So I've been playing lotro for almost a year now. For me, for an mmo, for something that requires paying for on a regular basis - that's a very impressive number. All this time, I had never once (except for one tiny quest to introduce the system to me) set foot in the area of pixelated Middle-earth Turbine has christened The Ettenmoors. Why? Because I would die if I did. And quickly.
The real horror of dying in the Moors lies not from signature elite mobs, or even from random arch-nemesis (in my whole year of playing, I have only run across maybe five of these. They are not fun. I usually run when I see them and don't even stop to see how strong they are). No, the real danger in the Moors lies in other players . That's right. The Moors is lotro's PvP area, or in this case, PvMP (the M stands for Monster). In the Moors, players entering the area from the rest of Middle-earth will fight (and quite likely die) as an elf or hobbit or whatever race their character happens to be. Or, players have the option of entering the Moors from the login screen as a monster. Players can choose between all sorts of nasties - orcs, wargs, spiders - lots of dangerous creepy things.
Why is this so different than every other place in lotro, you might ask? Because, when you have people vs an AI system, it's pretty predictable what the thing you are shooting at is going to do next. However, when you are pew-pewing away at another person, a certain level of... well... uncertainty comes into play. There's no telling what the person behind that Uruk-hai is going to do next.
Anyways, back to my not being on the Moors.
My avoiding the Moors ended about a week ago when I decided, since I had finally hit lvl 60 (which is almost at the level cap for lotro) to see if I could step past that barrier without being instantly ganked by some warg hiding in the bushes. Plus, with Turbine's recent change to the mount system, horses, instead of being a pickandchoosecauseyouonlygetone sort of thing, are like Pokemon. You gotta catch em all. And one of those horses lies in the Moors. It is not available for purchase until you reach something called "Glory Rank 9." I figured Glory can't be that hard to get, so I headed out to Glan Vraig, the safe point for Freeps (that's the good guys, it's short for Free Peoples) and set about asking if there were any groups out.
Within seconds I was sent an invite into a group of about twenty people. Twenty very loud, very rude, very scathing people. One of them sounded as though he was seven years old. After I died a few times (which didn't take very long, even with the group - they assumed it was my fault for dying and not the healer's for not keeping me alive....) they began to talk about me in chat, as if I wasn't still there and couldn't hear what they were saying. The seven year old proceeded to tell the leader of the group that "he had inspected my traits and I wasn't even traited to be out here, what the **** did I think I was doing out here?" (I am bleeping his words for courtesy - I was shocked that a kid would use that sort of language.
I stuck with it for about thirty more minutes before I finally dropped the group and mapped back to the safety of my hobbit-hole. Then, I sat there for a full five minutes and tried very hard not to cry.
I was in shock. In all these months, in all my hours of playing, I had never once been reduced to tears by the community of lotro. I have found the players to be mature, respectful, and on the whole very friendly. This was something completely different. This was like playing WoW or something. I logged off and went and made supper.
A few days later (I suppose I have a short memory or something) I decided to go back to the Moors. As luck would have it, I got into a much better group - no one yelled, no one cursed, and we rained fire and brimstone down onto those Creeps. I was enraptured. I lost track of time. I played for six hours straight into the night. Finally, when the group disbanded, I realized that it was four o'clock in the morning. I was surprised at the time, but then again I wasn't. I was also hooked on the Moors.
Since then I have been back out there several more times, and I have worked my way up to Glory Rank 4, or the "Man-at-Arms" rank. I have managed to get into almost the exact same group every time (apparently this is a regular, scheduled thing for them) and not once have I seen that horrible seven year old.
I still have a long way to go for that horse (which, I've been informed, is considered the "ultimate" status symbol for lotro - you have that horse, you are immediately looked upon with respect. The fact that each rank increases in size and difficulty, but hey, I am in no rush. Right now I'm enjoying the Moors, and by the time I do get that horse, I will probably keep Freeping.
Saturday, January 30
Thursday, January 21
The Past Three Nights
1. I was in a room painted a strange mustard yellow color, sitting on a brown sofa that had seen better days. There were three or four other people in the room - but they were hazy - I don't think they mattered. A man came in, an older man in a suit, carrying a small cactus in a pot. This was one of those cacti that can grow tall and stay rather cylindrical - kind of like a miniature saguaro (sp?). Anyways, he set it down on the coffee table in front of me and then held a radio up to it. The radio was playing latin music very loudly, and the closer he held it the faster the cactus grew - up and up and up until it hit the ceiling. There was a vent in the ceiling but it was burning hot like there was a fire on the other side or something because every time the cactus would touch the vent it would shie away almost like it was in pain. Finally the cactus just turned and kept growing along the wall, until I threw a string of Christmas lights at it and it exploded into drips of white goo that peeled the paint off in strips. The man with the radio was very mad at me and so I jumped on a box of doughnuts and flew away. A bunch of emo kids yelled at me and told me I was horrible. Then I woke up.
2. We were opening up a farm, trying to start a new life, and our animals had just arrived. We had a goat, a rabbit, two chickens and a rooster. I was carrying one of the chickens to its pen when I dropped it and instantly, the bird died. Immediately the rooster came over and just stood by the body of the dead hen, staring at it like he was sad. Allison came up and told me the rooster was mourning for the hen. Then she pushed me into the rabbit pen. It was very muddy and slippery and I couldn't get out. Allison was standing on the walkway above me, throwing feed down at me and telling me to eat, but as it fell down the feed changed to manure and I was covered in it. Then Barney Fife showed up and shot our goat. Then I woke up.
3. I was being held captive in a hotel on the beach by a witch - a fat ugly witch much like one of the sisters in Spirited Away. There was a little girl there with me, who kept urging me to do everything the witch said or horrible things would happen to me. I ignored her, and then the witch turned both me and the little girl into stuffed animals. I remember the feeling of being turned into a toy because the stuffing came up my throat and it was very difficult to talk. Then she forgot which of us was which and she killed the little girl by ripping her into pieces. I was terrified while I watched her and have never felt so helpless in my life. Then she turned me back into myself and I managed to escape by climbing out of the window, but the road dissappeared and I was in the middle of the ocean. Then suddenly I was on a pier with my family, eating grilled fish. Then I was at my grandparents' house, in the back, with a horse someone had just given me. It was grey and kind of small but this was the first horse that I was able to ride in my dreams. Normally they are so small my feet drag the ground, but this one was only a little small and I managed to stay on. I was so happy that I stayed on the horse that I named her Anchor (strange, huh?) and then helped my family rebuild the fence so the horses (apparently everyone had gotten one) would have a safe place to stay. I was digging through the loam, trying to clear away the mess when I found some old latches for the fence from when mom used to keep her horse there. They were brass and still shiny. There were also some latches shaped like elephants, but they looked ugly so I left them in the loam. Then I woke up.
