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My Stuff My Fics & Art My Anime Fav Places Fics & Art Webcomics Manga Anime Voice Actors Japanese Archives 07 Sep-09 Nov 2009 For older entries, you can work your way through my past hosts, but I moved because of problems, so by rights they should all be dead anyway! :P IftI on Portland.co.uk But against all reason, the really old entries on Pitas are all still here... 23 Oct 2003
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Tuesday, February 9, 2010 Just a quick comment before I go to bed (finally). One play through of Mass Effect was not enough to satiate my needs (surprise surprise). So I'm now working through the sequel with my second character from the original game. She has turned out to be a very interesting character. ::grin:: And I've... um... paved the way towards romancing Garrus. XD Having played for a bit as my female renegade Shepard I realise Garrus goes beyond the perfect match for her. They both had principles that have kind of got lost somewhere. And then there's the scars. I refuse to spend resources on the medi-bay upgrade to fix her face just because I'm playing renegade. And to be honest I think it suits her. She's... changed though from the first game. Is it wrong that this is a surprise? Finished the first game with full renegade but also with half paragon points. She was complicated, but she did good (or what she thought was good) in her own way. Now though... She wasn't evil to begin with but I feel like she's getting there now. Well, it's more of a frustration at the universe and a sense of 'what is the point?'. Death seems to have given her a rather grim outlook on life. Or maybe it's the sense of futility of the mission. ...Why don't I even know? This is my character. Thus further proving I get way too involved. :S Anyway yeah, so I continue with my 'screw work' attitude. Least I seem to have fixed the issue with the supercomputer program so I can at least keep that up and running now. Time for bed. I'm getting up in 6 hours. 'That is not enough sleep. Why am I only awake at this time of day... night... whatever! :S Xilmin visited the elves at 02:59 a.m. Wednesday, February 3, 2010 I knew I was going to crash but I wasn't expecting that long a sleep... I've just woken up... And already feel ready to go back to bed. I need a drink and some food, but I can't really go downstairs when someone is making dinner and have breakfast... :S I know I should work... But as usual absolutely no motivation. Though I don't even have a clear idea of what I want to do instead now... I'm still in awe over the end of Mass Effect 2. So good! ::sigh:: Xilmin visited the elves at 08:12 p.m. Wednesday, February 3, 2010 Well, I just finished it. Prepare for some Mass Effect 2 spoilers, though I'll try to remain for the most part ambiguous for the major stuff as usual. ;) Unfortunately I couldn't make it without losing someone. Thane. My fault. I thought he'd be best for one particular job since he had to handle going alone for a bit and that's what he's used to. But he just didn't have the tech skills to handle what was required... Ok, I did think maybe sending Tali or Legion out instead but... Well, I wasn't putting Tali in harms way. And Legion... Somehow I felt he was really important and didn't like the idea of losing him. So Thane seemed like the next natural choice. But as to the rest... It went really well! Tearing my hair out every time it asked me who would do what, but clearly my decisions worked out (aside from Thane) for the best. Plus I can't help but remind myself Thane was already dying. Ok, maybe in the third game (if he was still around) maybe they would have found a cure, but really that's only a maybe. Though part of me wonders how the game is programmed to determine who will live and who will die. Is there an element of randomness in there? I kind of want there to be. To know I got through on a certain amount of luck... But then again it would hardly be fair on a gamer who goes to all the effort of becoming buddies with every single team mate and getting all the upgrades, etc, for the game to turn around and say it was all a waste of time. But then I start to wonder how much of a difference did things like upgrades make. The difference for weapons and armour for each person is obvious. But what about the ship upgrades? What if I hadn't had the new weapon. The armour plating? Any of it? Would we just have blown up in space before even making a crash landing? Gotta wonder... As to my opinion of the game now... Somehow I thought there would be more to it. What there was was most certainly epic and I kept making noises I couldn't contain in my excitement while playing (I hope I wasn't too loud...). But I half anticipated the story to continue. I mean there were only a handful of main story missions. The majority of the game is given over to collecting the team, and then (though admittedly it is optional) performing the various tasks to gain their loyalty. There are a few random things on planets but 90% of planets it seemed were only there for gathering resources. Or maybe I was just missing a whole load of stuff somewhere... I dunno. Though the fact that most of the game is given over to the interaction with the team, it really pulls the whole thing together, and makes the decisions at the end seriously tough. It makes a lot of sense given the storyline is just gathering the best team as possible to take on ridiculous odds. It would only be natural to develop bonds with those you are with on such a mission. But that ending... Twas good! Really good! Made you feel like you were the leader proper, giving out tasks like that. And perhaps it was because of the team I chose to actually fight with (Mordin and Jack) but I had to take the lead in the battles as well to deal with anything that had shields or armour to let them use their abilities to full advantage. When it came to my abilities... inferno ammo with excessive use of the adrenaline skill that slows time was all I used. And only one weapon. Switched at one point, only to switch back again because it was actually worse. Can't remember what the weapon was called, but it's an assault rifle type. The aim is awful but it packs a serious punch, and will rip through shields and armour in quick succession. Was taking down the Harbinger in one volley without a need to reload in most cases. Brilliant weapon! XD And I didn't even die once! Came close but managed to grab some cover. I think I was even getting the hang of the action stuff too. Maybe I can learn to play shooters and not be so completely incompetent. ;) Enough. Seriously I need sleep. Had I put work in front of me instead of Mass Effect 2 I would be dead right now. Somehow the excitement keeps my momentum going to prevent me from crashing. But I know deep down I need to crash even if I only feel moderately tired just now. Eyes are definitely feeling heavy. And my focus is going a bit. But otherwise I could keep going if it was necessary. But the game is over now. Can't believe it to be honest. Seriously though, what an ending! There is epic and then there is EPIC!!! ::listens to the music from the launch trailer:: Sleep damn it! Sleep! Xilmin visited the elves at 04:17 a.m. Tuesday, February 2, 2010 Managed to bluff my way through the presentation, though with a lot of 'umm's throughout. I think this "I'll just wing it and hope for the best" attitude is if nothing else helping to reduce the stress that presentations used to bring, though my stomach was still on the dodgy side. Though that will be partially because it also doesn't like me eating when I'm exhausted... for some bizarre reason. I came home with the intention of going to bed. Only had an hour sleep. So in other words 3 hours in 2 nights... But while waiting on the computer, I watched the Mass Effect 2 launch trailer and am now psyched up again. And very worried. In there Tali is about to fall off something and Shepard is trying to catch her... NO! Wherever that is... Please catch her! Well, we'll see... Oh yeah, and just because it was wonderful: Mordin and his take of Gilbert & Sullivan. I am the very model of a scientist Salarian... Of all the new characters Mordin I think has to be my favourite. Is it wrong to want to replay with a female character in the hopes I can romance him? Though if I do do a second playthrough it will be with my renegade female Shepard who would not be interested in Mordin. Thane perhaps. Who else is there? Garrus? I have no idea which romances are actually possible, but given my current Shepard character seems to get hit on by every woman he meets I'm thinking there will be plenty of opportunities. A stroke on the arm here. A kiss on the cheek there. I just wish there was the option to go "Hey, woah there!" He's just a nice guy but everyone takes it the wrong way. But speaking of other women... The romance I did in the first game was with Liara. But dear god what the hell happened to get her to turn in to the person she is in the sequel? Ah well. She is no longer my Shepard's type. ;) Plus Tali was always who I really wanted but there wasn't the option in the first game. XD Enough. Enough. Since it's clear I'm not going to bed, I may as well get on the with the game. Perhaps if I finish it... Ah we all know that won't help. It took 200 hours of Dragon Age to kill the need to play that. And I'm going back to it once I'm done with Mass Effect 2. The Return of Ostagar DLC has finally been released so that could be interesting. I just hope I can load an 'epilogue' save so I can complete it with my 2 characters I've already finished the game with. So yeah, that means playing through the DLC twice. Firstly as Aedin, my noble warrior. Secondly as Renin, my aggressive yet sly rogue. And then obviously with Synuir, my power-hungry mage, whenever I decide to continue the game with him. And then there is Awakening coming out in March... I'll never work. EVER! Xilmin visited the elves at 03:26 p.m. Tuesday, February 2, 2010 Finally done with Mass Effect 2 for now... Mostly because I've had to accept that I'm going to have patience while I await Tali doing her 'research' to allow her to get out of that suit! That said and I'm getting close to having to go ahead with the main plot quests rather than just gathering the loyalty of my team. That makes me nervous. Somebody somewhere is going to die. I know it. I mean if it's like the first game... It's just cruel, making you choose like that... Least in the first game I hadn't got so attached. I mean holy hell the characterisations in Mass Effect 2 are amazing! ENOUGH! I need to finish making that damn presentation and then maybe I might get an hour... half an hour sleep... Might. :S Why can't today just disappear? Xilmin visited the elves at 07:47 a.m. Tuesday, February 2, 2010 A little while ago I read a piece of news saying some company was looking to make romance-novel-based games. I'm thinking I should probably try those out given the way I treat my RPGs. Alistair has momentarily been shunted out of my head to make room for Tali from Mass Effect. Thus further confirming that I don't even understand my own taste. There's no way to even tell what she looks like since she lives inside an environmental suit. But that doesn't stop me going on fangirl anyway. I came so close to crying over her 'loyalty' mission. And now I'm all hyped up because I'm making 'progress'! XD Why am I not tired? I probably am but am too excited to notice. But I haven't finished making the presentation for tomorrow... Don't want to go to bed, let alone being able to use that need to persuade me to work. Just want to play. Go kill more people so I can come back and get Tali to talk to me again. Someone help me please! Xilmin visited the elves at 05:03 a.m. Monday, February 1, 2010 Well, that could have gone worse I suppose... But could most certainly have gone better. Still too short, but I am not used to making hour long presentations. And I always seem to end up picking papers that my supervisor disagrees with. Though finding papers that haven't been done by someone in the department inevitably seems to end up being done by people they don't agree with. Well, another couple weeks free before I have to do that again, at least. Only now I have a second presentation to make. This one 20-30 minutes long. To do with the earthquakes this week for the geophysical group meeting. And there have been no significant earthquakes. It's wrong to want a