Life Or Something Like It: Geekdom Archives

Continuing adventures in video game land

By Laura Thill on January 12, 2010 1:28 PM | No Comments

So, Dan says I'm advancing in my quest through video game land. I have progressed beyond "Moving the Controller" stage, and working on "Not throwing Controller at TV." Though, I've only done that once, and it involved a PoP title....

Well, let's see... last game post was about Okami, which I finished. I've found all but two of the stray beads... well, I know how to get the last beads, but still decided to quit. I've done everything else in the game so fighting the last boss with the biggest sword is nothing but icing.

Gave up on Warrior Within for the third time, about 90 mins + boss fight from the end. I've reached the game frustration limit so it will never be touched again.

Finished Devil May Cry twice so far, working on Hard mode for finish number three. Another all time favorite for graphics, music, atmosphere, gameplay and characters. There is no story, but that's ok. I'm working on completing stuff, maybe attempt DMD mode some day.

Started Final Fantasy X, code named "watching TV." I forgot how much I like turn-based combat, and the art is just gorgeous.

Also started PoP: Two Thrones. At two hours in, not sure I'm going to like this much more than Warrior Within but for different reasons. I'll review this after I work on it a little more.

And now for something Canadian

By Laura Thill on December 26, 2009 5:38 PM | No Comments

It's a sad truth, but I really don't laugh often. Not out loud, and if I do, it's never at anything on the internet. Well, a few months ago that changed. Thus I am proud to present:

LoadingReadyRun

The only intentional comedy I have literally LOL'd at in, well, a very long time.

If you haven't heard about these guys through my FB or twitter rantings, go take a look. I'll wait. Oh, you wanted something even more geeky? Try these series for The Escapist: ENN and Unskippable.

See? Monty Python for my generation! (getoffmylawn)

Why am I posting this? LRR has gotten me through the last part of this semester. With all the depressing crap going on, I needed to laugh at something, and myself wasn't an option. Yes, a bunch of random people in Victoria, BC just happen to share my sense of humor (scary). Most of Thanksgiving break was spent in a marathon viewing the archives, and occasionally dropping by the forums, which happen to be the coolest place I've ever found on the 'net. And so, I have become a fangirl of all things LRR.

Hopefully things will be taking an upward spin around here soon. I've made some difficult decisions and will post about them when I know more.

Now, don't you need to go laugh a little? :)

A brief respite - Okami

By Laura Thill on September 12, 2009 4:14 PM | No Comments

Under the category "What I do in 'free time'".... currently occupying the disc slot in my Wii is Okami (yes, it's a wikipedia link for a game. The summary was really good at posting...) This game is so engaging, that even after losing over an hour's progress to a black out, I still replayed and kept playing until my hand was too sore to continue.

The art is absolutely amazing, gorgeous kinds of amazing. Doing something in a video game besides swinging a sword/shooting at stuff is a lot of fun (for me). I'm only 3 hours in, and yes, it's a game that takes after it's mentor... Zelda, Legend of. That I will spend 100 hours working through all the side quests is not improbable.

IGN's review Yes, drawing with the wiimote is tough, however, it is not impossible. And even fun at times.

What's this game about? Evil, monsters, a wolf statue that holds the embodiment of a god, a magic brush and a little bug. (Yes, the bug is like Navi, but slightly less annoying.)

No, I am not going to elaborate. If you really enjoy simply running around and shooting stuff, this game is not for you. If sometimes you really want to just wander around a beautiful world and fight enemies using brush strokes, then hie thyself to the nearest GameStop. :)

(also available on PS2, but really, I don't see how drawing with a joystick is going to be any easier.)

Oh yes, should anyone with children be reading this... um, the game makes frequent references to drinking LOTS of sake, and um, implies lot of other, um, "stuff" so I'd have to say this game is not for kids. Which is too bad, 'cause there's no blood, guts, war and it's a great introduction to Japanese mythology.

the last laugh

By Laura Thill on August 23, 2009 7:31 PM | No Comments

It always makes me happy when karma strikes back. No, the idiot speeding by on 70 while weaving in and out of traffic did not run into a...ahem... but we did get a great deal on a used PS2. Yes, we own a game console (and games) not made by Nintendo.

