Obliviononononon

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With great anticipation about the Skyrim game coming out on 11-11-11, I decided it was time I actually get around to playing its predecessor, Oblivion. I am addicted to this game, it's true. I find myself always just trying to finish this quest before it's time to go and, inevitably, each time I near what I think is an end, there is another piece of the quest waiting for me.

Regardless, it has come to my attention that any hopes of completing this game before Nov. 11 are futile. Why? Because this game is endless. I have so many hours in already and I think I maybe have done three of the "main plot" quests. And unlike those of so many other RPGs I play, the side quests in this game feel like anything but. They are engaging, they earn me pretty decent rewards, and everything levels me up.

I emphasize the word everything because truly this is the case in Oblivion. If I jump enough, I increase my acrobatics. Just walking around town in a "sneaky" manner increases my stealth skill. And perhaps my favorite of all, getting pummeled to death by a bad guy actually increases my light armor skill. Oh man, I have a fabulous image for a web comic in my head for that one, if only I could draw.

Overall, I am enjoying the heck out of this game. I just worry because when will I play my other games if I can never complete this one? I guess I'll come to that answer later.

In the meantime, I have some more skills to improve.

Braaaaiiiiinnnnn food: What are some of your favorite games to just play and play and play some more?

Testing, Testing...

So today I sent out an email making myself a possible candidate for a study. They want "experienced" Guild Wars and Aion players... finally, all those hours are possibly of some use.

This could be a great way to live life. If only.

The True Homestead for Zombie Believers

So this may be old news to many of you since I see it's dated late April, but this smashing homestead was just brought to my attention today. Ladies and gentlemen, I present you with the zombie-proof house.

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Honestly, this isn't too different from what I envisioned for an apocalypse-style rancher. However, I have to note that while visioning my own reality of the one-day zombie invasion, I never actually considered settling down and waiting it out as much of an option. Realistically, this was probably foolish on my part. But I'm sure that there will be the initial scrambling about, collecting supplies and trying to find loved ones and the like. Then again, if I had this house prepared, maybe I wouldn't have to do any of it.

Maybe they would all just come to me.

If life is, indeed, like the movies though, this also means that every zombie in the world will somehow, miraculously, make its way to my house. I mean, they will have to test its defenses. And they will have to try to starve me out. And through all that stone, they'll just know that there are people inside alive and well, waiting out their imminent starvation.

And I am a girl with a short attention span.

Can I even handle being in a house for that long? I would need some serious game collections. And food. Not just survival food, but a variety of food. And some music would be nice. Also, some things to distract my child so she doesn't drive me insane. Does that zombie house include an underground playroom to keep the children safe from zombies and crazed adults?

I think this house has its flaws, but it's an excellent start and something we might all consider. I wonder about the windows. They are a beautiful touch, no doubt, but a bit impractical.

Final thought: I'm pretty darn sure the architect played Minecraft. A lot of minecraft.

Braaaaaaiiiin Food: Where would you go during the zombie outbreak?

Every Girl's Dream Come True

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My friend Echo shared a pretty awesome wedding photo spread with me the other day, and I thought it was a super clever idea that I had to share with everyone. Whether or not this is a real couple posing for fun after a wedding or some goofballs playing around is irrelevant. I thought this was a really clever idea and done pretty well.

My dear Seestar says that the shoot needed more than one zombie to be realistic. However, seeing that they are in the middle of a field, I'm alright with this. The lack of blood is what upsets me more. Regardless, enjoy this creativity and use this to create your own powerful memories - either real or staged.

Braiiiiinnnn food: What are some other cool wedding themes you've seen?

ADD for Gamers

You may have noticed that I updated my sidebar to reflect each game that I'm playing on a different console. That's because, try as I might, I cannot stay fixed on just one game. I am doing better about staying true to one game per system at a time (in my neverending quest to actually finish games), but I just can't decide what I want to play and when.

Here's the basic outline of how this goes.

The Xbox is in my living room, super comfy to play here and a pretty good size tv, though not HD. (I know, I'm a single mom, give me a break). However, mini-zombie bogarts the Xbox all the time for her Netflix (we don't have cable) so this is often off limits until late at night.

Laptop is where I get cheap cheap games through the awesome and wonderful Steam. However, I am still not a computer gamer. I prefer the console. Having wireless controllers, buttons and not mice, and being able to sprawl out a distance away from my screen. But... cheap! And a few titles are sorta laptop specific (mostly my MMOs) so it's a necessity.

Online games are just that. Rarely are they my favorite, but they are my best way to play with my buds. It's when I'm in a social mood and can't leave the house because Bean is asleep.

PS3 is in my bedroom, on my not-so-big but totally HD tv. I can lounge in bed and play these games, plus there are quite a few PS3-only games so it was a must.

I also have a Wii. I almost never play it. Right now, it's usually used to entertain kids (Mario Party) or to play my favorite Gamecube games.

DS is just that. I don't really like handhelds, but again it's a necessity for certain games and my little Bean loves it. Usually it belongs to her, so I rarely get a chance to play it.

I also own a PSP, but no actual games for it. One day, Birth by Sleep will be mine.

So that's the idea. I'm ADD and have pretty much every modern system. I don't want a DS3D right now, I'm not a fan of 3D, so don't feel like you need to point this out to me. I know.

Braaaaiiiinnnn food: What is your favorite system and why?

Second What??

I attended a webinar about social media outreach at work today and they discussed using Second Life as a vehicle for reaching contributors with "virtual fundraisers." Now I'm sure that like myself, most of you gamers have heard horrible things about what really happens on Second Life. So using it as a legitimate business operation (for a nonprofit no less) seems a bit absurd to consider.

Secondly (haha, that's punny), answer me this: For all of the gamers we know, which of us knows anyone who plays Second Life.

Either they don't, or it's so bad they don't even want to admit it. Regardless, I won't be holding events in that virtual realm anytime soon.

Epic Disappointment

Playing "The Witcher" some more last night and I'm as far as Chapter Two (no quips about my gaming speed!) and I'm in this new area with all new people to talk to. So as befits my usual gaming style, I begin talking to every standby character I come across. The nice thing about this game is that sometimes it rewards you. One random guy said "Oh, I owe you money... here you go." Yay win for wasting time!

However, I move up to the private investigator's house and there is a "priest" standing next to the door. Who looks suspiciously familiar to a somewhat main character I just slayed in the previous chapter. So I think "Whaaaa?" and assume he's a demon. I walk up, ready to fight.

Turns out, he's just a random priest.

I continue investigating the area and see many more "randoms" made up with the exact same skin. Two dudes right next to each other even both say the exact same "random" phrase to me. This is getting annoying.

Suddenly, this game is losing interest. Fast.

I understand that a lot goes into making a game. More than I will ever rightly know. But if you're going to make your randoms look familiar. at least don't take a somewhat major plot character and reuse his skin for randoms further down the line.

Epic fail Witcher. Epic fail.