disaster just to make my job easier, isn't it? Xilmin visited the elves at 12:32 p.m. Monday, February 1, 2010 I'm presenting at the group meeting with my secondary supervisor and his two other students. And I only made this presentation this morning at about 5am. I've had a couple hours sleep at least. Damn you Mass Effect 2! Or more accurately DAMN ME! This can only go badly, but just let my stomach calm down please... Xilmin visited the elves at 10:50 a.m. Saturday, January 30, 2010 The IGN team here in London are having a meet up and I'm trying to build up the confidence to go. It's not 'til Feb 10th, so I've got time to work up to that. But I really do want to meet some geeks and have the opportunity to rant about games and the like that otherwise I just rant about here or at my reflection (I swear even my reflection gets bored of me). Though there is the large probability I may be the only girl there. For an attempt at meeting complete strangers when it isn't forced upon me, that may involve being braver than I actually am. But, and this is a seriously bizarre feeling for me, I kinda want to meet people. Like-minded people. I don't feel lonely. I'd be just as happy cooped up in this room playing games, if not more so. But I do want to be able to talk to someone who understands the gaming urge. Is there an ulterior motive to this? Perhaps. I want to play other people at games. In other words I want someone with rock band to let me play! XD I really am going to be in the minority of this group, due to my gender and PC-only gaming history. Even among gamers I'm unusual. But if I'm going to spend money towards a system to play games, I'd much rather upgrade my PC than get an Xbox. And for some reason completely beyond my understanding I wouldn't really contemplate a PS3. Makes no sense to me seeing as the Xbox is Microsoft, whereas PS3 is at least partially IBM. Then again it's also mostly Sony who I've not overly fond of, particularly given the last CD player I got was Sony and it was so crap it made me buy an mp3 player. >( But I don't think that's it. I think I've just absorbed people's opinions from podcasts and forums and ended up siding with the Xbox team for arbitrary reasons. Regardless I'm not paying several hundred quid to get something to play games on when I have a perfectly decent computer already. I'm particularly impressed with how it handled Mass Effect 2. I'm playing at 1280x1024 with highest quality graphics. I didn't think my machine would be able to handle that with the latest games. I actually have other games I deliberately reduce the resolution a little to reduce the odd issue, but so far I've only had a few moments where video stopped while audio continued, but it only lasts a second or two and I suspect my computer was thinking about something else at the time. Anyway, yeah, started (foolishly) playing it last night. Didn't get to bed 'til 5. It be EPIC! Mass Effect 1 was quite good, but the main reason I went for the digital deluxe edition of the sequel over normal was because I had faith in Bioware to expand on something good to make it brilliant. My faith was well placed. Everything about it has matured. Everything feels more alive, more gritty, less clinical. And you really feel the time gap between the last one and the first. And even although the first one never got me overly attached to any of the characters because of the limited interactions with them (or at least I thought so), the beginning of the sequel made me really anxious to find them. And I'm really quite concerned with how things are going to turn out. There are only a couple of issues I have with it so far and that's to do with the gameplay. First off the inventory, or rather lack of it. I don't like not being able to switch weapons on the fly, or armour for that matter. And armour no longer means as much any more. And I don't like that the helmet doesn't disappear when having conversations because I like to see my own face when talking. It helps keep me in the correct character. And thus leading to the second thing I'm having issues with. The conversation mechanism. People say it's 'revolutionary', but I don't fully get the appeal. Particularly when you can't figure out exactly what each option actually means. In the first Mass Effect I remember specifically remember one point where 2 of the choices were "Sure it is" and "Of course it is". What the hell is the difference between the two? So far in the sequel I've been bewildered by the seemingly random 'renegade' (evil) points I've gathered from conversations. I don't recall picking any option that struck me as particularly mean. Or perhaps this is just proof that my moral compass is a little off. ;) Oh, and I guess there is one other thing, though it's not something I have a problem with, but it is different. Mass Effect 2 is clearly more of an action game than RPG. Now the fights are much more prolonged with a seemingly continuous stream of new enemies. Ok, one issue: the reload. I much preferred the overheat mechanism the first game used to prevent you from firing continuously rather than this need to reload when you run out of ammo. And the first game had a perfectly good explanation about why you don't need to collect ammo. Why they suddenly decided to bring ammo into it is a mystery to me, and I'm not overly impressed with it. Now I have to be careful with how much I shoot and be conscious of collecting ammo wherever I can find it. And given my poor shooter skills I miss more often than hit and waste a ton of ammo. But then again the action-orientated method means you really feel like you are there. Whereas in Dragon Age the combat is all about tactics and most of the time is spent on the pause screen giving orders (or at least that's how I play) it does mean you develop a certain amount of distance from the battle. In Mass Effect you are stuck in it, and while you can pause to give orders, it never feels like you come out of the battle, but instead gives you a minor reprieve to assess the situation and figure out how to tackle it. But enough of that ramble for now! Tonight Howie (the owner of this place) is having a party. And it's started. I've got my headphones on but I'm paranoid about people coming to my bedroom door. I can hear voices. There are apparently going to be about 20 people, and he's cleared out the living room and his bedroom to let people spread out. It makes me worried about what he's expecting given he's moved the TV and everything out of the living room and up into the loft. Here's hoping I never need the loo because I do not want to go out there! How long do these things normally go on for? In other news, my exercise bike got transported down here... broken! Fairly pissed about that. I was so looking forward to it. Hell, I was thinking it might just be the key I needed to help me focus on work. And I can't use it. Fabulous. And now I have the hassle of investigating if it's possible to fix it, and if not I have to figure out how to scrap the thing. Not like I can transport it anywhere myself. I may end up having to ask Howie to help me get it out of here in his car. ::sigh:: Just what I needed. >( Oh and I may have to remove comments from here. The comment host has decided to close. Least they actually gave a warning. But I had a quick look for alternatives and there wasn't anything obvious. There is one possibility but it isn't all that clear how it will work to install it on to something like this where I can only really have one page (plus unmodifiable archived pages). Barely used, but it was still nice to have. ;) Think I'm done here. Obviously not even going to think about working tonight with the chaos outside, so perhaps some Mass Effect. Now should I continue with my second playthrough in the first game as my 'evil' character (though now I've starting playing her, I'm realising she isn't evil, just ruthless, uncompromising, etc). Or continue with my good character in the sequel. Hmmm... Ah hell, the sequel is much more appealing. Of I go! Xilmin visited the elves at 07:37 p.m. Wednesday, January 27, 2010 It's suddenly got rather warm in here... Must not read amusing Alistair comic strips, particularly at night when I can't laugh for fear of waking the guys. I'm just going to implode in a feverish fangirlgasm. Oh yeah and I'm thinking that days are not long enough to fully satisfy me. Yesterday (which I also consider to include Sunday) felt like just a long day, despite being awake for 33 hours (so it roughly works out as anyway). Admittedly early afternoon I was close to collapsing, but got home and went hyper over my 'Alistair' adventures in my head for a good couple hours before playing yet more Mass Effect and then rolling into bed at 9pm. Slept for close to 12 hours and now here I am... Not really tired. And almost ready for another allnighter, only this time perhaps with Dragon Age. Drew the characters I've been playing as this evening, hence my feeling I want to start playing again. Though obviously that means continuing my Synuir playthrough which I'm finding ridiculously hard. Character-wise, since I just can't quite figure out his motivations... And thus currently he's rather inconsistent with his decisions. Tactics-wise, since despite people saying mages are overpowered I'm finding them too vunerable, and Synuir in particular is lacking in damage spells (though he's stocked up well on crowd-control spells). And quite possibly Renin is still the main Dragon Age character given my mind is still making up new plot directions to take after the end of the game. Goodbye £60.98. Hello order of Mass Effect 2 digital deluxe edition, Psychonauts (whatever that happens to be, but it's a quid, gets good reviews and has raving fans in the forum) and above all Dragon Age Awakening expansion pack. Just got to wait another 1 month, 3 weeks, 1 day and 21 hours for it to be released. Want it NOW! I swear this obsession is going beyond even my normal levels. And I have had a fair few obsessions in my time... to put it mildly. XD Speaking of ordering though, what is going on with Assassin's Creed II for PC? IGN had a thing saying that the black edition will be digital distribution only. But I pre-ordered it already on Play.com. How is that going to work? I don't think they've taken my money yet so perhaps they'll just turn round and say "Well, actually it doesn't exist so you can't have it." If that's the case, it's back to reliable Steam for my gaming purchases. I've now bought 22 games from it. Admittedly I think only 3 at full price (Dragon Age (and extension now I guess), Mass Effect 2 today and Mount & Blade). Most of the others were less than £5 and the rest under £10. Still a lot of money but what really amuses me is my game collection according to my IGN profile (which admittedly isn't even complete since I haven't yet taken the time to include all my games) is worth £1,561.57. That's for 50 of my games anyway. That ain't right. XD Ok, I think I have run out of stuff that I want to say... And I may even be tired... Huh. Perhaps I should go to bed. There's a novel idea! Xilmin visited the elves at 03:02 a.m. Monday, January 25, 2010 After all that... After all that and I can't do any work! The files I was emailed by my secondary supervisor refuse to run. I don't know if I'm missing something or they are just formatted for the wrong version of the program... Or if there is something more fundamental I'm missing. I also can't make an attempt at trying it myself as he said he wanted me to use a certain density... But up until now I've only been considering pressures and I don't know how to calculate density... unless the program does that for you. And I also need to clear up what the different stages I need to run are. So pulling an all-nighter to spend less than an hour to realise I don't know enough. Not a big surprise, but if I had done this this afternoon I could have got some sleep!!! Really I should use this time to do a little more reading of the papers he also emailed me... If I can... My eyes are beginning to hurt. I'm going to have to keel over this afternoon I think. I'm not going to last all day that's for sure. :S Xilmin visited the elves at 08:02 a.m. Monday, January 25, 2010 Back again and still not done any work, though I'm filled up on garbage food (ok, the apple wasn't garbage) and got a little life back in me with some bru. Only even now I feel more alive I still can't be bothered with work. I have about 3 hours before I need to