
Oh I agree with his comment and that's my perception too - If you play Pathfinder (by the book) and your GM gives you 'bandit' encounters - he is trusted to make sure they are fair and not so numerous that they become unfair. 'NPC' (computer controlled) bandit encounters are like GM made CR's - you find ones that match up to your level and go for it. Players on the other hand won't do that - just like in Eve where people gather dozens of buddies and capital ships at a jump point and pick on the 'one or two guys' that come through. If your GM did that to you at a table game you'd quit. I'm not sure why you think that it 'must be' this way in a computer game to be fun - but that's why it doesn't seem fun for many people. I only took the time to write this down so perhaps you could understand the other side of the coin - Eve may be successful - but it has less players than EQ (at it's most popular) and doesn't hold a candle to other 'theme park' MMO's in terms of numbers (even the ones that are considered failures). I don't think 'this is what everyone wants' is the correct way to say it - 'this is what some people want' is much more accurate.
Ckorik wrote:
A good DM balances risk vs cost. For the most part, player death in P&P, is something that should happen extremely rarely, as a death whipes out that character. When the death penalty is under a day's work, the taboo of killing players is gone. IMO this has a huge benefit to the game, IMO in most MMO's one of the big pet peves of mine, is there's no variety, there is no planning in what people equip or carry around with them. You pull out the biggest baddest weapon and armor you have, scrap the rest, why would you ever wear anything less than your absolute best. With the penalties planned for this game... the oposite is true. If you are out carrying gear worth 90% of your characters worth... you made a huge mistake. Also in eve from what I've gathered, your dozens of warships picking on 1-2 guys, is a pretty obscure thing, Unless those 1-2 guys have done something pretty extreme to the army that's coming after them, or they are trespassing through not blue shoot it space, there is no logical reason why anyone would risk a capital ship, or even really be bothered with wasting their time, harming their groups reputation etc... The only times I've heard examples of what you describe, would be the major political events, like burn jita, or the first titan kill etc... (and destroying a warship that took more or less a year to build and resources that via ISK to real world money conversions, is worth over 40K USD), does not fall into picking on newbies, that is more like destroying a nuclear weapon. If more than 5 guys are wasting their time and money attacking weak stragglers, that is the exception not the rule.
Ckorik wrote: Ak, could write a long response. I'll try to get my 'message' across in 30s! ;) 1. Not saying one way is better, as people in contention in a game, it's wide range of different personal impressions & derivations of fun.
/think I went over 30s, dang!
AvenaOats wrote: *good points* It may be a very good community - I think Eve for sure has alot going for it (retention wise). I'm not out to change the direction of this game I just wanted to get some clarity of what they were looking for. I have seen games that were supposed to cater to this market (Shadowbane, Anarchy Online, Eve) some of them didn't work well (and honestly I never bothered with them so I couldn't tell you with any personal conviction what it was that was wrong. I hope this succeeds, even if I don't like it - I do like variety - and I'd prefer people looking for this type of game have it rather than try to change another game I'm enjoying into what they want ;) I did want to give an explanation as to why some people stay away - I'll say again I'll be keeping my eyes open to see how it turns out.
Southraven wrote: A very very small component of players may display true sociopathic behaviour, and they would almost certainly not last in this game. This is where we differ in expectations. Sociopathic and anti-social behavior has abounded in most of the games that I've played. It's the anonymity=jerk phenomenon that you see all over the internet.
It's strange that in MMORPGs, success is measured by becoming McDonalds, not by being profitable. There are some sandwich shops that do great and become chains and within a decade or two have fifty stores spanning a number of cities - this strikes me more as what GW is trying to do. Not everybody needs to like the sandwiches, just enough people. Not everybody needs to enjoy PFO, just enough do. I myself am somewhat concerned at the danger of losing stuff because another human wanted to take it from me. I also really enjoy PvE content. I'd most want something with plenty of interaction and cooperation and competition between players without a ton of conflict, and most, but not all, of the conflict coming from the environment. I really wish Wurm had a little more exposure, growth, and development. If I'd have known it existed, I'd have been playing it and referring friends for years.
