Rift Stuff, EQ security breach, gaming...

So I'm still loving Rift. I got my guardian cleric on Faeblight up to 22nd. I think I like Defiant side better, but I love my little Dwarfling Kathy, she looks like my characters are supposed to look like, even if she's not a proper gnome. However, I definitely think the community on Faeblight is more interesting and friendly. So I'm more or less playing both. 

The second world event is starting today. It's a prequel thing that will last for a week until the new patch comes out, which will have a single server random dungeon tool and a new set of 10 person raid rifts and a couple of other things. This to me is pure Hartsman, regular and routine upgrades and additions. I remember figuring out if you worked out EQ2s development schedule and extrapolated it to WoW's income and population, you would have a new patch every couple of days and a new expansion every month.

That's the EQ2 of the past, back when Hartsman ran it. The current one?

Oh yeah, there is no current EQ2 because all the SOE got hacked and they got hacked good. In fact, things are so bad that the company simply took them all offline. I can't imagine what that's going to do for long term retention. The "routine" of gaming is one of the biggest things that retains people. You go down for an extended period of time and you're just going to lose them as they find a new shiny. And there's some new shinies out.

Rift Stuff, EQ security breach, gaming...

So I'm still loving Rift. I got my guardian cleric on Faeblight up to 22nd. I think I like Defiant side better, but I love my little Dwarfling Kathy, she looks like my characters are supposed to look like, even if she's not a proper gnome. However, I definitely think the community on Faeblight is more interesting and friendly. So I'm more or less playing both. 

The second world event is starting today. It's a prequel thing that will last for a week until the new patch comes out, which will have a single server random dungeon tool and a new set of 10 person raid rifts and a couple of other things. This to me is pure Hartsman, regular and routine upgrades and additions. I remember figuring out if you worked out EQ2s development schedule and extrapolated it to WoW's income and population, you would have a new patch every couple of days and a new expansion every month.

That's the EQ2 of the past, back when Hartsman ran it. The current one?

Oh yeah, there is no current EQ2 because all the SOE got hacked and they got hacked good. In fact, things are so bad that the company simply took them all offline. I can't imagine what that's going to do for long term retention. The "routine" of gaming is one of the biggest things that retains people. You go down for an extended period of time and you're just going to lose them as they find a new shiny. And there's some new shinies out.

Life and Stuff

 So today is Nora's 9mo birthday.  She's doing great. Maybe I'm jaded, but I assume you don't want to hear every detail. She's developing normally and we're having fun, particularly since we can go outside.

Well mostly, it's still a cool spring. We've only had a few days that got much above 60 and only one that hit 70. Things are starting to open up though, which is nice.

Other than that, really I can't think of anything. I've put in 26 hours over the last two days because of town meeting and I'm just completely exhausted. I'm so looking forward to a pleasant evening with a normal dinner and a nice viewing of some British mystery. Oh and most likely a couple of manhattans.

Life and Stuff

 So today is Nora's 9mo birthday.  She's doing great. Maybe I'm jaded, but I assume you don't want to hear every detail. She's developing normally and we're having fun, particularly since we can go outside.

Well mostly, it's still a cool spring. We've only had a few days that got much above 60 and only one that hit 70. Things are starting to open up though, which is nice.

Other than that, really I can't think of anything. I've put in 26 hours over the last two days because of town meeting and I'm just completely exhausted. I'm so looking forward to a pleasant evening with a normal dinner and a nice viewing of some British mystery. Oh and most likely a couple of manhattans.

Bin Laden

So I woke up Monday and Osama was dead. I do have friends who are engaging in some introspection about it, but I can't join them. Good riddance to the son of a bitch. Nor am I particularly aggrieved that there was probably no intention to capture him and may have summarily executed him or that lives were risked rather than bombing. To me, this was handled in the best possible way. He's dead. There's no relics to pass around. No trial at which he can spout his rhetoric. No tapes coming out of some prison. Mr. Obama is not going to release gory photos for the idiots to revel in. Bin Laden is just gone. Gone past and done other than a few deathers.

I'm sorry that this is some level of hypocrisy for me, but oh well. Robert Ebert put it well "I am against the Death Penalty. I rejoice that Bin Laden was killed. 'Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself.' (Whitman)"

Bin Laden

So I woke up Monday and Osama was dead. I do have friends who are engaging in some introspection about it, but I can't join them. Good riddance to the son of a bitch. Nor am I particularly aggrieved that there was probably no intention to capture him and may have summarily executed him or that lives were risked rather than bombing. To me, this was handled in the best possible way. He's dead. There's no relics to pass around. No trial at which he can spout his rhetoric. No tapes coming out of some prison. Mr. Obama is not going to release gory photos for the idiots to revel in. Bin Laden is just gone. Gone past and done other than a few deathers.

I'm sorry that this is some level of hypocrisy for me, but oh well. Robert Ebert put it well "I am against the Death Penalty. I rejoice that Bin Laden was killed. 'Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself.' (Whitman)"