Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
The Comic Saltmine
I think I've mentioned it before, but there is a strange sort of tug-of-war that goes on when life get's really exciting and I want to write about it. It boils down to this. When there is lots going on, I don't have any time to write about it. And when time is heavy on my hands and I've got lots of opportunity to put thought to digital ink, there's nothing to write about.
So I'm going to keep this brief, because this is one of the former situations rather than the latter.
I'm in the middle of wrapping up a 38 page comic in French, right on the heels of a 50 page comic that was Chinese. Before that was another 50 page comic that was in a language which was completely unfamiliar to me. Heck, it might have been in Elvin for all I know. All I cared about was that the text needed to be scrapped completely and replaced with dialog that I came up with on the fly.
So lots of activity, and lots of new projects to work on. Huzzah!
I've also gotten back into the guitar classes after a quick two week break from the Christmas recital. The next goal for guitar comes in July when the group will be performing at a community event center. I don't have too many details on that event, but it looks like it will share the same basic outline that the previous recital had, in that there will be about 30 guitars playing at one time and vying for the attention of about 200 people. Heck, what could go wrong?
Oh, Tripwire did an awesome performance at the Triangle Club in Pomona, and opened with a new song (for them) that I have reservations about. It was "My Sharona", which as you and everyone else in the 21st Century knows is an old song with a catchy hook. But I've heard that hook more times than I can count, and have already been happy to pass that song along to history. In other words, I really don't have a burning desire to ever hear that song again.
But when all is said and done, Tripwire did a great cover of it. In fact, it was damn good. I didn't dance to it though. I saved my dancing for later on in the program.
So I'm going to keep this brief, because this is one of the former situations rather than the latter.
I'm in the middle of wrapping up a 38 page comic in French, right on the heels of a 50 page comic that was Chinese. Before that was another 50 page comic that was in a language which was completely unfamiliar to me. Heck, it might have been in Elvin for all I know. All I cared about was that the text needed to be scrapped completely and replaced with dialog that I came up with on the fly.
So lots of activity, and lots of new projects to work on. Huzzah!
I've also gotten back into the guitar classes after a quick two week break from the Christmas recital. The next goal for guitar comes in July when the group will be performing at a community event center. I don't have too many details on that event, but it looks like it will share the same basic outline that the previous recital had, in that there will be about 30 guitars playing at one time and vying for the attention of about 200 people. Heck, what could go wrong?
Oh, Tripwire did an awesome performance at the Triangle Club in Pomona, and opened with a new song (for them) that I have reservations about. It was "My Sharona", which as you and everyone else in the 21st Century knows is an old song with a catchy hook. But I've heard that hook more times than I can count, and have already been happy to pass that song along to history. In other words, I really don't have a burning desire to ever hear that song again.
But when all is said and done, Tripwire did a great cover of it. In fact, it was damn good. I didn't dance to it though. I saved my dancing for later on in the program.
Turkey Vulture Migration
The turkey vultures are migrating across the High Desert, and Victorville is dead center in their flight path. This means that while the January thunderstorms are stampeding across the landscape, the vultures are wheeling around and being scattered across the arid hills like burnt pages from a cracked book.
What is stunning about the sight is the size of the scavengers. I'm used to seeing ravens around, and their size can be intimidating, especially when one of them is giving you the glad eye as you munch on a sandwich. But vultures are in another class altogether. They flap maybe once every minute, and spend the rest of the time kiting across the skies looking ominous. The migration really hits home because you can see hundreds of the grey guys at once, all heading south towards Cajon Pass and better hunting grounds.
What is stunning about the sight is the size of the scavengers. I'm used to seeing ravens around, and their size can be intimidating, especially when one of them is giving you the glad eye as you munch on a sandwich. But vultures are in another class altogether. They flap maybe once every minute, and spend the rest of the time kiting across the skies looking ominous. The migration really hits home because you can see hundreds of the grey guys at once, all heading south towards Cajon Pass and better hunting grounds.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
RIFT No more...
I'm hanging up my RIFT hat for good.
I got into the second round of the beta testing for RIFT, which means that I'm under a second round of the EULA and shouldn't discuss my experiences until it's lifted sometime in the next few weeks. But that doesn't mean that I don't get to write about why I'm leaving the green fields and stony castles behind.
RIFT O.D. Plain and simple.
RIFT is fantastic, no question about it. I've written about it before and the new beta just shows what I'd imagined would be created in the vast game world before the official release. The game is stellar, and is a complete remake of WoW with some innovative twists. But at the end of the day, it's WoW all over again.
And while that might be a good thing for people who haven't played WoW before, it's going to be lots of the same and then some for players who have already gotten their fill.
My moment of truth was when I was accepting a quest while standing in front of a field of wild boars to kill. The quest said something like "Kill 10 wild boars", and then it hit me. Beyond the fantastic graphics, surround sound and special effects, the basic premise of the WoW fetch-quests just leaves me cold. Here you are outside a field of pigs waiting to be killed. You're there to kill pigs, and the pigs are there to be killed. When you've killed them, they'll come back for the next person who is there to kill pigs.
