What to Do When Settlers of Catan Isn't Enough

What to Do When Settlers of Catan Isn't Enough:
from Wired Top Stories by Erik Wecks
 How do you sort through the clutter and find games that you will enjoy? Here are three ways to find out about great games?

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0 A.D. raises the game for open-source RTS

0 A.D. raises the game for open-source RTS:
from BetaNews by Mike Williams

Open-source RTS games aren’t generally known for having quality graphics, even when finished, so you probably wouldn’t expect too much from an alpha build. Which is why 0 A.D. is a real surprise, thanks to visuals that are more impressive than many commercial products.
Okay, it’s true, the program has been in alpha for a very long time (running on Windows, the Mac and Linux must make for a complex development process), but the attention to detail is still impressive. Your citizens are people, not anonymous blobs. Buildings look as though like people live in them, with seating areas, pots and vases scattered around. And they live in a realistic and complex world, so for instance a desert will have sand, rocks, animals, perhaps palm trees which cast true shadows.
This continues throughout the game, too, so as you upgrade your simple homestead into a mighty citadel, or build a huge army (or navy) 0 A.D. still looks better than the cover art of some of the competition.
The program isn’t just about the graphics, though: there’s plenty of gameplay, too. You must create units of various types, collect resources, construct new buildings to expand your empire, and of course build an army to protect yourself from (and, ultimately, conquer) your enemies. This isn’t quite as intuitive as we’d like so you’ll probably need to spend some time with the online manual (which also could be better organised), but once you’ve mastered the basics then you’ll be ready to explore all the game has to offer.
The graphics aside, though, you do have to keep in mind that this is an alpha version, so problems and deficiencies are to be expected. Enemy AI can be a little on the basic side, for instance, and the program crashed a couple of times.
Still, if you’re a fan of this kind of RTS game and willing to make allowances for the occasional issue then there’s a lot of entertainment value to be found here: with more than 50 scenarios to play, and a multi-player option too, 0 A.D. could keep you busy for quite some time.

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Brianna Acosta Miss Hawaii 2013

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Miss Hawaii USA 2013

Judges on Sunday named Brianna Acostathe new Miss Hawaii USA.

Acosta describes herself in her Twitter profile as “a nerdy coconut girl in a high fashion world; independent, intellectual young woman destined and determined to conquer the world!”

She will represent Hawaii at the 2013 Miss USA pageant.

The Miss USA pageant is owned by Donald Trump and NBC Universal. Winner of the national pageant represents the United States at the Miss Universe competition.

If Acosta is crowned Miss USA, she will become the fifth Miss Hawaii USA titleholder to win the national pageant.

The first four were Miss Hawaii USA 1962 Macel Wilson, Miss Hawaii USA 1972 Tanya Wilson, Miss Hawaii USA 1978 Judi Andersen and Miss Hawaii USA 1997 Brook Lee.

Lee was crowned Miss Universe 1997 and Andersen was first runner-up for Miss Universe 1978.

Another state titleholder, Miss Hawaii USA 1981 Teri Ann Lynn, gained recognition for portraying Kristen Forrester Dominguez on the TV soap, “The Bold and the Beautiful.”

Lynn also knew future President Barack Obama at an early age. They were classmates at Punahou School in Honolulu.

Dates and locations for the 2013 Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants will be announced later. The final evenings of competition in both pageants will be broadcast live on NBC.

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Miss Thong Swimsuit Competition in Macedonia

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Miss Brazil USA Bikini Contest 2

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MISS BRASIL 2013

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