Take 3? 4?

So, my blog eh?

I really should use it more often.

Vintage Nocturnal Rambling this, being it's 530 in the morning.

Bar some typos and loose writing, I'm quite liking some of the stuff written here, which is nice, 3 years down the track.

Super.

I still need to fix the links.

Getting back in the swing of things

I have no idea what to write here. I'm scattered from the heat, and just trying to get back into the semi habit of blogging.

I started the blog as a way of passing the time on night shift. That role got filled by the Edge Forum:

http://forum.edge-online.co.uk/viewforum.php?f=3&sid=53ae13bebc46a0c1410787a7ee9fd19d

I'll try and work out how to neaten these links at some point. If anyone wants to post a comment explaining it in layman's terms, feel free.

Anyhoo, the Edge forum is a fun little experience. I have no idea if it would be entertaining for a non videogamer, but there's a bunch of interesting characters there, and some very nice people. Some crazies and a bit of everything. It's kept me mostly sane through some otherwise boring/harrowing night shifts, I can tell you. It's also added a great deal of fun to my online gaming.

Online forums are a strange phenomenon as it is. I'm gonna write something more comprehensive on the subject next week. For now, back to Edge. My tag on there is Facewon.

I'm back!

Well, quake in your boots, fellow bloggers, 'cause I'm back and blogging. That will possibly be exciting for about 3 people. But, I almost promise, I will try and be more interesting and regular from now on. Hi Rush! look! A new Blog entry.

Hello Edgers, if you're here. A couple of you have contacted me about stuff I've written here. Always surprised when that happens! 'Sup Hyde and Subatai!

I think my first proper ne Blog may be about the Edge forum. Wonder if I can set up hotlinks in this post? I'm sure I can. I'm just used to forum ish. Oh the joys of the learning curve!

Anyhoo. At work, very Nocturnal ramble and very tired!

Purely to find my site again...

So I can' remember my own website address, but I have blogger in my fav's, so here is a very exciting post about nothing in the interests of finding my site again. I'm so 'puter literate. Peace Out.

Personal Space

I'll endeavor to make this a semi-coherent post, but please bare in mind that this will be a particularly nocturnal and rambling Nocturnal Rambling. I've just moved house in the last week, and have noticed what a difference the new surroundings have made to my mood. It has made me appreciate the affect our surroundings and the spaces we occupy can have on us. In hindsight, I realise what a shit hole of a house my former residence was (When you're excited because the new place doesn't have a shower curtain, but a sliding glass door, you know you were living in a dump).

To cut a long story short, the new house is nice, freshly painted, spacious and just plain comfortable, and I have the main bedroom, so I have heaps of space. Now that we're in I find myself with more energy when I wake up, I feel motivated, I'm exercising, I'm looking forward to finishing up the set up so we have the gym set up properly out the back. Even though the walk to the station is slightly longer it feels better and it doesn't bother me. New house, new space, new scenery.

I've headed to work each night this week feeling absolutely fantastic, and then the other end of the space factor kicks in. The office here is the same, and the feeling of same shit different day is palpable. Good mood gone instantly.

Fitting somewhere into this monologue is the new Spencer St station. It has a new fancy roof that covers the whole shooting match instead of just the platforms, and moving from platform to platform is now somewhat of a spectacular adventure, the view is rather impressive. It makes me think that despite the costs involved in such projects, and the fact that this one has gone over budget and been controversial, that it is always worth the effort to update and improve public spaces. Surely the psychology behind my improved demeanor in a new house translates to the general populace, and new landmarks and public spaces are important for the mood of a city.

Anyhoo, I thoroughly condone moving house. It has done wonders for me, if you're out there, thinking about it. Get it on! Change is a good thing. If you can't move, invest in improving or changing your set up at home. "A change is as good as a holiday."

Apologies to any one expecting an entertaining read, this is a particularly boring Nocturnal Rambling, but it has served it's purpose of wasting time for me at work, so Ner!

GATCHAMAN!!!!

Holy fuckballs Batman! Or Gatchaman to be more precise. Anyone of my vintage, give or take, will remember an awesome cartoon that used to run on channel 2 in the arvos in the early 80's called Battle of the Planets (You may also know it as G-Force). It was a totally sick show, but there is a complex story behind the episodes we saw and what the Japanese saw. The original Japanese series was called Gatchaman and had 105 eps. It ran for ages in the 70's and was on in prime time. It had a much darker adult feel than the show we got. Anyhoo, for the first time the original series is on DVD and translated for American release. So I've ordered them and I'm Uber-excited.

Check this link. And if anyone is up on new school manga, I'm looking for a long series to sink my teeth into, pointers would be great....

http://www.vacuform.com/Gatchaman/

Halo

Well, I really had to have a post about this game at some point didn't I? Those who know me know I spend a fair bit of time in front of the box with my joystick (nudge, nudge, wink, wink), and when I do, Halo is frequently my game of choice. It has been for many a year too. It was one of the first games I got for the system and it's still going strong. Why? I hear you ask....
As with most good things it's simple ideas combined and executed well. For those of you not up to speed with video games, it's a First Person Shooter (FPS), with a sci-fi story. If you're really not up to speed, a FPS means that you view the game through the eyes of the main character, so you can't see who you're controlling on screen (and you have to shoot stuff, der!)
The first thing the game gets right is the shooting of stuff. This may sound blisteringly obvious, but this has tripped up many an FPS. The basic rule for making shooting stuff fun is: If the player points at stuff and it looks like the shot should hit, it will hit. Halo gets this pretty much right. It also gets a whole lot of other stuff right with the basic shooting of stuff. If you shoot an enemy in the head it's worse news than hitting them in the arm or shoulder or where ever; again, seems like a no brainer, but again, many games have fallen at this simple hurdle. The animations for each of the enemies when they get hit in specific spots are also top notch, and more useful for understanding what damage you are doing than any health bar could be.
Then you've got all the guns, the other important part in FPS's. Halo has the best gun balance in any game ever. By balance I mean there is no single gun that dominates all the others (There is no "find rocket launcher, win" stylies here). Every gun has it's strengths and weaknesses, every gun serves a purpose against different enemies. So the game becomes an elaborate rock-paper-scissors puzzle. As well as shooting stuff you get to drive stuff, fly stuff, and generally run stuff over, it's great, and the controls are intuitively implemented. That combined with great in-game physics, make for varied, fun gameplay.

Of course, the other thing that sets Halo apart is the way it tells it's story. It is fairly typical SF fodder, but is told with minimal cinematics, tongue slightly in cheek, and with excellent voice acting (really excellent, actually; genuinely funny lines, well delivered).

I remember watching an interview with one of the lead programmers talking about the beginnings of the game and their mindset making it. The basic principle was to create 30 seconds of gameplay that is really fucking fun - then repeat. They succeeded whole heartedly, The enemy AI, physics engine and copious and easily accessible grenades (plasma grenades are particularly fun) make running into a room full of covenant (the bad guys) an absolute thrill, even after so many games, I still see new carnage every time I play, a plasma will fluke onto the head of someone and reek new havoc. So much fun. Plus you can play the single player game with two people (even more fun!)

And I haven't even mentioned multiplayer yet. Get a few friends around and there is years worth of entertainment.

Anyhoo, back to work for me.