Cap'n John's Blog

Nightmares

2009-07-05T14:39:00.000-07:00

It's funny how as an adult & a parent your nightmares can differ greatly from that of a young child.

I had two bad dreams last night, neither of which should have been particularly scary but for me, they were.

In the first "nightmare" my wife and I were at a party. I was sitting on one side of the room while my wife was sitting on the other next to one of my coworkers, when my wife approached me and told me she was leaving.

"Okay," I replied, "I'll come home as well."

"Oh, I'm not going home," my wife told me, "I'm just not staying here." And she left the party with my coworker.

In the second "nightmare" my family had fallen on hard times and we'd had to move, which meant pulling my son out of his current school and enrolling him in a new school in our new neighborhood. My son's current RL school is a very good school; his new school in my dream was not, and could best be described as (I think) a stereotypical "inner-city school". We walked my son to his new school and classroom where we watched his teacher introduce him to the class, then, as he took his seat, the door on the other side of the classroom opened and four students walked in. All were dressed in identical clothes and exhibited an attitude that screamed "street gang". I walked away, fearful for both my son and his education.

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-10T09:28:00.001-07:00

I know, I know, it's not Father's (or should that be Fathers'?) Day yet, but I just got this in my email and thought I'd share.

Beretta's products are a little on the pricey side (for me, or maybe I just don't buy outdoors gear at full price) so any chance to save a few dollars is always appreciated. I'm also very happy with my Beretta products, and they're a name I've come to associate with quality. You don't have to support Beretta if you don't want, this is just one choice of many available to you to help make this Father's Day a little more special, while also saving you money.

One last word of advice from the Cap'n. Treat every day you spend with your parents as if it's the last, because one day...it will be.

Not a bad PC

2009-06-06T21:41:00.000-07:00

Dual Pentium 2.0GHz CPU
288GB HDD
4GB of RAM
GeForce 9600GT w/ 512MB GDDR3

Not too shabby. It's a pity that's my 8 (going on 9) year old son's PC, and with tonight's addition of the 9600GT (poor kid had been using the onboard GPU) his PC now kicks my PC's arse up the block and back.

I've got a dual-core Athlon 4200+ which clocks in at 2.2GHz. Yeah, 10% faster than my son's; huge difference there. But I've only got a 160GB HDD and half that RAM, and I suspect his RAM smokes mine for breakfast. I'm also scared to benchmark his PC in case my 8800GT dies of embarrassment...then again, that would give me an excuse to get a 9800GT ;)

Except my monitor is dying by degrees so my upgrade fund will have to go towards a new monitor rather than hardware. Speaking of monitors, my son has a 19" Widescreen LCD. I have a 19", too, but it's standard, not Widescreen. Yep, chalk up another victory to the (almost) 9-year old with the kick-arse PC :(

At least Bloodbowl and Diablo 3 are coming out later this year, so it's a good thing the boy has a beast of a PC to play them on. Maybe by then I'll have a 22" LCD TV instead of my 3/4 dead 19" monitor. My 40th birthday isn't too far away ;)

Update on the War on Starbucks

2009-06-04T11:42:00.000-07:00

It's (almost) a month down the road and I've heard nothing back from Starbucks. Zip. Nada. Absolute Zero (which is technically less than nothing).

I had a couple of $2 gift cards for Subway I got in the mail (as a result of a Class Action Lawsuit) so I thought I'd eat there today. I couldn't pass up a (as it turned out) $1.46 Footlong Sub. It was funny walking over there because they're right next to the Starbucks...which I almost walked into. By sheer force of habit I started to walk into the Starbucks store and had to stop myself and continue on into the Subway.

Where I ran into one of the Starbucks' girls getting her lunch.

I told her I hadn't heard anything back from Starbucks and she said, "You won't, they don't care" and she's probably right.

At the very least I expected something along the lines of:

"We're sorry you feel this way, but this is a long standing policy of Starbucks. Please note that we only request our staff cover any tattoos, we do not discriminate against our customers."

I've been steadfast in my resolve, and while I've only been to Coffee Bean a couple of times during the last month, I've also not given in and gone to the much closer Starbucks.

The natural result of this is I've also greatly cut down on my coffee consumption, both at work and at home, with the result that when we went out for breakfast last weekend and I drank my typical 4 (or 5) cups of coffee I could feel it kicking in. It wasn't pleasant, and actually left me feeling nauseous, or maybe it was just that breakfast was at IHOP :P So now I have one or two cups of coffee from our machine here in the office, and a couple of cups during the weekend, and that's it.

To Anon (who disagreed with me in the comments of the last post, but was so polite about it) - I really hope you weren't serious and you didn't ramp up your coffee purchase (& consumption) on my behalf. While that was a noble gesture, it would seem Starbucks don't care about me not going there any more, and they probably don't care that you're going more often, either. We're just a drop in the ocean to them.

That said, I'm going to send them one last letter, explaining what I've done so far, and how I'm disappointed that I haven't received any response from them at all, so clearly they don't care about losing me as a customer. I don't really expect to receive a reply to that second letter, and yet I've done things like this before with different companies and have received responses, so if other giant corporations can take the time to respond to concerned customers, why can't Starbucks? Perhaps they've been losing so much money that they've laid off their Customer Service staff...

The Cap'n goes to war

2009-05-08T12:05:00.000-07:00

Not literally. I'm not being shipped off to Iraq, or Afghanistan, or anywhere like that.

Can I eradicate World Hunger? Cure Cancer? Solve the Global Warming problem? No, I can't (although I can do my small part). What I can do is pick my battles, which is why I've declared war on Starbucks. Now in case you were not aware of it Starbucks has a policy which discriminates against a select group of their employees, and by having this policy they inadvertently discriminate against me. Maybe I'll make a difference, maybe not, but if nobody ever tried nothing would ever get done around here, so the Cap'n is declaring war on Starbucks.

Because Starbucks forces their employees to cover up their tattoos with clothing, bandages, or even stickers, I feel it would be hypocritical of me to continue giving them my business. So today, instead of going to the Starbucks across the road from my office, I walked a couple of blocks to the closest Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Then back at my office I stapled the Coffee Bean receipt to my protest letter (for extra weight), and with Coffee Bean drink in hand I delivered my letter to the Starbucks across the road. I apologized to the girls there, told them they were fantastic, that I even said so in the letter, and explained that I was doing this for them as much as for myself.

Starbucks bends over backwards to cater to the individual, and the staff there will make your drink exactly how you like it, regardless of how you like it. But for a company which respects the individuality of the customer, they do not respect the individuality of their employees.

Anatomically correct balloon characters

2009-05-04T20:04:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a hectic day, starting off with a pancake breakfast hosted by one of the local Fire Departments. As the Boy Scouts were assisting at the breakfast by bussing the tables we turned up as early as we could (about 8:30am), enjoyed our breakfast, then sent JE off to bus tables with a couple of his friends. The Bunny and I then lined up so she could don a Fire Fighter's (plastic) Helmet & (a kid-sized) Fire Fighter's jacket, then run through a smaller version of a Fire Fighter's Obstacle course. Everything from running out the hose to stacking coiled hoses, and even a turn with the Fire Hose (aided by a volunteer) to put out a burning building (a wooden cutout with three knockdown "flames" in the windows).

After breakfast we left Liz at the nearby Mall to return some things she bought last time (& buy some more things so she'll have something to return next time) then JE & I took the Bunny to her Ballet Class. After Ballet we called Liz to let her know we were done, then we picked her up and headed off to JE's golf lesson at the Brookside Country Club, located next to Pasadena's Rose Bowl. The Soccer Fields next to the Rose Bowl were packed with families like they always are, and having arrived almost half an hour early we decided to take a short walk partway around the Rose Bowl.

At our turn around point we came across an R/C club, where one talented chap was making his R/C Helicopter dance around the parking lot. Upside-down, sideways, loop the loop, this guy made his R/C Helicopter do things no real helicopter can do (except maybe one ;)

After Golf Lessons were over we decided to stop at Pasadena's 2-story Target where I kept the Bunny occupied with a Jack in the Box toy that she popped out of its box time & time again. By the time we finally made it home later that afternoon we were all ready for naps.

Sunday I was up bright & early when the dog decided she wanted out of her cage, so I fed her, put her outside, had a shower, then with the Bunny still asleep the boy and I headed off to Church, where he patiently sat through the extra long Communion Service. Being the earlier (8am) service there was no Sunday School so the boy did pretty good to sit through the whole service (although he did have a little help ;)

Back home we barely had a chance to sit down when we were off again to Taps Fishhouse & Brewery in Brea to partake of their Sunday Brunch. For $25 a head you get a brunch that not only compares favorably to others of which I've partaken (proper English sentence structure FTW!) but is cheaper, to boot! That $25 also includes all the champagne/mimosa you wish to imbibe, or two real pints (not those bloody metric things) of any of their house beers. I started with their Cream Ale which went quite well with not only the Brie, Blue, and Camembert cheese platter I made for myself, but the "Carnivore" Omelet I ordered (no prizes for guessing the ingredients in an Omelet with that name). By the time I'd washed all that down I was ready for my second beer and desert, but what beer goes well with sweet deserts? Oddly enough, an Irish Red complimented the Banana Cheese Blintz perfectly, so I had two. Blintz that is, not beers. Actually I had a Blueberry Cheese Blintz as well, so, counting the Cream Ale that makes 3 Blintz and 2 Beers :P

The trip home took us past Ikea, so we stopped there to walk off some of our brunch. We also got some ideas for re-organizing the kids' rooms. Someone is going to be busy on his next RDO. Finally we made it home and another weekend slowly wound down.

Whoops. Forgot the very reason for the title of this entry. At Taps was a young lady making Balloon Critters, so the kids stopped by and got a balloon critter each. The Bunny went with Sleeping Beauty, while the boy got a dog. Check out the attention to detail in putting these things together. (Click for bigger view).