2. We were opening up a farm, trying to start a new life, and our animals had just arrived. We had a goat, a rabbit, two chickens and a rooster. I was carrying one of the chickens to its pen when I dropped it and instantly, the bird died. Immediately the rooster came over and just stood by the body of the dead hen, staring at it like he was sad. Allison came up and told me the rooster was mourning for the hen. Then she pushed me into the rabbit pen. It was very muddy and slippery and I couldn't get out. Allison was standing on the walkway above me, throwing feed down at me and telling me to eat, but as it fell down the feed changed to manure and I was covered in it. Then Barney Fife showed up and shot our goat. Then I woke up.
3. I was being held captive in a hotel on the beach by a witch - a fat ugly witch much like one of the sisters in Spirited Away. There was a little girl there with me, who kept urging me to do everything the witch said or horrible things would happen to me. I ignored her, and then the witch turned both me and the little girl into stuffed animals. I remember the feeling of being turned into a toy because the stuffing came up my throat and it was very difficult to talk. Then she forgot which of us was which and she killed the little girl by ripping her into pieces. I was terrified while I watched her and have never felt so helpless in my life. Then she turned me back into myself and I managed to escape by climbing out of the window, but the road dissappeared and I was in the middle of the ocean. Then suddenly I was on a pier with my family, eating grilled fish. Then I was at my grandparents' house, in the back, with a horse someone had just given me. It was grey and kind of small but this was the first horse that I was able to ride in my dreams. Normally they are so small my feet drag the ground, but this one was only a little small and I managed to stay on. I was so happy that I stayed on the horse that I named her Anchor (strange, huh?) and then helped my family rebuild the fence so the horses (apparently everyone had gotten one) would have a safe place to stay. I was digging through the loam, trying to clear away the mess when I found some old latches for the fence from when mom used to keep her horse there. They were brass and still shiny. There were also some latches shaped like elephants, but they looked ugly so I left them in the loam. Then I woke up.
Friday, January 8
Stopping and Looking
I finally finished the first Assassin's Creed. I consider that something of an accomplishment, even if I never ever go back and collect those hundreds of flags.
So now Desmond is posing as Ezio, and I find myself loving Italy. Well, not so much Italy, because of all the Italians (who I have nothing against, but when you are trying to escape from the guards they tend to get in your way and clog the streets and whatnot), but mainly, I noticed as I was playing this morning, that I am loving the game simply for the location -
As I was clambering about within the Duomo in Firenze, I realized that I was smiling. Why? Because with the light streaming in through the windows in lovely golden hues while dust motes floated down about my agile hero as I guided him along the scaffoldings and beams and chandeliers of the church, I couldn't help but compare it to the first platforming game I ever played: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Now, games have come a very long way as far technically since that game, but technology is not my focus. I love it when a game makes you stop, just look, and realize you are holding your breath because of how beautiful it is.
Granted, the Duomo was the first time ACII has made me do this, but my point is that this happens very rarely for me. Only a handful of games, that I can think of, have made me stop at some point or another and just look.
The video above is from ACII, the location to which I was referring earlier, while the image below is from Prince of Persia: Sands of Time.
Maybe Ubisoft is just good at getting us to stop and look, because another series of games (a series this time, mind you, not just one game IN a series) that takes my breath away is the Myst series:
A few games I am looking foward to playing are Uncharted1 & 2 and Red Dead Redemption. I have watched Cody, my husband, play Uncharted 1, and it was gorgeous, but the second one is rumoured to be even more gorgeous -
Also, who doesn't love cowboys???
What about you? What games have made you stop and just go "oh!"?
So now Desmond is posing as Ezio, and I find myself loving Italy. Well, not so much Italy, because of all the Italians (who I have nothing against, but when you are trying to escape from the guards they tend to get in your way and clog the streets and whatnot), but mainly, I noticed as I was playing this morning, that I am loving the game simply for the location -
As I was clambering about within the Duomo in Firenze, I realized that I was smiling. Why? Because with the light streaming in through the windows in lovely golden hues while dust motes floated down about my agile hero as I guided him along the scaffoldings and beams and chandeliers of the church, I couldn't help but compare it to the first platforming game I ever played: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Now, games have come a very long way as far technically since that game, but technology is not my focus. I love it when a game makes you stop, just look, and realize you are holding your breath because of how beautiful it is.
Granted, the Duomo was the first time ACII has made me do this, but my point is that this happens very rarely for me. Only a handful of games, that I can think of, have made me stop at some point or another and just look.
The video above is from ACII, the location to which I was referring earlier, while the image below is from Prince of Persia: Sands of Time.
Maybe Ubisoft is just good at getting us to stop and look, because another series of games (a series this time, mind you, not just one game IN a series) that takes my breath away is the Myst series:
A few games I am looking foward to playing are Uncharted1 & 2 and Red Dead Redemption. I have watched Cody, my husband, play Uncharted 1, and it was gorgeous, but the second one is rumoured to be even more gorgeous -
Also, who doesn't love cowboys???
What about you? What games have made you stop and just go "oh!"?
Thursday, December 31
The Point of Dreaming
Lately, I've been having incredibly strange and very vivid dreams. Now, for most people this would be weird, I suppose, as anyone I've ever asked always admits to having bland dreams, if they dream at all.
I admit, I have browsed through books with titles like "The Meaning of Dreams," which list items or circumstances you could dream about and what they really mean. I even have one on my shelf. Whether they are true or not, I have received criticism for reading these books, much less owning them. I have been told that it isn't "Christian" to read these books, and that they are like perusing the horoscope section. I can see where that idea could spring from, and I suppose there are better things I could be reading, but at the same time I wonder why, in the Bible, it says that people have dreams in which God speaks to them. Or they dream about things that tell them where to go or what to do next.
What changed between the times when the Bible was written and now? I would say that it is okay to interpret your dreams if you do it under the direction of the Holy Spirit, but how do you know when it is God and not your own ideas? I have even heard that some people, for example the Muslims, come to Christ through dreams, instead of through missionaries or other more "conventional" ways - these are people who have never heard of Christianity. That, to me, is a pretty powerful indication that dreams are useful for something - that they mean something, at least some of them do.
But how do I know which ones are blazing signs and which ones are nothing but my brain firing off randomly? Or are they all important? Anyone out there have any ideas? Or is there anyone out there at all?
I admit, I have browsed through books with titles like "The Meaning of Dreams," which list items or circumstances you could dream about and what they really mean. I even have one on my shelf. Whether they are true or not, I have received criticism for reading these books, much less owning them. I have been told that it isn't "Christian" to read these books, and that they are like perusing the horoscope section. I can see where that idea could spring from, and I suppose there are better things I could be reading, but at the same time I wonder why, in the Bible, it says that people have dreams in which God speaks to them. Or they dream about things that tell them where to go or what to do next.
What changed between the times when the Bible was written and now? I would say that it is okay to interpret your dreams if you do it under the direction of the Holy Spirit, but how do you know when it is God and not your own ideas? I have even heard that some people, for example the Muslims, come to Christ through dreams, instead of through missionaries or other more "conventional" ways - these are people who have never heard of Christianity. That, to me, is a pretty powerful indication that dreams are useful for something - that they mean something, at least some of them do.