GrumpyMel wrote:
They may want people to believe it, but it doesn't explain why people would post things like "This is going to be a WoW killer" on message boards. Talking to investors is not the same as talking to potential customers. Who is going to invest inb a company simply because the company says that they want to build a WoW killer? And if the company says something and the customers pick it up and run with it, like the 'WoW killer' thing, then that is because it means something to those customers. But that is really neither here nor there. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ As far as the 'PvP as content' thing that people are now talking about, I am torn. I have been killed in EVE for absolutely no good reason (unlesss you consider passing through low-sec space to be a 'good reason'). I didn't like it, but I can't say that it warranted a suspension or a ban. But how much of the game can someone play if they stick to the 'civilized' area(s) and do not join a CC?
I just think that there is serious potential for a gang-mentality to take over, and if you are not in a large CC that you are could be in for some tough times... People in the large CCs could kill you for whatever reason (including 'because'), and if you dare seek revenge each and every member of that CC could then kill you whenever they see you for the forseeable future because you 'disrespected' them and are obviously in need of a 'lesson'. I hope that the devs can find a good way to let players do their own thing within the game but not let them run roughshod over other players while hiding behind the game. That can be a tough thing to do.
Mbando wrote: Where did you get the idea that the design philosophy for PFO was anti-social? He didn't, he merely was stating his experience/perception that in MMOs where ever you give people the opportunity to be antisocial, or sociopathic, or jerks, they will be. One of the biggest design points in PFO is to discourage that sort of thing. Southraven, did you ever play EvE and experience what that was like?
Waffleyone wrote: I'm playing it right now. So far I've not fired a shot in anger at a PC. Then again I've also only hung out purely in hi-sec mining while I improve. When I'm a little bigger and have some money to waste dying and losing ships I'll look at moving into low-sec to see what it's like there. The point is the option is there. I'm not going to say Chuck is right or wrong in his impressions, ultimately the game isn't out yet, so while we don't know what it is going to be like precisely, he does know he has a big aversion to PVP. I won't begrudge him that, how he feels is how I've felt everytime a new MMO came out that was yet another Themepark when all I wanted was a Sandbox, si I can completely relate to his frustration that another promising game isn't meeting his expectations.


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White Barn Inn
Online Reservations
Let me start by saying the food was VERY good and the setting is lovely, however for a "5 star" restaurant the service was not what I would expect from a $300 a person dinner. We ordered the Tasting menu which was a great assortment of tastes we ordered the wine pairings as well and although the wine was very good and paired very well to with the courses, I would have liked to receive more information on the wine and the pairings than was provided. I do have a few other complaints but they are more personal quarks than anything else. Overall, we had a great dinner however the service was not all up to par with other 5 star restaurants I have dinned at previously.
We were recently engaged (1 day!) and had a wonderful evening. It could not have been better!
We have been to the white barn inn 5 times over the past 7 years. Each time has been nothing short of amazing. It's a definite special occasion spot. Order the tasting menu with wine pairings. Since you likely are making a trip to go to the restaurant, taste the best they have to offer. We have tried many of nyc and all of boston's best restaurants. The white barn inn tops them all. Best restaurant in the northeast in our opinion!
This is our 4th visit to the White Barn Inn. Every time the food has been stellar-both in appearance and flavor. Staff is wonderful-knowledgeable and friendly. It is not cheap however, so diners should be prepared to easily pay over $300.00 for two people by the time you order wine and pay the tip.
A lovely dining room, filled with New England "antiques", the White Barn Inn restaurant is an excellent place to celebrate a special occasion. Expensive, but worth it. Servers are European-trained and, with few exceptions, it shows. Attentive, discrete service is the mode here and the menu has a seasonal emphasis.
