Skizzo

I've got one of the COD MW2 LE consoles that has never gone online (but was updated by a few games that said they required it - the newest game I own is the COD MW2) which I would like to eventually modify when the dust settles (or has it already?). So, is there anything I can/should do before I take XBL for a spin, or should I avoid XBL until after the console has been modified? Have (or can) the disc updates done anything to make my future plans of modifying the console more difficult/impossible?

Another Fallout 3 rant...move on if you're not interested.

I recently got my first MS console, the COD MW2 LE Xbox 360. Along with that I've purchased a new copy of FO3 GOTY as well as some used games. I've spent most of the time playing FO3 and had over 300 hours into the same game before my (avoidable) nightmare started. And yes, it's the Shalebridge ant tunnel bug. Why in the hell wasn't this fixed in the GOTY edition? I can't believe this bug wasn't squashed to begin with during beta testing, as there's nothing unusual required to activate it and I'm sure every other OCD suffering individual triggered it too.

Anyways, after doing some reading I tried clearing the cache, with both the "hold A while booting the game" and from within the Dashboard's menu. Bad idea. Now I can't even load a single save game I have left because it's telling me some of the content won't be available if I load those saves, and if I try to continue anyways, it freezes on loading the save. FUCK! This console has never been connected to the internet, so what content are they talking about and is there any way to 'get it back'? Would deleting the game and reinstalling do anything to fix this (does deleting games also automatically delete saves, or are you given a choice)? Connecting to the internet?

I was planning on playing the game again anyways after getting a hardcopy of the Prima guide, but this still bugs the fucking shit out of me and I can't believe it doesn't get more prominent warnings, like on the sticky Essentials thread here? I hear Oblivion also suffers from some major bugs, even worse than FO3? WTF? Do I now have to spend hours on the net before even playing a fucking Xbox 360 game researching if it has bugs and how to avoid them, if even possible? Any other major titles besides the two mentioned that are suffering from major gameplay breaking issues?

</rant>

Now some thoughts. I immediatley wished this was a MMO or at least had some sort of multiplayer in it and I guess there is a new FO MMO being worked on so that's good.

Given the surroundings of the game, I was often finding myself wishing they had included some sort of vehicles, even if perhaps only bicycles. Mountain biking anyone? LOL. They could even include a 'rock climbing/jumping' contest element to the game. Oh, when up on those satellite dishes and other high places, peering over the edge, I imagined having previously scavenged a sporting goods store or something and stumbled upon...parachutes! BASE jumping!

BOTTOM LINE: PLEASE PUT A WARNING IN THE RELEVANT STICKIES ABOUT PROMINENT GAME RUINING BUGS.

We're considering getting a 360 soon, and I was wondering what the best bang for the buck option would be, while still being 'safe' for Live? Is the LE CODMW2 unit a good deal at $400, assuming I'd want the game anyways and would definitely want a 2nd controller, or would it be cheaper to get another unit and mod the HD myself and purchase the other items individually?

What's the story with the Jasper chipset and is it worth getting a unit with it? I do want to eventually mod it to be able to play backups but I might wait out the warranty first. I understand a lot can happen in a year's time, but would a new unit purchased today still likely be able to be modded after a year? I've got a Wii, so how does the 360 compare with regards to Nintendo sending out system updates that mess up things for those running backups? Do you have a choice in accepting these updates? Do they come on the game discs and can you not run the game unless you update first like the Wii (assuming the unit isn't modded)?

What's the best up-to-date guide out there now and the best site to find this information, if someone isn't willing to answer here?

Anything else I need to know?

I just went to use NUSD to grab an IOS and my firewall popped up (normal, as I don't give too many apps permanent access rights), but it said NUSD was trying to connect to promotions.newegg.com?! WTF?! Did something get crossed, or is NUSD now pimping newegg? Didn't allow the connection to see what would have happened, and upon restarting the app and trying again, it worked as expected.

There's been a few new WBFS tools popping up lately. So, do any of the tools, old or new, have a RELIABLE direct, on-the-fly WBFS->WBFS ability? I'm getting ready to do my friend's HD, who also just happens to own the exact same 150+ games I own! Figured it would be easier and save her some wear and tear on her Wii if I just copied them over from my HD. We've got the exact same enclosures/drives, if that makes any difference to the tools. So, what's the best, with 'best' meaning the most reliable as I'm not too concerned with fancy graphics and whatnot? Are there any reliable ones that I can set and forget, and preferably ones not relying on the .net framework, but that isn't an absolute requirement. And just out of curiousity, what kind of time can I expect it to take to copy over ~450GB of games?

On another note, my enclosure is a USB/eSATA one. Do the WBFS tools only work if it's connected to USB, or will they work when connected to eSATA too? I haven't hooked up an eSATA connection on my computer yet, otherwise I'd test myself, but if someone confirms they'll work through eSATA I may just have to do so.

Thanks for any info.