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Ashlann — Mon, 27 May 2013 12:56:12 GMT

Hey all you old buggers. I just saw BF4 is coming out o.0 There's a bit of a trip down memory lane.

If you're on Google+ make sure you say g'day and let me know you're an Older Gamer!

I've recently picked up a bit of support from ArtLine which is really wonderful - it's great to have some support and recognition out there in the big world!

Here's some new art for you to check out.

All the best, keep 'em in your sights:)

Ash
plus.AshNathens.com
plus.scribblegraph.com

Wurm Online, a new passion

Acheronis — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 14:20:56 GMT

Most of my gaming life I've been a one game person.. One game at a time, I mean. And now in my late 30's I'm no different from early 20's.

If it's an engaging and submersive game, it can keep me going for years. Like Diablo II or Ultima Online. The times in between was filled with brief interludes (except for a 5 year black hole created by WoW) with short term but VERY enjoyable games like Dungeon Keeper and Hell Gate.

I always hankered back to Ultima Online though. I knew I would never play it again. I've changed too much. But the game mechanics was something I really loved. MMO Sandbox. No classes, no quests. You're the master (mistress) of your own destiny.

We found Tale in the Desert a fascinating game with no combat whatsoever. Only crafting. Set in ancient Egyptian times. I really enjoyed it. Especially the community events to build or research something to benefit everyone. But the game graphics were a bit.. flat. I don't have the lingo or technical know how to describe the way it's pictured in my mind. But a couple of google images should give a clue.

Enter Wurm Online. My husband stumbled across it on Wikipedia looking for a MMO Sandbox.
We were both instantly in love with this complex game. There's a lot about the game that can be improved, that's true. But it's also the only game that comes even close to being perfect for me. You can play it for free for an indefinate amount of time with restrictions. There's a lot of people that manage to pay for the game using the in game community driven economy. Selling bulk items, or doing labour intensive work for other players who's happy to pay.
You can buy a piece of land here.
You can terraform your landscape.
You can build your dream house.
Breed animals, black smithing, tailoring, mining, forestry (you can plant a whole forest if you want), ship building, sailing, masonry, fighting, cooking, become a priest.
It's so immersive and complex you'll still be asking questions in years to come.

Retro Console Collecting - Part XI (Craigslist Finally Comes Through!)

Schizo — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 20:08:33 GMT

At the rate I've been posting updates, I'll be lucky to average a post a month since I started this thing. Oh well, you can't rush greatness.

Which would hold true if my ramblings could be equated to greatness. Or even medicoreness. Is that even a word? You know the quality of your writing is poor when you make up words (and your last name is not Seuss).

Anyways...

For those of you with long memories, you may recall one of my early posts dealt with ways to obtain more games/consoles/controllers/money sinks for the collection. For those of you with short memories (or those of you who burned that painful drivel out of your heads long ago), you can read about it here: Shameless self-plug ahoy!

So for the last year and a half or so, I've been scouring the ads on my local Craigslist daily looking for deals on any old games and systems. There usually is anywhere from fifty to one hundred ads posted every day. You'd think that somewhere in there would be some great deals on some retro hardware and games, right?

You'd be wrong.

The posts on my local Craigslist, with regard to video games can be sorted into the following categories:

Modern PS3/360 game (usually not interested in these)

Modern console repair (fix your red ring of death today!)

General misplaced ads/scams

Worthless retro games (hey, anyone want to buy the thirtieth copy listed of Madden 2001 for the PS1 for $10?)

People who have decent and/or rare games, but actually know what the are worth (c'mon, I'm looking for deals here!)

People who have older games with no idea what they are worth...in a bad way (ultra-rare NES system comes with the also ultra-rare Mario/Duck Hunt cartridge...a steal at only $500! Price FIRM! I know what this is worth!)

Do you see what is missing from that list?

Yup, I'm looking for games in decent shape that are actually priced reasonably. I've really yet to find much of anything like that on Craigslist for the last year and a half of searching.

Am I being too picky? Probably.
Do I not want to overspend? Definitely.
Is this blog post actually going anywhere with this? Possibly.

So finally, let's get down to it. As you probably already surmised from the title of this post (and aren't you a smart cookie!), I finally did manage to score some decent items off of Craigslist. A seller posted up an ad for a few of the Suikoden games on the PS2 along with some strategy guides. After speaking with him, I found out he had quite a bit more for sale. So I did what any good collector would do.

I beat him up on the price and snapped the whole thing up.

The spoils:

Xenosaga I - III, plus strategy guides for II and III, and the bonus DVD for I.

Valkyrie Profile 2, Okami, Shining Force Neo - all three in excellent condition, plus the strategy guides, The strategy guide for Okami is still sealed. Plus, I got a nifty little drawing board with Okami that came in that Capcom box, apparently only available to those that pre-ordered the game.

Stella Deus, Growlanser Generations Deluxe, and Wizardry - all three in very good condition

Suikoden III, IV, V and Tactics - IV, V, and Tactics all have their respective strategy guides. Underneath III is an Art of Suikoden IV book. Above Suikoden V is an Art of Suikoden V book still sealed.

Sealed copies of Shin Megami Tensai: Persona 3 and Growlanser Heritage of War - I know it doesn't show in the picture well, but both are factory sealed copies.

