Month: January 2006

I like Teamspeak, it’s a many to many voice communication thingummy that lets groups of people talk to each other online. Extremely useful for gaming as it means you don’t have to type things in and you don’t have to have a chat window open either.

Anyway, had Aginoth and Mrs A on there last night, running a Civ4 game as well and today I had Widget from Eve on there too. Widget is played by a very good friend from uni. Might even restart my World of Warcraft addiction by moving to his server.

(breakout – Bloody hell Claudia Black is hot. Watching the Stargate SG1 episode that introduces Vala)

Back to Eve – I’ve got to the point where I can ditch the starter ship in exchange for something far, far better. Merlin class frigate called Iceberg which lasted about 30 minutes before being blown out from under me by a pirate player. Ah well … Widget bought me a new one.

(Claudia Black is really hot) Glad I taped this SG1 episode – I’ve been ignoring the Channel 4 ones because they’re a season back on what’s on Sky. But Vala is definitely worth it. Might need a cold shower in a bit.

Saw this one on Mrs A’s Blog and couldn’t resist nicking it …

Here’s the original : The musings of a juggling mother: A new year meme

1. What did you do in 2005 that you’d never done before?
Visit a different continent – the USA

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don’t tend to make resolutions at a certain time of the year, but I do try setting targets for myself. The target for now is to get ready for a better season this summer, which means being ok to bowl, which also means losing a little weight (only about a stone).

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Heh – Mrs A – the person who I nicked this Meme idea from !

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, unless you count the numerous times I killed off my World of Warcraft characters … (probably doesn’t count !)

5. What countries did you visit?
USA and Scotland. Hey ! When you don’t go to that many other countries, you have to include the really close ones ! Forgot Wales – visited there as well.

6. What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005?
Company.

7. What dates from 2005 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
June. See above …

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Highest score batting – only 40 but it’s improving … Would have liked to get a bowling average under 20 as well (I should average 10) but the shoulder didn’t quite cooperate.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Keeping myself intact, failure to foresee what would happen after coming back from the States.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Muahahaha ! I always suffer injuries … I just play too hard. This year, it’s intercostal muscles on the right side and a reoccurance of the groin strain. No broken bones this year, as far as I know. I rarely feel the breaks. At least I didn’t tear up the shoulder again, just the rib area.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
I’m tempted to say World of Warcraft, because it kept me entertained for most of the year and it made up for the lack of company.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
The Crazies for putting up with me over a rough summer. Miss L for giving me some confidence back (she probably doesn’t realise that she got me back on the road to getting out of a deep depression pit). IT Girl for being an angelic pixie. Oh yeah – Zaphyr/Zalzar, Souleater, Re/Charge, Fubb and Makai.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

14. Where did most of your money go?
Mortgage and remortgage (having to release some equity because of what happened in June). Car for petrol, apart from that though, I’m pretty economical. £275 on a washing machine ?

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The USA trip.

16. What song will always remind you of 2005?
Tough one – I’ll have to go for Free, a rare demo track from Alisha’s Attic.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:a) happier or sadder?
Little of both. The future is a little clearer and I don’t feel as if I’m marking time any more. Which makes me happier. Bit sadder though due to lack of company.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Getting out more. More exercise.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Snacking ! One of the things I’m trying to do now is to not eat when I don’t have to, instead of just constantly grazing.

20. How will you be spending New Year’s Eve?
Spent New Year’s Eve playing Eve, an online multiplayer game that I’m just starting out with. So a quiet night … Think I started my Star Wars marathon that night as well.

21. Did you fall in love in 2005?
Several times 🙂 But one now completely ignores me and I’m not sure about the other 2.

22. How many one-night stands?
None.

23. What was your favorite TV program?
Stargate Atlantis. Good start for that one takes it ahead of my other unmissable – ER, which has been slipping a little of late.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Hate is a sad waste of time and energy. There’s a few people who I’ll be avoiding over the next year or so but I wouldn’t say I hate them. Pity is a more appropriate word.

25. What was the best book you read?
I’ll go for 3 here, which still counts because they’re re-releasing those three as a single book. David Weber – Mutineer’s Moon, Armageddon Inheritance and Heirs of Empire.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Being free to listen to music again instead of having to ignore cartoons.

27. What did you want and get?
England winning the Ashes back.

28. What did you want and not get?
An injury free year.

29. What was your favorite film of this year?
Serenity.

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Bought donuts for the team at work, restarting a tradition that had faded 🙂 Went to see my parents and sister and got molested by the dogs. 31 this year.

31.What one thing made your year measurably more satisfying?
Being in control of my destiny again instead of having to manage and apologise for a manic depressive.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005?
Does it fit ? Does it have a subversive message, does it have any holes in it.

33. What kept you sane?
Work people, the Crazies, World of Warcraft core guildmates and joining them is this blog. This blog is letting me talk about the things that normally wouldn’t get known about due to not getting past the exterior. If someone asks me “everything ok?”, it turns me into a pathological liar because the alternative would be a thirty minute summary.

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Suzi Perry.

35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Iraq – should never have been sucked back in there by the Americans.

36. Who did you miss?
Family because I don’t go back to see them as much as I could. Brother still.

37. Who was the best new person you met?
Miss L.

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005.
Make sure you can stand on your own before demanding help from others.

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
“I wrapped up all the love we had And threw it in your face” from Alisha’s Attic’s Valentines ’98.

