CameronStone

Hi.

This afternoon I was pulled over on the M8 for driving without insurance. The car was towed and I have been issued with a £300 fine and six penalty points.

So far, so fair, you might say, however, I think there might be some mitigating circumstances that might make it worthwhile appealing and would be grateful for any advice.

1. It turns out that my insurance only lapsed about six weeks ago when the direct debit failed twice in a row; my insurance company claim that they did try to contact me, but unfortunately sent the reminders to my previous address, at which I haven't lived for over three years.

2. While I can't remember specific dates, I'm fairly confident that I did inform my insurance company of my new address- I'm one of those silly people who let the direct debits go out of the account and don't bother 'hunting around' when their renewals are due because it feels like too much hassle (and I won't be making that mistake again, I can assure you). I'm not terribly organised with money, but most certainly would have addressed any issues at the time.

3. My insurance company for my car insurance is the same company that I have my home insurance with, and they definitely have my current address for that. For goodness sake, I even get a discount on my home insurance because I already have my car insurance with them, so how can they claim that they didn't have my current address for my car insurance?

4. The taxi driver who gave me a lift home told me that £300 was an outrageous amount for a first offence- drunk drivers apparently get less.

Like I say, any advice would be welcomed.

I bought the new game yesterday. Was looking forward to playing it, but before I opened it I saw the news about server issues. Could anybody tell me if these issues are ongoing or have they managed to fix it? I don't want to open the game if they haven't fixed the server issues because right now it would be easy for me to return it for store credit- there's plenty of other games out there that I would be happy to have.

Thanks in advance.

My next door neighbours have asked if I can help them recover this computer- I know it's very old but they're good people and I want to help. Problem is, the damn thing is protected by Norton security and they don't have the password. It means that I can't even get into the system. Does anybody have any suggestions as to how I can bypass the encryption and do my stuff? I'm not that smart with computers- despite my neighbours entirely unjustified faith.

Thanks in advance.

I'm bored and want an engrossing game that doesn't involve elves or dragons (have played Skyrim to death). I like FPS's but want something with a new twist. I have so far avoided ARMA 2 because I know it's very deep and asks for teamwork, something I'm not great at (simply because as a 39 yr old guy I'm very cautious about who I talk to- I don't want to play with kids or trolls).

Like both COD and BF3, but tend to be a lone-wolf player, so BF3 doesn't really suit my playstyle.

Day Z looks great- I like the scenario and the idea of not being able to trust anybody (partly because as an old fart I automatically mistrust anybody younger than me . . . kidding) but I'm unsure. Also, I've heard that ARMA 3 is on the way, and will include Day Z from launch.

Please tell me yr thoughts/opinions. Also, if anybody wants to recommend any games, I'm listening. Am also considering Guild Wars 2.

Thanks.

I'm bored and want an engrossing game that doesn't involve elves or dragons (have played Skyrim to death). I like FPS's but want something with a new twist. I have so far avoided ARMA 2 because I know it's very deep and asks for teamwork, something I'm not great at (simply because as a 39 yr old guy I'm very cautious about who I talk to- I don't want to play with kids or diks).

Like both COD and BF3, but tend to be a lone-wolf player, so BF3 doesn't really suit my playstyle.

Day Z looks great- I like the scenario and the idea of not being able to trust anybody (partly because as an old fart I automatically mistrust anybody younger than me . . . kidding) but I'm unsure. Also, I've heard that ARMA 3 is on the way, and will include Day Z from launch.

Please tell me yr thoughts/opinions. Also, if anybody wants to recommend any games, I'm listening. Am also considering Guild Wars 2.

Thanks.

I've been thinking about getting my mother an E-Reader for some time now. Her vision is slightly failing (not badly) after a stroke, and she has a horrible yappy dog that means she now frequently loses her place in a normal book. I was thinking about getting her a Kindle- she tried a relative's and seemed really enthusiastic about it. However, yesterday I noticed that Asda (Walmart to our oversea cousins) is selling Kobo for £60- I'm rapidly running out of cash for the next three months or so, so it does make a difference. She's not great with technology, but I would help her. I hate to see her losing a past-time that has given her a great deal of pleasure over the years.