We didn't plan to eat here when we booked our vacation, but the people at the Inn were so nice,(borrowed jacket and all) we felt like royalty. We had the 4 course tasting menu -a real treat, again excellent service from a waitress as excited as we were about our meal. My husband out ordered me, taking the more manly approach-quail and filet, his was better, but my fish dishes were also delicious. Lobster bisque to die for. Beware the cocktails, yummy, but strong! Not complaining, but dessert was a little fuzzy after the 4th glass of wine. Highly recommend for a special occasion and splurge (albeit pricey) Be prepared to spend 400 for a couple, worth every bite.
When our friends and family heard that we were going to the White Barn Inn, they cheered. Some had been there, and others had seen reviews in magazines or on TV. Some had compared it to a formal night on a cruise ship. Having experienced a cruise, that was our expectation and we would have been perfectly happy with an experience like that, but it was much better. The atmosphere and personal service exceeded our expectations. The food was delicious and elegantly presented. Thanks for a wonderful evening.
We had the tasting menu. The Salmon Carpaccio had a great dill taste. Butter poached lobster was smoky & tender. Maple pork belly was to die for. The fois gras two ways was out of this world. I liked the cold one with pistachio dusting. The coddled egg was a pleasant surprise. The palate cleanser was a sherry vinegar ice cream with a savory fig roll: Excellent. Morel dusted beef tenderloin with marsala café au lait sauce was so tender and tasty. We had a pre dessert, a strawberry shortcake mousse in a tiny glass. Excellent. This was followed by a great cheese course and a cherry pie soufflé Just Wow. It really tasted like cherry pie. We had an excellent team serving us, Riccardo was our main waiter and Neil did a good job on the team.
My husband and I chose the White Barn Inn to celebrate our wedding anniversary and it delivered in every way. Upon walking in, you are instantly transported to the most comfortable yet elegant dining room. From walls of flowers, to artwork, to antiques, there is something to see around every corner. The waitstaff was incredibly knowledgable and the most attentive I've ever experienced. The food was incredibly inventive and flavorful drawing on local and seasonal items. We opted for the four-course menu which happened to include LOTS of surprises in between. The White Barn Inn is truly an experience that must be tried at least once in your lifetime.
We enjoyed our night out at the WBI but were a little underwhelmed with regard to the food. The apps ordered were the lobster spring roll (good inside, slightly burnt wrapper) and lobster chowder (delicious but probably had 4 pounds of butter in it!). The intermezzos were incredible (but of course such a minor part of the meal) - white tomato soup (amazing) and lime tequila sorbet. The dinners - the steamed lobster over fettucine- the lobster itself was cooked to perfection but then smothered in sauce. I'd order the dish again but without the sauce (or on the side). The halibut was good but not overwhelmingly incredible and my husband said the polenta it was served on wasn't very special. Dessert was a double thumbs up. Excellent service.
The ambience of the barn setting was beautiful. The attentive wait staff made out dinning experience unforgettable. The menu was filled with wonderful choices. We will be back very soon with friends and family!
I could go on and on about the food, the service and the ambiance. I had the best almond crusted halibut ever! Beautifully presented, perfectly cooked and so delicious, as was every course. And you'll love the chef's surprises. I hadn't been to the White Barn Inn for dinner in years, a time when the service was a bit over the top as I recall -- slightly intimidating. Now, the service is lovely - friendly, prompt, informed. Our waiter was a woman who is at the top of her game, fantastic. Highly recommend WBI.
I heard this was the best dining experience in new england and it was. Everything was amazing, and the whole time was delightful. You remember what it's like to eat at a proper restaurant when you eat here. Running a restaurant is a lost art, but they have seem to have found it.
Best meal of our whole vacation. If you want to be spoiled on a special occassion, this is the place to go!
I live just outside of Portland and have tried several of the nicer restaurants in the city. I would say the food at The White Barn Inn was no better than Hugo's, Fore Street, Street & Co., Grace, 555, etc.... Yet the food was twice as expensive. So for me, it didn't live up to the hype and wasn't worth the extra expense.
The White Barn Inn was beautiful and the staff was extremely attentive. We have a very nice time. The food was quite good in general but not everything was as good as I had expected it to be, not sure if the cost was completely worth it.
