So this morning I was looking up the "recent keywords" activity of my blog, using StatCounter (it's the best free site statistics I've come across), and "skyland" comes up regularly. I always research keywords to understand how you guys get to this blog and what you searhed for to get here. Through StatCounter, you can link to the search page (98% of them being Google) with the keywords they (that's you) searched under.
I did just that this morning, and doing so, came across a French site which had posted the links on NickToons to the FULL first 2 episodes of Skyland in Quicktime!!
[Edited 5 April, 2006] It seems Nicktoons has removed both episodes - I'll try to find them elsewhere. Drop me an email if you still interested in getting them or if you have new links to them.
As I've mentioned before, EVE Online is more then a simple game. It's vast, almost unlimited and the possibilities are endless as to what you can do. Trading is one of these activities which newcomers rarely do on their first day into this new universe.
They're much more likely to do a bit of mining to quickly acquire some ISKs (EVE currency) or go straight into the fury and fight off some space age pirates - commonly referred as Rats by EVE players.
And I've done both, still do, and still can enjoy it, in part because of the security system being used (more on that in later pots). But trading was something I always had wanted to do, but never took the time to seriously consider. When you're having to much fun doing agent missions and chasing pirates from system to system, the thought of looking up market analysis and charts doesn't seem to exciting.
But I was wrong, and kinda knew it. So last Sunday night I did just that. Logged in, opened the Market window and started looking at various commodities which I could haul in my trusty Iteron Mark III, the Fat Betty, across systems for some profit.
So I started off from my home base station in Stacmon, where I moved in about a year ago, while employed by Sorbion, my old corporation. My first destination was the Vey system, to acquire a full cargo of 'Frozen Food'. This system was 3 jumps away, through Ostingele and Agoze. After filling my ship to full capacity I head back out to sell these goods in Ostingele, 2 jumps away.
On this first run I made 422,103.2 ISKs in profits (26.3 ISKs per unit or 52.1 ISKs per cubic meter). Then I was off again, now heading Agoze to pick up half my cargo, then filled her up in Harroule, then sold that full cargo in Ostingele. This time I was looking at a bit profits; 392,880.09 ISKS (24.33 ISKs per unit and about 48.52 per cubic meter).
On my final run, to and from the same two systems, I managed to do a bit better and added 423,885.1 ISKs of profits (26.25 ISKs per unit or 52.35 ISKs per cubic meter).
After that I called it a night. I had earned just shy of 1.3 million ISKs. Not bad for a first run at it. Hopefully I'll be able to find better trading routes. I only have to watch out for NPC pirates and PVP pirates, since most of these system are all low securities. It makes it that more fun!
It's just the start. Eventually I'll get myself an Mark V and really bring it up a few levels. Until then, Fat Betty will have to do the job!
Well last night was patch night, so I wasn't counting on logging into EVE. As with any patch deployment, I set up a long skill training; in this case Production Efficiency to level 4, which will finish Sunday early morning. So there's no worries there.
But I did think I was going to be able to login tonight and witness a red moon rising and the empires coming into conflict.
Heck, who was I kidding. As in any major patching, there are always some unforeseen problems and the RMR patch was no exception. As long as the downtime does not last passed Sunday, I can't really complain. And I know the boyz from CCP are doing all their best, despite all the difficulties they may be facing. I've tried logging in a few times tonight, but after manually patching the EVE client, which went smoothly, all I got to see of Red Moon Rising was the client GUI updates pictured here for your enjoyment.
I'll try again tomorrow morning before going off to work, just to give myself a glimpse of what to expect over the week-end. Though I won't have as much time to play as I originally had planned. It's the Xmas Holidays and we'll be pretty busy with parties and family & friends visits over the next few weeks.
But I've planned a few full days of EVE in between Xmas and New Years, so I can't complain. Will have lots to do, if I want to get myself some of those new ships that will be available with RMR!
So this screenshots shows fairly well what I've been staring these past few nights. That, and the dead of space in low security systems - the backwater of Placid region.
Tonight, I ran a few runs in between Ausmaert, Archavoinet, Aulbres and Agoze trading Electronic Parts in between stations. Gained about 2 million ISKs and learned to navigate through dangerous space.
My goal is to rack up enough ISKs to fill up my Iteron Mark III and run a few more trips in between Aulbres and Agoze. Learning the ropes I guess!
Since in last aired on TELETOON, I've been craving some more of Skyland. And there isn't much to be found, except for the same bits of information on the same sites. The only new site I found screenies on, was Laurent Pierlot's site, showing his portfolio where you can see some captures. Enjoy!
Otherwise, checking TELETOON's TV schedule, we learn that the next episode (same as the first 2?) is on December 31st, and the next one is next year, on January 29 same time, 19h30, every week-ends. Looking at this, December's showing is more then likely a rerun.