It's not a bad formula, and works to provide a framework of the environment. But it's also a situation which would exist without the player's involvement, or even if the player is there at all. For something to really grab me, really get me interested in the storyline, plot and characters of a digital world there has to be much more of a connection than just that.
Perpetuum struggles mightily, but does move in the right direction. So until that threshold is broken completely and a new way of engagement between player and world is fashioned, I'll be out on the rocky hills of Perpetuum, harvesting robot kernels and increasing my tech database.
I got into the second round of the beta testing for RIFT, which means that I'm under a second round of the EULA and shouldn't discuss my experiences until it's lifted sometime in the next few weeks. But that doesn't mean that I don't get to write about why I'm leaving the green fields and stony castles behind.
RIFT O.D. Plain and simple.
RIFT is fantastic, no question about it. I've written about it before and the new beta just shows what I'd imagined would be created in the vast game world before the official release. The game is stellar, and is a complete remake of WoW with some innovative twists. But at the end of the day, it's WoW all over again.
And while that might be a good thing for people who haven't played WoW before, it's going to be lots of the same and then some for players who have already gotten their fill.
My moment of truth was when I was accepting a quest while standing in front of a field of wild boars to kill. The quest said something like "Kill 10 wild boars", and then it hit me. Beyond the fantastic graphics, surround sound and special effects, the basic premise of the WoW fetch-quests just leaves me cold. Here you are outside a field of pigs waiting to be killed. You're there to kill pigs, and the pigs are there to be killed. When you've killed them, they'll come back for the next person who is there to kill pigs.
It's not a bad formula, and works to provide a framework of the environment. But it's also a situation which would exist without the player's involvement, or even if the player is there at all. For something to really grab me, really get me interested in the storyline, plot and characters of a digital world there has to be much more of a connection than just that.
Perpetuum struggles mightily, but does move in the right direction. So until that threshold is broken completely and a new way of engagement between player and world is fashioned, I'll be out on the rocky hills of Perpetuum, harvesting robot kernels and increasing my tech database.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Monster's Revenge
The High Desert Center for the Arts is hosting an exciting new play called "Monster's Revenge", and I'm very glad that I was able to see it. I can say very easily that this is one of the most unique and entertaining plays that I've ever attended. Even the structure of the play is unlike anything that you typically find for a theatrical production. The play is a musical, which is both the strength and weakness of the performance.
The theme is simple, a group of naive teenagers enters a 'haunted' theatre to investigate reports of paranormal activity. There are a host of Scooby Doo references to go around for those in the audience who aren't sure what to make of the dated 'groovy' dialog, but even if the audience isn't up to speed for the archetypes of the cast, the tone of the play makes itself known early on.
As I mentioned, it's a musical. I'm sure that there are some original songs in there somewhere, but most of the numbers are takes on popular hits. This is surprising because, well, let's not kid ourselves here. I'm sure there are copyright laws written about this sort of thing. Whether I agree with them or not is another matter entirely. In this case, it was music that gave me a great evening and I was ready to sing along with the cast. So all in all, I don't give a flying leap if royalties were paid to anyone. The director did a great job of putting together a list of fantastic numbers that a local theatrical crew could do justice too. And he succeeded perfectly. In my book, the show was a hit!
The grand finale was a all-cast production of the Black Eyed Peas' "Tonight", although with some creative insertion of some lyrics to tie it in to the overall theme of the play. I actually enjoyed this version over the original. Go figure.
The theme is simple, a group of naive teenagers enters a 'haunted' theatre to investigate reports of paranormal activity. There are a host of Scooby Doo references to go around for those in the audience who aren't sure what to make of the dated 'groovy' dialog, but even if the audience isn't up to speed for the archetypes of the cast, the tone of the play makes itself known early on.
As I mentioned, it's a musical. I'm sure that there are some original songs in there somewhere, but most of the numbers are takes on popular hits. This is surprising because, well, let's not kid ourselves here. I'm sure there are copyright laws written about this sort of thing. Whether I agree with them or not is another matter entirely. In this case, it was music that gave me a great evening and I was ready to sing along with the cast. So all in all, I don't give a flying leap if royalties were paid to anyone. The director did a great job of putting together a list of fantastic numbers that a local theatrical crew could do justice too. And he succeeded perfectly. In my book, the show was a hit!
The grand finale was a all-cast production of the Black Eyed Peas' "Tonight", although with some creative insertion of some lyrics to tie it in to the overall theme of the play. I actually enjoyed this version over the original. Go figure.
In Honor of Chinese President Hu
And his visit to the United States, I've just finished my latest paper for Zurich, which is a 50 page translation of a story that was originally written in Chinese. Keep in mind that I'm throwing around the word 'translation' very loosely. For the most part, I find out just enough to get the sense of what the story is about, and then come up with the rest from scratch.
