Peter Hodges

Where to start?

I like computer-based RPGs, and I’ll admit to being intrigued by a solo-able massively multiplayer one that is designed from the get-go for grownups. If I’m to play another RPG that involves others, then I at least want some little assurance of adult behavior, and I also want the world to not force grouping on me. In short, I want to maintain the casual side of the game that led me to love World of Warcraft before the grouping side of the game completely killed it for me.

I completely dug Oblivion, I enjoyed Neverwinter Nights 2 (although it was implemented poorly), and Kate and I just recently finished going through Titan Quest. All of these gave me a pretty satisfying experience, but they lacked the epic feel that an immense game world should provide. 

I’ve read the original Conan stories (from the pulp era of the fantasy genre), and I’m pleased that the game world borrows heavily from the source material rather than the abysmal Arnold Schwarzenegger movies. So far, I’ve found the game world to be fairly fascinating, very gritty, and yet, still playable as a character moved by destiny. The quest lines have provided a good story, the voice acting has been superb, and the world has been drawn very well.

However, I’m finding the implementation of the player within the world to be hit or miss. The animations are cludgy. The control scheme is poorly implemented. The tool tips within game provide the bare minimum of information, and on top of that, they are difficult to use. The map overlay makes the game take about a 10% performance hit. The toolbars and quickslots are inadequate to my character class. The UI is an exercise in frustration, and the tweaks available are rudimentary at best. The game manual, the final arbiter of information on the game, is a glib summary that barely hits the high points of the game.

Do I like it? So far, I’m holding my judgement. It’s certainly better than the beta for Lord of the Rings Online, but I miss the smooth play of City of Heroes or World of Warcraft. I am finding it easy to solo, and I do enjoy not being chained in a cartoony world.

I’ve been scoreboarded by work.

So much for weekend plans, I suppose.

I’m playing Age of Conan. I’m in the middle of a serious mission where I have to sneak by some thugs when the game minimizes, my programs begin to shut down, and Vista decides to start applying updates.

I’m sorry? Was I in the middle of something?

Doing a little investigation yields that even though I had turned off automatic updates, there are certain things that Microshaft considers “essential” and will update anyway. I guess, since my computer was off overnight, it took the opportunity to make an essential update when I was in the middle of something. Because I was in-game, I didn’t see the warnings, so BAM. Reboot.

We’ll talk about Age of Conan a little later when I have more time.

At least, that’s what my buddy Tasuja and I were discussing on the way home from work today. His perspective is that everyone is too selfish to do what really needs to be done. Whether that’s to drive as efficiently as possible to save gas or to help the poor, no one is willing to do it. However, EVERYONE thinks that the other guy should be doing it. 

And isn’t that the truth, really?

How many times have you been stuck behind a car in the slow lane, only to flash your lights and call them names because they’re impeding your progress. How many times have you passed by the homeless guy on the side of the street without offering them food and a drink of water (money, I’ll admit, is right out)? 

I’m not standing on a pedestal here and holding up my life as a shining example of altruism; quite the contrary. Tasuja’s words were a bit convicting in the sense that I live entirely too much for self. Sure, I’m a father and a husband, and sure I devote my time freely to projects that could be considered altruistic, but I don’t do them often enough. My attitude when I do them (on the inside) is one of duty, not love. If I’m begrudging the activities in question, or if I’m too lazy to do them in the first place, then doesn’t that make me the king of hypocrites?

The world sucks because of you and me. That’s the bottom line. It only changes when we choose to be better people, when we make our actions for the good of others a habit that is as natural as brushing our teeth. When I look at my son and think about the kind of man that I’d like him to be, then I realize that there are real problems with the way I see the world and my place in it. He has the opportunity to be better than that, if only I can give him the proper background to make the responsible choices that he should make.

We can all take steps to make the world suck less. The problem is starting down the path.

We ended up sitting on the tarmac in Anchorage last night for almost two hours. Our plane apparently had a navigational instrument that was broken, and Anchorage is apparently not well stocked with spare parts.

We arrived around 9 AM this morning. By the time I had caught a cab home, it was already 10 AM. I managed to sleep for a couple of hours before dealing with some other issues that I’ll discuss tomorrow.

On a side note, the lengthy plane flights and the delays allowed me to make some headway on the reading list.  The follow-up Scott Lynch’s The Lies of Locke Lamora was awesome. Jim Butcher’s fantasy series starting with the Codex Alera reminds me a little bit of my own work, not because of the subject matter, but because of the mistakes that he’s making are the same ones that I make in my own work. I think they’re the difference between a potentially good novel and a great novel. This novel is certainly a departure for Butcher; those who like the Dresden Files might not find this one to their liking.

It was good to see the family, but I’ll be turning in now. 

I’m in the Anchorage airport.

We returned the RV this morning and bummed around Anchorage for most of the day. Most of it was nostalgia/family related, so I shan’t bore you with the details. We did some sightseeing, ate some awesome food, and prepared to leave.

Unfortunately for me, the plane is delayed. I’ll be waiting here for a bit, it looks like.

I’ll have a post that sort of synthesizes my thoughts when I arrive home, but don’t expect it until Thursday night. My flight will now arrive as late as 7 AM, so I doubt that I’ll be doing anything tomorrow morning other than sleeping.

(Sorry, no more pictures until I return home.)

Today we traveled back from Denali to Eagle River, AK. We hiked along the Eagle River for a couple of miles, looking to find some scenic vistas. Eagle River is called Eagle River because the place is just packed full of Bald Eagles. Nearly every high tree has an eagle perched in it, waiting for an unwary rodent (or small dog) to drop its guard.

The hike, as everything else here, was beautiful. The weather warmed up just enough that I was comfortable in a long sleeved t-shirt and jeans. The mosquitos are as bad as everyone had said they would be, but the forests here in Eagle River are just gorgeous. It is a mix of spruce, birch, and alder. Cranberry and blueberry thickets covered the side of the trails, and the forest floor is covered liberally with a soft moss or lichen. In one spot on the trail, a thin shell of ice (perhaps two to three inches thick) still covered a tiny rivulet coming down the mountain. Foolish man that I am, I stood on the ice shell gingerly to see if it would bear my weight. The stream under me was only a few inches deep so I figured I had nothing to lose. Anyone care to guess what happened?

I’m currently at my wife’s aunt and uncle’s house. The plan is to cook some of the halibut we caught on Saturday and have a nice meal with family. Since we’re staying in a state park this evening in our RV, I won’t have access to the intarweebs, so everyone will have to settle for a short update.

Miles traveled - 257

Wildlife bingo:
Bald eagle 
Grizzly bear
Loon
Long necked stork
Moose