shower (I'm refusing to use a hair-drier of late, mostly because my hair doesn't like it, and it requires too much effort). Need to be out of the house by 11am at the latest anyway. I know the work is going to take longer than I expect (it always does), compounded by the fact I have to wait for the job queue on the supercomputer before I know if anything is even working, let alone working right. ::sigh:: No seriously I need to... do puzzles apparently. Work later... Somebody help me! Xilmin visited the elves at 05:46 a.m. Monday, January 25, 2010 Still alive, though that's only a technicality right now. Finally done with playing Mass Effect today after over 12 hours worth. And that's only because the prospect of inventory management was getting to me. I haven't done any work since Tuesday, minus going in to uni on Thursday for a lecture. And I haven't left the house since that Thursday either. Haven't eaten a hot meal in quite possibly a fortnight. And despite this being half 3, this would actually be a normal time for me to go to sleep. Only I have to be in at Uni tomorrow for noon... Which is why I'm here and not going to bed. I need to do work to at least have something to say when my secondary supervisor inevitably asks me how things are going. Obviously most of my answer will be a blatant lie of "I've been reading up on the subject before getting into the work" because I can get away with that. But I really do need to get on with getting back to working on the supercomputer at the very least if not reading up much. But there is one thought that prevails above all others: I CAN'T BE BOTHERED! If only I could put this down to mood, but quite frankly I spend most of my time in my own little world trying not to grin like a loon. But I have nothing to make me want to have anything to do with reality. From time to time I seriously contemplate getting in touch with the university counselling service since I appreciate that this probably isn't healthy. But how could I explain it to anyone 'normal'? "Well, you see there was this computer game called Dragon Age. And one of the characters I played I've now incorporated as myself, including history and emotions and everything else that makes a person." I finally realised I'd got so mixed up with my elf character that I forgot what height I was. Inside my head I was small, petite even (an elf, after all). But while in a crammed lift I was forced to recognise the other people around me and was seriously shocked to realise they were smaller than me. I mean there has to be something wrong there surely. I don't know what to do. I don't know how to make myself enjoy my work rather than see it as a major chore I'd rather deprive myself of sleep than get on with. And that's what this is about. I had to do what I've had to do before, say to myself "No sleep 'til it's done". Though that was during exam time when work really was a major pain. Why nothing has changed since then, I really don't know. I'm sure it's been over a year since I last had any interest in work of any form. No amount of holidays or days off can satiate my need for computer games or a general desire to ignore reality it seems. Because if it isn't games, it's pacing my bedroom fantasising my own adventure. I think in my head I get this idea of "I'll work once I've satisfied myself with whatever fun I plan to have today", but I'm never satisfied. And I'm well aware that I should leave the fun stuff as a reward for getting things done but I just don't have the willpower. Almost every morning it's the same, I wake up thinking "maybe today I can do something, maybe today will be different" and it inevitably isn't because after getting up and watching something while eating breakfast and turning on the computer, there is just nothing there that says work would be a better idea than having fun. And then it gets to this point in the day where I think "well, today was fun, but seriously tomorrow you need to make up for it". I have several months worth of work to make up for this way. How? And somehow despite all this I've managed to avoid my supervisors voicing suspicions on my limited work. I'm fairly sure they have those suspicions but they don't seem particularly concerned just now. Perhaps they just can't believe I am giving them blatant lies. Very few people seem to expect that from me. Though I'm the one that's questioning their reasons for bringing me in to this project. My background beyond my once-interest in the subject is useless for this. Having to learn everything from scratch is fairly infuriating, and for which I rely on my brain absorbing terms and filling in the gaps until I have more a reliable understanding. So in other words most of what I've 'learnt' so far I just made up. I actually wish I could chase of my confidence in my intellectual abilities since that just makes me want to read stuff less. Why bother when my made-up ideas are working just fine for now? Ugh, seriously I need to get on. Perhaps a trip down stairs for some irn bru (and try not to fall over myself in my sleep-deprived state and wake the guys up). And see what food is around... None, I can guarantee that. Perhaps my third bowl of cereal of the 'day', since that was both my breakfast and dinner. There are sausage rolls in the fridge I suppose. Don't really fancy them just now, but I might just eat them anyway. Then I mean it: work! ... REALLY CAN'T BE BOTHERED! Xilmin visited the elves at 04:14 a.m. Wednesday, December 30, 2009 Just checking in before I disappear for another prolonged period. Being back home has been much as I expected. Mostly feel like I'm wasting time 'til I can leave again. I keep referring to the place in Harrow as 'home', so I think my definition of that word is "where my stuff is". So many things I want to do but can't do here. Dragon Age being a fairly significant one. My spare graphics card that I left for my parents to take from the flat has gone missing (I'm guessing my mum chucked it since she probably assumed it was dead, or just a random box not worth checking). Fairly annoying. My mum's PC, which is the more powerful beast, is actually useless for gaming since the colours go psychedelic. This machine which struggles so badly doing normal things like opening folders or scrolling webpages, actually manages not to badly with simple games. Tried to play Mount and Blade but there is too much jerkiness. And perhaps it was the mod I was trying that made everything feel really tough. Enemies using magic spells was something of a shock, and some of the specs of the units seems too unnatural. I think I might actually prefer the realistic combat of the original game more. Instead I've been playing a ton of Majesty, which is a fairly old fantasy strategy game, thanks to Steam's holiday sales. Damn you Steam and your ease of access to games. I've bought... 5 games since being up here. But they were so cheap. So Majesty, Jade Empire (Bioware so I'm hoping for another Dragon Age/Knights of the Old Republic epic rpg), Beyond Good and Evil (which I've been toying with buying for a while but the price was finally right), Evil Genius (because I had to!) and Bioshock (because when the deal is that good I ignore the fact I was scared shitless playing the demo and didn't believe I could get through the entire game. You never know, I might learn courage, or at least usable cowardly tactics ;) ). But yeah, Majesty at first I didn't think I could get into it since the beginner levels were really easy. Then the difficulty level jumped up excessively. Been using an online guide for tips on what units to use and what buildings to get to help me get through them. Seriously tough, particularly since you don't control the units. You can just try to persuade them to do what you want with money. The number of times I've been getting increasingly frustrated with nobody taking the bait on an enemy I've tagged for over 1000. So yeah, it's a good game because it gets me into that frustrated state that is 'fun' to me. And then stubbornness takes over. ;) Oh yeah and christmas happened somewhere in there. Fairly average. Got what I asked for, Merlin season 1 boxset and 30 Seconds to Mars CD, plus the inevitable clothes. 1 rejected (it had buttons and was made of fancy material, seriously mother, what are you thinking?), the other accepted. A sleeveless fluff-hooded jacket, much like what I was wearing at the time. Though this is more of an outdoor thing, and more for autumn/spring really. Meh, I don't really need it but I'll probably wear it. What I really could do with clothes-wise are new jeans. My favourite pair I have discovered have now developed a rip on the inner thigh. Not the first pair to develop such a problem. Either friction from walking, or from the material stretching too much when I'm sitting. Either way it's depressing. And I hate clothes shopping. Number of times I've gone in to a shop, grabbed the first thing that is in my size and run out of there to later realise I don't like them. These particular jeans were on one of the lucky trips. ::sigh:: Oh yeah, and from my brother I actually got a surprisingly good gift: The Q episodes from Star Trek. I remember toying with getting it for myself (so that probably means it was quite cheap). Q is without a doubt my favourite character outside of the main cast, and he out shadows most of those when he shows up. Though probably a large part is the fact that his character is fairly similar to a certain Xilmin character in my old old Star Wars fanfic. Ah, the torment that can be created by such an omnipotent creature. XD Oh, I went to see Avatar. Was pleasantly surprised. The story wasn't completely overshadowed by the effects (of course I went to see it in 3D). It was just Dancing with Wolves with aliens, but Dancing with Wolves is a good story. And yeah, they also naturally flung in some commentary on the Middle East stuff and climate change. But the characters weren't all completely cliche (not all). Didn't get any more of an emotional response out of me beyond a lump in my throat at one point, which says it also wasn't as emotionally involving as it could have been. But it has to be said, it was stunning... after the first half hour once my eyes had adjusted and stopped trying to focus on things that wouldn't focus, and stopped analysing what was in front versus the background. Once it just merged into a world as a whole, that's when it felt more real. I did just feel like the main character, I just wanted to run, to fly, through the whole landscape because you felt like it was all there and reached deeper than what you could see. And then little things turned the whole thing into something living, like the way the insects weren't just specks on a screen, but you felt they were there. So yeah, the 3D was well done, and well worth it. Hell, I wouldn't mind going to see it again just to admire it all over again, and because the movie itself was actually quite good that isn't a bad prospect to sit through either. Though it has to be said some of the plot aspects were way too predictable. Yes, this particular thing was only mentioned once, but it was mentioned in such a way that it isn't amazing when it is how the character manages to... do something. I'll be good with avoiding spoilers. But basically it was fairly unimaginative storytelling. A good story but no major twists. Have I done anything else? Met up with Saku and Kat on christmas eve, and was round at Queak's last night, but other than that, no. No inspiration to do any story work, or actual work, though I have continued to submit stuff to the supercomputer, and I'm currently removing some stuff on to my hard drive so I can continue with more work from my dad's laptop while I'm away up north. But yeah, the rest of the time has been very much Majesty focused. Tis a good game. Now the question is, am I now going to buy the sequel? Though reviews suggest other than a graphics improvement it's much the same. Well, at the price it's at just now it's not worth it, even if it is 50% off. It's still over a tenner and that is just unacceptable for a game I'm not completely mad over (think Dragon Age, Assassin's Creed and Prince of Persia). It's good but not that good! ::gets distracted by the extremely cheap prices of indie games on Steam:: I am intrigued by something called Darwinia. "Combining fast-paced action with strategic battle planning, Darwinia features a novel and intuitive control mechanism, a graphical style ripped from 80's retro