Can you still consider yourself a gamer when you're only playing "one" game? I mean let's be serious, I used to play lots of different games: Dungeon Siege, Warcraft III, Homeworld (I & II), Diablo, Starcraft, War of the Rings, Prince of Persia, etc. I've amassed a decent collection of games (44), both for the PC and my Xbox.
Speaking of which, I haven't used my Xbox to play for about a year now, but I still keep my Xbox Live account. I even haven't played the games I got last Xmas: Prince of Persia 2, War of the Rings, Battle for Middle-Earth, Warcraft III: Frozen Throne and Temple of Elemental Evil. Kind of pathetic n'est-ce pas?
Yes and no. I do consider myself a gamer still, just one with different priorities. Playing games takes time, playing MMORPG takes more, and playing EVE takes even more. Just ask any capsuleer. And once you've pushed beyond the initial barrier, EVE becomes so addictive, that you can't consider playing anything else. Anyways I can't.
Not that I haven't tried. I did. I bought Guild Wars a few months back - a couple of weeks after it came out, and I enjoyed playing it. For awhile that is. Then EVE sucked me back in and there was no going back. I can't really explain it. It goes beyond the game factor. I mean you can't really call it a game, it's much more then that. It really is a virtual world. One where you can be a buccaneer, a Tradesman, a Diplomat, a CEO, a Production Director, an Industrial Ore Miner, a Space Pilot, a Fleet Commander, and anything you can think of pretty much. You can travel the galaxy, or stay put in your own space station and command your corporate empire.
And that's the beauty of EVE - it's openness. You're never confined to one profession, one career path. What ever you wan to be you can.
Am I still a gamer? I still believe I am. But in EVE, I'm much more then that.
While checking out EVE Online blogs this morning on Technorati, I came across this guy's set-up and I fell in love with it. He's been playing EVE with two 20" LCDs side by side for heaven's sake!! What I would give to have that set-up! I've only got a lowly 17" CRT from IBM which I bought about 5 years ago. I promised the wife I wouldn't change the monitor until it broke down, but the damn thing still works like new. It doesn't to die!
Until it does, I'll be day dreaming of this set-up. Who knows, I might just give into my temptation and get myself a similar set-up. For fun, I looked into it and would most likely get 2 ViewSonic VP730b Thinedge Ultra-Slim bezel. At $430 CDN a pop, I'd have an awesome (as compared to my current) set-up. If anyone has feedback on ViewSonic LCDs in general, and that model in particular, please let me know!
Another proof that EVE Online is growing steadily: on Sunday afternoon (evening in Europe), more then 18,000 concurrent players were logged into the game/virtual world playing, trading, fighting and having just plain fun! Cheers to CCP and the success of EVE!
Ever wondered how gaming affects society? How most of todays teenagers aren't watching as much television, and instead are immersing themselves in challenging dynamic problem solving situations? In video games that is. Well this week The Escapist looks into this very issue in a very eye opening way, as usual.
Just got the latest RF Online newsletter and it's stuffed with goodies. A new Lore section was openned up on the website, so we will probably see more of it over the next few weeks.
As for the BETA, well it looks like I wasn't the only one who applied. Looks like I might have to wait a while before I get access to the BETA. So far I've beta tested a number of games, amongst them: Earth & Beyond, EVE Online, Star Wars Galaxies, World of Warcraft, and Car Wars. The only one that kept me entertained was EVE, and I'm still playing, still being entertained. Let's see about this one; IF I get in!
I must say that the 2 new videos they've just released are breathtaking. If their quality is any hint of the quality of the game and the developers, than were in for a lot of fun!
When I started playing EVE Online about a year and a half ago, it had about 40,000 subscribers and 5,000 concurrent players at peek hours, usually Sunday afternoon (evening in Europe). Those numbers slowly grew and by the fall 2005 were reaching about 70,000 subscribers and around 12,000 concurrent users. This was great for the EVE community except in one regard, the servers were getting extremely slow on those peak hours, to the point of servers crashes and downtime. It was difficult logging in, and both EVE players and CCP were getting fed-up with the situation.
Then in late October CCP announced they had purchased a RamSan solid state disks from Texas Memory Systems, and the flood gates were open. What a difference this little (but probably expensive) piece of hardware made. Stability returned to the EVE universe even though more and more players were joining.
Yesterday, TMS and CCP released their case study on the installation of the solid disk array. I find it always interesting to read up on the technology behind virtual world and what hardware and software systems make possible these adult playground.
Earlier, in September, CCP, with IBM this time, we had be given a first joint case study, "Pushing the technological barriers of game design with IBM technology" on how the UK-based server farm (on which EVE Online runs) was built and is operated remotely from Iceland. This one is filled with interesting facts and figures, which will make the geek in you drool.
I hope we'll be treated to more of these in the future. Now let's get back in the EVE.
Late last night I completed a long trade expedition through federation space. Though not a profitable run, it allowed me to explore some low sec systems and determine the risk level of running this backwater trade route.
