Parlez entre vous

[clear]This is where Kotaku readers go to talk about the stuff we’re not already posting about. Think of it as the official unofficial Kotaku community forum.

Guys something really weird's going on.

I’m here. Now. But I’ve been to bed.

I don't understand.

Take a deep breath, your in the matrix

Me neither.

Hey Goooooky!

Morning all!

Stark Tolls TooBlighttown… whyyyyy you have to come back? Invader pathfinding is really dumb; I got invaded by the butcher, and couldn't find her. Couldn't rest at a bonfire or quit out until I’d dealt with her. Standing still for almost ten minutes did nothing. Turned out she was stuck halfway up one of the wooden structures on another ‘island’. Picked her off with arrows and long-range pyromancy.

If I didn't have a guide, I’d be completely and utterly unable to find my way around this place.

I’m thinking about taking a short break from this game. I’ve put 45 hours into it since it came out – that's around 3 hours per day, every day since it came out – and that's kind of unprecedented for me. Starting to feel a little burn out coming, and getting the impression from you guys that it's a slog from here on anyway…

Hey Shaaaaaane!

Hey man, how's it going?

I MISS YOU

HEY SHAAAAAAAANE!

Miss you too, man. How's the family? Not long now until kid #3, right?

Less than three months. Still AAAAAGES 😛

It's 8:30am, I’ve had maybe 5 hours sleep, and I’m wide awake.

…

…

Give it a couple of hours and I am going to crash. I want coffee. But fuck paying $4.20 for a (shit Lavazza) tiny coffee from uni.

I dunno how I stayed awake at uni sometimes. I don't drink coffee and the smell of Red Bull makes me gag so no caffeine for me. It did help though that my house was 10 minutes from the campus

Morning all, does everyone else hate Mondays too? I’m building a pool fence today out of 40kg glass panels, so that's a thing.

How was everyone's weekend? I spent majority of mine playing trials to write up a review which I’ll post later, also went shopping, always. shopping.

building a pool fence out of glass. Building a pool out of glass. Building a whale enclosure out of glass. The only thing I can deduct is that your last name is Scott and you’ve gone back in time on a stolen Klingon Bird of Prey

No…*hides the bird behind a bush*

That is a completely illogical train of thought

And stop looking at my ears, they were damaged in an accident with a mechanical rice picker

Morning! I spent the weekend working, which sucks, but on the positive side it means that Monday doesn't feel so bad because it's just another work day! YAY!

I did get some time out to finish up New Super Mario Bros. U with my daughter, which was awesome. The end Bowser battles in those new games have been pretty great.

It's a non stop work week so everyday feels the same to you.

Oh that's awesome as, did she have fun playing it? Or did you carry her the entire game? I haven't beaten a Mario game in months

She LOVES Mario, we have to limit it to weekends otherwise she’d play all day every day.

She's just turned 4, but she's already pretty good at Mario. I probably didn't need to even start helping her until half way through the game (the ice world I think) – it starts getting tricky after that and she’d often have to go into a bubble during the tough bits, or I’d literally carry her over hard jumps. Still, she gets brave and takes on some pretty hard sections by herself at times and get's through them – It's so awesome, sometimes I’d just sit back and leave her to kill a Boss (Koopaling) by herself – so proud!

The newer Mario games are brilliant for parent/child game time together. I know a lot of people complain about how much it helps you and gives you extra lives, but it's perfect to play with your kid.

Also, she got really inspired after we beat the game that she immediately went and started drawing Mario stuff:

http://imgur.com/xaJnZRm

http://i.imgur.com/wo2kBMA

But now that she's saved Princess Peach she doesn't really care to collect all the star coins, the story is over so she's doesn't see the point. 🙂

We have to save all the Fairies in Super Mario 3d World next!

It's Monday and I still have money in my account. I’m scared.

Also, one more game to add to the list of completed is Bioshock Infinite and Burial at Sea episodes. Now putting all my effort into inFamous Second Son

What up, home slices? Hope this day finds you well!

My internet is capped! *shakes fist* Luckily it resets at midnight tonight, so I can cope. Just. 😀

On Friday i ate burgers on the beach with my ladyfriendon saturday i binge watched anime and House of Cards.On Sunday i ate pizza with my sister and my lady friend and watched Howls moving castle.

My weekend was freaking rad DC 🙂

Sounds like it, my pal. How’d your lady friend find the anime? She a convert now? 😀

Ill preface by saying that Howl's moving Castle along with Princess Mononoke are my favourite movies ever made. She was expecting crazy plot that made no sense and subtitles that went speeding by and as you may or may not know is Ghibli is basically Disney, so she really liked it and asked if i had any more ghibli to watch. 🙂

Spirited Away is still the only Ghibli I’ve seen. :S

Whisper of the Heart!

Maybe later, Pow.

That always means no :'(

I’m glad we’ve reached an understanding. 😀

Somewhere I have a big stack of AU Ghibli DVD releases, basically about 2/3 of the entire collection still, but I own all the older films bar two on BD now and will be getting one of those two in a few months. If you’d like any of my deprecated DVDs which I would otherwise throw away you can have them.

Aw, thanks for the offer man, but it’d probably be wasted on me. Someone like @jimu or @sughly would probably be keen. (Assuming they don't have ’em already. XD)

Everyone that cares tends to own them already.

Nahhhhh I’m going all blu for Ghibli too

I’ll take em 😀

Howl's Moving Castle FTW.

Howl's Moving Castle is what got my missus into anime and is my go-to ghibli when people ask why I watch ‘weird Japanese cartoons’. It's only converted about 5 people so far, but they are North Queenslanders, so it's probably equal to about 20 normal people.

It's only converted about 5 people so far, but they are North Queenslanders, so it's probably equal to about 20 normal peopleJust because of all the extra fingers & toes?

I don't think I’ve watched any Ghibli movies before… I know my girlfriend has watched Totoro and Howls, but I never really got into them…. Though I was never a massive Anime fan to begin with.

Next time you’ve got her alone, inflict Grave of the Fireflies on ladyfriend. There should be much consolation after. That one's actually on my list of things that made even me a bit choked up. It also kinda utterly obliterates the idea that anime is just for kids.

Not much vanilla mamilla slice, today is arms day lifting glass.

Your lucky my phone internet is nearly gone and I have 10 days to wait

What's on the hermit diary for today?

…

Porn?

😀

Today's all about The Walking Dead season finale for me!

And, uh, building fences out of glass cause I can't be bested by you! 😛

*D.C. accepts being bested by Cam*

Bah, mine is capped but doesn't reset until… fuck, Friday. Shiiiiit I thought it was early in the week, this will be horrible, a whole week without new Arma vids, no youtube, can't upload my new GTA video… ugh

Ugh, capped internet sucks, went to download Arkham Origins yesterday and I got capped 600mb in, resets Friday I think..

Haha! I was getting Arkham City when it capped 2gb in. *high five*

Good work haha.

Ugh, headache. Thanks to a wedding I attended last night. Well, thanks to the alcohol, really.

A wedding on a Sunday? That seems like crazy talk to me!

You should send an official complaint to the bride. Don't worry ’bout their honeymoon, she’d probably want to know!

Funny thing is, there was also another wedding yesterday that we couldn't attend. Seems like Sunday weddings are becoming quite the thing now.

My brother got married on Friday.

I think people are really just searching for ways to find out who really loves them enough to attend an inconvenient wedding (and/or they’re looking for ways to cut down the guest list).

Do you love your brother, Shane? Did you attend? 😀

I was the best man. Which means I got to rag on him in a speech without fear of retribution. Also, I’m not one to pass up the chance to take a day off work.

So in my case it was a decision that had nothing to do with love. 😛

Outstanding! 😀

I’ll go to great lengths to avoid discussing my actual feelings 😛

Must be the time of year for it. My sister got married on Saturday.I didn't drink, because I was driving them to their hotel in Melbourne CBD. Sure, it was at 11pm on a Saturday night, so I could have had a beer.

…but they had a top of the line BMW that I was meant to drive. That thing was worth more money than all of my internal organs on the black market. No way was I scratching that.

I think people are really just searching for ways to find out who really loves them enough to attend an inconvenient weddingNote to self: If I ever reverse my decision to not get married (and have someone to marry), do it at 04:25 on a Tuesday

I’ll be there \o/

I think it's because everyone's already at the church anyway so why not

Venues are cheaper on Sundays.

Ohhhhh, that would make sense. Much like anything in life, if you can't figure something why something is happening, follow the money.

Finished Botanicula on the weekend. Such a fun game. So much charm. I agree with @strange too, better than Machinarium. (Though I liked Machinarium's visual style and setting better.) So good.

hi everybody

finished burial at sea the other day(im a little sour about the ending) and was wondering what the next bioshock infinite will be like, (2kgames has stated the series will continue) do you guys have any ideas?

I have an idea for a BioShock adventure game, but that ain't ever going to happen. XD

whats it about?

Investigative journalist following paper trail. *mysterious*

i could see that working

its all ready a better plot than most AAA games

"dudebro shoot dis" is getting old

You should write the story. Even if you can't get the rights to Columbia/Rapture, a little fudging could see it work in an original setting.

I’m just hoping they go for a full Art Nouveau (I always have to spell check that word) art style next time. They’ve always got such beautiful environments – love to see a world completely based on Mucha's work.

cant say i know the artist but so long as 2k allows the new team to focus on the world (and story) instead of useless things (like multiplayer) the entire game will be beautiful

p.s i looked at some of mucha's work and i see what you mean

Yeah they really know how to craft worlds – I do wish their environments were more interactive though, more grounded and less disney.

Also, not just Mucha's illustrations (which I love), but also the architecture of Art Nouveau is really interesting – very delicate, sensual and feminine.

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=mucha&espv=210&es_sm=122&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=N6Q4U5PLEqP8iQfOhYDwCw&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1434&bih=912#q=art%20nouveau%20interior%20architecture&revid=2007756580&tbm=isch&imgdii=_

I almost think it would have been a better fit for Rapture as it's a very flowing, almost nautical style, as opposed to the Art Deco they went with, though that fits the themes a lot better.

personally i would like to see more of elizabeth and booker (MAYBE a SPOILER) with perhaps a happier ending

yes i am replying to myself

It’d have to be a completely different setting, characters and plot line with throw away objects and hints to one of the existing universes we’ve already seen. They really can't carry on the same story, even if it's something like Bioshock 2 was to the first one with following on 10 years after Rapture had fallen. Also, I was close enough with thinking that Burial At Sea would finish with you starting off the events of Bioshock. Playing the first one now though, you definitely hate Atlas that much more now

As much as I’m annoyed at Ken Levine basically turning his back on AAA games, Bioshock has been his story and it’d be hard for someone else to take over from it, but saying that, 2K have a decent track record of games so I’ll remain optimistic once something's announced. Maybe the guys who got let go from Irrational could work on a new one in a new studio.

it wouldn't HAVE to be in a completely different setting with new characters as there is enough flexability in the bioshock multiverse to have the characters return

my idea would be based on "there's always a man and there's always a city" as in i would like to see you play as the next ryan or comstock

BE the manBUILD the citythat sort of thing

and yes i will now hate atlas even more

as for levine he technically still works with 2k, due to take-two ,his current employer owning 2kgames this would allow him to still have input on the next bioshock should he wish

Something more talky and sneaky with a hell of a lot less emphasis on shooty in the facey. A cross between Mass Effect level dialogue and Dishonoured style stealth with the shooting mechanic of Infinite for people who have no patience, class, charisma or guile.

Preferably something with a functional society even if a fractured ad messed up one. Something with more than a few friendlies in the entire game would be a pleasant change.

And for the love of fuck, have the story and gameplay synch, nothing was more disruptive to the feel than having Elizabeth trail along watching you rip people's faces off with your hook and then halfway through the game realise that Booker might not be 100% nice!!! It was an ideal platform for a pacifist/self defence/psychopath mechanic altering dialogue but both story and gameplay were set in stone from the beginning and the themes diverged wildly.

nice ideas, i agree gameplay revamp wold be good but i still think story an characters takes precedence, the functional society would truly be awesome even if it was only in the beginning( like Columbia was before the revision levine made to infinite)

now losing levine may be good for the series, if the next team doesn't screw up they could fix the story gameplay disparity caused by his 2012 revision

Good morning.I am still half asleep despite sleeping plenty. Ugh. Another wall to be painted today

Wall painting is fun as hell. I did a whole house not too long ago. I also got high on paint fumes which may or may not be the reason i enjoyed it 😛

Luckily my paint doesn't have fumes. =P I don't mind it, it's just all the prep that's annoying

My paint doesn't have fumes, or taste – I was drinking at my computer desk over the weekend, and absentmindedly grabbed a random glass on my next to pour my next drink. It was my old paint cup, with lots of old dried-up paint. Only realised half-way through my drink too when I had gritty paint flakes over my teeth.

You…didn't really, did you?

I wouldn't rule it out. I’ve done similar before.

Based on what he said on teamspeak … it really did happen.

I am not a smart man.

Did you paint an entire house with oil based paints?

Cos the wood is piiiiine!

Ponderosa pine ooo-ooo!

I have to start researching the best way to paint over a water stain on a roof, dumb cracked roof tiles…

Sooo I’m doing an entrepreneurial class this semester (it's only 3 days all together at campus) and one of our assignments for it is to create a website in our group targeting a country (we picked UK) and pick a topic, and the number of views it gets from our chosen country over 10 days from May 1st determines our mark or something.

We picked Eurovision cos that nicely fits into that 10 day period and I have to say we’re doing pretty well! We’ve got famous people following us on Twitter (both Eurovision contestants and established singers), our site stats are already pretty good, and people are actually coming to us for Eurovision news. I didn't think we’d be doing so well even whilst we’re getting marked on it let alone a few days after we’ve set it up.

If only I could make my own website and get the same kind of results…

Maybe enter Eurovision and then this will be about you!

Scree can help you with the unseemly costumes! Blaghs with the unseemly song!

For one of the group presentations we did the other week we came out singing and dancing as The Wiggles…😛

@Benj should sing one of the songs from the Dark Souls musical

@benj, if you want to do this, I’ve saved all the lyrics that have been written.

I’ll think about it 😛

@benj I have 9 of the songs on my hard drive. (Including both redartifice's and shane's version of YOU DIED) Is that all of the songs, shane? I get the feeling I missed a few.