classics like Tron and Defender, and a story concerning a tribe of nomadic sprites trapped in a modern 3D world." I think it's the 'nomadic sprites' that really gets me. :) Though it's also won an award, gets 84% on Metacritic and above all else, is £3. Or I could get it and it's sequel for £4.50. God damn you Steam, you steal my money in such small quantities, but I know deep down it does add up to a lot. Well, let's see if the demo will actually work on this machine... And that's a no. It just crashes. The specs needed are low but it does mention at least a DX7 compatible graphics card, so that's probably the issue. The question is, am I going to buy it any way? Argh, I'll leave it for now and I'll think about it. It does look like it could be fun, and certainly funky. But I think it's time to sign off for now. Still transferring files, but I can get some supper and then set another lot off while I lie in bed in my usual fantasy world before finally turning it off for the night. I'll have to get up in the morning, but we're not leaving until 1pm so it's not so bad. Have I said where I'm off to? I guess I just assume by this point everyone will know by now. But yeah, it's time for the Highlands where I hope I'll get some sort of inspiration to do something productive, even if it isn't actual work, though I can but hope. Xilmin visited the elves at 01:14 a.m. Wednesday, December 16, 2009 It is official: Paradox is a million times better than FlashForward when it comes to a TV show about crime solving based on glimpses into the future. However the thing about brilliant shows is they tend to leave mental after-tastes, and after watching the latest Paradox episode I really don't fancy going to sleep just yet. Maybe they won't be nightmares, but whatever it won't be pleasant. That dilemma at the end... Brilliant shows also have a tendency so get me talking to the TV, trying to get characters to do what I think they should do. I hope I wasn't too loud... though that said, Alex had his music excessively loud again earlier, and it was already late evening by that point. And as a cry through the wall reminds me there are kids next door. Though I know I'm going to be getting frustrated after being in close quarters with my mother once more, I'm still really rather excited about going home, getting away from here. Not that I'm exactly unsettled. I find myself talking to myself a lot, and louder than I would expect that I would be given there are potentially other people around. The first week or two here I was afraid of breathing too loudly. So I have settled. And the pigsty that surrounds me just now confirms it. Or perhaps just enhances my settling. But yeah, I just really want to go home, and by home I mean Scotland. Done no Christmas shopping. Thought I should probably give the guys cards before I leave, but that would involve going to get some, and the only other people that are getting cards are my family. And in terms of presents, again that is to family alone. Kinda looking forward to a shopping excursion to Glasgow some time next week in the hunt to find suitable items, though I've no clue currently. Well, dad will be a getting a DVD since he seems perpetually obsessed with increasing his collection, mainly because it gives him something new to distract himself from working. Mum or bro however are more difficult. Mum will be classical cd or book, unless she's got something specific in mind. Brother however... god knows. I've already told my parents what to get me, so no disappointments (except the clothing that will also be involved, but that's unavoidable). ::sigh:: Not looking forward to Christmas in the slightest, even more than usual. Because of the dog. The holiday season last year was just the run up to saying goodbye to him. Huh, I didn't know I could still cry like this over him. No, I'm not looking forward to any of it. But I still want to go home, I just don't know what it is that I'm actually missing that isn't here. I never felt the need of people (though occasionally I actually miss having more regular phone calls from my mum just because it was a great way to let off some steam with undirected whining). The weather is definitely better down here. The area I live in is a million steps up from Govan. I feel distinctly less petrified after the sun goes down than I did anywhere in Glasgow or Ayr for that matter. What is there that isn't here? Hills in the distance, perhaps? I honestly can't think of any reason that I feel such a pull northwards. Though I do know I'm clinging to everything Scottish I can find. Drinking Irn Bru is less about the caffeine and more about where is came from. Scotch eggs call to me every time I walk past them in Tesco. I saw some shortbread in tartan wrapping and nearly bought it, even though I only vaguely like shortbread. And every Scottish accent (that I actually manage to recognise) always perks me up. And thus bringing this ramble full circle... What's his name? Christian in Paradox... Quite liking him. XD Xilmin visited the elves at 01:14 a.m. Tuesday, December 15, 2009 Why can I only work at this time of day! It's not even day!!! But I got the marking done. Least there is nothing urgent to go in for tomorrow... I don't think. While I seem to be able to work more consistently at this time of non-day, I cannot guarantee the coherence of anything I do. Not a reassuring prospect. Anyway, bed would be a really good idea right now I think. Then we'll see when I can actually persuade myself to set the alarm for... and hopefully not sleep through it like I did this morning (and that was set for 11am!!! yet I have no memory of it going off). SLEEP!!! Xilmin visited the elves at 04:46 a.m. Monday, December 14, 2009 I'm such a twat. Tis true. I registered myself of a 'student day' today that would involve various phd students and professors talking about things similar to my work... And I forgot it was on. Imbecile! I just got so used to using Monday as a kind of extended weekend as there previously have been no obligations that require me to go in. Though I did end up going in today to pick up the homework my supervisor didn't bother giving me last week (which took 3 emails for her to admit she had it and give to me... she is beginning to test my patience on a number of things). Normally I'd have marked them at the weekend... And I was going to mark them today... I am going to mark them. I need to set myself a rule: No sleep 'til it's done. It's the only way. Just spent the time since coming back from uni playing The Bard's Tale (not Dragon Age, though I have started a 3rd playthrough in that anyway) then getting some dinner, watching a little TV and then moving on to play some Trackmania. Speaking of The Bard's Tale, I have to talk about it. It's fun. The combat is a little difficult to get to grips with and the controls were the complete opposite than Dragon Age which made it awkward to adapt to (WASD for camera and mouse for movement rather than the other way round). But it's really not about the combat. It's about the humour. And what's better than a game with humour? Though I was only tempted to buy it after watching the trailer, thinking that looks like fun but I'm not sure it's worth the money. But then I read it was based on the tales of Orkney. And I watched a video of the beginning of the game and was so delighted at the Scottish accents (if they are bad, my inability at recognising accents means I can't tell) I had to buy the game. I still grin just hearing people roll their 'r's, let alone what they are actually saying. And then there are the musical numbers. Only heard a couple so far but I'm expecting the rest to be just as brilliant. Beer Beer Beer Tiddly Beer Beer Beer and Bad Luck to be You. So once again Steam has stolen money from me for yet another game and I don't mind it one bit. ::sigh:: I really should just get on with the marking... but I don't want to. I seriously piss myself off so often these days, but then I can't get angry with myself since I distract myself with games and the like. Infuriating me! >( Xilmin visited the elves at 09:16 p.m. Thursday, December 10, 2009 I wanna play again. Really really really do. HELP ME!!! I seriously can't convince myself to do anything else in my official designated 'me' time. Was just about to try and make a Dragon Age layout (because I can't see me making a Prince of Persia one after all, but maybe one day). Only now I realise I haven't been taking that many screenshots of the characters. Lots of scenery shots and action shots, but very little from conversations. So I don't have any close up shots of Wynne, Ohgren, Leliana or Sten. And I was just going to be lazy and do a similar type of design as my Assassin's Creed one with the characters down the left and general action and scenery shots up top with the title. But looks like I'll have to think about gathering more next time... next time. Seriously I can't start again! This is a terrible idea! But I've been thinking about trying for an evil mage. Could prove fun. And I can try and investigate just how to unlock the blood mage specialization as I have yet to do that one. I think I know where to get it, but the last couple of times I avoided it since it didn't fit in with my characters. Seriously, NOOOO! But I have no willpower these days! And that's all the more reason not to play again, but god damn it! It could be so fun to go nuts without thinking too much about consequences... though that said I don't know how evil I could be with the team. After all being mean to Alistair is like kicking a puppy. I don't think I could do it no matter who I'm playing. But I still want to try... ::whimper:: I can't hold back. I'm sorry, me, I didn't mean to but there's no helping it, helping me. I have a problem!!! Frak! >( Xilmin visited the elves at 10:45 p.m. Tuesday, December 8, 2009 I can breathe again... once I recover. Once again minimal work today. I finished Dragon Age for the second time instead. [what'd yah know, spoilers!] Success! Persuading Alistair to take 'the opportunity' was easier than I thought. I told him to trust me. And he did, the fool! So we both survived, the hell with any consequences that causes. Though now I really wish there was sequel already. I mean there has to be one given how the epilogue ends, 'this is not the last time we'll hear from [insert character name here]' or words to that effect. Though how a sequel would deal with all the permutations if it considered all the possible ways you can end this game, I have no idea. It was interesting reading the epilogue though. Sure a lot of similarities from last time, but also there were some interesting differences. Bhelen's rule. Zathrian. Also I asked for land for the elves as my 'boon' for saving the world, and of course that had consequences. And surprisingly Dagna had a fairly big impact in terms of the mages versus the chantry. But above all I'm amazed and strangely happy that the stories I've been making up in my head actually fit in near perfect with how the game ending up working out. After the archdemon was slain I said I'd travel for a time. And Zevran joined me. Hey, I'd be lonely otherwise. XD But in the epilogue it then says everyone went their own way, which also fits. And the issues that it suggested were developing with the elves also works out great (though the reason for it in my head was a little different). And darkspawn spreading to Orlais and elsewhere also fits in nicely. So I'll probably continue with my own stories for a while. I think 2 playthroughs should satisfy me for a time... though that said I am intrigued at the prospect of playing as a mage. I might learn yet more tactics that will improve my playing style. From playing a rogue I learned to tease enemies away from the group with archery. It works wonders. But it would be interesting to investigate all the spells I've never actually bothered to use. The first play through I was struggling for health poultices so Wynne became the only mage I could really consider taking with me. And yes I used her for the entire story this time. But I've now learned how to get an infinite supply of health poultices (and lyrium potions and any poisons) so I no longer think she may be as useful. Ok, if someone is paralysed and getting the crap beaten out of them, having a healer is a godsend. And if things turn nasty, having revival really helped keep the battle from turning against me should someone fall. But if I learn more crowd control spells