I'm currently sitting in the library at my University people collecting data on peoples book carrying behavior (it's for an assignment for one of my psychology papers to see if there is a difference between people's and females on how they carry their books); it feels weird. I'm trying to be as stealthy as possible about it. In fact, I've got my net-book sitting over the data collection sheet to hide it; I think my quick glances up at people then noting something down gives me away however. At any rate, I feel like a stalker. Haha, some people just sat down next to me with what looks like a data sheet as well..Oh dear.
So my blog post explosion has been dramatically cut down due to my Uni break having started and my beginning of playing Rift - a mmorpg. I'm usually not so much of a fan of the games as the communities drive me a bit batty (immature kids spouting internet memes, severe nerd rage and just a lack of social skills in general) and grinding (doing repetitive in game activities over and over again to achieve a character upgrade) is very tedious. Rift seems to be a bit different though in that most of the players I've encountered and the people in the guild I've joined are quite a bit older (everyone I've played with so far has been over the age of twenty) which makes the gaming experience much nicer. People tend to be more relaxed (maybe due to the lower numbers; in WoW people getting pretty psycho over raid gear etc) and helpful.
Things I don't like about the game
- It's not as colorful as WoW which I actually find myself missing but over all the graphics are nicer. I haven't been a fan of the zones so far; I was hoping once I reached the 21-29 zone (depressingly named - Gloamwood) in would be an improvement on the first few zones, but no (I can't wait to get out of it, it's absolutely awful, all green, murky and horrible, but I guess it suits the story of the area).
- Another aspect of the game that has really irritated me is that any mobs you aggro you pretty much have to fight, even really low level mobs will knock you off your mount in about two hits (you wouldn't have enough of the games currency to purchase a better mount in the lower levels). I've remedied this by getting a feign death ability but I'm sure it'd drive other players mad that don't have an ability available that offers some sort of solution.
- Dull quests. I really hate too many of "go and collect x thing off x mob" quests especially if there isn't much variation in the mobs and you spend ages in the same area. But I guess that's one of the things that defines a mmorpg.
- One thing which for me is personally annoying is anything cave related. I've hated finding caves and once I get to the caves they've all looked like every other cave. I know they're just caves but a bit of variation would have been nice (I just groan a little inside when I have to go find a goddamn cave).
- I'll reserve this bullet point for when I actually get into the game mechanics. I'm sure I'll find something to complain about ;p
Things I like about the game
- The leveling so far seems to be going nicely. It doesn't feel nearly half as grindy as WoW was (it could just be my build however - DPS self healing and good mana regen.)
- I've enjoyed the ONE dungeon I've done and the players seemed to know what they were doing and were all polite.
- The war fronts (basically battlegrounds) are nicely balanced out for the level range so you don't get super pwnd.
- The rifts (which is the defining feature of the game) add an extra interesting element. Basically all over the map these giant rifts open up and you can join a public/raid group and you all work together to defeat the the monsters and close the rifts. The more players you have the more levels you go up in the rift as you can kill monsters faster (I think, I haven't read too much into it and haven't played for too long) and the better chance you have of obtaining greater rewards. It's a nice distraction if you get bored of level grinding and can get quite addictive if there is a large group of people running around in the area going from one rift to the next.
- The game has three skill trees/"souls" and you can mix and match each one instead of being delegated them depending on your class (like in WoW); although the game does make recommendations for which ones complement each other well and what calling you choose (mage, warrior, cleric or rouge) depends on which souls you'll have access to. I'm a warlock/necromancer/dominator which is pretty win although I've found I'm completely neglecting my third tree.
- The game also features a greater level of character customization which is important to me (once again, I'm comparing it to WoW here). Because I can spend hours on that shit (ok, that's a bit of an exaggeration but you get the idea) and I want what I'm looking at for hours to make me happy :P
That's just a basic summery of what I think of the game. I'm not a hardcore mmorpg player so I'm still learning but my experience so far has been mostly positive and look forward to reaching level cap :)
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Tips for surviving the internet
I thought this would be a fun thing to do (and remind myself to behave online). I've been on the internet for a long time now; ten years in fact (I'm getting old) and I think I've learnt a thing or two.
