A book that could be good if rewritten.

I got summer reading, and once again, I hate it. It was Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson. It is about a girl who is "A high school outcast".

First, 20 points for originality. Oh boy, a High School Outcast! In a highschool so cliche it could be a high school girl itself!

Firs off, about 20-40 pages in you really start to get annoyed by the main character. She is lazy, incompetent, and ignorant. I will admit that the humor is pretty good at some points, but if I wanted dark humor I would read Douglas Adams.
As later revealed in the book, she has a perfectly understandable reason for being so depressed. My problem is, why would you not give even hints about this before hand, instead of shoving it into your face near the end?
The character development. Weak, weak weak. The term would be "Cardboard Characters". With the exception of the main character, they are all 2D, flat, weak, and worst of all, predictable. Not like a real person would act, not even in the slightest.

You can't write a book with so many people, if only one has any character.

Otherwise, its your typical formula book.

For those of you who don't know what that is, its when the writer sits down, outlines a full plot, and writes exactly whats on the paper.

Not how you write. Writing should flow, evenly and smooth, with surprises, and protuberances that seem totally natural. This was blatant, crude, and events occur like they were scripted, which they were. You want to have a basic idea of what to write, not everything sentence by sentence.

Anyway, thats my rant.

Perpetuum, a failed clone?

So today was supposed to be the whole F2P buisness model, but I decided not to. I wrote a couple of pages on it but then realized: I don't know what the heck I am talking about. Time to try something else.

A couple of first impressions about Perpetuum instead, maybe more later.

Perpetuums website

Perpetuum is an Online, single server, real time skill based progression sci-fi MMO. Yes, it is a mouthful.

Off the bat, I would like to say that the graphics are shot.
I have no problem against games that look bad but play well, but these are just so horribly CPU dependant without any good visual effects. I can play high-end games all the way on max settings no problem, but this is just abysmal.

Second, the interface is EXACTLY like EVE. It has the whole desktop feel to it, just like EVE.

In fact, almost everything about this game is like EVE, minus the fact that you control a robot, and move on land.

Yes, there is a tracking system, just like EVE.

Yes, there is a automated combat system, just like EVE.

Even the website looks just like EVE's.

The whole skill-based progression? Its literally exactly like EVE's.

The character creation is just like EVE's but much, much, much worse.

My opinion so far? This game offers nothing that EVE does not already have. Its like a watered down version of EVE. If you are interested in a game like this, play EVE. It is so much smoother and more fun, and as far as I can tell this game has very little content.

Now I have not given up hope yet. I'll try and resolve the graphics issue, and maybe put a few more hours into it. I cannot promise a full review yet, I can't be promising things I cannot deliver.

Over time, I will periodically checking back on the website, seeing if they are introducing anything that will make this more unique.

Side note: The rest of this weeks schedule will continue as scheduled.

So I am downloading Rift and Perpetuum...

Well see how they work out. In the meantime, I just got a new router, so I am loving the faster connection.

Review news!

So I'm going totally crazy on Section 8: Prejudice right now, getting rank 3 on every match I play. I still hold tru to what I say, it is amazing. Even better than I thought when I wrote the review. Expect a random, full, in-depth review sometime this week when I have time. I'm starting to think my reviews will be more unscheduled than scheduled.

But I also don't want to just keep reviewing this one game, so I will hopefully find something else to review this week as well. Maybe some Battlefield Bad Company 2, or bring out a classic like Left for Dead.

How does Magicka sound?

Is Evil Notch a real person?

So a while ago, Notch announced that upon release, those who have bought Minecraft after the Beta transition will have to buy the game again. At the time, I was a little pissed, but I supposed I would give him the benefit of the doubt. 

Now here is my problem, after 6 more updates.

Notch, according to himself, has over Twenty Million Dollars in an accounts somewhere. Still, He maintains a modest income, and does not touch it. 

How is this a problem?

