welcome. everything I write here is something I felt to be important to some degree; game reviews, life updates/vents, and philosophical musings. I do my best to make my statements truthful. everyone is welcome to post comments, provided they are relevant.

8.24.2007

So, I've signed up for 2 part-time courses; Business Programming and Object-Oriented Programming. I have high hopes that my teachers will be helpful and have at leastdecipherable accents. However, I've already hit one snag, however small, during the registration process, and I thought I'd share the e-mail I sent to the IT monkeys.

After selecting some part time courses and signing in with my student number, I get the page for verifying personal details and such. I usually ignore the Title field, and I know many people dislike the requirement of this field in online forms of any kind. The problem with this is that when I submitted the form without selecting a "title", the following page instructs me to use my browser's Back button (I'm using Firefox 2.0.0.6), but after selecting a title and pressing submit I get a pop-up error saying "The form has already been submitted." I had to cancel the form and start over by selecting the courses I want to take.

This error was not a major inconvenience for me, as I'm only applying for 2 part-time courses. I felt that requiring a "title" was somewhat old-fashioned and unnecessary, though it doesn't offend me personally. In any case, either the error, the requirement, or the correcting procedure needs to be fixed. I feel that the whole thing is a bit retarded, and whoever is responsible should be smacked (lightly, but firmly).

Sincerely,

DocTabasco ^_^

8.09.2007

updates: MMOGs and acquisitions

okay, so I still don't have a nether drake. I still don't have raid gear either and that's not going to happen any time soon. I lost interest in the grind and lost hope in finding decent groups for the last few quests, and decided to try out CoV again. I got a new mastermind up to level 22, and lost interest in That, again; the invention system is an interesting addition, but acquiring decent recipes And their ingredients could only be practical for the Super Groups (guilds), and I don't have the time (read: attention span) for that. I "accidentally" paid for a month of EVE and decided to buy and train the Exhumer skill, leaving me with under 10m ISK. ...In short, the MMOG market has temporarily(?) lost my interest. and yes, I did hear about the new WoW expansion, and I will most likely get it.

3 new games: God of War, Lego Star Wars II, Overlord

God of War is a great action game with a good helping of adventure and a hint of RPG. I can see why everyone (that fits the target demographic) loves it; It's like Prince of Persia, but a lot more kick-ass. Lego Star Wars is, in case you forgot, a nifty little action game with a lot of collectibles and zany Lego figures trying to imitate Star Wars characters. not something to blow more than $30 on, and I didn't. Overlord is, to be honest, overpriced, but I enjoy it quite a lot and don't regret the acquisition. (just the price.) It is a bit buggy, but what's most disappointing so far is Rose's voice actor.

While reading the GameFAQs forum, I can upon a list of complaints, by Paragonius, with a series of rebuttals that I completely agree with, by Lord_Isladar:

1. NO MAP!!!
Please see this topic: http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmessage.php?board=932853&topic=37283620

2. No jumping.
There is absolutely no reason why the Overlord has to jump. The Overlord makes others jump for him.

3. Overlord is slow as ****.
Running is for villagers and minions. The Overlord strides at a deliberate pace so as to inspire maximum fear and reverence.

4. Overlord has no real fighting skills. (only one combo available per weapon)
There is no need for the Overlord to be a mixed martial arts master. The Overlord crushes all in three blows, maximum. When the Overlord deigns to sully his weapon with the blood of weaklings, that is. The Overlord leaves this grunt work to his minions.

5. Overlord has lame spells. (none better than the very first fire spell)
The Overlord is not some cheap magician. The Overlord is The Overlord. His minions do most of the killing. Leave the spells to Harry Potter and Gandalf.

7. Although the camera can be workable, for a long while, until you are good with it, it is absolute trash. Even when you are good with it, it still has very trashy moments.
I found the camera to be perfectly acceptable, although I will agree that it has some bad spots at times.

8. Although the minions are very workable once you learn the tricks, there are still many moments where they just don't do what you are trying to make them do. As if they are ignoring the buttons you are pressing.
That's because they are evil little buggers and must be kicked (and even sacrificed if necessary) on occasion to remind them who's the Overlord.

9. The item system is pointless. Very pointless. I can't say enough about how poorly designed the item system is.
To what items do you refer? The equipment, or the loot you pick up for the "Tower Master" achievement?