Becoming the Hunter, part IV

2009-04-29T20:25:00.000-07:00

Do I really need to link parts I, II, & III?

* * * * *

The hot, dusty air of the Barrens burned Kwazimoto's lungs as he drew each laboring breath, but his legs? His legs ached and his calf muscles screamed at him to stop running, but his ankle? His ankle throbbed from when it had rolled under him as stepped into the Prairie Rat hole, but his heart? His heart beat like it was fit to burst, and the pounding in his ears sounded like the war drums of the Horde.

The Horde: the very reason why he couldn't stop running.

"Stop!" yelled a guttural voice from behind him. "We'll make it quick!"

Kwazi kept running, east, towards Ratchet. He hoped towards Ratchet. It had to be this way. This was the way the signs had pointed. If it wasn't this way, well, Kwazi didn't want to think about that, so he did the only thing he could do; run.

When he'd seen the sign posts earlier, pointing south towards Crossroads and the Goblin village of Ratchet, Kwazimoto hadn't realized he'd actually pass so close to the Horde town. In retrospect, it made perfect sense, given the town's name. It was called Crossroads, so logically it should be at a crossroad. And it was. On the crossroad leading to Ratchet!

Fortunately for Kwazi, despite the entire town seeing him pass by, they'd chosen to do nothing but point and laugh at the young Dwarf. But the hunting party was another story. Made up of a few young Orc Hunters all eager to earn their first coup, they had given chase. More fortunate was that being so young, none of the Hunters had achieved riding status in the tribe so they were all on foot, just like Kwazi. And being young, none of them were armed with anything more than training bows, strung loose to force young Hunters to learn to get close to their prey to make their shot count. And yet some of the arrows fired from those bows had still come dangerously close to Kwazi. Simple bows they may be, but these young Hunters knew how to use them.

"Come on! Faster!" he heard one of the Orcs behind him say. "He's gonna get...to Ratchet...if we don't...catch him! Faster!"

So it was this way. That little bit of knowledge buoyed him up, and Kwazi felt his second wind, or was it his third? Who cares! Run!

Don't...Stop!

Don't...Stop!

Don't...Stop!

He ignored the pain in his body, the pain of his body. It hurt! His whole body hurt!

No! Stop that. It doesn't hurt. Keep running. He heard Raene's voice, urging him on, and so on he ran.

The ground gradually sloped down, and he could smell salt on the air. Ahead, far ahead, so close, but still so far away, the white capped waves of the ocean beckoned him. Ratchet. He could see Ratchet. So close.

Keep running. Keep running. Keep running!

Shhhhooonk!

An arrow struck the road just ahead of him and Kwazi stumbled and almost fell. He managed to catch himself before he plowed face first into the road, and being bent over at the waist, with arms and legs churning as he fought to keep his balance, actually saved him.

Shhhhooonk!

He felt the wind of the second arrow as it passed above his bowed head.

"That one would have hit me square in the back," Kwazi thought to himself, perhaps a little too calmly given the situation. The Dwarf managed to straighten up without slowing down or losing his balance, and with arms and legs pumping he flew down the road with the hunting party still giving chase.

"Sttoooopppp!!!" came a yell from behind him.

"Pigs!" thought Kwazi to himself, as he ran into Ratchet and finally collapsed next to a Goblin Bruiser standing watch at the Pier. But the yell wasn't meant for Kwazi. As he rolled over and looked back he saw one Orc had followed him into Ratchet. The young Hunter stood barely a few ten-feet away. His bow was drawn, and a wickedly barbed hunting arrow was nocked and at the ready. The Orc's chest heaved as he struggled to catch his breath, but Kwazi noted the arrow's point barely wavered. The young Orc was obviously winded from the chase, yet he was also clearly capable of still making an accurate shot. Kwazi was impressed.

"Thrag! No! Don't!" yelled one of the other Hunters. Unlike Thrag, the rest of the hunting party had all stopped short of what had to be Ratchet's border. "Neutral ground, Thrag! Neutral ground! Don't!"

Thrag's eyes narrowed and his breathing slowed. "Bastard dwarf," he snarled at Kwazi, and released the arrow, which struck the shield the Goblin Bruiser had lowered in front of him. There was a muffled thump, and when the Bruiser lifted his shield Kwazi saw Thrag's unconscious body was now entwined in a net and being carried off to Ratchet's makeshift prison.

"Damn it, Thrag," said the earlier speaker, "told you to stop. Never bloody listen. Pop is gonna love this one. Well, Dwarf," he said - Kwazi raised his head - "You can run. Yeah, you sure can run, but you can't hide!"

"Oh, you'd be surprised," replied Kwazimoto, "I can hide pretty well when I need to."

The Orc laughed. "Good hunting to you, Dwarf!" he said, thumping his fist against his chest.

"Good hunting to you, Orc," Kwazi replied, returning the salute. "May Orion guide your arrows to their target."

The Orc stared at Kwazi for several long seconds, before smiling - It was probably meant to be a friendly smile, but tusks and a mouthful of fangs don't make for very friendly smiles - then he nodded his head, turned, and as one the Orcs began running back towards the Crossroads. Not walking, not jogging, but running. Kwazi smiled and shook his head in wonder. They breed them tough out here in the Barrens, he thought. Now, where's that Inn? I need a drink.

* * *

Kwazi had to admit, fishing off Ratchet's pier was extremely relaxing. Each day two ships sailed from Ratchet to Booty Bay, one in the morning, and one in the early evening. Most folks chose to ride the one in the evening because it allowed them to sleep during the trip and wake at Booty Bay in the morning, but there were still a few folks that sailed out on the morning ship.

For almost a ten-day Kwazi had done nothing but fish off the pier. Fish, and wait for the right ship, although it would be more accurate to say he was waiting for the right passengers. Kwazi needed a morning ship to set sail with absolutely no Horde on board. Alliance would be fine, but not Horde, not for what he had in mind. Chatting with the Goblin sailors Kwazi had established that as they sailed out of Ratchet, their ship passed fairly close to the Echo Isles. Rather than approach the Isles by land, via Durotar, and pass dangerously close to Orgrimmar, Kwazi was choosing to go by sea. Dwarves can swim, they just prefer not to, not if they can avoid it. But when the need arises or their life depends on it Dwarves have been known to swim short distances very, very quickly.

Kwazi needed a morning ship with no Horde passengers, because any Horde warrior worth their salt would pursue a member of the Alliance jumping ship so close to Orgrimmar. And so Kwazi sat on the pier, and fished, and waited. Hunters are very, very good at waiting. If they weren't, they wouldn't be Hunters, and Kwazi was a very good Hunter, which is how he could sit on the pier for half a ten-day and do nothing but fish. Of those he caught a few small ones were tossed back, a basketful went to the Innkeeper to pay for his lodging, and a handful were smoked as provisions for the future. Kwazi had a special pouch, with heavily greased water-resistant leather, that kept things like tinder, gunpowder, and dried provisions as dry as possible, and he had this pouch stuffed full of smoked fish and some Kodo Jerky the Innkeeper had made, which was actually quite tasty.

Finally the day arrived when the only travelers waiting for the morning ship were a couple of Alliance soldiers, and when the ship set sail it did so with just three passengers. While the two soldiers headed below deck, Kwazi stood on the portside of the ship, and waited. As the wind filled its sails the ship pulled away from Ratchet and Kwazi watched the mountains slide by. It was when the ship started turning more and more to the south, away from the mountains, that Kwazi made his move and jumped.

It was not a graceful entry and it was not a masterful stroke that propelled Kwazi through the water, but it was effective, and after several long minutes he was able to stand up in chest high water. With the hills rising almost straight up out of the water, Kwazi had no choice but to begin slowly wading east, towards the Echo Isles, but when they finally came into view, so, too, did a Troll fishing village.

Fortunately for Kwazi most of the Trolls of Sen'jin Village had long since headed north to Orgrimmar, to serve Thrall, so on this morning only a couple of Trolls were about, and none were looking towards the ocean. They certainly weren't expecting a Dwarf to be wading up the coast from Ratchet, so Kwazi was able to start swimming across to the largest of the Isles without being seen.

When he finally made shore he unwrapped his water-resistant pack and took out several pieces of fish. The grease had done its job, and unlike Kwazi, the fish had not been affected by their prolonged exposure to the water. As Kwazi slowly chewed one piece he felt his strength return, but it was the Innkeeper's Kodo Jerky that sealed the deal and Kwazi felt ready to take on the world. Although for now, an Echo Isles' Tiger would have to do.

As Kwazi stood up to go searching for his Tiger he realized one had already found him. Maybe it was the aroma of smoked fish, perhaps the Kodo Jerkey, or possibly just the strange scent of wet Dwarf that drew it out of the cover of the jungle. Whatever it was the Tiger only had eyes for Kwazimoto, and Hunter and Beast stopped and stared each other down.

It was the Tiger that made the first move, as it had to, for Kwazimoto's role in this play was simple; stand firm against the Tiger, and make it see that its attacks were futile. Kwazimoto had to be the dominant one, the stronger of the two. He had to be Alpha, and the Tiger had to be made to realize that.

As the Tiger charged in Kwazi did nothing but stand his ground, meet its gaze, and stare it down. The Tiger crossed the distance between them in a heart beat, but under Kwazi's unwavering gaze it balked, and swerved away. The Tiger made a huge circle back to its starting point where it stopped and looked at the Dwarf, clearly confused.

Wasn't this prey? It smelled like prey. Then why didn't it act like prey? Why didn't it turn and run? With a snarl it leaped at the Dwarf a second time, and again Kwazi stood his ground, and once more the Tiger checked its attack and turned away. Again it made another large circle and finished up back where it had started.

