I am twenty five, and apparently I still get a little excited when I hear the Captain Planet theme song. The show might have been hokey, but in light of the current environmental crisis, let's give credit where it's due: those goofy teenagers called this shit. Nearly twenty years ago, they told us we were screwing this place up.
Whoopi Goldberg, Lou Gosset Junior, Jeff Goldblum, Tim Curry, LeVar Burton, Martin Sheen, Meg Ryan, Sting, and Helen Hunt all tried to tell us, and we didn't listen.
And if all that wasn't progressive enough,this show portrayed God as a black female. Even Kevin Smith wasn't willing to cross both those lines at once.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
The Death of Something Good
So I've been thinking a lot about faith lately. I used to be a very religious person. Church every Sunday, prayers every night, never use His name in vain and all that jazz. I remember my faith pulling me through situations I never thought I could handle alone. I also remember what it felt like to lose that faith.
Eventually, I met some Wiccan friends. They made no attempt to dissuade me from my faith (in fact, after some research I concluded that Wicca and Christianity are not mutually exclusive, per the original translations of the Bible), but it was at that point that I began to ask questions. When it came to the gay thing, I somehow just isolated that issue, and didn't think about it too much. I said that somehow the anti-gay sentiments of the Bible had to be misinterpreted, because I had personally met a gay person (my now-deceased Uncle, who was a very nice guy) and seen that there was no inherent evil in them. But for some reason, on this occasion, I couldn't just dodge the question like I had before. The bible stated that "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live," but it was plain to see that there was no particular reason for me to hate these people, much less kill them.
So I researched. I plugged that verse into google and for hours I looked for a way to understand it. What I found was the beginning of the end of my faith. The word "witch" was, at best, a loose translation. The original Hebrew word had a number of potential interpretations into English, including "poisoner," "one who spreads discord through lies," and "one who uses magic to hurt people." Out of 8 possible translations, that last one was the closest thing to "witch." And yet based on this translations, people had been tried and murdered.
What bothered me here was that during that time, people who were doing their best to obey God had been led by the Bible to commit horrendous acts. The Bible, and all the people whose job it was to interpret it correctly, had lied to them. This was not like the revelation that Santa Claus wasn't really bringing presents down the chimney. I had based my life around this for more than a decade. Living by the code of God had been a primary objective, and a huge source of joy and comfort, for most of my adolescence. It was like having my heart pulled out. I felt all the comfort and confidence I once held slipping away, and I just couldn't hold onto it. I would try and pray, and I just wouldn't feel anyone there anymore.
Imagine finding out that your dearest and closest friend was never really your friend. That the relationship you thought you had with him or her had been a lie, and you could never rely on them again. It was perhaps the single most horrific experience of my life.
I bring this up in response to a judgment by the California Supreme Court to uphold Proposition 8. The religious right is dancing in the streets, and across both the state and the country, innocent people right now feel very alone and very, very frightened. Angry too, I would expect. Given that God is supposed to be an all-good being, I am flabbergasted that so many people can believe He wants them to cause this. Ignorance is no excuse when the damage you're causing is real, and especially not when so many are trying to educate you about it.
You see, it's like this. As the Christian population pushes harder and harder for an issue like this, it becomes the case that one can only call themselves a part of that group if they are either in support of this movement, or capable of remaining willfully ignorant of the impact is it having. Those who can neither ignore this issue nor abide by it ultimately cease to be a part of the faith. In other words, Christians are systematically divorcing themselves from a functional moral compass.
If somebody is intelligent enough to notice this matter, and has the moral sensibility to oppose it, they find themselves in the minority among their own faith. A few would try and retain that faith, and fight this notion, but judging from the relative silence of such groups (I know they exist, but they are not a large enough group that they are a really notable presence on the national stage) it is obvious that most just ultimately go through that painful process of losing faith in God. Conversely, there are many people with an instinctive desire to hate others, and they will be drawn to this movement. Many people who have an instinct to hate that otherwise might be silenced by guilt are being told that "hey, it's OK. Hate these people. It's not only OK, but it's the right thing to do. Don't, y'know, call it hate, but yeah, it's hate." Parents kick children out of the home and withdraw college money. Gay teens are four times as likely to commit suicide. Politicians are afraid to support them. And we as a society are, for the most part, simply allowing this situation.
The reality, or lack thereof, notwithstanding, it hurts me deeply to see that what I once saw as the greatest force for Good in the world is slowly being perverted into a force for something I cannot view as anything but evil.
Eventually, I met some Wiccan friends. They made no attempt to dissuade me from my faith (in fact, after some research I concluded that Wicca and Christianity are not mutually exclusive, per the original translations of the Bible), but it was at that point that I began to ask questions. When it came to the gay thing, I somehow just isolated that issue, and didn't think about it too much. I said that somehow the anti-gay sentiments of the Bible had to be misinterpreted, because I had personally met a gay person (my now-deceased Uncle, who was a very nice guy) and seen that there was no inherent evil in them. But for some reason, on this occasion, I couldn't just dodge the question like I had before. The bible stated that "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live," but it was plain to see that there was no particular reason for me to hate these people, much less kill them.
So I researched. I plugged that verse into google and for hours I looked for a way to understand it. What I found was the beginning of the end of my faith. The word "witch" was, at best, a loose translation. The original Hebrew word had a number of potential interpretations into English, including "poisoner," "one who spreads discord through lies," and "one who uses magic to hurt people." Out of 8 possible translations, that last one was the closest thing to "witch." And yet based on this translations, people had been tried and murdered.
What bothered me here was that during that time, people who were doing their best to obey God had been led by the Bible to commit horrendous acts. The Bible, and all the people whose job it was to interpret it correctly, had lied to them. This was not like the revelation that Santa Claus wasn't really bringing presents down the chimney. I had based my life around this for more than a decade. Living by the code of God had been a primary objective, and a huge source of joy and comfort, for most of my adolescence. It was like having my heart pulled out. I felt all the comfort and confidence I once held slipping away, and I just couldn't hold onto it. I would try and pray, and I just wouldn't feel anyone there anymore.
Imagine finding out that your dearest and closest friend was never really your friend. That the relationship you thought you had with him or her had been a lie, and you could never rely on them again. It was perhaps the single most horrific experience of my life.