But how do I know which ones are blazing signs and which ones are nothing but my brain firing off randomly? Or are they all important? Anyone out there have any ideas? Or is there anyone out there at all?
Wednesday, December 9
Thoughts pertaining to the misadventures of Desmond Miles, or why I am (possibly) leaving Assassin's Creed 1 unfinished.
Okay. I admit it. I am a noob. A total, idiotic, inept noob.
Whew. Good to get that off my chest.
Seriously though. I need to finish this game. I've been playing for what, two years??? And now the second one's out, and we all love Italy. I want to go to Italy. I'm tired of Acre. Jerusalem is pretty, but there are too many guards. Damascus is too hot looking. I want the cool air of a different part of the Mediterranean on my pixeled, mannified face.
Why haven't I finished this thing yet? Oh yeah.
I got tired of doing the same thing over and over again for each target. "Talk to this guy, follow this guy, steal this map, etc." NINE TIMES. That got really old. Yeah, good thing I was only doing the bare three per target for the last three missions. Skip those informer ones. Ugh. "Hurry, I dropped these flags. Go pick them up. Oh, and while you're at it, these people were chasing me. Kill them too." Hmph.
I was tired of hunting down those stupid flags too. I know they weren't necessary to finish the game or anything, but hey, on the 360 they give you these lovely little things called achievements, and those have points, and that makes you cooler when you have points. And we all want to be cooler. Except when it has you running around the middle east looking for about five hundred little pieces of cloth hidden in nooks and crannies. That's not cool at all. Oh look, there's one on the top of that cathedral. Hrm. Nah. I'll go this way instead.
*drowning* Okay. It is apparently against the laws of nature to be able to exist in water in this game. Must I die every time I come near a seawall or dock or boat? Even fountains manage to kill me if I fall in them. Turns out those warning labels depicting people drowning in buckets aren't so far-fetched.
*two hours later, after attempting the same fight for the seventy-third time (yes I counted)* I am not very good at combat in general (come to think of it, this sad fact spans across almost the entirety of my gaming experience) and when I am not running for my life I am dying. Usually outnumbered and surrounded by about twenty guards. This particular battle is extraordinarily difficult. To me.
The thought that millions of people managed to finish the battle, and finish the game keeps nagging at the back of my mind. Cody finished the game. If he can do it, I can, right?
Actually, no. There are lots of things Cody can do that I can't. Finishing this game, obviously, being one of them. For the first time in my life, I found myself crying over a game. How hard should this be? I mean, come on. It's just a game. There has to be a way.
Restart. Block. Dodge. Counter. Dodge. Cou-oops. Apparently there are some strikes that cannot be countered. Ouch. There are some that can't be blocked either. And now six of them are hitting me at once. Yay.
Oh look. I'm dead again.
Sorry, Robert de Salle. I won't be killing you today. In fact, I don't think I will ever be killing you.
You see, I have this thing called the strategy guide, and while it is pretty useless in telling me how to defeat you, it gives me the general gist in what happens if I theoretically manage to remove your evil deeds from the world.
Actually, it only sort of tells me. Apparently the folks at Prima believe in this thing called spoilers. Hrmph. Well I have the interwebs, and they will not lie to me.
Oh my.
Erm.
Yeah. Part of me wants to finish now. Just to see if this is all true.
But I can't.
Robert de Stupid and his armored goons won't let me.
Now for the big question - to let wounded, beaten, exhausted, stubborn dogs lie? Or to keep beating all those horses I killed plowing through roadside patrols?
Now I know why there is this huge pillar set up for girls who are actually GOOD at games to stand on and be worshiped by all basement-dwelling males. And also why there's that whole pile of charnel at the bottom where they throw the girls who aren't good at games in so they can laugh at them and use them as basis for stereotypes like .... like... ugh. I can't say it. You know what I mean.
I'm just going to go lie back down now and contribute to the idea that girls can't play games.
Friday, February 27
Death and such.
So I finally gave in and loaded Oblivion on my computer, even though I had promised myself repeatedly that I wasn't going to until I finished two of the games already on my computer. Oh well. So much for goals. I just couldn't stand looking at the box (well, three boxes, actually) on my desk day after day and wondering what sort of wonderful goodness they contained.
So I started off pretty well. I found a horse, some armor, and a sword, and then consulted my map. My goal was the town of Kvatch, roughly aheckofalongway to the southwest. Wouldn't have been a problem if the road actually ran to the town. Which it did, in a roundabout, sort of curving let's add an extra hundred miles in there just for the fun of it way. So I decided to ride my old nag (which is actually what it said if I selected the horse - that I had an old nag) straight across the country to save time.
On the way, I found an old ruin. In that ruin was a door. Beyond that door was a corridor. Beyond that corridor was a room full of riches. Yay riches! So I took the riches and began to trek back to the surface.
A floorplate I didn't see till I'd stepped on it released the score or so of ghosty things I was in no way prepared to deal with. So I ran, but the ethereal realm is not encumbered by such pesky things as gravity, friction, and say... walls and rocks and things. So the ghosties caught up to me and I died.
So I loaded my save game and decided to follow the road. Which went all well and good until I was mugged by a group of thieving thieves. So I died again.
For the third time I loaded my game and decided this time to use the quick travel feature to reach Kvatch. I got to the town in a matter of seconds, fully intact, and after speaking briefly to a couple of soldiers about why I was there, I marched straight through the yawning gate to hell that had decided to open up in the middle of town. Like I could do anything about it, lol.
I couldn't. The fiery minions of deathspawn ganged up on me and again I died, this time writhing in fiery agony.
I loaded again and things have been going a bit better. I decided to forgo the town of Kvatch for now (they can handle themselves, right?) and see what else this world has to offer. I headed west instead of south at first and found an old fort, I think it was Fort Sutch, which after dismounting and leaving my horse in easy reach of the exit, should I need to leave the fort in a hurry, I entered. I quietly and with no small amount of sneaking managed to defeat all the mercenaries hiding within. Too bad I couldn't take their armor and sell it. I was almost overburdened as it was. So availing myself of everything I could, I left the fort, only to find my horse was missing. Had someone stolen my horse? The nerve! I searched frantically, running an ever widening circle around the fort until I found her, the poor old nag, lying dead in the tall grass with an arrow in her eye. Some evil thing had shot my horse! Do you know how much horses cost? I am never going to be able to buy one.
So, downhearted, I trudged on foot the long weary miles south to the town of Anvil, too depressed to even think about going eastward to Kvatch. I defeated a gang of womenthieves wreaking havoc on the gullible menfolk of Anvil, and I gave my seven apples to a beggar. Then I found a curiously large chest in an abandoned farmhouse, and in an attempt to open it, I broke all my lockpicks. I am now wandering about, desperately searching for more lockpicks so that I might open the chest and behold the wonders it contains.