then that shouldn't happen. Oh no, I must not start over again!!! I'm sure I had something else to say about the end, but I can't think of it now. Well, I guess that's it then. Now I feel lost. You would think a second playthrough would reduce my interest in characters when I'd gotten to know them once before. Not so! Ok, my previous character was more interested in Leliana (though that romance was more of an accident as it just turned out I'd talked to her enough and given her enough gifts for her to proposition me, and there was no real way to get out of that without reducing her approval of me, which I would never accept, so I just went along with it ;) ). Yes my previous character did talk to Alistair a lot, but having a romance with him made that a little different. And then there was Zevran who I never got to know so well last time. But now... Oh for gods sake! There are real people in this world... Only I clearly have no need of them! I can't miss computer characters... only apparently I actually can. Yes I just finished the game a moment ago. It just feels so final after the last conversation with them. In my head I may 'know' that they meet again, but the conversation with Alistair just had this sense of finality... ::whimper:: I would say this just proves I need a life but quite frankly I'm happy in my own little world like this, all hyped up and emotionally involved in people and things that don't exist. XD Xilmin visited the elves at 09:59 p.m. Tuesday, December 8, 2009 Still not in bed yet. Oh the tears, and seriously my lungs will explode if I have to hold back any more laughter: Star Trek TNG is pro apple juice and against panda rape. Extreme randomness rules. My favourites are: "Ninjas hijacked my mother", "What do you say we make apple juice, and fax it to each other?", "I have a sheep doing roofing over at my house. Come and drop in. We'll put on Zeppelin and eat cheddar cheese.", but above all: "Jesus is a raison"! XD Xilmin visited the elves at 03:26 a.m. Tuesday, December 8, 2009 Just a quick note to say: that's an image I wish I could get out of my head. Was playing some late night Dragon Age as usual, and Alex, the guy in the downstairs bedroom, wandered into my room, completely naked. He didn't say a word, just wandered out again. I guess he was just so tired (or possibly drunk I suppose) that he didn't realise he was on the top floor and just went towards the light. But regardless: I did not want to see that! And that really ruined what conversation I was having in the game. Zevran was pouring his soul out to me and I can only remember bits of it now. Time for bed anyway. I plan to go in to uni tomorrow, even if it is just late afternoon. I guess it will have to be given what time it is now and I won't sacrifice too much of my sleep since then headaches get worse. I suppose technically that should mean I shouldn't pull these late nights, but it's this designated me time that keeps me excited through the day... Though I will admit it's also slightly detrimental given I'm also distinctly distracted planning out what I'm going to do, or trying to predict what I might be faced with at least. Enough! Bed, damn it! Xilmin visited the elves at 02:44 a.m. Monday, December 7, 2009 Screw working. Another vid link: Dragon Age Violence Trailer Remix. Hawaii 5-0 theme actually fits bizarrely well. Though mostly I'm just amused at how Loghain appears to be moving with the rhythm at 0:16. XD New update to Dragon Age just finished downloading. Many improvements, including fixing the damage done by daggers. I'm looking forward to kicking yet more butt with my duel wield daggers, The Rose Thorn and The Edge. Also improved regeneration of stamina which is great, as it always infuriated me that you could pull off some cool moves to begin with but any long fight always seemed to deteriorate into who can hit the hardest. It also says they've fixed certain battles that weren't scaling correctly. I'm mostly hoping that this is the battle [spoilers as ever] after freeing Anora if you decide not to give yourself up and be captured. I tried to fight that battle countless times but there was just no way I could handle it. Wynne's blizzard kept half the room occupied to start with but as soon as it ran out I was pelted with arrows and wiped out, though it didn't help with that woman swinging 100+ hits. >( So unfortunately I was forced to surrender, despite the fact that it didn't really fit with my character. That said getting out of the prison took a different turn since I ended up making a choice that prevented the disguises being any good. And hence we had to fight the rest of the way out. Though it was a little bizarre when Leliana and Morrigan showed up near the exit. If anything I was actually disappointed since me, Alistair and my summoned wolf were doing just fine on our own. And there was the slight bonus of that moment of being stuck in a cage with Alistair in only our underwear... Though then my method for getting outside the cage involved seducing the guard. XD But back to what I was saying... Admittedly if they fixed that battle, it's rather irrelevant now I've passed that point, but I have every intention of playing this game a further 4 times to investigate the other origin stories, and probably more as I get obsessive about collecting all the achievements, and most specifically relating to collecting all the spells with the main character I can't see me doing that in just 1 or 2 playthroughs. Why did it have to have achievements? I'm still undecided what my next playthrough will be though. I'm thinking either a dwarf, though commoner or noble I don't know, or a mage. Basically something completely different from the other two characters I've done. But either way there is overlap as with a dwarf I have to be warrior or rogue, or with a mage I have to be human or elf. Admittedly if I went dwarf rogue I could focus on archery this time. Or a two-handed wielding warrior for that matter. And I guess races of mages technically don't make that much difference (or at least I don't think they do). Choices choices. Dragon Age is all about choices. But I need to finish this play through first... Only thing is I am getting seriously worried about what is going to happen next. Hopeless, I am. Totally. :S Xilmin visited the elves at 09:50 p.m. Monday, December 7, 2009 Proof of how much work I did today: The God of Tetris is Vengeful. Least I haven't played Dragon Age yet today... though I did get distracted by some Trackmania, which always ends up with me playing a lot more tracks than I planned. Though I impress myself by fighting for position with people ranked 30,000 and usually much lower, while I'm still over 110,000. Forget all those realistic racing games. Trackmania rules in it's loops, wallruns and spinnies! ... How do you spell spinny? It's not a really word is it? Bah! But yeah, was supposed to go to Tesco since I never went yesterday, and post some stuff that I should have posted a fortnight ago, and wash my clothes... The most work I did today was some supercomputer job submission and dealing with emails. I now have to work out the answers to this week's homework for the first years for myself. Like I didn't spend many many hours dealing with that stuff already. Least it's differentiation. Once I get into it I'm sure I'll find it fun... or at least I'll get obsessive and be unable to stop until I'm done, which in my mind is synonymous with 'fun'. It shouldn't be but that's the way my mind works. Getting frustrated is fun... apparently... Time for some dinner, which I meant to get several hours ago before getting distracted by various things on my rss lists on my google homepage. At least I think that's where the time went. I wish I knew for sure... But what to eat? No bread, so no quick sandwich instead of cooking something. I could do eggified rice (not egg-fried rice) which just involves boiling the rice, flinging in some frozen peas half way through then draining the rice and mixing in eggs (because I can't be bothered washing a pot and a frying pan), but I did that yesterday. I think I have some hot dogs, but they aren't really all that appealing. Or... well, there is always pasta sauce but I never want it. Don't know why I even bought it. And there is of course cereal. I don't know why I'm even bothering to think about it. I can't be bothered cooking. Cereal it is! In a bowl that hasn't been washed in a week and so has some dried up milk and cereal cemented to the sides, but I just keep using the same bowl for breakfast and never taking it back downstairs to wash. Because I can never be bothered with anything these days. You know it would be real nice if I could use some 'fun' to allow me to get on with some more productive things, rather than it just ending up with me wasting time on things I shouldn't be doing. ::sigh:: Xilmin visited the elves at 06:51 p.m. Monday, December 7, 2009 [Surprise surprise, more Dragon Age spoilers] The bastard dumped me!!! Not that I didn't see it coming a mile off, but it's still a rather depressing outcome. Alistair is now king (yay!) but this means he needs an heir, which means he needs a queen which I can't be because I'm just an elf, not noble born, but not that that really matters since there is the whole issue of being Grey Wardens and the tainted blood thing. So he went and dumped me. The most depressing thing is this is exactly the scenario I've been playing with in my head. Well, that this type of thing occurred so I go off on my own, join the Crows or become some noble's bodyguard or some such and return 10-20 years later under 'interesting' circumstances to meet Alistair and his queen (and their son, or at least the queen's son...). And make life difficult for all involved. But it's still annoying that it had to work out that way. But that's that. Done and done. Supporting Alistair certainly made the Landsmeet that bit more interesting. A battle and a duel. And I'm really developing a dislike for Anora. You don't deserve the throne. You aren't a nice person! Grrrr! And it was really quite satisfying seeing Loghain killed. Yes, I may have been dumped but it still feels worthwhile. And yet odd, since last time I was disappointed about losing Alistair to Loghain but at the same time felt the Landsmeet worked out best. The characters I play really do colour the way I see the world. But anyway, still many more battles to contend with, Redcliffe and then Denerim... And oh yeah, there is still dealing with Morrigan's proposition. I have high persuasion, it just better be enough to persuade Alistair to take it. Provided there is actually the option. He's dumped me now anyway so that can't hold him back. The fact that he hates Morrigan, and everything she stands for... Oh please... Otherwise I shall have to leave him behind and take the dragon myself. Not that I particularly fancy going on a suicide mission, but I will not let him take it. I put him on the throne. He is going to stay there!!! ::whimper:: But all of that will have to wait for another day. Time for bed. I need to actually get up in the morning this time, though I doubt I'll be going in to Uni... Xilmin visited the elves at 02:29 a.m. Saturday, December 5, 2009 [Dragon Age spoilers again] 'Zevran disapproves (-18)' I mean come on! He was supposed to be the type to not mind a meaningless relationship but apparently he's not quite so carefree about it as he would seem. ::sigh:: But yeah, got 'too friendly' with Zevran by giving him a pair of gloves as a gift and was made to chose between him and Alistair. So yeah naturally Zevran gets dumped. I had read someone else did similarly but they made a comment that the amount of disapproval loss was the same they gained back when they gave him the gloves. But apparently (weirdly) I meant more to Zevran than said gloves. How odd. :S Ah well. Not to say he actually relents in any of his flirting... and not to say I actually tell him to as such... But as long as Alistair understands then it's all cool! You know you would think from my comments that this is more of a dating sim than fantasy rpg, but that's just because the characters are the highlights. Finished the dwarf mission stuff again today. The broodmother battle didn't seem as difficult as last time. But the creepiness factor still hadn't reduced any for me. Hespith's poem... It does actually make me feel a little ill... First day, they come and catch everyone. The words alone really aren't enough to carry the mood