Kwazi glared at the Tiger which now really wasn't sure what was going on. This creature clearly smelled like fish, and something else delicious, but it didn't act like prey. So if it wasn't prey, it was competition for prey. It was competition! The Tiger turned and made one last charge, coming right up to the Dwarf where it drew back a huge paw with wicked claws extended and...it made its last mistake; it looked up into the Dwarf's face.

Kwazimoto stared back into the Tiger's amber eyes, barely a couple of feet from his own. He could see every whisker on its face, and smell the last meal on its breath. He stared into the Tiger's eyes and the Tiger finally realized this was not prey, and it wasn't competition; this was Alpha, its Alpha. The Tiger lowered its paw, rolled over, and offered its belly to its Alpha.

Kwazimoto let out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding and took out a second piece of smoked fish, but instead of offering it to the Tiger he took a huge bite and chewed with gusto. The Tiger whined and looked longingly at the fish, until it caught Kwazi's stern stare. The whining stopped and it lowered its gaze.

Kwazi took out the third piece of fish and took another huge bite, and only then did he offer the remainder of this piece to the Tiger. Slowly, carefully, it took the offered fish from his hand, then swallowed it whole and looked up expectantly.

More?

"No."

While it may not have known the word, the tone was quite clear, and the Tiger immediately understood that it only got food from its new Alpha when it was offered, and not before. Still, no harm in asking, right?

"No!

Ok, fine. No more food just yet. So, what do we do now? Where are we going?

"Well, Tiger," said Kwazi, "I probably should have thought this crazy idea of mine through a little better, because I have no clue how we're getting back to Dun Murogh."

The Tiger looked up at him, and like Tigers sometimes do, gave an amused woof.

Kwazi gave its head a rough pat. "You're a fat lot of good, aren't you? Then again, I guess I'm not much better. You know what, Tiger? I didn't see Durotar on the way over. I guess we could go back that way, through the Barrens, and head back up to Ashenvale. I know a pretty Elf there who'd like to meet you. What do you say, Tiger?"

The Tiger had no clue what its Alpha had just said, but it knew it was being asked a question and it gave another woof.

"Good answer, Tiger," said Kwazimoto. "Let's go."

* * * * *

To be continued? I don't know. Maybe. If you never read it, there is one more Kwazimoto story, where he faces down Klinfran the Crazed, the Burning Steppes demon who's part of the old level 60 Epic Hunter quest. You can find it here.

Becoming the Hunter, part III

2009-04-28T22:23:00.000-07:00

In case you missed them, click here for Part I, and here for Part II

* * * * *

With resounding roars from rider and mount alike the Horde raiders swept into Astranaar. A huge Tauren warrior riding a giant Kodo had point, and his massive beast crashed into the two Night Elf Sentinels stationed at the eastern bridge, sending them flying into the air. In a clear display of the Elves' legendary dexterity one of the Sentinels drew her bow and loosed an arrow while still in midair. It was an impressive shot, considering the Sentinel was upside down at the time, even if the arrow did nothing more than glance off the Tauren's plated helm.

The Tauren's two companions rode in behind him, and as one all three wheeled their mounts around then leaped off and prepared for battle. A few arcane words from the Orc Shaman saw lightning spark and flash from the head of his mace, while small balls of lightning appeared from thin air and began to swirl and dance around him.

The dark robed figure behind the Orc hissed, then muttered something Kwazimoto didn't catch, but the hair on his neck stood up as an unholy stench swept his way. A shimmer appeared in the air beside the Warlock, not unlike a heat wave, then a giant, armored figure slowly appeared in what was obviously a rift to another dimension. As the demon materialized it bellowed, "Who dares summon me?!"

"A Felguard!" gasped Raene Wolfrunner, who stood watching with Kwazimoto. "These are strong opponents indeed, young Dwarf. Best you stay back and leave this fight to us. Come, Dagri! To battle!"

As Night Elves rushed from the buildings to defend their tiny home in the middle of the Ashenvale forest, Dagri, Raene's wolf, darted in and started harassing the Warlock. Raene herself fired several arrows in quick succession, and although all found their mark they seemed to do little more than attract the attention of the Felguard, which turned and charged her position.

Raene pulled another arrow from her quiver and said something in Elvish that Kwazi didn't catch, but he was duly impressed when a spiderweb pattern of light began flickering up and down the arrow's shaft. The Hunter fired the arrow at the fast approaching Felguard, and Kwazi gasped as the shaft buried itself in the ground between the demon's feet. She missed? How? And then the arrow exploded into thin filaments of light that wrapped around the Felguard's legs and brought it crashing to the ground, immobile.

Raene drew another arrow, muttered some more words in Elvish, then launched this arrow towards the Horde raiders. Almost as soon as it left her bow the shaft split into three separate arrows, with each seeking one of the three raiders.

The Felguard climbed back to its feet, shook itself free of the last of the magical net, then resumed its lumbering run towards Raene. The Hunter fired her next arrow straight into the Felguard's face while shouting yet another Elvish word, but this was a word Kwazi did know, because Raene had taught it to him that very morning.

Scattershot!

The arrow exploded in the Felguard's face, stunning it, and for several seconds it wandered aimlessly on wobbly, unsteady legs. That was all the time Dagri needed to return to Raene's side and begin worrying at the Felguard, which forgot the Warlock's earlier orders and focused all its attention on the wolf. Kwazimoto heard the Warlock curse but the distance between the Warlock and its minion was too great. The Felguard ignored its master's orders and concentrated on trying to strike the elusive wolf that kept snapping at its legs.

While Dagri kept the Felguard occupied, Raene launched arrow after arrow at the raiders, which is when Kwazi noticed something not quite right. His keen eyes had caught movement where none should have been. What was that? Tusks? And was that...a dagger? As if a spell had been broken a young Troll appeared in front of him, creeping towards Raene. Clearly it was unaware it had been spotted, for it continued its deliberately slow movements towards the Elven Hunter. In fact Kwazi found his attention start to wander and it took all of his willpower to focus on where he knew the Troll was, and not "Look away! You don't see me!"

Kwazi shook his head. Was this how they did it? He'd heard of the Rogues' uncanny ability to disappear in broad daylight; how they could apparently stand out in the open and not be seen. Was it some kind of learned magic by which they forced any observers to look away, to literally not see the Rogue standing right in front of them?

"I see you," Kwazi told himself. "I SEE YOU!!!"

There! Creeping around to get behind Raene! There it was! Kwazi shouldered his rifle, took careful aim, and squeezed the trigger.

Ka-Boom!

Raene spun at the sound to see the young Troll collapse in a heap beside her, still holding a wicked dagger tightly in each hand. She looked over at Kwazi to thank him, then her eyes widened and her focus switched from his face to over his shoulder.

"Bastard!" hissed a voice in Kwazi's ear as something slammed into his lower back. Then came a second searing pain higher up. And then he felt nothing at all.

The last thing Kwazi saw was Raene launching another arrow straight at him. No, not at him. Over his head. He heard her yell something in Elvish. He knew that word. What was it again? Oh yeah. Scattershot. Then his world went black.

* * *

Kwazi's head hadn't felt like this for a long time. Not since the morning after he and Jarven tried to drink every last keg of Thunder Ale in the Kharanos Inn. Actually, now that he thought about it, that still hadn't been as bad as he felt now. Just how much had he had to drink this time? He hoped Jarven felt even worse, because he just knew his old friend was behind this horrific hangover.

Slowly and carefully he cracked open one eye lid, expecting to be blinded by the fire in his room at the Kharanos Inn, but there was no fire. And this wasn't Kharanos. So where was he? And why was everything so green? Kwazi opened both eyes, and one of the most musical voices he'd ever heard cautioned him to take it easy.

An elf? Oh yeah. It all came flooding back to him.

The Druid who kept yawning and muttering something about the Emerald Dream, who had asked Kwazi to escort him from Auberdine to a giant tree-like demi-god in some outdoor temple.

Another Hunter - this one an Elf - and his bear companion. Kwazi got the feeling traveling with them that while two was company, three was definitely a crowd. He remembered parting ways, with the Elf saying he was going to investigate a Furbolg camp.

Then there was Astranaar, and Raene Wolfrunner, and...the Horde! And the young Troll Rogue that he'd shot, only to be ambushed by...another Rogue?

Kwazi tried to sit up and pain shot through his body, from two points in his back, to be precise. Again the musical voice cautioned him to take it easy before calling out, "Raene! He's awake!"

A tall, lithe body blocked the light of the doorway for a second as Raene stepped inside the hut. "Don't try to get up just yet, Kwazi," she told him. "You got that first Troll, but his brother got you."

"I thought I was a goner" said the Dwarf.

"You were," said the owner of the musical voice, "but you seem to have made some interesting friends in your short life, Hunter. Although Dwarves were never meant to walk the Emerald Dream, it sounds like you are one who has. When Raene brought you to me you were so pale that I thought you were already lost to us. But as we lay you down you gasped, then uttered the name of a powerful Druid. 'Kerlonian Evershade! What are you doing here?' you said, and that was when I knew you still had a chance. Oh, I'm sorry. Where are my manners? I am Tra'onna Evershade, daughter of Kerlonian. It is a pleasure to meet you, Kwazimoto."

Kwazi finally managed to sit up but decided against trying to stand just yet. Instead he bowed his head and said, "Well met, Tra'onna Evershade, daughter of Kerlonian Evershade. I am Kwazi'Moto, son of Kozi'Moto, son of Quasi'Moto, and I am honored to meet you."

Tra'onna laughed. "And I am glad we were able to meet, Kwazi'moto, son of Kozi'moto. I've heard the Dwarves are legendary for two things in particular. Their sturdy constitution and," she smiled to show she meant no malice, "their stubbornness, and it appears both traits have served you well these past few days. Yes," she said, noting the shock on Kwazi's face, "it's been half a ten-day since we were last attacked, but given the severity of the wounds you suffered, I'm amazed to see you awake so soon. Still, I don't think you're ready to resume your hunt just yet, Kwazi'moto."