I bring this up in response to a judgment by the California Supreme Court to uphold Proposition 8. The religious right is dancing in the streets, and across both the state and the country, innocent people right now feel very alone and very, very frightened. Angry too, I would expect. Given that God is supposed to be an all-good being, I am flabbergasted that so many people can believe He wants them to cause this. Ignorance is no excuse when the damage you're causing is real, and especially not when so many are trying to educate you about it.
You see, it's like this. As the Christian population pushes harder and harder for an issue like this, it becomes the case that one can only call themselves a part of that group if they are either in support of this movement, or capable of remaining willfully ignorant of the impact is it having. Those who can neither ignore this issue nor abide by it ultimately cease to be a part of the faith. In other words, Christians are systematically divorcing themselves from a functional moral compass.
If somebody is intelligent enough to notice this matter, and has the moral sensibility to oppose it, they find themselves in the minority among their own faith. A few would try and retain that faith, and fight this notion, but judging from the relative silence of such groups (I know they exist, but they are not a large enough group that they are a really notable presence on the national stage) it is obvious that most just ultimately go through that painful process of losing faith in God. Conversely, there are many people with an instinctive desire to hate others, and they will be drawn to this movement. Many people who have an instinct to hate that otherwise might be silenced by guilt are being told that "hey, it's OK. Hate these people. It's not only OK, but it's the right thing to do. Don't, y'know, call it hate, but yeah, it's hate." Parents kick children out of the home and withdraw college money. Gay teens are four times as likely to commit suicide. Politicians are afraid to support them. And we as a society are, for the most part, simply allowing this situation.
The reality, or lack thereof, notwithstanding, it hurts me deeply to see that what I once saw as the greatest force for Good in the world is slowly being perverted into a force for something I cannot view as anything but evil.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Crouching Fallout, Broken Steel
So I've just finished the last of the Fallout 3 expansions, and I have to say that I really got my money's worth out of that investment. For those who are unaware, Fallout 3 is a rather bizarre hybrid between first person shooter and expansive RPG. The game takes place from a first-person perspective, but all of your character's abilities are based on your character's level and build. This includes how much gear and loot you can carry, the price you can haggle for at shops, what weapons you can use and how effectively you can use them. It even impacts your conversations. For example, a character with a particularly high intelligence statistic and scientific aptitude might be able to discuss more complex topics, while one with a high charisma and speechcraft talent might be able to persuade people people to part with an important bit of information. Depending on the build, you can shoot, talk, or sneak your way through various situations.
Broken Steel continues the main plot of the storyline, which was strongly hinted to have definitively ended, especially after a longwinded epilogue voiced by Ron Perlman. Largely based on combat, Broken Steel reveals the aftermath of the choice you made at the end of the game's main storyline, and in any event covers the Brotherhood's ongoing struggle against the Enclave (the remnant of an evil shadow government that pulled some of the strings behind the great war). Once again, the story's climax entails a substantial moral choice, and once again it basically comes down to either Mother Theresa or baby eating.
Utlimately, the pros are as follows: More giant robot, an orbital laser, the chance to *really* screw over the Enclave (for those who never played Fallout, we really hate the Enclave), some interesting new enemies, and some fun combat levels.
Cons include a very short main set of missions, relatively unsatisfying sidequests, a notable lack of another epilogue by Mr. Perlman, and a few bugs. At one point, during a major conflict between the Brotherhood and the Enclave, I noticed that the AI for both sides had apparently forgotten to equip armor, and the two sides were doing battle in the skivvies. Amusing, but slightly flow-breaking.
Far more entertaining was The Pitt, a self-contained expansion quest that actually has you leaving the Capital Wasteland proper and venturing into the ruins of what used to be Pittsburgh. It's now a massive slave camp, and you've been recruited by an underground resistance to help mount a rebellion. The twist, without spoiling anything, is that neither the resistance or the spoilers are quite as they seem. For once, a real moral choice is presented.
The last (well, actually first, in terms of release date) DLC was Anchorage. While somewhat amusing, it really just amounts to a series of combat situations.
These expansions are reasonably priced at ten dollars apiece, but they're really only worth it if you enjoyed the original game. Anchorage especially is only worth the investment if you enjoyed the combat system, because there's virtually nothing to it other than shooting people. Broken Steel is nice, as it boosts your level cap to 30, allowing you to pretty much max out nearly every talent in the game. If you just weren't satisfied with the ending of Fallout 3 and would like to pay $10 to give Bethesda a second chance to impress you, this is for you. The Pitt is a fun little excursion, with some really nice visuals of decimated downtown Pittsburgh. It's all quite fun, but if you didn't like traveling the Capital Wastes the first time, you're not going to enjoy it any more this time. I should also note that you really won't get the same number of hours of gameplay per dollar out of these expansions than you did from the original game, especially when it comes to Anchorage.
Broken Steel continues the main plot of the storyline, which was strongly hinted to have definitively ended, especially after a longwinded epilogue voiced by Ron Perlman. Largely based on combat, Broken Steel reveals the aftermath of the choice you made at the end of the game's main storyline, and in any event covers the Brotherhood's ongoing struggle against the Enclave (the remnant of an evil shadow government that pulled some of the strings behind the great war). Once again, the story's climax entails a substantial moral choice, and once again it basically comes down to either Mother Theresa or baby eating.
Utlimately, the pros are as follows: More giant robot, an orbital laser, the chance to *really* screw over the Enclave (for those who never played Fallout, we really hate the Enclave), some interesting new enemies, and some fun combat levels.
Cons include a very short main set of missions, relatively unsatisfying sidequests, a notable lack of another epilogue by Mr. Perlman, and a few bugs. At one point, during a major conflict between the Brotherhood and the Enclave, I noticed that the AI for both sides had apparently forgotten to equip armor, and the two sides were doing battle in the skivvies. Amusing, but slightly flow-breaking.
Far more entertaining was The Pitt, a self-contained expansion quest that actually has you leaving the Capital Wasteland proper and venturing into the ruins of what used to be Pittsburgh. It's now a massive slave camp, and you've been recruited by an underground resistance to help mount a rebellion. The twist, without spoiling anything, is that neither the resistance or the spoilers are quite as they seem. For once, a real moral choice is presented.
The last (well, actually first, in terms of release date) DLC was Anchorage. While somewhat amusing, it really just amounts to a series of combat situations.
