Redwolf's Journal (continued)

It's an interesting idea. The creators are out there tying together several anime series with a four-part game series to create a virtual online world. Yes, that's "virtual online" rather than "online virtual." The games, for example, are not MMORPGs, but they're made to look like they are - complete with NPCs running around the towns to "save games" and such. I find the concept to be fascinating. And yet, the execution seems flawed. In what strikes me as an extreme example of Japanese story pacing, the elements seem to be playing out in slow motion. In the series, .hack//Sign, the first episode lays out how the main character, Tsukasa, can't log out of the virtual game he's in and he has some mysterious "guardian" defending him. It was late in episode four before I saw anything that made me sit up and pay attention again. And the first installment of the games, .hack//Infection, is said to offer 10-15 hours of gameplay and

Hrrf. I am not a highly social creature. Together with a few close friends and I'm perfectly comfortable. Beyond that? Nope. I'm just not comfortable. And family? Well, I get along fine with those I know, but I don't feel any great bonds with those who aren't around. So, it just happens that there's a family wedding going on in Mississippi in a couple weeks. My parents were intending to go and take me as well. Living with them makes me kinda obligated to go along. Yet, the plan slowly unravelled until my father could not get the time off work. Now comes the tricky part... My parents are willing to fly me out there for the weekend. Some of my relatives are more family-oriented than I am, and would be eager to see me after years and years. Ups: I would get a nice jacket out of the deal, that's a good addition to a wardrobe that consists largely of jeans and t-shirts. I don't have to pay. It pleases the relatives there and alleviates some of my dad'

So there I was last night, reading through an old log of online RP. In the midst of this, I see a brief conversation I had with someone via pages. I had played with them before, but couldn't claim to know them OOC. It went something like: Me: So what're you up to? Them: Testing a system's integrity. Me: Huh? Them: Oh, just finding out personal information and where someone is logging in from to mess with their mind. Me: Why? Them: Why not? Now, I'm not the product of the most conservative and proper upbringing. I like to think I'm pretty open minded. But... WTF? I fail to understand why people think hacking computer systems like this is a good idea. Even if this person is the greatest hacker in the world and never gets caught - "Gee, congratulations on learning some things no one really wanted you to know. And this was worth your attention why?" ... I don't really know what to make of it all. Recent events, rumors, and suspicions online go

Well gee, there's a surprise (not)... Democrat - You believe that there should be a free market which is reigned in by a modest state beaurocracy. You think that capitalism has some good things, but that those it helps should be obliged to help out their fellow man a little. Your historical role model is Franklin Rosevelt. Which political sterotype are you? brought to you by Quizilla

Melancholy. The weekend wasn't actually bad, but it never quite shaped up to what I might have liked. And thus I find myself with much that I can say here. ... Figures. Friday - Well, I was wiped Friday night. That's normal. It's a shame, really, as that was once the time I could cut loose and stay up 'til all hours of the morning. These days, though, I just don't have the energy after a week of work. Saturday - Game day. Actually, the day proved rather frustrating in general. I don't mind losing a game of Magic, but being able to look at the other deck during the start of a game and call exactly how I'll lose is a tad annoying. Dying to a Fling is, without peer, my least favorite way to go. Mrrf. The real frustration, though, came in our D&D game. Mind you, I'm enjoying the campaign in general, but there's a few lingering characteristics of it that felt worse than usual. Our band of (now 8th-level-ish) characters is rich. They had their

Gah! A journal. Me. Why? Actually, I blame . Yep. All his fault. Okay, so he had a little help. We'll just see if I actually end up using this space. "And so it begins." - Kosh, Vorlon Ambassador