Kwazi would have liked to have argued otherwise but he was forced to admit Tra'onna was right, especially as the room had been slowly spinning ever since he sat up. "I think...I'd like something to eat," he said, "then...maybe I'll take another nap, if you don't mind."

"How could I object to such a polite request, Kwazi'moto, son of Kozi'moto," laughed Tra'onna, as she prepared a bowl of broth for him. "Here. I think you will find this surprisingly satisfying, for a simple bowl of broth."

Kwazi took the offered bowl of what appeared to be little more than hot water, but Tra'onna was right. A delicious aroma filled his nostrils, the broth filled his stomach, and within seconds of draining the bowl Kwazi felt his mind grow heavy and he carefully lay back down on the woven grass mat.

"Sleep, Kwazi'moto, son of Kozi'moto," sang Tra'onna. "Sleep. Your body needs to rest to heal. Sleep."

* * *

Kwazi spent many more ten-days in Astranaar before Tra'onna felt he was strong enough to continue his journey. During that time he studied under Raene, and the Dwarf learned what being a Hunter means to the Night Elves. Although both the Dwarves and the Night Elves produced Hunters, there were distinct differences between the two races, and Kwazi realized they each could learn a lot from the other.

He also learned a lot more about the Horde, as it seemed not a single ten-day could go by without raiders attacking Astranaar at least once. Kwazi learned that in the center of the Barrens was a Horde town known simply as the Crossroads. Raene told the Dwarf that just as the Horde frequently attacked Astranaar, so, too, did soldiers of the Alliance almost constantly raid the Crossroads.

"If one was in retaliation for the other," she said, "then it was so long ago that nobody remembers who was the initial aggressor. Now they attack us, we attack them, and the circle continues. Aren't you familiar with a similar situation in your own Eastern Kingdoms?"

Kwazi was forced to admit that his knowledge of almost anywhere outside Dun Murogh was severely lacking.

"In the land known as Hillsbrad," Raene continued, "to the north of Ironforge, there are two towns, one Alliance, one Horde. Located so closely together they are almost constantly at war." The Night Elf shook her head sadly. "Many battles have been fought there, many heroes slain, and much blood soaks the fields between these two towns. We attack them, they attack us, and the circle continues."

They were definitely words to ponder, Kwazi thought to himself, and something to keep in mind if he was to return from this journey. Clearly not all lands were as safe as Dun Murogh, while some appeared to never know peace at all. He would need to be especially careful when he ventured south into the Barrens. If the Alliance harassed the Crossroads as often as Astranaar had been raided these past few ten-days, Kwazi knew the Horde of the Barrens would not hesitate to attack a solitary Dwarf trespassing on their land.

But it was not just the Barrens that Kwazi must pass through, but Durotar itself. Named after Thrall's father and home to the Orc capital of Orgrimmar, Kwazi knew that the greatest test of his abilities was still yet to come.

But somewhere south of here a Tiger called his name, and Kwazi'moto, son of Kozi'moto, had no choice but to find it.

(Continued in part IV)

* * * * *

I've added something a little personal to this story, that being Kwazimoto's lineage.

When my father retired in the early '90s, one of the things that occupied his free time was playing the Forgotten Realms computer games on my old Commodore 64. Differing from WoW and other MMOs of today, these single-player games required the player to create and manage a full party of adventurers. My father could play through them again and again, creating new parties each time, but there was always one constant to each party; they would all include a Dwarf named after Victor Hugo's famous hunchback, Quasimodo, and the spelling of Kwazi's father's name was one of my father's favorite choices.

Later when my father played AD&D the character he naturally chose was a Dwarf, which he named Kozimoto, of course. One of the goals he had for Kozimoto was to have a wolf as a Pet, and he was delighted the day I DM'd a small adventure where I allowed his Dwarf to buy a baby wolf from a traveling vendor.

When I began playing WoW in April 2005, neither Kwazimoto nor the Hunter were my first characters. I actually rolled a human Paladin, but after playing for the evening I wasn't too enamored with the experience. I brought the manual to work with me the next day to read on the bus (yes, I actually RTFM ;) and something about the Hunter, particularly the Dwarf Hunter, appealed to me. When I got home I rolled my new character and while debating a name decided that like my father, I'd go with a play on Quasimodo. As Dad would frequently go with Kozimoto, I chose Kwazimoto, being not just a play on Quasimodo, but also Quasi as in similar to my father.

My Dad would have loved WoW and without a doubt he would have played a Hunter. And with me living in the U.S it would have been a great way for us to stay in touch, except for one small problem. Dad died in March 2005, just one month before I started playing.

I actually rolled a Kozimoto, for Dad, but there was something about doing that which felt wrong and I deleted that character. But Kwazi'moto, son of Kozi'moto, son of Quasi'moto, lives on (even if I don't play any more ;)

Becoming the Hunter, part II

2009-04-26T21:33:00.000-07:00

Continuing Kwazimoto's story. Part I can be found here.

* * * * *

A trip through the Wetlands would normally have been far more hazardous for a young Dwarf with so few seasons under his belt, except for one thing. As Kwazimoto entered the tunnels of Dun Algaz, he noticed the guards who were charged with holding back any Horde ambitious enough to come down from the north, guards who usually took their jobs very seriously, had huge grins on their faces and in some cases were doubled up with laughter.

"Quick now," one of the guards chuckled to Kwazi as he waved him on through the tunnels. "You'll be fine, if you...you catch up to...them! Ah hah hah hah ha!" The guard couldn't contain his laughter any longer and he held his stomach as tears rolled down his face.

"Hurry now, lad," said another guard with more self control. "If you're quick, you can catch them before you pass through the lower tunnels. Run like the Snow Leopard, son. Go!"

Confused but obedient Kwazi raced through the first tunnel and met more guards, who, like the first, were a lot more jovial than expected. As he emerged from the tunnel they turned with expectant looks on their faces. "Another one? No, it's a young dwarf. Quick, me lad. Run! Catch up to...them! HA ha ha!" And like the earlier guards they also burst out laughing.

Kwazi entered the second tunnel and his speed picked up as he raced down the slope. Ahead of him he could hear a strange sound. High pitched yelps. A lot of them. Like a thousand children crying out with sheer abandonment and exultation.

"Hup! Hup Hup! Hup hup hup! Hup hup! Hup hup hup!"

Kwazi burst out into the second clearing and the sight that met his eyes was one he'd never forget. Were they crazy? Suicidal? Was it a cult of some kind? What in Orion's name was going on?

Why would so many Gnomes strip down to their underwear, then run through the Wetlands? (Why indeed?) Because clearly Dun Algaz was not their final destination although sadly, for some, it was.

But even as the arrows of the Dragonmaw Orcs brought down their companions the rest of the Gnomes kept running, and now Kwazi realized what the guards had meant. If he stuck with these suicidal gnomes (or whatever they were), as much as the thought churned his belly, their deaths would provide him with safe passage through the Wetlands. Although Kwazi stood a good head and shoulders above his companions, the fact that they were naked, or perhaps just that they were gnomes, drew the ire of the Dragonmaw, and the dwarf passed through the clearing and entered the third tunnel unscathed.

The high pitched yelping of the gnomes echoed unpleasantly off the stone walls and Kwazi tried to pass through the confined space as quickly as he could. But although he shoved and jostled many a gnome as he pushed his way through, not one of them protested at the rough treatment.

"Hup! Hup! Hup hup hup!" was the only sound they made.

Kwazi emerged from the tunnel into the third clearing where the path ahead looped back on itself to enter the final tunnel below. He had no idea how many gnomes were behind him, but clearly there were still a lot more in front. As they ran ahead of him down the slope they jumped and leaped and spun in the air, not unlike sheep in the spring when they're relieved of their wool, which, Kwazi thought to himself, was an all too accurate analogy.

Using his greater size and strength, Kwazi shoved gnomes out of the way as he raced down the path and entered the fourth tunnel, and there ahead of him he thought he finally heard something other than the gnomes' inane, high pitched yelping.

Was that the clip-clopping trot of a Dwarven Battle-Ram?

As he emerged from the final tunnel and entered the damp, fetid heat of the Wetlands, Kwazi saw the front runners of the pack were being led by a Dwarf astride a Ram. The Dwarf was obviously a fellow Hunter, because at his side ran a big cat, a magnificent, heavily muscled beast. White with a slight violet hue to its stripes, it was clearly from Winterspring.

Although surrounded by yelping gnomes the big cat seemed to sense his presence, and it turned and looked straight into Kwazi's eyes. A cold, calculated look that turned Kwazi's blood to ice. Then, just like the tiger of his dreams from the night before, the big cat dismissed him and continued loping along, clearly not bothered by his presence. Then as if they shared a non-physical connection and an unspoken message had passed between them, the Hunter turned and looked back inquisitively, and his face lit up when he saw Kwazimoto.

"Come on up!" he yelled, beckoning to the young Hunter. "It's a little clearer at the front. Less gnomes...for obvious reasons." He grinned, and Kwazi resumed pushing his way through the throng. The gnomes let him pass without saying a word, except for "Hup! Hup! Hup hup hup!" of course.

As Kwazi got closer to the front of the pack he saw what the Dwarf had meant by "obvious reasons". The Wetlands were home to Giant Spiders, Crocalisks, and Raptors, all dangerous beasts to a Dwarf as inexperienced as Kwazi, and equally as dangerous to young gnomes like those around him. Here, a Croc rushed from the water. There, a Raptor emerged from the mist. And with a snap of jaws and a Yelp! they disappeared just as quickly, but not empty handed, or empty-mouthed as it were.