These expansions are reasonably priced at ten dollars apiece, but they're really only worth it if you enjoyed the original game. Anchorage especially is only worth the investment if you enjoyed the combat system, because there's virtually nothing to it other than shooting people. Broken Steel is nice, as it boosts your level cap to 30, allowing you to pretty much max out nearly every talent in the game. If you just weren't satisfied with the ending of Fallout 3 and would like to pay $10 to give Bethesda a second chance to impress you, this is for you. The Pitt is a fun little excursion, with some really nice visuals of decimated downtown Pittsburgh. It's all quite fun, but if you didn't like traveling the Capital Wastes the first time, you're not going to enjoy it any more this time. I should also note that you really won't get the same number of hours of gameplay per dollar out of these expansions than you did from the original game, especially when it comes to Anchorage.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Nerdgasm
First there was the GI Joe trailer. Then the trailer for Transformers 2, that shows the return of Megatron. It was the first time I'd seen either of them, and when the opening scene of Star Trek immediately followed all that... well I'll admit it: I think I cried a little. They were stoic, manly tears, mind you.
Abrams paid every respect imaginable to Rodenberry's legacy. The canon was dismissed more or less entirely, but the canon was never important. It wasn't about the history or what happened on what star date. None of that ever made Star Trek what it was. Nameless Redshirts made Star Trek. Technobabble made star trek. Green women, funny accents, impossible challenges with equally impossible solutions, ship lights that don't even blink in sequence, Kirk constantly finding himself hanging from ledges, these are the things that made Star Trek what it was, and the minds behind this movie knew it.
It's almost enough to make me watch the last three seasons of Lost after all...
Abrams paid every respect imaginable to Rodenberry's legacy. The canon was dismissed more or less entirely, but the canon was never important. It wasn't about the history or what happened on what star date. None of that ever made Star Trek what it was. Nameless Redshirts made Star Trek. Technobabble made star trek. Green women, funny accents, impossible challenges with equally impossible solutions, ship lights that don't even blink in sequence, Kirk constantly finding himself hanging from ledges, these are the things that made Star Trek what it was, and the minds behind this movie knew it.
It's almost enough to make me watch the last three seasons of Lost after all...
Monday, May 18, 2009
Giant robots, and the weird prebuscent children that pilot them. Again, but with a bigger budget this time.
...
Theo, are you aware of this?
I really hated the original. The visuals weren't bad, and I'll even buy the bit about man rebelling against god and all that. But the sheer degree of vagueness to it all, the act of being obscure for the sake of being obscure, grated on me terribly. Furthermore, while I can understand and even applaud the deliberate breaking of character stereotypes, after watching that show I have to say that the stereotype of main characters in action shows not be complete wusses who never grow a pair at any point in the story is a stereotype we should probably cling to.
I could probably go on, but I won't. I'll just say that I really like the animation of this big-budget reboot, and even though it seems like mostly hype at this point, I'll give it a chance nonetheless.
Also, Kurt: I was planning on coming into town sometime during the first week of June. I haven't figured out how long I'm staying, but it wouldn't be more than 3, *maybe* 4 nights.
Theo, are you aware of this?
I really hated the original. The visuals weren't bad, and I'll even buy the bit about man rebelling against god and all that. But the sheer degree of vagueness to it all, the act of being obscure for the sake of being obscure, grated on me terribly. Furthermore, while I can understand and even applaud the deliberate breaking of character stereotypes, after watching that show I have to say that the stereotype of main characters in action shows not be complete wusses who never grow a pair at any point in the story is a stereotype we should probably cling to.
I could probably go on, but I won't. I'll just say that I really like the animation of this big-budget reboot, and even though it seems like mostly hype at this point, I'll give it a chance nonetheless.
Also, Kurt: I was planning on coming into town sometime during the first week of June. I haven't figured out how long I'm staying, but it wouldn't be more than 3, *maybe* 4 nights.
:(
So I got fired last week. Forgot to mention that, I think.
It wasn't really that I did anything, but that my school schedule just became something that the restaurant couldn't work around. I can't really blame them, I was only available for 9 hours a week for a month.
Also, I'm a lunatic for trying to take this summer session course. 8 days after my last final, I had my first summer session exam. I'll find out this evening how I did. I don't look forward to that moment. My next exam is this Saturday. But hey, shortly after that, I'll have a final, and so long as I passed it will all be over.
After that, I get an entire week off before the summer session starts up again. A whole week. That's going to be a good week. I was thinking about visiting St Louis, but I'm running into a bit of snag. See, apparently Theo has a roommate now, and the halcyon days of free room at Chateue de Tyadya, a.k.a. Theo's aparment, have ended.
So.... anybody got a spare room?
It wasn't really that I did anything, but that my school schedule just became something that the restaurant couldn't work around. I can't really blame them, I was only available for 9 hours a week for a month.
Also, I'm a lunatic for trying to take this summer session course. 8 days after my last final, I had my first summer session exam. I'll find out this evening how I did. I don't look forward to that moment. My next exam is this Saturday. But hey, shortly after that, I'll have a final, and so long as I passed it will all be over.
After that, I get an entire week off before the summer session starts up again. A whole week. That's going to be a good week. I was thinking about visiting St Louis, but I'm running into a bit of snag. See, apparently Theo has a roommate now, and the halcyon days of free room at Chateue de Tyadya, a.k.a. Theo's aparment, have ended.
So.... anybody got a spare room?
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Cryostasis: The story of somebody somewhere fighting something for some reason.
Review time once again. On Today's Menu: Cryostasis. First response: Don't buy it for more than $5.
It's not that Cryostasis is bad, per se, it's just painfully mediocre every step of the way. The story revolves around how a nuclear icebreaker crashed and got stranded in the Arctic, and it's actually very interesting. What the story does not ever do, however, is make any attempt whatsoever at explaining why there are monsters everywhere. The combat is about 50/50 between shooting and melee. The melee game is a bold attempt to break free from the typical Half Life method of "hold attack until your enemy falls over," but I'd view it with more equanimity if this exact thing had not already been done better by Condemned, Chronicles of Riddick, Breakdown, Zeno Clash, and Mirror's Edge.
The melee game achieves that visceral feeling that it was going for, but at the cost of so much disorientation to the player. The camera stays with the main character's eyes, and he tends to swing his head around a lot while he fights. Sometimes this kind of disorientation is good, because it adds a level of realism; I liked the disorientation in Breakdown. Maybe I'm playing favorites (Breakdown is probably one of my top 5 of all time) but I just didn't get that authentic feeling here. I did get a certain feeling of nausea though, so that's something. The shooter aspect feels clunky and poorly implemented. The weapons are authentic and well-imaged, but after all that melee fighting, shooting seems oddly anticlimactic.