What I've found interesting is that I really do need to have a framework to start with, even one that is bare bones beyond belief. For some reason, just having SOMETHING on the page in front of me is enough to guide me and direct the story. So while almost 95% of the story is what would be classified as 'original content', that 5% is vital to me. Without it.... Well there have been some projects. I've worked on things in the recent past which have had no starting framework at all, and I tell you, it's like working in the salt mines. The project get's done, but I'm totally spent afterwords.
Now this latest story really won't do too much to make China happy with the US, and I'm sure will have absolutely no positive effect on the relationship between the two countries. But I do hold out hope that on some level I've stirred interest in Chinese history through my writings, and will have encouraged someone, somewhere to do further self-directed research.
Full disclosure. I made up Chinese history. But heck, I sure made it interesting!
I think the next project coming my way will be in French, which is a language that I haven't tackled for about 6 months. I'm really curious about what it will be. From the brief glimpses I've had, it looks like a winner!
What I've found interesting is that I really do need to have a framework to start with, even one that is bare bones beyond belief. For some reason, just having SOMETHING on the page in front of me is enough to guide me and direct the story. So while almost 95% of the story is what would be classified as 'original content', that 5% is vital to me. Without it.... Well there have been some projects. I've worked on things in the recent past which have had no starting framework at all, and I tell you, it's like working in the salt mines. The project get's done, but I'm totally spent afterwords.
Now this latest story really won't do too much to make China happy with the US, and I'm sure will have absolutely no positive effect on the relationship between the two countries. But I do hold out hope that on some level I've stirred interest in Chinese history through my writings, and will have encouraged someone, somewhere to do further self-directed research.
Full disclosure. I made up Chinese history. But heck, I sure made it interesting!
I think the next project coming my way will be in French, which is a language that I haven't tackled for about 6 months. I'm really curious about what it will be. From the brief glimpses I've had, it looks like a winner!
Friday, January 21, 2011
Quote for a Generation
"The Social Network" is the "Citizen Kane" for a new, stupid generation.
-Ted Puffer
-Ted Puffer
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Rockets on the Doorstep
I was able to see today's rocket launch from the front yard, which actually gives the High Desert a high mark in my book, which was immediately taken away by having a January temperature of 62 degrees. Come on now, it's January! I should have been shivering on a frosty lawn while my breath billowed around me in white plumes, instead of standing there wondering if I should put on sun screen.
But that's a minor point. The High Desert does have some redeeming features, and being able to see rocket launches is one of them.
This was the Vandenberg "Heavy Lifter", so called because it's the largest American rocket in the fleet, and was carrying a payload which includes a 24 ton satellite. That's insane when you think about it, but awesome at the same time.
But that's a minor point. The High Desert does have some redeeming features, and being able to see rocket launches is one of them.
This was the Vandenberg "Heavy Lifter", so called because it's the largest American rocket in the fleet, and was carrying a payload which includes a 24 ton satellite. That's insane when you think about it, but awesome at the same time.
Social Network Movie Review
The Movie: The Social Network
Ted Puffer's Review : -2 stars
Writing about this movie is slightly more painful than seeing it, so I'll keep this short. I've suffered enough for this film to last a lifetime. This movie would have fared better had it come out in the 90's. Every scene has been shot before, and better, over two decades ago.
Ted Puffer's Review : -2 stars
Writing about this movie is slightly more painful than seeing it, so I'll keep this short. I've suffered enough for this film to last a lifetime. This movie would have fared better had it come out in the 90's. Every scene has been shot before, and better, over two decades ago.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
On Another Note
The drama group is meeting up again, but we don't have a script chosen just yet. The good part is that the director of the facility has given the group the go ahead for another performance, which may make it sound like we did such a shockingly horrible job the first time that we'd been banned! Nothing could be further from the truth. The team really did an excellent job (on the second performance), and there were plenty of people looking forward to seeing what project we'd tackle next.
But there were some people, naysayers and what have you, who decided that the material we covered was a little over the top. Well, OK. It IS a small community after all, and I shouldn't be too surprised that some people were not going to embrace Screwtape right off the bat. Still... trying to pull the plug on the performance team does seem a little harsh.
But there were some people, naysayers and what have you, who decided that the material we covered was a little over the top. Well, OK. It IS a small community after all, and I shouldn't be too surprised that some people were not going to embrace Screwtape right off the bat. Still... trying to pull the plug on the performance team does seem a little harsh.
Linkst... you get the idea.
And if Twitter has suddenly gone extinct, give me a shout at the Ted Puffer identi.ca site.
Ted Puffer Linkstorm
If you're banned from Facebook, then give me a shout at Friendfeed! Warning though, the Ted Puffer page won't get you any free food.
Ted Puffer Linkstorm Part II
Join me on the Facebook alternative site Qaiku, on the Ted Puffer page!
Friday, January 14, 2011
Best Work Evaluation Evar!
"Yes, very good text! Nice dialogs, cruel and offensive.
Keep up te good job. :))"
Yee Ha! Take THAT wanna-be literary sensations! Let me see you get a positive book review with the words "cruel" and "offensive" used!