So I started off pretty well. I found a horse, some armor, and a sword, and then consulted my map. My goal was the town of Kvatch, roughly aheckofalongway to the southwest. Wouldn't have been a problem if the road actually ran to the town. Which it did, in a roundabout, sort of curving let's add an extra hundred miles in there just for the fun of it way. So I decided to ride my old nag (which is actually what it said if I selected the horse - that I had an old nag) straight across the country to save time.
On the way, I found an old ruin. In that ruin was a door. Beyond that door was a corridor. Beyond that corridor was a room full of riches. Yay riches! So I took the riches and began to trek back to the surface.
A floorplate I didn't see till I'd stepped on it released the score or so of ghosty things I was in no way prepared to deal with. So I ran, but the ethereal realm is not encumbered by such pesky things as gravity, friction, and say... walls and rocks and things. So the ghosties caught up to me and I died.
So I loaded my save game and decided to follow the road. Which went all well and good until I was mugged by a group of thieving thieves. So I died again.
For the third time I loaded my game and decided this time to use the quick travel feature to reach Kvatch. I got to the town in a matter of seconds, fully intact, and after speaking briefly to a couple of soldiers about why I was there, I marched straight through the yawning gate to hell that had decided to open up in the middle of town. Like I could do anything about it, lol.
I couldn't. The fiery minions of deathspawn ganged up on me and again I died, this time writhing in fiery agony.
I loaded again and things have been going a bit better. I decided to forgo the town of Kvatch for now (they can handle themselves, right?) and see what else this world has to offer. I headed west instead of south at first and found an old fort, I think it was Fort Sutch, which after dismounting and leaving my horse in easy reach of the exit, should I need to leave the fort in a hurry, I entered. I quietly and with no small amount of sneaking managed to defeat all the mercenaries hiding within. Too bad I couldn't take their armor and sell it. I was almost overburdened as it was. So availing myself of everything I could, I left the fort, only to find my horse was missing. Had someone stolen my horse? The nerve! I searched frantically, running an ever widening circle around the fort until I found her, the poor old nag, lying dead in the tall grass with an arrow in her eye. Some evil thing had shot my horse! Do you know how much horses cost? I am never going to be able to buy one.
So, downhearted, I trudged on foot the long weary miles south to the town of Anvil, too depressed to even think about going eastward to Kvatch. I defeated a gang of womenthieves wreaking havoc on the gullible menfolk of Anvil, and I gave my seven apples to a beggar. Then I found a curiously large chest in an abandoned farmhouse, and in an attempt to open it, I broke all my lockpicks. I am now wandering about, desperately searching for more lockpicks so that I might open the chest and behold the wonders it contains.
Friday, November 21
My long lost and unknown friend
I was standing at the counter, checking the appointments, when I was greeted by a tiny voice. "There you are!" she cried.
I turned and looked, and there was a chubby girl of maybe five or six. I had no idea who this girl was.
"I looked everywhere for you!" She exclaimed and threw her arms up in the air like she wanted a hug or something. I looked around. There was no one else nearby. She was talking, unfortunately, to me. Again, let me state that I had NO IDEA who this girl was.
"You looked everywhere for me?" I asked, hesitant.
"Yep. I has so much fun with you the other day that we came back to see you again, didn't I grandpa?" She turned and looked off to her left. There was no one there. Okay, now this was very creepy. "And I have something too!" She pulled a tiny scrap of blue paper out of her pocket. Looked like a piece of a lottery ticket. "Read my shirt!" She commanded.
"Alligator farm zoological society." I said the words blandly, hoping to wake up. This was a dream, right? No, I was at work. Had been at work, for a couple hours by now.
"What's a zoodaloddico society?" She asked, putting the piece of paper back in her pocket.
"It's an, erm, animal studying thing."
"Oh." She gave me a hug, I responded reluctantly.
"Erm, I need to go now. I have, erm, things to do." This creepy child who talked to her non-existent companion was unnerving me.
"No you don't. You don't have anything to do right now." She said, very seriously.
"I have to go to the bathroom." I lied.
"I'll come with you."
"No you won't. You stay here and wait for your mom or something."
"My mommy is dead." Ouch.
"Okay, then stay here with your grandfather then." The grandfather I couldn't see.
"He's dead too."
"But you were talking to him!"
"I know."
I rubbed my eyes and then, when I looked up, she was gone. I swear I wasn't sleeping. The night continued like normal after that, I went home, and went to sleep.
I turned and looked, and there was a chubby girl of maybe five or six. I had no idea who this girl was.
"I looked everywhere for you!" She exclaimed and threw her arms up in the air like she wanted a hug or something. I looked around. There was no one else nearby. She was talking, unfortunately, to me. Again, let me state that I had NO IDEA who this girl was.
"You looked everywhere for me?" I asked, hesitant.
"Yep. I has so much fun with you the other day that we came back to see you again, didn't I grandpa?" She turned and looked off to her left. There was no one there. Okay, now this was very creepy. "And I have something too!" She pulled a tiny scrap of blue paper out of her pocket. Looked like a piece of a lottery ticket. "Read my shirt!" She commanded.
"Alligator farm zoological society." I said the words blandly, hoping to wake up. This was a dream, right? No, I was at work. Had been at work, for a couple hours by now.
"What's a zoodaloddico society?" She asked, putting the piece of paper back in her pocket.
"It's an, erm, animal studying thing."
"Oh." She gave me a hug, I responded reluctantly.
"Erm, I need to go now. I have, erm, things to do." This creepy child who talked to her non-existent companion was unnerving me.
"No you don't. You don't have anything to do right now." She said, very seriously.
"I have to go to the bathroom." I lied.
"I'll come with you."
"No you won't. You stay here and wait for your mom or something."
"My mommy is dead." Ouch.
"Okay, then stay here with your grandfather then." The grandfather I couldn't see.
"He's dead too."
"But you were talking to him!"
"I know."
I rubbed my eyes and then, when I looked up, she was gone. I swear I wasn't sleeping. The night continued like normal after that, I went home, and went to sleep.
Friday, August 29
Military Material
So yesterday there was this thing at school called the Happening. Every school club, every greek, most every restaurant, bank, and clinic was there. Radio stations brought their speaker-laden vans and threw open their blaring back doors. The Redcross held a blood-drive.
If a student was to walk among these booths, (s)he could expect to find, completely free:
pens
pencils
fans
music posters
cds
suntan lotion
hairspray
axe
condoms
a myriad of candy
snowcones
pizza
sodas
water
ice cream
and various paper goods, like coupons for free/cheap/discounted food at eateries across town, discounts on salon services, etc.
The armed forces were also there. And as I walked among the tables, I was stopped by each. First was the army.
"You! Ma'am! Do you know how many career opportunities are in the army for you?"
I looked at him and raised my eyebrows. "Do I look like military material to you?"
"Yes," he replied, looking me up and down. I shook my head and walked on.
Next was the Air Force.
"You, ma'am! What do you know about the Air Force?"
Great, a pop quiz. "Do I look like military material to you?" I asked, being lazy and not bothering to think up a new question.