You Died version 1 (redartifice)You Died version 1 (shane)LOST MY SOULS (Mark Serrels)SAY GOODBYE HUMANITY (shane)RED AND BLACK (redartifice)THE BRIDGES OF BLIGHTTOWN (shane)SUNBRO SERENADE (unknown artist)SEE MY DEATH (fledau)YESTERDAY (redartifice)

@benj:

YOU DIEDby @shane

[upbeat music][trumpets and background singers kick in]

You died! [you died]You died! [you died]But at least you tried [you died]Pick yourself back up [you died]You must turn back the tide [you died]Ring the belllllllls[Your destiny awaits]Defeat the hellllllls[Open those fog gates]Only youuuuuu[You are the Chosen One]Can pull throuuuuuugh[Dying can be fun!]

But you died! [you died]You died! [you died]Just take it in your stride [you died]You must persevere [you died]At stake is your pride [you died]Swing that swooooord[You must link the fire]Defeat the hooooorde[Before we all expire]You must fiiiiiiight[You are the Chosen One]For the liiiiiiight[PRAISE THE SUN!]

SAY GOODBYE HUMANITY[To the tune of Billy Joel's Say Goodbye to Hollywood]by @shane

Am I frightened of this beast on the bridge?Just a smidge.Because he's hurling fire dowwwwnBut you know I gotta keep pushing forwardWith my swordIt's still better than Blighttowwwwn

Say goodbye humanitySay goodbye, my hollowSay goodbye humanitySay goodbye, my dark soul

Facing down all of these demons tonightIn a fightThey’ll write epic songs abouuuuutI gotta ring both of those damn bellsRun like hell‘cause this swamp's given me gouuuuut

Say goodbye humanitySay goodbye, my hollowSay goodbye humanitySay goodbye, my dark soul

There's nowhere to hideAgain and again, death finds me andI’m severed (ohhwoahhhohohohhhhh)I don't have a chanceI just can't win. I wanna give upForever (fore-eeverrrrrr)

So many places here that I have to treadThey’re all deadAnd filled up with vile thingsLife is a series of defeats, and defeatsLeave me beatIt's time for the violins.

Say goodbye humanitySay goodbye, my hollowSay goodbye humanitySay goodbye, my dark soul

ME AND HUMANITY(by @redartifice)

How can you loveA Hollow such as meBy the sun abovewithout my Humanity?

I’ve slain so many demonsBut my undead heart is lostI’ve tried to fight so long for youbut paid the human cost

Me—–and humanity—-A man without his soultrying desperately to hold on

Me—-and Humanity—Oh wait I found an item and willREGAINMYHU-MAN-I-TY!

LOST MY SOULS(To the tune of ‘Let it Go’) by @MarkSerrels

Died, went back to the bonfire tonightTwiddled with my… Havel ring.It's a kingdom of isolationAnd it looks like I’m the King.

Solaire is howling like the swirling storm inside.Couldn't beat Quelaag, heaven knows he tried…

Don't let them in, don't let them winFulfill the prophecy and kill lord GwynKeep self control don't lose your souls…I LOST MY SOULS….

Let them go, let them go. Don't need to level up any more.Let them go, let them go… you have a bonfire to restore!

I don't care, what the people sayLet the game roll onDeath never bothered me anyway.

YOU DIED (alternate version)(by @redartifice)

YOU DIED!You met a nasty undead!YOU DIED!A dragon bit off your head!YOU DIED!A block that wasn't meant to be!YOU DIEDin all the ways from A. TO. Z——————-

You’ve died through poorly dodging, and rolling the wrong wayYou’ve died from nasty demons more than once every day

You were savaged by a ratYou thought that that was thatbut you came back to the bonfire and ran all the way back!

THE BRIDGES OF BLIGHTTOWN by @shane

[melancholy tune]See the bridges down in Blighttown…They’re creaking in the fetid airThis place is all but damned; in all of all LordranThere's nowhere any worse than there

The torches flicker down in BlighttownLife was here so long agoHow this noble place collapsed; how it fell off all the mapsI can't begin to even know

[up tempo]

See the demons down in BlighttownMosquitos bigger than my headMy blood is their desire; the dogs are breathing fireWon't be long until I’m deaaaaad

There are people here in BlighttownThough their souls have come unlodgedThe darts are flying past; and they build toxic fastAnd there is just no room to dodge

My goal lies down there beyond BlighttownInto that swamp I must press forwardThe swamp's infesting meThe bugs ingesting meAnd I’m in too deep to swing my sword

[slow tune]

There's a spider here in BlighttownWith a naked chick on topMade of pulsating fear; she's spewing lava here[crescendo] But no matter what, I cannot stooooopppppppppppppppp

RED AND BLACK(by @redartifice)[to the tune of… Red and Black from Les Miserables]

It is time for us allTo decide who we are…Do we fight for the rightTo a world without dragons now?

Have you asked of yourselvesWhat's the price you might pay?Is it simply a gameThat will cost your humanitay?

The color of the worldIs changingDay by day…

Red – the blood of Hollow men!Black – the dark of souls that pass!Red – a world about to die!Black – the fight that ends at last!

SUNBRO SERENADE(by @shane, to the tune of Just The Way You Are)

Don't go changingYour allegianceI need to know my Sunbro's thereYou’ll always have myGross incandescenceYou’ll always have your friend, Solaire

I would not invade youIn times of troubleYou never could have come so farYou couldn't summonAny betterWe’re Sunbros just the way we are

Don't go tryingSome new cov’nantJust for the miracles they bringFor we can have jollyCo-operationYou don't even need to wear a ring

Don't want to everSee that you’ve goneCause it would ruin all our funI need my SunbroTo stay by my sideSo we can always Praise The Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun.

SEE MY DEATHS(to the tune of Be Our Guest, by @fled)

See… my…. death,See my death,Cooked by angry red drake breath,Fall afoul of some fungi, my friend,Then mauled by son-of-‘Beth.Walking high,Along a ledge,See some treasure, off the edge.How to reach it?Read "Try jump-ing"All my souls I end up dumping.Half spi-der! Half a dame!Vomit lava, set aflame,Count of lives? No doubt at least my for-ti-eth.Go on, set out once more,Havel's behind that door,See my death,Yes, my death,See my deeeeath!Undead burg,Demon bull,Shiny longsword out I pull,Try to beat, and end I meet,Estus flask is never full.Not alone,Boss fight shared,With my sunbro, I’m not scared,Ornstein and Smough, fight just begun,We’ve no time to praise the sun.Bravely slash, then try to roll!Light’ning spear takes my soul.Jol-ly co-op-er-a-tion,nothing left!More flask when times are dire,Just kindle that bonfire,To stay my death,Too much heft?Fat roll hell, corpse six-ti-eth!See my death! See my death! See my death!

YESTERDAY(melody: P. McCartney by @redartifice)YesterdayAll my troubles seemed so far awaybut now my hollow state is here to stayOh I believe, in sunny daysSuddenlyI’m not half the man I used to beGhouls are hacking pieces off of meOh yesterday came suddenlyWhy’d she have to goI don't know, she’d just invadeI did one block wrongnow I long, for yesterdayYesterdayDark Souls was such an easy game to playnow I’m running from a black knights bladeOh I believe in YesterdayWhy’d she have to goI don't know, she’d just invadeI tried spearing longbut it went wrong, oh yesterdayYesterdayUndead parish was a holidayNow I’m fleeing to a fire placeOh I believe in yesterday

Here, send the link. I’ll click it a few times for you.Edit: read it properly. That won't help 😛

Bark Shoals MooMade it to the chariot thing one way, couldn't be bothered. Made it to the boss in the poison another way, couldn't be bothered. Started exploring past the Scotsman, made it as far as the giant curse lizard. That's about it.

Best DS diary I’ve read so far. 😛

Also I was not aware @markserrels was in the game.

Eh, lazy weekend.

Played some Infamous Second Son last night for about 3 hours. Seems pretty cool and…… What?!? 41% completion?!

How friggen short is this game?

Very friggen short. :'(

Still amazing while it lasts.

If you want to pad it out I suggest you do all the collectible/side mission stuff between main missions. Don't leave it until after campaign. There's also the free Paper Trail DLC.

I’ve done one main mission I think (climbed the Space Needle) and cleared the entire north half of the map.

Spaaaaaaace Needle.

Hope you enjoyed the view, man. You ain't allowed to climb it again! D:

(Apparently part of the licencing agreement to use Space Needle name came with a whole bunch of things you can't do. Like jump off Space Needle. :S)

They had to go and suck all the fun out of it didn't they.

*shakes fist*

That's pretty much the only thing I wanted to do in Seattle. XD

Or sit up top and contemplate stuff like Max used to do in Dark Angel.

Such a good show. Eyes Only was my little brother's hero for a while.

You brother has good taste in TV shows. *decisive nod* (So do you. :D)

I was going through a box in my garage yesterday and found my DVD set of the first season of Dark Angel. Which for some reason I bought in Japan. Half of it is in a box and half isn't, annoyingly.

Kind of tempted to re-watch now but dunno if it's held up at all.

Serious? They said nothing about orbital dropping off it like I did, didn't work 🙁

I hear there's a way to get back up unofficially, but it won't look the same as in that mission.

I still don't know if the percentage completion on the save-game is the percentage of main questline, or the entire world. Cos I keep leaving side-stuff for later and unless that's worth 0.5% each then I don't know …

It's like, 10 story missions? Give or take?

I stretched it out over like 30 hours.. I stopped like 70% through and went & 100% got everything and such 😛

I’ve completely cleared over half the collectibles and side missions (got the trophies for the 50% clears too, so I know I have) in just over 3 hours.

How the hell did you make it last 30?

Boredom & exploration mostly. I also liked the stealth approach to taking out D.U.P command centres when possible.

Edit: I probably didn't put that much into it, but the space needle thing was like the 2nd thing I did in Seattle and there was way more after that, the boss battles sucked arse though imo. In one of them I had to turn the difficulty back to normal just to get anywhere :S

ELDER SCROLLS!

Sorry; I spent most of the weekend playing Skyrim, then I spent about the last 10 hours playing Elder Scrolls Online.

How is it?

ESO? I like it. It feels very Elder Scrollsy. It's also different from a lot of your standard mmos, which is good. The mmo genre has grown pretty stale lately. There's been a few mmos over the past few years that have tried to set themselves apart by doing something different (DCUO, TSW and GW2 off the top of my head) and I think out of all of them ESO is my favourite "different" mmo, though I’m still in the honeymoon period where everything is shiny and new so that may be clouding my judgement a bit.

Have they fixed global spawns for quest mobs?

I haven't heard anyone complain about that, so I guess? There's a few bugs still in, but it seems most if not all of them can be fixed with /reloadui, /stuck or just logging out and back in. The only real issues I’ve had myself so far was an enemy NPC getting stuck in a roof and becoming unattackable. Coincidentally it happened on the exact same quest I had troubles with during the beta. It was a different issue in the beta, but I still solved it the same way (abandon quest, log out for a bit, log back in and start the quest again).

Yeah, they’ve probably fixed a lot since the beta weekend I tried, that one was probably the most annoying aspect for me. Done much group stuff or mostly solo?

Only solo so far, unless you count zerging through quest areas with dozens of random people as group content (I love that there's no mob tagging in this game). My character's only level 8 at the moment, and from what I’ve seen people say you don't start doing dungeon stuff till level 12. I’m going to see if I can hit level 10 today and try out some Cyrodiil pvp though.

I found that one of the best aspects of ESO (compared to other MMOs) is that it still felt like you could explore, that the world was…interesting and unknown, I guess. Essentially, it felt like previous Elder Scrolls game worlds, which was really nice.

I also like that there are quests that don't involve combat at all.

I still haven't made a final decision on ESO. I know I want it, but I also know I hate the pay structure. Too expensive to include subscription for me.

It’ll probably go f2p in 6 months – a year (through no fault of its own, that's just the way the market's shifted), so you could always hold off until then.

Yeah, but then I think I’ll end up the same way I did with Guild Wars 2: the story left me behind.

GW2 was a bit unique in the way it told its story though. It used a lot of temporary content. I don't think ESO is going to do that. I imagine it’ll be more like WoW in that regard. I could be wrong though.

Maybe this will help convince you. Think of all the fun you’re missing out on!

Clicked a steve-o link, was not dissappointed

Lol, sgt. douchebag. And "all the level 8 quests are bugged" well, it is a Bethesda game.

Oh yeah, non Dark Souls related, I need to stop playing Pokémon. I think this might happen once the next PS+ month kicks in so I switch to Hotline Miami on Vita. Hopefully. I keep trading for more shinies and I keep failing to actually find any of my own, but eh, it's a mindless timesink for the train.Someone else has been loving Reaper of Souls, but the lag spikes (despite AU servers) thanks to our crappy internet still makes it unplayable at times.Edit: Other things. Watched Star Trek: The Second New One, spent most of it annoyed by Simon Pegg's terrible accent. Finished Season 2 of Doctor Who (the new ones), some thoughts. Felt nothing at the end. Someone crying her eyes out beside me made me think that I should have felt something, but for me the characters lost any believability about halfway through the series when the series started dragging and relied on irrational contrivances to advance the plot. From my point of view anyway. Glad to be done with that season. Might be a while before I have a crack at season 3

What's going on with those lag spikes? I was thinking I must not have been running on the AU server, 500-800ms pings suddenly for a minute or so then back down to the 40-50ms range…

Blows my mind how cheap new games can be on Steam.

The new Tomb Raider was $5 yesterday. HOLY DAMN!

Arkham games were crazy cheap too. Speaking of Arkham, Game Informer has lots of awesome write-ups about Arkham Knight this month. Sounds amaaaazing.

http://www.gameinformer.com/p/arkhamknight.aspx

I’d have been tempted by Tomb Raider for $5 on PC if I hadn't JUST paid $40 for the Definitive Edition on Xbox One. The new Thief was also on sale for $45 which I think is worth at least giving it a try despite lackluster reviews.

For what it's worth my sister loved the new Thief. (And she's a huge, huge fan of the originals.) She said it wasn't perfect, but enjoyable for what it was…

Really looking forward to playing the South Park game. Will keep an eye out on sales for that. 😀

Really looking forward to the new Arkham game, especially since Rocksteady's back in the drivers seat.

Cheapest I can find South Park: TSoT is $60 without shipping at Mightyape.

http://www.mightyape.com.au/search?i=All&prev=Southpark&s=South+Park+The+Stick+Of+Truth&SearchButton=Search

I got an email this morning saying Thief is on sale for $33 today,

On Xbox One? Damn it!