After gathering the necessary goods from my hangar in Stacmon, I headed on the 33 jump mission that would take to the fringes of Gallente space. First stop was Intaki, where I sold some cheap holoreels. Then off to Mollin, Ansou and finally Espigourne, where I respectfully released, first some synthetic oils, then dairy products and last, some polytextiles.
As I said, this was the most profitable run at about 150,000 ISK, but it was more of a scouting mission then for any other purpose.
This screenshot was taken just as I was about to warp out from Intaki towards the Mollin gate.
I'm currently training for 4th level Industrial, with the goal to get to level 5 in order to purchase and operate a Gallente Iteron Mark V.
One of the most important aspect of an MMORPG, often overlooked, is the background story, the lore. While a game is being developed it helps create the mood, the atmosphere and provides hints and teasers as to what to look forward to in the game. When the game is live, it keeps the story moving forward, keeps the players interested, wanting more. It's crucial, specifically in an MMORPG.
Last Monday, RF Online released the 1st chapter of its lore, and quickly followed with chapters 2 & 3, on Friday. And...
...I'm disappointed. It sounds somewhat childish, even goofy. I'm mean the "Arcane Club". Please!! I just don't know. I was expecting some much more from such an original setting. I really hope they either change the lore or at the very least tweak this story so that it has a bit more weight, and can hold it's own. Look at the lore of WoW, or EVE Online. I mean here are stories, legends, that have substance, content and bring the reader into the virtual world.
Now, I may be over reacting at such an early stage in the development of the game, and as the months go by, I'm sure more content will be added, which will bring the RF Online alive. It's just not off to a great start so far.
[UPDATE: I've since given RF Online lore a second read, and I have to say, it's not as bad as I thought at first. I'm curious though, because it seems they've updated chapter 2 and 3 since they appear to have been modified after Friday.]
Keep your fingers crossed until then, and in the mean time, enjoy this article over at MMORPG.com with Michael Rowland, the RF Online Community Manager.
The second issue of E:ON magazine will be shipping out on January 2nd and I can't wait. The first was worth every penny, as it embraces all of what makes EVE and it's community an amazing experience. I'm still not yet done with all the short stories, but the articles were amazing; things like the future expansion of EVE with Kali just around the corner, capital ships, bookmarking, trading and all the rest.
I really enjoyed the magazine and cannot wait for the second one. I only wish it had more pages, more content, more EVE. As for the second issue, we'll just have to wait and see what makes it to press since they have yet to announce the content.
I don't remember the last time I got excited about animation. Probably back in highschool when I used to get up at 7:00 am in the morning on the week-ends to watch Robotech. Man that was good anime and it brings back lots of fond memories. I remember the feeling of having come upon something few of my peers knew about at the time, and how excited I was.
Well earlier this week I had the same feeling! On Thursday night I watched an amazing new anime series called Skyland. And I'm really excited about it. It's visually stunning, hell I'll even go as far as say it's breathtaking. The setting is very interesting, even if it's a bit deja vue. But I enjoyed it so much, that I'll be watching it again tonight when it airs on TELETOON at 7:00 pm, here in Canada. I think it airs an hour later in the states, but I can't be sure. Skyland is an international production between France and Canada, and is being aired in the USA, UK, France and Canada. Tonight's 2 episodes are a sneak peek at the series which will start in January 2006.
This is the synopsis of the show:
In 2251, the earth shattered into millions of blocks that now float in orbit around its core. These blocks remained suitable for living, and life resumed on them. Water is now the most precious resource. The Sphere, a council of leaders assembled from all over the world, has installed a dictatorship that controls water distribution. Their immense army is composed of robots, called Brigadiers, and is led by an elite force, the Guardians. Marcus and Mila, a married couple who spearhead the pirate resistance movement, seem poised to fulfill an ancient prophecy telling of Skyland's rebirth, thus raising the hopes that the Sphere will be toppled. They have a dangerous but happy life, bringing a son, Mahad, into the world soon after their union. Shortly before the birth of their second child, Lena, Marcus and most of the pirates disappear during a major offensive against the Sphere. With hope for the freedom all but collapsed, Mila decides to raise her children under a new identity: as a Mansa farmer on a quiet block called Babylonia. Mila is kidnapped by Oslo, the evil leader of the Guardians. Her children manage to escape, and find refuge living near an eccentric savant, the Vector, in Porto Angel, a port led by the pirate Aran Cortes. Mahad and Lena will try to free their mother while Oslo tries to capture Lena, who is the key to absolute power. At first, Oslo thought that the prophecy spoke of Mila and himself, but now he's convinced that Lena is the "light" that will allow him to dominate Skyland. The resistance movement believed that the prophecy spoke of Mila and Marcus. When Marcus disappeared, this interpretation was forgotten. Very few people now believe in the prophecy. This is a major dispute between the Vector and Cortes. Mila has learned that her daughter is 'the light' spoken of in the prophecy. She decides to keep this from her children until they are adults, so they may have a normal childhood. They learn about the prophecy and Mila's past soon enough. The Sphere leaders do not believe in this prophecy. The inhabitants of Skyland believe that the prophecy speaks of human beings, referring to Mahad and Lena.