Assorted PS1 games - Bottom L to R: Breath of Fire III, Vandal Hearts (some sun fading on cover), Eternal Eyes
Middle: Beyond the Beyond
Top L to R: Vagrant Story, Alundra, Lunar Silver Star Story Complete

Other various odditioes - two cards for Tales of the Abyss (same picture on both, I just flipped one around so you could see the back). Says they were a limited edition run of 24,000. Not sure what the story is behind them. The other seems to be similar to a game manual for Atelier Iris 3. Maybe a promotional piece? I'm not sure.

So anyway, there you have it. I finally get a chance to ~~discuss~~ brag about Craigslist coming through.

What's that you say? Oh, you want to know how much I paid for all that?

I'm not proud to say it, but I blew $470 on all that. It seems pretty excessive, but I talked the seller down from around $625 or so, so I think I managed to come out with a pretty decent deal out of the whole thing.

Now I just need to find a diamond in the rough score. Like an Earthbound for a dollar, or something along those lines. And while I'm wishing for things that will never happen, I might as well add a Ferrari to that list.

In parting, here is some reality tv gold for you:

A Different Life

Ashlann — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 12:45:44 GMT

Wow, I haven't been 'active' on TOG for a long, long time. I remember the days when gaming and being a very active member of the TOG community were very central to my out-of-work life. They were great times, spent with gaming friends that we enriching to be around. But, as with all things, change is inevitable.

I started spending a little more time sleeping, and a lot more quality time with my daughter. We get out and enjoy photography together (she is fascinated with insects and loves macro photography) and we draw together. From that, I discovered a whole new world on Google+

Full post

I've ended up with a thriving online business drawing my scribblegraph illustrations, exclusively shared on Google+ who have been amazingly receptive and supportive.

If you're on Google+ let me know! You can find me here:
plus.ashlann.com
plus.scribblegraph.me (the scribblegraph page)

or you can follow what I'm up to at my website:
scribblegraph

All the best to all my old friends here on TOG - never forgotten!

Ash

Bugger

Ebonytears — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 05:24:17 GMT

I've been dealing, I've been coping...until today. Today I didn't cope and, because of that I spoke to my daughter in a way that I am ashamed of. So I'm putting this here so that some of that frustration can be vented. I don't have RL friends to 'have coffee with'. I know people don't believe me but it's true. The one person I considered a friend told me 'I don't have room in my life to deal with this' when I told her I have Lupus and I haven't heard from her since.

Lupus. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus to be exact. Oh don't get me wrong...it's no surprise to me and was actually a relief when the doctor finally said it. You see for the past 5-6 years we've been trying to pinpoint what's wrong with me. Now we know :) I still don't quite tick all the boxes but, with a family history of autoimmune diseases (mum and 2 aunts with various autoimmune diseases), past history of psiorosis and the symptoms I do have the doc thinks it's only a matter of time and we've started treatment now to try to slow that down. You see the thing I need to tick the final box is inflamation of one of my internal organs. Kidneys are the most likely. I'm quite happy to start treatment now rather than wait for kidney failure to be totally honest with you.

I'm learning to manage my condition. I don't go out in the sun without being fully covered and wearing sunscreen. The sun triggers my symptoms you see and can lead to inflammation of my joints, nausea, headaches and fatigue.
I'm learning to listen to my body and take steps to deal with the inflammation in my joints. My hands frustrate me a bit when they suddenly refuse to pick things up and going to stand up only to discover I can't is also sometimes frustrating.

The one thing I'm struggling to cope with is the fatigue. Vaccuming the floor and then needing to rest...only to wake 2 hours later is irritating the hell out of me. I am tired of being tired. I know that if I try to push through it all that will mean is pain later when my joints become inflammed, nausea, headaches etc etc. So I rest when I feel tired...it just seems to feel like I'm tired all the time.

I am learning to break down household chores so that I rest in between and take satisfaction in what I can do. My house isn't as clean as I would like but it's not too bad and I've been ok with that.

Not today. Today I see dust...everywhere. And I can't get rid of it all because I keep falling asleep. I pushed it too hard and the inflammation started. When I tried to get up out of my chair I couldn't. My daughter asked if I needed help and I snapped at her. I can bloodywell stand up I'm not crippled you know! Yeah...took me three goes but the stubborness won through in the end (paying for that now too). But I am ashamed of the way I spoke to her and treated her, she deserves better from me.

And I do know what's lead to this...it's the whole Disability Support Pension thing. Yep the doc says that I need to go on it because 'I wouldn't hire you'. I think that was harder to hear than 'you have Lupus'. I've always worked, at whatever job was available at the time. Seasonal work, cleaning...whatever would pay. Mostly physical work that others don't like to do, it didn't matter to me...it payed the bills. For the past 5 years I've been doing a Bachalor of Social Science so that I can get a better job. I told the kids when I got my degree things would be better. But now they're not going to be...not for awhile anyway. Not till I'm 'stable'. It makes me angry, frustrated and sad. My kids deserve better.

But this is how it is. I can't change it...but I can 'manage' it. For someone who always had things planned day-to-day for months in advance I now have to learn to live each day as it comes. I may not be able to work but I am the Media Officer for my local SES Unit and that is now my Job :) I will learn to not push myself, to not expect so much of myself or be so self-critical and I will learn to accept help. It may just take a little time that's all.

Retro Console Collecting - Part X (The Holy Grail)

Schizo — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 19:19:03 GMT

Oh dear. The cobwebs. The dust. I think I even saw a few cockroaches scurrying their way through here. And who left the back door unlocked? I think I saw a few ~~squatters~~ comment spammers camping out in here.