Just checked the store, and on Xbone it's $44.95 and on 360 it's $39.97.

I wonder if there's any actual difference the versions or if that's just a next-gen tax they think they can get away with. Oh well.

Ah, no sorry, i got the email from Steam.

Ah, fair enough. I don't tend to buy newer games on PC unless they’re PC exclusives.

Thief is quite good as long as you crank the difficulty up to max and turn most of the wimp-helper stuff off. I’m running with object highlighting off because that's for babies, no lockpick visual helper because I’m using a controller and feeling the lock tumblers out with the controller vibration is really nice, no lethal weapons and automatic mission fail if detected because I’m a badass and loot glint on because that's just Thief.

While the game still has some problems and there's more level separation with loading screens than I’d like (even if they’re short on the PC), it feels pretty damned Thiefy to me.

One of my mates did a multi-stage walkthrough of one of the side missions doing all of the optional objectives in 3 playthroughs. Should give you a fair feel for how the game plays: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNv2s4zPRYEHe has the object highlighting on because he's a big baby but other than that he's playing on much the same settings as I am (though I think he's not got fail on detection active)

I will probably at least try it on pussy mode because I generally suck at pure stealth games but if it bores me I will up it for the challenge.

Hola Tay

I had a quiet weekend- finally got back on the treadmill after being ill. Other than that, played a little more of Peace Walker, which is fine, I just want to get through it so I can get to Ground Zeroes.

A Monday Morning Question: if you had a Metal Gear, what non-military purpose would you use it for?

The Metal Gear would be tasked with ensuring game makers don't have 45 minute cutscenes. >:|

(Also, I’m not really sure what a metal gear is. Some kind of robot? :S)

Walking Tank.

And frankly, if you play Metal Gear, you get the cutscenes, that's just how it goes.

Reaching stuff on the top shelf.

My Metal Gear would specifically be used to cut into line in the drive through.

"Oh sorry Mr V8 lowered commodore, you wanted your Big Mac Meal x8 for you and your drunk, chain smoking mates? I have a nuclear weapon. I think that shits over your neon underlights. Don't you?"

Wander the world with my metal gear Rex in tow, helping those in need and giving out friendly advice when possible.

And nuclear payouts, once in a while I’ll blow shit up just because it's fun.

I’ll just walk the earth, meet people… get into adventures. Like Caine from "Kung Fu.*

*With a giant bipedal nuclear tank

Esky.

Gardening.

If my gear was metal?

…

C’mon, man, at least 3 metal gear games have been on Nintendo consoles, keep up!

Well if it was metal then I really wouldn't have a choice

I’ve actually had Twin Snakes sitting on my shelf since around 2005 I think. I’ll get around to it one day 😛

Why not today?

Because FTL has my attention.

Plus if I did play it then I wouldn't be able to say I’ve never played MGS before/don't know anything about it D:

That's Hipsterism at its finest 🙂

You complain about me not having had a Nintendo, and missing cornerstone games? MGS is what I was playing while you lot were off with your marios 🙂

Second part isn't really a genuine reason – though I do get a kick out of a couple of my friends’ annoyance that I haven't touched it yet 😛

I was massively looking forward to it back in the day, I remember calling up shops all over the place the day it was supposed to have come out, trying to find it. But it just never appeared, and also had disappeared from a promo Nintendo was running at the time too (buy two of these seven six games etc). Would’ve played it if I got it then and not after having already racked up a queue that I was slowly working through.

@mrtaco I played through most of the original MGS last year, a lot of it still holds up but I was ready to kill for a proper 1st person view, which Twin Snakes has. I kinda wish they’d HD remastered it with the rest of the series, but Twin Snakes’ publishing rights are still owned by Nintendo

HEY TAY!

3 weeks has come and gone and i’m now back at work :\On the plus side, D3 Reaper of Souls is a pretty cool guy

Want some rye? Course ya do!

*mental hug*

Never change DC, never change 😀How is things? what's the goss? what have i missed?

Gwenyth Paltrow and Chris Martin totally broke up. OMG.

😀

ZOMG REALLY?…(who's Chris Martin)#don'tknowcelebs

Coldplay singer.

Heeeyyyy Pixel, long time no see.

I know right? busy busy

How’d your mum's trip go, btw?

Alright, lots of turisty stuff which is nice,Went to things like the Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary, Australian Grand Prix (hence all the tweets :P) and heaps of other things.The only thing i got a bit tired off was my mum telling me how much weight i’ve gained and how big/fat i’ve gotten (i might have gained 15kg, but that's put me from 55kg to 70kg, i wouldn't consider that to be an issue :P)

other then that pretty OK in my books… would still rather my dad had come as well, but i take what i can get 😛

Whaaaat? If any thing you’re underweight! There needs to be a Melbourne meat to fatten this kid up!

Good lord, I’ve lost a fair bit of weight in the last year, and keep getting people telling me how skinny I look, and I’m still > 100kg

Unless you’re like 5 foot nothing, I wouldn't consider 70kg to be overweight.

I think she was kidding… most of the time… and then telling me to start working out and she hadn't realised how "big" i had gotten 😛

I went from about high-50s to low-80s over the course of my twenties, and people who hadn't seen me since I was a teen definitely were surprised and considered it ‘bulking up’. Some girls suggested that it was good that I, ‘finally had some meat on my bones’.

I’ve stayed the same weight since high school. :S

Made concerted effort to gain weight. Never happens.

Only success I had in my ultra-skinny years (before my metabolism down-shifted a couple years ago) was by eating protein like fucking crazy AND not working out or generally exercising in any way. Even then, while I was gaining weight doing that, I wasn't actually changing size – I could just feel that my muscles were getting denser, harder. I was still stupidly rake-thin and gangly. Hated it. "What's the point of super-dense muscles if I still look like an awkward teenager?" Then I went back to the gym and found that I could lift like three times as much as my previous max. Soooo, there's that.

The sanctuarys a cool place, if I knew you were going I could of tried to get you backstage (family friends work there)

Hooray you weigh about my weight which means whys your mum so mean I’m not fat!

Oh man I wanna go that Wildlife Sanctuary they have awesome animals 😀

Over the last few days I’ve been smashing into Shadowrun Returns: Dragonfall and I’ve got to say that it at least as good, if not better than the first campaign. Such a fantastic experience.

I think one of the nicest touches is that (being set in future Germany) the game tends to use German words where other games would use made up fantasy speak, and it really adds to the environment.

I freakin’ love the visual style of that game. So amazingly pretty. Still haven't played, alas.

The art is incredible in every scene. So damned pretty!

I still need to finish the main campaign.

I am a poor backer.

I played the hell out the first campaign, and as I type this I’m contemplating playing it again, but I didn't actually back it. I can't remember why, and in hindsight I regret that I didn't.

I lost my first save on computer when my laptop died, but I have it on tablet, where I’ve got back up to the first visit to the NTSB.

I played through as an incredibly dodgy (in all senses of the word) pistol-wielding elf, and have been meaning to go back as something like a decker or magic user, so don't be surprised if I’m suddenly up to that point too before Wednesday 😛

I currently have Dwarf going

I still need to start the main campaign.

I think one of the nicest touches is that (being set in future Germany) the game tends to use German words where other games would use made up fantasy speakWait, you don't actually believe Germany is real do you? It's only make believe!

Ugh. I just had a week of leave and I don't think I’ve ever been busier. I’d say it feels more like a break to come back to work but I received about 47,000 emails in my absence. I’m only here because I don't really even know where to start, otherwise I’d stop procrastinating and get to it.

On he upside, it's probably going to be a couple of years before my wife makes me go to an Ikea to buy then assemble flat-pack funiture again. And I’m pretty happy with the shelves we have now.

47K, wtf lol, use some filters yo. 😛

I have a setting that highlights anything from my manager upwards. Everything else is actually important. 😛

Morning all,

Got paid double by accident on Friday, and (surprise surprise) I’ve spent too much money on shit I don't need.

Bought a bunch of "Lego Movie" Lego, gonna do a display with it all at work for when we start running The Lego Movie, so hopefully I’ll be able to write it off on tax (I’m totally gonna take it all home after school holidays though).

Ordered The Lego Movie game, Lego The Hobbit, Child Of Light: Deluxe Edition, Trials: Fusion, Titanfall 360 edition, Superstars V8 Racing Next Challenge and Anchorman 2 on Blu-Ray.

Total: $435

So now I have to be very careful with my money as I’m not gonna get paid this week.

Oh, and if anyone's interested that Superstars V8 Racing Next Challenge is Ex-Display at Ozgameshop for ONLY 4 BUCKS, but hurry because they’ve got LESS THAN 20 COPIES LEFT, and it's ONLY FOR THE NEXT 13 HOURS.

http://www.ozgameshop.com/xbox-360-games/ex-display-superstars-v8-racing-next-challenge-game-xbox-360

Good morning errbody.

Wow, what a weekend. I don't think I’ve had a lazier few days in years. Friday night to Sunday arvo was spent watching movies at a friends house. Knocked over Cheech and Chongs up in smoke, Goldeneye, Thor 2, The Love Guru, Predators, Zombieland and I slept through a few I cant remember.

Most importantly I was introduce to Doctor Who. I’ve always had a sort of curious respect for the show but had never watched it. First we watched the Weeping Angel episode and it blew me away. We then watched almost all Christopher Eccleston's season. Good times.

Seeing my French lady tonight. Happy Monday \o/

Fantastic.

Ha, I get this reference!

The only Doctor Who I’ve ever seen was about 10 minutes of the episode that had Kylie Minogue in it. Didn't really like it much.

How goes it with your French lady friend?

Previously I’d only seen short snippets here and there and wasn't too impressed, but I also had no idea what was going on. My friends were hell bent on converting me and explained a lot of it for me. I find parts of it quite fascinating, very creative. I can see why heavy sci fi fans go weak at the knees for it.

It's going well, thanks for asking. She spent the weekend seeing a bit of the country side, kangeroos and all that jazz. Looking forward to catching up 🙂

I like the way both responses work for the last question

Hope the date goes well, my friend. 😀

Thanks deecee! Introducing Carl Baron to her tonight. I have a feeling I’ll spend most of the time explaining the lingo and terminology to her.

D:

D: ?

:D!

So the top one is a man looking shocked because his wig is blowing off in the wind and the bottom is someone really happy because they’re blissfully unaware that they’re throat is about to be slit by a knife?

Exactly.

You’re brave. I’ve been an English-language speaker for a long time, but there's no way in hell I’d be taking a date to a comedy show hosted by an Australian. D: Good luck, sir!

It should be okay, she is quite interested in Aussie stand up. We have near perfect conversations with only a few words needing explaining here or there, on both fronts. But Carl Baron is on another level of ‘you-beaut’ Aussie so I’m expecting some confusion. We can always change DVD 🙂

And thank you 🙂

You will be a who-vian by the end of the next Doctor.

BUT in saying that, be prepared for two things:1) Nothing beats the doctor in a leather jacket. I’m still an Eccleston fan above all.2) Lots of dag. So much dag. So much cheese.

(for what it's worth, you should keep an eye out for Silence in the Library. It's a belter of a two-parter. Also Midnight is another great episode. Dr Who gets really good when it tries for a bit of sci-fi horror.)

I think so too. I don't mind the cheesiness, its entertaining 🙂

I’ll mention those eps to my friends and ask to play them. Oh yeh I noticed that! Those Weeping Angels were creepy as hell! Apparently they make more than one appearance too.

SACRE BLEU!

If you ever want to try old Dr Who, I’d suggest Genesis Of The Daleks

Thanks for the recommendation!

Are you going to paint her like one of your, uhhh….never mind..

"Paint me like one of your meat pies with sauce", maybe?

I mentally read that in a posh French lady voice and I’m finding it disproportionately amusing

Haha, as did I when I reread it like that. Everything sounds sexier with a French accent, even meat pie with sauce.

Did you see the first weeping angel one, or was it a two-parter?I’m a big Doctor Who fan, I recently bought the whole classic collection online (it was really cheap as well!). Haven't watched all of them though, there's quite a lot of them!

It was the first one. The first ep I’ve watched and I really enjoyed it!

Walking Dead season finale today.

Only a week until Game of Thrones s4 and two for Mad Men!

I still haven't seen season 6 yet. Oh well, I guess I have another two years before this season is complete :\

I’ve still not seen season 1 of any of the shows @dc mentioned so you’re way ahead of me.

Graaaah Game of Thrones! I’m calling it now, best season yet. Heard it here first.

I’ve only seen the first two seasons of Walking Dead. Waiting for the season 3 DVD to come down to a reasonable price. I’d be happy to pay up to $40, but it's still $56 at JB.

Only just watched the first episode of GoT, got the first 3 seasons sitting on my shelf, and all the books, they’ve been sitting there for about 4-6 months and I haven't even read the first page yet.

Finished Dark Souls 2 on the weekend. Like others have said the ending is a ridiculously painful slog and I basically ran through it all impatiently. Which is a shame because I enjoyed the rest of it despite some niggling issues. Frees up a lot of time in my life now, though. What do?!

NG+. All achievement run. Onebro run. No bonfire run. No death run.

I saw via the wiki that rings existed for those last two and I simply couldn't believe it. 😛

All at once?!

If you want. 😛

METAL GEAR

!

Live, Alex. Live.

It's funny because you die a lot in Dark Souls.

I did too! I have no temptation at all to go back and play again though. I’ll just keep playing Demon's and Dark. Or maybe just play through until Drangelic Castle and call that a playthrough.

Pssst. Play inFamous! XD

I ended up caving and grabbing D3 and the expansion on the weekend and I must say, having only briefly watched the cutscenes on YouTube when D3 first came out, I don't feel any loss at having not played it for however long it's been.

Also, holy crap Leah will you ever shut up?! -_-

Don't worry, she does

…

*awkward laugh*

Wait until you get to act 3 and 4. "Foolish Nephalim, you may have stopped X but you’ll never stop Y!"

Two minutes later…

Foolish Nephalim, you may have stopped Y but you’ll never stop Z!"

@freezesprestonI forgot to tell you that I booked your Brisbane Gloryhammer ticket and it's one of those name on the door things where they have your name and you’ll just need to provide your photo ID to get in. 🙂Oh, and it's on May 3rd.I should also remind Brisbane TAYbies that we’re all having dinner together that night, as well.