Over time, I have actually seen very little movement forward with Minecraft's development. Sure, there have been good updates that add a lot to the game, but still, Notch has a very small development team that cannot get a whole lot done is comparison to other developing companies. 

Once again. I am totally fine with him not wanting to lead a rich and fancy life. Totally fine with that. But with his amount of chagrin and enjoyment in the game, wouldn't you see it as a good move to use a bit of the earnings from the game to go to the game? 

I'm not asking for a hundred-man work force here, but I think the speed of the development should be a little faster than when they were still scraping for a living. 

So where does the whole "People who bought it after Beta have to buy it again" thing fit into this? 

Well Notch, if you need money, look in the account. Maybe I am missing something here, but if you are not using the money, why ask for more? I am totally fine paying full game price(50-60$) for Minecraft again if I feel that the money is going to go to use in future development. If not, then why should I bother? 

Schedule, Minecraft rant still in Progress..

While I hold a deep argument about brass instruments with certain individuals online, I hope I can stay un-distracted for the duration of this debate.

But first, here is the schedule for the week of the 30th.

Monday: What will the continuing amount of P2P MMOs switching to F2P mean for MMOs in general?

Tuesday: A book I cannot stand, and why. (Speak)

Wednesday: A friend of mine intrigued me with some thoughts about this year. Check back then for some interesting philosophy.

Thursday: Link day! Will be very, very much related to music.

Friday: A couple thoughts of blogging, and why I will never monetize. 


That will be it for the week, and check back in an hour or so for some Minecraft thoughts!

Section 8: Prejudice...more like Section 8: FUNudice!

Yes, I know that was terrible. I was told once that blogging is an art of titles and tags, so might as well try.
I understand this was in no way scheduled, but whos complaining about more content? I hope those people are few and far between....and yes I the Minecraft rant will be on schedule tomorrow.

Going in order of importance...

Aiming; Guns; Combat in general


S8P comes fully armed with an array of great guns, each exemplifying the battlefield in some way or another. The weapons reminded me of Halo, you won't find multiple versions of the same class of gun here.
The aiming is a little jolty at first, but you either a, get used to it, or b, change the sensitivity. No problem there. You have a special little key called Control, which allows you to "lock on" to your targets and decimate them. It adds a lot to the feel of the combat, while not being overly simple or "OP".
I must admit I was a fair bit disappointed when I saw you needed to choose a melee attack on your class and you couldn't just do it whenever. Having the option of melee was always one of my favorite parts about FPSs, and that being restricted like that is not so great.

Classes


I love the class design in this game. You immediatly start out with all the weapons, jsut not all the weapon attachments or upgrades. You have a large number of pre-set classes or custom classes to choose from, and I personally love to experiment with them. Much better than the standard "Unlock guns as you go" system modern FPSs seem to think people like.

Movement, controls


The movement in this game takes a while to get used to, same with the aiming. Its a lot more focused on either moving at "L33t sp33ds br0" or literally turtle-like. This actually seemed to play at its advantage however, because the combat is a lot more movement based instead of precision aiming.

When holding down the spacebar you activate your jetpack, a fairly weak little boost into the air that can still mean the difference between dieing or living. 

Then there is overdrive. After sprinting for a few seconds, the camera zooms out into 3PV, allowing you to move at inhuman speeds. Also a very integral part of the combat, it is definitely a game mechanic that is worth patenting. (:D) 

Map design

The maps so far, while few, are exceptional. Something that would really help would be some map-packs, and I would be delighted to pay for them. They fully use the running and jumping kind of combat this game offers, while not being bad to look at either. They are full of strategic locations (open to the open-minded only) and you really don't understand them fully until you play them quite a bit.

Interface

Not really that important, but I will include it anyway but saying this: It is functional. While a little choppy on some parts, it gets the job done. It might need a little extra searching to find what you need, but otherwise its not that bad. 