Well, we cleared all that riff-raff out. Time for a little spit & polish, a little elbow grease, (a lot of booze), and we're gonna make this place shine again.

(In other words, I am totally going to start making regular updates and articles again)

And if you believe that last statement, then I've got this prime waterfront real estate I'll sell ya cheap

Since I've been so busy in the last year or so (read: lazy), I would be here for quite a while trying to document all the various pickups and scores I've made since my last update.

So I'm not gonna do that. Besides, you'd be bored with that anyway. I'll bore you with a completely different topic instead.

What I am going to talk about today is one of those pieces that you want in your collection more than any other. A single game that would make you so happy to finally own, and the piece that is a centerpiece of your collection.

I speak of finding the holy grail.

No, not that holy grail...

Everyone has their holy grail when it comes to collecting. Usually it is something quite rare, expensive, or holds some sentimental value.

My holy grail? I speak of Earthbound for the SNES.

It will be mine. Oh yes...it will be mine.

Earthbound was a sequel to an NES game only released in Japan called "Mother". The game was incredibly well-received by critics and fans alike, however the game only sold 140,000 copies in North America. This was due to a couple of fatal flaws:

Late lifecycle release - Earthbound was released in 1995, well into the SNES' lifecycle. At this point, the Sega Saturn had already been released, the Sony Playstation was coming soon, and the N64 was already announced and was about a year away. Gamers simply weren't buying the games for these older systems with new ones on the horizon.
Piss-poor marketing - Earthbound has to rate among one of the largest marketing failures for games at that time. Nintendo started their advertising for the game using a series of scratch n' sniff stickers (which all smelled horrible as I recall) to promote the game. You also had some print ad gems like this one:

Because everyone wants to buy a game that stinks
The genre - Fianl Fantasy VII was still a couple of years away, and the majority of gamers weren't playing JRPGs. These titles were still considered a niche market, and weren't expected to sell as well.

So Earthbound had all this going against it from the start. No wonder it didn't sell so well.

So why do I want it?

Well, for starters, Earthbound is unique in that the box is so much larger than a standard SNES box. Why you ask? Because they included a strategy guide with the game.

Let me spell that out again, just to let that sink in with you for a moment.

They included the strategy guide with the game.

Totally unique idea for the time. Can you imagine releasing a game with a strategy guide bundled in with it now? Prima and Brady would lose their collective wits.

Second, the game is incredible. It has been praised as one of the best examples of the JRPG on not only the SNES, but one of the best JRPGs period. It had a great mix of gameplay, and what was unique for the time - the game had quite a bit of humor to it as well. Grab it to play on an emulator if you can get a chance. Earthbound is consistently one of the most requested games to be released on the Wii Virtual Console for good reason.

Finally, I want this game because I've been kicking myself for 17 years for not buying it. I distinctly remember holding the box in my hands at the store, and eventually putting it back in favor of something else. Seriously, it was the stupid ad campaign that turned me off to the game. I just didn't see how a game promoted by stinky smells would be any good.

He chose...poorly. Ok, ok, last Indiana Jones Holy Grail reference, I swear!

This is a decision I've come to regret for one simple reason.

Holy crap the market value of this game is absolutely astronomical.

If you want to shell out for the just the cartridge of this game, expect to shell out close to $200 for this sucker. If you're a complete in box collector like myself, the bill comes closer to $500!

Eek.

So I hold out hope that I'll somehow find one of these in the wild someday. Someone who doesn't know the value of what the are sitting on. Someone who just wants to get rid of the old games taking up space in the attic.

And while I'm wishing for things, I wish Scarlett Johansson would suddenly appear in my lap.

Well, in all honesty...I'd take her over the game

Till next time. I promise there won't be as long of a gap between updates. And if you believe that, about that waterfront property...

Retro Console Collecting - Interlude 5 (What ho! An update?)

Schizo — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:58:38 GMT

You want to know why I've not been updating? I've been busy, and here is a teaser:

New and improved gaming room goodness, with lots of delicious new components? You'll see... :)

Sportsmanship and Rules

Rage — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 01:20:19 GMT

A lot of things in TOG, as with life, are very black and white. We do not tolerate cheating, hacking or glitching games. We frown upon disrespect towards other players, whether they are TOG members or not. There are also rules to abide by when posting in our forums. And we have an AUP and TOG guidelines to ensure that these rules are understood and followed. But I've come to realise that there are also area's of grey at times, that we can't just sweep into one category or another. As a DC, this is something that I've become more aware of.

Point in case; Last night I played a couple of rounds of MW3 and encountered a fellow TOG member unrelentingly using a grenade launcher. For those of you with no background in the Call of Duty series, the grenade launcher is a bit of a gaming fopar. It is a weapon that can be shot from a great distance, easily killing 3 or 4 players with a single explosion. With a team of 8, that can easily reduce your team by 1/4 or more and this regularly happens. Now when playing Search and Destroy (which we were playing at the time) it means there is no respawn until the next round, so losing 1/4 of your team for an entire round due to a weapon that can be shot from the other side of the map, becomes very frustrating.

Now there is no rule that says a player can't use this weapon, but needless to say, they weren't winning any friends last night. They were asked several times to choose a different weapon, but refused and ultimately, the game finished up with many players rage quitting as a result.