Kobo owners, please share your experience and opinions. Can you alter text size? Can you read it in direct sunlight? Will it hold your place between sessions? Can you use it to smack a Jack Russell about the head? (kidding).

Thanks in advance.

I've recently started playing Microsoft's Flight Sim X, and I really like it, but am finding the lack of missions a bit dull- there isn't a huge amount of choice, and while I'm okay at the easy/intermediate ones, I'm nowhere near good enough at the really hard ones.

While I don't mind military stuff, I'm not overly bothered for blowing things up. I just like going from A to B and watching the scenery along the way.

Any recommendations would be welcome.

Thanks.

I'm bored, and want something addictive and immersive. I mainly play console games, but want to use my PC more as it's a bit neglected. Have tried WOW, EVE Online and Battlefield 3, and whilst none of them are bad, none of them came close to scratching my itch.

All suggestions are welcome- I love all games, be they arcade, strategy, puzzle or whatever. Please tell me a bit about the game, and also if it's free to play, subscription, or a one-off purchase fee.

I recently bought a new PC, partly because I wanted one and partly because I wanted to expand my gaming horizons beyond my PS3. So far, it hasn't worked out too well- World or Warcraft bored the socks off me and I found Eve Online to be nigh on incomprehensible.

So like millions of people before me I was really looking forward to Battlefield 3.

Unfortunately I'm really struggling to like it- I'm a pretty good COD player, but I find the engine of BF3 clunky and unresponsive, and because of this I'm easy meat, missing kills that I know I would have got in MW2. I'm playing via my PC, and I've tried using both the mouse and an Xbox 360 controller, but neither control system feels natural.

My PC is an HP ixtreme, with Intel Core i7, 8gb mem and 2 TB hard drive. The graphics card is Nvidea GT530, which I know isn't great, but I'm playing the game on low settings.

If I were to upgrade the card, would the game feel smoother? Or can anybody suggest any alternative upgrades? Or is BF3 fantastic-looking but just lacking in the smoothness that I associate from MW2 on PS3?. I desperately want to like this game, but right now I absolutely despise it.

Any advice/opinion welcome. Please don't simply tell me that BF3 is a wonderful game because I recognise it's potential but just can't realise it.

Thanks all.

Like just about every single gamer out there, I've been waiting for a good new multiplayer FPS for a long time. I didn't care for Bad Company 2, preferring instead MW2. I thought Black Ops was okay as well, but like a lot of people, I've been thinking that this year could belong to BF3.

BUT . . .

I've noticed that while I like team games like deathmatch, when I actually play, I'm more of a 'lone wolf' style player, preferring to go off and do my own thing. In C.O.D. that's fine- I have a pretty high Kill/Death ratio, so I'm almost always a strong asset to my team.

FINALLY, my question . . .

I'm hearing that BF3 doesn't really suit players who like to do their own thing, and that it punishes people who don't try to work as part of a team. Is this true? Will I be happier waiting for MW3? Or should I try to adapt my play style?

I know it's a long question- thanks for reading, and I would be grateful if you would support your answers with evidence.

Uncharted 3, Battlefield 3, MW3, Skyrim, Assassins' Creed, Batman Arkham . . . they're all coming out at roughly the same time, and everybody knows that all of these games are 'must-haves'.

I can understand that the publishers involved all want a big chunk of the lucrative Christmas market, but I can't help thinking that sales are going to suffer because they're simply asking too much from people.

Would be interested in hearing other people's opinions, as long as it not the same boring stuff about which FPS is going to be better.

When I was in Asda the other day, I was deeply depressed to see a mother buying her eight year-old son the new Mortal Kombat game. I'm thirty-eight, and while I'm massively pro-games, I think that a lot of adults don't seem to realise just how graphic and violent some games are. I love stuff like C.O.D. and Battlefield, but I think it's highly innappropriate for kids to be playing them.

I'm fairly certain I'll get a few negative answers (probably from kids) but I'd just like to know what other people think.

Thanks.