He paused for a minute before answering. "Not really," he finally admitted. I laughed, nodded, and then walked away. Then, I remembered a conversation I'd had, just the previous day, with someone in the Air Force. He had talked about how the Air Force always deploys with cable tv and air-conditioned tents, and that if they have to ship with other branches, like the Navy, they get 'sanitation pay'. So I called the Air Force a bunch of wusses. He somewhat agreed. !!! If I am not considered military material by the wusses of the military, what am I then?!
As I consoled myself, I perused the other booths, and eventually found the marines. Unlike the other two branches, which had tents and televisions touting how great they were, the two marines sat there, in the blazing hot sun, unprotected - and not seeming to mind. As I walked past, one of them called out. Of course.
"You! Join the Marines!"
"That's kind of blunt," I said, walking over to the table. Various emblemmed material was spread out over the table. "Do I look like military material to you?"
He smiled and looked at his fellow grunt, who also smiled. They were wicked smiles. "Not right now," I started to nod and walk away, but he continued, "but we can make you military material."
I laughed nervously and left as quickly as panicked politeness allowed.
If a student was to walk among these booths, (s)he could expect to find, completely free:
pens
pencils
fans
music posters
cds
suntan lotion
hairspray
axe
condoms
a myriad of candy
snowcones
pizza
sodas
water
ice cream
and various paper goods, like coupons for free/cheap/discounted food at eateries across town, discounts on salon services, etc.
The armed forces were also there. And as I walked among the tables, I was stopped by each. First was the army.
"You! Ma'am! Do you know how many career opportunities are in the army for you?"
I looked at him and raised my eyebrows. "Do I look like military material to you?"
"Yes," he replied, looking me up and down. I shook my head and walked on.
Next was the Air Force.
"You, ma'am! What do you know about the Air Force?"
Great, a pop quiz. "Do I look like military material to you?" I asked, being lazy and not bothering to think up a new question.
He paused for a minute before answering. "Not really," he finally admitted. I laughed, nodded, and then walked away. Then, I remembered a conversation I'd had, just the previous day, with someone in the Air Force. He had talked about how the Air Force always deploys with cable tv and air-conditioned tents, and that if they have to ship with other branches, like the Navy, they get 'sanitation pay'. So I called the Air Force a bunch of wusses. He somewhat agreed. !!! If I am not considered military material by the wusses of the military, what am I then?!
As I consoled myself, I perused the other booths, and eventually found the marines. Unlike the other two branches, which had tents and televisions touting how great they were, the two marines sat there, in the blazing hot sun, unprotected - and not seeming to mind. As I walked past, one of them called out. Of course.
"You! Join the Marines!"
"That's kind of blunt," I said, walking over to the table. Various emblemmed material was spread out over the table. "Do I look like military material to you?"
He smiled and looked at his fellow grunt, who also smiled. They were wicked smiles. "Not right now," I started to nod and walk away, but he continued, "but we can make you military material."
I laughed nervously and left as quickly as panicked politeness allowed.
Sunday, August 3
Paper Cranes
After moving into my new apt, my first obstacle was obtaining an internet connection, something I, unfortunately and as a testament to my generation, have become slightly... attached... to. That took about a month and a half, and looking back, it shouldn't have taken that long, but with bureaucracy and paperwork and legality and my own stupid honesty, it did. But I digress.
So I've had internet for a little over three weeks now (has it really been that long?) and I'm beginning to realize how pitiful my dependence on it is. You see, our connection isn't that stable, something about the wiring being too old to support the signal or something, and while removing the splitter in my room that allowed cable access did slightly enhance my chances of the internet not going out, it hasn't ended the faulty circumstance completely. This is the year 2008! The age of dsl, high-speed, instant access internet! Gone are the days of dial-up and that horrible noise (my apologies to anyone who may still have dial-up)! Everyone capable of affording it should be capable of having it, right????
Not really. In fact, it seems lately that I've been paying more for something I DON'T have than something I do.
To further myself and give my hands something mildly constructive to do while I waited for the modem and router to sync back up while my computer reboots, I decided to make a crane. One paper crane for every time the internet goes out.
I now have... 25 cranes. That's enough for one whole Senbazuru string. Hrm... only 39 more strings to go, and then I get my wish! *jumps and giggles excitedly*
If I do manage to finish an entire Senbazuru, and since there seems to be no rules against telling others what your wish is (unlike the whole candles on the birthday cake thing, which I totally don't understand) I hereby declare that, according to ancient and marvelous Japanese traditions, if I finish this Senbazuru, this 1000 paper cranes, then I will be granted my one unscratchable itching wish:
To have stable, constant, unfailing internet.
So I've had internet for a little over three weeks now (has it really been that long?) and I'm beginning to realize how pitiful my dependence on it is. You see, our connection isn't that stable, something about the wiring being too old to support the signal or something, and while removing the splitter in my room that allowed cable access did slightly enhance my chances of the internet not going out, it hasn't ended the faulty circumstance completely. This is the year 2008! The age of dsl, high-speed, instant access internet! Gone are the days of dial-up and that horrible noise (my apologies to anyone who may still have dial-up)! Everyone capable of affording it should be capable of having it, right????
Not really. In fact, it seems lately that I've been paying more for something I DON'T have than something I do.
To further myself and give my hands something mildly constructive to do while I waited for the modem and router to sync back up while my computer reboots, I decided to make a crane. One paper crane for every time the internet goes out.
I now have... 25 cranes. That's enough for one whole Senbazuru string. Hrm... only 39 more strings to go, and then I get my wish! *jumps and giggles excitedly*
If I do manage to finish an entire Senbazuru, and since there seems to be no rules against telling others what your wish is (unlike the whole candles on the birthday cake thing, which I totally don't understand) I hereby declare that, according to ancient and marvelous Japanese traditions, if I finish this Senbazuru, this 1000 paper cranes, then I will be granted my one unscratchable itching wish:
To have stable, constant, unfailing internet.
Monday, July 28
Starfighter: Fail
So my boyfriend got me hooked on Star Wars Galaxies, an MMO that's been around for a while. But it's good. So good. Hence the being hooked. Only issue is - my internet connection is a little less than stable. This has led to a certain difficulty in completing my current quest.
There's this series of quests called the "Legacy," and as part of it I have to track down this certain droid that somebody wanted. Wouldn't you know it had been sold. So I tracked the buyer down. Turns out that he, for some unknown and unfathomable reason, decided to take the droid apart and send pieces of it to different people all over Tatooine. That, to me, makes LOADS of sense.
Boyfriend (mentioned earlier) just gave me a new computer for my birthday (which hasn't happened yet, but whatever) and I am thrilled about it. However, I am in no mind to take it apart and send pieces of it all over the state (country/etc) just on a whim.
*******************
Later
**********
So I've tracked down everything but the head, and that droid, EV-9D9 (you know, the one who worked in the torture chambers of Jabba's palace in Return of the Jedi.... yeah... THAT droid.... ) has it. And she won't give it to me. Not until I destroy some ships who have droids on them who escaped from her clutches.