So here's my point; Eventhough I'm DC, I'm not about to go setting rules in place to say which weapons the division can and can't use. The guns were put in there and can be used at the players discretion. However, I do believe in respect for other players and fairness of play. I'm continually surprised by the number of people that have no regard for others, by putting their level of enjoyment in front of everyone else's. Use the grenade launcher if you like. But if you're asked by others to put it away, then there are a couple of options and all of these result in respect;

Go play on another server.
Put the launcher away, just like you were asked.
Use it more sparingly. Even this will help your cause.

Respect that everyone else's level of enjoyment is just as important as yours. ESPECIALLY if it's fellow TOG members asking it of you.

Rage quit.

Hard + Core = Dark Souls

delushin — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 06:25:43 GMT

Oh yes I know it has been out for quite awhile now ... And well between that and ... /faceplam having to work, I have totally neglected this blog that I have been blessed access to! Well fear not fellow toglets and nublets for I have finaly clocked round one of the game after about 72 hours worth of my life!

This is everything I was wanting and more, I love it and once they make it legal I will marry my games and sexy them to make hybrid versions of them and then I will take those and marry them off to various members of ... oh um sorry about that anyways, how #$%!ing funny is this guys reaction to his mates setting him up! First through I will give you some background on why he is so upset, to get to where he is at the first play through of the game without using any walkthroughs or hacks is pretty hard and nerve racking, he would have died ALOT (in true DS style of course) and the boss on the first encounter is pretty dam scary so ...

OMFG ... tell me you didn't laugh and the devestation on his face and then I will call LIES!

Pretty much guys there is nothing more I need to say as apart from Demons Souls this release is very well known now .. just buying it and enjoy getting your ass kicked, oh and by all means hit me up on PSN if you want to PvP .. delushin <3

Talera vs Splice

Talera — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 06:53:36 GMT

While I was intrigued by the trailer for this film when it was released in cinemas, I figured it was one of those films that could wait until it was on weekly status at the local DVD store. How right I was.

This movie is marketed as a horror/thriller. Realistically, it is a drama for the first 90% of the film, then thriller, scratch that - attempted thriller, for ten or so minutes, then a plot hook for potential sequels. Yes the whole genetic enginerering often goes into a sci-fi category, but they focus less on that and more on the concept of this creature 'developing' and how the social relationships form and change between the parties.

Unfortunately the movie is also entirely predictable, obvious scripting. While the actors make the best of their role, they are let down by these other two factors.

I haven't written much about this film because ultimately I don't have much to say. I may consider watching any sequels, which no doubt there will be, but only on weekly status. I don't think I'll watch the original one again though. While I can see why some people may like it given the moral concepts of science playing with genetics, it was not explored well enough to bring these issues to the forefront of the movie.

Talera vs Zombie Town

Talera — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 04:46:06 GMT

I have to admit I have a soft spot for B-Grade horror. It has spawned such legends as Bruce Campbell. Every now and then I queue up a movie that is beyond B-Grade. This is one of those movies.

This movie is probably between D to F-Grade. The camera moves about not for effect but because it was probably filmed with a hand held camera and they could not afford a tripod.

The dialogue and acting is cheesy, but it is intentionally so. This movie is indeed done to be a zombie comedy film. It opens with bogan townspeople who have been turned into zombies wondering through the scrub finding further willing victims. The idea is that the 'survivors' band together in order to determine how to stop them as well as what is causing the phenomenon. However, the trailer and even the back of the case gives away what is causing people to turn into flesh eating red necks (pun intended).

While this film does have some good one liners and also classic things such as zombie geriatrics, it did not have enough of them to fully rescue the film. It does leave you wondering what could have been achieved with a larger budget or even non-amateurs. Having said that, budget and experience does not always make a film better.

The film was entertaining for the 95 or so minutes it ran. But it is not a classic Zom Com like Braindead. You may not find me saying this often, but I think this movie is better watched intoxicated when life generally seems more amusing. However, then you run the risk of doing something silly like singing about how you're going down down down to Zombie Town.

Talera vs The Human Centipede

Talera — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 08:00:52 GMT

This movie was banned from cinemas in some countries of the world. The planned sequel will apparently be banned from more.

As I said before, I watch horror. The notion it is gross doesn't impact me. So the concept of this movie being 'graphic' also didn't concern me. I was interested in the concept of the mad scientist going to an extreme, in the same way I often watch the ones based on human experiments.

Really, with this one I shouldn't have bothered. Seriously, don't bother with this film. The supposedly uber gross scene does not show any detail. The theory is that the first person in the centipede has to defecate and due to how they are joined it passes into the next person. You don't actually see anything though, it is just referred to.

The script and direction was woeful. The acting (for the most part) was terrible. We had the screamer who didn't have any passion behind it, just a loud voice. We had another valley type girl just as unbelievable, who seemed to believe she could convey melodrama just by putting her hand to her forehead every 10 minutes. The same actress, while on the phone at the start, also tended to wait one second before responding to something that the other person could not have possibly said in that time frame (one of my movie pet peeves). The police were stereotypical for movie police and unrealistic for real life ones.

The only positive thing about this film was the performance of the evil doctor. He was so believable as crazy and evil. In fact I don't think if I saw him in real life I could be convinced he was nice. He even managed to convey it with body language, including his facial expressions. It's sad that he was cast in such a terrible movie, I don't think it would help his career.

It doesn't worry me that the second one may be banned in Australia, I don't really want to watch it anyway if the quality of the first one is an indication of the sequel.

Talera vs Resident Evil Afterlife

Talera — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 02:55:08 GMT

Hm, I found it difficult to put my thoughts together on this movie.

