Ravven: Life, Art, Gaming

Running of the Bulls – Videos

Ravven — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 12:57:27 +0000

Again, just for me to keep track of these…after the jump.

Good view of the start

An “Ultimate Guide Part 1″ :)

Scenes from the Bull run

Where I Work

Ravven — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 12:15:28 +0000

This is a shot of my desk. More specifically, this is a shot of the reminder that I’ve carried with me for longer than I can say – over twenty years, I would imagine. Everywhere I work, every computer desk, has had this saying displayed somewhere. It carries strata of ancient clear tape on the corners, and it’s creased. But it’s travelled with me through many US states, and now to England – everywhere that I call home, every workspace I’ve ever set up at home, has had this reminder displayed someplace.

There is no defeat except from within.
There is really no insurmountable barrier
save your own inherent weakness of purpose.

look at what was hiding in my bags…

Ravven — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 07:12:16 +0000

I haven’t logged into WoW in ages. When I did this weekend, look what I found!

An old Mysterious Egg was found to have hatched

and…

Ravven buys an interesting pattern

and…

Dravven gets her wings

Well, that makes a change from aged egg yolks. :)

Dragon Age: Origins

Ravven — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 10:42:40 +0000

Although I was waiting for P to finish Dragon Age before I played (since we’re trying to save money right now), I started a character while he was dealing with the plumber. The soon to be very rich plumber…but I digress.

I loved it. After a short, but vicious catfight over control of the game I retreated, licking my wounds, and ordered it from Steam, so I now have my very own copy.

As all the reviews state, the storytelling is incredible – it’s the closest I’ve come to actually feeling like I was part of a movie. The graphics are pretty good, and as someone who has mainly played MMOs, I suppose combat takes a bit of getting used to. But as P said, “it’s kind of an MMO without other players – perfect for you!” Well, I can’t deny that. :D

I started with a human assassin, and did the noble-daughter story arc. Amazing storytelling. I got my mother killed once, which bothered me, and quite early into it I acquired the ugliest dog in the world, Grendel.

This Is My Happy Face

I’m now at the point on this character when Morrigan has joined our party, quests are coming in fast and furious, and I’m a bit overwhelmed by all the options.

I’ve also worked through some of the other class/race combinations. The dwarf commoner was quite amusing, and I loved the initial sidekick who sounded like Vin Diesel.

So, again gaming acts as the perfect escape from plumbers and leaking toilets and broken boilers and the flu. I’d much rather be facing darkspawn rather than plumbing issues, I’ll tell you that. :D

Kitsune

Secret World Temptations

Ravven — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:56:18 +0000

Hmmn….this is tempting. If I re-sub to Age of Conan, there is a promotion running that offers:

3-month sub: Beta access to The Secret World
6-month sub: Beta access + in-game helmet that boosts experience gain by 10%
12-month sub: Beta access + helmet + a free copy of Conan expansion Rise of the Godslayer

I would really, really like to be able to play in the beta of The Secret World. But I’ve been thinking about resubbing to EVE, as well. What is a (poor) girl to do? I’d play Dragon Age if I could wrest the game from P’s hands, but I would probably have to kill him and stick him underneath the floorboards in order to be able to have a turn.

Decisions, decisions…murder, going back to my Tempest of Set, or venturing back into New Eden. Hmmmnnn….

EDIT:

Oh, my - look what I just found in my spam folder:

Your level 41 , Dravven, awaits your return to Age of Conan!

Now you can play Age of Conan again for 14 days completely FREE of charge! This offer does not require any purchase as long as you act before November 27th, 2009. There are also some amazing rewards available to you if you purchase game time now!

I frickin’ love two-weeks-of-free-play offers.

Job’s Daughter

Ravven — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:50:15 +0000

Fate plays rough with her toys, and she has a nasty sense of humour. She’s also (evidently) thoroughly pissed off at me personally. In the past week or so:

We had British Gas come in and look at our ailing boiler (heating and hot water) and managed to talk them down to a discounted £2,500 to replace it.
The car windshield got a stone chip, and in short order a massive crack.
The microwave and the electric kettle both died (we’ve since splashed out and bought another kettle, go us!).
This morning a seal or a washere or something that is supposed to hold the water in the toilet tank gave way, and now our bathroom is flooded. The water is turned off at the mains, and we’re awaiting a call from a friend of a friend who used to be a plumber. Hey, we’re not proud.

I am NOT, under any circumstances, going to ask “What next?” I don’t want to tempt Fate. I’ll just bend over, say “YES MA’AM MAY I HAVE ANOTHER” and hope she gets bored with kicking us around. I have a stronge feeling, though, that she’s not done with us yet…the prawns that I threw into a spinach and tomato salad this morning tasted funny at lunch, so I threw it out after eating just a few. I know they’re supposed to taste like seafood, but they tasted really fishy…and not in a nice way. So my food paranoia is now making my stomach feel all churny and unhappy.