In an effort to further diplomacy between the rebellion and Jabba (not really, but it sounds nice) I launch my poor, abused little ship into space and head off after the ship with the droid that she wants eliminated. That ship flies a good bit faster than my little thing, and gets away. So I land, tell her, and she tells me to try again. I do. And again, the thing jumps to hyperspace before I even get close to it. So I try again. This time, I catch up to it and blow it out of the water... erm... sky. Thinking she should be satisfied, I start to head back to port, but noooooo.... she wants me to catch ANOTHER droid. You'd think she'd learn to keep better security on the place, with all these droids jumping ship. I head off after that ship, and just as I manage to get close to it, the escort fighters surrounding it blow me to bits and I am forced, via a dramatic cutscene, to eject.
I trudge back to EV, and wouldn't you know, she won't just give me the head for all my effort and trying. No, I have to go back out there yet again and do the job right. So I go out. I get the first droid. I get the second droid. And just as I am about to receive the coordinates for the third (and hopefully final) droid, a TIE bomber spawns out of nowhere and I, like usual, am once again dead.
Thinking, that maybe, I am getting the hang of this, and now that I know the Imperial is going to show up, I try for who knows the how many-th time, and once again, I make it past the first. I make it past the second. I even manage to avoid the TIE. Just as I begin to exult in my piloting abilities, my internet connection resets and I am ejected from the game.
I'll try again later.
There's this series of quests called the "Legacy," and as part of it I have to track down this certain droid that somebody wanted. Wouldn't you know it had been sold. So I tracked the buyer down. Turns out that he, for some unknown and unfathomable reason, decided to take the droid apart and send pieces of it to different people all over Tatooine. That, to me, makes LOADS of sense.
Boyfriend (mentioned earlier) just gave me a new computer for my birthday (which hasn't happened yet, but whatever) and I am thrilled about it. However, I am in no mind to take it apart and send pieces of it all over the state (country/etc) just on a whim.
*******************
Later
**********
So I've tracked down everything but the head, and that droid, EV-9D9 (you know, the one who worked in the torture chambers of Jabba's palace in Return of the Jedi.... yeah... THAT droid.... ) has it. And she won't give it to me. Not until I destroy some ships who have droids on them who escaped from her clutches.
In an effort to further diplomacy between the rebellion and Jabba (not really, but it sounds nice) I launch my poor, abused little ship into space and head off after the ship with the droid that she wants eliminated. That ship flies a good bit faster than my little thing, and gets away. So I land, tell her, and she tells me to try again. I do. And again, the thing jumps to hyperspace before I even get close to it. So I try again. This time, I catch up to it and blow it out of the water... erm... sky. Thinking she should be satisfied, I start to head back to port, but noooooo.... she wants me to catch ANOTHER droid. You'd think she'd learn to keep better security on the place, with all these droids jumping ship. I head off after that ship, and just as I manage to get close to it, the escort fighters surrounding it blow me to bits and I am forced, via a dramatic cutscene, to eject.
I trudge back to EV, and wouldn't you know, she won't just give me the head for all my effort and trying. No, I have to go back out there yet again and do the job right. So I go out. I get the first droid. I get the second droid. And just as I am about to receive the coordinates for the third (and hopefully final) droid, a TIE bomber spawns out of nowhere and I, like usual, am once again dead.
Thinking, that maybe, I am getting the hang of this, and now that I know the Imperial is going to show up, I try for who knows the how many-th time, and once again, I make it past the first. I make it past the second. I even manage to avoid the TIE. Just as I begin to exult in my piloting abilities, my internet connection resets and I am ejected from the game.
I'll try again later.
Sunday, June 29
Starfighter: Fail
So my boyfriend got me hooked on Star Wars Galaxies, an MMO that's been around for a while. But it's good. So good. Hence the being hooked. Only issue is - my internet connection is a little less than stable. This has led to a certain difficulty in completing my current quest.
There's this series of quests called the "Legacy," and as part of it I have to track down this certain droid that somebody wanted. Wouldn't you know it had been sold. So I tracked the buyer down. Turns out that he, for some unknown and unfathomable reason, decided to take the droid apart and send pieces of it to different people all over Tatooine. That, to me, makes LOADS of sense.
Boyfriend (mentioned earlier) just gave me a new computer for my birthday (which hasn't happened yet, but whatever) and I am thrilled about it. However, I am in no mind to take it apart and send pieces of it all over the state (country/etc) just on a whim.
*******************
Later
**********
So I've tracked down everything but the head, and that droid, EV-9D9 (you know, the one who worked in the torture chambers of Jabba's palace in Return of the Jedi.... yeah... THAT droid.... ) has it. And she won't give it to me. Not until I destroy some ships who have droids on them who escaped from her clutches.
In an effort to further diplomacy between the rebellion and Jabba (not really, but it sounds nice) I launch my poor, abused little ship into space and head off after the ship with the droid that she wants eliminated. That ship flies a good bit faster than my little thing, and gets away. So I land, tell her, and she tells me to try again. I do. And again, the thing jumps to hyperspace before I even get close to it. So I try again. This time, I catch up to it and blow it out of the water... erm... sky. Thinking she should be satisfied, I start to head back to port, but noooooo.... she wants me to catch ANOTHER droid. You'd think she'd learn to keep better security on the place, with all these droids jumping ship. I head off after that ship, and just as I manage to get close to it, the escort fighters surrounding it blow me to bits and I am forced, via a dramatic cutscene, to eject.
I trudge back to EV, and wouldn't you know, she won't just give me the head for all my effort and trying. No, I have to go back out there yet again and do the job right. So I go out. I get the first droid. I get the second droid. And just as I am about to receive the coordinates for the third (and hopefully final) droid, a TIE bomber spawns out of nowhere and I, like usual, am once again dead.
Thinking, that maybe, I am getting the hang of this, and now that I know the Imperial is going to show up, I try for who knows the how many-th time, and once again, I make it past the first. I make it past the second. I even manage to avoid the TIE. Just as I begin to exult in my piloting abilities, my internet connection resets and I am ejected from the game.
I'll try again later.
There's this series of quests called the "Legacy," and as part of it I have to track down this certain droid that somebody wanted. Wouldn't you know it had been sold. So I tracked the buyer down. Turns out that he, for some unknown and unfathomable reason, decided to take the droid apart and send pieces of it to different people all over Tatooine. That, to me, makes LOADS of sense.
Boyfriend (mentioned earlier) just gave me a new computer for my birthday (which hasn't happened yet, but whatever) and I am thrilled about it. However, I am in no mind to take it apart and send pieces of it all over the state (country/etc) just on a whim.
*******************
Later
**********
So I've tracked down everything but the head, and that droid, EV-9D9 (you know, the one who worked in the torture chambers of Jabba's palace in Return of the Jedi.... yeah... THAT droid.... ) has it. And she won't give it to me. Not until I destroy some ships who have droids on them who escaped from her clutches.