Firstly I wasn't expecting much in the way of plot. The background story is the same as previous movies with the whole virus, Umbrella Corp and so on. a female super human seeking out the evil corp behid the conspiracy and shooting a bunch of zombies along the way. I don't watch these movies for plot, I watch them for action and zombie splatter gore.

I know this movie was at the cinemas in 3D. I didn't get to see it there, which was a shame. However, I do not have a 3D home entertainment system and I had to watch it in the normal 2D version. I have to be fair and say I think the special effects and fight scenes would have been a lot better in 3D as they appear to be designed/choreographed for that format.

The movie itself wasn't enough to engage me. While I paid great attention during fight scenes, the parts in between I tended to multi-task. Again, to be fair to the movie, I don't play the games. Perhaps if I did play the games I would be more interested in the 'filler' between the 'biff'.
The fight scenes themselves were great. While the concept of normal humans being able to undertake such feats is incredibly unrealistic, we have to acknowledge it is based on a game and of course game characters tend to be able to undertake unrealistic feats of heroism.

The highlight of the first Resident Evil movie for me (besides zombie creatures, I lurve zombies). was actually the soundtrack. I own very few soundtracks as I tend to only like one or two songs, but I do own that soundtrack. Again in this one the music was appropriate and assisted in highlighting theme and action as intended. Especially the song in the starting scene.

Talera vs I Spit on Your Grave

Talera — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 04:53:31 GMT

Sorry for the frequent entries, I'm on holidays so have time to catch up.

Okay, let's face it - I'm a horror girl. I love a good splatter as much as the next horror buff (though I prefer there also to be a mind screw in there). I saw the original of this film when I was in my teens, during a period where it was not banned in Australia (for those overseas, the original went through a couple of periods where it was banned in Australia due to the sexual violence).

Only one other person at my work has seen the original. When we saw there was a remake we both grimmaced. Still when it first came out she rented the remake and told me it was well done and I had to see it. So off to the quickflix queue I went and added the film to my list, putting it at the top of my queue.

Last friday night, after child was asleep and I was the only adult in the house, I put it in and watched it. It disturbed me. It was not scary by any means, but I was left disturbed.

I can take a lot of things being on my screen without batting an eyelid. I have seen sexual sadism on screen and while I abhor it in real life I know it is fiction I am watching. I don't want to get into a discussion about whether it contributes to sexual crime rates by having such films, I just want to focus on the movie here as I don't think you need to be subjected to my beliefs on the issue (though if you really want to know, just send me a PM and I'll spill).

Why did the movie disturb me? The gang **** scene pure and simple. The original film had a brutal **** scene, but while certain things were shown (I'll never forget the bottle) much was left to the imagination. I think this is best as it is a plot where your mind can fill in the blanks quite adequately. However, in the remake, the scene went on for almost half of the movie. It was prolonged and much less was left to the imagination. I know that it was done to horrify the audience and really make you feel for the victim. I know in order to do that it would have to be more graphic given today's society than when the original film was made. Having said that, I have to admit I found it a bit too prolonged and confronting.

While the revenge killings are imaginative and well done, I found the main actress' performance lacking. The actress had the original character down pat, but really after an event like that she is now a new character. I didn't find her believable as this second character.

All in all, actually not bad for a remake. However, I think their focus on shock value to make you feel victim empathy went overboard and I think the main character was miscast. Despite this, it is brought back up by the performances of the perpetrators, who acted in a creepy and ugly manner wonderfully considering the roles they ofen take in other films.
　

Talera vs Inception

Talera — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 01:56:26 GMT

Dreams. Fluid, intangible. Somehow even the most unrealistic concept can seem to be real and possible. Trying to grab hold of it and feeling it slip through your fingers.

Sometimes the dream is so real that when you wake you have to consider whether it actually happened. The vividness causing deja vu as a temporary state.

Everyone has considered certain things in their life. Is it possible for someone to read your mind? Is it possible for someone to enter your dreams?
When this movie first came out, I saw the trailer and knew I would love it. I could not go to see it at the cinema and wanted to wait until I had the house alone to enjoy it in full. I stayed away from reviews, told my friends not to speak of it to me and so on, just so I could experience it fresh and not go in with the bias of other's opinions. I also tend to be able to predict twists and I wanted this movie to be unpredictable for me, in the same way dreams often are.

This movie was everything I wanted it to be and more. The artistic direction managed to provide such movement within that it was as fluid as one conceives dreams to be. The notion someone can construct worlds for you and control the progress of a dream was effective in that the same concept revealed it could not control the dreamer. While your setting may be falsified, your actions are still your own. Your mind is their dominion, but you cannot be ruled.

The introduction of latent meanings, hiding items from our subconscious in places such as a safe is also fantastic. So often we believe a dream was trying to tell us something, but we just cannot bring the thoughts to mind. It is as if it is locked away and only the right combination can unlock the information.

For such a long time I have been waiting for another movie to give me a twist I could not predict within the first 30 minnutes. This movie did that for me. While I picked the twist before it was revealed, it certainly was not the twist I had envisaged for the first half of the movie. I'd like to say what I thought it was going to be, but that would be spoiling it for people.

No matter how many times I have tried to describe this movie in this entry, I cannot find the words to capture it and give you an image to take with you. I think this is truly one of those movies where everyone will take something different, the movie leaving its own individual snowflake in your mind. All I can say is it is a must view if you have not watched it to date.