Tip 1: Don't post anything personal that is negative
I'm guilty of this and the result can be embarrassing if you come across it later (I had a bebo account from when I was high school that had a bunch of really negative self hating, typical teenage s*** written on it, forgot my password and had a hell of a time getting the account taken down). Also, yes it is tempting to pour your heart out to facebook, your blog or twitter etc to help you through but negative times pass, no one really cares, and stuff you put online tends to stay online; do you really want to be reminded of the event later (take Facebook's latest addition; memorable status updates as an example)? Keep your personal problems offline. Talk to a friend in real life; if you don't think it's important enough to discuss with someone else in person don't put it online either. Just deal with it. I see far too many people complaining about family and partner's that reflect poorly on those relationships and then the next day they're happy again; but the post remains there like a bad smell. It's really not a good look and is quite disrespectful to those involved. More people will see that stuff than you think.
Tip 2: Don't be an attention whore
Just don't. Because the attention you receive will not all be positive. Sometimes it can get way out of hand. Don't take pictures of yourself that you wouldn't want future employers or family members to see. Because they will get hold of them. Think about yourself in ten years time, do you want your future children to see that stuff? What about future partners? Like I mentioned in the above tip, what you put online will stay online. If you really want to take sexy pictures of yourself for someone go get a professional photo-shoot done or something. Make it classy. Make them something you will be proud of in the future that you'd be happy to show your kids. Also, no matter how beautiful you are, hundreds of pictures of your face will get boring. I think the less pictures a person has the more intriguing they seem to be.
Tip 3: Don't announce your gender
This one is mainly for females. Males don't do this, so why should you? It's like you want to be treated differently because you have a vagina. Don't start posts with "girl here, I'm female..." etc. Especially in a male dominated environment. You'll get more respect that way.
Tip 4: Don't use easy passwords; make them badass
My passwords tend to be over 12 characters long, contain numbers, uppercase and lower case letters, symbols and are difficult to remember. Yes it's extreme but it's important. Don't use the same password for everything. Especially if you've decided to be an attention whore ;P
Tip 5: Don't be a troll
Another thing I'm guilty of. If someone is overreacting to something no matter if I agree with them or not I'll post something to get a reaction. The truth is, it's petty and people may take you too seriously or not understand. I know in my head I don't mean anything by it but others won't and it can reflect very poorly on you. Just avoid it.
Tip 6: Don't hate on people
Don't be a "hater". It highlights your own insecurities and you're not going to change anyones opinion. For example, I'm a fan of UFC on Facebook and any time a moderately attractive female puts up a fan photo there are a heap of girls picking out her flaws. No one cares. If it offends you that much take no notice.
Tip 7: Don't take things so seriously; don't be troll bait.
This especially goes for sites like 4chan. People behave differently on the internet especially under the cloak of anonymity. I've said things I don't mean and I'm sure others do the same. A lot of people online treat it almost like a game and things that are truly serious will draw serious consequences; don't let it get to you.
Tip 8: Don't post a lot of personal information.
My facebook profile is pretty locked down and the rest of the sites I use I don't post too much personal information. If you do have a profile with personal information avoid adding people you don't know very well.
Tip 9: Don't be an online whore
It's not a good look. If you have a facebook profile with people you know personally (especially family members) and you're adding a lot of random people for the sole purpose of hitting on them; stop and think. What is this going to make you look like? It might be fun and games to you but it could hurt future relationships (you meet someone you like and add them on facebook and you'll get them wondering what's up with all the random guys/girls). Keep your dirty habits on the down low. Join a site (e.g. dating site) where people won't see what you're up to, or just avoid it all together. Also, trying to form relationships with online people isn't probably the best road to go down. People are very rarely like how they appear online. Try and save relationship activities for real life.
Tip 10: Don't argue online
No one wants to see personal arguments in their facebook feed and later on you probably won't either. It's more constructive to have those discussions in person. I'm guilty of bringing up arguments when the person I'm talking to may be at work where they need to concentrate (via MSN or email). Don't do that. It'll ruin their day and more often than not it's not constructive. Save it for real life/in person if it's really that important.