Keep up te good job. :))"
Yee Ha! Take THAT wanna-be literary sensations! Let me see you get a positive book review with the words "cruel" and "offensive" used!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Palm Springs Film Fest 2011
I just finished seeing the 6 films over three days that I'd picked for the Palm Springs Film Festival, and it looks like the method worked very nicely. I didn't overthink my selections, just pointed and made the purchases. The films that I ended up with were as diverse as anyone could have hoped for, and contained a remarkable range of directorial styles. I'm very glad I went this year! Writing was killing my schedule and I really didn't think that I'd be able to break away for a few days to go down to the Fest.
My best of the fest pick this time? I think that I'll have to go with Uncle Boomee, but Bardsongs is a close second. Bardsongs was much more easily understood and approachable, but that isn't what drew me to this film. The stories and locations are endlessly entertaining, and even with no dialog I'd have sat in the theatre just soaking in the atmosphere of foreign cultures, sounds and sights alike. What an enjoyable film!
Mamuuth... Well, I DID like it... but good grief.
No star sightings this time, but I'll keep an eye peeled next year.
My best of the fest pick this time? I think that I'll have to go with Uncle Boomee, but Bardsongs is a close second. Bardsongs was much more easily understood and approachable, but that isn't what drew me to this film. The stories and locations are endlessly entertaining, and even with no dialog I'd have sat in the theatre just soaking in the atmosphere of foreign cultures, sounds and sights alike. What an enjoyable film!
Mamuuth... Well, I DID like it... but good grief.
No star sightings this time, but I'll keep an eye peeled next year.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Palm Springs Film Festival
I grabbed a 'six pack' of movie tickets to the Palm Springs International Film Festival, and it looks like I've finally found a way to choose good movies from the extensive list of films on display. Last year I relied solely on tracking down reviews from Rottentomatoes and the festivals own programme. The results were hit-and-miss. Some of the films were very good, but others had been so mis-represented that it was a nasty shock to find out you'd been duped.
This year I just made my selections by choosing the movies from the category or genre, with very little attention being paid to a description of the story line. I was more likely to choose a film that was made in an interesting country, or at least a country which I haven't seen too many films being produced in. The method works wonderfully. I'm not sure what changes have taken over the festival, but this year has seen more foreign films than have been on display in the past. It makes for great variety, and a strong field of movies that aren't on your regular cable channels.
First day in, and I've seen "Dog Sweat" and "Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives". Great stuff!
This year I just made my selections by choosing the movies from the category or genre, with very little attention being paid to a description of the story line. I was more likely to choose a film that was made in an interesting country, or at least a country which I haven't seen too many films being produced in. The method works wonderfully. I'm not sure what changes have taken over the festival, but this year has seen more foreign films than have been on display in the past. It makes for great variety, and a strong field of movies that aren't on your regular cable channels.
First day in, and I've seen "Dog Sweat" and "Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives". Great stuff!
Friday, January 7, 2011
It's Alive! Again!
The very fact that you can read this means that my experiments with Ubuntu on a netbook have been successful. It's a little different than I'd imagined, because up to this point my only experiences with Ubuntu have been on the desktop version, which looks very different than what I'm seeing before me here. But this is an exciting new design, and I can tell that it was created very specifically with netbooks in mind.
When I first discovered that there were many flavours of Ubuntu to choose from, I'd imagined this was only because some OS' may contain little querks that would need different versions to work around. But I think that something deeper is at work here. I'd bet that the good folks who program for Ubuntu took one look at the small screen on the typical netbook and decided that an overhaul was in order.
I'm not going to review the thing here. Heck, I've just discovered it for myself and haven't had time to play around with it fully. But from what I can tell, this is exactly what a netbook OS SHOULD look like!
When I first discovered that there were many flavours of Ubuntu to choose from, I'd imagined this was only because some OS' may contain little querks that would need different versions to work around. But I think that something deeper is at work here. I'd bet that the good folks who program for Ubuntu took one look at the small screen on the typical netbook and decided that an overhaul was in order.
I'm not going to review the thing here. Heck, I've just discovered it for myself and haven't had time to play around with it fully. But from what I can tell, this is exactly what a netbook OS SHOULD look like!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Ubuntu Netbook
There are certain things that happen for no reason other than that they HAVE to happen. Installing Ubuntu on my netbook is one of them.
Ubuntu is that sweet Linux interface which lets people use a computer the way it was meant to be used. My netbook seems to be saddled with Windows 7, and no matter how many settings that I adjust and tweak, there is still something missing. It think that something is 'useability'. So with a shiny new thumb-drive in hand and about 30 minutes to kill I've decided to do something about it. Goodbye big brother. Hello Ubuntu!
Ubuntu is that sweet Linux interface which lets people use a computer the way it was meant to be used. My netbook seems to be saddled with Windows 7, and no matter how many settings that I adjust and tweak, there is still something missing. It think that something is 'useability'. So with a shiny new thumb-drive in hand and about 30 minutes to kill I've decided to do something about it. Goodbye big brother. Hello Ubuntu!
Monday, January 3, 2011
RIFT : Preview
The Game : RIFT
Ted Puffer's Review : 2 stars
While I'm waiting to hear about the ULA from the beta testing, I'll just go ahead and post this up here. RIFT. The game.