Like everybody else, I seem to be struggling. Have completed the download without problem, but am struggling to find an empty server. When I eventually found one, I waited in a queue for fifteen minutes before getting told that my Graphics card wasn't up to scratch- it's a Nvidea GT530 and the drivers are as up to date as they can be.

I checked the Nvidea website- they say that Battlefield 3 needs a GT560 card, min, but that's about £180, so needless to say I'm pretty annoyed. I thought the GT530 was an okay card? Is it really a lemon? Is it worth upgrading- not just for BF3 but for other games as well? And is it as easy to replace as the online guides suggest? Basically, is it worth it? My computer is an HP IXTREME i7 527- I wanted a decent gaming PC that didn't break the bank, but if anybody can suggest any other upgrades I would appreciate it.

Have tried the BF3 Beta on PS3- wasn't impressed. Was really looking forward to seeing it on PC. Has anybody tried the two of them and can compare?

Sorry. Lots of questions. All answers appreciated.

After years of console games, I recently bought a P.C. I love it and am looking forward to stuff like Battlefield 3, but I'm really struggling to get used to playing with a mouse and keyboard as opposed to a dedicated controller. I bought a controller but wasn't very impressed with it, and I also found that my PC copy of Battlefield 2 doesn't recognise it anyway.

Is it worth persevering? Or are these these gaming mice/keyboards worth the money? Or does anybody have a good controller to recommend?

Put it this way, I'm pretty good at most games, and yet I find myself so ham-fisted at playing FPS's with a mouse and keyboard that I'm seriously considering settling for the PS3 version of Battlefield 3 just because I don't want to get my a55 completely kicked.

Any advice would be welcome, thanks.

I recently got my first decent P.C. and want to get into lots of good P.C. games. Tried W.O.W. and while it's good, it's not any better than some of the stuff I could get on my PS3. I never heard of Minecraft until a few minutes ago- I checked out the trailer and it just looks like virtual lego to me, but 3 million sales can't be wrong. Is it worth buying? Or can anybody recommend any other good P.C. games? I like most stuff.

When it became public knowledge, Sony shut down the network and released a press statement that they couldn't guarantee that users hadn't had their personal details stolen. Now that it's several months later, I wondered if anybody actually HAS come forward and claimed that they have had info stolen? For example, has anybody had money embezzled from their bank account, or anything like that?

Just interested.

Cheers.

One of my favourite games of all-time was Elite, so I was quite excited to try Eve Online because it looked similar but much, much bigger. I'm not disputing that Eve is a great game, but I was disappointed to find that flying the ships is more a case of 'point and click' with a mouse. Are there any MMOG's out there that are similar to Elite in that they let you actually pilot your own ship?

Thanks.

Just under two years ago, I got heavily into online gaming because three things happened at the same time- I got a PS3, I got broadband, and Modern Warfare 2 came out. Now, although I still love my PS3, I'm considering getting into PC gaming- I would love to try stuff like World of Warcraft, and I'm hearing that the PC version of Battlefied 3 is going to be better than the console versions. So my questions are, are PC's significantly better than consoles for online gaming, how much would it cost to get a decent PC for gaming, and also if people could recommend particular systems. I'm not especially computer literate, and don't really need to be for my work, so any PC I get is going to be one hundred percent dedicated to gaming.

Thanks, everybody.

Like every other PS3 user on earth, I'm tired of the bullsh1t that Sony are coming outwith- if they can't get the network up soon, then just tell us.

However, for all the PS3 users who are thinking of turning to the dark side- X-Box 360- then think of this; if you've got plenty of cash, that's fine and good, but if you're trying to trade a used PS3 against another system, then the dealers are going to laugh hysterically and rip you off. The outage won't just affect the value of your console, but also your hardware and software. Also, they won't feel the need to offer good deals on the X-Box.

Sorry.

For me, a 'camper' is somebody who hides in a corner and waits for opportunistic kills to wander into his or her sights. It's NOT somebody who plays tactically and uses the environment to their advantage- eg. 'owning' the lodge in Estate in MW2.

I don't like people who 'run and gun'- they seem to rely on luck to keep them alive.

Would be interested in hearing other ppls opinions.