Talera vs Adaptations

Talera — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 11:55:20 GMT

So another book has been made into a film. Naturally you compare the book to the movie, but how do you decide if the movie is a good reproduction of the books?

A few friends and I have been discussing this of late. What elements do we need in order to provide the movie with our tick of approval? While initially I thought most of us would agree, given most of us tend to agree when a movie is a good version or not, I was totally incorrect.

I found my friends fit into three distinct camps when it comes to giving their assent, each camp desiring a particular element as their main attribute. I now understand with more insight why, on some of the movies, we haven't agreed.

The first camp I like to call the 'purists'. They want the book repeated on the big screen. They grumble when characters have their gender or ethnicity changed. For the most part they can overlook these smaller things, but they are tempted to yell at the cinema screen when Frodo is carried across the river. One of my friends who fits in this camp, in that very scene, stated 'they only did that to get the chicks more involved in watching it'.

The second camp, which by the way seems to be the one I am in, is what I like to call the 'spiritists'. Yes I am making up words, but hey its's my blog. Anywho, this group does not care if things are changed. We do not need things to be perfectly literal when it comes to converting the book. If we wanted literal we would simply read the book again because in our opinion there is no way a movie can capture everything. We know characters need to be reduced, there are practical considerations such as budgets and screen time. All we ask is that the 'spirit' of the book is captured and made larger than life for us. We know that even if a movie managed to be totally faithful with words, looks and events, it could still be empty. We know that while the closer it gets the better, as long as it has the same moral quandaries, the deeper lessons of the plot and the struggles of the characters then it is a good reproduction. We are less likely to yell at the screen when the movie annoys us, instead looking at our shoes. But we are more likely to cheer along and be swept up in the emotion of the film when the spirit rides high.

The last camp is the 'comfortists'. For this group it is almost as if knowing what is about to occur gives them a sense of comfort. While they are willing to have a certain amount of departure from the events of the book, they cannot abide too much of this or they squirm in their seat, just like a person being asked to do something outside of their comfort zone. Despite this, they also recognise that a faithful reproduction can be emotionally hollow, and require a certain amount of 'spirit' to engage in the film.

So which camp are you in? Have I missed any simply because I have not come across another group within my limited social circle?

This is nice, very nice.

theZee — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 23:45:03 GMT

Sitting here with my 2yr old daughter reclining on my knee. She's chomping through apple slices and watching Peppa Pig on one half of the screen while I'm browsing TOG on the other half.

Perfect Saturday morning. :-D

`Zee

Retro Console Collecting - Interlude 4 (I really suck at updating)

Schizo — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:13:24 GMT

Hello there!

Yes, it has been three months since I last updated. Want to know why I haven't updated?

Well, I'll tell you!

No wait, get back here! Sit down....I said sit down! You're gonna listen to my tale, and you're gonna like it!

Are the ropes too tight? I'd hate to have to get the shackles out. Comfortable? Well, I am...so here we go.

It all started about three months ago. I was sitting on my laptop cruising ebay for some more retro gaming goodness, when out of the blue a messenger hawk landed on my window sill. Knowing full well how messenger hawks (and other forms of archaic communication) are most certainly harbingers of a dire emergency, I immediately slammed the window shut and began a search for exterminators.

Telegrams? Pfft. Sealed letters? Don't waste my time. Engraved invitations? Don't bother. However, it was when I saw the smoke signals in the air, I knew something big was up.

I grabbed a pen and paper and began jotting down a quick translation. It seemed there was an infestation of rabid polar bears wielding semi-automatic rifles up at the north pole, and my help was needed! Either that, or it was an advertisement claiming "Eat At Joe's!". I'm not too sure, and I often get the two mixed up as my smoke signal translation is a bit rusty.

Anyway...my help was needed! Ready for battle, I immediately jumped aboard my trusty steed. I was then immediately punched in the face by my girlfriend, and I was told in in no uncertain terms that she would pack up her stuff and leave if I ever again jumped on her back and called her 'my trusty steed'. I don't think the bridle and the 'giddyap!' helped any either.

Next I....look, your continued groaning isn't helping things any. Don't make me go get the duct tape to cover your mouth with!

Now, where was I? Oh yes...eventually, I made it to the north pole, where a three-month long war was waged against the rabid polar bears and their ill-gotten weapons. There was tremendous blood spilled on both sides, and there are tales and songs of individual feats of heroism, courage, loss, and forbidden romance. But those are tales for another time...

Nevertheless, I emerged alive (though not entirely unscathed) from the whole ordeal, and I was made an honorary chieftain amongst the polar bears (my name to them is Natuk-Oh). I traveled my way back here to share this tale with you.

I promise the next post will be chock full of updates on the retro console collecting. I just felt that you all needed to know the reason for my absence.

Thanks for bearing (bear...get it? yeah, puns are the lowest form of humor) with me through all this. Now, let me untie you and we'll never speak of this again.*

*note: All of the above is entirely true. Completely. No, really. It is. All of it. Because who would believe that Schizo has been too busy being slammed at work, and having other outside issues that prevent him from posting? Everyone! And that makes for B-O-R-I-N-G reading. Besides, if you really believe all that, I have some ~~swampland~~ prime waterfront real estate out in Florida I'd like to sell you...

A departure of sorts

Talera — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 03:04:50 GMT

It is days like today I hate my job. Well to phrase it better I don�t hate my job, I hate some of the things I�m exposed to.