Speaking of meeeeeeats.

@blaghman is in town on the April 12! APRIL 12!

Good luck…

May 3rd?In that case i choose to believe that Brisbane Taybies are having dinner solely to commemorate my birthday!

That's what I was planning on doing.

Wait…

that's my birthday as well…

they have to party twice as hard now…

Noted. 😀

Baby-Cannon day five o/

Aw thanks.

*hugoraptor*

Oh shit, I forgot about Gloryhammer.. Was meant to be going to the Gold Coast show with a bunch of mates, the fact none of them reminded me makes it obvious they weren't actually interested.

Well, my weekend was fun. I babysat a weirdo dog. If you follow me on Twitter you would have heard about some of its antics such as sleeping with it's eyes open while snoring loudly and continually licking the umbrella I brought with me. Was an oddball.

Also…

MARK CALLS ZOOI had a super productive weekend on the Dark Souls front. I spent 3-4 hours on Friday night and 2ish hours Saturday morning just continually fighting the Ruin Sentinels. I could beat the first one easily after some practice, the problem was when I had to fight the other two. Ended up with the strategy of using my weakest spells chipping away on the first guy, then as soon as he was done, quickly hammer the second with my biggest spells before he could jump up. Basically tried to keep it one-on-one as long as possible. Felt so good when I finally beat them 😛

After that I haven't really had too much trouble, actually! Surprising, I know! Considering how hard going it's been so far… Went back and beat the Old Dragonslayer and then forward into Huntsmans Copse to beat the Skeleton Lords (how cool are those massive poison moths?). Kept going and beat the big fat slug thingo (easiest fight ever :P) in Harvest Valley before getting stuck not knowing where to go. Turns out I missed a lot of stuff in Lost Bastille, so went back and beat the Belfry Gargoyles (offline because invaders were annoying me and are in no way fun). Finished last night by beating the Lost Sinner. I’m pretty proud that I didn't struggle TOO much with any of those bosses. Only died once or twice to most of them. Lost Sinner I died a bunch of times, but I think that is my favourite boss so far. Hard, but not unfair. By the end I could read most of his moves and it sort of all just clicked (plus I got a huge bonus of Souls because I had accumulated about 6000 each run due to those water monsters before him. Left with over 100,000 :P)

Yeah, I had about 100k at that point – I really struggled with LS since as a summon, the boss kept sliding everywhere while standing still, so it was almost impossible to land a hit between attacks. Thanks lag. The last time I summoned the game bugged out and the audio went all crackly/grainy, I came back as human, audio was still screwed, so then I pushed through my fight fearing that the PS3 was overheating and that it was all going to freeze and be lost at any second. Beat them, warped back, saved, quit, powered down, and backed away slowly

Morning friends,

How are we all? I’ve been buying art books and got sucked into Dark Souls 2 by the housemate and I feel conflicted about it. I get frustrated by the game and want to not play it … but for some reason I need to finish it.

Also, screw the Old Iron King, he's murdered me more times than I care to admit. The last straw was after a perilous slog through the keep with a summon who kept trying to murder me, when Ceaseless 2.0 sweeped across the whole boss area and knocked me down before fist smashing me before I’d gotten up and one shotted me. If I didn't keep using the ring of life protection to nullify death I’d have run out of effigies a long while ago

BAH! DARK SOULS!!!!

I really enjoy the Old Iron King battle. I’ve co-opped it at least twenty times. Once you learn his patterns, you can get through without taking damage. I don't even take a shield in there anymore.

What's your Soul Memory? I haven't been able to get summoned there for a while (mine's around 1.6M), but if we’re close, I can go hang out at the boss gate tonight with a summon sign down.

My main Issue has been that I’m done up as a tanking melee class, so It's great if I’m helping out people because I can take most of his hits without too many issues while the host chips away at him and runs in for some big hits… but for some reason my brain doesn't remember the patterns when I’m trying to beat him. I might try soloing it a few times to get used to his patterns. Personally I’m a fan of co-oping the rotten and smelter demon because they can't do junk to me. Score one for 100% physical and fire resistance

I’m a melee class as well, and like to bait his attacks while my host smashes him with magic. But my two-handed +10 Homunculus Mace makes pretty short work of him anyway.

I had noticed magic works pretty well. At the moment I’m rocking a +10 Hiede sword and the Gyrm greatshield because aww yeah fire resistance, because I haven't gotten the ember for what's his face and can't add elemental damage to my other weapons, the only other elemental things I’ve got is a dark scythe and a poison rapier which aren't that good.

I realised I’ve put roughly the same amount of time into Dark Souls 2 as I did for souls 1 but I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot more. Hooray for accessability!

Magic? Peh. Stay true to the melee.MAGIC IS FOR WEAK GIRLYMEN IN SKIRTS.Melee all the way for me and my actual girl character in her plate armour.

Every point you waste on ATT/INT/FTH is a point you could (AND SHOULD) have spent on STR/DEX/ADP/VIT/END/VIG.(I WILL NOT REST QUIT PLAYING UNTIL I HAVE 50 POINTS IN THEM ALL! …Or until I finish the game a few times and platinum it.)

Me, I’d be perfectly happy to just co-op some of the boss battles I’ve got down, forget about progress for a while. But each successful co-op (I’ve done around 75 now) pushes you that little bit further up the Soul Memory chain, and eventually you just can't get summoned anymore 🙁

I’ve been getting summoned for what I’m pretty convinced are NG+ or NG++ games, now. I can't remember the last time I checked my Soul Memory but I’m preeeeeetty sure it's probably somewhere in the vicinity of 5M.

But … I just got a magic missile machine gun. Although you do make a valid point and could probably snap me like a twig if I angered you. So Melee it is.

Now I want to see pictures of all the dark souls characters we’ve created. That’d be awesome, We can be TAY's chosen undead serving under king serrels the blind

I made a Deprived who looked about as close to me as it was possible to get with their limited beard/hair options, but that was shit. So I made a Knight who looks like the kind of supermodel I would cheerfully bang. It's a damn shame there's no ‘hide helmet’ option in the game, because that's what I would do. (While still wearing my FUCKING RIDICULOUS JESTER HAT because I am a whore for the extra percentage loot drop it gives.)

What art books did you get, anything inspiring?

Buying art books for me is a guilty pleasure, unfortunately much like buying games – it's so exciting to research and buy them. I can't wait until they’re delivered and I get to savour my initial browse through their pages… and then I plop them on my shelf and almost never to open them again. 🙂

I bought artbooks for Avatar: The Last Airbender, Porco Rosso and Pacific Rim. The avatar one's pretty awesome because it goes through every episode in sequence, I’m conflicted about saying whether the porco rosso or pacific rim one is better, they’re entirely different beasts.

The Porco Rosso one has basically every hand drawn background, concept art sketch and technical specs of the planes as well as well as backstory of every main character and Hayao Miyazaki's own sketches from the credits including some that weren't used and it makes me smile like a doofus … but the pacific rim art book has muscular and skeletal diagrams of all the kaiju's, schematic breakdowns of every jaeger in the movie and some that don't appear as well as detailed drawings of Newt's tattoos, character bios, scans of pages from Guillermo Del Toro's notebook from the production which he never really lets people see.

There's a bonfire up the ladder in the last room of the keep. There's also a switch in there that turns off all the flames. That’ll stop the whole slog thing.Oh, and when fighting the Old Iron King, you just stand anywhere on the platform that isn't right next to him or with lave directly behind you, bait out the attacks and then casually kick his ass.

PLUG A DUB DUB

Melburnians! My Brother is involved in three shows at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival! He got a lovely review in the Herald Sun:

"…you’re left with the distinct impression his name and talents will become more familiar to wider audiences in the years to come.."

First up, his solo show: Angus Hodge in Finding my Rose-Coloured Glasses

‘A master of transition, seamlessly merging one story into another without batting an eyelid…’ -Rip it Up

"…I want to say… Marcus? but I don't think it is… He sounds like he’d be right up your alley"- @dkzeitgeist

Rest hidden to cut down on thread spam:Coming back for its encore Melbourne Season: Wolf Creek: The Musical

Hilarious and genuinely entertaining… I laughed, I cried, I laughed again. It's the feel good torture porn show everyone will love." Greg McLean, Director of Wolf Creek movie

and for those younger Taybies (or TAY people with kids/nephews/children they know and would take to things in a non creepy way: Mr Snot Bottom and The Curse of The Silly Stinky Zombie Babies

"Kiddy stand-up at its best. ★★★★" Adelaide Advertiser

Comedians. >:|

*shakes fist*

😀

You don't even watch them man, how would you know?

😛

WATCH MIKE BRIBIGLIA’S MY GIRLFRIENDS BOYFRIEND!!!

It will seriously change your mind, man.

Birbiglia turns up on This American Life regularly- here's "My Girlfriend's Boyfriend" http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/486/valentines-day?act=4

Is that the entire show or just the Amanda bit?

Because the show as a whole is incredible.

Just that bit I think, it's only nine minutes. He's been on it a bunch though, and Ira Glass produced the Sleepwalk with Me movie. @masha2932 is the real This American Life expert though.

Also Marc Maron Thinky Pain.

He's not a cunt.

Sorta…

Maron is an interesting fellow.

Do you listen to WTF?

Only a couple of eps, I’ve trimmed and rearranged my podcast list a bit of late.

Actually, @dc, try this one: http://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/video/197308483557/Stand-Up-Bella-Union

This has a friend of my Brother's, Demi Lardner. She's won international comedy comps, and she's only like 20, give her a shot.

Most comedy festivals I try to choose a local, a big name, a variety show, and an international, so he's definitely got the local spot on my list.

I saw his Herald Sun review this morning. So rad.

He's pretty chuffed. It's his birthday, too, so it's a nice present

For anyone who didnt seehttps://twitter.com/gingerchris86/status/450041793237626880/photo/1

Well, you’ve achieved this week!

I’ve managed to get one 1024.

*jaw drops*… Who the heck knows how long that took you to do. People shouldn't be spending so much time on a game, it's ridiculous! *Goes right back to playing LoL*

I’ve been playing on my ph while… doing pretty much everything.

I think I spent 8-10 hours on it last week

Sudoku sure does look different these days.

Fucker. I’m back in there again, after managing to escape.

Drank way too much this weekend. Way too much.

I know that feeling all too well. My family and friends are starting to tell me that I might have a problem but I keep telling them it kinda helps keep me alive.

I don't even get what the big deal is. It's just water.

My vice is red cordial. I used to consume that sugary goodness for the high, but now it's just so I can feel normal.

Tell me about it.

OH MY GOD HOW THE HELL DID I DO THAT

I just had the best run of FTL. I was decimating everything, had all the systems maxed out and a tonne of cash that I just couldn't spend. Then one miscalculated jump in the final sector put me one jump behind the rebel flagship and I couldn't reach it again in time.

ABSOLUTE WORST.

EXPANSION NEXT WEEK

WOO.

Also I’ve had multiple times in FTL where I’ve gone in the final sector completely maxed out and yet my ship becomes a fiery wreck soon thereafter.

I coulda taken ‘im.

REALLY? FINALLY. Been itching for the expansion even before I unlocked the Crystal Ship.

I guess I could actually try and beat the game with Crystal…

HAHAHAHA Ah yes I know that all too well!Best bet is usually just to go straight at the flagship once you get to that sector.There's also an option you can enable that allows you to be able to see jumps that are connected to the jump you’re mouse hovering over. That will save your arse a LOT in terms of planning your path in advance and lessen the risk of hitting a dead end. If you haven't turned that on already. 😛

OH IS THAT WHAT THAT IS

I thought it meant that the paths normally shown on the map would disappear, and only show up once I hover over them, which sounded like something I would not want to bother do. But that is far more handy, thanks!

It really helps you plan ahead your jumps into a massive series to give maximum amount of use to a sector. I really should take it up again, so many ships and layouts I still haven't unlocked. But LoL keeps pulling me back… why Xerath, why did you have to be so fun to play?! :'(

Sooo… i kinda feel like getting my game on in the next few days as i haven't played a lot at all lately… would anyone be keen on some JC2:MP/Payday2/Borderlands2/SOMETHING either tonight or tomorrow?@rize, @cakesmith, @rocketman, @mythamphetamine, @rocketman, @sernobulus, @tigerion, @freezespreston ,@etcetcetcetcetc

@freezespreston likes to be tagged in these things! FREEEEEEEEEZE!

@dc to the rescue… hey you should totally play with us…@dc come play with us… plaaaay wiiith uuuuussss

No. >:|

come play with us @dc😛

Oh man I don't think there's been a TAY session yet with the 1.4 release for Just Cause 2 Multiplayer, right?

because there's hats

and heat-seeking missiles

and hats

and underwater cars that can transport

AND HATS

in which one? JC2MP?

edit skills gooo

to be fair, maybe Borderlands has all of these things. Be a bit odd for Payday.

I think I’m not going to be available until Thursday

Over the last week or so there's been a few of us (@Zetrox2k @Rize @Cakesmith @grandmasterb-funk) playing TItanfall on PC.

Fair enough, i’m not big on the whole competetive thingy plus i don't own it so i’ll probably pass on that 😛But it's fair enough if people would rather play that

I wasn't pointing it out to imply a preference, just that if you had the game, you could join us.

Having said all that, I bought Payday2 in the christmas sale, and don't think I’ve touched it yet, so if someone wanted to organise a night to play that, I’d be keen.

I picked up the original in the last Summer Sale. I have no-one to play it with…

We should organise to play Hat Cause 2 multi again soon.

Also Payday 2. Masks are basically hats.

I would be keen on some Hat cause 2 tonight… Any takers?

And now for something a little different.

AMA about the TAY Pathfinder World. For any of the players (or people just curious about what's about to go down), ask me whatever you want although I do reserve the right to withhold story spoilers. 😛

Tagging @redartifice @f4ction @tech_knight @freezespreston @sernobulus @negativezero @steve-o_the_deve-o @beeawwb @rize

Also, in case you missed it on Weekend TAY, have a map of the world.

In terms of helping my character be able to talk about himself, which way is his home town from our starting point as I can't seem to see it?

I haven't drawn your home city on the map but I’ve positioned it on about the Asin River about halfway between Fesimeer and the Beryl Sea.