Spawning System

Now this is truly the best part. You come cruising out of a space ship thousands of feet above the ground, flying towards your destination. You can try and land on someone, instakilling them, or you can land far away and sneak up on them unsuspectingly. Its really a great system, but the only way you can truly get it is too play it. 

Music/Soundtrack

Truly eh. Not great, definitely not something that would stick in your mind for a while, but not bad background music either. 

Final Thoughts

In essence, S8P is just pure fun. While best with friends, the Matching system is great too. If you are looking for a quick, fun shooter with little annoyances, try this. You will not regret it. 

Quick Disclaimer: This was after a mere 4 hours of play. My veiws may change over time, and I will release a follow-up review in the next few weeks. 

How is the Office doing in season 7? (spoilers)

The Office on Hulu

So the Office just finished its seventh season. Many are undecided on the path it took, and whether after Scott Carrel left it should even go on. Heres my take on it. 

The beginning of the season was not the strongest, but it was necessary. It introduced the reasons for Michael leaving, and really capitalized on his relationship with Holly. We see old characters changing in many ways, and new characters appearing, but not for very long. The plot twists don't seem to have that old Office feel, but thats not necessarily bad thing. I feel that Andy and Erin have a more in-depth role in the show, and many times Andy is the main supporting character.

We are also greeted with a new theme sequence, new shots from this season. 

The middle of the Season is where it warms up. Holly and Mike get engaged, and the announcement of Mikes leaving is made. 

The strongest, and really shared in the classic Office feel, unlike the beginning. Mike is having a hard time leaving, but he says goodbye to each and every office member personally, some funnier than others. Michael's maturity really comes forward here. 

And then he is gone. After a tearful goodbye with Pam, thats it. Now, a new Boss is in town, this time with Will Ferrel.

And it is crazy. Sexist, insane, and really, really funny, DeAngelo is a great temporary character. The humor is gritty and wild, and his reason for leaving is just too insane. 5/5 for Will Ferrel on that one. 

Now the seasons over, and we must wait or what I'm guessing will be the final season of the Office, season 8. Its hard to believe how long its been going on for, and what a long, strange trip it has been. 

While season 7 is a lot different than the others, it is in no way worse. Sure, its a little weirder, but its hilarious just the same. (I'm a huge fan of Arrested Development, so I don't mind)

But the question still remains; Who will be season 8's boss?

Section 8: Prejudice!

Section 8 Prejudice's Site

Last night I bought this game. It was released about a month ago by TimeGate Studios, moving form a retail to a budget title. It is the follow-up to Section 8, a FPS that released with a lot promised but not much actually going for it. This one almost seems to gain popularity on the previous ones failure, fixing all of the problems introduced in the first one. The campaign is longer and more detailed, the multiplayer more fully-fleshed and enjoyable. Now I have only played around an hour of this game, but from what I have seen so far it is great. It seems to combine Battlefield and Brink, objective-based team-play and large scale battles and vehicles.

You can definitely expect a full review of this game once I have gotten way more time into it.

Also, one nice part I noticed is that while there are already multiple game modes, the small developer company is really trying to keep releasing more game modes in the future. That is a great thing to see among developers, also quite a rare thing. I'm feeling pumped about this!

Link day....And Follow by Email!

I now have a follow by email gadget underneath the Main title! In my opinion this is a lot easier to follow than an RSS reader.

Also, today is link day so I'll try to find something really interesting for you guys...

Favorite Flash Games! (short)

Note: This will be slightly rushed, its entering the end of the year and exam time, so I did not have much time to blog.

Favorite in-browser game~

Over time I have played lots of small flash games. These are merely the ones I enjoyed most out of the ones I have played. Try not to get annoyed if I missed one.

The worlds Hardest game 2

Addicting, fun, and very, very frustrating, this game provides and excellence in flash gaming. This will keep you entertained for hours.

Monsters Den: Book of dread

A little bit of a slow burner, this game is a classic turn based D&D-like RPG. Long and expansive, its addicting and harder than you may think. If you liked games like D&D or Desktop Dungeons, you will love this!