Picked your jaw up off the floor? Good. Let's continue.

This all started with Zero Punctuation and Unskippable. (NSFW and in general, if foul language bothers you, don't click) Anywho, we enjoy the humor, and have been introduced to games we've never heard of before, or rediscovered titles Dan always wanted to play.

Today, during a break in the stream of curses thrown at the latest dying Gamecube controller, Dan rushes into the room and says, "How do you feel about paying $35 for a PS2?" And 90 mintues later, we are the proud owners of a used PS2, 15 games and misc. accessories that all reek of cigarette smoke. Great, and chances that the console actually works "perfectly"? If "perfectly" means 'reads DVDs, but not CDs.'

Well, it needs to be cleaned before being let it in the house, so while taking the air compressor and some alcohol to the innards, Dan found an article on how to adjust the disc reading laser. Ok, this may not be so bad. We plug everything back in, prepare to troubleshoot and every single game disc works. Huh. Just needed a good cleaning. We pack up the 10 titles and accessories that Gamestop will accept and figure one $5 game out of it. No, make that $15 and a decent game. We also grab a memory card and a game for me.

So here's the karma breakdown.

1. Smoking idiots try to palm off a partially-functional PS2 console for $35 and throw in a bunch of trash games to make themselves feel better.

2. Dan spends a little time and $0.25 in rubbing alcohol to fix the console. $35 console.

3. Trade in "free" games, buy good game. $20 console + $15 game (God of War) = $35 total.

4. Buy missing memory card, and another game. $20 console + $15 game + $12 memory card + $8 game (Devil May Cry) = $55 total.

Craigslist has ads for "fully functional" PS2's, 5-15 crappy games, and two controllers for $80 and up. If you want a memory card or decent games (not "Barbie Horse Adventure"), add at least $20 to bundle price.

Huh. Maybe smoking does make you stupid.

and sometimes, you just quit.

By Laura Thill on August 15, 2009 7:21 AM | No Comments

In the past year, since earning myself the title "gamer", I have played and beaten..um.../counts on fingers... Paper Mario, PM:Thousand Year Door, Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Zelda:Twilight Princess, Link's Crossbow Challenge ( technically no "end" but unlocked all the levels), Beyond Good & Evil, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time... 7 games. This led to the though "Hey, it would be cool if I beat every game I tried!" Wishful thinking, but given that my dislike of FPS', theoretically possible.

And then I started Prince of Persia: Warrior Within. Do I even need to provide a link that bashes this game as the worst of the Sands of Time trilogy? After the combat tutorial (with the gratuitous and un-skippable ass/cleavage shots) I had a feeling I might not like the game enough to finish.

Ok, yes, the combat system is much improved, BUT:

1. Blood is off. Not because I'm *that* squeamish but when a corpse (killed early in the fight) spurted blood into the camera until the Prince left the room, um, that's excessive.

2. Wish voice acting had an "off": There are several enemies preferably killed via strangulation. And I've muted the game during several longer fights....

3. Plot? What plot? (Farah did NOT give the Prince her medallion at the end of Sands of Time unless there's an alternate ending not on YouTube.)

About 80% (maybe more) through, yup, not gonna finish.

Save points are now much less frequent, and usually only to be found after very long and difficult fights or puzzles. No more extra sand pots ("magic" refills) lying around during boss fights. In fact, in the last few hour or so of play I've found exactly 2 extra sand pots, both next to doors that required the use of said sand to get into the next room. Sure, the enemies are more difficult, but fighting with a literal stub of a sword and not being able steal/pick up another weapon until the room cleared....4 times in a row... is excessive. If I start either of my saved games right now, the Prince is facing 8 of the most difficult non-boss enemies, with no sand, and no way to get it except killing said enemies. To get past this would require a phone call to someone, because even Dan doesn't want to try this fight.

So, to answer the question posed by Ars Technica, this is why *I* stop playing a game.

How to clean the basement

By Laura Thill on July 27, 2009 2:48 PM | No Comments

A self-updating entry on the Thill Method for Cleaning a Basement

1. Clean and reorganize the study. Then move all bookcases and books from basement to the study. Cull 4 boxes of books for recycling.