But seriously, words cannot due justice to this series (well anyways to these first two episodes). You have to see it. So check your local listings and if you miss it, it airs again on Sunday. In the mean time, read up on it at the following sites:
Speaking of Attitude Studio, here is an interview (in French) with one of the 3d Graphic Designer who worked on the series. Adds a different perspective, and there are great screen captures.
Thursday nights are usually EVE evenings, where I can spend a few hours immersed in EVE. But tonight I had other distractions, which I'll get to mention in a few posts; once I gather all my info and am allowed to discuss. Let's just say it involves an amazing new anime, TELETOON, and a great story line.
So instead, I did a simple level 2 agent mission, just to remind me of how fun they were. This one involved an agent in Stacmon, a thief in Dastryns, a document to bring back and a platform to destroy. Makes for some nice screenies.
Check out my latest flickr pics in my EVE Online set!
As you may know, I've decided that my EVE character will become the universe's greatest and wealthiest trader. Until these delusional plans of grandeur come crashing down, Treenara (my EVE character) has a lot on her plate.
A few weeks back, with the help of 3 members of my corporation, Coreli, I placed a sell order for 145 "800mm Steel Armor Plates 1" in a relatively safe system for 750,000ISK (EVE currency). Well they're still on sale, the whole 145 of them. And if you check the chart on your left, you'll quickly see that we were a bit over optomistic with our pricing. We'll need to readjust it soo, or else we'll end-up with the merchandise still in our posesion. EVE's economy is player driven and fluctuates with the needs and desires of the players. It makes for some pretty complicated trading.
Using flickr, I've been uploading all my EVE screenshots. I'm using the 2Gb monthly upload capacity of my flickr pro account to take a few shots when ever I play, and upload them. Gives me a chance to show EVE to friends and for all of you to see the beautiful environment in which I immerse myself on a daily basis.
Now you'll get to see one of the pleasures of EVE. Follow this link and feast your eyes.
Oh, and if you've noticed, the little applet on the right, shows my latest EVE Online set on flickr. So you always have an easy access to them.
Well this is not Kali (the next EVE expansion), but it's something that should keep us EVE players happy until it comes out. If you purchased E:ON, then you know what's coming to EVE soon: humongous ships that will redefine fleet battles. They should make things very interesting, though it may take a while before we actually see any of them flying through soon.
In it's press release , CCP hinted on some of the cool things RMR will bring forth:
Titans: The largest, most fearsome space faring battle vessels ever created
Carriers: Front line capital ships providing fighter coverage and support for fleets
Bloodlines: The addition of Asian bloodlines available to each of the races
COSMOS Constellation Expansion: Addition of constellation missions to Gallente and Amarr territories
Fighters: The main offensive and defensive weapon of the Carrier
Starbases and sovereignty: Additions of roles to improve control access of services and improved calculations of player-determined Sovereignty
And this is all free! All thanx to CCP's amazing customer offer for EVE Online. And so will Kali. I'm really amazed that they're able to do so. I'm sure it has a lot to do with CCP's superb management skills and the constant and steady success of EVE popularity. Which says a lot about the quality of this galaxy spanning virtual world. When I joined EVE, over a year ago, there were about 40,000 subscribers and about 5,000 concurrent players. Now it's somewhere about 80,000 and 17,000 players (on one server).
I can't wait until the holidays!
P.S.: click here to get a zipped file of all Red Moon Rising screenshots.
Another cool utility from the Google beta labs: Google Web Accelerator Download. Came across it this morning and I must say there is a noticeable difference in the speed at which some of the sites load.
I'll see if this perception last over the next few days. The download and installation were very quick and simple - very Google-like. It works both for IE and Firefox. Once installed, it loads in your systray, so you can have it running or not. When it is though, on the top right corner of Firefox it will let you know how much time you've saved by using it.
It the few sites I've loaded to give it a run and see a difference, according to it, I've saved 14.6 seconds as I write this. This doesn't seem much, but you do notice a change; especially on sites with a lot of graphic content. The EVE Online home page loaded a lot faster than usual. A great lot.
So I'll blink Google Web Accelerator as a 'coolutility' (my BlinkList tag) and it'll appear in my Cool Utilities links section of this blog (lower on the right column).
A new week, a new issue of The Escapist. This week's edition is on 'griefers'. Something that we, EVE players, are very familiar with. Ever lost a ship while mining some asteroids in a low security system? Or have seen ore thieves fly away with hours of effort? Had a new employee (EVE's guild equivalent) steal for the corporate hangers?