I suppose I should mention the big central mechanic of "Mental Echo." Your character has the ability to touch a dead person and go back in time to the moment they died, and control their actions to avoid the mistake that cost them their lives." Sometimes, this is as simply as "don't grab obviously electrified fire axe until you shut off the current, stupid," which makes me wonder if you're undoing some perfectly good evolution, but I have to admit that the mechanic actually works rather well, if you can ignore the massive amounts of resultant paradox. When you finish a Mental Echo section, the body will be gone and the character you saved will have changed something in the past, such as unlocking a door or repairing a machine, that will allow you to proceed. It's clever, but not enough to elevate this game out of "meh" territory. 2 Megafonzies. Go play Breakdown or Condemned.
It's not that Cryostasis is bad, per se, it's just painfully mediocre every step of the way. The story revolves around how a nuclear icebreaker crashed and got stranded in the Arctic, and it's actually very interesting. What the story does not ever do, however, is make any attempt whatsoever at explaining why there are monsters everywhere. The combat is about 50/50 between shooting and melee. The melee game is a bold attempt to break free from the typical Half Life method of "hold attack until your enemy falls over," but I'd view it with more equanimity if this exact thing had not already been done better by Condemned, Chronicles of Riddick, Breakdown, Zeno Clash, and Mirror's Edge.
The melee game achieves that visceral feeling that it was going for, but at the cost of so much disorientation to the player. The camera stays with the main character's eyes, and he tends to swing his head around a lot while he fights. Sometimes this kind of disorientation is good, because it adds a level of realism; I liked the disorientation in Breakdown. Maybe I'm playing favorites (Breakdown is probably one of my top 5 of all time) but I just didn't get that authentic feeling here. I did get a certain feeling of nausea though, so that's something. The shooter aspect feels clunky and poorly implemented. The weapons are authentic and well-imaged, but after all that melee fighting, shooting seems oddly anticlimactic.
I suppose I should mention the big central mechanic of "Mental Echo." Your character has the ability to touch a dead person and go back in time to the moment they died, and control their actions to avoid the mistake that cost them their lives." Sometimes, this is as simply as "don't grab obviously electrified fire axe until you shut off the current, stupid," which makes me wonder if you're undoing some perfectly good evolution, but I have to admit that the mechanic actually works rather well, if you can ignore the massive amounts of resultant paradox. When you finish a Mental Echo section, the body will be gone and the character you saved will have changed something in the past, such as unlocking a door or repairing a machine, that will allow you to proceed. It's clever, but not enough to elevate this game out of "meh" territory. 2 Megafonzies. Go play Breakdown or Condemned.
Friday, May 15, 2009
This Show would be historically accurate, if History was more awesome.
Sengoku is a word used to reference Japan's Age of Warring States, a very bloody and violent time proceeding the fall of the Ashikage Shogunate. It was comprised of nearly 150 years of wars involving numerous factions all vying for power.
When an entire nation of people start stabbing themselves over conflicting political ideologies, it can be a bit embarrassing. The standard method of compensating for this is to romanticize the period has much as fucking possible. Think of our Civil War, for example. Well, this civil war lasted a century and a half, so it takes a LOT of romanticizing. We're talking dozens of video games. Movies and books as well, I'm sure.
One of those video games, called Sengoku Basara ("Devil Kings" in the US) has been made into an anime. This anime particularly follows the "heroes" of the various sides of the conflicts. They are called "heroes" because their boundless passions enabled them to gather huge numbers of followers, and defeat countless enemies by themselves. Well, their boundless passion, and their giant robot suits, various ninjutsu skills, and ability to spit balls of fire and bolts of lightning from their weapons; those things helped as well. This "historical account" (imagine those quotation marks being at about twice the normal font size) is as heavily stylized, as it is heavily awesome. One guy fights with six katanas at once, and modifies his horses to have motorcycle handlebars instead of reigns. Another dude makes tornadoes with his axe, and rather than ride a single horse, he rides two at once (one foot in each saddle, like horseshoes). Romantic conversations are carried on while stabbing people.
This might not be how it actually happened, but it damn well ought to be.
When an entire nation of people start stabbing themselves over conflicting political ideologies, it can be a bit embarrassing. The standard method of compensating for this is to romanticize the period has much as fucking possible. Think of our Civil War, for example. Well, this civil war lasted a century and a half, so it takes a LOT of romanticizing. We're talking dozens of video games. Movies and books as well, I'm sure.
One of those video games, called Sengoku Basara ("Devil Kings" in the US) has been made into an anime. This anime particularly follows the "heroes" of the various sides of the conflicts. They are called "heroes" because their boundless passions enabled them to gather huge numbers of followers, and defeat countless enemies by themselves. Well, their boundless passion, and their giant robot suits, various ninjutsu skills, and ability to spit balls of fire and bolts of lightning from their weapons; those things helped as well. This "historical account" (imagine those quotation marks being at about twice the normal font size) is as heavily stylized, as it is heavily awesome. One guy fights with six katanas at once, and modifies his horses to have motorcycle handlebars instead of reigns. Another dude makes tornadoes with his axe, and rather than ride a single horse, he rides two at once (one foot in each saddle, like horseshoes). Romantic conversations are carried on while stabbing people.
This might not be how it actually happened, but it damn well ought to be.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Down where it's Wetter! Down where it's Better!
So among my new acquisitions the other day was an absolute gem called Aquaria. Aquaria is the story of a young girl (who happens to be a fish) who can alter reality through song. She has the ability to feel the "verse" of the universe which flows through all living things, and she can sing in harmony with it to achieve various effects like telekinesis and laser beams. She's also extremely nimble and can flip around like nobody's business. So basically, she's like a singing jedi. Who is also a fish; that part's kind of important.
The game is 2D with 3D graphics, cell-shaded, and nothing that will tax your PC. In fact, I bet my old PC could have run this. All the same, the artwork is astounding, and the level design is fascinating. The music is top-notch as well.