& @tech_knight – I’ve positioned my home city in the mountains beyond the Asin River (taken the liberty of naming a few geographic features) and being that my character will be setting out in to the wider world, it would make sense that he stop in some cities along the way to Xondol. What's this home city called, I should stop by on my way. Could be a good "reason to be meeting other players"

Yep. That's pretty much exactly where I placed the Shattered Peaks. Nice mental coincidence there. 🙂

Depends on what your character checked out while you were there, or how long ago he visited if our characters actually met.

Yeah, fair call. Short summary: I’m on a pilgrimage of knowledge, on my first journey outside of the mountains. Plenty booksmart, not much real world experience. Character is currently 19, so I’d say I left the settlement at 18 (rite of passage) and it would take me a year to get to Xondol.

So probably passed through your village/settlement/city about 11 months ago.

Okay, so short summary of this city, it's a large walled city with two societies, humans and elves split down the middle with a river connected by several bridges. My character was a gifted student in the elven academy, "gifted" meaning he could command the elements at a very young age. He wasn't popular but he was known by many at the Academy (Like a very strange kid with claws kind of scenario). Professors would’ve known him certainly as one of their best students but that's about it.

Ok, professors fits right in with the direction I’ll be taking, since I’d likely be going to the first major source of learning I could find. Being that I speak Elvish (among many others) it's likely that I’d want to get some practical use speaking the language and would seek out Elvish professors.

Getting some thoughts. 🙂

@beeawwb Sounds like a good start. You would’ve been told that Orcish language was also mandatory teaching in the elven academy among the locals due to their previous war with their kind, to maintain any sort of tactical advantage should they come again to try and take back what we took back initially from them… Dem’nion has a fair few languages he learned over the years, Elven and Orc being included of course.

Why, yes, Orcish is one of the languages I speak as well. I’ll try and work something in about the reasoning behind him knowing it that ties in with the previous war. If it's important learning for one culture it will be important learning for me (Drewan)

What's your city called, btw?

@beeawwb Nolania. The reason why Humans and Elves live in this city is that they worked together to take Nolania (That was in the beginning, an elven city) back from the Orcs and since then they’ve been more or less defense and trade partners, yet have independent societies with the river split setup they have.

What are the arrows in the oceans? currents, trade routes?

What's south of there?

The arrows in the oceans are the most common routes traders take when transporting their wares but there are other, lesser known passages that some of the more lucrative traders keep close to their chests.

The Talar Sea extends for several hundred to a few thousand kilometres south of the most southern end of the Wildflower Peninsular. The Sea eventually reaches another large continent called Nalit which the people of Idris only sporadically receive travellers from. The few adventurers that have travelled there say that it is a vast land of tumbled jungle and many dangers to the common man, hence why the majority of the locals reside on the coast. You don't have much more information aside from that.

What's south of there?

A crazy country full of convicts where the water in the toilets spins backwards and every living creature is venomous, larger than normal or otherwise fucked up in such a way as to make it more adept at killing you.

Ah, I see, high CR encounters. Once we hit level six or so…

You know, Pathfinder actually has stats for megafauna, including giant lizards and wombats. And dinosaurs.

Just saying. *Taking down notes*

There's a joke here about Asin River and poorly spelled, racist graffiti but I’m not smart enough to make it.

Naming shit in fantasy settings is a bitch

I’m stringing together random syllables to name my towns / back-story. Spending more time thinking about if a name sounds right than I am actually writing crap. I have 5 paragraphs. Short paragraphs.

Once you have it, give it to me and I’ll put it on the tumblr.

Yep, I’m working on it literally right now while my reports update. Will ping you when I’ve got something of substance. Could probably send you what I have right now, actually. The 5 paragraphs are background on my home city, and I’m just starting to write the actual narrative now that setting has been established.

Do you have a tumblr acc? if so, I could give you posting authority and you could put up whatever you feel like

I’ve pretty much avoided Tumblr entirely, but if I’ve got myself Google+ for this TAYventure I suppose I could set myself up one of them.

beeawwb it is.

@beeawwb only if you want to, otherwise I can post stuff directly

Yeah, you may want to moderate. Nowhere near the level of what you’re publishing!

@beeawwb I’m happy to copy-edit and punch up if you want me to. Anything you want, send to red_artifice at das hotmails.

If popdart hasn't sent you mine, I can pass it over to you after work tonight if you wish to have mine up there somewhere, got a little bit of history of Dem’nion's home city and his own backstory in one bio if you’re interested.

@tech_knight flick it through anytime, plus any character pics you have

Yeah I know, borderline racist there. Tack in on to the fact that the city to the far east is called Sheshpul and you’ve got a whole land of potentially offensive names. 😛

Was Dynnoi City named to facilitate a "Who's on first" style misunderstanding?

Where are you going?

Dynnoi.

How are you gonna get there if you don't know!?

Yeah. Dynnoi was originally going to have that sort of pun/misunderstanding effect before I changed it. Similar to how I originally named the continent Idonno before deciding that was stupid.

I did keep the Somorre Islands for a bit of a joke. 😛

What role does religion play in the world? Who are the major Deities?

Assuming the continent is Idris, what's the planet called?

"Here Be Dragons" – Do they have sufficient hordes of treasure for a plucky band of first level adventurers to march off to their (the adventurers, not the dragons) doom?

Religion can be quite a central force in society but it heavily depends on where you go. Xondol is a fairly cosmopolitan and advanced city so religion isn't quite as important as it is elsewhere. Rather than create more work for myself, the standard gods that are outlined in Pathfinder are the gods of the world.

The planet is named Choralis and as far as you know, there are other continents aside from Idris but you have no idea how big they are (for instance, the eastern tracks leading away from Sheshpul are the equivalent of the Silk Road but you personally do not know how long it takes to travel to the lands of spice and riches).

Yep. The dragons do have loot and you will almost certainly die if you venture there, if not by the dragons’ claws then definitely by the legions of Kobolds that worship their majestic lords.

So disappointed the planet isn't named "Elba". 😛

Able was I ere I saw Elba

You know, I didn't even recognise that I had named the continent after an actor until you mentioned it. Elba can be one of the other continents then. 🙂

I am improvising half of this stuff as I go so there is plenty of room in the world.

Idris is actually a figure in the Koran.

Also, apparently, a Welsh legend

Also a big spaceship

https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/transmission/13780-Idris-Revamp

Probably named for the Welsh guy

Oh god.

It’ll be Tucker's Kobolds all over again.

Also, prologue part 3: http://taypathfinder.tumblr.com/post/81238009002/prologue-part-three-an-encounter-in-the-dark-and

What's Ukhtar like?

Ukhtar Port is a very drab sort of place. While nominally independent, Dynnoi exerts a huge amount of influence over the dealings of this trade city. It also doesn't help that it is one of the more isolated ports in the world, forcing traders to venture closer to the Cold Coast than they would like to be and occasionally have to fight off pirates on the trip from Laknas.

Ukhtar is a very cold place for most of the year and the people get by on what trade that comes through. Surprisingly, they have good relations with the Necropolis of Nersuula as they are known to trade slaves every so often for precious jewels and gems found under the Necropolis.

In any case, not many people exactly enjoy their trip to Ukhtar.

Is the Necropolis liches/zombies or undertakers?

There are rumours about a whole variety of different undead from the Necropolis and there is rampant speculation on who actually controls the vast horde of undead but nothing too concrete. Some of the traders who have ventured there talk about zombie cows pulling carts and skeleton labourers in the mines but they don't know who is actually in charge. Of the rumours that you have heard, they say that the Necropolis’ main delegate in Ukhtar is a vampire but nobody can prove it.

How many days travel (roughly) from Xondol to Kraalnacht? Is Kraalnacht Germany-analogous?

Also, as you said Xondol was frnech-spanish mediterranean-y, I’m giving my guy a surname. He's now Abelas du Arsene

It's not a short journey to Kraalnacht but it takes approximately a few weeks, give or take depending on the weather. And yes, Kraalnacht is basically Germany with a bit of a twist (no spoilers :P)

A last name is good although not necessary if you feel your character would not have one. It's up to you if you decide to keep it or not as Elves do have last names.

I just wanted to go straight for the Arsène Lupin reference 🙂 Been reading a bit of Leblanc

Tee hee.

Arse knee.

I dunno what the hex code for an accented e is, which I’ll work out.

èèèèèè

Found it!

What would be the best area to reference for wilds/uncivilised lands?

The forests up river from Xondol are fairly uncivilised but you’d be best to avoid that area for reasons I cannot disclose. The Wildflower Peninsular has its fair share of hippies (read: Rangers and Druids) so that would be a good place as there are also pirates and bandits around that area too.

Is there an Asia-analog in your world along the lines of Tian Xia in the core Pathfinder setting which I can use as an origin for my character? Or another appropriate place perhaps a bit closer?

One of the Somorre Islands is roughly similar to an Asian culture in the world. Sheshpul also has elements of an Asian culture as I’ve created it along the lines of an east meets west kind of city with a heavy emphasis on a Byzantine sort of style.

Otherwise you can create your own place and say that you’ve journeyed from the Eastern Tracks to visit Idris on a journey/quest. I’ll work around whatever you want to do.

I’ll just go with the last option. Don't need to name the place unless it actually comes up along the way I guess.

Welp, another weekend down, and another lame, short, weekend at that.

Had birthday celebrations for friend on Friday, it was okay. Got out of bed 4pm Saturday, ate pizza and played Infamous. Sunday I bought cheap games and free microSD cards, watched Goldeneye, went longboarding, ate some eye fillet by myself.

..Aaaaand it's Monday. :\

Hit level 50 in Titanfall and regenerated (prestiged) to gen 2 last night.

I’ve really had enough of people shotgunning. I used to think the shotgun was a bit of a joke but now I see it for the OP spamfest it really is. People just hide in corners then run at you and fire indiscriminately to score cheap kills. I thought that kind of bullshit would stop because the melee in Titanfall is slow so you don't get any of the kniferunning shit that plagues COD but the shotgun spammers are the absolute worst. I had a few games last night where that's all anyone was doing – hiding on corners spamming shotguns like some kind of magic bullet shield that they don't have to aim.

How's everyone else's Titanfalling doing?

So you’re saying it's yet another piss-poor attempt at a balanced game? I have to say there's really nothing great I’ve heard about Titanfall apart from the delusional over-hyped "OMG ROBOTZ".

Have you actually played Titanfall? Because it's pretty fucking good.

I’ve taken the complete lack of hearing much about it as a very, very good sign. People are too busy happily playing it to comment too much.

Nope. 🙁

It's actually extremely well balanced expecially in the respect of Titan vs. Pilot. It just seems that in the last week annoying players have discovered the power of shotgun spam and started abusing the hell out of it.

Ah, alright. Well here's hoping that they patch it ASAP?

You’re on console, yeah?On PC I had a lot of shotgun crap in the early days but it seems to have died down significantly. I also shifted tactics if sometime tries to shotgun ambush me; namely, I’d drop a satchel charge at our feet and blow both of us up. It stopped the shotgunner for the rest of my team, at least 😛

I’m on Xbone.

The shotgun abuse seems to have only popped up recently. I guess there's the satchel charge option but I generally die as a surprise from corner-campers and if I see a guy rushing me i’m not sure I’d even have time to drop a charge and detonate it (unless I’m using dead man's trigger in which case they’d probably still have time to get away. :/)

I’m hoping it dies off when there's some kind of shotgun spam critical mass and they all collectively realise what douchebags they are and knock it off (like noob tubers in MW2).

Dickwad persona engage!

It's part of the game. If you don't like it, don't play it.

Herp.

I don't like it but it hardly warrants not playing.

Yeah. I was trying to make a joke about the ‘7 types of gamers you will meet online’ kinda style!

Urk. I’m really not coping at the moment. I have a whole list of things I should do but I can't even motivate myself to do the fun stuff, let alone the work stuff.My son is not coping, either. This morning, for the third time in a row he was superhappy to go to school but then as I was leaving he clung to me and started crying. The walking has him really run down which is making it difficult for him to emotionally cope with anything. 🙁

I look back at how I was at the start of the year, thinking I was going to be able to accomplish so much this year and I have to shake my head and laugh. I can't believe I’d forgotten how much walking for 2 hours a day in the heat takes out of you.I really think the solution for both of us is to move closer to the school but I don't even have the energy to get this house into a saleable state. 😛

🙁

Bikes?

I can't ride a bike. 😛

I did indeed consider learning, but the way to school involves scary hills.

You… can't ride a bike?

So all of those years of hearing the expression "like riding a bike" you’ve had no reference?

It won't take as long to learn this as it would to get a driver's licence. Could be a good autumn/winter project !

Dammit, you’re forcing me to divulge my darkest secret! I am unbalanced.Yes, in the head…we knew that already. 😛 But also in the body. I fall off bikes even on training wheels. I unbalance and fall over when I’m just standing around.

*cackles maniacally, twirls mustache* That was almost too easy

In no time at all, I’ll have your shaved head photo as your avatar 😛

PS: I can't ride a bike either. Started to learn, had a big stack, never went back. Learned to drive instead 😛

I learned to ride a two wheeler by having a lot of stacks. My cousin would push me down the side of the house, and I would crash into the big bush along the fence, eventually I learned to balance, slow down and turn.

Have you considered tying a weight to the opposite side of you head? You can balance yourself and work on neck strength at the same time for stronger headbanging

Sorry to hear that 🙁

Have you considered biking or anything (or carpooling with friends)? Would reduce the amount of time spent in the heat…

See above. Great minds think alike?

What is this "friend" thing you speak of? 😛 We take a bus home a lot of the time, but it's expensive and only takes us halfway. I think some of the problem is that we have no way to cool down when we get home, even. Because we have no aircon or anything.

We’ve been speaking about moving house for a bit, now. There's only a few years before my daughter potentially moves out, so we were thinking a slightly smaller and cheaper house would be handy for our budget as well as for how much work it will be to take care of it, plus if she does move out, then the house won't feel overwhelmingly large without her. And this house has never really felt like "home" to me, because I moved into it when Mr. Strange had already lived here for a while, so it was always "his" house.

I have a theory about this "great minds think alike" statement. I’d like to amend it:

Like minds think alike.

Because stupid people are just as likely to be in sync as smart people (assuming, of course, that's your benchmark for great). In fact, probably more likely, because really smart people have a +5 chance at eccentricity which would render their thinking patterns unique enough to separate them from the possibility of truly syncing with others.

What? No, I haven't overthought this. And I definitely haven't spent years refining it.