Then you've been hit by a griefer! And as J. Rossignol elaborates in his article, A Deadly Dollar, griefer, as long as they stick to the setting, are part of game, and as such, should be taken as part of the experience. Though it's a bitch when it happens to you (and believe me it is), it makes the game that much more poignant and real. I guess that the difference between a game and a Virtual World. In the later, you risk loosing much more, but it makes for one hell of a better time.
It's when you can loose something dear to you, that you become that much more involved. Makes the virtual that much more real.
Received an email today from MMORPG.com to win a spot as a BETA tester for Codemasters' upcoming MMORPG "RF Online".
I've been keeping an eye on this one because the setting is interesting, the graphics are great, and, though not a totally new design in the current MMO offering, it's got a nice balance between the western and eastern influence on the genre.
On one side you've got the Lineage, Xenosaga, Final Fantasy et al. and on the other, your Star Wars Galaxies, World of Warcraft and Everquest. RF Online seems to have aspects and features from both, in a original setting that is a mix between science-fiction and fantasy.
In the end though it all depends on the execution of the developers - trailers, screenshots and feature lists are nice, but how the game plays is what makes it or brakes it. Still, I'll be very happy if I do get a spot in the BETA!
Here are a few links to RF Online related information:
I've decided to switch career path for my character in EVE. Treenara Mazouk will now start training trade skills to try to become a successful trader. As such she needs to explore new systems, new regions and new constellations.
Here she is on her way home to the Bereye system after doing some mining in Arnatele's vast asteroid belt.
If this sounds completely off the wall to you, don't worry, it's called an online virtual world. It's called EVE Online!
A bit over a month ago, while attending MAX 2005 in Anaheim, I got an iriver ultra-portable player. A U10 that is, as part of the promo material given out to the Experience Forum attendees. And let me tell it's a fun little gadget.
I use it mostly as an mp3 player, but I can play flash games with it (comes with some), use it as a portable drive (1Gb), play movies, etc. It has a really intuitive interface/control scheme, which you pick up right away.
I was really excited about the mpeg capability, but I have yet to be successful at transferring a movie onto it. The whole format thing is somewhat difficult to adjust. So far, all transfered movies have not been able to play. At all. Nothing.
But I'll figured it. I've got to find a simple video converter to process the mpegs I want to view on it. I'll let you know what I can find.
I finally logged in some hours in EVE Online last night. It had been a long time since I played and I missed it a lot. With the move a month ago and then my computer failing, I barely had any time to devote to my addiction (wink wink)!
Now, things should go back to normal and I should be able to play regularly. And I've decided to change career path for a while. My character, Treenara Mazouk, is a character with most of her skills combat oriented, with a good emphasis on pilot skills also. In late September, with 3 members of my corporation, Coreli Corp, we decided to go into production and trading. This was an aspect of EVE I had never really looked into and one that I always regarded as too complex. It's much easier to take down a few rats (pirates in EVE lingo), then to plan a complex trading operation.
But that's exactly what I've decided to do for now. This screenshot was taken last night, while on a visit of different regions to inquire about pricing of various merchandise we plan on selling.
It's kind of stupid to say that since I had access from work. But the internet has been part of my daily life for over 10 years now, and it's something that I take for granted. So when I simply can't get to it, it's painful. Add to that the fact that I couldn't play the MMORPG Eve-Online, and you start to understand the extent of my devastation. I'm kind of pushing it am I? But you get my point!
Having said that, I took the better of this evening uploading our pictures from our trip to Italy this past June on my new flickr pro account. It's an amazing site/web application and once you've started using it, it's addictive. A prime example of the web 2.0 and what's in store over the next few years. So far I have about 550 pics up and I still have a few days left to add. You can see the latest pics added on the right in the "my flickr pics" applet.
I also spent the morning adding all my bookmarks to my BlinkList. I had started doing so last week with del.icio.us but found BlinkList had better features and a more practicle interface. It's still in beta but works fairly well. I strongly suggest you give it a try!
Off to bed now, have a good night!
P.S.: Oh, in case you were wondering, it was my mobo! The Prescott P4 I had installed fried my P4C800 Deluxe and it had to be replaced. A bummer, but a cheaper fix then replacing the processor. Oh, well!
Firefox 1.5 is getting closer to a release. RC1 was made available a few days ago, and I've been using it since yesterday - at work, since I still don't have a working PC at home! It doesn't work with all extensions yet, but it's just a question of time.
On Sunday, my home life as I knew it ended. My PC died or something and I lost my access to the net , the web, to the world as I knew it!! And I survived...
Sort of. Thank god for work or else I would be able to post this at all. My PC problem is something I had yet seen and still haven't resolved 4 days later. I mean, I've had to replace a faulty graphics card or a dead HDD, but I had yet to encounter the melodramatic voice message that came out of my speakers when I booted my PC that morning: "System failed CPU test". Repeated over and over. Actually I never figured it out until I asked my better half what she heard and pointed to the ASUS manual to that sentence above.