In terms of gameplay, it's like a cross between Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and Ecco the Dolphin. Being underwater, you can swim in any direction, and you can get speed boosts by kicking off of walls (this comes heavily into play in combat). To sing, you have to stop moving and actually hit the various notes. It takes no musical talent and is extremely easy if you can remember the note combinations, but it can get difficult to perform some of the more complex melodies in the middle of a fight. When a lot of attacks are coming at you at once, dropping what your doing, holding still, and inputting the musical combination for a shield spell takes a fast and steady mousehand.
The story is good. The graphical design makes me feel like I'm swimming through a painting. The music is soothing and encourages exploration (try to imagine the underwater levels in Metroid). The voice actor for the main character does an excellent job. The gameplay is different from anything I've ever played. I guess what I'm saying is I really like this game.
The game does tend to suffer from a common indie-title condition, known as "we worked really hard making a big beautiful world for you to explore, and now damn you, you're going to freaking explore it," which is to say that you are given virtually no hints regarding where to go at the start of the game, and will wander the ocean for quite some time, running into various dead ends, most of which will actually become passageways to later areas, once you obtain the necessary skills to overcome the obstructions. One VERY important suggestion to anyone playing this game: Your (surprisingly well-done) map system allows you to drop map markers, and it also lets you tag those markers with text of your choosing. Whenever you encounter something that seems unusual, especially at what seems to be a dead end, take a couple of seconds to mark the position on your map, and leave a brief description of what you found there. Chances are that at some point, you'll want to return later when you've acquired some new skills.
At $20, Aquaria is a little steep for a 2D adventure, but I think I got my money's worth.
[EDIT: So, apparently Aquaria actually came out in 2007. It was recently (I think) placed on Steam, leading me to believe that it was a new title. But no, year and a half old.]
The game is 2D with 3D graphics, cell-shaded, and nothing that will tax your PC. In fact, I bet my old PC could have run this. All the same, the artwork is astounding, and the level design is fascinating. The music is top-notch as well.
In terms of gameplay, it's like a cross between Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and Ecco the Dolphin. Being underwater, you can swim in any direction, and you can get speed boosts by kicking off of walls (this comes heavily into play in combat). To sing, you have to stop moving and actually hit the various notes. It takes no musical talent and is extremely easy if you can remember the note combinations, but it can get difficult to perform some of the more complex melodies in the middle of a fight. When a lot of attacks are coming at you at once, dropping what your doing, holding still, and inputting the musical combination for a shield spell takes a fast and steady mousehand.
The story is good. The graphical design makes me feel like I'm swimming through a painting. The music is soothing and encourages exploration (try to imagine the underwater levels in Metroid). The voice actor for the main character does an excellent job. The gameplay is different from anything I've ever played. I guess what I'm saying is I really like this game.
The game does tend to suffer from a common indie-title condition, known as "we worked really hard making a big beautiful world for you to explore, and now damn you, you're going to freaking explore it," which is to say that you are given virtually no hints regarding where to go at the start of the game, and will wander the ocean for quite some time, running into various dead ends, most of which will actually become passageways to later areas, once you obtain the necessary skills to overcome the obstructions. One VERY important suggestion to anyone playing this game: Your (surprisingly well-done) map system allows you to drop map markers, and it also lets you tag those markers with text of your choosing. Whenever you encounter something that seems unusual, especially at what seems to be a dead end, take a couple of seconds to mark the position on your map, and leave a brief description of what you found there. Chances are that at some point, you'll want to return later when you've acquired some new skills.
At $20, Aquaria is a little steep for a 2D adventure, but I think I got my money's worth.
[EDIT: So, apparently Aquaria actually came out in 2007. It was recently (I think) placed on Steam, leading me to believe that it was a new title. But no, year and a half old.]
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Unmatched Generosity
I am such a great guy. I mean seriously, I'm so good to me.
I don't really have much money to spare, and yet I still stole 45 dollars from myself today and bought a couple of games on Steam. I mean, the charity of buying me presents like that, when I really can't afford it, is just something to commend me for. Thanks, me. Thanks a bunch.
I don't really have much money to spare, and yet I still stole 45 dollars from myself today and bought a couple of games on Steam. I mean, the charity of buying me presents like that, when I really can't afford it, is just something to commend me for. Thanks, me. Thanks a bunch.
Prince of Persia, starring Jake Gylenhaal's Abs!
If you're a gamer, then ever since the Mario Bros movie came out over a decade ago, you've been waiting for years to see the day when somebody makes a good video game movie. There have been quite a few failed attempts, even if you don't count Uwe Boll (I swear he's doing it on purpose), and most of us have lost hope at this point.
And yet, every time we hear about something that might get made in the next four or five years, there's that little voice that goes "hey, have some faith. Maybe they'll get it right this time!"
Two years ago, a little birdie told me that Prince of Persia: Sands of Time was getting made into a movie. The below link will take you to a brief interview with the director about the film, which is in post-production and comes out next year. It seems to have a bit of a budget, as well as Jake Gylenhall.
Most of what's said in this interview concerns me. They seem to be talking excitedly about how they're planning to follow the routine conventions and take no risks whatsoever.
On the other hand, some of the fight scenes look like they could be good, the set actually looks really impressive, and it seems that the people making the movie are seriously dedicated to making it good.
[labored sigh] I always get my hopes up, and they are always dashed. Already the cycle begins to repeat. But hey, maybe they'll get it right this time?
http://kotaku.com/5248168/ogle-chesty-jake-in-this-prince-of-persia-movie-footage
Overly elaborate automated traps, sand monsters, copious amounts of acrobatics (preferably several hundred feet off the ground with a breathtaking view of a destroyed city in the background), and some good sword fights. I am asking for that much, because those were all it took to make the games great. Incidentally, I consider the PoP trilogy (as a whole) to have been one of the best game series in the last console generation, despite some severe flaws.
And yet, every time we hear about something that might get made in the next four or five years, there's that little voice that goes "hey, have some faith. Maybe they'll get it right this time!"
Two years ago, a little birdie told me that Prince of Persia: Sands of Time was getting made into a movie. The below link will take you to a brief interview with the director about the film, which is in post-production and comes out next year. It seems to have a bit of a budget, as well as Jake Gylenhall.
Most of what's said in this interview concerns me. They seem to be talking excitedly about how they're planning to follow the routine conventions and take no risks whatsoever.
On the other hand, some of the fight scenes look like they could be good, the set actually looks really impressive, and it seems that the people making the movie are seriously dedicated to making it good.