Putting out a full review of the game is a bit unfair, because technically the game isn't complete yet. There are still some areas to fill out, and supposedly as a 'beta', the full program is still in the process of coming together before it's ready for full release. But from what I was able to play during the beta, I'm comfortable in coming out with a review.
The term "Beta" can mean a lot of things. Some companies use this time to get close feedback from potential players, so they can add or subtract items from the main design of the program. In this case, the program is being developed in a fluid way. The framework may be in place, but some significant elements can still be modified before it's 1.0 release.
Other companies use 'beta testing' as a way to get some advance publicity on a new game. This is especially true with programs from larger developers who essentially have a finished product that looks great. By having some advanced showings to a few players, it allows the gaming community to start anticipating a game before release. In this instance, the company must be confident that the game looks and plays wonderfully and will be assured of good word-of-mouth.
RIFT falls into this last category.
From what I could tell, the game is done. Complete. Polished. I'm sure there are still some areas being worked on, but in it's current state it would provide hundreds of hours of solid gameplay for anyone signing up for this MMORPG. Let me tell ya, it looks sweet and runs like a dream.
But there's a catch.
It's a WoW clone. In fact, it wouldn't be too much to say that it's better than WoW in many areas. There is more of an emphasis on storyline in RIFT, and individual characters do feel like they are all obligated to help save the planet from interdimensional rifts which constantly tear through the fabric of the world. When a rift even happens, everyone drops what they're doing to help kick out the invading armies, and get some tasty XP and look in the process.
But that being said, it's still WoW with a flashier skin and a few extra bells and whistles. I'd be sorely tempted to join the RIFT community once the game launches, but I just can't shake the "Been there, done that" feeling whenever I encounter a grinding quest or epic-but-boring story arc. It's not a failing of the game at all. Had I not WoW'ed before, this would be an engaging and entertaining world to explore. The classes are different and display lots of potential for user customization. The economy is simple, and it is fun to upgrade your character to take on bigger and badder bosses. But at the end of the day, it's still WoW... you know?
So on one hand, I'm impressed with the developers who made such a complex and beautiful world. It really is like they decided to create WoW from scratch, give it a professional polish over ever aspect of the game, but also not stray too far from the feel of WoW either. Could it be the game that knocks WoW off the top of the MMORPG charts? Perhaps. But something tells me that it's just not different enough to do so. If WoW and RIFT had been released at the same time, RIFT would dominate hands down.
But I can't see it grabbing too many players from the WoW community who are willing to ditch Blizzard and explore the RIFT world for themselves... because... well... why bother? Once you've played one, you've played the other.
Perpetuum is different. It's mean. It kicks players in the teeth and makes you sit through mind-numbing tedium and a sadistic user interface. But heck, it sure is different!
Ted Puffer's Review : 2 stars
While I'm waiting to hear about the ULA from the beta testing, I'll just go ahead and post this up here. RIFT. The game.
Putting out a full review of the game is a bit unfair, because technically the game isn't complete yet. There are still some areas to fill out, and supposedly as a 'beta', the full program is still in the process of coming together before it's ready for full release. But from what I was able to play during the beta, I'm comfortable in coming out with a review.
The term "Beta" can mean a lot of things. Some companies use this time to get close feedback from potential players, so they can add or subtract items from the main design of the program. In this case, the program is being developed in a fluid way. The framework may be in place, but some significant elements can still be modified before it's 1.0 release.
Other companies use 'beta testing' as a way to get some advance publicity on a new game. This is especially true with programs from larger developers who essentially have a finished product that looks great. By having some advanced showings to a few players, it allows the gaming community to start anticipating a game before release. In this instance, the company must be confident that the game looks and plays wonderfully and will be assured of good word-of-mouth.
RIFT falls into this last category.
From what I could tell, the game is done. Complete. Polished. I'm sure there are still some areas being worked on, but in it's current state it would provide hundreds of hours of solid gameplay for anyone signing up for this MMORPG. Let me tell ya, it looks sweet and runs like a dream.
But there's a catch.
It's a WoW clone. In fact, it wouldn't be too much to say that it's better than WoW in many areas. There is more of an emphasis on storyline in RIFT, and individual characters do feel like they are all obligated to help save the planet from interdimensional rifts which constantly tear through the fabric of the world. When a rift even happens, everyone drops what they're doing to help kick out the invading armies, and get some tasty XP and look in the process.
But that being said, it's still WoW with a flashier skin and a few extra bells and whistles. I'd be sorely tempted to join the RIFT community once the game launches, but I just can't shake the "Been there, done that" feeling whenever I encounter a grinding quest or epic-but-boring story arc. It's not a failing of the game at all. Had I not WoW'ed before, this would be an engaging and entertaining world to explore. The classes are different and display lots of potential for user customization. The economy is simple, and it is fun to upgrade your character to take on bigger and badder bosses. But at the end of the day, it's still WoW... you know?