Speaking of bikes, @bdkiaf @dc @greenius we should do some BMX banditry in GTA Online again sometime.

But you can't tack on "Fools never differ" if you change it! 😛

You kind of can.

Like minds think alike because fools never differ.

What do you think? 😛

Reminds me of that Tolstoy quote:

"All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."

Actually the full phrase is "great minds think alike, small minds seldom differ".

Edit: I see strange is familiar with this one too. 😛

Maybe this is a misinterpretation and a byproduct of my small mind, but doesn't that extension basically ascribe the same (or similar) attribute to both great and small minds?

It's more that great minds can emulate modes of thought but aren't constrained by it, while small minds are stuck in mental ruts.

Intriguing. Not at all what I think of when I consider ‘great minds’.

I’m probably biased because of my creative roots, but to me, the best sign of a great mind is the ability to think new thoughts, think outside the box. Emulation isn't much more than parroting, certainly doesn't strike me as particularly worthy of the ‘great’ label.

@SHANE but emulating the modes of thought of others is the centre of compassion, and understanding a process of logic is key to insight.

I take it to mean that "great" minds will apply their knowledge and wisdom to reach an informed conclusion, whereas small minds will rarely think outside the box and are prone to simply seek reassurance via an echo chamber that they way they think is the right way.

Of course, a small mind will think themselves a great mind and assume the reason all their peers agree with them is because they must be right. Seems the real implications is that if you stop and assume you’re right because you think you have a great mind, you become a small minded person. Philosophically, we should always aspire for a higher level of greatness.

Separate actual response.

Cool! Good luck with the house hunting! 🙂

I’m your friend! 😀

Doesn't help that I live 45 minutes north and can't drive. But still, friiiiiend. 😀

…Before your daughter moves out? Jesus. You gotta be kidding me. I know I’ve seen the actual number mentioned before, but I cannot get a handle on your age. Honestly, my memory/impression keeps gravitating to around ‘late 20s’.

Yeah, I genuinely think I look older than Strange. It's craaaazy.

It's because you act like an old man,and I act like a child. It keeps me young. 😛

How do I act like an old man? :\

Not the first time you’ve said that and it makes me sad.

I can't think of any way where that's not insulting. 🙁

Oh DC, it's not like that at all. 🙁

I’ve never thought of being old as being an insult, rather the other way around. It's more that you do things in a more considered way, but I just jump in without thinking. Kind of like I did with that comment.

Ah, sorry for overreacting. 🙂

That makes sense.

For the record, I don't even think you look older than I do.

Cantankerous.

@freezespreston: You really see me like that? 🙁

Haha. No. It's just a funny word poking fun at you.

When I met Strange in 2006, I swear I thought she was about my age (20). Definitely wouldn't’ve guessed she had ten years on me. One of us is aging wrongly.

VAMPYR! VAMPYR! UNHOLY CREATURE OF ZE NIGHT!Now all the metal and hatred of walking in the sun makes sense.

I hear @strange has a portrait of herself that ages and deforms with evil while she herself appears the same

I look back at how I was at the start of the year, thinking I was going to be able to accomplish so much this year and I have to shake my head and laugh.I am feeling like this also.

Have you considered getting a little scooter for him. Being able to just roll down the hills could save a lot of energy. Not sure how you think you would go but could be an option for you as well.The are small and you are never far from the ground so much less scary and easier to do

Good idea, a Razor with a helmet is reasonably safe (depending on your hills) and mum can always take it home and bring it back.

This is something that definitely deserves thinking about. Thanks! 🙂

Did anyone else watch this? It's 38 minutes long, but goddamn is it funny.http://www.kotaku.com.au/2014/03/gta-online-was-made-for-heists-like-this/

It's kind of sad that GTAO doesn't actually have heists in it yet, and forces people to invent their own fun. But on the other hand, it is genuinely hilarious the amount of planning these guys do to knock over a convenience store for the grand total of $1100.

Spoilers:And they don't even succeed.

I watch all the rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter stuff so yes. I thought it was one of their best LPs to date, and also generated some interesting fanart.

Love the Achievement Hunter boys. They do some pretty good stuff in GTA V (also some crap, but hey, take the good with the bad).

The game still doesn't have heists? Wasn't that one of the main selling points of online.

Yep! Apparently, they’re still coming ‘soon’.

I actually reupped my Xbox Live gold to GTAO but after spending a week just trying to get in than having bored players constantly kill and spawn camp me I lost interest and let it lapse again since thankfully on Xbox One I can sponge my online multiplayer off my wife's gold account without having to have my own subscription.

I’m not sure how much of their stuff you watch, but I’m pretty sure Ryan counts that as a success.

Very funny. Usually the GTA V videos are lacking compared to the rest of their content, so I usually skip them. If you want to watch more of these guys:GTA IV: Cops and Crooks Part 1Minecraft: Ender Pearl Race Probably their best yet. It seems fairly standard at first. But man, that ending… XDMinecraft: Lava Wall

I’d probably post more, but that would lead to moderation, and you probably won't watch them anyway.

Please no moderation Please no moderation Please no moderationEDIT: NOOOOOO

EDIT: So, how about that sun, eh? Sure is a clever way to bring light and heat to the world.

I’ll pre-empt your edit.

So, how about that sun, eh? Sure is a clever way to bring light and heat to the world.

It must be praised!

If only I could be so gross…

Actually, if you stay home, you can knock the disease on the head.

Having been sick for long periods at school and Uni, even in year 12, it's a bitch, and you want to avoid getting run down.

Hey, so here's a secret.

High school & HSC & finishing grades & the rest?

None of it really matters. They’re not worth running yourself into the ground over.

Goddamn, I really wish someone had been able to convince me of this while I was in Year 12. Heard it plenty, never believed it.

I gots myself a better OP than my brother and I went to uni and have a degree. He has a job. I don't. Fuck school, man. 😀

So true. No one in my course got a job in what we’d majored in. The best thing to do is to get a job and then study part time. Most employers and universities will have flexible ways of doing things. The most important thing is getting work experience. Ask if they offer work experience.It's not worth getting ridiculously in debt.

I try not to think about all the debt I have from my degree. XD

If you never work, you never have to think about it.

#HELPING,OKAY!

As long as your HSC result gets you into the university course of your choice, but here's the big secret: 18 year olds have no idea what they really want out of life, and forcing them to choose a career path and enter uni to decide the next 50 years of their life is cruel.

Chances are even if you get into uni you’ll quit or change courses, figure out what you REALLY want somewhere around age 25 and go back as a mature age student – assuming you even want to do something that requires a tertiary education! There's no shame in not being a uni graduate. I had a mate in high school, couldn't do the whole education thing to save his life. Dropped out after year 10 and we watched him go with our pity. Ran into him last year, he did an apprenticeship to be a diesel mechanic and now he's an area manager for a big logistics company.

I like where I am now, and it took me a little longer to get here without a university degree (I dropped out twice) , but a lifetime is longer than you might think.

I did a course on digital art. I still enjoy doing digital art, but I find myself leaning towards sewing more. Especially when there is a general lack of decent clothes

And even those 18 year olds who know what they want still find themselves on the wrong path.

I always wanted to be a writer, but I studied as if I was going to be an engineer. I wised up in the nick of time, and studied writing at uni. Need a UAI (TER) of about 75 to get in, and I had 93. That's 18 points of debauchery and fucking around (or writing time!) that I missed out on for no good reason.

(93 isn't enough for a scholarship or anything, so those points are totally wasted)

I got a UAI somewhere in the 50s I think. There was no debauchery, but lots of late night internetting and no homework whatsoever. I regretted it for a long time. But, you know, if I go around regretting my past mistakes, I’m dismissing the life I have now.

If I’d worked harder in high school I might have gotten into a good course, actually applied myself and graduated. Maybe that girl I had a crush on in high school would have actually liked me back or even been aware of my existence. I would definitely have a different life.

I don't know if I would be happier. I kind of doubt it.

Hell, I’m 30 and considering doing a Uni degree. With me going in now my school results mean nothing.

The amount of upvotes on this concerns me. The cold, hard, truth: you need money to live.

While it's nice to think you can just "do what you love and make enough money to get by", it's not actually an option for the vast majority of us.

If you spend the couple of years during high-school doing OP subjects and then a couple more years performing a worthwhile and academic degree, you have the rest of your life to fuck up. No one can take that piece of paper away from you. You can always go back to this step and continue your life.

If you fuck up during high-school and your early years, you’re not even at step 1. You’ll be old, unwanted, with no skills and absolutely nothing to show for yourself. You have nothing to say "but look I did this" and start again from there.

The flip-side is that a uni degree or even year 12 completion is not required in Australia. But unless you’re socially savvy and you know people, you’re going to have an uphill battle: in terms of earning potential, and in terms of career growth.

tl;dr school is important, stay there kids. It unlocks shortcuts for you.

You’re right of course, it is important. If future plans involve further education, then effort should be made to meet the requirements of continuation.

BUT…

1) There are decent careers that don't require an education. Hell, my current job pays me $80,000 to sit around on TAY – no degree required. I got the job through a friend of my mother's.

2) Money isn't everything. Sometimes while you’re still at home (safety net), it's actually a good idea to take a minute and figure out the right way forward, instead of just plunging into a career path you’re gonna hate.

3) Stressing over missing a few days of year 12 due to legitimate illness really is silly.

4) There are life lessons and skills far more important than academic achievements. With the exception of a few entreprenuers and outlying start-ups, most of the world's professionally successfuly people are confident and know how to manipulate the world to their will. No one even asks them their qualifications; they just believe.

5) If uni ends up being the path you want, there are ways in that have nothing to do with Year 12 results. Yes, it's the long way, but the point is that school results aren't nearly as important as they are hyped to be.

1) I guess you’ll have to confirm, but I take it that's ‘luck’? $80K jobs is usually resources sector or something (location-specific), and friend of mother means it's via contacts… so overall not something that everyone can expect.

2) Yeah, net income of anything is pretty good while at home (no massive expenses), so that's good idea.

3) I see, so that's what original comment was. Yes, silly. 🙁 And sad that it does cause so much stress. 🙁

4) I firmly believe that a massive amount of luck and ‘destiny’ came to those people, but I see your point for sure!

6) Well yeah, all an OP score is, is an easy way to get in. Ergo, shortcut. Once again, it depends on your situation – if you’re someone with hardly a dime to spare when working two jobs 40+hrs a week, how are you going to do the 6mth intro course to get into uni, let alone uni itself? Whereas if the decision to do something uni-related happened earlier in life, you would be in a better position (e.g. safety net of parents).

YOU MAKE 80 GRAND A YEAR!?

FUCK THE MEDIA INDUSTRY SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HARD!!!

Public service. I sold my soul at the door.

That said, Canberra has a very high cost-of-living, so relatively speaking, I’m on an ‘average’ wage for this city.

(But yeah, for what I do, I’m GROSSLY overpaid. Sorry.)

S’not (ha) your fault.

Hey man, here's the thing, this is a young dude who is literally collapsing with sickness (lol, "collapsing with sickness" like it's the 1800's) and is no doubt exacerbating his condition by stressing about missing school.

I’m trying to give the guy some perspective so he can chill out and like, you know, not end up in hospital.

Maybe you should chill out a bit, too.

No time to chill, I need to accomplish some stuff so I can lie to myself and not be convinced that my life has no meaning.

Cool.

Have you seen a doctor? If it's a legitimate illness then they have to give you extra time

If it's an illness that impedes HSC exams they use your yearly grades to work out a rough mark and give you that. Not sure what the go is in reverse, though.

That's what happened to me when I fell sick for QCS (kinda like HSC but ours only lasted for a couple of days rather than a week or however long it is).

I got so much shit from my friends as I was a bit of a brainy kid and my grade actually suffered by being given the average.

It sounds lie a pansy excuse, but the very real (and very hard-learned) fact is that stress itself can make you sick. If you stress about being sick and push yourself to get over it faster or to limp by without full recovery, you can actually be shooting yourself in the foot. Best option is to take the time you need, do nothing but veg out, drink shitloads of water so you’re peeing every twenty damn minutes, pop a multivitamin and some vitamin C (honest fact is we don't know what C does, but we do know you get sick if you aren't getting any, and you absorb more of it when you’re sick, so we reason it's probably a good thing).

As for what the others said about school… I agree, to a point.Your final result from school is only important in relation to some very specific doors it opens for you, and even then – only opening them earlier.

I didn't study shit, routinely handed in assignments late, was more interested in partying. Got an OP4. Later on, when I wanted to follow in my little brother's footsteps and do radiography (because it seemed incredibly easy and effortless for the level of pay you get), it turned out that I could only apply to study for it if I’d got an OP2. …UNLESS, I did a bunch of courses for 6 months. Which I did. And it was fine.

Not life-ruining. And even then, edge-case… who wants to do something so incredibly specific in terms of degree-requirements? Everything else in clerical/administrative/project management/IT-related roles only requires hands-on experience, not degrees. And you get THAT from volunteering or having a friend/family-member swing you an in that you really didn't deserve. That's how jobs get got.

The ‘xxxxx’ (insert appropriate word here) in me looks at ‘6 month course as extra’ and see's $20-30K+ down the drain.

Note: I’ve done this plenty of times myself, so it's not a dig at you. 😛

$20-30k? For preparatory classes to raise an OP? Jesus Christ, where were you doing that? The moon? $20-30k is how much I’d expect to waste on 2yrs of an abandoned degree. 🙂

Unless prices have really blown out in the last ten years… damn, if that's true, I feel for students.

No, it's 6 months of post-uni earning time lost. With yearly salary of $40K+, that's an effective $20K earning potential gone. Time is money!

Unless you do them as night classes at the local TAFE. 🙂

True.

You can get to the moon for $20-30K?

BRB… making a withdrawal from the house.

Been doing my photo a day thing for three months now with my iPhone. Today I got my DSLR camera out of the pile its been sitting in unused for well over a year. HOLY DAMN, so much better picture quality than iPhone camera. (That goes without saying, but I genuinely forgot. XD) Wondering if I should start using this for photo a day thing now. There will be a huge visual difference that might ruin the consistency though. Also iPhone is easier to do on a daily basis cause I take it with me every where. Still. I’m conflicted. 😀

Thinking of taking a daily picture with both. That might be over kill. :S

For the blog?

Blog is just a way to make sure I do it every day.

Just a weird personal project I’m doing. XD

I still read your blog every day (more long posts, plskthxbye).