…or is it paranoia? You know what they say, it’s not paranoia when they’re really out to get you. :D

Lost In Translation

Ravven — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:09:08 +0000

Last week, while browsing in secondhand bookshops for fodder for my book addiction, I found a copy of Lost in Translation and snapped it up. I’ve always loved that movie. I’m fascinated by Japan and Japanese culture, and a movie about Westerners’ reactions to Japan, and the dislocation caused by two very different cultures, interests me.

I have a hard time watching Scarlett Johansson, though – especially in earlier movies, she looks almost exactly like my daughter Morgaine. Scarlett is glossier now, and quite beautiful. But in her early films, such as The Horse Whisperer, they are almost identical. The actress is broader across the cheekbones, and Morgaine has a longer face and stronger chin. But the eyes, the mouth, the nose are identical. Even the voice is almost the same. I can’t watch The Horse Whisperer without sobbing, even though I have seen it so many times – I can’t separate the two people, and it’s like watching traumatic events happening to my daughter.

Anyway, despite Scarlett making me cry because she looks so much like Morgie and I miss her so much, I loved Lost in Translation. It’s a subtle movie in a lot of ways, and could have gone very wrong if their relationship went any farther than it did…but it was handled perfectly, down to the final scene where he whispers in her ear and you are left to decide for yourself how the story ends. It’s a lovely film.

I so want to visit Japan. I want to have the time and the money to spend an extended period of time there, to fully experience everything from karaoke to decorer girls to to mountain temples. I want to have time to explore cities as well as the countryside. It won’t happen this year, by any means. But someday…someday I’m going.

Dragon Age

Ravven — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:54:41 +0000

…has been downloaded via Steam and is now in the house! I’m not playing it yet, however, since we just bought one copy. Hhhmmph.

MBACD: give just a little

Ravven — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:59:28 +0000

As I was waiting for the last few minutes before 5:00 to tick down (I have become a fervent clock watcher in this job), saw this on Stylish Corpse:

The holidays are almost upon us again and this year the MMO Blogging Alliance wants to help ensure a good season for all! We’ve decide to pull together and encourage our readers to donate to those less fortunate. It has been a tough year for many families across the world and a little boost can go a long way. Please consider donating to one of the many charities that we recommend or one you select on your own. If you’re a blogger and would like to participate in our drive it is as easy as writing a post, including this at the top, linking to the other posts, and picking a charity to donate to. Let’s show everyone that in 2009 the MMO community can make a positive difference in the world!

This is something that I’ve been thinking about a lot. No matter how short you are on money, each of us should be able to give something to the world, to organisations or charities that do good work. I’d thought about some kind of Facebook group for it, but this is perfect. Feel free to pass it on!

The charities that I will donate to this year (however unimpressive my donations may be) are:

Médecins Sans Frontières, because they do amazing good work in places which really need it. I once worked with a brilliant developer who was originally from DR Congo, and he said that this charity, above all, makes donations work to actually help the people that they are intended for. Whether it is famine, or child soldiers, or rape or the spread of HIV that make you tear up, this is one of the parts of the world that really needs all the help it can get.

The ALS Association, in honor of my mother, who is one of the bravest people I know. ALS, Lou Gherig’s Disease, or Motor Neuron Disease (as it’s known in the UK), is an extremely cruel disease. As nerves and muscles fail, the sufferer is gradually locked inside a nonfunctional body. It’s been some time since I’ve been able to talk with my mother on the phone without my father to translate for her, which is doubly tough since I live so far away. She’s braver and much more cheerful than I could ever manage if I was unable to talk, unable to eat, and increasingly unable to take care of myself. It’s an evil disease, and we need to find a cure.

So those are my tiny contributions. I hope that posts like this can convince others to add a tiny bit of charity to a season of consumerism. The links below can give you an idea of some worthy places to send a few bucks to:

Stylish Corpse

Epic Slant

Brian “Psychochild” Green

Kestraal Through the Dark Portal

Ravven — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:52:07 +0000

My baby paladin managed to struggle through the last levels before 58, and then hit Outland. I’m ok once I can do that, it’s the old areas that I really struggle with. Starting areas are great, and sometimes when I’m very stressed I’ll start a character just to play the starting areas. But pretty much the whole middle area between starting and hitting Outland is a struggle for me (after so many characters).

That’s pretty much the only thing I did this weekend – I had a major case of the blues and didn’t feel like doing anything. I spent hours curled up in front of the fire, reading a book, with a cat at my side. Although not exciting, it sure is theraputic.

I couldn’t get rid of the mental countdown: “it’s Saturday night, only one more day and then I have to go back to work”. “It’s Sunday afternoon, and Monday is almost here”. It’s terrible to spend an entire weekend with a sense of impending doom ruining your free time.