Monday, October 31, 2011
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
I Know Starbucks is Not an Anti-Gay, Homophobic Company (by Policy)…. BUT…
http://lilfamilyblog.wordpress.com/2011/06/13/i-know-starbucks-is-not-an-anti-gay-homophobic-company-by-policy-but/
Update part 1: https://lilfamilyblog.wordpress.com/2011/06/14/starbucks-update-part-1/
Starbuck's official response: http://www.starbucks.com/blog/our-dedication-to-embrace-diversity/1035?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=rep
Update part 2: https://lilfamilyblog.wordpress.com/2011/06/14/starbucks-update-2-a-letter-from-jeffrey/
Update part 3: http://lilfamily13.blogspot.com/2011/06/starbucks-update-part-3-inaction-and.html
Update part 1: https://lilfamilyblog.wordpress.com/2011/06/14/starbucks-update-part-1/
Starbuck's official response: http://www.starbucks.com/blog/our-dedication-to-embrace-diversity/1035?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=rep
Update part 2: https://lilfamilyblog.wordpress.com/2011/06/14/starbucks-update-2-a-letter-from-jeffrey/
Update part 3: http://lilfamily13.blogspot.com/2011/06/starbucks-update-part-3-inaction-and.html
Sunday, October 23, 2011
City of Heroes tricked me.
So, hearing that City of Heroes was going free-to-play, and that I could return to the game where I had left off because I could use the characters I'd made long ago, I decided to try it out. Turns out either they failed to mention, or I failed to notice, that Invention Origin enhancements can't be used for free, as it apparently requires a License. Looking in the store, I see that a license apparently lasts only 30 days, which means that using IOs will cost a monthly fee (though I'll admit the minimum fee is fairly low). All my enhancements are IOs. Without enhancements, a high level character has maybe 1/4th as much power as they should. I was tricked. I can't return for free. Goodbye, City of Heroes.
P.S. Apparently the Mastermind and Controller classes are also locked unless one pays money (or has paid enough in subscription fees in the past to acquire 13 special tokens; I only had 7 tokens). My highest level villain was a Mastermind. I can't return to where I left off for free.
P.S. Apparently the Mastermind and Controller classes are also locked unless one pays money (or has paid enough in subscription fees in the past to acquire 13 special tokens; I only had 7 tokens). My highest level villain was a Mastermind. I can't return to where I left off for free.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Monday, October 17, 2011
Sunday, October 16, 2011
E.Y.E: Divine Cybermancy
I recently played a game called E.Y.E.: Divine Cybermancy. It was a first person shooter, with RPG elements. Unfortunately, I'm not a fan of shooters. The plot however, was awesome enough to keep me going until I had played through the whole thing.
The gameplay made it feel like an old game, both in good and bad ways. Enemies were fairly numerous, largely due to frequent reinforcements. The maps were somewhat maze-like as well. Not the standard on-rails setup of modern shooters. It's quite possible to get lost. Both of these traits were common in older games, and helped me benefit a bit from nostalgia. Unfortunately, the hacking minigame was terrible, and stealth didn't really seem to be an option as enemies had very long sight range (the energy cost of invisibility also limited it's usefulness). Plan on doing lots of fighting.
The story was full of cyberpunk, with a bit of mysticism thrown in. It felt almost like I was playing in a video game version of Shadowrun. The main character has memory problems, and very quickly the game grants the impression that no one can really be trusted as the two people you trust most are working against one another, with you stuck in the middle. The plot totally tries to screw with your mind, and doesn't fully explain anything (which is exactly the way I like it!)
One area where plot and gameplay meshed in a nice way, was the decisions made during a mission. Some of the speech options would let you decide how a mission would be carried out, or might reveal additional paths that may be taken.
P.S. Expect to die a lot. I know I did. E.Y.E. kicked my butt.
The gameplay made it feel like an old game, both in good and bad ways. Enemies were fairly numerous, largely due to frequent reinforcements. The maps were somewhat maze-like as well. Not the standard on-rails setup of modern shooters. It's quite possible to get lost. Both of these traits were common in older games, and helped me benefit a bit from nostalgia. Unfortunately, the hacking minigame was terrible, and stealth didn't really seem to be an option as enemies had very long sight range (the energy cost of invisibility also limited it's usefulness). Plan on doing lots of fighting.
The story was full of cyberpunk, with a bit of mysticism thrown in. It felt almost like I was playing in a video game version of Shadowrun. The main character has memory problems, and very quickly the game grants the impression that no one can really be trusted as the two people you trust most are working against one another, with you stuck in the middle. The plot totally tries to screw with your mind, and doesn't fully explain anything (which is exactly the way I like it!)
One area where plot and gameplay meshed in a nice way, was the decisions made during a mission. Some of the speech options would let you decide how a mission would be carried out, or might reveal additional paths that may be taken.
P.S. Expect to die a lot. I know I did. E.Y.E. kicked my butt.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
An amusing game: Iji
http://www.remar.se/daniel/iji.php
I found this game to be a lot of fun. An action/platformer with an interesting plot.
I found this game to be a lot of fun. An action/platformer with an interesting plot.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
An example to other companies on what an apology is.
http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&nbid=2672&utm_source=newsletter66&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter66&sp_rid=MjgxNTQ5NTY0OAS2&sp_mid=37163737
I haven't actually been playing EVE online for a while (and thus am not familiar with the issues brought up in the article), however I still receive newsletters in my e-mail from them. This apology I received a link to impressed me with it's straightforward honesty, and clear admission to being human (fallible). More companies need to learn how to apologize like this.
I haven't actually been playing EVE online for a while (and thus am not familiar with the issues brought up in the article), however I still receive newsletters in my e-mail from them. This apology I received a link to impressed me with it's straightforward honesty, and clear admission to being human (fallible). More companies need to learn how to apologize like this.