10. The effects of being good and evil are almost simply cosmetic in nature. Making a second playthrough very undesirable.
Actually, the villagers (in Spree, for example) react to you quite differently depending on how many times you've slaughtered them. Maybe you should've tried that second playthrough after all, eh?

6.22.2007

new mount



should have a nether drake in a few weeks.

5.31.2007

work work

I am employed; sports dept. started on the weekend. I'll be in electronics eventually.


so

sore

5.22.2007

the Movies in 30 Seconds (And Re-enacted by Bunnies) series has been positively prolific compared to when it first started, kinda like... some... animal, whose name somehow eludes me...

life update

SO, I passed the part-time courses from January-April:
Programming II ... A
Operating Systems (Linux) ... A
Data Communications and Networking ... C
Financial Accounting I ... C-

Not bad, if you consider how much I DIDN'T study.

Presently trying to get employed at Wal-Mart with my already-employed best friend. They've asked for a 3rd reference, but they weren't specific about whether they needed a work or character reference, so that will be dealt with today at some point.
My parent's got a puppy. It's adorable. I can't stand it!

5.17.2007

Storytelling vs. Gameplay: Can't We Get Along?

This sort of article is why I let fileplanet fill my inbox."Everyone wants more stories in games -- at least they say they do. But what does that really mean? And how do you create a meaningful story in an interactive medium? Fargo takes a look at the differences between Hollywood and games, the techniques developers can use to tell stories in games, and what we'll see in the future."



read more | digg story

Does God Exist? The Nightline Face-Off (Doc's Notes)

So, this was brought to my attention by the same guy that ever brings up religion that I know. It took me a while to find the video, so here's a link. it's cut into parts so you'll have to bear a few commercials. There is a hottie involved, if you need more reason to watch it.

edit: FYI, we're talking about God existing as an omnipresent entity

I'll summarize it as I view...

religious guy starts off by ignoring sciences, and then states that the existence of an object such as a coca-cola can is evidence that there was a creator of the coca-cola can, as his first argument for God's existence.

While us humans are intimately familiar with the coca-cola can, it does not mean that the creator exists. to be precise, the can was created by robots created by humans, and both levels of creator could cease to be before the can ceases to be. In any case, it is the features of the can that prove the existence of an intelligent creator, as opposed to a natural force like gravity.
religious guy shows that he has no concept of proper scientific procedure, since observing that an object of any complexity exists doesn't determine how it was created.

Basically he says there must have been a Creator because it exists, but doesn't really say anything about the Creator still existing.

He continues by elaborating on how awesome the human body is, it couldn't possibly have formed by chance. nothing to specifically debunk evolution.

He then says that the Builder will do stuff for you if you have faith in Him. where does that even come from? how do you go from objects existing to personal favors from someone you've never met, and with whom you have no means of physical contact? he then preaches about belief and how atheists suck.

His second argument is that humans have a conscience that puts us above animals, and how we punish wrong-doers and animals don't. except that I'm pretty sure some do. apparently we have a "distinctive knowledge of right and wrong". I'm pretty sure he meant instinctive, and that's wrong in either case.

However, he goes on to say that the conscience is sealed from the outside, so the only way to get at it is with the ten commandments. What A Load Of Bull. That just makes the ten commandments the guideline for one's conscience, regardless of what was being used before. he goes on to explain how closely you must follow the commandments to avoid going to hell on judgment day.

His third proof is the radical nature of conversion. apparently, people who are desperate for forgiveness of their sins will gain knowledge of God. he says that if you do not understand the Gospel, you will not respond to the Gospel... um, duh? how old is the Gospel anyway? Isn't it time for a re-write? Anyway, the rest is preaching. sounds like God is an experience as opposed to an entity, which is more in-line with my understanding of God, even though I'm sure he didn't really mean it that way.

The Atheists speak. he's clearly irritated by the religious guy. one thing he says perks my ear; "what contribution to mankind has religion delivered in the same time frame where science has contributed immeasurably?" spiritual unity for one. there's something to be said for herding the easily led into a shelter of just causes, away from the corrupt and exploitive. it's just unfortunate that the corrupt can still pretend to be a just cause to rope in the gullible and uneducated.

Anyway, he turns it over to his hot accomplice, and she explains why science is cool, and why you can't prove that God exists scientifically. shame her voice is so shaky. She spends the rest of her time mocking religion in general, and finishes off by mocking the belief that faith is all that is necessary to be in God's favor and stay out of hell.