Tip 11: Don't fuck up your PC; do your research
Every now and then I'll see people falling for the most idiotic shit. For example, almost all of my family members on facebook had joined a group where it promised that upon joining, they'd see a message that made a girl commit suicide. It was a hoax/virus which resulted in them spamming the link for the page. Before letting your emotions and curiosity get the better of you; GOOGLE IT. The same goes for forward emails or visiting suspicious looking websites. Spreading that information is mis-informative, does a lot more harm than good, will give your PC aids and will annoy people who are educated about that sort of thing. If it looks dodge, don't join, click it or spread it and if you're tempted to, do your research first.
Tip 12: Don't make yourself look stupid by using awful spelling
If you're going to say anything, use a god damn spell checker. People will take what you have to say far more seriously because you will look like someone of moderate intelligence who has had some form of education. Try to use ok grammar as well. Capitalization at the beginning of sentences and using full stops is more than enough if you've got your spelling down. I'm surprised at how many people are too lazy or incapable of doing these things.
Tip 13: Do trust your instincts
If you're sitting there umming and ahhing about putting or doing certain things online don't do it. I try to think about how I'd view each of my posts/actions in the future and if I'm unsure about it, I don't post it.
Tip 1: Don't post anything personal that is negative
I'm guilty of this and the result can be embarrassing if you come across it later (I had a bebo account from when I was high school that had a bunch of really negative self hating, typical teenage s*** written on it, forgot my password and had a hell of a time getting the account taken down). Also, yes it is tempting to pour your heart out to facebook, your blog or twitter etc to help you through but negative times pass, no one really cares, and stuff you put online tends to stay online; do you really want to be reminded of the event later (take Facebook's latest addition; memorable status updates as an example)? Keep your personal problems offline. Talk to a friend in real life; if you don't think it's important enough to discuss with someone else in person don't put it online either. Just deal with it. I see far too many people complaining about family and partner's that reflect poorly on those relationships and then the next day they're happy again; but the post remains there like a bad smell. It's really not a good look and is quite disrespectful to those involved. More people will see that stuff than you think.
Tip 2: Don't be an attention whore
Just don't. Because the attention you receive will not all be positive. Sometimes it can get way out of hand. Don't take pictures of yourself that you wouldn't want future employers or family members to see. Because they will get hold of them. Think about yourself in ten years time, do you want your future children to see that stuff? What about future partners? Like I mentioned in the above tip, what you put online will stay online. If you really want to take sexy pictures of yourself for someone go get a professional photo-shoot done or something. Make it classy. Make them something you will be proud of in the future that you'd be happy to show your kids. Also, no matter how beautiful you are, hundreds of pictures of your face will get boring. I think the less pictures a person has the more intriguing they seem to be.
Tip 3: Don't announce your gender
This one is mainly for females. Males don't do this, so why should you? It's like you want to be treated differently because you have a vagina. Don't start posts with "girl here, I'm female..." etc. Especially in a male dominated environment. You'll get more respect that way.
Tip 4: Don't use easy passwords; make them badass
My passwords tend to be over 12 characters long, contain numbers, uppercase and lower case letters, symbols and are difficult to remember. Yes it's extreme but it's important. Don't use the same password for everything. Especially if you've decided to be an attention whore ;P
Tip 5: Don't be a troll
Another thing I'm guilty of. If someone is overreacting to something no matter if I agree with them or not I'll post something to get a reaction. The truth is, it's petty and people may take you too seriously or not understand. I know in my head I don't mean anything by it but others won't and it can reflect very poorly on you. Just avoid it.
Tip 6: Don't hate on people
Don't be a "hater". It highlights your own insecurities and you're not going to change anyones opinion. For example, I'm a fan of UFC on Facebook and any time a moderately attractive female puts up a fan photo there are a heap of girls picking out her flaws. No one cares. If it offends you that much take no notice.
Tip 7: Don't take things so seriously; don't be troll bait.
This especially goes for sites like 4chan. People behave differently on the internet especially under the cloak of anonymity. I've said things I don't mean and I'm sure others do the same. A lot of people online treat it almost like a game and things that are truly serious will draw serious consequences; don't let it get to you.
Tip 8: Don't post a lot of personal information.
My facebook profile is pretty locked down and the rest of the sites I use I don't post too much personal information. If you do have a profile with personal information avoid adding people you don't know very well.