Seeing the shock on Kwazi's face the Dwarf spoke up. "It's just the circle of life, son. I'd expect a fellow Hunter to understand, be a little more in tune with nature. All things must eat, and we're not always at the top of the food chain, you know. Now, don't get too close to the front. See?"

Another Snap! and Yelp! caught his attention and a horrified Kwazi realized it was only the gnomes at the very front who were getting picked off. Now he knew why all those other gnomes had let him through so easily. As long as he or someone else was ahead of them, the Crocs and Raptors would take that person first.

The old Hunter laughed as the young Dwarf, noticing the ranks around him had become dangerously thin, tried to slow down and let a few more Gnomes back in front. But the Gnomes behind Kwazi were a lot less enthusiastic about him falling back than they had been about letting him passed, and Kwazi felt tiny hands shove him forward, keeping him out in front.

Kwazi looked around in panic then realized that while the Raptors and Crocs were taking the young gnomes, they were giving the old Hunter a wide berth. Being animals didn't mean they weren't smart. The Crocs and Raptors knew it was easier, and a lot less riskier, to take the younger, softer, less armored gnomes, than to try for a well armed, clearly dangerous Hunter...or his big cat.

Quickly Kwazi moved over and began running alongside the old Hunter's feline companion, who uttered a single, low, cough of a grunt, but otherwise made no sign he even knew Kwazi was there.

"Smart thinking, young dwarf. We might make a Hunter out of you yet!" the old Hunter said with a laugh, as a snap and a Yelp! saw yet another gnome carried off into the mist.

Kwazi ignored him. He was too busy trying to keep up with the big cat and, more importantly, stay as close to it as possible without making it angry or giving it an excuse to eat him.

Finally, after running for what seemed like hours, the ground underfoot changed from the dirt path of the Wetlands to the wooden planks of a bridge, and ahead of him, somewhere in the mist, Kwazi heard the sounds of civilization.

Horses neighed, hammers rang on metal, ropes creaked and...sailors were singing and gulls were crying. Menethil Harbor! With the end in sight, figuratively more than literally, the Gnomes stepped up the pace and began pushing and shoving each other as they jostled and fought for first place.

A shout came from somewhere ahead of them. "Here they come!"

Cheers went up, the yelps of the gnomes got louder and even more higher pitched, which Kwazimoto hadn't thought possible, and it dawned on him that the countless, senseless deaths he'd witnessed this day, had all been for nothing more than a race.

The gnomes poured across a wide stone bridge and the two Dwarves were literally carried along with them into Menethil Harbor, which quickly became the biggest party town this side of Goldshire.

Later, Kwazimoto joined the old Hunter in the Deepwater Tavern for a drink and a bite to eat.

"You weren't here for the race," the old Hunter said to Kwazimoto. "So, what brings you to Menethil Harbor?"

"I'm just passing through," Kwazi replied. "I...had a dream last night," he said, deciding to confide in the old Dwarf. Surely a fellow Hunter should understand. "I had my final lessons yesterday, and I tamed a Leopard, and a Bear, and a Wolf, then I sent them all away. None of them felt right. Then in my dream last night I fought beside a Tiger...and...I knew it was the one."

"Aye, that's how some of us know," the old Hunter nodded, then took a long pull from his mug that left his mustache covered in white foam. "Some Hunters are happy to grab the first Beast they come across. But others...others like you, they want the right companion. And they're never happy until they find it...or it finds them." He winked at Kwazi, "Like yer Tiger found you. Aye. You'll make a good Hunter, I can see that. Now if you'll excuse me," the old Hunter drained his Mug then slammed it down onto the table, "It's been a long day, herding gnomes from Coldridge Valley all the way out here. I'm going to get some shut-eye. But I think that bell means your ride to Auberdine is getting ready to set sail. Better hurry, young Hunter. Be seeing ya!"

And with that the old Dwarf turned and headed upstairs, accompanied by his big cat that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. And if anyone had any objections to the animal being in the Inn, nobody was prepared to voice them.

Kwazi smiled to himself, tossed a few coins down on the table, then shouldered his pack and slipped outside. As he made his way out onto the pier he saw the old Hunter had been correct. The ship to Auberdine was already loaded and the crew were making their last preparations as Kwazi trotted on board and was directed to his cabin. The ship would sail through the night and in the morning, when he woke, Kwazi would find himself in Auberdine, on the north-west coast of Kalimdor. But even there, as far as Auberdine was from Ironforge and the hills of Dun Murogh, Kwazi's journey to find his tiger companion would still be far from over.

(Click here for part III)

Runes of Magic

2009-04-22T16:03:00.000-07:00

So long without a post, and I notice I'm not the only one. So what have I been up to?

Aside from life in general, Tae Kwon Do and Golf lessons for my son, Cub Scouts, and other family activities, not much has been happening.

I did let Saylah convince me, through her Blog, to give Runes of Magic a try, and it's been a fun game so far. Almost all of the folks I've encountered have been friendly, and it's not uncommon for high level players to offer their help in general chat, "Anyone need help with anything?", there's a distinct lack of Orcs, Dwarves, Elves, Gnomes, etc, and the Murloc movie title references and Chuck Norris jokes are conspicuously absent from general chat, but aside from all that it's remarkably similar to WoW ;)

I rolled a Rogue at first and having heard the problem with Talent Point respecs I leveled up to 5 or 6 before I assigned any Talent Points to any of my skills, with the subsequent result that it was like playing my Hunter in WoW for the first time, where I forgot about my Talent Points, and never trained my Pet in anything, and wondered why the more I leveled the harder the game got.

So at level 6 I decided to level up a couple of skills and looking at my Talent Points it was a classic No Brainer where I should invest first. I maxed out the standard Rogue attack Shadowstab (being the RoM equivalent of Sinister Strike), and because wielding a Dagger while casting/spamming Shadowstab puts a 6-second Bleeding Wound debuff on my opponent, and the Rogue skill Low Blow inflicts extra damage on targets with a Bleeding Wound, I subsequently dumped Talent Points into Low Blow as well.

Just as an aside, unlike WoW, you don't get Talent Points each time you level, you actually get them from every Mob you kill. And Leveling up a Skill doesn't require just 1 TP as in WoW, but multiple TPs, but unless you try to max out every single Skill your class has access to you shouldn't have a problem with the amount of Talent Points you have available. RoM also follows a Talent Tree structure that more closely resembles Diablo II than WoW, by which I mean a Level 6 Rogue can increase Shadowstab, Low Blow, and the Level 6 Skill Wound Attack to level 6, then when your character reaches level 7 you can dump more TPs into those Skills to level them up to 7 as well.

I just mentioned the Level 6 Rogue Skill Wound Attack, and this was the 3rd Skill that was a No Brainer recipient of my valuable Talent Points. If your target is inflicted with a Bleeding Wound debuff and you hit them with Low Blow, they suffer a 10-second Grievous Wound debuff. And if you hit them with Wound Attack while they're under the effects of both a Bleeding Wound and a Grievous Wound then that's just about all she wrote.

Up until I dinged level 6 combat had been little more than me spamming my level 1 Shadowstab, which was fine against level 1 & 2 Mobs, but against the level 3 & 4 Mobs I faced at levels 3, 4, & 5, level 1 SS wasn't cutting the mustard, combat was a real drag. Then I dinged 6, spent my Talent Points as I just described, and now I had a 1-2-3 combo, with 1 being Shadowstab, 2 being Low Blow, & 3 naturally being Wound Attack. Now combat was not only over in seconds, but culminated in an explosion of red pixels. Awesome! RoM Rogue with properly spent Talent Points = FUN!

I quickly leveled to 10 then faced a major decision all RoM players face at that point. What to make my secondary class? Imagine a Rogue with access to Hunter skills, or Priest Skills, or Warrior or Mage skills. Yep, RoM is kind of like that. At level 10 you approach the Class Trainer of your choice and commit to a second class, and here I made a mistake. I chose Knight (the RoM equivalent of a Paladin), and it's not bad, but it detracted from the fun of my Rogue. What I should have done was rolled a brand new character, i.e., a Knight, and seen if I liked playing that class first, but I didn't. Later I rolled a Warrior and a Scout (Hunter) and decided I really like the way the Scout played. There is no Deadzone with a Scout. You get up in a Scout's face, and he can still shoot you, while simultaneously attacking with his Melee weapon. I played the Scout up to level 10 and said, I want this guy (actually a female character ;) to be a Scout/Rogue.

As a Scout/Rogue I do not have access to the Rogue's Low Blow and Wound Attack, unless I switch my Classes (which you can do) so Rogue is my primary and Scout is my secondary class, but then I lose access to some of the Scout-specific skills/shots. I found that the Rogue & Scout classes compliment each other, utilizing similar weapons and armor, but like any combination of pure DPS classes they naturally create the ultimate Glass Cannon. Wicked DPS with low Armor means you need to kill your opponent fast or you're going down. Now in PvE you do kill fast so it's not a big deal, although apparently at higher levels you need a Healer to keep you alive, but I'm not there yet so that's not a huge concern. Apparently Rogue/Scout classes also suffer in PvP, for the same Glass Cannon reasons. But I haven't done PvP in RoM yet, either :P

Questing is where RoM again compares to WoW, but it likewise could be compared to almost every other MMO out there as well. You have the regular quests you do for various townsfolk in your current Quest Hub, but you also have Daily Quests you can do that reward you with Tokens you can apparently later spend on cool stuff, like Permanent Mounts, because most Mounts in RoM are temporary-hire objects, that disappear from your backpack after a certain period of time. You get to keep them for longer periods if you pay more up-front, but unless you shell out real cash for Diamonds (the RMT Currency), or sell "stuff" on the Auction House for Diamonds, you're going to find yourself running around on foot or renting your Mount. If you play RoM and like it, and think you'll keep playing it for a while, a Mount costs about the same as a single month of WoW. Considering you don't have to buy a copy of the game but can just download it for free, and that you don't have to pay a monthly sub, I don't think it's unreasonable of Frogster to tell folks, "You want a Mount? Then pony up!"