Normally I love my job, even with all the frustrations. While I get exposed to negative things, it still interests me. While many would find those exposures upsetting or tragic, I tend to be able to distance myself from them and deal with the task at hand.

Occasionally I have the days where the �thing� I�m exposed to is so tragic not even I can distance myself. It is today, one of those tragic days, where I hate my job.

Today someone died at the hands of another. While my rational mind knows I could not prevent it no matter what I did and ultimately it was not I who was dealing with the taker, knowing my colleagues were makes me wonder if I had just had more involvement, gave more guidance�

I can�t go into too much here because of the nature of my work and I must remain confidential to do with my involvement in the perpetrator�s (sorry alleged) life. I can�t even contact the victim�s family to advise them of just how sorry I am for their loss. Rationally I know there was nothing I or my colleagues could have done to prevent the tragedy. Still my human nature comes into to second guess things in an irrational and purely emotive manner.

I know this is not the sort of thing normally discussed in these blogs. I know that most people want to read about gaming and geeky topics.

I don�t write this in order for sympathy, I know my emotions will pass once my head regains control. I simply write these words because I feel I need to say sorry to someone, but due to my job requirements this is the only way I can.

Sorry for your loss.

Talera vs Advent Children

Talera — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 01:49:51 GMT

So on the weekend I watched Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. It should be noted I watched the 2005 version and not the revised edition which had more information inserted for people who haven�t played the game.

I was looking forward to this as I found the game play frustrating. The thing I found most enticing about the Final Fantasy games was actually the storyline/plot. The concept of having it purely that and with gorgeous animation was something I looked forward to.

The movie takes place about 2 years after the game ends. While the movie introduces the concepts of Jenova and the Lifestream well, it only provides minimal information regarding Sephiroth and Shinra. It also provides no information on Cloud or his connection with Tifa and the other characters. For this reason alone I think it would not be a movie suited for those who have not played the game. My understanding is the revised edition rectifies some of this, but not to a level for those who have not been exposed to Final Fantasy to get full benefit from the film.

Having played the game (in fact FF7 was the first one I ever played) I enjoyed it immensely. Admittedly it did not flow as well as I would have liked and did come across as a bunch of cut scenes put together but really this did not detract from my enjoyment that much. The animation was, in my opinion, very apt given the subject of the film ultimately being the game franchise. In fact it almost made me want to pull out that old game until I remembered the whole chocobo irritation.

It isn�t a long film and went well for entertaining me on a lazy Sunday afternoon while I was making my pumpkin soup. The movie is very story based instead of trying to accrue tension and so the periodic pausing did not cause issues.

Talera vs Assault on Precinct 13

Talera — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 03:14:56 GMT

I think this review may cause some people to wonder what I�m on, or want to hate me for things I�m saying.

I know this movie came out yonkers ago, but I only got around to seeing it last night. Currently I�m on two minds about whether I should have bothered.

Ethan Hawke, good actor, pinnacle in my opinion was Gattaca and to be honest since he split with his wife, he looks more and more washed out (but I do acknowledge some good movies in that time). Which of course meant he looked totally appropriate for playing the ex-undercover police officer who is drinking away his guilt while hiding behind a desk.

Laurence Fishburne does well in his crime boss show no emotion where possible character. No surprise there.

Queue start of movie, 2 minutes on why our main star is a guilty hero. Wakes up and drinks. That is really all the background we get on him bar a small conversation with a shrink later in film.

Queue moving boxes (okay, I can see without reading the back we have a siege in an understaffed secluded building unlikely to attract attention). Main baddie arrested, taken to shiny new station. Emphasis placed on some �elite� awesome rep police officers.

Sorry, but straight up we can see bad guy has secrets on the �elite� police because they are the real villains and they will organise him to be held at dodgy building only guarded by guilty police officer where they will attempt to kill him. Guilty police officer goes through an amazing transformation where he takes charge and becomes a hero again. Guilty police officer and bad guy will form some sort of respect for each other without actually becoming friends.

Voila. The first 10-15 minutes tells you how the rest of the movie will pan out. Sorry if you think I have put in spoilers, but really if you didn�t pick it then not my fault as it is very obvious what is about to roll over your screen. So I sat tight and thought �hey maybe the action will make up for lack of subtlety�. Um, no.

This movie is what it is. The action itself is limited because they have to make the building and the characters last for the entire show. The �fight� scenes are limited because the main antagonist is outside hidden in his warm car in the snowstorm. The characters �emotional� stories are too quick and unbelievable. This movie just didn�t sell me. I don�t think I�ll watch it again.

Talera vs Mock Songs

Talera — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 22:28:48 GMT

One of my weird habits is changing lyrics. I�m no Weird Al, don�t get me wrong, but I can be talking with friends and then just suddenly come up with a song in my head appropriate to the topic. I�m not very good at it, but it has scored me amusement points in groups previously. It has also scored me comments like �mum, sing the real words please�.

I have plenty of ones done at home for various themes, my tribute to Friday the 13th was one I got asked to pass around. It even led one night to friends and I all coming up with the �top 5� for slasher films. I have been told that even though my opinion of them is low, I should circulate them more. One of my friends through work, who moved after a transfer, had me give him a song rewritten to be about him and he still has the lyrics up at his new office.

So in an effort, below I have the first verse of my tribute to True Blood and Twilight Cosplayers�Groupies. Do understand it was off the cuff and far far far from my best work. For those who can�t pick up the tune it is to Billy Joel�s Still Rock and Roll To Me. If you enjoy it let me know and I�ll post more in future.