In an effort to further diplomacy between the rebellion and Jabba (not really, but it sounds nice) I launch my poor, abused little ship into space and head off after the ship with the droid that she wants eliminated. That ship flies a good bit faster than my little thing, and gets away. So I land, tell her, and she tells me to try again. I do. And again, the thing jumps to hyperspace before I even get close to it. So I try again. This time, I catch up to it and blow it out of the water... erm... sky. Thinking she should be satisfied, I start to head back to port, but noooooo.... she wants me to catch ANOTHER droid. You'd think she'd learn to keep better security on the place, with all these droids jumping ship. I head off after that ship, and just as I manage to get close to it, the escort fighters surrounding it blow me to bits and I am forced, via a dramatic cutscene, to eject.
I trudge back to EV, and wouldn't you know, she won't just give me the head for all my effort and trying. No, I have to go back out there yet again and do the job right. So I go out. I get the first droid. I get the second droid. And just as I am about to receive the coordinates for the third (and hopefully final) droid, a TIE bomber spawns out of nowhere and I, like usual, am once again dead.
Thinking, that maybe, I am getting the hang of this, and now that I know the Imperial is going to show up, I try for who knows the how many-th time, and once again, I make it past the first. I make it past the second. I even manage to avoid the TIE. Just as I begin to exult in my piloting abilities, my internet connection resets and I am ejected from the game.
I'll try again later.
Thursday, April 3
Wednesday, April 2
I'm Beginning to Think I should have taken the Long Way around
So I just tried, for the who knows how many-eth time to kill that evil sonnuvagun. I managed to get off a seven chain, which for some weird reason only threw out the Inferno combo at the end - and then a magnificent twelve chain with my back party, which brought out the wonderful Luminescence combo, something I’d never seen and is so far my favorite. However, while I was switching parties, something popped up under Adrammelech’s action log that I’d seen before... I don’t know why I didn’t pay attention to it. He called up a paling, a shield you can’t see and prevents whoever calls it up from taking ANY damage at all, magickal or physical. Pooh. So I pulled off that wonderful twelve chain for naught, it didn’t do a lick of good. And then, wouldn’t you know, he dropped it just as he called out Thundaja, and again, I was dead.
I’m beginning to wonder if I’ll ever get him.
Maybe I should go back and try and win some more HP first... level up and stuff so I don’t die so easily. But what I don’t understand is that people in forums and stuff are getting this guy at lvl 20 --- I’m at at least 40 for all six of my people... what are they doing that I’m not????
I’m beginning to wonder if I’ll ever get him.
Maybe I should go back and try and win some more HP first... level up and stuff so I don’t die so easily. But what I don’t understand is that people in forums and stuff are getting this guy at lvl 20 --- I’m at at least 40 for all six of my people... what are they doing that I’m not????
Tuesday, April 1
Can't you do something useful, like .... die?
So this morning, after talking to Cody, I couldn’t fall back asleep. A very rare occurance. So, I turned on the computer. But no emails. No messages. No comments. *sniff*
So, I crawled back in the bed and decided FFxii deserved another go-round.
Ha.
I brought my party to the spot where the esper was hiding out, and sure enough, he popped up. Okay, I thought, just throw down a good quickening chain and this should be over. Then you can run back and save and then move on. So I unleashed the best quickening chain I could muster at that point. I was happy cause I got to try out Vaan’s new one, Pyroclasm:
Doesn’t it look awesome? Well, actually. This picture isn’t that great. It looks better in the game. It’s not my favorite one though. I really like Fran’s Whip Kick:
But I couldn’t find a picture of it. Boo.
So anyways, I pulled off a seven chain - about my average. And that knocked Addramelech down to about 20% of his total health. I thought surely I can finish him off from here. Didn’t even occur to me to pull up my back party and use their MP for another quickening chain. Nope. So he killed that party, and I pulled up the other one, but before I could get anything at all fired off, he did something called "Thundaja". Now I’ve got Balthier and Ashe both with the ability to use "Thunder" which throws lightning at one opponent, and "Thundara" which throws lightning at all opponents within range. But this..... this was huge. And suddenly that party was dead and I was staring at the Game Over screen.
So I loaded it again.
I took a second before storming in there to face him a third time and revamped my gambits. I kinda brushed them off at first, but it’s actually pretty useful not having to keep tabs on every single person in the heat of battle. Then I barged in, thinking I was ready this time. Oh, back to the fight. So I throw out the quickenings again, and I only manage to get off a five chain. Not cool. So, thinking about my last mistake, I pull up my other party and use their quickenings too. Again, only a five chain. So now I’m left with six characters with very little health and absolutely no MP in a battle with an only half dead very angry demon monsterthingie. Yeah.
So I died. Again.
I was getting frustrated by this point. So I loaded it again, determined to kill this creature. I mean, I’d done it once before, right? Or did I just imagine all that?
Again, for the third time this morning. I died. I don’t even know what happened this time. I just remember the Game Over screen coming up and Mango looking at me like I was stupid. But she looks at me like that all the time.
So, I crawled back in the bed and decided FFxii deserved another go-round.
Ha.
I brought my party to the spot where the esper was hiding out, and sure enough, he popped up. Okay, I thought, just throw down a good quickening chain and this should be over. Then you can run back and save and then move on. So I unleashed the best quickening chain I could muster at that point. I was happy cause I got to try out Vaan’s new one, Pyroclasm:
Doesn’t it look awesome? Well, actually. This picture isn’t that great. It looks better in the game. It’s not my favorite one though. I really like Fran’s Whip Kick:
But I couldn’t find a picture of it. Boo.
So anyways, I pulled off a seven chain - about my average. And that knocked Addramelech down to about 20% of his total health. I thought surely I can finish him off from here. Didn’t even occur to me to pull up my back party and use their MP for another quickening chain. Nope. So he killed that party, and I pulled up the other one, but before I could get anything at all fired off, he did something called "Thundaja". Now I’ve got Balthier and Ashe both with the ability to use "Thunder" which throws lightning at one opponent, and "Thundara" which throws lightning at all opponents within range. But this..... this was huge. And suddenly that party was dead and I was staring at the Game Over screen.
So I loaded it again.
I took a second before storming in there to face him a third time and revamped my gambits. I kinda brushed them off at first, but it’s actually pretty useful not having to keep tabs on every single person in the heat of battle. Then I barged in, thinking I was ready this time. Oh, back to the fight. So I throw out the quickenings again, and I only manage to get off a five chain. Not cool. So, thinking about my last mistake, I pull up my other party and use their quickenings too. Again, only a five chain. So now I’m left with six characters with very little health and absolutely no MP in a battle with an only half dead very angry demon monsterthingie. Yeah.
So I died. Again.
I was getting frustrated by this point. So I loaded it again, determined to kill this creature. I mean, I’d done it once before, right? Or did I just imagine all that?
Again, for the third time this morning. I died. I don’t even know what happened this time. I just remember the Game Over screen coming up and Mango looking at me like I was stupid. But she looks at me like that all the time.
Sunday, March 30
This place certainly keeps you on your toes...