Thats all for now, if people like this there will be more. I'm so sorry I'm currently not able to put out the content I should right now, just keep checking back every day and it will help out a ton! Just wait till summer!

Comment!

I really want you guys to comment on posts that you enjoyed so I know that I should put out more of the same. Also, if you like the blog overall, link to it on FB or Twitter! Its a really huge help, and to quote Captain Sparklez, it makes me warm and fuzzy inside.

What am I reading?

This may or may not work out, frankly. If it doesn't, you will never see it again. I just want to try and get some good books out here. Note: these will not be fully-fledged reviews. If you are looking for that, go elsewhere.

Shadows of the Apt: Adrian Tchikovsky

Shadows of the Apt Site

Shadows of the Apt is a steampunk, war fantasy book. Inventive and ingenious, the characters are vivid and colorful. Let me give you a quote from a essay I wrote a year ago.

"Adrian Tchaikovsky is one of the best fantasy writers of the 21th century. His best works include the shadows of the apt series; empire in black and gold, dragonfly falling, blood of the mantis, salute the dark, the scarab path, and soon to be: The sea watch, the working title, and the air war. This series is very interesting because of the personification in it. The books take place in a steam punk era, which is defined from wikipedia by: Steam punk involves an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century and often Victorian era Britain—that incorporates prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy. The humans in this story are not entirely human. Each race is derived from an insect, bug, or arachnid. Specifically, the Ant people. They are similar to real ants, in the form of a hive mind. They keep to themselves, and do not welcome outsiders. They all look similar, and are d not welcome change. They are hard working, and their personalities resemble exactly what I thought real ants would be. This is an amazing example of personification. "

Its a bit weak and old, but it works. Today was a long day, and I didn't have a lot of time for writing.

Anyway, expect more of these book recommendations in future days! (Not actually scheduled)

Minecraft on acid?

Minecraft on Acid

Yes, this is me. Maybe I will show a guide on how to install another time?

A blog you should check out~

Joey's Blog!

Until I can figure out how to edit a blogroll (comment if you know how) I am posting this here. This guy, while slightly strangely hilarious, is awesome.

Please follow him!

Edit: I know how to now. No need!

Tid-bits...

I really really wish people were not like "O derp de derp children are so adorable we should just let them do whatever they want because they are children and are excused from being rediculous"

No. Just no.

A bit of news, new section, and Schedule!

Personal news~

So this is a new section at the beginning of every week, detailing my personal life. I will be set apart from the others, so if you really don't care then you do not have to read it.

This week, I started this blog, as you can tell. I am really enjoying it so far.

I'm nearing the end of the school year as well, but I'm relaxed. My grades are sub-par, but I aced everything for the first 3 quarters so I'm fine with not doing so hot in the fourth. Teachers are pushing it of course, but I'm confident the exams won't be a huge problem.

On Saturday I left to go to Northern Michigan University to play in the youth orchestra there. It was a very enjoyable experience, and I look forward to doing it again. I am so sore, turns out walking around a college campus all day is hard on you if you are out of shape like me. Standing up for 6 hours a day crashing things together while standing may not have helped either.

I need a car.

Now I am sitting here writing while watching an investigation on Lance Armstrong's possible doping. I hope it isn't true, Lance is a huge inspiration for bikers everywhere (including me).

Schedule for week of the 23rd, May

Monday: Stuff I'm reading & read.

Tuesday: Favorite in-browser game...? comments reccomended

Wednesday: How is The Office doing so far in season 7?

Thursday: Link day! I have no idea what to do for this...

Friday: Minecraft; Should you have to buy again on release? (Very opinionated)

Thats it for this week. Enjoy!

Memory's of the Biscuit....and News!

TotalBiscuits Channel

The name of the channel is TotalHalibut, but the real name is TotalBiscuit. Well, I guess his actual real name is John Bain. But whatever.