There is a reason The White Barn Inn is on the list of 1000 places to see before you die - and from start to finish it did not disappoint. This is not a place to worry about your wallet, this is not a place to worry about whether or not your expectations will be met. From the pre-dinner cocktail at the bar to the entire dinner service, we were treated like the only guests in the restaurant. Every course was perfect, sprinkled with little surprises along the way. The White Barn Inn has set a new, impossibly high bar for what a special dining experience should be.
This is a whole dining experience, not just dinner. My wife and I went on our honeymoon. Fabulous meal and wine - fantastic service. Cannot to return for our first anniversary!!
Food delicious, wait staff excellent, es pecially Adain who was super helpful nd friendly. Ambiance teriffic.
the food was outstanding! Ambiance is great. the only down side is the jacket required. I own plenty of suits but wearing a jacket at diner is not a comfortable way to eat. extremely expensive and worth every penny. You get full portions--so much so my wife couldn't finish her meal or dessert.
A gorgeous tableau of pumpkins, mums and cornstalks greeted us at the enormous back window. Food and service exceptional. I had guinea hen which was at first too salty. Waiter and Maitre'd apologized and another was prepared which was perfection. I would not hesitate to dine here again.
The White Barn Inn restaurant continues to exceed our expectations in every way. We were celebrating our 20th anniversary. We couldn't have picked a better restaurant! The four-course meal was outstanding (in addition to the four courses, there was a pre-dinner amuse-bouche tasting, a palate cleanser after the dinner entree, and a serving of petit fours after dessert). The waitstaff provides a highly attentive and perfectly executed dining experience that will leave you wanting to come back for more. Try their signature lobster dish. You must go to this restaurant. You won't be disappointed.
Excellent dining experience. About the four course meal, the first three were presented very well, my main course, veal, was to much presentation. The White Barn comes in second to Primo's in Rockland, Maine. It's not a restaurant that we would consider on a weekly basis due to the almost $300 tab for two.
The White Barn Inn was a beautiful decorated, romantic restaurant. It was perfect for our 20th Anniversary Celebration. We were very impressed with the staff and how we were treated like royalty. Well worth the money! The food was outstanding and the food kept coming and coming.
Our fourth dining experience at White Barn, and possibly the best. Just when you don't think it could get any better, it does. From the decor, to the highly trained staff....presentation/food, just incredible. Look forward to #5
We were staying at The Beach House Inn and this restaurant was recommended to us. A great choice! We enjoyed the lobster presented in three different courses - each one delicious. Our waiters were attentive and knowledgable. We enjoyed the wine suggested by the waiter. The soufflés were a fitting end to a wonderful meal.
It has been at least 5 years since we have come here. The food was superb and the ambience was wonderful but the service was no where near as good as in the past. They seemed short staffed. Our main waiter was very good but my water glass was almost empty 3 times and I had to wait to get someone's attention to get more water. We also poured our own wine. When you are paying that much for dinner and it is a 5 star restaurant, you should get 5 star service. The food and atmosphere are still worth it for a special occasion.
The food, the service, the ambiance... all five stars. By far the best service we've ever had outside of Europe. The chef's tasting menu with wine pairings was a gastronomic delight from start to finish. The atmosphere inside the elegantly converted barn was relaxed, and the pianist playing softly in the background was a nice touch. This is a world class restaurant, so be prepared for the hefty price tag that accompanies eating in such a fine establishment. Great for a special occasion or romantic outing.
The White Barn Inn dining experience remains unforgettable year after year. It provides outstanding cuisine consistently, accompanied by memorable service, from the valet parking attendant right through the maitre d' to numerous wait-staff who attend the dinner throughout. This time I enjoyed a veal entree which featured medallions of veal and sweetbreads, all of which was unbelievably tender. It was so attractively plated I hated to eat it. The flourless chocolate cake dessert was phenomenal! It has been my favorite restaurant for years and not once have I been disappointed. Who needs Manhattan!