So I did the only thing I could think of: pull out the CPU, a nice little P4 2.6G a bit over a year old. Every looked normal; neither the CPU nor the heatsink were hot or anything. Cleaned the dust off and around the casing and put everything back in and booted up again. It powered up normally, or so I thought. That Sunday we had planned to work outside, get ready for winter and plant some tulips for next spring. So I shot it off and told myself I was lucky.
Boy was I wrong.
Monday morning, I get up, put on my PJs, walk into the office/PC room, boot it and go down for OJ. When I came back up the monitor was dead (led blinking) and only the fans were humming along. I rebooted the PC and that message of agony was back: "System failed CPU test"!!!!! Ahhh man!!!
Shut it off and go to work was the only thing I could do.
Once at work, I looked up some online forums and asked around the office. The diagnostic was the same: nasty problem which could be a bunch of things (CPU, PSU, video card, RAM, etc).
So here we are, Wednesday, and still no access to the net from home. No email, no web, no gaming, no MMORPG, no EVE Online! And to add insult to injury, my skill training in EVE Online finished over the week-end, and now I'm not training anything and loosing all these days!!
Tonight I'll be doing a few things I've told I can test, and if that fails then I'll bring the PC to Microbytes for them to fix. Which means no PC for the week-end either!!!
Just have fun roaming around, and lets all appreciate this blue marble of life we call home. It's our obligation to future generations to protect it and preserve it. As the old aboriginal saying goes: "We do not inherit the Earth, we borrow it from our children".
In its last 2 issues, The Escapist mentions Eve Online in 2 or 3 of its articles. I'm always amazed at their quality, the depth and thoroughness of the subject discussed and also the layout of this webzine. Quality literature at its best.
Here's a magazine that approaches Gaming in a truly fresh and mature manner. No Reviews. No Previews. No advertising. The Escapist is proof that the Gaming industry is maturing - or parts of it anyways.
In issue 10, Mark Wallace touches on the subject of Corporation/Guilds and there equivalent in real life (RL), communities. And this is truly one of the great strength of MMORPGs. Read about in "Don't ever take sides against the corp again".
Mark is probably an avid and regular capsuleer (EVE player) as his next article in issue 11, "We the Avatars", looks into a very touchy subject these days: Real-money trade (RMT). He quickly sums up my personal opinion on the matter early in the article when he says:
The practice of buying and selling virtual-world items (and services) for real money can lead to lots of things that lots of people view as problems: Low-level characters get twinked with powerful equipment they couldn't possibly have earned yet; gold-farmers suck up all the loot in a region, leaving nothing for innocent adventurers just trying to earn an honest level; characters appear, wordlessly level up under the control of a paid power-gamer, then wander around without a clue once they're back in the hands of their inexperienced owners; developers have yet another obstacle to design their way around while trying to keep their games fun and engaging.
A read, that's sure to be a hot topic in the near future.
Well the rumours were going around for a few weeks now, and it seems they were well founded. I've downloaded it and sent an invite to some friends. This maybe the start of the long distance revolution!!! See this article for details.
Seems Skype would make a great addition to Google's growing acquisition portfolio. Calling the world... Hello?
That's what I did tonight in EVE. Which should increase my security rating and eventually get me back above 0.0. Dragonmorph was online and so was Took. Met a newbie, Basinet, nice fellow who needed small help with a few (3) nasty rats. Me and my boyz (Wasp Drones) gave him a bit of help.
Then I mined a bit (see picture) and called it a night. I haven't seen Lugus and Muntchak in a long time. A few months I would say. Should email them and get the latest. I'm thinking of starting to recruit new members for Sorbion Inc. (my corp in EVE), cause as of now, I alone!!! Lost 5 members at the start of the summer!
As most of you know I play EVE online, an online virtual world (often called an MMORPG: Massivelly Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game). Well CCP, the developers and publishers behind this gem, announced that they would offer a print magazine for EVE, called EON.
It will ship out on October of this year, on my birthday! The first issue will have a ton of stuff any worthy citizen of New Eden will want to have. So I've just subscribed and will receive 4 issues in the next year. Can't wait to get it!
EVE Online is addictive in a seductive and lethal way... more, I want more!! =)
Version 2.0 of Google's desktop search tool. And though I was using Copernic's search tool for the last few months, I still was impressed their first iteration.
I'll try it for a few days and see if I want to keep using it.
A bit of hunting down Caldari terrorists is always a lot of fun, well it is anyways in EVE. Early Sunday mornings is always a good time to immerse oneself back in New Eden; it's real quiet in the apartment, Stephanie is asleep and the coffee is freshly brewed. Hmmmm!