you get when playing the game and you start hearing that poem recited from some unknown source... Though when it came to Caridin... I had made my decision before hand what I was going to do. After all my character has dubious morals so using the golems would be cool with her, right? Damn Caridin actually managed to play on her weak point to get her to go along with him. He compared the golems to when the elves were enslaved. I just desperately wished there had been an option of 'You bastard! Fine, you win!' but instead I was torn between an option saying how powerful the golems were and therefore should be kept, or how slavery is wrong and therefore no more golems should be created. I still sat there for a couple minutes trying to convince myself that I was making the right choice (for my character). In the end, I (my character anyway) knew I couldn't live with the knowledge I had done something similar to what I so despised the humans for and had to destroy the anvil to stop any more golems being created. So once again I ended up making exactly the same decision as my first play through with my 'good guy' character but again the reasons behind why were different. Not to say everything has been the same. I mean I did kill Connor at Redcliffe instead of fetching mages to save him. And this time I sided with Bhelen rather than Harrowmont for the king of the dwarves, but really that doesn't seem to have too much impact on the rest of the game... Except for the fact that siding with Bhelen ends up with everyone afterwards glaring at you accusingly. I mean his ideas sound good (from my character's point of view), stepping away from tradition and all that, but his attitude is most definitely not. Still my character is not known for making sensible decisions, but the simplest ones. Though it is interesting to note the slight differences that result from doing other things differently. Or even where there is no apparent impact upon doing things differently. Like freeing the demon during the 'asunder' quest for gold instead of killing it. Perhaps some impact will become evident later, but as of yet there doesn't seem to be any significance of it. Other things make things more awkward, such as dealing with Ruck in the Deep Roads. Though I did find it amusing how the conversation ended up going. I knew from the first time that Ruck could be used as a merchant, and I thought 'yay I need to clear out my inventory anyway'. Got there, but I always insist upon selecting the responses that best fit my character. Which meant the conversation went a little like this: Me: [Persuade] I'm not here to steal anything. So I had to kill him. Annoying but I insisted on not reloading and living with the consequences of my decisions. Plus it fit all too well with my character to perk up at the mention of gems or anything that could give her money. And even more annoyingly I didn't get a reward for reporting what happened to his mother because she didn't appreciate the way I told her, or what I had done for that matter. XD Ah well, other than not getting some other piece of equipment that will likely just get sold on again, no particular loss. I spent a ton of cash getting 'the rose thorn' I think it was called, a particularly high quality dagger. This in addition to 'the edge', the latest downloadable content that I got for free with me preorder copy of the game, make for a great combination for doing damage. Yes I could use a sword in one hand rather than a dagger, and if I actually bothered to get the appropriate talent when I leveled up I could use full size swords in both hands, but somehow daggers seem the most appropriate weapon. Using two massive swords each in one hand doesn't seem right for a skinny elf. It's not like I'm not doing serious damage as it is, particularly if I'm positioned behind the enemy. I had worried when I started playing a rogue that I would have to rely on others in my party a lot more for getting me out of trouble. But I actually feel quite confident and can go my own way in battle to remove annoying stragglers while my warriors hold the real enemy's attention. Though admittedly I'm 'cheating' kind of when it comes to the bigger battles since I will tell my team to hold, go into stealth mode, get close enough to see but not detect the enemy and then start shooting them with arrows. And at that distance normally no one but the one I'm shooting at responds and I can handle most enemy types on my own if it's only one-on-one. Though it does feel a little like cheating since if it's an archer they won't move and will shoot me from where they stand, and those that are standing next to him won't even blink an eye at the fact he's sprouting arrows and eventually dies. Still, saves me being overwhelmed which is always a good thing. Because if nothing else my team (me, Alistair, Wynne and my dog or Shale) is weak to large groups. Both Shale and the dog have some group control abilities, but mostly they're just there to take a beating and to give as much back in kind. I've got Wynne focused on healing and basic power abilities but not really any major area of effect spells. Mostly she just needs to heal like crazy until I've reduced the numbers down to something manageable. Though I am not looking forward to Denerim as I recall those being incredibly cruel in terms of numbers, particularly archers. HATE archers! And particularly if they have the scattershot ability. Anything that has the capability of disabling my entire team I loathe, naturally. But least mages are usually few in number and can be killed off quickly if I'm careful with managing everyone. Killing 10+ archers quickly without area of effect spells... Impossible as far as I can think of anyway. Though this will likely be where my ranger skill to summon an extra party member wolf will come in handy. It's amazing how much of a difference one extra person/animal can do. And bizarrely the wolf rarely seems to be attacked. Or maybe I'm just imagining it. Enough! Time for bed. I'll need to work tomorrow since a headache gave me a good excuse to finish up mid afternoon today and have been playing Dragon Age since. I did at least have a dinner for a change. That's something... Xilmin visited the elves at 02:13 a.m. Monday, November 30, 2009 Back again. Got distracted before loading up Dragon Age. Ubisoft turns back time with Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands. I don't know if I should be excited or worried. I mean the movie tie-in with the games I'm already having difficulty deciding if I'm excited or dreading it. Now there is a game movie tie-in? I mean I'll always go yay for more Prince of Persia but I think I'm also decidedly worried given the new game, while fun was something of a let down. The fact I've played it multiple times is irrelevant. It just didn't have the same character development. Or enough sarcasm! And there was way too much jumping about and not enough puzzles or combat to really make things challenging. But as long as they don't swing it back around again and bring back another Warrior Within... Oh it better not be! Again good game, but not nearly so fun. And no humour. Or sarcasm! Or sarcastic humour. Just a ton of angst. Grrr! Oh I don't know. The movie and the game could be many things. Here's to hoping they aren't completely awful, at least! :S ... And yeah, I'm still stupidly excited about them at the same time and feeling distinctly impatient... Xilmin visited the elves at 08:53 p.m. Monday, November 30, 2009 Another quick (or maybe not) entry just to say I returned from the trip away with the other phd students without any major hiccups. The last night seemed to go on forever and I ended up opting out of the games they were playing since I couldn't handle the stress they were causing. I like games like rumi (no clue how to spell it) where you can think and plan, but playing things like cheat on the other hand causes me to be perpetually nervous. However I did enjoy the many games of ping pong. I can serve pretty well, most of the time. It's hitting it after the serve where it becomes more a case of luck of where it is going. Oh yeah, and we did take a little trip to the shore and admired some cliffs before retreating when it started raining. Still, wasn't a completely terrible weekend like it could have been. And most of those that were there were easy enough to get along with... except for one dude who was more of a physicist rather than earth scientist. He freaked me out. Always standing that bit too close for comfort and staring too intently. I also developed something of a dislike for him when he started complaining about the police here (he was from Malta) and how they pulled him over when he started driving on the wrong side of road. As if the lines on the road were more advisory than necessary. The other guy who I ended up playing doubles with at ping pong was the complete opposite and if anything seemed to be intimidated by me. Glance over at him and he looked like a deer caught in headlights. Good thing I was already laughing from the game or I may have seemed cruel. XD Though I spent most of my time with a couple of girls, one who I realised on the way back actually has a personality very similar to Alistair (explaining why I liked spending time with her) and the other was a girl from China. And I reconfirmed my understanding that my accent is decidedly ambiguous. There was a map on the wall showing all of the UK and I pointed to my home. Lucy (the Alistair girl XD ) tried to pronounce it like I did and I thought, hey maybe I do have something of a Scottish accent. But later that same day Qiong commented that she liked my accent because it sounded American and made it easier for her to understand me. ::sigh:: I'm not even sure if the guys noticed I was away for the weeekend. I came back and no one was in but the alarm wasn't on as if someone had thought I had been in my room. I have seen Howie briefly today but I couldn't be bothered talking to him (feeling all socialised out now) so I didn't bother asking. Today was spent sleeping until noon then rolling over to my computer and doing some work, not even bothering to get dressed until dinner time when I thought I'd better wear something else before going down stairs. Really should do more work tonight... but of course now I've stopped I've lost momentum and can't get back in to it. And Dragon Age calls to me. That's what I spent last night doing. I've successfully 'obtained' Alistair now, shall we say. Those 'sex scenes' (and I use the term loosely) are most decidedly more creepy than anything else. It's the facial expressions mostly. Just creepy. But you would think I would be happy now. I mean I am, mostly. Particularly when Alistair refers to me as 'my lady' and my brain turns to mush. He seriously has the same effect on me as small fuzzy animals. XD BUT I just have this sense of foreboding of what will happen later. Because the ending of the game is such that there is a way to avoid the 'bad' ending, it's not necessarily a good thing either. Just it is the end so you can't be sure of what the true consequences are. Then there is the stuff I'm unclear of since last time I lost Alistair so what will happen if he's around? And as to the succession of the throne... I don't know, I'm just really worried. Really gives an idea of how good the character development is in this game. Though when it comes to my own character I'm kind of telling my own story in my head, explaining her motivations and reasons for her decisions. She started off as a Dalish Elf with no trust for any human. But not only because of Alistair but also because of Wynne her opinions are changing. If anything Wynne actually has that bit more of an impact as she's beginning to see her as an almost motherly (or at least grandmotherly ;) ) figure. In relation to Alistair she just does what she thinks he'd approve of rather than it having any impact on her own sense of morals (which are still dubious enough). That said she still gets mighty aggressive if anyone suggests that elves are less than human, or assumes she's some servant, or whatever. And while Wynne did ramble about how as a Grey Warden she can't be anything other than that, she can not forget her heritage. Though while with her tribe she didn't have much interest in their stories, after leaving them she's now more interested in learning about them to have something of them to hold on to. Is it possible I'm taking this just a tad too seriously? ;) Well, I