So on one hand, I'm impressed with the developers who made such a complex and beautiful world. It really is like they decided to create WoW from scratch, give it a professional polish over ever aspect of the game, but also not stray too far from the feel of WoW either. Could it be the game that knocks WoW off the top of the MMORPG charts? Perhaps. But something tells me that it's just not different enough to do so. If WoW and RIFT had been released at the same time, RIFT would dominate hands down.
But I can't see it grabbing too many players from the WoW community who are willing to ditch Blizzard and explore the RIFT world for themselves... because... well... why bother? Once you've played one, you've played the other.
Perpetuum is different. It's mean. It kicks players in the teeth and makes you sit through mind-numbing tedium and a sadistic user interface. But heck, it sure is different!
Perpetuum : Full Metal Planet
If there is one thing that you can say about the setting that the developers created for gamers to monkey around in, it's that it has no shortage of metal to mine. In this case, there is a strong similarity to EVE. Mining appears to be a major part of the game.
This is of course a double edged sword. Mining was an easy way to make money in EVE, and still is. But mining isn't exactly the most exciting thing in the world to be spending your time doing, and it's slow. So while this does give anyone with time the ability to save up money to buy things in the market, you can expect to dump a few hours doing nothing but fly in slow circles around a floating rock.
Or in Perpetuums case, standing in front of a hold and shooting it with a mining laser. Yeah, I'm not too impressed, but it really does dovetail with what I was thinking about for the game. The look and feel of EVE is all over this product, so the minding grind isn't blindsiding me.
There is a question I have about the interface however. Mining is very awkward. You'd think that all you would have to do to pull the good stuff out of the ground is point a mining laser at a likely looking hill and then press the trigger. Right? No. What the interface is designed to do is make your mining more efficient. But part of me thinks that the designers are just trying to give players more buttons to press in an effort to make mining feel more involving.
Get this:
First you take your mining scanner, and put in an area charge, the charge specifically configured for one of 10 mineral types. Then shoot the charge. This will tell you if you have a hope in hell of finding the type of material you're looking for. Once you download the area data, you do the same thing, but with a 'tile' charge. Then when the tile scanner results are uploaded, you load the mining lasers with charges specific to the mineral you've found and then blast away.
And wait
And wait....
But it still beats the WoW grind hands-down.
This is of course a double edged sword. Mining was an easy way to make money in EVE, and still is. But mining isn't exactly the most exciting thing in the world to be spending your time doing, and it's slow. So while this does give anyone with time the ability to save up money to buy things in the market, you can expect to dump a few hours doing nothing but fly in slow circles around a floating rock.
Or in Perpetuums case, standing in front of a hold and shooting it with a mining laser. Yeah, I'm not too impressed, but it really does dovetail with what I was thinking about for the game. The look and feel of EVE is all over this product, so the minding grind isn't blindsiding me.
There is a question I have about the interface however. Mining is very awkward. You'd think that all you would have to do to pull the good stuff out of the ground is point a mining laser at a likely looking hill and then press the trigger. Right? No. What the interface is designed to do is make your mining more efficient. But part of me thinks that the designers are just trying to give players more buttons to press in an effort to make mining feel more involving.
Get this:
First you take your mining scanner, and put in an area charge, the charge specifically configured for one of 10 mineral types. Then shoot the charge. This will tell you if you have a hope in hell of finding the type of material you're looking for. Once you download the area data, you do the same thing, but with a 'tile' charge. Then when the tile scanner results are uploaded, you load the mining lasers with charges specific to the mineral you've found and then blast away.
And wait
And wait....
But it still beats the WoW grind hands-down.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Perpetuum - Get Your Rocks Off
I haven't heard word about the ULA for the RIFT beta testing that I took part in, so I'll still hold off on my reviews about that MMORPG for later. But in the meantime, the experience has encouraged me to check out Perpetuum. Give me a shout if you find yourself in game
Perpetuum shares a lot with EVE online. If you like EVE, then you will feel right at home piloting a gigantic robot around the wastes of the Perpetuum universe. If the controls of EVE leave you colder than a space-suit with a malfunctioning fly, and who on Earth could blame you, then Perpetuum won't be your cup of tea. The controls aren't intuitive, and the game play is more of the sandbox style approach than the linear mission-based MMORPGs which are common across the Net. You get to make your own fun, and it is up to the individual player to determine what 'fun' is. Right now, I'm just trying to stay alive. The drones in the beginners level are in constant danger of overcoming my defenses, and since you do have an unlimited amount of lives, but finite number of robots to pilot, staying alive is extremely important.
My handle is either "Suggoth" or "Sandow", depending on my mood.
By the way, don't get me started on skill 'upgrades', and the method that the designers or Perpetuum have decided to handle points.
Perpetuum shares a lot with EVE online. If you like EVE, then you will feel right at home piloting a gigantic robot around the wastes of the Perpetuum universe. If the controls of EVE leave you colder than a space-suit with a malfunctioning fly, and who on Earth could blame you, then Perpetuum won't be your cup of tea. The controls aren't intuitive, and the game play is more of the sandbox style approach than the linear mission-based MMORPGs which are common across the Net. You get to make your own fun, and it is up to the individual player to determine what 'fun' is. Right now, I'm just trying to stay alive. The drones in the beginners level are in constant danger of overcoming my defenses, and since you do have an unlimited amount of lives, but finite number of robots to pilot, staying alive is extremely important.