The indoor photo the other day was a jarring experience. I think you should have just gone into the rain. A truly dedicated man would have gotten wet for his art 😛

Long posts planned again soon. Haven't been feeling the best lately. Kind of depressed, actually. Started taking meds and I have been feeling zombie-like. Literally sitting in one spot doing nothing. It ain't working for me. I’ve decided to stop today so hopefully things will normalize soon. I think I’d prefer to feel something rather than nothing, even if that something is feeeeeeels.

That photo was taken in a different spot because of the weird lighting all day outside. Couldn't get a shot that didn't have lens flare or glare or washed out quality. XD

Sorry to hear, dude. Let me know if there's anything I can do!

Get me a job! Thanks, man. YOU’RE THE GREATEST! 😛

I asked, and they said yes, and then fired me.

Have you joined a job agency (not just a centrelink one)? A friend of mine joined one out of uni and they’ve kept her in solid work for 4+ years now.

Yeah, my standard advice for @dc is the same as for gooky, Virus, etc.Non-jobnetwork recruitment agencies. They’ve worked really well for me and a lot of folks I know. Sign up, dress up, show up to impress them with charm for twenty minutes (anyone can fake charm for twenty minutes), do their typing drills etc for measurable stats, then say you’re pretty flexible as far as the type of work, not fussy.

Plus, once you’re in a workplace you open up opportunities to network into something better.

What ones are you on, Citalopram, Agomelatine? Maybe get a pill cutter, chop them in two and try a half dose, enough to take the edge off but not kick your arse. My psych describes them as emotional anaesthetic, might just be too strong for you at the current dose.

Zoloft!

Kelly's been on a bunch of stuff which zombifies her… it's not great, but better than the alternative, which is pain. Sometimes they wear off, though, and she builds up a tolerance, so has to switch… and the process of finding out which is compatible and which isn't, is… not fun.

If your process is at all the same, I don't envy you. I know the doctors know what they’re doing, but sometimes even they admit there's a lot of trial and error.

Sending good thoughts to you and Kelly, my friend. 🙂

Ooh never tried a Sertraline before, sounds similar in effect on you to what Agomelatine had on me, pretty much turning my brain off to the point where if circulatory function wasn't autonomic I’d have died because I just couldn't muster the will to make my heart beat. Citalopram wasn't much better, I’ve only got a box of those knocking about now for emergencies

I mean sure, it stopped my depression but it stopped everything else as well, kind of like curing someone's sore toe by cutting off their leg.

I don't know if I’m ready to see DC in HD.

Right? At least let me get my pants off first.

Would that be called DCHD or HDC?

Looking forward to tasteful nudes on faux fur blankets.

I’ve been considering doing a photo a day blog (partially since I am trying to lose weight), but I was worried you would be annoyed by me copy-catting.

There's people on YouTube who have done it for six years, man. I ain't the first! Definitely do it! Don't let me stop you! 😀 Something like that for tracking weight would be awesome too.

If its only for tracking weight loss, daily would probably be overkill unless you plan on making a flipbook at the end. That would, admittedly, be pretty cool.

Flipbook is basically the whole point of daily photo thing. 😀

I don't plan on making a flipbook, but I feel like the photo would just accompany the blog post like what DC is doing. And I guess I could do a flipbook if I suddenly get the urge a year from now.

Do it, my friend! You know you want to!

But seriously, do you guys think I should keep it consistent or migrate to higher quality?

I have no issue with the current quality.

In a flipbook format I think you can reassure yourself that it won't make terribly much difference. While higher quality is pretty great, switching formats means some tiresome editing to get them the same size later on when you want to go flipbook.

Keep your you-pictures consistent.But challenge yourself to take a picture of a different location each day with your super-camera. Or something like it. Just something to break the monotony of your days(and get you out of the house).

First day of being unemployed and I sleep-in until 10:00am. I am the best at being unemployed! \o/

In other news, i think I am about to give up on Dark Souls 2. I’m just finding the game no fun any more. In the old Dark Souls when I died I could say "Well, that was my fault because …". Now it just seems like, "Well, that was my fault because all the enemies are bullshit?". Oh well, back to playing FFX and Toukiden I suppose

Where are you up to?

Just beat Drangelic Castle. Was contemplating picking up my PS3 and throwing it at my TV screen and then throwing my TV out the window …

Good times …

Maybe …

Not really.

any leads on work?

Is this electrician humor?

no…

Is it AI, or just generally "fuck you" game design? A combination of one or both of those cause me to rage with the power of ten thousand burning suns.

Looking into the foreseeable future, this is what I’ll be playing on daily rotation, barring a pick-up or two for the 3DS

DotaHardcore runs of Diablo IIIDark Souls 2 for PC

Well, if there was any time to develop a heavy drinking habit…

PRAISE THE RUM.

I’ve got it all planned out.

Screwdriver- Dark Souls (With Sunny D orange juice of course)Dark N’ Stormy- DiabloPina Colada mixed with tears- Dota

Are they the tears of the enemy in DotA? Because we won that one game – that basically means we’re the best in the world now right?

On heavy rotation for me includes procrastination, buying games not playing them and pondering what important things I’ve done with my life for the last twenty-eight years – which could fall under procrastination, I guess.

Got today and tomorrow off work, and so far all morning all I’ve done is hang around here.

I really should play something, but what?

Kinda feel like playing Plants Vs. Zombies: GW, but I really should play something that I can't play while my son's home seeing as he's at school.

Maybe Dark Souls II, still only up to The Pursuer and The Ruin Sentinels, but like everyone else I’m starting to get a little burnt out on it.

Haven't finished South Park

Haven't finished Tomb Raider: DE

Only done the first couple of missions in Thief

Haven't started Splinter Cell: Blacklist.

Arrrrgh! Too much choice. Help me.

My wife thought she had a manageable pile of shame on Xbox 360/Xbone until she decided to go through all our digital titles and pin the unfinished onces to the dashboard. Now she is paralysed by the sheer volume.

Since I’d say I’ve not finished (and in many cases not played) about 50% of our game library, I have transcended this state. I am now in the position that as long as I play something instead of sitting around doing nothing in my free time, then I can at least take solace in the fact that my credibility as a gamer is intact.

I started Splinter Cell, must get back to it.

From that list I would say Tomb raidier

Literally just found out that my brother in-law is bringing his two boys over for us to babysit for a while.

There goes that idea.

PvZ:GW it is \o/

Hi All.

Question: Do you give a gift to the happpy couple at an engagement party, or is all frivolousness saved for the wedding? Also, is this dependant on your role, say, if you were best man?

Statement: Dark Souls….. Screw the Undead Crypt.

Sadly, unless the couple states otherwise, the entire purpose of an engagement party is to screw friends and family out of an extra present. It's bullshit.

OK. eh, thats alright. They gave me one anyway…. I’d feel guilty if i didnt reciprocate properly.

Thanks!

I’ve been invited to an engagement party before (many years ago) only because the bride wanted more presents…I’m not suggesting all engagement parties are like that, though.

For our engagement party everyone brought a present, to be honest I would have been just as happy if we hadn't even got one. The fact that they were there to celebrate the occasion with us would have been enough for me.

That said, if we were invited to an engagement party I would feel rude if we didn't bring a gift.

Ours was so that I could drink a lot, tape all of my empty cans together into a wizard stick then embarrass myself in front of the new in-laws by attempting to cast spells at them.

So fairly standard

I don't think you’re more obliged to give a gift based on your position in the wedding party (rather, I think the bride and groom are supposed to provide the groomsmen/bridesmaids with gifts as thanks for their participation). Since people generally give the couple stuff for their new home/life together at the wedding, I think the engagement gift is more informal. You might feel compelled to give your friend something simply out of friendship, but I don't think it's warranted. Really something you’d feel out for yourself I suppose.

One time I was at my neighbour's engagement party and their custom (her being Turkish) was to gift money by pinning it to the bride-to-be's dress.

Traditionally the engagement party if the time to give gifts to help setup the new home for the couple. So it is a time for more practical gifts.Where a wedding is the sentimental occasion so that is the time for cherished items like the crystal and fine china.

Personally I just invited everybody and the more gifts the better but I didn't notice who did or didn't bring me one.

I think tradition is what makes it hard. So many people live with, and have been living with, each other prior to getting engaged.

I know this couple in particular have a place together and a whole bunch of stuff too.

I hear you. I basically used my 21st as the moving out with the other half event.The part of it that remains is that the gift can be much cheaper, smaller and quirky than a wedding gift

Haha. That sounds like a recipe for offending the grooms old man… who has always been suspicious of me. God knows why.

Get them something stupidly cheap, but hopelessly sentimental and sappy, so that the groom will look at you expressionlessly for a while then man-bear-hug you for a moment and the bride will either go, "Awh!" and plant her hand against her chest while looking teary, or inwardly eyeroll at the fact that it's not hundreds of dollars in value and can't be returned, but outwardly gush at how ‘thoughtful’ it is.

Hard to figure out, but if you can, great money-saver. More meaningful the better. Old photographs added to a collection in a tasteful little book, anything wrapped in brown paper, pewter things with engraving, bonus points for anything that you can tie to a childhood story of unfulfilled – or better, fulfilled – aspirations.

Also, y’know… a touching way to showing a friend you know them very well, and a keepsake that can remind them of a summary of the good old days, even when the distance of time and space and circumstance make for long times without contact.Because I have difficulty with sincere emotion without putting a shallow front on it.

Uhm. If it helps get your creative/emotional juices flowing, try a read of this before thinking of something to pick out: http://zenpencils.com/comics/2012-11-20-corner.jpg

Fuuuuuuuuuuu…. that comic 🙁

Yup. Right in the feels.

Reply fail.

Dark Souls (1) people – what's the thresholds to consider for getting summoned?Better half has started a new character run, but has never made it past the Capra Demon. I suggested the Master Key will allow this to be bypassed anyway, but I could also assist by being a summon.Then I realised my recent loincloth clad lunatic with a club character was only just up to the Depths, and could probably go back and help with the Capra Demon. What do I need to do to get everything aligned to make this happen?

http://darksouls.wiki.fextralife.com/Summon+Range+Calculator#.UzjNCngazCQ

Roughly 10 levels and 10% either way. Awesome. Should be easy enough to manage early game.Thanks!

As far as I know, you need to be hollow, and they need to be human. You need to have Soul Levels within around 10 per cent of each other, and you need to be lucky that you’re on the same server and can see each other. The last one is the biggest determining factor, and one you can't control.

Bugger. Hopefully there won't be server issues if we both launch at the same time. Otherwise maybe I can quit and reload until it works…

This is on PC, yeah? There's a mod to make GFWL match you with friends, which should make it easier.

Excellent. I can pace this character with her then too, in case she ever needs a summon.

Bypassing Crapra would require some pretty tough sequence breaking since you’d need to go through Blighttown to get to the Depths. Crapra is really designed to be a skill / patience check I think. "You must be this tall to ride".

I thought you could just open the next door without getting the key off Capra, because Master Key…

Pretty sure the Depths can't be opened with the Master Key? To go to there via sequence breaking you have to go via Valley of the Drakes into Blighttown. I may be wrong on this though.

EDIT: Yeah, checked, the only way to bypass him involves going to Blighttown via Valley of the Drakes (either thru Darkroot or back way from Firelink & New Londo Ruins)

Ah. Fair enough. It is a nice way to avoid Lagtown, but I’ve never used the master key.

Taybie tot talkTime for me to tap into the parental hive mind of TAY. Mrs Tigs and I are in the process of researching the major stuff we need to buy this week. We want to get an idea of what we are looking for before we go to one of the baby and parenting show things.So parents of TAY I have some questions for you– Did you guys go to any of the shows. Is it actually worth buying anything there or just for research purposes?– What are the must have items that you would recommend? We are trying to keep costs down so don't want to get things just because they might be good.– Was there any thing that you got that saved you? Mrs Tigs is rather little so anything that helps reduce the amount of physical work is good.– Brands and/or models you love. Thinking prams, and the like mostly.– Did you get involved in any of the baby/mothers groups. How did you go about organising those. Did you call the council or how?

cc @shane @strange @freezespreston @rize @chuloopa @klutar @benny @tayparents

– Shows are rarely the cheapest places to buy anything. Most stuff you get for a kid can be second-hand with little or no risk (the obvious exception is car seats, because the history of these is really important).

– Get some clothes, but NOT MANY. Family and friends will drown you in booties, onesies and little wrap blankets. Don't splurge on toys, either. Babies like simple stuff. A little basket filled with objects of different textures and shapes will keep them happy forever (we put one together with random knick-knacks from a $2 shop. A little net thing, a bit of fabric, a rattly bit of wood, something bendy. Nothing that can be eaten though).

– For our first, we got a little musical rocking machine. Not all babies like these, but it was a godsend with her, because we could just put her in it, and take it easy for a few minutes. Sometimes (actually quite often), she fell asleep in it.

– Mrs Shane likes Steelcraft prams and McLaren prams. They’re a bit exxy for price, but you can sometimes get a good deal on a second-hand one. Research them – some of them have capsule attachments that will allow you to transfer baby from pram to car (and vice versa) without disturbing them.

– At least in the ACT, some mother's groups are organised by the MACH (Maternal and Child Health, I think) folks. Others are less official, and you just have to get lucky finding them. The Australian Breastfeeding Association has chapters everywhere, and most churches have family groups as well. The good news is that once you’re in, there will be someone there who is already in somewhere else, and you can learn about what's on that way.

– Oh, one more thing: where baby sleeps is going to determine how you arrange things. If you plan to co-sleep, you can skip the bassinet and maybe even a cot as well.

– Be aware that babies often have their own plans, so you have to either be firm or give in and accept that you’ve wasted hundreds of dollars on xxxxxxx product (this will happen OFTEN)

Get some clothes, but NOT MANY. Family and friends will drown you in booties, onesies and little wrap blankets.

This. We have seriously bought about 10 pieces of clothing for our little one – and he's 18 months old. People will buy you a tonne of starting clothes (size 0000) and people who were parents will be smart and buy you the next size up (size 000). You may even get to about 00's and start buying things and BAM first birthday and a bunch more clothes.

We’ve already bought everything – so i may actually be of help! 😀

Pram – We bought a Bugaboo Chameleon. Expensive, but sooooo good. Like pushing a cloud. It also looks really nice. Vanity.