Sounds good 🙂 I might have to check out one of those games … Will have to discourage Aginoth from playing me at Civ 4 first though. More Tanks !

Got a little distracted by Aginoth challenging me to a Civ 4 game.

Well, the challenge is really tomorrow when Agi and Mrs A connect up for a game … But we just had to do a test run tonight, starting at about 8pm (when we got it going) and finishing at 12 when we’d finished knocking out the Romans.

Managed to avoid thumping Agi so far but that won’t last. There’s only 5 turns before I start building tanks and I have a heap of cavalry left from thumping the Romans.

PS Looks like the Moo2 post attracted some attention from random searches 🙂 Hi people :-). Now wondering what will happen after I do an oldie review of Tie Fighter and XCom.

Yes. Even better than the classic moo1.
a) Because of combat system
and
b) Multiplayer!!!

There are still lots of players who play this game online (with the new 1.4 patch). Details:

http://masteroforion2.blogspot.com/2004_02_01_masteroforion2_archive.html#107792119255475969

See also our new forum:

http://www.spheriumnorth.com/orion-forum/nfphpbb/

Heh heh heh – I haven’t got any better ideas for today, so it’s Old Game Appreciation Society time ! When I do one of these, I’ll be giving a mini review of my memories of a game so old you’re not likely to ever find it.

First up : Master of Orion 2. The copyright on this one dates all the way back to 1996. And it’s still installed on my main machine. That’s gotta be some kind of record …

Anyway – what is it ? Think Civilisation in space and you won’t go far wrong. It’s a little simpler than Civ though, instead of having a map that you navigate units over, you steer fleets between solar systems. They can only go system to system, which makes it even easier. It’s grand scale space strategy in the best way – as in turn based. I like the turn based style because it gives you time to think. You can also manage everything in your own time, instead of being rushed like in real time games.

What’s it offer ? Total customisation of ships, gameplay that works nicely without getting in the way and the satisfaction of knowing when you’ve turned the corner into turning the Avalanche of Doom on your enemies (ahem – neighbours). However, that said, when you do get into the position of unleashing the Avalanche of Doom (Stars – think Star Wars Death Star …), it turns into a bit of a grind because there’s nothing the computer can do about it.

I play on impossible and I deliberately make it hard with the most important bit by choosing a race that doesn’t research well. On the other hand, they go nuts when the time comes to build warships. It’s a well balanced game.

Anyway – Master Of Orion 2, still on my machine after 10 years. I even go back in to have another poke at the computer now and then too … It narrowly beats its predecessor because it has better customisation. Instead of having fleets of 30000 small missile boats, the Moo2 hitting fleet size is more like 10 Death Stars. It’s light years ahead of its disappointing successor and handily takes the crown of Sleepy’s Favourite Space Strategy, beating out contendors including : Imperium Galactica, Pax Imperia II, Stars! and Star Wars Supremacy (aka Rebellion for the US). I’ve also looked at GalCiv but that isn’t going on my list because I didn’t actually rate it. Thought the balance was badly off and the developers have a serious attitude problem.

PS Back to work today, only had two people coming up to me asking about PC problems … One’s looking to acquire new stuff, the other has a mate who has a virus.

[chuckle] I know … I might even clear off the emails tomorrow. If I rush 🙂

ah ye lazy git, we’ve been back for two days already…

Ah well. End of holiday tomorrow with me going back into the office.

On the one hand, I’ve got the normal anti-work feelings but on the other hand, I’m strangely looking forward to going back in.

I’ll be handing over the David Weber book to the fella who’s been borrowing them off me. I’ll be catching up with the friends. I’ll be interacting with the Crazies over email and I’ll be hopefully finding excuses to harass certain people 🙂

In the meantime though, 5 minutes until my dinner burns, which will probably make me pause Return of the Jedi during the scene when Leia gets introduced in disguise.

Yep – I’m looking forward to work. There’s the IT Girl to harass, Diablo to take the mick out of and an RCA to wind up. Plus a few more besides … Just gotta get up in time to get a car parking space … That reminds me – I better get a picture of me with the minibeard so I can pass it on to RCA. It’s coming off tomorrow – I think I’m allergic to my own beard !

Is a term that people use in the online games when talking about the people who play the multiplayer online games professionally. Search on Ebay for World of Warcraft gold sellers and you’ll get to them rather quickly. It’s a term used to describe the people who will be on the game, going from mob to fast respawning mob, trying to get as much gold or items from them. They’re the source of much ridicule and hate, especially when the mobs they are farming tend to be quest mobs … (They get in the way of people getting on in the game.)

And then there’s the requirements for something coming soon to WoW – the things needed for the opening of a gate in one of the new regions :

60,000 Heavy Leather 60,000 Rugged Leather 80,000 Thick Leather 96,000 Peacebloom 19,000 Firebloom 26,000 Purple Lotus 90,000 Copper Bars 18,000 Mithril Bars 22,000 Tin Bars 400,000 Runecloth Bandages 250,000 Mageweave Bandages 250,000 Wool Bandages 17,000 Spotted yellowtail 10,000 Baked Salmon 10,000 Lean Wolf Steak

Ok, some of that is easy and it’s made easier by the bits being gathered by all of the players on the server. Yep – between 1000 and 1500 online at peak times on the Maelstrom. But to me, it just looks like another example of the insane amount of farming that has to be done to get on in the game.

Think I got out at the right time.