This morning I did a bit of rat hunting, mining and a couple of missions. All in a days work, and just in time to go house hunting (RL this time, and no one gets hurt!)
The Economist.com has a great article on the whole "video games are bad for our youths" debate. And for once we have an article which treats this political issue in a statistical and social science fashion.
In the end, it becomes a generational gap between the 'have played games' camp, and the 'haven't played games so they must be bad for you' camp.
A must read for anyone interested in this debate.
I myself, can't wait to sit down with my kids (when I have some) and play a good game, be it video, board, rpg or tag football. Knowing your kids is knowing what they enjoy. And that includes video games.
Wow, I remember watching a few shows of Firefly and really being blown away. The story is gripping, the acting is great, the characters are believable, and the episodes were just dam good to watch. Just too bad the series got canceled. Maybe that will change once the movie "Serenity" comes out!
Which reminds me, I still don't know when Battlestar Galactica will start playing again on SPACE. I've checked the TV schedule for the next 2 week-ends and its still not showing. Until then, I've marked my calendar for Serenity. Just before my birthday!
And though I enjoy very much our busy social agenda, I still would like to get a few hours soon so I can get my fix. =) Last night I went to a Toastmasters as a guest, tonight we're going to La Ronde with some friends (been a darn long time since I've been there!), but my Thursday night seems free.
It'll be fun to get back to Eve.
On that note, have a great day, enjoy your summer and play hard!
Ok, I wont lie, I'm a geek at heart. There, I've said it! I'm guilty as charged and proud to be one. I may not be a full blown geek, but part of me is, and from time to time it comes to the surface. If you're like me then, you'll love this article over at IEEE Spectrum Online (if there ever was a geeks magazine, this is it): Engineering EverQuest.
Though the first part of the article is a bit simplistic, once you get to the half mark, that's where the good stuff is. If you've wondered what sort of hardware and facilities are behind EverQuest (and most probably other MMORPGs) than you'll want to read this one.
Some of the interesting stuff:
More than 9 million gigabytes of EverQuest data have been downloaded from Sony's servers in the past six years
There are 13 data centers in Japan, South Korea, the Netherlands, and on both coasts of the United States
More than 1500 servers around the world run EverQuest
Now if we could get the same info from the guys at Blizzard, that would really be interesting.
The whole uproar in the states brewing around the HotCoffee is really getting out of hand. Politicians left, right and center are jumping on the "Games are corrupting our youth" band wagon and making it their next puritan crusade. I mean give me a break!
When I came across this L.A. Times article, I was very much surprised and even more delighted. In "Hillary vs. the Xbox: Game over". The author of the article brilliantly and sarcastically makes his point. I could not agree more with him. Finally, a member of the press that does his investigating, and avoid regurgitating the same stupidity about video games making violently vicious predators out of us.
For all you parents, grand-parents or anti-gaming crusaders out there, do yourselves a favor, read the article, and then go and discuss it with your kids.
Wired has a good article on J Allard and what Microsoft has foreseen for the Xbox 360's role in our living room. And the future looks very promising.
They seem to have a good chance to give the guys at Sony a run for their money. Only the future will tell, but if the last 4 years are an indication, than Allard and his bunch have got a good chance !
From Wired: "J Allard convinced Bill Gates to take on the Internet. Then he persuaded him to spend $2 billion to take on the PlayStation, too. Now he's aiming at the future of gaming - and the arrival of the mind-blowing broadband Metaverse."
Currently, that's the one thing I'm missing: TIME. With a fulltime job, a university class, planning a wedding and honeymoon (with my lovely fiance), I can barely find time to play EVE, let alone post. But that can't go on for too long!
School wise, things have quieted somewhat, so I'll be making updates, posts and all within the next few days. And boy, is there a lot of activity these days - GDC, Gaming conferences, new sites, news et al.
And I absolutely need to find time to play more. Since I've introduced a couple of friends to EVE a few months ago, they've been playing way more, and accumulating way more wealth and knowledge of the game. It's become our little joke - well their's anyway!
So stay tuned, watch for more links, more posts and more screenshots, in the next few days and from now on.
Well Blizzard is doing it again, and again. There's a slew of articles talking about how World of Warcraft (WoW) is a hit in Europe following its success in Korea the previous month, and North America late last year.
Sales rose to 280,000 on its first day, it had sold over 380,000 on its openning week-end. This shows how a well executed MMOG can be a very successful enterprise, and that should be a lesson to the "Earth & Beyond", "Wish" and other failed attempts.
Lets just hope that Blizzard has learned from its overwhelming success in NA last year, and that it now has the infrastructure the massive amounts of european players having fun in this World of Warcraft!
As reported earlier today on Slashdot, okrata.com's Garthilk managed to get an email interview with IGE president, Steve Salyer. Head over for a quick (and dirty) read on some real hard questions and answers (unless it gets too hard ) on a practice that has all camps fired up.