I'll probably keep playing Runes of Magic for a while. It's a fun game, and it's well put together. Yes, there's a couple of quests that are broken, and have been since the game went Live! but those broken quests are in themselves not game breaking (even if one of them is a limited-time "seasonal" quest). And while the variety of classes is nothing new the ability to combine two classes does make things a lot more interesting. But the best thing of all is it's free. Considering the quality of the product you're getting, that's a price you just cannot beat.

LG Vu

2009-04-09T12:27:00.000-07:00

Liz and I picked up new phones on the weekend after a run-in with a cup of coffee took her Razr out of commission. Initially she was just going to get herself a new phone but we noticed AT&T had cunningly decided to have a 2-for-1 sale on their LG Vu and as that was the phone Liz had her eyes on, I ended up getting one too.

It's a pretty good phone, reception is quite clear and calls are very audible, although when using Speaker-phone, if a caller raises their voice too much it becomes distorted.

Like the iPhone it's a predominantly touch screen phone (with 3 regular buttons, and a couple of side buttons) and it works very well, although the on-screen slider is sometimes a little dodgy, but maybe that's me and my big thumbs.

What I'm not too pleased with is the flimsy plastic cover over the combined headset/power socket, which has to be pried open every time you need to charge your phone. I had a similar power socket cover on my Razr, which snapped off shortly after I got it, and I can see this happening with the Vu as well. Especially given the goodies that come with it can make charging the Vu an almost nightly affair if you want to be able to use your phone when you need to.

Our upgraded contact came with AT&T Mobile TV and watching TV on your phone is surprisingly easy, especially on the Vu's 3" screen (that's just 1/2" smaller than the iPhone). After eating at Souplantation last night I took the kids home while the wife went on to run some errands, and the bunny's tears at not going with Mommy quickly dried up when Spongebob Squarepants appeared on my phone. Listening in as we drove home, even though I took the Freeway, not once did I hear the skip or stutter I occasionally get while watching on my bus ride into work (I blame the bus's suspension). Incredibly, around 5th & Grand in downtown L.A., as in right in the heart of the CBD, my phone loses the Mobile TV signal. It can make and receive calls just fine, and even surf the 'net, but it will not do Mobile TV past that point. I'm sure somewhere south of my office the signal picks back up again (probably closer to the residential area or around USC), but right now I'm unable to get a signal, even though I'm right across the road from AT&T's HQ!!!

Okay, back. Sorry about that. Just conducted a little experiment. I walked across the road to the AT&T building, and I can't get Mobile TV there, either. The Vu did start to acquire the signal but couldn't establish a connection and was forced to admit defeat. Sad. Not a fault with the Vu though, more with AT&T's Mobile TV.

The games that come preloaded with the Vu are a sad bunch, and although the Vu is a touch screen-capable phone most games throw up a virtual keypad, so instead of playing the game by touching the playing field and giving your avatar directions, selecting puzzle pieces, etc, the Vu asks you to press virtual arrow keys at the bottom of the screen. The arrows are not even in an intuitive + or T formation, but are in a straight line across the bottom of the screen so you have to look away from the action to make sure you're pressing the correct button.

At least Bejeweled asks you to touch the Jewels in the gameboard, and considering how small each jewel is I rarely selected the wrong one, but it's a Timed Demo/Trial that lasted barely a minute before telling me I needed to buy the game to keep playing. I checked out the other Demos and they were all the same. Very sad was the Timed Trial/Demo of Midnight Pool, for which I made one shot (the Break) then sat back and watched my computer(phone?)-controlled opponent make several shots in a row and that was it. Trial/Demo over. Do you want to buy the full game? I had Midnight Pool on my Razr but I think I'll pass this time around.

Then there's the cool Internet feature. Moving into the 21st Century I can check my Yahoo! email and even log into Facebook via my phone, which to those who've had it for a while is probably no big deal, but I think it's pretty cool.

The Vu also comes with a 2.0-Megapixel camera, which is pretty impressive for a phone, and it can (apparently) take photos up to 1600x1200 resolution. The video camera is not so hot, and can only manage 320x240, which is more than enough to watch short, home movies on your cellphone, but not really "burn a DVD to send home for Christmas" quality. It comes with a 2x zoom, but as it's purely digital zoom, not true optical, you really don't want to be zooming in with it. Besides, there's really something wrong if you're using your phone to capture those happy family moments. That's what cameras are for :P

When all is said and done the Vu is not an iPhone (but is that really a Con?), but it's still an excellent touch-screen phone in its own right, and is (currently) capable of doing things the iPhone cannot...such as sending photographs via Txt (aka MMS). Remember the ad where the young couple is in some Asian country? One of them is out seeing the City when the urge to use the restroom struck. The language barrier escalated the situation but their phone came to the rescue when the person in their hotel room sent a photograph of their toilet to the stricken one's phone and saved the day. Yeah. For everything it can do, the iPhone (currently) cannot do that.

Gamestorming

2009-03-31T21:01:00.000-07:00

Like brain storming, only related to gaming.

What if...at every X0 level (i.e. 10, 20, 30, etc) you were presented with the opportunity to take a snapshot of your Toon? And all their gear, Stats, enchants, etc, would be preserved, even though your Toon continues to level on to Cap.

Why might you do this? Or why should a game offer that feature?

What happens when you convince a friend to play? You & your buddies who've been playing for years are all at Cap, while your friend is a lowly Newbie. Oh sure, you can boost him through all the Instances, and power level his quests for him, but how much fun could that be, really? Your friend isn't playing the game, he's just got an Uber Bully of a friend destroying anything around him that poses a threat. Does he even learn how to play the game? What role his character should play in a group? Doubtful.

Now, what if you and several of your buddies could take snapshots of your Toons at 20, then when you convince another friend to start playing and it comes time for him to hit his first Instance, instead of him getting a boost through by your Uber Toon, he joins a party of his friends, all at level 20, and everyone is at just the right level for that Instance. Now he gets to experience the Instance with knowledgeable, but not overpowered friends, and he gets to actually play the game.

Instead what you get is a company with the mindset that the trip from 0-60/70/80 is just a chore, and they do everything they can to boost you to Cap themselves. XP/kill and XP/Quest gets jacked up. Toons at Cap get access to over-powered Hand-Me-Down gear to pass onto low level Alts. Even newly introduced Classes (only accessible to XPac players, mind you) get a speed boost, and start the game with the equivalent of 50-60 hours of leveling under the belts.

What does this tell you? Only that a company with such a game probably no longer cares for their low level content, and they're probably wondering how they can introduce the option to pay for a Capped character without breaking their game (or starting riots). And yet the workaround is simple. Anyone with a capped out Toon (and a copy of every expansion released to date) can just buy one. Oh, you don't have a capped out Toon? Better hurry up and level your Main to 80 then. Seriously, it doesn't take that long now. I mean we've tweaked the level grind so much that you practically gain a level every time you complete a Quest. What more do you want from us? It's either that, or more and more (& bigger & bigger) companies will begin offering paid-for power leveling services.

Seriously, who would you rather pay to have a Toon power leveled? Some dodgy company based in BFE (or God only knows where) who are more likely to get your Account banned during the weeks they have your Toon?

Or the gaming company themselves who just need to press a couple of buttons and Shazam! You've got a Capped Toon.

Yeah, if I was willing to pay for such a service, I know who I'd choose as well.

Of course me being me, I wouldn't be willing to do this, because regardless of what The Company (& its spokespersons might think), for me The Leveling is The Journey. I enjoy the grind to Cap because I can take my experiences and knowledge from previous trips and expand on them to facilitate my present and future journeys. Sure, it's blurring the line between Player Knowledge and Character Knowledge, but I don't care too much about that anyway. I might RP with my Toons sometimes, but it's not like I play on an RP server ;)

Penguins having a party

2009-03-31T16:37:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's just me, but I don't get why this doesn't have a lot more hits...

As far as I'm concerned, the little clip here on my Blog doesn't do it justice. So if your bandwidth allows it, head over to the actual video on Youtube and hit the HD button to view it in it's full glory. It's something else.

MMOs defined

2009-03-19T06:14:00.000-07:00

It made me LOL ;)

Innovation in Gaming

2009-03-16T11:51:00.000-07:00

First up, Ysharros has one of the best conversations going on over here. If you're interested in online gaming, for any reason, get over there. Lots of awesome dialog going on.

This weekend what I really wanted to do was play WoW, so I went online to set up another 10-day Trial Account. Except the link I have bookmarked didn't work, so I went to WoW's homepage and followed the links to the Trial Account creation page that way. But when I tried to create a Trial I was asked for an Activation Key, basically Blizzard wanted me to hit up a friend for a 10-day Trial key. I didn't have a Trial Key, and I certainly wasn't going to pay $1.99 for one.

It was a little frustrating because the webpage said I didn't need to input a Activation Key unless I wanted to upgrade to the full game, but it still had a field to input a Key, and when I didn't enter one it caused an error. So I visited the European site, created a Trial there without any problems until I tried to log in. WoW could probably tell I wasn't really in Europe, so it wasn't going to let me log in using a European Trial account. I wonder...how do Europeans go when visiting the States or Australia and they want to play a spot of WoW? Can they not log in, either?

More than a little frustrated I returned to the U.S/Pacific WoW page to give it one more shot. This time I managed to create a Trial account without being prompted for a non-existing Activation Key, and I rolled a Human Mage (my third favorite class, after the Hunter & Rogue, although Priests can be fun, too, if you don't care to be a PUG Healer). Around level 10 I was getting the urge to resubscribe, and was even mentally rolling my new race/class. I played for a bit more and around level 14 hit my first snag: the Defias. The first Defias Mobs were easy to bring down, even in pairs, but the second group you're asked to defeat contains Mages, like myself.