My handle is either "Suggoth" or "Sandow", depending on my mood.
By the way, don't get me started on skill 'upgrades', and the method that the designers or Perpetuum have decided to handle points.
TRON : Movie Review
Movie : TRON 3D
Ted Puffer's Rating : 1 star
At a certain point, a movie patron must decide whether the film they are watching meets the minimum criteria to still be classified as "entertainment" instead of some less pleasant designation like "torture"
TRON 3D isn't a good movie. It fails in lots of areas which are typically understood to be critical characteristics for what a film is, or at least areas which differentiate watching a movie from other activities like having one's wisdom teeth taken out.
The plot is full of holes that even a generous attitude and kind spirt can't fully get over. Decisions are taken which are disastrous, and yet are options that most of humanity would have kept well clear of. The upbeat ending is only happy if you are willing to ignore the fact that an entire new species of life had to be sacrificed just so the main character can get some tail. It's a grim and jaded view of humanity that is presented. And even if the girlfriend is hot, she can't be all that special, can she?
I won't lie to you. I knew that I would be in for a bumpy ride when all the reviews said this was a movie to go see despite the plot, characters, pacing, logic and overall reason. The movie needed to be seen in a theater for the 'experience'. And in that case, the reviews were right. The music is pretty good, and the visuals are things of beauty. No question about it. But I would have hoped that a good story could have been thrown into the mix without asking for too much.
Ted Puffer's Rating : 1 star
At a certain point, a movie patron must decide whether the film they are watching meets the minimum criteria to still be classified as "entertainment" instead of some less pleasant designation like "torture"
TRON 3D isn't a good movie. It fails in lots of areas which are typically understood to be critical characteristics for what a film is, or at least areas which differentiate watching a movie from other activities like having one's wisdom teeth taken out.
The plot is full of holes that even a generous attitude and kind spirt can't fully get over. Decisions are taken which are disastrous, and yet are options that most of humanity would have kept well clear of. The upbeat ending is only happy if you are willing to ignore the fact that an entire new species of life had to be sacrificed just so the main character can get some tail. It's a grim and jaded view of humanity that is presented. And even if the girlfriend is hot, she can't be all that special, can she?
I won't lie to you. I knew that I would be in for a bumpy ride when all the reviews said this was a movie to go see despite the plot, characters, pacing, logic and overall reason. The movie needed to be seen in a theater for the 'experience'. And in that case, the reviews were right. The music is pretty good, and the visuals are things of beauty. No question about it. But I would have hoped that a good story could have been thrown into the mix without asking for too much.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Jam Guitar : Winter Break
Oh! Almost forgot to mention that I'm on break from the guitar classes as well. After the Christmas show, the entire class got the following two weeks off to be with their families and celebrate Christmas in style. Nice!
I think that the next show is a 'patriotic themed' production, but I'm not sure about any of the details. I'm sure it will be fun, and it will be good to get some new music to practice. Right now my fingers are still aching from the holiday music that I rehearsed like a crazy person for the past month.
I love Christmas, but if I have to hear "Mary, did you know?" one more time... Ugh.
I think that the next show is a 'patriotic themed' production, but I'm not sure about any of the details. I'm sure it will be fun, and it will be good to get some new music to practice. Right now my fingers are still aching from the holiday music that I rehearsed like a crazy person for the past month.
I love Christmas, but if I have to hear "Mary, did you know?" one more time... Ugh.
University of Phoenix : Winter Break
Ted Puffer is taking a break from the University of Phoenix. At least until the first week of January is over with.
I didn't appreciate that the online college recognized a winter break, because the punishing pace that the classes run at made me think they would be going come hell or high water. This is the first break that I've had since signing up for the online classes, and have been making the most of it! For the first time in months, I don't have a paper due every other day! Yee-HA!
Now the classes for the University of Phoenix do take a little getting used to, and it's not just because there is a ton of reading involved. Actually, the reading is something that comes easy for me. I've always been a book-hound, and there are many times where I'll have a paperback or two stashed away in case of emergency. I think that every car I've owned has had a paperback book tucked away under the driver's or passenger's seat. I'm always very careful to make sure it's a title that is something which can be picked up and put down again at a moment's notice, and is also a story that isn't so engaging that I'll be tempted to read in one go.
Thank goodness, that description covers about 3/4ths of all sci-fi books out there.
For the classes that I've been taking, the reading material has covered a wide range of subjects, and I'm looking for (but have yet to find) a pattern behind the suggested articles and subjects. All of the articles that have appeared as required reading are related to the subject of the classes, but many are pulled from sources which I didn't know to have existed. This ensures that all students are given a wide range of materials to research, as well as see multiple points of view from various leaders in academic fields. It's quite an experience, and one which I'm constantly excited about participating in.