Perfect intimate dining restaurant with a superb menu of selections, great atmosphere, wonderful wine list and outstanding service.
My husband and I were so pleased with the warmth and kindness of the staff at the WBI. In between courses, we were escorted to the kitchen and introduced to the chef who ruined all other lobster/corn chowders for me. I loved his so much I proposed to it! Every dish was well proportioned and delectable. Definitely put it on your special occasion bucket list.
I would highly recommend the White Barn Inn for couples that would like a special evening out. The wait staff is very attentive and friendly. The chef's creations are delicious and perfectly prepared. We loved the White Barn Inn and will return.
Warning - you will pay a premium to dine at this prestigious restaurant but it's one of the places where you must go at least once in your life. Service is why you are paying for the most, in my opinion. You want for nothing, every need is taken care of. The service is amazing, graceful yet aggressive, hovering yet reserved. The food is very very good. I've had better in eating out in NY or Boston, but that's not to say the food wasn't spectacular. Some dishes didn't come off as well as they might thing they would. Lobster Bisque was good, not great. It's tough to review a place this polished, because there really is no need to review it. You must go. It's an experience that's well worth the astronomical prices.
We decided to go the White Barn after years since our last visit. We found it much the same although the dining rooms had changed (the pumpkins outside the windows were great). The food and the service were both excellent; overall, it was a nice evening (they noted my request and brought a small trifle for my wife's birthday). We had one problem. When we arrived for our 8:45 reservation, we had to wait for a few minutes so we had a drink at the piano bar. Then the headwaiter brought us to a small table in a very poor location (no views etc.). I asked him to move us to a better table not far away and , after conferring with a higher authority, he reluctantly did so (later, we watched him move another couple from the same poor table).
This is our 21st year of going to the White Barn Inn. This year we celebrated our 49th wedding anniversary and were greeted by a friendly and hospitable staff. This is a restaurant that has elegance, ambiance and an excellent array of food and drinks . All the little extras that they include make this a wonderful treat for that special occasion. Always look forward to a pleasurable evening at this memorable restaurant. Looking forward to celebrating our 50th at the White Barn Inn.
This was our third visit to the White Barn Inn and it remains the best dining experience of our lives!
Everything was outstanding and so nice to get dressed up and have a formal dining experience. The fall window displays were gorgeous!
the restaurant pays attention to every detail the service is superb the courses were a good portion size the only draw back is my friend ordered the b&b on the rocks and for 20$ there was barely anything in the class i am not faulty the restaurant cuz she didn't complain.
We had a wonderful dinner and enjoyed the lobster with fettucini so much! Also, the cider sorbet is lovely as were the cheese plates and the soups. All of us had a wonderful time. We appreciated your sensitivity to all of our allergies and other dietary restrictions. The dessert wines are always a special treat. Although I think we've never mentioned it before, the fall decorative displays were lovely. A memorable family party for an 18th birthday. Thank you so much!
I haven't had a meal like this in a long time. The food was flavorful, the presentation was flawless and the service was impeccable
Wow! My parents took me for my birthday. It was amazing. We got there at 5:30, and we were the only one in a side room overlooking a spectacular display of pumpkins and fall decorations. The service was amazing. Every course was amazing. I like he idea of the set price for the four course meal. It was expensive, but worth it for a special occasion.
Two couples dined at the White Barn Inn on Saturday night and had a lovely time. The atmosphere was great, the service impeccable and the food was very good. There were four courses including desert. The only downers were a haddock dish that was somewhat dry and a tenderloin that was under cooked. The wine pairings handled by our waiter were spot on. It's a great place for a special occasion but we've had food as good for a fraction of the cost.
We chose White Barn Inn for Thanksgiving Dinner based on word-of-mouth recommendations and their attractive website. Because of their reputation we did expect a certain ritzy-ness, but we felt there was something missing overall. Our table for two was located right next to the wait-staff access to the kitchen; we felt their attitude toward customer service was somewhat too cloying (repeated attempts by different people to remove plates that still had food on them); a little too much pressure to get on with the ordering of food in the first place. My first glass of wine was the bottom of the bottle, and my refill was from the bottom of yet another bottle. We love the ambience overall, however. Nice barn, nice "view" thru the window.