2. Construct shelving for bulk purchases. Actually remove items from basement floor and put on shelves.

3. Attempt to consolidate all partially emptied moving boxes by categories. Realize futility and give up for the day.

4. Over the next several days slowly consolidate boxes, and mark items for trash/garage sale. Wonder why you paid to move and store so much crap.

5. Move more shelving into basement, and fill with boxes.

6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you have enough stuff for step 7.

7. Debate garage sale vs. selling only the stuff that has real value.

8. Realize that most of "stuff" has no value. Trash *cringe* most, freecycle the rest.

Can you hear it?

By Laura Thill on May 27, 2009 9:43 AM | No Comments

That sound... me slamming my head into a wall. I'm still playing Beyond Good & Evil. It's a great game, even if the first time I got myself into the last boss fight with no spare energy. In Zelda terms it's like fighting Gannon with 3 hearts. It's *possible* but not for me. So I'm replaying the game. And several of the more difficult challenges... well, I didn't "follow" the directions well enough because a puzzle I thought had only 1 solution that's a very close call on the timer... is really very simple. *sigh* maybe I need to go clean the basement....

About that plant thing

By Laura Thill on May 23, 2009 6:23 AM | No Comments

So after work yesterday I broke down and bought herbs. While re-potting them I kept trying to figure out why my seedlings never really took off. And then I remembered... we have Low-E argon-filled windows!

Low-E blocks light outside the visible spectrum, and therefore radiant heat. Argon is a good insulator. Yes, the seeds germinated and put out a few leaves, but were just simply not getting enough light or heat (68-70 is ok for growing plants, but more warmth is needed at some point). When I attempted to move the plants outside they died from shock within a few hours, even on a cool but sunny day.

Note to self: never try to start seed inside your house without a grow light. Duh.

You can take the engineering degree off the wall

By Laura Thill on March 26, 2009 10:51 AM | 1 Comment

Dan spent a good part of Tuesday night setting up our new Logitech "harmony" universal remote. So much better than wrangling a minimum of 3 remotes to do anything with the receiver. And he set up lots of extra sub-menus so I wouldn't gripe about having to use the TV remote when playing 4:3 games.

I was still feeling pretty crappy Tuesday night, just lying around on the couch. Dan walks up and...

Dan: Here's your remote. Go ahead, try it out.

Me: Ok. (presses "Play Wii." Stuff happens). Cool!

Dan: (sighs). You put it down too early! Make sure it's pointed at the receiver until everything is on.

Me: No, everything but the Wii came on, and the right channels are selected. What happens if it's not pointed at the receiver? (immediately presses "Listen to Radio" button with remote aimed at the ceiling)

Dan: NOOOOOOOOO!

Me: What? Oh, hey, it's telling me that everything may not be on, that's good.

Dan: Just turn it off.

Me: No, really, it's showing a help screen, I can fix this.

Dan: (shakes head)

Me: Fine, how do I turn everything off?

Dan: Hit the off switch.

Me: (confused) That should just turn off the remote.... whatever.

Never tell an engineer NOT to do something. Gotta see if the system fails gracefully or not, geez!

Misc Stuff

By Laura Thill on March 8, 2009 10:23 AM | 1 Comment

So, it's the weekend. Friday we celebrated Dan's birthday with homemade pizza, chocolate cake (with double dark chocolate buttercream frosting) and a sampler pack of Boulevard beers. Dan had requested Lego® Star Wars® for Wii. I was not thrilled. Playing as a lego character? Not to mention a Star Wars game? No thank you.

But it was Dan's birthday, so I played along.

I think we laughed more in 2 hours than we have for years. We're playing in story mode for now, it's absolutely hilarious. It's not all just fun, even with adaptive difficult off the game can be challenging, even for Dan. (I can't jump straight, but I can pod race!)

In other news, Dan now likes to watch me play Paper Mario. I'm slowly starting to like 1000 Year Door, but it's much more "twitchy" than the original.

Oh yeah, we also started this years work on the yard. 4 more trees down, 4 more to go.

Now back to our regularly scheduled boredom.

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