So I’ve been playing Final Fantasy XII, pretty much all day, and since I knew I wasn’t strong enough to handle the boss that would advance the storyline, I was just running around hunting marks. I’d gotten about two or three when I saw that the next person I needed to go talk to was in the village of Jahara. Since I was in the westersand, the shortest route would be to cut through the Zertinan Caverns and come out in the Ozmone Plains, right next to Jahara.
Only I’d never made it all the way through the caverns. Usually I would just step in and instantly die from some unknown creature forty thousand times stronger than I was. So I’d stopped going in there.
So I looked at my map for a long time, debating even trying the caverns, or going the long way around back to Rabanastre and then down through Giza, then to Ozmone and finally to Jahara.
If you look at the map above, the distances may not look like much, but trust me, Ivalice is HUGE. If I’d had teleport crystals, none of this would be an issue, but I was all out and the only place I’d found that sold those was up in the Mosphoran Highwaste.... completely the other side of the map. So yeah. Either thirty minutes of walking and pushing past now relatively easy monsters through Giza and the Ozmone, or a tentative trek through a place I hadn’t ventured to go in a long time.
Guess which one I chose? That’s right, I was asking for it. See how confusing this place looks? And this isn’t even all of it. Right around where that image of the save crystal is, there’s a whole... ah, but I’ll get to that. Before today, my exploration of this place was limited to about half of that room in the far south. That was it. I had no idea what I was walking into.
So I entered from the northeast, and as I worked my way down (very carefully), I noticed that the creatures I was running into weren’t that bad. I wasn’t even having to heal that much. So I twiddled my way along, and then I remembered that one of the marks I was looking for was in here... somewhere. Woohoo. Now instead of sneaking through as quickly as possible, I had to go poking in every nook and cranny looking for something that could very likely kill me.
Instead, I found a very creepy secret area, realized I was holding my breath (which I felt silly for), and then, I found a save crystal. Huzzah. Now I’m trapped in here.
So I started wandering a bit more, and then I ran into trouble. Or so I thought. And actually, looking at this screenshot (which I did not make, I found), I see a character named Reddas in the party of whoever took this. I wonder.... I’ve never ran into a Reddas. Who is he? Or she? Where do I find this person? Are they helpful? Obviously not too much. Look at that pitiful MP capacity.
A random boss, stuck in the middle of nowhere, with no explanation as to why he was there or anything. And in my least favorite and most fright-inducing of all locations. So, reacting more than thinking, I unleashed some mad quickening chains on him, which I didn’t really expect to work. Lately, when I use quickenings on a boss, even if I get in a good twelve or fourteen chain, all I get is a very ticked off boss with three-quarters health and my whole party with no MP. Yeah, not a good plan. But this time, things went surprisingly my way:
and then he was dead, with alot less fuss than I expected. And woot! Turns out he was an esper! So now he’s mine and will fight for me! I was so happy, I gave him to Basch, making him the third person in my party with an esper (I’d already assigned espers to Vaan and Ashe).
I kept combing the passageways, growing ever more confident. A horde of undead thingies swarmed up after I defeated the boss, and so I dealt with them, and then Basch leveled up. And then Vaan did too. Everything was looking peachy. The thought to run back to that crystal and save briefly crossed my mind, but I was ecstatic and wasn’t thinking about anything... useful. I kept moving south, and it never once crossed my mind that I was getting closer and closer to the place that always, ALWAYS, kills me. Hey, I’d beaten an esper. Surely I was good, right?
Then, I ran into some bug looking things. Now I’d beaten similar-looking bug things before, so I wasn’t all that concerned, even when the one bug looking thing called for a couple of his buddies.
And then, suddenly, I was dead.
Yeah. I should’ve kept the confidence down. Or at least gone back and saved while I had the chance.
Only I’d never made it all the way through the caverns. Usually I would just step in and instantly die from some unknown creature forty thousand times stronger than I was. So I’d stopped going in there.
So I looked at my map for a long time, debating even trying the caverns, or going the long way around back to Rabanastre and then down through Giza, then to Ozmone and finally to Jahara.
If you look at the map above, the distances may not look like much, but trust me, Ivalice is HUGE. If I’d had teleport crystals, none of this would be an issue, but I was all out and the only place I’d found that sold those was up in the Mosphoran Highwaste.... completely the other side of the map. So yeah. Either thirty minutes of walking and pushing past now relatively easy monsters through Giza and the Ozmone, or a tentative trek through a place I hadn’t ventured to go in a long time.
Guess which one I chose? That’s right, I was asking for it. See how confusing this place looks? And this isn’t even all of it. Right around where that image of the save crystal is, there’s a whole... ah, but I’ll get to that. Before today, my exploration of this place was limited to about half of that room in the far south. That was it. I had no idea what I was walking into.
So I entered from the northeast, and as I worked my way down (very carefully), I noticed that the creatures I was running into weren’t that bad. I wasn’t even having to heal that much. So I twiddled my way along, and then I remembered that one of the marks I was looking for was in here... somewhere. Woohoo. Now instead of sneaking through as quickly as possible, I had to go poking in every nook and cranny looking for something that could very likely kill me.
Instead, I found a very creepy secret area, realized I was holding my breath (which I felt silly for), and then, I found a save crystal. Huzzah. Now I’m trapped in here.
So I started wandering a bit more, and then I ran into trouble. Or so I thought. And actually, looking at this screenshot (which I did not make, I found), I see a character named Reddas in the party of whoever took this. I wonder.... I’ve never ran into a Reddas. Who is he? Or she? Where do I find this person? Are they helpful? Obviously not too much. Look at that pitiful MP capacity.
A random boss, stuck in the middle of nowhere, with no explanation as to why he was there or anything. And in my least favorite and most fright-inducing of all locations. So, reacting more than thinking, I unleashed some mad quickening chains on him, which I didn’t really expect to work. Lately, when I use quickenings on a boss, even if I get in a good twelve or fourteen chain, all I get is a very ticked off boss with three-quarters health and my whole party with no MP. Yeah, not a good plan. But this time, things went surprisingly my way:
and then he was dead, with alot less fuss than I expected. And woot! Turns out he was an esper! So now he’s mine and will fight for me! I was so happy, I gave him to Basch, making him the third person in my party with an esper (I’d already assigned espers to Vaan and Ashe).
I kept combing the passageways, growing ever more confident. A horde of undead thingies swarmed up after I defeated the boss, and so I dealt with them, and then Basch leveled up. And then Vaan did too. Everything was looking peachy. The thought to run back to that crystal and save briefly crossed my mind, but I was ecstatic and wasn’t thinking about anything... useful. I kept moving south, and it never once crossed my mind that I was getting closer and closer to the place that always, ALWAYS, kills me. Hey, I’d beaten an esper. Surely I was good, right?
Then, I ran into some bug looking things. Now I’d beaten similar-looking bug things before, so I wasn’t all that concerned, even when the one bug looking thing called for a couple of his buddies.
And then, suddenly, I was dead.
Yeah. I should’ve kept the confidence down. Or at least gone back and saved while I had the chance.
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