am also making up sort of parallel story lines while I do my usual pacing of my bedroom or before I go to bed, in exchange of my usual characters that I mess with. A sure sign that I am getting way too involved. Yeah, time for more tonight I think. If I finish up early enough then I can get up in the morning tomorrow and get on with things then. Need to go in to Uni tomorrow anyway so I can't be too late... Xilmin visited the elves at 08:30 p.m. Friday, November 27, 2009 Just a quick note to say I'm leaving tomorrow for this trip away with the other phd students in the department. Here's hoping it goes well, and I don't randomly freak out. Though my moods have been good since that cycle and Dragon Age has successfully kept me amused since then. If anything I'm more likely to randomly grin than cry which is a good thing I suppose but it still makes you look completely insane. I am but that's not the point. But anyway, I am not getting much sleep tonight. Meeting everyone around half 10 though I've got the tutorial for first years at 10 (they'll just have to deal with me rushing through everything). Which means I need to be away from here before 9. Which means I'm practically getting up in a few hours. I am going to be so dead tomorrow. I need food though so still not going to sleep quite yet. Oh boy... Xilmin visited the elves at 01:16 a.m. Wednesday, November 25, 2009 Back again. Instead of getting some food and going to bed I ended up reading some posts on Dragon Age on random forums. Found one about amusing conversations between characters. It's killing me not being able to laugh out loud! Here are a couple between Alistair and Wynne (who is an old female mage, the healer of the group). Al: Wynne? W: Alistair, there is a filthy sock in my bedroll! How did it get here? Hopefully I'll get to hear those first hand soon. Though I've had my fair share of amusing conversations over the course of this game. I think my favourite was Shale asking Zevran about his ... 'infatuation' with my character (the male one). Shale's 'warning' that such interactions typically lead to reproduction nearly killed me and then Zevran's reply... I wish I could remember it word for word. I know it made me blush. ::finds yet more and is suffering from this bottled up laughter:: Shale: "Order me to do something." Wynne: Have you changed your mind, yet? Are you willing to speak seriously? Zevran: You have not asked me about my conscience for some time, my darling Wynne. Enough! Seriously I should eat, though I've kind of forgotten I'm hungry with all this. XD Edit: Going back to where I was before I decided to make this entry reminded me what I had actually come here to say: [major ambiguous spoilers] I must keep Alistair as far away from the final dragon as it's possible for him to be. I will not accept him being 'noble' then. Will NOT! Yeah, I happened upon someone commenting on their end of the game about what happened to Alistair. I will not let that happen! Will NOT! Grrrr! I shall be the noble one, thank you very much! ... Assuming Morrigan doesn't have some magical way to make her proposition still work when playing a female character... Well, now if Alistair accepted it instead... I certainly wouldn't mind and then he can do what the hell he likes with the dragon. I wonder... Edit: Just one more... Alistair: Do you really know what's going on here? The Blight, the civil war... I really wonder how much of it you understand. Xilmin visited the elves at 01:16 a.m. Tuesday, November 24, 2009 You would think a second play through of Dragon Age wouldn't be quite so engrossing. You would be wrong. The weird thing is I've only really made one major decision differently (and suffered for it from Wynne and Alistair being disapproving, but I made it up to them with gifts ;) ). It just so happens while the characters I'm playing as are quite different and the thinking isn't along the same lines, the end result is still the same. [spoilers] In both I supported the mages over the templars. The first time with my 'good guy' he believed they didn't deserve death. This time didn't really care as long as I got the support, and basically left it up to the head templar to make the decision. Similarly (though I haven't done it yet) I'll be supporting the elves against the werewolves. This time it's not about right versus wrong, but because I am an elf myself. The decision I did differently was regarding the possessed child at Redcliffe. The first time I looked for the option that avoided the loss of life and went to fetch the mages. This time my character didn't believe we had the time to go traipsing of to the mages' tower for that and decided the quickest and simplest way to deal with the demon was to kill the child. Funnily enough not many people were impressed with this. I perhaps should have changed my team knowing I was going to make this decision but I'm liking the team I'm working with. Almost tempted to challenge myself by always using the same team i.e. Alistair, Wynne and my dog. Quite frankly I can't see me ever bringing Morrigan back into the team. Healing seems all that more vital over other spells. And my dog doubles as crowd control with his stunning howl. Alistair though is struggling since he ends up taking all the damage. Number of times Wynne has to revive him... Need to level him up and get him some better armour. The others I'm gathering are really more about the final battle than anything else. That's when everyone gets to fight at once. Leliana and Zevran are basically a waste of space just now since I'm playing a rogue, though Zevran could be... fun just to have around. I may be chasing Alistair but that doesn't mean I'm completely focussed. XD Speaking of Alistair, I'm definitely getting somewhere, though try and get anywhere else and he just squirms away and I lose approval points. And thus I reload and decide to leave him alone until later. ::sigh:: But unless I can find yet more suitable gifts I may be waiting a while, namely until Denerim which I am not going to just yet because the battles there are very tough. In fact that will probably be quite some time off, given I'd prefer to deal with the elves first, then perhaps fetch Shale, and clear out the wardens' keep, and then we'll see what level I'm at. Though after that it's basically dwarves or Denerim and both are really tough. Particularly the broodmother (creepy and hideous in one) when on the dwarven mission. Probably the hardest battle, actually. Though afterwards I had a look for tips so now I know a way that would make things a lot simpler. I'd better have learned some archery skills by then though. I've been focussing on dual weapons and general rogue skills so far. I'm really enjoying all the backstabbing. Deals so much damage it's fabulous! Though it does mean I remain in complete control of my character to ensure I'm always behind my target and very rarely give a chance for automated tactics to kick in. That's not always good when I don't realise I've got stamina that I could use for a special attack. And I always forget about 'mark of death'. I'm always too busy enjoying watching the numbers of hit points leap off the enemy as I stab them in the back... and then panic if they happen to turn around. Though I did do a little archery when I went through the section where I'm on my own in the mages' tower. Used it to attract attention of limited numbers to prevent getting swarmed. And in one case I actually killed the enemy before they even reached me. It was like Morrowind all over again. 'Shoot and pray they're dead before they reach me'. ;) Though the mages' tower all seemed so much easier than it did the first time round. In fact a lot of battles are. Is it knowing what's coming, or is it simply that I'm getting better? Not that I fought any of the 'optional' battles. I'll come back for those. Namely the Revenant. One of those can manage to do as much damage as an army with just a few swings of it's weapon. And the fact that it is immune to magical damage really makes things difficult. Again archery might be best there. Not that I have to fight it at all, but this time I'm curious what happens if I manage to beat all of them. Annoyingly I didn't finish everything I started the first time around. I just got too enthralled in the main plot I couldn't tear myself away to retrace my steps and finish various things. Oh one other thing I did differently this time... It was only a little thing but I liked it a lot, though again I succeeded in pissing off Wynne by doing it. I became a 'partner' of the tavern in Redcliffe. And now he sells me everything for free. He may not have much stock but I can also pester him for 'my profits' whenever I want should I care for more money. Extortion pays. XD Though I find it amusing that a little elf girl can intimidate large burly men. Well, I think I got that via persuasion rather than intimidation but it's much the same thing. I can 'persuade' large burly men to be petrified of me and to give me all their stuff. Wonderful! I'm liking my character, I am. Anyways I've skipped dinner again, done no more work other than some job submissions on the supercomputer and I need to get to bed. Actually have to be in at Uni tomorrow, so I'll have to get up at a decent time this time. Annoyingly I can't make up for the lack of work this week at the weekend either (even pretending that would actually happen). I'm off on a trip with the other phd students to Dorset. They call it a fieldtrip but it's organised by the students just as a getaway to get to know one another and have fun. It better be bloody fun. It's my weekend damn it. But I really should try and spend some time with real people rather than getting all excited over computer generated characters... Bah! People are over-rated! Xilmin visited the elves at 11:50 p.m. Tuesday, November 24, 2009 "Have you ever licked a lamppost in winter?" ::blush:: That conversation with Alistair is that bit different when playing a woman. I don't think I can sleep. I'm too hyped up. But I've successfully used up all the current conversation topics which means I need to get back to adventuring. Which means now it's time to finish up for the night and get some sleep. Damn it. Tomorrow I swear I'll work. I promise. I... probably won't. Oh dear... :S Xilmin visited the elves at 03:01 a.m. Sunday, November 22, 2009 I finished it! I actually finished it! And I didn't have to replay the last battle! [kinda spoilers once more] I think it was being able to summon an army to help me that really made it almost easy. I picked the dwarves. Didn't lose too many either, though they were good for keeping the minions under control and keeping the dragon distracted from my archer and mage. Though for some reason the mage Irving showed up as well. No clue why but I do think he managed to do some serious damage. One minute the dragon flies out of reach of my units with about half health, so I turn my attention to the minions that are starting to swarm. By the time I've got that under control, I realise the dragon is back to where I can fight it with less than a quarter health. And I'd only noticed Irving paying it any attention. Though it was doing a ton of spirit damage. I was expecting fire, like every other dragon I've come across. So I'd prepared my team with ice weapons and I'm not sure how much extra damage that was actually doing, but there wasn't much alternative other than fire weapons and I didn't think that would work any better, if not worse. Though the fact that I lived without too much difficulty suggests it worked quite well. And taking my dog actually proved to not be a problem. He can take a real battering and does seem to do a fair amount of damage generally. And with Wynne backing everyone up with repeated healing spells it worked out great. Oh and Leliana with her bow and ice arrows, and also summoning an additional wolf to help with numbers. Couldn't have gone much better actually. But some of the decisions I made along the way... The epilogue explaining 'what happened next' really made me think 'what if' a lot. I am going to have to play again. I think the next time around I'm going to go with a more 'me' character, i.e. a Dalish Elf rogue. Sneaking. Stealing. Poisons. Backstabbing. Yeah. XD I can always rely on others in my team to take the brunt of the damage. Though there is one point where you're on your own. That will be interesting. Though that was probably my favourite part of the whole game