At the end of the interview he asks one innocent question (or loaded, depending on your point of view) that illustrates quite vividly what virtual goods and character sales does to a game. Whichever camp you're in, this debate is far from over, and it's likely to get uglier before it gets resolved. If it ever does.
Personnaly, I'm not in favor of, either the sales of goods, characters, or currencies, simply because:
it destroys the delicate balance of the virtual market economy that was created be the developpers and the players;
it puts an unfair advantage on those who have (or are willing to spend) real life money and use it to get ahead in the game;
it brings real life elements into a virtual world that is trying to dissasociates itself from it.
How would you feel if you had spent hours, weeks, and months in your VW (virtual world) and had build up your character to something very impressive, only to see all your effort (and fun) wasted when you see some newbie kill/destroy off your character/ship/avatar with his uber character he just purchased on eBay? Or try to answer Garthilk's Monopoly question. And do it honestly.
I love MMORPGs! That is, I've played several as a Beta tester and I've always found that there is something fascinating about their dynamic. Especially their social aspect - which is kind of obvious since that's the whole idea behind: create a game setting in which hundreds, no, make that thousands of people from all walks of life can interact, roleplay and have a blast.
I've Beta tested Earth & Beyond (which was recently cancelled by EA), Star Wars Galaxies, Lineage II and EVE - Second Genesis.
I've also played the trials of a few others: Shadowbane, Anarchy Online, Asheron's Call. But in the end I came back to EVE.
What a game!! What a world!! What an incredible experience...
The visuals, the game mechanics, the sheer size of it. With 5000 systems in the game (and the option of more being added in the future), many of them with a large supporting entourage of orbiting planets, moons, Space stations, Factories, Asteroid Belts, NPC ships, sentry guns and all sorts of other space paraphernalia. You get to see all these beautifully rendered in stunning DX9 Graphics. You can't be fair using the written word to truly describe this game - it has to be played to be truly experienced. Simply put, it is.... ah, there's no word for it I tell you.
Welcome to CrazyKinux's Musing - The EVE Online blog where you'll find everything you need about this MMORPG and how to enjoy it!
My name is David "CrazyKinux" Perry and in my spare time I play video games, amongst which EVE Online is the one I dedicate the most time.
From Gamer to Blogger
Video games were never a passion as a child. I never played with an N64 or other types of console, neither did I spend much time on computer games. Then about ten years ago, a friend bought me Diablo II. That was the beginning of my journey through the meanderings of the digital gaming world. Having spent a good part of my youth playing various tabletop RPGs, the leap to the electronic world wasn't too strenuous. After Diablo, the inevitable StarCraft, Warcraft, Dungeon Siege, Homeworld and the likes started to fill the shelves of my bookcases. Over the years, I've build up a game collection anyone would be proud of. Well I am anyways!
Then about five years ago, I came across a new kind of game, one that went far beyond the games I had played so far, the MMORPG. The game in question was EVE Online: The Second Genesis. In 2004, after upgrading to a capable PC, I joined the world of capsuleers and never looked back. Why CrazyKinux's Musing
I started this blog because I wanted to share my opinions on MMORPG, gaming, and on EVE Online. Slowly over the weeks, then month, I narrowed the subjects of my posts to the point where today, most if not all of them are on EVE Online. Over the two years I've kept this blog, I've added lists upon lists of sites and resources I use regularly while exploring EVE. It seems I'm not the only one that appreciates these.
So I hope you enjoy your visit and come back on a regular basis. While you're here, take the opportunity to comment a few posts and let me know what you think. I'm always happy to discuss various subjects pertaining to this wonderful virtual world called EVE Online. How to reach or connect with me
[May 2008 Update] I've recently joined the ranks of MMO bloggers over at Massively.com. My column is entitled Have Clone, Will Travel and will be a (bi-) weekly feature on EVE Online. Drop by and let me kow your thoughts any time!
[September 2008 Update]
So I've added this little video intro to tour the site and help new readers get the most out of this blog. Took me about twenty attempts before I got it tight, and was proud enough to upload the video. If one thing is certain, it's that I always enjoy making a fool of myself! So, what do you think of the video?
[Disclaimer] I may receive compensation from others I mention on http://www.crazykinux.ca. You should probably assume I do. Or not. Most often though, I'll promote products, games, magazines, movies, computer hardware, (etc) for free, simply because I want to. Regardless, I only recommend products, games, magazines, movies, computer hardware and other such things I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I'm not disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising" since I'm Canadian and that law doesn't apply to me. I'm doing it simply to shut the Trolls up! You know who you are!
So this morning I was looking up the "recent keywords" activity of my blog, using StatCounter (it's the best free site statistics I've come across), and "skyland" comes up regularly. I always research keywords to understand how you guys get to this blog and what you searhed for to get here. Through StatCounter, you can link to the search page (98% of them being Google) with the keywords they (that's you) searched under.