[labored sigh] I always get my hopes up, and they are always dashed. Already the cycle begins to repeat. But hey, maybe they'll get it right this time?
http://kotaku.com/5248168/ogle-chesty-jake-in-this-prince-of-persia-movie-footage
Overly elaborate automated traps, sand monsters, copious amounts of acrobatics (preferably several hundred feet off the ground with a breathtaking view of a destroyed city in the background), and some good sword fights. I am asking for that much, because those were all it took to make the games great. Incidentally, I consider the PoP trilogy (as a whole) to have been one of the best game series in the last console generation, despite some severe flaws.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Dada Daa Da Duh
A few days back, I watched Jurassic Park again. And you know what, those still look like real fucking dinosaurs. Long after the kung fu in the matrix stopped looking like magic and started looking like photoshopped ripple effects, Spielberg's dino-fest still looks freaking awesome.
Still, on an island full of natural prey, why are the T-rex and Velociraptors so hell-bent on eating these people? I mean, you actually see the T-rex drop a Gallimimus to check and see if there's a child-McNugget behidn a log. I mean seriously, the three people combined probably don't weigh more than that meal he just dropped, and several more of the buggers had stopped to watch him eat.
Awesome movie, but I think Spielberg overestimated just how much these creatures would have cared that there were people running around. Still, just in case he was right, Raptor-proof your home today!
Still, on an island full of natural prey, why are the T-rex and Velociraptors so hell-bent on eating these people? I mean, you actually see the T-rex drop a Gallimimus to check and see if there's a child-McNugget behidn a log. I mean seriously, the three people combined probably don't weigh more than that meal he just dropped, and several more of the buggers had stopped to watch him eat.
Awesome movie, but I think Spielberg overestimated just how much these creatures would have cared that there were people running around. Still, just in case he was right, Raptor-proof your home today!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Dear Webcomic Authors...
I put forward the following, simple plea to all webcomics out there. Particularly, the young ones that have not yet built up a large archive.
When denoting addresses for your comics, please use a numerical numbering system, instead of a date-based one. Date-based record-keeping is fine for a visually interactive database (such as your archives page) but when it's text-based (i.e. trying to find the page you want by editing the text in the address bar) sequential filing makes a LOT more sense.
When denoting addresses for your comics, please use a numerical numbering system, instead of a date-based one. Date-based record-keeping is fine for a visually interactive database (such as your archives page) but when it's text-based (i.e. trying to find the page you want by editing the text in the address bar) sequential filing makes a LOT more sense.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Losing my Relig... oh wait. There it is.
So finals are over. I'd say thank God, but I've been particularly sketchy on what/if I believe regarding a higher power these days. I have always had a feeling that there is something up there, but for many years now, I've been rather vague as to what or whom.
Agnosticism is, in my opinion, the closest thing to right a person can be when it comes to picking a religion. To state with any level of certainty that there is nothing is no less a leap of faith than any other religion, and short of God himself revealing it to you (yeah, suuuuure He did) it's highly unlikely that any of the particular faiths got it just right, much less that you chanced upon the correct one. Still, agnosticism leaves one very frustrated when you need to say a quick prayer to someone, ask for a blessing, or just plain thank the heavens for your good fortune. If you default to a particular god, it feels like I'm committing a heresy against agnosticism. If you just pray to "whoever," I have a hard time believing "whoever" is up there is going to be especially persuaded. "Dear what's-your-name, please help me pass my accounting test tomorrow, Amen." I mean, if I was an all-powerful deity and my subjects couldn't even be bothered to guess my name, I doubt I could be bothered to alter reality in their favor. I wouldn't do favors for friends when they can't remember my name, why would I do it for my subjects?
And so, I think I'm going to start my own religion. I'm at least 20% serious here. It might drop to 10% after lunch, I'm not sure yet.
In Accounting, everything has always been about balance. It's an impossibly intricate system in which every action demands an equal and opposite reaction, thus necessitating a perfect balance at all times. Imbalances simply cannot happen in Accounting. This is not to say that it's against the rules for there to be no balance, as it is to say that it is impossible. If things in an accounting system do not appear to balance, then you have erred. The balance is there, it's always there, you've simply failed to properly measure things. It is no more possible for your debits to be unequal to your credits than for a large mass in space to naturally repel smaller masses rather than attract them.
Accounting is, for most intents and purposes, a theoretical, rather than a physical science. It measures something that is not tangible. Physics, chemistry, and even psychology, for example, are attempts by humanity to define in human terms the reality of what is going on. What is going on, in these cases, is always physical. Accounting is an attempt to express, in human terms, what is going on, but it's not physically happening. While it's true that some assets (like a building) have a physical form, we are not measuring anything physical about that asset. We are not measuring it's weight, or it's size, but rather it's worth. We are measuring what this asset could yield, what a liability could cost, or what assets and liability unit of equity entitles the holder to. We are measuring something that, while it has no physical form, truly impacts the physical world every day. If the dollar were to lose all its value, an accounting system that measures in dollars would naturally adjust itself to represent this change (for example, a physical asset would be worth more dollars, because dollars are worth less but the asset's physical worth remains unchanged). In other words, we are measuring power.
Thus far, accounting is the science of studying the power of wealth. But I imagine the most basic principle of balance can be applied to power in all its forms. In all systems, there is a balance. the power of wealth is a man-made system, and is therefore incredibly simple, relatively speaking. There are only two sides which must balance, and a finite number of forces that can act upon the balance. As hard as it is to understand even this simple system, it is an immensely rudimentary facsimile of more complicated systems, like ecosystems, or the universe itself.
Yes, that's right, the universe itself is a system of perpetual balance. Perpetual meaning that at no point is there an imbalance. It's not that when one thing acts to change that balance, another thing acts to readjust it, but rather that actions and there associated reactions occur simultaneously. Whenever one thing happens, something else happens not in response, but in tandem, to maintain the perpetual balance. This balance could no more be upset than the very laws of reality could shift and readjust themselves. It's not a question of probability or the lack of sufficient force, but rather it is a logical impossibility.
This is the Great Balance, in which we all have some amount of weight, both through our physical forms, our actions, and even our thoughts and beliefs. Everything that we do has a reaction, and everything that happens has happened as part of a balance. Although you most assuredly can impact the world around you, events of "chance" are simply the random result of the universe maintaining itself. All the other forces within the system go through various actions, and the concurrent reactions are what resulted in the world being the way it is.