But even so, the break is wonderful!
I didn't appreciate that the online college recognized a winter break, because the punishing pace that the classes run at made me think they would be going come hell or high water. This is the first break that I've had since signing up for the online classes, and have been making the most of it! For the first time in months, I don't have a paper due every other day! Yee-HA!
Now the classes for the University of Phoenix do take a little getting used to, and it's not just because there is a ton of reading involved. Actually, the reading is something that comes easy for me. I've always been a book-hound, and there are many times where I'll have a paperback or two stashed away in case of emergency. I think that every car I've owned has had a paperback book tucked away under the driver's or passenger's seat. I'm always very careful to make sure it's a title that is something which can be picked up and put down again at a moment's notice, and is also a story that isn't so engaging that I'll be tempted to read in one go.
Thank goodness, that description covers about 3/4ths of all sci-fi books out there.
For the classes that I've been taking, the reading material has covered a wide range of subjects, and I'm looking for (but have yet to find) a pattern behind the suggested articles and subjects. All of the articles that have appeared as required reading are related to the subject of the classes, but many are pulled from sources which I didn't know to have existed. This ensures that all students are given a wide range of materials to research, as well as see multiple points of view from various leaders in academic fields. It's quite an experience, and one which I'm constantly excited about participating in.
But even so, the break is wonderful!
Freespace 2 : Review of History
Freespace 2 would first appear to be your standard space sim, but the history behind the game is what makes it a legend. First off, it's known specifically for the sequel (the "2" part of the title), and not for the less well known original story which kicked off the series. Freespace started as a standard sim, although one which was well done.
At the time, finding a simulator which allowed 360 movement within large objects was difficult. I remember that the first game which made the jump was a title called "Descent", which did a very good job of providing a detailed and fluid environment without requiring the player of the game to drop a load of money on a fast processor or video card. The game itself was innovative in that the meat and potatoes of game play revolved around (and sometimes quite literally), multiplayer. Now that seems to be a standard, of course, but at the time there were very few options for creating a LAN party short of having a meeting of people who would bring their own computers and hardware necessary for the connections.
Descent was a good title, but there really wasn't anything that you could call an engaging story behind it. Think of it as a standard shoot-em-up story, but instead of guns, each player was wrapped in a small hovercraft which zipped around a floating maze. It made for some good dogfights.
Freespace took the same game mechanics, but put the players in control of small fighters in large scale space encounters. This meant that they could fly individual craft around larger capital ships, and actually target individual systems and defensive turrets on the opposing forces. It made for a great strategy game, and would add lots of tension to the typical fire-and-forget encounters which most space simulators had.
Anyone still have a copy of "Mantis" lying around? I'd love to see that opening video again. Classic!
Anyway, where was I? Oh yes. Freespace.
Freespace 2 sought to move the story even further, and bring some advances and technical updates to the graphics as well. For some lucky combination of stars and talent, the game more than met players expectations and in fact exceeded them in many areas. The flip side of this was the publishing company who owned the rights to the title. The seemed determined to kill the game, and stopped publishing it after only a year. Copies that were in existence suddenly became collectors items, and could fetch commanding prices on eBay.
I was tempted, but held fast. I'm glad I did as well because the game finally after over a decade, was reissued as a 'lost game' and available free. I did a quick download of the title, and will write up my experiences in a coming post.
At the time, finding a simulator which allowed 360 movement within large objects was difficult. I remember that the first game which made the jump was a title called "Descent", which did a very good job of providing a detailed and fluid environment without requiring the player of the game to drop a load of money on a fast processor or video card. The game itself was innovative in that the meat and potatoes of game play revolved around (and sometimes quite literally), multiplayer. Now that seems to be a standard, of course, but at the time there were very few options for creating a LAN party short of having a meeting of people who would bring their own computers and hardware necessary for the connections.
Descent was a good title, but there really wasn't anything that you could call an engaging story behind it. Think of it as a standard shoot-em-up story, but instead of guns, each player was wrapped in a small hovercraft which zipped around a floating maze. It made for some good dogfights.
Freespace took the same game mechanics, but put the players in control of small fighters in large scale space encounters. This meant that they could fly individual craft around larger capital ships, and actually target individual systems and defensive turrets on the opposing forces. It made for a great strategy game, and would add lots of tension to the typical fire-and-forget encounters which most space simulators had.
Anyone still have a copy of "Mantis" lying around? I'd love to see that opening video again. Classic!
Anyway, where was I? Oh yes. Freespace.
Freespace 2 sought to move the story even further, and bring some advances and technical updates to the graphics as well. For some lucky combination of stars and talent, the game more than met players expectations and in fact exceeded them in many areas. The flip side of this was the publishing company who owned the rights to the title. The seemed determined to kill the game, and stopped publishing it after only a year. Copies that were in existence suddenly became collectors items, and could fetch commanding prices on eBay.
I was tempted, but held fast. I'm glad I did as well because the game finally after over a decade, was reissued as a 'lost game' and available free. I did a quick download of the title, and will write up my experiences in a coming post.
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