Gaming and jokes are what he is about (as much as he would say otherwise, he is funny), but the biggest way to get to know him is just to watch him.

5. Top Total Moment

Casting a Reddit Post

You can really hear his voice cracking, but its hilarious. He has a great voice.

4. Top Total Moment

Magicka Developer Interveiw

A five hour live stream with the developers of the indie game "Magicka". Great game, great interview. I'm so pleased that Total took the time out of his busy life to go to Spain and do this.

3. Top Total Moment

Total teaches Lisa Nova How to play Starcraft II.

Hilarious, and I love the top hat.

2. Top Total Moment

Total plays the most hilarious game ever with the Yogscast.

The Yogscast is also very, very funny. Them + Total = Amazing.

1. Top Total Moments

PENDING!

Anyway, onto other news. I will be unable to blog tomorrow (friday) and the day after (saturday). I will miss it, but whatever. I'm going to play with an orchestra at Northern Michigan University, so I am looking forward to it.

Terraria..Undisputed Clone? Or not?

So far, Terraria has been excellent. I'll bore you with small details for a bit, then we can move onto the more exiting things.

Terraria was developed by Re-Logic, a developing studio that as far as I know, consists of only four people. That is quite impressive. The game literally sprung up out of nowhere, but has quite the sales already.

I really am seeing the developers interacting with the fan-base quite a lot so far, and that is a good sign as long as they keep it up. The developers have been doing Lets-Plays on Youtube since Alpha, and at this point some other popular Youtube Gaming stars are releasing videos as well. (Totalbuiscuit, OMFGcata, Yogscast) I recommend checking them out.

Graphics~

Terraria is designed specifically to be an "old-school 8 bit kind of game" but really is not set back at all by that. The hand-drawn spriting and coloring really add to it, making it quaint and in some cases, creepy. The really cool effect that I liked was the torch and furnace flickering.

Settings~

The settings are one of the two parts I think need work. The settings menu feels clunky, there are no video options, it doesn't seem to resize well to fullscreen, and every so often it crashes on me while I navigate back to the main menu. Definitely could use some work.

Combat~

The combat in Terraria is swift, simple, and hard. In the daytime, you are bombarded by weak slimes, but in the night, harder, more difficult enemies attack your home. You find yourself slowly becoming more comfortable leaving your home, and slimes become more of a slight nuisance after a couple of in-game days.

There are a great array of weapons to choose from, like the rare guns, the expensive shuriken, the swords, bows, fire arrows, bombs, staffs, on and on and on. Its an excellent system and I enjoy it a lot.

Progression~

The progression system is also very good. You advance quickly from wood all the way up to Iron, but from there it becomes much more like running up a steep, steep hill. As your mining cave becomes deeper and deeper, you start to encounter monsters like worms, harder slimes, and skeletons. I have not gotten to the Hellworld yet, basically the Nether of the game, but I have heard it is very hard and fun.

You also are constantly changing the appearance of your character, although I must say that copper armor looks absolutely dreadful.

You always are feeling like your right next to the high level areas, and indeed you are. Within the first five minutes of the game, you could travel to the Corruption. (An area of land above ground that contains many high-power monsters) Thankfully, they are also very easy to avoid. Personally, I think that makes everything that much better when you finally can handle those places.

Sound~

This is another part I dislike about the game. The music is exiting for about ten minutes, but soon becomes very repetitive and you just wish to turn it off. ( I actually did) The sound effects are not half bad, in fact they really add to the arcade style of the game, but the music is just ridiculous. I'm guessing none of the four developers knew how to properly design music, in which case I'm sure after the popularity of the game they will have the money to hire a music developer. (hint hint, hire c418, MC's music developer)

Replay~

With a sandbox game it is very difficult to judge the replay ability, because your never really re-playing it. With that in mind, I would say that it would take a very long time to get bored with this game. Once you get to the highest tier of weapons and armor, you can spend time building structures or start again, this time with friends. And as with every game, other people makes it much, much more hilarious. (Hint: enable PvP)

Multiplayer~

The multiplayer has no official servers as of yet, but what it does seem to have is very similar to Minecraft. You set up a server, you enter the IP, and the stability of the server depends on your location and your Network power. You can except what you put into it.