So from now on, when the machinations of the Great Balance are in my favor, I shall be grateful to the Balance. When they oppose me, I shall curse It, if I'm feeling cheeky. This does not provide an ideal answer to my afore-mentioned troubles, as the Great Balance is more of a natural state of things than a sentient god, but all things considered, that doesn't necessarily make it any less likely to care.
And, with all that in mind, I'd like to say. Fuck the Balance, because I didn't get my 3.5 GPA.
This has been,
B.S.
PS: There were no spelling errors to correct when I finished this post, and this post was highlighting the potential existence of a higher power. Coincidence? I think so.
[EDIT: damn you Kurt. Damn you and your keen sense of grammar.]
Agnosticism is, in my opinion, the closest thing to right a person can be when it comes to picking a religion. To state with any level of certainty that there is nothing is no less a leap of faith than any other religion, and short of God himself revealing it to you (yeah, suuuuure He did) it's highly unlikely that any of the particular faiths got it just right, much less that you chanced upon the correct one. Still, agnosticism leaves one very frustrated when you need to say a quick prayer to someone, ask for a blessing, or just plain thank the heavens for your good fortune. If you default to a particular god, it feels like I'm committing a heresy against agnosticism. If you just pray to "whoever," I have a hard time believing "whoever" is up there is going to be especially persuaded. "Dear what's-your-name, please help me pass my accounting test tomorrow, Amen." I mean, if I was an all-powerful deity and my subjects couldn't even be bothered to guess my name, I doubt I could be bothered to alter reality in their favor. I wouldn't do favors for friends when they can't remember my name, why would I do it for my subjects?
And so, I think I'm going to start my own religion. I'm at least 20% serious here. It might drop to 10% after lunch, I'm not sure yet.
In Accounting, everything has always been about balance. It's an impossibly intricate system in which every action demands an equal and opposite reaction, thus necessitating a perfect balance at all times. Imbalances simply cannot happen in Accounting. This is not to say that it's against the rules for there to be no balance, as it is to say that it is impossible. If things in an accounting system do not appear to balance, then you have erred. The balance is there, it's always there, you've simply failed to properly measure things. It is no more possible for your debits to be unequal to your credits than for a large mass in space to naturally repel smaller masses rather than attract them.
Accounting is, for most intents and purposes, a theoretical, rather than a physical science. It measures something that is not tangible. Physics, chemistry, and even psychology, for example, are attempts by humanity to define in human terms the reality of what is going on. What is going on, in these cases, is always physical. Accounting is an attempt to express, in human terms, what is going on, but it's not physically happening. While it's true that some assets (like a building) have a physical form, we are not measuring anything physical about that asset. We are not measuring it's weight, or it's size, but rather it's worth. We are measuring what this asset could yield, what a liability could cost, or what assets and liability unit of equity entitles the holder to. We are measuring something that, while it has no physical form, truly impacts the physical world every day. If the dollar were to lose all its value, an accounting system that measures in dollars would naturally adjust itself to represent this change (for example, a physical asset would be worth more dollars, because dollars are worth less but the asset's physical worth remains unchanged). In other words, we are measuring power.
Thus far, accounting is the science of studying the power of wealth. But I imagine the most basic principle of balance can be applied to power in all its forms. In all systems, there is a balance. the power of wealth is a man-made system, and is therefore incredibly simple, relatively speaking. There are only two sides which must balance, and a finite number of forces that can act upon the balance. As hard as it is to understand even this simple system, it is an immensely rudimentary facsimile of more complicated systems, like ecosystems, or the universe itself.
Yes, that's right, the universe itself is a system of perpetual balance. Perpetual meaning that at no point is there an imbalance. It's not that when one thing acts to change that balance, another thing acts to readjust it, but rather that actions and there associated reactions occur simultaneously. Whenever one thing happens, something else happens not in response, but in tandem, to maintain the perpetual balance. This balance could no more be upset than the very laws of reality could shift and readjust themselves. It's not a question of probability or the lack of sufficient force, but rather it is a logical impossibility.
This is the Great Balance, in which we all have some amount of weight, both through our physical forms, our actions, and even our thoughts and beliefs. Everything that we do has a reaction, and everything that happens has happened as part of a balance. Although you most assuredly can impact the world around you, events of "chance" are simply the random result of the universe maintaining itself. All the other forces within the system go through various actions, and the concurrent reactions are what resulted in the world being the way it is.
So from now on, when the machinations of the Great Balance are in my favor, I shall be grateful to the Balance. When they oppose me, I shall curse It, if I'm feeling cheeky. This does not provide an ideal answer to my afore-mentioned troubles, as the Great Balance is more of a natural state of things than a sentient god, but all things considered, that doesn't necessarily make it any less likely to care.
And, with all that in mind, I'd like to say. Fuck the Balance, because I didn't get my 3.5 GPA.
This has been,
B.S.
PS: There were no spelling errors to correct when I finished this post, and this post was highlighting the potential existence of a higher power. Coincidence? I think so.
[EDIT: damn you Kurt. Damn you and your keen sense of grammar.]
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Red Sandbox
So last night, I took a break from studying and fired up the free demo for Red Faction: Guerilla. I think it is important to say, before discussing the game, that I was actually a bit disappointed at first. I've been looking forward to this title for more than a year, mostly because I think that the geo-mod concept (I'll explain that shortly) is a long overdue innovation. Obviously, the game wasn't going to live up to a year's worth of being hyped up in my own mind, and it didn't. It did, however, deliver everything it promised and then some, and once I brought my sky-high standards down a bit, I had a darn good time with the demo.
So what's it like? Think GTA. On Mars. With a 100% destructible environment. And the police are always after you. And there are a lot more explosions.
Frankly, I think I need to go into a bit more detail on the 100% destructible environment thing. I’m not sure you’re getting me here. 100%. Everything can be broken. And that's not like every building has a health meter, and if you damage it enough it will come crumbling down, oh no. If struck with enough force (preferably a vehicle collision or a remote charge, but a sledgehammer works just fine in a pinch) absolutely anything in the game will break. Basically, you hit a building’s wall with a sledgehammer or car, and you will eventually bust a hole in that wall. The building stands up in accordance with a physics engine, so if you break enough of the walls on the first floor, there is nothing to support the roof, and it will collapse under its own weight. Bringing the building down is not so much a function of doing "enough" damage, but taking out the support structure and letting science do the real legwork.