What's the matter with the fangs I'm wearing?

Can't you tell the teeth are too white?
Maybe I should buy some werewolf pelt?
Welcome back to the age of pile.
Where have you been hidin' out lately, honey?
The blood and lunar cycle send the groupies all a funny.
Everybody's talkin' 'bout the new book
Funny, but it's still wolves and vamps to me

Talera vs Supernatural

Talera — Tue, 31 May 2011 06:40:23 GMT

I watch Supernatural. Loved it from the first episode and watch it religiously. I can even tell you which episodes made me laugh my patootie off and which ones were a bit shocking. I can tell you the last episode of season 6 made me say �Oh my god� out loud (but I won�t say why � spoilers and all).

I converted someone else to it this year, not realising I had not converted all my friends. I got into a discussion with him and I realised part of the reason I liked it. It is not a horror which relies on gimmicks. In fact in many ways it�s family friendly.

I know, yes there are the occasional references to material containing nudity or the subtle comment on sexual events. Really, even some PG shows have this now. Despite the references no nudity is actually shown and most things are �alluded� to only.

When it comes to the monster bits there isn�t much gore compared to other �horror� based shows.

The swearing is minimal and what there is I consider to be low grade cussing.

It has the loyalty of �family� even when those you consider relatives are not by blood.

So how does this show, with no real nudity/sex, swearing or gore manage to still draw in audiences despite most other shows relying on at least one of these themes?

Answer is story. Ok yeah some may watch it because those Winchester boys are just so darn hot in jeans, but really that can�t carry a show for six seasons.

I find it refreshing that there is a show on TV which does not rely on the mainstream gimmicks current modern programming contains. That they rely on story each and every episode. They don�t drown with constant character development, swapping in monster of the week episodes. The shows don�t always take themselves seriously and humour abounds. There are pop culture references for a varied audience and really what other show has slow dancing with aliens to ballads after being abducted?

I admit I was concerned when they extended it beyond the five originally intended seasons, would they be able to keep on story. Initially season 6 seemed forced, but my doubts were alleviated when I realised it was just because of plot set up for the big �oh my god� finale.

Carry on my wayward son, I will continue watching.

You call yourself hardcore...

delushin — Sun, 15 May 2011 02:15:53 GMT

Ok lets get this straight from the start ... this entry is about a PS3 title, and yes it is for the hardcore gamers! "Oh console is for casual wanna be gamers, if its not on PC then its shit!" ... Well nub enough with the versus this versus that I have had it! I love my PC and my PS3 and my 360 and my wi... well not as much as the others that ones just for Mario ... BUT FFS your either a "Gamer" and you can apretiate all platforms and the products (when they deserve it) or your a "Burnt out winger who can't let go of unimportant formalitites" :twisted:

Alright now that all the wanna be gamers have closed the browser and called mummy to help pick up their bottom lip, which has become lodged between the floor boards of the attic where they reside ... lets get on to business!

This game is so HARDCORE if you think that you will in any way "own" this game with a mad KD ratio then don't even bother because you will get used to seeing this message ...

And you will try again only to see ...

And then you will get frustraited and try and rush past some "weaker" enemies only to find ...

:D HAHAHA its not a joke you will die, A LOT! However for some reason even though there were times I wanted to through the controller at the trophy wife *** SLAP :eek: *** "sorry baby just saying those things to try and make people laugh, I don't mean it" ... anyways maybe this video can help explain how intense this game is ...

Also just for LOL's and please BE WARNED there is some bad language in this video, do a youtube search for "Demon's Souls - Difficulty = Bullshit" that guy let it get to him :p

See you get it now ... YOU WILL DIE! ... but it is so dam addicting that you go back for more and more and more ... finally a game that is like some old titles ... finally a game that will KICK YOUR EFING ASS!

Now get out there and train because it isnt long and this will be released:

Now tell me how mad this game mad you, and if your not playing it tell me why ... below!

Talera v Materialism

Talera — Mon, 09 May 2011 01:57:08 GMT

I�m not what I consider to be materialistic. I do not need the latest and greatest items. If I need an item to do A, B and C I will buy something that does that and not see the point in getting one that also does D, E and F if it costs more.

Yet I own a lot of �stuff�. This tends to be things that look like crap to everyone else but mean a lot to me, for example, I have an origami dragon made from dragon print proper origami paper which was made by a good friend when I was in college.

To reduce the �clutter� this causes I often have them packed away in boxes where I can pull them out every six months and go all warn and fuzzy with sentimentality.

I remember not only what happened to bring about the ownership, but also things to do with how I was back then. All bright eyed and not yet jaded by the professional world that came with some of my earlier career choices.

When the flood came through, I didn�t lose major possessions. I lost this sort of stuff. Yes I also lost most of my comic collection and some books, but those were not what I cried over. I cried over losing the first ever birthday card I bought my child and the first one he made for me. I cried over losing the things given to me by a dear friend who no longer walks this earth. Those things cannot be replaced by insurance and those things hold so much value to me. I cannot imagine how I would have felt had I lost everything, whether it is like others I know recently, in a fire or anything like that.

So it reminds me that as I age I will forget some of the memories associated with my items no longer owned. I may start to lose touch with that bright eyed girl I once was. I had to find a way to anchor myself without using those things as to who I once was. It reminded me just how much I need to let go of any form of possession and instead use my friends to remind me who I am, which is not materialistic.