Overall~

Overall, this game is fantastic. Its much more a game than Minecraft, while definitely still being inspired by it. Two thumbs up to the developers, and 5/5. I will keep playing this for a long time to come, just as I did with Minecraft.

I loveth-

Alright, here we go. Instead of a full blown thesis on yours truly, I feel a simple "I enjoy" list will be enough.

I enjoy:

Riding my road bike.

Feeling like I have an agenda. (Which sadly, I don't)

Telling people I have an agenda. (which I do way too much)

Discovering new music. Old music is fun, but something about discovering new music is fantastic. (Sufjan Stevens is one of these examples, I recommend him greatly)

Apple products. I know they are unreliable and sometimes even problematic, but something about the sleek, new feel that they give is awesome. As a matter of fact, just recently I dreamt I owned a Mac. Surprisingly, it was a pretty awesome dream.

My dog. My dog is my Idol. Don't try to take that position, it is taken for life.

Open-World games. Red Dead Redemption, Fallout, Mafia 2, GTA, all of it.

WoW. I love this game to death. Recently I quit due to time constraints and the fact that Cata was no longer fun for me. I really hope it gets back on track, I'm starting to go into withdrawal.

Playing music. I play Mallet percussion (three years) Classical guitar (five years) and Cello (half a year). Now I'm not as good as the amount of time I have played, but I enjoy every ounce of what I can do. This may be a future blogging subject.

Blogging! I have not been doing it for long, but I have enjoyed it so far. I have a feeling that I will be blogging here for a while.

Facebook. I won't give out my FB just yet, but I am truly addicted. Its scary.

Essays. Writing essays are something that not many people enjoy, but if you give me a topic, I will write the hell out of it. (maybe not well, but its still fun) I won't post any on here unless people ask, mostly because thats not the main topic of this blog.

Windows XP. This is by far my favorite windows OS. I have used XP, Vista, and 7, but XP is still my favorite. Its not flashy, easy to use, fast, and doesn't pester you with "Sign up to this now!" and "Spend time updating for half a day just to use this Notebook!"

Ubuntu. My favorite all-time OS, I do not own it, but sometime this summer I will be getting it along with many PC upgrades. :D Looking forward to that.

Fantasy and Sci-Fi books. I despise cheesy Sci-Fi and Fantasy, but I love the unique, technological aspects of other types. Like Orwell, Adrian Tchikovsky, Turtledove, King, D.J McHale, Orson Scott Card, and others.

This is about as much as I feel will give you an idea of my interests. To get to know me on a more personal level, I hope my more opinionated Blog posts will do that. Of course there are probably things that I missed, but hey, you can't do everything.

Changes!~

It looks like Review of Terarria will be on Wednesday, and "About Me" will be today. I just will need enough time to properly get a good idea of what Terarria is about. Also, the "About Me" is a priority so people know about me. You can expect it around 5 EST.

Introduction to links.

http://8tracks.com/matt802/feel-good-tracks

Yes. Links.

Personally, I love sharing music with people. I enjoy a wide variety of genres, so if one link is not to your musical taste do not shy away from others.

This one is exactly what it sounds like, a collection of fast-paced, fun songs.

Welcome!

Welcome to ARSEbot.

I am Elliot. I will blog on here often and frequently. I will cover an array of topics, but mostly focused on Media and Gaming. Recently I have felt like I have a lot to say on many subjects, and nowhere to say them. I hope this gives me the chance to do this.

Tentative schedule for week of the 16th:

Tuesday: Review of Terarria.

Wednesday: State of Social Networking

Thursday: Links day!

Friday: Book review time, maybe some Dickens and Orwell...

Weekend: Days off, whatever I can think of!