Choose Your Points Choose Your Price: Fill & Download for Free

Dwarf FortressUndoubtedly the most complex video game of all time, it’s basically a fantasy life sim / city builder. I personally don’t like the fortress building mode nearly as much as the adventure mode. In adventure mode, you can create your character, edit your stats and abilities (the game is so in-depth that being able to read is an ability), and choose your race, place of origin, and place in society.Everything is simulated, and I mean everything. Water erodes river banks, people live and die, go to work, go home, go to bed, wake up, get mugged on the way to work, a revolt against the leader of their area starts, they’re killed in the crossfire. All that can just happen without any player input, and it’s all procedurally generated.Combat has so many options it’s overwhelming, you get to pick where to hit, how to hit, how hard to hit. Wanna cut someone’s head off and throw it at another enemy? You can do that. Wanna cut off someone’s leg and beat them with it? You can. Wanna dump the body in the lake? Be careful, that’ll make the water undrinkable.OF course, all this comes at a price. The learning curve is absolutely ridiculous, just about every key on the keyboard does something. If there’s a key for smelling the air, there’s a key for just about everything.This puts a ton of people off, and most quit the game before learning it.

If you are going stand-mounted, choose your price point:Shure SM-57 $110Shure Beta-57 $140Heil PR-31bw $265Shure SM-7b $350Sennheiser MD-421 $380EV RE-20 $450I love the pricier mics. But don't underestimate what can be done with a 57 :)

Probably the one that I use.Which is not to negotiate at all. Or not much, anyway.Making this work requires some attitude, some research, good credit, and some understanding:The attitude is to be persistent in getting the price you are willing to pay. NOT to “beat the dealer.” Someone will always say you could have gotten a better deal elsewhere. Maybe so, but that’s not the point; you want YOUR deal.The research is to determine what car you want, and approximately the price that the dealer can accept, which will mean the dealer should be making a profit. The Internet is your friend. Use it.Credit score. A most important tool in cultivating dealer interest.The understanding is that people generally will respond well to immediate gratification; a “bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” Thus a dealer may choose a quick deal at a smaller profit as opposed to a larger profit in exchange for some long, drawn out negotiation.At the dealership, you say, “I want to buy this car at $17,500. Can you do that, for me?” Expect some of the usual nonsense about checking with the manager. If they can’t meet your price, thank them courteously and get up to leave. Before doing so, leave your contact information and ask them to contact you if anything changes. Then, leave. “I appreciate your taking time to be with me; let me know if anything changes.”In a few days, or maybe hours, you’ll get a call with some story about the manager and how they can “work with you.” If they can reach your price, or close enough, go back to the dealer as soon as you can. Ask them to have the paperwork ready.When you return to the dealer, be sure that price on the sales contract is acceptable, to you.In the finance department, you’ll need to suffer though various attempts to sell you extended warranties, undercoating, overcoating, fabric protection, etc. This is like one of those sales presentations where you get a free weekend at a resort if you listen to a sales presentation. Just grin and bear it. Finally, you and your car are free to go.Will the dealer see though this tactic? You certainly HOPE so! You want the dealer to know your position exactly, so that YOU set the conditions of the sale. The sooner they know it, the sooner you can reach a buy/don’t buy decision.Hope that helps.