Tip 9: Don't be an online whore
It's not a good look. If you have a facebook profile with people you know personally (especially family members) and you're adding a lot of random people for the sole purpose of hitting on them; stop and think. What is this going to make you look like? It might be fun and games to you but it could hurt future relationships (you meet someone you like and add them on facebook and you'll get them wondering what's up with all the random guys/girls). Keep your dirty habits on the down low. Join a site (e.g. dating site) where people won't see what you're up to, or just avoid it all together. Also, trying to form relationships with online people isn't probably the best road to go down. People are very rarely like how they appear online. Try and save relationship activities for real life.
Tip 10: Don't argue online
No one wants to see personal arguments in their facebook feed and later on you probably won't either. It's more constructive to have those discussions in person. I'm guilty of bringing up arguments when the person I'm talking to may be at work where they need to concentrate (via MSN or email). Don't do that. It'll ruin their day and more often than not it's not constructive. Save it for real life/in person if it's really that important.
Tip 11: Don't fuck up your PC; do your research
Every now and then I'll see people falling for the most idiotic shit. For example, almost all of my family members on facebook had joined a group where it promised that upon joining, they'd see a message that made a girl commit suicide. It was a hoax/virus which resulted in them spamming the link for the page. Before letting your emotions and curiosity get the better of you; GOOGLE IT. The same goes for forward emails or visiting suspicious looking websites. Spreading that information is mis-informative, does a lot more harm than good, will give your PC aids and will annoy people who are educated about that sort of thing. If it looks dodge, don't join, click it or spread it and if you're tempted to, do your research first.
Tip 12: Don't make yourself look stupid by using awful spelling
If you're going to say anything, use a god damn spell checker. People will take what you have to say far more seriously because you will look like someone of moderate intelligence who has had some form of education. Try to use ok grammar as well. Capitalization at the beginning of sentences and using full stops is more than enough if you've got your spelling down. I'm surprised at how many people are too lazy or incapable of doing these things.
Tip 13: Do trust your instincts
If you're sitting there umming and ahhing about putting or doing certain things online don't do it. I try to think about how I'd view each of my posts/actions in the future and if I'm unsure about it, I don't post it.
Nero Niggle
I am a huge fan of Nero's track Innocence. It's one of those tracks I can listen to and it still gives me a happy buzz (the vocals are soft and the rest of the track is powerful and sort of sad, I dunno, it's just awesome). The video for it is great too. It tells a story and I'm a sucker for an older style drawn anime (it's kind of like Ninja Scroll)
So I log onto YouTube this morning; and f*** yes, Nero has released an official music video for the track; Guilt. I wasn't a fan of the track. The vocals are too high (which makes it almost uncomfortable to listen to, much in the same way La Roux - Bullet Proof is) and the track doesn't really go anywhere. It's nothing like Innocence (which takes you up and down in a very good way - from soft to heavy - it's good dammit). Guilt isn't bad but it falls under meh, and I was hoping the video would be cool. I was disappointed. It started off with some intrigue but it just ended up being a pole dancer doing her thing and at the end she makes a "scary face" (it is done tastefully I will admit, but I'm not male so it doesn't really keep me enthralled; I skipped through most of it). It just doesn't really go anywhere, much like the track. So Nero went from a beautifully original and imaginative animated video that actually added something to a beautiful song, to a video which is meh. A meh video for a meh track. But that's just my opinion :)
So I log onto YouTube this morning; and f*** yes, Nero has released an official music video for the track; Guilt. I wasn't a fan of the track. The vocals are too high (which makes it almost uncomfortable to listen to, much in the same way La Roux - Bullet Proof is) and the track doesn't really go anywhere. It's nothing like Innocence (which takes you up and down in a very good way - from soft to heavy - it's good dammit). Guilt isn't bad but it falls under meh, and I was hoping the video would be cool. I was disappointed. It started off with some intrigue but it just ended up being a pole dancer doing her thing and at the end she makes a "scary face" (it is done tastefully I will admit, but I'm not male so it doesn't really keep me enthralled; I skipped through most of it). It just doesn't really go anywhere, much like the track. So Nero went from a beautifully original and imaginative animated video that actually added something to a beautiful song, to a video which is meh. A meh video for a meh track. But that's just my opinion :)
In other news; I had a dream Charlie Sheen was taking over the world. He needed the ultimate weapon. Which was a giant ocean going turtle that carried nukes on it's back. Yeah I dunno either.
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