With the realization that I was playing a temporary toon, and with no access to the Auction House, I'd been selling pretty much everything that dropped (such as Linen Cloth) while forsaking any Trade Skills, such as First Aid.

When I encountered two Mages I wasn't too bad off. I'd set my Focus on one, cast my first Fireball, then Sheep my Focus before resuming the Fireballs on my original target. This gave me a leg up on my original target while ensuring I only faced one Mage. Except after the first Mage died I was low on health and still in combat, thus unable to eat or drink. Then Sheep wore off and the now less wooly but very irate Mage one-shot me.

I realized I needed First Aid, even as a Trial Toon. But to level First Aid I'd need Bandages, and to get Bandages I'd need Linen Cloth. I'd acquired plenty of Linen from the first group of Defias I'd killed...which I'd sold. So I'd need to go back and kill even more Defias to get the Linen I'd need to level First Aid and make enough Bandages to keep me alive while killing the Defias Mages.

And with that, I had an epiphany: If I resubscribed to WoW I'd have nothing to look forward to but an endless grind, killing thousands (or more) of Mobs.

NPC1: Hey there, Cap'n John. Them Foozles is a damn nuisance. They've eaten all the grass in my pasture, and now they're even eaten me cows! I need you to cut their numbers down a bit, so, get on out there and kill 10 Foozles for me.

NPC2: Nice work killing those Foozles for NPC1, Cap'n Foozle. Hee hee hee. I've got a job for you, too. I need 10 Foozle Horns, but they need to be Grade-A Foozle Horns, and not all Foozles is gonna drop Grade-A Horns, so you'll need to kill a lot more than just 10 Foozles to get the Horns I need. Well? What are you waiting for? Get out there and kill them Foozles!

NPC3: Well lookee here. If it isn't the Foozlenator himself. Haw haw! You're just the man I've been looking for. One of them damn Foozles stole my family heirloom! A near priceless, Golden Widget, and I want you to get it back. No! I don't know which one it was! All them damn Foozles look alike to me! Just get out there and kill Foozles until one of them drops me Golden Widget! There's a couple a slices of cheese in it for you. (Seriously, that link points to a real quest in WoW where you're asked to kill 20 Troggs, and your reward is 5 slices of cheese. You can tell the writers were feeling particularly creative that day, can't you?)

Kill, kill, kill.

What I want to know is...where's Harvest Moon: Online?

Where's the MMO that doesn't ask you to slaughter a gazillion Foozles just to level your Toon to some arbitrary number, just so you can join 4 or 9 or 24 other people for hours each night killing groups of Elite Foozles, and maybe have a shot at bringing down the Foozle King himself!

Where's the MMO that starts with you building a house somewhere, then "leveling" your Toon by working the land, or making clothes, or tools & farm implements, or stone & bricks, etc?

Where's the MMO that has one player grow and chop down trees, which he sells to another player to turn into lumber, which is sold to players to be turned into cabinets, tables & chairs, decorative window frames & doors, which are sold/used by yet more players to customize their in-game house to effect visible in-game changes that other players can see? (Phew! Take a breath!)

Where's the game that doesn't cater to the lowest common denominator and doesn't assume everyone is happy killing a gazillion Foozles?

Where's the innovation that took us from Space Invaders & Asteroids to Time Crisis & Street Fighter?

Everyone wants to build the next WoW, but they all seem to forget that without games like Ultima Online and Everquest (and without the old text-based DikuMUDs of yesteryear) there'd be no WoW.

Nobody wants to be someone else's stepping stone in the river of life, but without the stepping stones nobody can get to the other side.

PC vs TV

2009-03-15T21:49:00.000-07:00

I haven't completed Fable:TLC yet, but I did escape from prison (in the game!!!), and rescue my mother at the same time. That was a fun little scenario that had me replaying it when I tried to get creative. Eventually I followed the linear path the game wanted me to follow and I completed that scenario.

My W101 Necromancer is stuck in his mid-40s after doing the first couple of Dragonspyre quests.

I also restarted the GCN's Final Fantasy:Crystal Chronicles. It looks real pretty played via the Wii in progressive scan mode on a 50" plasma TV.

I haven't played Harvest Moon since getting the Wii, but it's been known to make my evening hours disappear, too.

What I have been doing is catching up on NCIS episodes, and the number of episodes on our DVR is down from maybe 15-20 (from two weeks ago) to just three. I still have (I think) 37 episodes to go, in order to be fully caught up.

There aren't many TV shows for which I'd consider buying the boxed sets but NCIS is one of those for which I'd be willing to do just that. I love the interaction between the characters, and it seems the actors are having a lot of fun with their roles. Either the writers are fething brilliant (actually, I think they are) or Bellasario gives his team a lot of creative license, because there have been quite a few times where I'd swear the actors improvised and added their own personal touch to the scene. Michael Weatherly seems to do this a lot, or perhaps he's just really captured the essence of DiNozzo.

I love the way the characters have evolved over time, too. McGee, while still the butt of many of DiNozzo's jokes, now stands up to his senior partner a lot more. In Stakeout (which I watched last night) DiNozzo sends McGee out for breakfast and he returns with DiNozzo's eggs, sunny side up.

"I wanted scrambled," whines DiNozzo. "This is the fourth time this week you've messed my order up."

"You want scrambled?" asks an indignant McGee. (Indignant? Where's apologetic McGee?) He walks over, grabs DiNozzo's tray of eggs, shakes it rapidly then slams it down. "Now they're scrambled!" He returns to the window to continue surveillance.

DiNozzo holds up McGee's foil-wrapped burrito. "I bet your burrito is exactly the way you want it," he says, then he throws the burrito and hits McGee in the back of the head with it.

McGee turns and glares at DiNozzo (a glaring McGee? o_O) who returns his stare. An unspoken "Let's do this!" passes between the two men and it's on, baby! MORTAL KOMBAT!!!

There is no way McGee would have stood up to DiNozzo like that in the first couple of seasons, and that character growth is part of what (IMO) makes NCIS such a great show. Maybe that's why I find myself sitting at my PC, unsure what to play, before finally turning on the TV.

Shooting them should be legal

2009-03-12T18:31:00.000-07:00

As I approached an intersection today the driver of a Ford Explorer waiting on the side street pulled onto the pedestrian crossing and either struck a cyclist, or scared him so badly he fell off his bike. If he did hit him it can't have been too hard because the cyclist got up, shook his fist at the driver, then climbed back on his bike and continued on his way.

I passed the intersection and the Explorer pulled out behind me, and because I wanted to make a right up ahead I moved over into his lane, about 50 metres in front of him. When I slowed down for the red light at the next intersection he made a move very typical of drivers of SUVs and other larger vehicles; He decided he didn't want to be behind my little Focus so he started to change lanes, except he forgot to do a head check. He was halfway into the next lane before he noticed the Scion next to him. I guess the Scion's driver was too busy avoiding being side swiped to use his horn, except in doing so he was letting the Explorer push him out of his lane into oncoming traffic. Fortunately for the Scion the light was red (with pedestrians crossing the road) so there was no oncoming traffic.

Incredibly, within the space of 30 seconds, I'd just witnessed the same driver almost cause two accidents, both because he was not cognizant of his surrounding traffic conditions. Some people really do not deserve their license.

Yup, I've got this, too...

2009-03-11T11:40:00.001-07:00

(Click to view sharper image)

Gamers' Fiction Podcast - Episode 2

2009-03-09T20:50:00.001-07:00

If you're so inclined, the second episode of the Gamers' Fiction Podcast is now out. You can listen to our latest readings by following this link ;)

Screenshot Meme

2009-03-06T22:29:00.001-08:00

Someone out there tagged me (I can't remember who) and as I really only took Screenshots for the World of Warcraft, and because there's still a few kicking around on my hard drive, what I'll actually do is throw up some of the (IMO) more amusing or interesting ones.

This is not Kwazimoto, and it's also not Cyboarg, although it is a Dwarf Hunter of mine with his pet Boar. I noticed while sitting down on this boat that my Pig forgot all about the concept of personal space, so I used that to my advantage and deliberately set up this shot. I'm sure those of you who play Horde think it's a considerable improvement ;)

The culmination of almost a year's in-game work saw a level 63 Kwazimoto finally acquire Rhok'delar. I killed all the Demons bar Klinfran while still a pre-BC 60, and almost gave up on him and Rhok, and then I performed the Kite of my life.

Just one level later I replaced the level 60 Epic Hunter Bow with a common Blue obtainable to any player (not just elite Hunters) bored enough to slaughter countless beasties.

One of the last 60 Epics I replaced was the Dragonstalker's Helm. It was proof that I'd been there when the dragon known as Onyxia had been defeated. With me is the real Cyboarg, who prompted quite a few players to send me complimentary whispers about my awesome pet :)

Just as a long-time Guildmate finished running my Gnome Warrior through Razorfen Downs a GM whispered me. He told me my Warrior's name was in violation of Blizzard's naming policy, that he was about to log me out, and that I'd have to rename my Warrior before I could play him again. Sure enough within seconds I was kicked out of the game, and when I tried to log back in on Knuttjob this is the screen I saw.

I found my fun in WoW where ever I could. In this shot, although it wasn't necessary for effective combat, I felt compelled to balance Knuttjob on the top rail of the fence as he fought his considerably taller skeletal foe.

I used to have a lot of fun in WoW with my niece. Often we'd play Hide & Seek where one of us would hide within a previously agreed upon area, then the other would try to find us. I discovered that by lying down in this particular corner, Zerka (as he'd later become known, after the forced name change) actually buried his head in the ground.

When my niece eventually found my upside down Gnome she felt compelled to nail him with a snowball.

