No Time For Bored!

11.09.2011

I got a new game. I've got plenty to do, why do I have a new game?

I guess I fell into the hype for Battlefield 3. I loved BF 2142, it was my first venture into online gaming. Everybody has said great things about the new game. They've also had horror stories over the installation and how it's acting as a competitor to Steam.

I hate to be on the side of the horror story makers, but my installation process has been painful. Originally, I got an error that a file could not be accessed during installation. It turns out, after deleting the previous install, cleaning out the registry, and deleting various files and directories associated with the install client, that the proper way to handle this error message is to delete the file in question. The install process will gleefully write a new file and everything will move forward.

Much like Warcraft, I'm installing today but don't really expect to play today. Between initial installation and the updates that are sure to follow (oh, there's a 471MB patch downloading now) it'll be the weekend before I have time to sit down and remember/learn how to run around and properly shoot people. I don't think I'll join up with another gaming clan this time. I'm going to keep it real low key. And fun. I'm prepared to die a lot. But they will be memorable, fantastic deaths!

Along the way I need to program some Unity, paint some miniatures, and play on the Mac. Is it Christmas vacation time yet?

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Delving Deeper Into the Turtleneck Cult

11.07.2011

Last week I got a new toy. Actually I got a new computer, which isn't as much of a toy to me as one was 20 years ago. To Gina's chargin, I didn't get excited about the new computer, even though it's cool (a 17" Macbook Pro). In fact, it sat in the box on my bookshelf for 3 days once I got it home from the Apple store.

This isn't my first Mac. It's not even my first Mac laptop.

Years ago, actually 8 years ago, I picked up an iBook for testing websites. I think I may have used it five times. It was loud, took forever to boot, and to this day it looks like a toilet seat.

But this Mac has a different purpose. Along with valued co-Spiritans JJ & Chas (not their given names, but their cool handles that would be used in online games or CBs) I'm moving to the world of learning video editing snazziness. First up, Motion 5, an effects package that I'm hoping to learn to make templates for so that with a click of a button one can have whiz-bang snazziness. I'm watching/reading tutorials right now to learn how to properly manipulate the snazziness, but just give me a little time and I'll be all learnt up in it.

So it seems I have another hobby/thing to learn. I've been taking a break from Unity for a few weeks now, but I need to get back into that groove. Painting gaming miniatures is on hold since I had gotten to the point I was glopping paint on the figures. The WWE Xbox game comes out the Nov 22, so I've got to get my hobby time straightened up and alotted before then!

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Wide Eyed & Flared Nostrils

11.01.2011

Last week was movie week at Gina's. I spent 4 out of 7 nites watching movies on her big screen tv. I've got to admit her picture is better than mine. Best Christmas present I ever got her as far as I'm concerned.

Last week the Jurassic Park trilogy was released on Blu Ray. I had only seen the first movie, so I asked Gina if she would like to watch them with me to which she obliged. I was sure to keep in mind while watching that these were the movies which revolutionized CGI, but that some of it might seem kind of dated almost 20 years later. Effects wise it wasn't too bad. Story and acting wise, I found the first two movies a little slow.

In the first two movies, directed by Steven Spielberg, there seem to be lots of shots of people standing wide eyed, either gaping at how a dinosaur exists, or terrified that they're about to get eaten. Maybe it's being dumbed down to the effects all of these years later, but the awe of waiting for a monster to appear just made things (for me) drag. The third movie had more action, or maybe just fewer wide eyes. I liked all the movies, but it will be a while before I watch one again.

Finally, the movie I wanted to watch at Gina's to take advantage of the 3D-ness of her set up: the new Captain America movie. I was wanting to watch this one at the theater but kept putting it off. Although the 3D version probably wasn't worth the extra money, we haven't watched anything in 3D at Gina's save for some demo videos since getting the tv at Christmas. So what the heck, maybe a shield would fly out and hit me.

And one did. Made me jump and everything.

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85

10.23.2011

It took just under 2 weeks from renewing my account, but I made the leap in World of Warcraft from level 81, where I left off at back around March, and hitting the cap at level 85. Not to sound haughty, but it was incredibly easy.

Traditionally I've quested well below my level. It's easier/I don't die as often, but I don't get the monster XP that I could by doing the more difficult quests. I started out doing easier ranked quests, but they weren't really that hard. A handful of the quests were "click here and watch" or "take this bauble to that person over there". It beats the grinding quests, though.

A lot of my XP came from leveling one of the new professions - Archeology. I was getting 30,000 XP for digging up an artifact. No combat at all. I think the majority of my leveling from 84 to 85 was done this way. On top of that, the Halloween candy buckets are out and they give a goodly amount of XP too.

So, now I've made it to level 85. Much like the last time I maxed out my level, I've got to figure out what to do now. I've got another 2 weeks before my payment has to be renewed, so that will give me some thinking time.

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Why Are Not Everyone...

10.09.2011

Thursday night I came down with some sniffles. By Friday morning they had evolved into a sinus cold. But I won't bother you with the intricacies of snot flying out of my head. You're welcome.

Since I was a little bored, I finally renewed my World of Warcraft account. I've had the urge to play again for a couple of months, but I've been putting it off. I renewed the account for a month back in March so I could see all the changes that the new expansion, Cataclysm, had brought about. The changes were plenty. I ran around for a week trying to get used to the changed world, but it all felt kind of... wrong?

But that little dip into the WoW prepped my brain for what to expect when I would come back. And this time, sinus drugs working their best, I leapt in and commenced to killing! Within 2 days I had gone up 2 levels. Somehow Warcraft had gotten easier for me. I was enjoying the game, but I took a break from killing and questing and went exploring. Along the way I fell back into my favorite in-game profession, mining.

One of the things that, to me, makes World of Warcraft a good game is that it can be played differently based upon either your mood or your play style. Most of the hardcore people level up as fast as they can and then start to raid. Others like to engage in player vs player. I'm too laid back for that, as I've always enjoyed [solo] questing and just wandering around. When Jerry got sucked into the game, we both liked mining because we could see it pay off in the Auction House.

Sunday morning I was not in the mood to kill and maim. Sunday morning I went a-mining. I went to the Burning Steppes and traveled the outer perimeter. For 2 hours. After 2 hours I finally saw 2 other people. The 1st was a level 74 player at the entrance from Lakeshire who wasn't leveled up quite enough to come adventuring. The other was a level 85 Shaman hovering in yonder distance. Although mundane to most people, I enjoyed flying around and mining the same area for 2 hours. It was just what I needed at the time.
2 hours racked up a lot of ore to smelt!

This got me thinking about games and what other people look for. I've always enjoyed games, be they board games, video games, RPGs and the like. Over at Board Game Geek, there's a forum thread entitled Why are not everyone playing Magic? which espouses Magic as the best game ever and everyone should be playing it, so why aren't you? While there was plenty of fun with "Why are not everyone...", lots of people came up with good reasons why they don't play Magic. I've got my own reasons for not playing Magic.

While I like and enjoy certain games, I should endeavor to remember:

• There is no all-encompassing game for everyone
• Just because I like a game doesn't mean everyone else will

And now I must go take some more sinus drugs.

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