Now, at first I thought it was awfully strange how much I had to bust out a building’s support structure to get it to fall over. I mean, I’d say around 50-60% of the first floor of a 1-story building had to be taken out to get the roof to collapse. But I recently realized something that actually helps that make sense. Mars has approximately 38% of Earth’s gravity. The buildings are usually comprised of very thick stone walls with sound structural integrity, and the demo didn’t feature a lot of top-heavy buildings (i.e. buildings with multiple stories). Also, once you hop into your giant walking death machine (fun fact: in Red Faction, mining vehicles are infinitely superior to military vehicles in every way) it’s just plain awesome how quickly things fall down. The way you can swat tanks aside and knock over buildings is reminiscent of Rampage for the old 8-bit.
As much fun as it is, I worry that, eventually, knocking things over and killing lots and lots of people might get old. At some point, I can see myself saying “eh, you’ve seen one skyscraper come tumbling to the ground, you’ve seen them all.” Although, in a couple weeks when the game comes out, I am going to bet $60 that it will take a long time for me to say that.
Another thing about this game is that it looks to be very much a sandbox. If GTA was just plain boring to you, then you might not be totally stoked about this. Alternatively, if you love sandbox titles and destroying things, then this will light your ass on fire, Theo.
I strongly recommend at least giving the demo a whirl. It costs nothing. Do give it some time, because the controls feel quite awkward at first. You get used to them after a while.
So what's it like? Think GTA. On Mars. With a 100% destructible environment. And the police are always after you. And there are a lot more explosions.
Frankly, I think I need to go into a bit more detail on the 100% destructible environment thing. I’m not sure you’re getting me here. 100%. Everything can be broken. And that's not like every building has a health meter, and if you damage it enough it will come crumbling down, oh no. If struck with enough force (preferably a vehicle collision or a remote charge, but a sledgehammer works just fine in a pinch) absolutely anything in the game will break. Basically, you hit a building’s wall with a sledgehammer or car, and you will eventually bust a hole in that wall. The building stands up in accordance with a physics engine, so if you break enough of the walls on the first floor, there is nothing to support the roof, and it will collapse under its own weight. Bringing the building down is not so much a function of doing "enough" damage, but taking out the support structure and letting science do the real legwork.
Now, at first I thought it was awfully strange how much I had to bust out a building’s support structure to get it to fall over. I mean, I’d say around 50-60% of the first floor of a 1-story building had to be taken out to get the roof to collapse. But I recently realized something that actually helps that make sense. Mars has approximately 38% of Earth’s gravity. The buildings are usually comprised of very thick stone walls with sound structural integrity, and the demo didn’t feature a lot of top-heavy buildings (i.e. buildings with multiple stories). Also, once you hop into your giant walking death machine (fun fact: in Red Faction, mining vehicles are infinitely superior to military vehicles in every way) it’s just plain awesome how quickly things fall down. The way you can swat tanks aside and knock over buildings is reminiscent of Rampage for the old 8-bit.
As much fun as it is, I worry that, eventually, knocking things over and killing lots and lots of people might get old. At some point, I can see myself saying “eh, you’ve seen one skyscraper come tumbling to the ground, you’ve seen them all.” Although, in a couple weeks when the game comes out, I am going to bet $60 that it will take a long time for me to say that.
Another thing about this game is that it looks to be very much a sandbox. If GTA was just plain boring to you, then you might not be totally stoked about this. Alternatively, if you love sandbox titles and destroying things, then this will light your ass on fire, Theo.
I strongly recommend at least giving the demo a whirl. It costs nothing. Do give it some time, because the controls feel quite awkward at first. You get used to them after a while.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Tweet on this, you Commie Son of a Bitch!
A series of slightly humorous, completely unrelated things that I'd have blogged about over the past few weeks if I had time.
- My desk is now a fortress. I have arranged two monitors, my speakers, my computer's case, a coffee tin, and a lamp in such a manner that my cat is completely unable to get up here and climb all over my keyboard. This took forever, but I think I've finally got it to where it's impenetrable.
EDIT: Nevermind. Somehow he hurdled the monitor fence. Stupid ninja-cat... - Terra drew me a picture of a fairy riding a unicorn, which is stabbing a care-bear. It is awesome, and is now taped to the side of my PC so I can look at it whenever I'm feeling down.
- I've said it once before but it bears repeating: I have a new PC, and it is glorious.
- Despite a concerted effort, I am utterly unable to convince Windows Media Player that Blind Satellite's "Flight School" is, in fact, not performed by Voices of Masada, and does not belong on the Dark Awakening, Vol. 5 album. Windows Media player continually renames the the song Flight, and claims that it was composed by Leydon, Martin, and Shah. I cannot seem to reorganize it under a different album, no matter how many times I edit or redownload it.
- [two witty and poignant cents in on the gay rights/religion debate on Kurtharsis]
- A little while back, I learned how to say "crossdresser" in sign language, when I saw a crossdresser walk past a deaf couple.
- The weather sure has been nice lately
- I met Theo's new lady-friend. She is quite the hip individual. 4.6 Megafonzies.
- I should be studying right now
- I've been going to quite a bit of theater lately. I saw Arabian Nights (awesome) and Winesburg
- Note for the above: The version of Bare that I saw was without any nudity. And this isn't like the time I didn't notice the blue wang in Watchmen, there really weren't any exposed penises. I have confirmed this.
- L4D is qutie entertaining, now that I have a PC that can run it, but the lag I experience makes it border on unplayable. I'll be almost done healing myself, then a half second of lag will make me start all over. Or I'll be the one responsible for holding a particular bottleneck for the rescue, and then suddenly the screen will freeze for a few seconds, and then there's 50 zombies through the window. It doesn't happen often, maybe 2-3 times per play-through, but it's all manner of annoying.
- For the first time ever, I'm seeing how Twitter might have been useful to me at some point.
- I should really be studying now.
- When my PC crashed last month, I lost all my music. We're talking like 6 gigs of music. I now have almost nothing. If I manage to visit STL in the Summer, and I bring my PC, I hope somebody can help me fix that.
- [something clever about this whole pig flu thing]
-
I recently cracked Fallout 3 back open, and played through the Operation: - In case you didn't hear me the first time, watch There Will Be Brawl right freaking now.
Okay, I think I'm done.
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