Dismayed over the collapse of the Guild to which I'd belonged for over three years, I fled the Alliance and rolled Horde. One of my former Guildmates followed me and together we leveled up a Warrior and a Rogue. We stopped leveling (briefly) at 29 to engage in some semi-twinked PvP and this is the result of one of our matches. Of the two of us, my Guildie (& former Arena partner) was always the better player, so when this Match Summary popped up at the end of one (very) successful WSG match I knew I had to take a screenshot. The three players above me (Keeljah) were seriously Twinked out; Keelmeh, the player immediately below me, is my Guildie. Not only did I finish higher than Keelmeh but I was one of just two Horde players in that match who did not die.

When my old video card died I splurged and picked up a GeForce 8800GT, and one of the first things I did with it was boot up WoW and hit the "Max All Graphics" Macro. This Macro maxes out the graphics even more than allowed using the in-game Video Options silders. This was the "after" screenshot, and the FPS of 43.7 is down from 110.

That's all folks. I think I'm a little late jumping on this screenshot meme bandwagon, so I'm not going to tag anyone else because anyone who wanted to do it most likely has already.

Update on Fable:The Lost Chapters

2009-02-25T23:24:00.000-08:00

Tonight my "Assassin" looked at the Quest Table in the Heroes Guild and there was just one Quest available. Last night I'd seen that quest and taken it to be the opposite of the one I actually took, which was to free some Trader hostages from the Bandits' camp. That would be the same camp which I'd just infiltrated in order to talk to the mysterious Seeress, who was rumored to have information on my long ago abducted sister.

*LONG SPOILER*

Once I got inside the Bandit camp it turned out that the Seeress didn't just have information on my sister, she was my sister. Apparently our mother was a powerful Hero and both Sis and I inherited our powers from her. In Sis's case, because she dared to defy the Bandits and silently stared at them, refusing to answer their questions, they cut her eyes out and left her for dead. She was found by another group of bandits and taken in by them, and when her injuries had healed it was discovered that with the distraction of visual sight gone, Sis's ability to see the future had emerged. Because I was a Hero the Bandit Chief challenged me to a duel, and I soundly defeated him, but as he stood there gasping, he pitifully begged for his life. I listened to his appeal, "Please, spare me. The bandits will never follow me now. Isn't that punishment enough?"

I looked around at the circle of bandits whose flashing blades I'd seen behind me, more than once, as I'd dodged their Chief's own blades during our earlier duel. "Please, spare me." I heard the Chief say again. I backed up into the entrance of his tent, drew my crossbow, took aim, and dispatched the nearest bandit. Perhaps fearing he'd be next (and he was right) his neighbor charged me, and fell to my blades. It took several seconds for all of the bandits to realize what was happening, and like a bad Kung Fu movie they charged towards me in ones and twos, and I quickly dispatched them, and then it was just me and Twinblade, the Bandit Chief, who still pathetically begged for his life. Although he'd saved my sister's life so long ago when she'd been left for dead, I did not show him the same kindness.

After apparently destroying the Bandit's camp I returned to the Guild where I saw the two quests. One to rescue three Traders from the Bandits, the other (what I figured the evil, flip side of the rescue quest) was to kill the Guards and Traders in another village. Hmm, I'm supposed to be getting in with the Bandits in order to find my sister...but...it looks like she's doing just fine on her own now, so...let's rescue those Traders. Believing I'd just wiped out their camp I figured this mission would be a cakewalk, but when I returned to the camp I found it still occupied. So more bandits died and the Traders were freed.

That was when I noticed the quest to kill the guards and traders in the other village was still on the table. Hmm, so it wasn't the "evil" choice of the two after all. Feeling particularly evil I accepted the quest, and went and slew some Guards and helpless Traders. This would not be my only "evil" act of the night, because returning to the Quest Table I found it empty, but then remembered I still had a Quest in my Log.

The Arena.

The place where Heroes become Legends.

I entered the Arena and with a combination of Sword and Spell (& quaffing numerous potions) I defeated round after round of beasties, and then Whisper appeared, my childhood rival from the Heroes Guild. Only now she was fighting beside me as we slew numerous beasts, skeletons, trolls, and finally, a giant scorpion creature, and then it was just Whisper and me.

Whisper.

Whose claims that she was the superior Hero, despite the results of our training day duels, seemed more than just sour grapes.

Whisper.

Whose big brother, Thunder, was seen badmouthing me in town, was heard putting down my heroic feats. "Come to play with the other children, have you?" he said to me derisively.

Whisper.

Who foolishly said to me, as we stood there facing each other, "I won't kill you. I refuse to kill you."

Whisper, I don't share your compassion.

Fable actually makes it very easy for a normally altruistic person to cross the line. And cross it I did.

When Whisper finally stood before me, head bowed, pleading for me to just walk away, that I didn't have to do this...I did it anyway, and the crowd roared my name as I stood over her broken body. And it was GLORIOUS!!!

This could explain why I loved playing a Rogue in WoW's PvP ;)

When I exited the Arena the only thing between Thunder and I was Lady Grey, the Mayor of Bowerstone.

For some reason Thunder seemed to feel that my killing his sister, in the Arena, in a fight to the death, somehow amounted to Murder.

Lady Grey disagreed, and saved Thunder's life by not letting the big brute make a mistake he'd regret, but I just know I'll be helping him reunite with his sister before this game is done. I can feel it. Oh yes, I can!

I took my Arena Champion's purse containing over 30,000 gold (enough to buy a house in Bowerstone, if I'm not mistaken) and left the Arena where I was greeted by my adoring fans.

Murderer? Moi? Thunder, you are gravely mistaken, and if you persist in spreading such rumors I'm afraid we'll have to settle this in the Arena.

To paraphrase Ash, "Good. Bad. I'm the guy with the sword."

What an opener

2009-02-25T07:11:00.000-08:00

Let's see that imitation Aussie top this!
Ladies and Gentleman, I give you...
Hugh Jackman's opening performance of the 2009 Oscars!

Anne Hathaway isn't half bad, either ;)

Fable, and moral choices in PC games

2009-02-23T14:22:00.000-08:00

I got Fable:The Lost Chapters on the weekend. Like Fallout 3, F:TLC (and Fable II) offers the player a moral choice. "How do you want to play the game?" But unlike F3, F:TLC appears to offer a more realistic choice.

In F3 when you entered Megaton and encountered the Sheriff your conversation responses ranged from polite and respectful to arrogant ass. IMO a non-response doesn't really qualify as an "evil" response, it could also mean you're the strong, silent type.

But with F:TLC you have a real choice.

I wish I could remember the post I read on someone's Blog (or I'd link it here) about how people with strong, moral compasses may have trouble playing F3 with an evil character, choosing "evil" responses. Games like Grand Theft Auto are easier to play because they give you little to no choice. You're Tommy Vercetti, a mafioso who just got out of prison and is being asked to run the Vice City syndicate. If you want to progress through the game, you don't really have a choice as to how you play it. You follow linear quests and the story unfolds.

F:TLC, however, offers you a choice, starting with your very first quests.

A young girl asks you to find her bear, and when you do, you're given a choice of siding with the bully who's already mentioned he planned to pull the bear's head off, or siding with a younger child who has the bear, and beating up the bully.

When a villager asks you to guard his wares another child wanders up and encourages you to smash the unguarded barrels to see what's in them.

When you find a philandering husband you're given a choice of accepting a gold piece to keep quiet, or telling the cheater's wife what you saw.

All very real choices, and almost opposite sides of the coin. Not goody two shoes versus ass, but good guy versus bad guy.

Then when you find yourself in the Guild of Heroes, choosing your first quest for them, you're again presented with a very real choice. You actually have a choice of two quests but you can only accept one because the goal of each is contrary to the other.

A local Farmer has some valuable stones in his possession and is being attacked by Bandits intent on stealing them. You have a choice of defending the farm and fighting off the bandits, or protecting the bandits while they steal the stones. Interestingly (IMO) the person behind the quest to steal the stones is none other than a local Mayor.

I chose to defend the farm, and as I've leveled up I've been putting points into martial combat and physical strength. But having played Fallout3 through as a "good guy" and been unable to restart it playing through as an ass, I've decided to restart F:TLC and play the "evil" side first, focusing on becoming more of an Assassin-style character.

Why?

Because F:TLC has a key plot device which makes it easy for someone with a strong moral compass to play the bad side.

*SPOILER* Very early in the game your village is attacked by Bandits, your father is slain, and your mother and sister are taken prisoner. You are rescued by Maze who takes you to the Guild of Heroes, which is where the meat & potatoes of the game starts. How does this help a "good" person play an evil character in F:TLC? Quite simply, you're going to do whatever it takes to rescue your sister. As Bandits are the ones who took her away, it could be argued that the best way to rescue your sister is to become a Bandit yourself, infiltrate their network, and eventually destroy them from within. And if you happen to become corrupted by the dark side along the way, that's only to be expected.

It's like the post I made about the Torture Quest in WoW. You could have been presented with two Quests, one to torture the prisoner to extract the desired information, and one to help him escape, gain his trust, and get the information that way. That's a real choice, and F:TLC offers you choices like that.

While F:TLC may not have the polish of WoW, it's still a very good looking game, and combat is fun (at least in the early stages) without being a nightmare. But as far as offering the player choices on how to proceed through the game and develop their character, F:TLC wins hands down. All this, for a shade more than the price of one month of WoW. Bargain!

Motivation

2009-02-19T14:00:00.000-08:00

I'll admit it, I may be a bloody genius but I'm also a lazy bastard, and sometimes I need a kick in the pants to get me going. So I made myself a motivational poster, and damned if it doesn't get the job done. Being a considerate, lazy genius, I thought I'd share ;)

You can click it to make it more poster sized, if you need a bit of a kick in the pants, too ;)