Simply decadent. A beautiful way to celebrate the holiday.
Always a treat to have superb food and service. In such a romantic setting.
This restaurant continues to be a wonderful treat. The ambiance, the food and the service are just about perfect. Well worth a visit!
The prix fixe meal was incredible. If you go, be sure to try the lobster spring roll, which is their signature appetizer. Men are required to wear jackets. The service is formal.
Meal was spot on and incentive, but at this level the service should match. Bartender was not up to snuff and waited 20 minutes at the table before things took off. Once it did get going it was as U have experienced in the past.. But next time the take off needs to be as good as the ride and the landing.
Service , quality, ambience and prices fit for a king and queen. Exceptional dining experience for special occasions. Plus somewhat less stuffy than last visit. The carolers were charming, the waitstaff ultra attentive, knowledgeable and friendly. Loved the synchronized placing of each course on the table! Great but overpriced wine list. We will come back!
After a postponement I had the opportunity to enjoy The White Barn Inn tasting menu with four dear friends. It was a perfect evening of conversation and outstanding food, service and wine.


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Hi everyone! Winter has just begun but spring/summer is a coming, right? Let's get in the mood and post some spring/summer pictures!! Here is my crape myrtle. | |||
We need this! This Board is hardly moving! Not sure I ever shared this picture of the wild violets called Freckles! :>) Just have a few placed WAYYYYY in the back of the garden by the woods! "Those that throw mud, lose ground!" :>) | ||||
Love when the forsythia blooms...saw this when out for a drive last Spring. "Those that throw mud, lose ground!" :>) | ||||
Happy New Year gardening friends!! I know I'm not around much but will be home for a few months so expect to see me around here more often. I love crepe myrtle SSTR and those freckles are adorable Muddy!! This is a good one so I must participate. My favorite from last year: Prairie Splendor Coneflower. I look forward to more pics from everyone. | ||||
Oh, I love those little violets!! I've never seen them freckled like that. These are from the campground where we spent most of the summer this year. www.floridafarmgirlsworld.blogspot.com Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain. | ||||
I love this thread already. Your crepe myrtle is pretty. Thanks SSTR. Muddy, love the house behind those forysthias. Have never seen freckled violets.....they are adorable. JM, love the coneflowers........and FFG, your spring bed is gorgeous. I look forward to spring every year because Iris are my favorite spring flower. ve | ||||
I just want to stick my nose down into that beautiful iris! Love your photos ladies!! Keep 'em coming. In the spring on the way up to Kansas somewhere in Oklahoma, there's a home that has forsynthias and redbuds in their front yard. I always watch for this burst of color when passing through! | ||||
Love seeing these colorful pics as outside my windows it's all white and green at this time of year. This iris is one of my favs altho I don't know it's name as it was from a friend's garden many years ago. Lucky "I have always had an aversion to the concepts of in style and out of style." ~Rose Tarlow Inspirational pics: http://inspiration4u.shutterfly.com/ | ||||
I still haven't had a hard freeze yet. My Angel Trumpets are still blooming and the Kalanchoe are just starting to bloom. I know they will be mush as soon as it freezes. These Gloxinia are blooming too: | ||||
I love those violets. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I've decided to quit my job, drop out of society, and wear live animals as hats." | ||||
I love the glox! Wow special! So jealous! Snowing like mad here. Mgt...If they spread ? Remind me if you have a place for them in your back 40! LOL I hope to see them in the Spring. One little clump but so different. "Those that throw mud, lose ground!" :>) | ||||
I'll have to wait until June before I can enjoy my Lily of the Niles.This message has been edited. Last edited by: SSTR (Stop & Smell the Roses), | ||||