actually, just for the surrealism. You learn to take other forms which will help. But it's getting to the points where you learn them that may prove difficult when my character isn't quite so designed for taking damage. Well, I guess it just means I'll need to really think of different tactics. And it will be interesting to find out how a different back story has implications on the unfolding story. Considering the human noble back story I chose this time actually turned out really involved in the plot, I have to wonder if the others aren't quite so significant. But then again they will be more involved in other parts of the plot I guess. But it still feels like this time around it really cumulated around my back story, I can't help but think the others are less involved towards the end... But I guess I'll have to wait and see. After another 80 or so hours of gameplay... :S Out of curiosity checks out the new feature of Steam that shows total gameplay hours (rather than just the amount in the last two weeks it used to show). I've totalled 184 hours in Mount and Blade. Yeesh! How? I mean it's a good game but it doesn't have a plot as such so how have I managed to remain interested. And that's just with the bare bones game. I keep meaning to check out some of the mods to change things up a bit. But the game I've gone going just now (that I abandoned for Dragon Age) is rebelling against the Swadians and it's proving interesting, particularly since I've increased the damage to closer to even incoming versus outgoing. Sieges are HARD now! Unless I'm defending. I know I've won 5 to 1 odds, and I think I also won at about 10 to 1 odds against. No one takes my castles! If they break through I'm effectively screwed, but with plenty of archers picking them off on the ladders that doesn't happen. It's fabulous. And makes me amazed I win any sieges at all against the enemy. Bah, I don't need to get back in to that game. Dragon Age is enough for now. I actually bought Mass Effect recently since it's a Bioware RPG and I figured I like both Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Dragon Age so much, Mass Effect I'll probably like to. But I've just been so distracted with Dragon Age I haven't even bothered to download the thing, let alone install it. The only reason I bought it when I did was because it was 50% off. Mass Effect for £6.50? Yes please. It's had so many good reviews and it's Bioware. It has to be worth at least that. Though I still wish there was a demo to be sure, but oh well. I'm hungry. And I have homework to mark. And other things to deal with. I was going to tesco today... Then it rained. Then it cleared up but sounded windy. ;) I should just be glad I finished the damn game. Perhaps now I'll be able to resist playing a bit more... Perhaps. The only thing is now I really want to play so I can effectively apologise to Alistair and support him this time. Well, that and the opportunities of playing with a female character with him. Oi. Though there is the question of Zevran... A computer character shouldn't be making me blush, but he managed it. And that was when I was playing a male character. He'll be insatiable with a female character, surely. Then again if I'm a rogue I won't have much need of him and I may not bother bringing him into the party... Damn it! Food! And then work! ... then we'll see... ::sigh:: Xilmin visited the elves at 04:51 p.m. Sunday, November 22, 2009 I should have resisted playing Dragon Age after stopping those couple days. Ended up playing all day. I had breakfast... and that was the only meal I had today. Had some nuts and digestive biscuits at the desk so I've been munching on them. Though I'm sure it's the lack of juice that's really causing the headache I've got just now. But I think I'm on the final straight... which is really hard to believe. And rather confusing since it says I've less than half completed the game, but I'm beginning to think that actually means every possible plot development so you can only do so much in one play through since your decisions will always prevent something else from happening. I have to believe that because if the plot continues on like this there is no way I'm going to beat the game. It really is the hardest things I've played in a very long time. Almost to the point of getting fed up with it, but just not quite. Though the majority of the harder battles I have to do twice at least which allows me to change tactics and predict what the enemy will do. And where I'm at just now means that happens every other battle. [kinda spoilers] What I really wanted to rant on however is Alistair. Surprise surprise. Because of me granting mercy to a certain person he got so pissed off with me and left me. ::whimper:: And this was when I was getting all hyped up about having arranged a marriage with him and the 'spirited' woman I mentioned before. That Landsmeet went so badly... Well, not really. Only relating to Alistair did it go badly. I won the vote with only one person against me. I put on the throne the person I (or rather my character) thought most suited for it. And I showed mercy to someone who had surrendered (again because my character believes in such things). And thus gained someone who should be a great asset to the war effort. It's just that Alistair lost all respect for me over it that makes it feel so much worse. I was sorely tempted to reload but I was determined to live with the consequences of my decisions. Plus, it gives me even greater incentive to play it all over again, only this time as the female character who will support Alistair to the bitter end (and I really hope it isn't going to be too bitter :S ). But first I have to get to the end for the first time. Not looking forward to taking on that dragon. The group I've picked may be best for dealing with large numbers, but I'm mostly concerned with bringing my dog with me. He's great for stunning groups and his overwhelm is great for keeping tougher enemies occupied, but that will be useless versus a dragon. It will be tough, if not virtually impossible. But I'll be trying that battle many many times before I even contemplate reloading to where I can change my team. If only I'd thought further ahead at that time instead of just looking at the upcoming battles. But it's taken so long to get where I am now. The battle in front of the palace was the hardest. Won that on my third... or was it my fourth... try. I officially hate archers. Though it's infuriating that most of the enemies at this point will fall from a single hit. But there are just so many and they can do serious damage themselves that it makes everything so tough. Not looking forward to whatever is ahead of me now. I'm inside the fort and just faced a conjurer who summoned 6 or so demons. Had to do that battle twice. Still lost one of my team during the second attempt as well. :S It's a hard hard game. But so good as well. It certainly manages to get across the feeling of facing a brutal enemy that outnumbers you. Mainly because you are facing a brutal enemy that outnumbers you. ::sigh:: I will win this! I must! I don't know how but I must! :S But first some food and drink. Then sleep. And tomorrow I really should get to tesco, and get some work done and do any number of other things I keep putting off... Xilmin visited the elves at 01:33 a.m. Saturday, November 21, 2009 Amused. I played some more Dragon Age this evening... hence why I'm not in bed yet. The plot took an interesting turn and [kinda spoilers] I got captured and thrown in a dungeon (because I avoid fights wherever possible). With Alistair. The image of my character and him effectively naked (except for the... uh... man pouch underwear) standing together behind bars is now seared into my brain. Not that that is necessarily a bad thing. Now I'm hoping I do actually have the option to try and marry Alistair off to this rather... 'spirited' woman and that it wasn't just an amusing conversation topic. Though it certainly was amusing. Particularly since Alistair was listening in to this conversation and clearly wasn't pleased with how we were planning his future. XD ... I'm so infatuated, it's hopeless. It's really bad though that I'm already looking forward to my second play through with a female character ::cackles madly:: Hell, there was a moment since I hadn't played in almost a week where I actually thought I could start over, since I had forgotten various skills and things that I had and I thought it would be easier to start with a fresh slate. Thankfully I resisted. It's taken me about a week to get a third of the way through this game (or so it says). I am not starting over until I complete this thing! However long it may take! ... Time for bed... And hopefully Alistair dreams! XD Xilmin visited the elves at 02:35 a.m. Thursday, November 19, 2009 A little change, huh? Damn image host decided to eat my layout and I had some time tonight so I thought I'd make a new layout. Would want to do a Dragon Age one but I don't have enough screenshots for that. Plus I'd rather finish the game first (if I ever get there). So I'd been meaning to do a Prince of Persia one for quite some time (to say the least). I had thought I'd gone through all the Sands of Time trilogy making screenshots. But loading up my hard drive said otherwise so I flung this together... Only to discover after checking my 'back up' harddrive that I had done the whole thing (except some of Two Thrones) but had forgotten to copy it onto the second drive. I certainly have plenty to do a layout based on the first Sands of Time game, which was my intention in the first place. But I've run out of time. Next time once I find myself at a loose end but don't quite have enough time to warrant loading up a game. Before I go though, a quick catch up on what I've been up to. I spent pretty much an entire week playing Dragon Age (my god is it a good game!!!). According to Steam I totalled up 76.8 hours... in 8 days. This naturally meant I lied whenever I said I was 'working at home'. I was also getting into a rut without any motivation to do anything practical so the game was a great way out that allowed me to forget everything else. But then the headaches really began. And I had one night where I felt decidedly feverish and the headaches wouldn't abate for more than an hour upon taking paracetamol (if at all) and then I'd be stuck without anything to tame it for several hours. Ended up staying away from the computer for a couple days zoning out watching TV and doing cross-stitch (if I could keep my eyes open). And then yesterday to get myself out of the rut I decided to cycle to uni. I did not really appreciate how far that was. Well, it's only partly the distance since it felt longer since I have become decidedly unfit. And navigating streets is not the easiest thing to do. Ended up walking the last mile or so because I didn't want to risk my life on the main road and didn't want to get any more disorientated on the side roads. Missed the meeting I had that day and had to leave only a couple hours later to avoid cycling in the dark (though it was dark by the time I was half way anyway). I feel stiff and know I couldn't handle sitting on a bicycle seat any time soon (normal seats are bad enough... should have worn my padded shorts under my jeans). But I do feel so much more alive now. Hence how I managed to pull decent hours work today without feeling guilty for taking a little time to myself. Still not read anything. Today was dealing with things on the supercomputer, presenting a random scientific paper and a little of what results I have so far, listening to a seminar and looking over this weeks work for the first years. I'm teaching them at 10am tomorrow. I'm not usually even out the house by that point but it was the only feasible time for them so I'm stuck with it. They'd better damn well show up! And have questions for me since I am not going to be in the right frame of mind to form a coherent tutorial on my own steam. :S And on that note, I'd best get supper and be off to bed. Early mornings... I hate waking up... And I hope the worst of the rush hour is over by the time I get the train. Don't want to have to stand for the entire trip (it takes at least 35 minutes). Yeah, away I go... Xilmin visited the elves at 10:33 p.m. |
Basics Name: Xilmin Nerrar (might as well be when I'm on the net ;) ) Favs Food: Ketchup (or anything with ketchup! [I mean anything])
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