Sunday, October 09, 2011
Saturday, October 08, 2011
S.P.A.Z.
After playing SPAZ (Space Pirates And Zombies), I feel compelled to shout to the world, "This game is fun!" I'm not really sure how to describe it, as it's not a game type that is at all common. Taking command of a space ship, with AI pilots as allies, your pirate group shall run rampant through the galaxy in search of fortune. There's a decent variety of weapon types, though at the start, only a couple are available. The biggest flaw is probably in the balance of the game, as some weapons and tactics are vastly superior to others.
The death penalty in SPAZ is fairly soft, and I think it works out well. Complete defeat is rare, more common is for a fight to simply cost too much to be worth it, as every time one of your ships is destroyed, resources must be spent to rebuild it.
Randomness is employed in the game's map generation, helping keep each playthrough from being exactly alike. However, it can also make the early game difficulty vary greatly depending on how lucky one is with tech availability in the beginning of the game.
The death penalty in SPAZ is fairly soft, and I think it works out well. Complete defeat is rare, more common is for a fight to simply cost too much to be worth it, as every time one of your ships is destroyed, resources must be spent to rebuild it.
Randomness is employed in the game's map generation, helping keep each playthrough from being exactly alike. However, it can also make the early game difficulty vary greatly depending on how lucky one is with tech availability in the beginning of the game.
Friday, October 07, 2011
Thursday, October 06, 2011
Random Writings
http://www.catgirlsparadise.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2118
A link to some old stuff I wrote years ago.
A link to some old stuff I wrote years ago.
Wednesday, October 05, 2011
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
Alpha Protocol
I recently played Alpha Protocol, a game where the star character is Mike Thorton, an agent working for Alpha Protocol. I was amazed at the overall quality of the game, and the excellent writing. It's not an easy game, so it's not for people unwilling to fail and retry things over and over, but I found it a lot of fun.
The one flaw I saw in it's design, was the number of forced fights and boss fights which didn't operate like the rest of the game did. Most of the time, stealth was my preferred route, so being forced to engage in straight combat was a disruption of my game, not a continuation. It felt out of place.
The writing was truly amazing. Most game plots have the subtlety of a jackhammer, but this story really nailed the necessary nuance to make it feel real, even if it was extraordinarily unlikely. Twists within twists, within twists, and maybe a curve ball or two. The game also did an excellent job of making it feel like the choices I made really mattered. Left me wondering just how much of the game I still haven't seen, and how different things might've been had I made different choices.
I was expecting a shooter with some RPG elements, what I got was an RPG with some shooter elements. Since I'm not that fond of shooters, but like RPGs, the end result was great for me, but I feel sorry for anyone who got the game hoping for a shooter.
The one flaw I saw in it's design, was the number of forced fights and boss fights which didn't operate like the rest of the game did. Most of the time, stealth was my preferred route, so being forced to engage in straight combat was a disruption of my game, not a continuation. It felt out of place.
The writing was truly amazing. Most game plots have the subtlety of a jackhammer, but this story really nailed the necessary nuance to make it feel real, even if it was extraordinarily unlikely. Twists within twists, within twists, and maybe a curve ball or two. The game also did an excellent job of making it feel like the choices I made really mattered. Left me wondering just how much of the game I still haven't seen, and how different things might've been had I made different choices.
I was expecting a shooter with some RPG elements, what I got was an RPG with some shooter elements. Since I'm not that fond of shooters, but like RPGs, the end result was great for me, but I feel sorry for anyone who got the game hoping for a shooter.
Monday, October 03, 2011
Sunday, October 02, 2011
The "meaning" behind stories: Orson Scott Card
I remember reading once an anti gay rant by the author of Ender's Game. A commenter on the webpage I saw it on, seemed rather upset to discover it. They'd believed the Ender's Game series was one that taught tolerance and acceptance. I had gotten a very different meaning from the series.
Orson Scott Card doesn't teach tolerance and acceptance in his stories, instead the message, is that humanity must learn to accept the natural order of things, and to seek truth over imposing our own prejudices. His anti-gay rant was founded on the belief that homosexuality was an unnatural thing, and that gays were the ones failing to accept reality. The evidence scientists have been able to find, does not support that view. Unfortuneately, he did not seem to be aware of this.
Even more depressing, are the beliefs that are revealed by some of his other works. The main theme of The Worthing Saga is the despicability of ordinary humans. The Homecoming Saga, is filled with the idea that humans without God cannot avoid self-destruction. Overall, his view of humanity seems very pessimistic.
I have yet to encounter anyone who has seen the same meaning in these stories as I have. Clearly, it is easy for people to see, what they want to see. If they seek acceptance, then they will find it, not seeing the details that warp it. While I have confidence in my analysis, I still wonder how much I have manage to misinterpret.
Orson Scott Card doesn't teach tolerance and acceptance in his stories, instead the message, is that humanity must learn to accept the natural order of things, and to seek truth over imposing our own prejudices. His anti-gay rant was founded on the belief that homosexuality was an unnatural thing, and that gays were the ones failing to accept reality. The evidence scientists have been able to find, does not support that view. Unfortuneately, he did not seem to be aware of this.
Even more depressing, are the beliefs that are revealed by some of his other works. The main theme of The Worthing Saga is the despicability of ordinary humans. The Homecoming Saga, is filled with the idea that humans without God cannot avoid self-destruction. Overall, his view of humanity seems very pessimistic.
I have yet to encounter anyone who has seen the same meaning in these stories as I have. Clearly, it is easy for people to see, what they want to see. If they seek acceptance, then they will find it, not seeing the details that warp it. While I have confidence in my analysis, I still wonder how much I have manage to misinterpret.
Saturday, October 01, 2011
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