Wild violets usually spread like crazy. My yard is full of the purple ones & the white ones with purple throats. Before DH mows for the 1st time in spring, I'm out there picking bouquets of violets. People probably think I'm nuts, but I like 'em. I'd love to find room for the freckled ones in my back 40. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I've decided to quit my job, drop out of society, and wear live animals as hats." | ||||
Will know spring has sprung when these little guys pop up. | ||||
All my pictures are too large and it's too late to resize them tonight. But I think this says spring/summer. Sherry Does this hat make my butt look big? www.keepyouinstitches.blogspot.com http://s193.photobucket.com/al...9/keepyouinstitches/ www.friendsofthedaingerfieldpu...library.blogspot.com | ||||
Found one! How about a full in bloom dogwood?! Sherry Does this hat make my butt look big? www.keepyouinstitches.blogspot.com http://s193.photobucket.com/al...9/keepyouinstitches/ www.friendsofthedaingerfieldpu...library.blogspot.com | ||||
Bluebonnets - yes in my yard. Sherry Does this hat make my butt look big? www.keepyouinstitches.blogspot.com http://s193.photobucket.com/al...9/keepyouinstitches/ www.friendsofthedaingerfieldpu...library.blogspot.com | ||||
LOVE the pictures! Makes me wish for spring....or a move to someplace where there is no frost! I'm already missing the flowers blooming around my Japanese lantern... corydalis, Indian Pinks, Salvia.... | ||||
How about some pentas? The butterflies love these things. www.floridafarmgirlsworld.blogspot.com Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain. | ||||
beautiful blooms ladies! & believe it or not there's only 11 weeks till spring! or so the calendar says, I'm hoping it's right this year. sorry, I don't have any pics to add, but, I can't wait till the snow is gone for this year. cheryl hill | ||||
Lovin' all these pictures ladies......keep 'em coming will ya. Muddy, you too? I pick violet bouquets in the spring......also Johnny Jump Ups......can't wait for this scene again. veThis message has been edited. Last edited by: vera ellen, | ||||
Wow Sherry, that Dogwood is absolutely beautiful! | ||||
It's overcast and dreary out my window, although we did receive 2 3/4" rain the other night which was good. But your photos are a sight for sore eyes ladies! | ||||
I agree SSTR, these photos are great. Today was a little sunnier than yesterday here but oh so cold. I see you folks are posting more spring pics - VE and Joy Luck: I LOVE your iris so I'm going to share mine too. | ||||
Oh, I missed saying that I love the Hosta Bed Vera Ellen. So lovely!!!! Jmchab, you and I share more than just the "Jm" with our love for the crocus. Here are some of mine from a few years back. | ||||
I love iris also, especially these tiny bright ones that appear in spring. | ||||
Thank you ladies....Pretty Iris, love them........don't grow crocus.....I'm sure they'd survive here, but it gets so hot so fast, doesn't much seem worth it.....I think they are adorable though. Just went back and relooked at all the pictures....dogwoods are my favorite tree...that one is gorgeous.....also lily of the nile....it's an annual here, so will just enjoy the pictures. I may have to try some gloxinias....never grown them before! I know I've missed naming some.....still, all are beautiful shots of beautiful gardens. After nearly a week of gloomy, damp, overcast weather, these pictures sure brighten up a day. Just saw a peep of sunlight outside...YAY. ve | ||||
Great pics ladies! I've enjoyed them all! "The soil is the source of life, creativity, culture and real independence." David Ben-Gurion | ||||
Jm, is that a 2-toned iris or is there a yellow iris behind the one in front??? | ||||
hoping this spring is as bountiful as last one was..... http://imageshack.us/a/img11/558/endamay12002.jpg "Gardening Keeps Me Growing!" | ||||
Great photos everyone! Whether You Think You Can Or You Think You Can't..... You're Right - Henry Ford | ||||
Vera, I'm with you on these dreary days - they're killing me. We're supposed to get some warmer days next week - YAY!! Toots, Love - Love - Love the hydrangeas!!! Especially the blue color. Nice to see you are still around these boards inspiring others!!! SSTR, the iris is bi-color. Here's another shot closer up with some Dr. Ruppel clematis in the back. | ||||
Love em JM! | ||||
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Buddy Collings is the senior high school sports writer and columnist for the Orlando Sentinel. Buddy covers football, boys basketball and track.
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3:14 a.m. EST | December 7, 2013
Winter Park senior Christina Ambrose has been named 2013 Florida Dairy Farmers Miss Volleyball, and Wildcats coach Stephanie Gibson is coach of the year. Read More
11:03 p.m. EST | December 6, 2013
Football playoff scores Read More
5:58 p.m. EST | December 5, 2013
The All-Metro Conference boys and girls golf teams were released Thursday afternoon. Members of the East girls team were Katie Veale (Freedom), Alice Hwang and Allison Hall (Timber Creek), Mao Young (Boone) and Lauren Holder (Lake Nona). Coach of the year was Chris Corn (Colonial) and high GPA was Kim Dang (University), 5.30-grade-point-average. East boys team was Michael Keymont and Justin Karlins (Timber Creek), Christophe Stutts and Jack Cullen (Winter Park) and Cody Filson (Freedom). Coach... Read More
4:58 p.m. EST | December 4, 2013
Montverde's Natalia Rodriguez and Victoria Atkinson have been selected to play in the 2014 Softball Factory Pre-Season All-American tournament presented by Under Armour. Read More
4:35 p.m. EST | December 2, 2013
Winter Park's boys cross country team, competing in the boys open division at the Nike Cross Southeast region meet in Cary, N.C., finished second Saturday. Trinity Prep's boys finished 30th in the boys championship division. Read More
3:53 p.m. EST | December 2, 2013
There will be no cross country runners from Central Florida advancing to the Foot Locker Nationals in San Diego on Dec. 14 after Saturday's Foot Locker South region meet. Read More
4:03 p.m. EST | December 2, 2013
FHSAA state football playoff pairings. Read More
10:15 a.m. EST | December 2, 2013
Wekiva climbs to No. 2 in Super 16 boys basketball rankings with impressive win over Lake Highland Prep and a close loss for Evans. Next up for Mustangs: the loaded Rotary Tip-Off at Winter Park. Read More
10:52 p.m. EST | November 30, 2013
B.J. Taylor scored 59 points vs. Lake Brantley to break Austin Rivers' event scoring record at the Metro vs. Florida Challenge Read More
4:32 p.m. EST | November 27, 2013
Outside hitters Christina Ambrose of Class 8A Winter Park and Courtney Furlong of 7A Oviedo, along with setter Allie Monserez of 5A Bishop Moore, have been selected as the players of the year in their respective classes and are finalists for the Florida Dairy Farmers Miss Volleyball award. Ambrose (451 kills, 220 digs), Furlong (600 kills, 318 digs) and Monserez (908 assists, 375 digs) led their teams to state titles. Stephanie Gibson Read More


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The Classic Car Gallery is proud to offer this beautiful LOW MILEAGE 1995 BMW M3. Finished in Avus Blue over Dove Gray leather, this... More
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2005 BMW M3 SILVER/RED LEATHER. 60K MILES TUNED BY ACTIVE AUTOWERKE MIAMI SUPERCHARGED,600HP BREMO BRAKES. CLUTCH,SUSPENSION,EXHAUST,AND BODY UPGRADES TOO NUMEROUS TO LIST. FAST, WELL... More
Hard-to-Find 2009 BMW M3 Sedan finished in eye-catching LeMans Blue Metallic over Black. This 2009 M3 is a very well-optioned E90 that originally sold... More
BMW: 1999 M3 coupe, excellent condition, manual trans, silver exterior, dove leather interior, 242,200 miles, $5,900 obo. 314-660-1119, MO; [email]... More
BMW: 1995 M3 coupe, Dakar yellow/black, two-owner California car with less than 100K miles, Dinan rebuilt motor, exhaust, twin adjustable Konis, 5-spd, had supercharger,... More