Baby Monitor – This is dependent on how paranoid you are. We are extremely paranoid, so we got the one with the movement plates that also monitor breathing. But i would say at the very least to get one with movement sensors.There's the Oricom or angelcare sound and movement monitorWe got the oricom breathing, sound and movement

Don ‘t but anything for a show – they will rip you off something hard. Places like baby bunting have new catalogue sales every month.

Invest in a good car seat and have it fitted by a professional.

Buy lots of napies and wipes in preperation. We’ve been told to avoid huggies wipes because they are FULL of nasty chemicals..

Bee joined a mothers group by searching on facebook for a group consisting of other people due in may – she's met heaps of people.

Most recommended item: baby wipes. Oh God, the amount of baby wipes you will go through. Such a lifesaver.

The Steelcraft prams will cover a couple of your dilemmas. Light, easily collapsable and with the removable capsule it slots in and out of your car base and/or pram base. However the capsule is only good for the first six months or so, then it's bye bye. Also bye bye $400 or so. Well until the next kid comes along I guess.

However we were gifted a Valcobaby, not a Steelcraft. To my horror. Just kidding. Pros of the Valco pram include a flatbed setup for the newborn to six months, then transformable to seat-style for toddler. The flatbed ended up being a bit of blessing as the tot slept in his pram over night for a fair while – meaning you can initially hold off on a cot purchase. I am unsure as to whether you can keep your baby in the Steelcraft capsule for overnight sleeps? Someone help me out here.

How do the steelcraft prams go once they get past the first 6 months. Do you just rip the capsule out and it has a normal toddler seat in there?

Yeah, that's how they work. Most prams can hold a kid up to around 20 kg (usually around 3 (maybe even 4) years of age, unless they’re really heavyset).

Didn't go to any of those shows, just saw them as a HUGE waste of time and money. There is NOTHING anybody can tell you that will prepare you for having a baby. They don't come with a manual (unfortunately) you just gotta play it by ear.

Essential stuff: Pram, Cot, Car Seat Bath, Nappies, Wipes. And a Port-a-Cot, and a Baby Monitor (if you can afford it).

That is all.

Dummy/pacifier. You’re forgetting the old scream-silencer. 😀

My bad. And bottles of course.

Just don't buy Bugaboo – they’re not value for money. It's a celebrity thing anyway.

1. We didn't go to any shows, but Mrs Rize spent plenty of time talking to friends and family to gather opinions on things like best brands, good habits etc to form, and the like, (much like you’re doing now 😛 ) and that really helped us out a lot.2. I did very little decision making with what we should get, and only got involved with the "yes no, and which one" part of buying stuff so I’m not much help here.3. One piece of advice I can offer: don't be afraid to tell family and friends the way things are going to go happen for anything about your hospital trip (after deciding on it with your wife). I’ve had to spell out to my in-laws (who are…stressful at the best of times) that they’re not going to be present at the hospital until after the baby has arrived and Mrs Rize has had time to recover.4. Steelcraft prams are amazing, but they’re pricey compared to alternatives. One of the reasons we got the one we did is because it's a lightweight frame.5. Funnily enough, wife-face is frequently on a website that sounds like TAY for pregnant people, which has helped her a lot…though there are some weeeeird people on there…again, like TAY! Also, we had our first pregnancy class thing on the weekend and that was actually a good way to meet up with people and potentially form new relationships.

Do you know the website?Not sure that the pregnancy classes will be good for connections. Tiglet will be born at the Royal womens which is a long way from where we live. So looking for a local one.

Not sure but I’ll ask and give you a shout on Steam or Twitter or something.

As far as what to buy? It all depends on how you’re planning to parent. And then it depends on how your hopes/expectations stand up when the reality of parenthood kicks in. 😛Things you need to consider are whether you want to start from the beginning putting your kid to sleep in its own room, in which case for sleeping you just need a cot that can adjust the height of the base, or do you want to co-sleep, in which case a cot can wait for a while and you might want to consider a kind of cloth mini-bed-thing you can put in between you in the bed and know they’re safe from you rolling onto them in your sleep, or do you want to have something portable around so you can hopefully just pop the baby into it when they finally go to sleep and get on with your day while still being able to keep an eye on them, in which case a bassinet with wheels would help.

Necessary:-whether or not you choose cloth nappies buy a pack of those bright square cloth nappies. (By the way, if you do choose cloth nappies, make sure you have disposable on hand in case when you have the baby you really can't be bothered with all the work). Keep at least one with you all the time. They’re perfect for laying baby on to change their nappy, also handy for mopping up leaks and feeding incidents, including vomit. This is my greatest baby tip.

– a pram that suits your lifestyle. It's tempting to go for the prettiest but you need to consider how you will use it. Don't get one of those three-wheelers unless you really do plan to take it jogging, for instance. 😛 But yeah,they’re useless for anything else because they don't really fit into a lot of places.Personally, I needed to consider how the pram folded so I could do it by myself while Mr. Strange was at work,and also when I caught public transport. So a not heavy, one-hand-fold mechanism pram was the way for me. Cupholders(for you, not baby) and a rainshield included were also handy.

-the best carseat you can afford. This is where you cannot skimp.

Things not strictly necessary but I would recommend giving a try because if they work for you and your kids they make things a lot easier:-a wrap for "baby-wearing". Once they’re tied properly they’re supportive for your back and it's very comforting for a baby to continue to be so close to its parents.

-One of those caterpiller-like suits for sleeping in. They restrict your baby's arm-movements while asleep so they feel all comfy like they’re in the womb and don't panic when they stretch their hands out and can't feel any resistance. We got one called a "Woombie" (from the internet, made in Australia) for our son and it was a godsend. He kept getting distressed and waking when he worked his wriggly way out of his wraps but once we got him a Woombie he started sleeping better and more soundly.

Somewhere comfy to sit and feed and/or somewhere comfy and quiet to sit and rock the baby to sleep always comes in handy, and a change-table helps when you’re changing the baby's nappy, but Mrs. Tigs’ height might make them unpractical so I recommend what I did, which was to have a little "changing station" in the loungeroom (or wherever Mrs. Tigs and bub will spend most their time) which had one of the aforementioned cloth nappies,as well as nappies, wipes, baby powder and cocoa butter cream in a plastic container so we could just change the baby on the lounge, or even the floor. Always keep one hand on the baby when you’re changing them, so you’re in the habit once they start trying to roll away. 😛

Also, and this very important. Make your birth plans and your plans for after the birth, but don't be too attached to them. The plans, that is. Many parents cause themselves unnecessary stress by being too hung up on what their plans for the birth and baby are and babies rarely go according to plan. Get used to it now. 🙂

So I have one of thesehttp://www.ebay.com.au/itm/CARDCAPTORS-CHALLENGE-OF-THE-CLOW-SPIRIT-BOARD-GAME-2001-/251481554507?pt=AU_BoardGames&hash=item3a8d77fe4b&_uhb=1I want to get rid of it, $10 or something. Anyone want it?

Is it any good?

I only played it once. It still has all the instructions and stuff. I can't really remember. Sorry

Sooo. How about them games huh. Reply fail to Tigs, above.

I started Deus Ex over the weekend. Enjoying it so far but don't think I’ll go for any special run first time through. Liking a stealth based play and it seems to be designed for that mostly. The only thing that is annoying me is the lack of a scope. I might be missing something but with the traq rifle it seems to be harder to aim when you are in cover and looking out. Something to work out.

I am also 1 bloody turkey mission away from 100% the first campaign in castlestorm. Damn I hate turkeys right now.

I loved Castlestorm! I felt kinda robbed when starting campaign 2 and had none of my stuffs.

Was that the first time you get to play as Norse? They do it to you again twice with the extra campaigns. Which is even more of a robbery as you are still playing as kingdom but with no stuffs.I was playing co-op survival for the first time recently. That has some fun but think I need to get voice chat happening at the same time

HEADS UP VIC TAYBIES.

My birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks, which means birthday LAN. More than likely will be held at my place in Craigieburn. Realising it may be a bit far for some to travel, anyone is welcome to stay the night. I have 2 big bedrooms for Taybies to crash in so just bring some sleeping bags, or you may go the way of @tofu and just pass out like a corpse on the carpet. and creep the hell out of everyone!

At this stage its looking like it will be on Saturday the 12th, and Sunday the 13th will be a BBQ Lunch with some family attending, and any Taybies wanting to stick around 🙂

Not sure about what games will be played at this stage, need to get more organised with that part, but a low to mid-end pc will suffice.

will provide drinks, snacks, and dinner, (an assortment of dominos pizzas possibly)

tagging those that i remember are from melb, please dont be offended if ive missed you!

@tofu @tech_knight @tigerion @35 @beavwa @greenius @scree and …..aw god, im drawing blanks… TAG AWAY PEOPLE!

http://powalen.com/tags/

@powalen you forgot to add Aleph to the middle of no-where section…

@greenius @scree @beavwa @princesspipster @tech_knight @budgieishere @tigerion @jordi @f4ction @splicer @notoriousr @tofu @blood_apathy @dire_wolf @mcgarnical @pixel_the_ferret_viking @ynefel @zetrox2k @syvraen @klutar @smurfydog @negativezero @velnica @crazyguy1990 @chuloopa @inquisitorsz @wizz-fizz @coldcamv

Thanks Tigs!

Thanks for the info but unfortunately I already have plans for Saturday night.Happy Birthday, and have fun for me

Have a working network drive this time? 😛Also, I’d be more than happy to make the trip again!

YUP! All Sorted! worked out what the problem was. Drive had to be initialised, but not partitioned.. i initialised it but also partitioned it! damn buffalo

hah! xD Great to know, also get a massive free game list going, I’m guessing the free Red Alert will be a fun one for many.

Happy for a few games of Red Alert, though i tried it a couple of weeks ago, and the years have been rather unkind!

Well I doubt everyone knows League of Legends so I’ll pass on that :P. Strategy games are one of the only few genres that can have a lot of people playing at once.

We will work something out!

I would, if it didn't coincide with the weekend where my missus will be celebrating birthday…I know that i’m excellent with the womenfolk,but i have an inkling that picking gaming over being with her maaaaay not go down greatly 😛

Bring her as well. As her present. Greetest husband eva.

"Here honey, i brought you to your present, NO PEEKING…That's right, your present is:"*removes blindfold*"ME GAMING FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS, glhf, drinks are $1, help yourself"

wait wait, i got this…. regular exposure to choloroform throughout the day, and keep her out cold till sunday.. she will wake up feeling all refreshed, still thinking its Saturday… It will likely take her about 24hrs to realise its actually sunday, at which point you can act all suprised. When you check the cars speedo, it will have mgically jumped 80km's..

THEN YOU CAN BLAME THE ALIENS,,,,,

Hmm, unfortunately i just ran out of Chloroform, but what about Pure Ethanol?Get her tanked for the duration of Saturday, that should do it right?

Then were agreed!

tell her you HAVE to go and that we are gaming away in memory of the sinking of the titanic…

Well pretty sure my relationship would be a sinking ship so, LETS DO THIS 😛not really, sorry 😛

\o//o\

I’ll be up for coming and hanging out, mightn't be able to stay for the LAN as lugging a pc and monitor setup on a motorbike wouldn't be fun. I should really invest in a laptop

I may be able to sort something out for you…

That sounds horribly ominous. If I fall asleep on the carpet again and wake up with any kind of robot appendage I will not be happy at first

ill be sure to tell @tech_knight to keep his hands off you!

Fine.. I guess you fleshlings don't have to evolve if you don't want to… 😛

April 12/13 or May 12/13? Just wondering because I can't do May but I can see what I got on in April and try as move stuff around

April!

I will see what I can accomplish!

…I live in Sydney, but thanks for the invite anyway :p

fail…

Can't make it I’m afraid, it's my nephews birthday partyThe same thing happened last year, I don't know why you both keep choosing to do it at the same time each year

May be tricky for me. I’ll check but it's a probably not in my case sorry 🙁

Performance Reviews suck!i know why workplaces have them, but i couldn't care less about doing it…Everytime i write one out, i start feeling like i’m 15 again and completely lacking direction"what's your objective looking ahead the next 3 months?"i don't think masturbating profuriously is an accepted statement either, SO I DON’T KNOW!/rant

EDIT – eeeeh, that had to be a page get didn't it… HAH, leaving as it is, yeah, take that!

Had mine today, I have the same issue with "Where do you plan to take your career within the next 3-5 years?" and I come back with "Nowhere, I’m fine where I am" and I get lots of confused looks. Not everyone strives to be a CEO or even a team leader, sheesh! 😛

I know right?My priorities and concerns doesn't really revolve around my career, so i haven't even thought about it…That's what i mean about i feel 15 again, i have no idea what i’m "working" towards to "better" myself… and they make you feel bad when you can't answer, and you tell your manager you get that weird "pffft really?" look

My boss asks me leading questions about where I want to be and I’m like "well… I guess I’ll add "senior" to the front of "claims specialist"?

He actually replied "you don't want to be doing that forever, surely?"

I have to wonder, he's only been a manager himself maybe 6 years, he was doing claims before that, when he was may age. What were his plans? We can't all BE managers.

Where i want to be: "Certainly not in charge of a group of people, kthx"

The last four years running, my "Career goals" have been "To not get fired".

Every year, I get a weird look. But I’m not budging.

I find that some bullshit tied in a bow that roughly translates to "I wanna work my way up, proving myself, and eventually be considered for a _insert_manager_title_here role" works pretty okay.

Problem with mine is, because of the way the company structure works, there's no clear pathways in IT to get higher… they want something specific like:"I’m going to get better at [blah] by doing: – this – this – this"with specific timeframe and how it aligns with the company's goals and objectives

Nah, don't say you’ll get better.

"I will become more familiar with xyz"

Also put the onus on the manager to send you on training etc.

Not a bad idea actually, i’ll give this a try 😛

THe tips I can give you:

– Make sure the shit you say can't be interpreted badly. E.g. ‘familiar’ is a better word than ‘better’. Also use the words "more familiar" in regards to something you should know – only if you really don't know about it and it is totally not expected of you, can you say "I will become familiar".

– "Working knowledge" is a good phrase.

– Don't give any specific targets, unless you’re heavily pushed to. These will be recorded and you will get raped if you don't meet them. In general, it's risky.

In regards to your last point, this is what is in the performance plan:"The date I will have actioned this by:"yeeeaaah that sucks, because i’m trying to be vague 😛

"We can review my progress on this training at the next performance plan date." etc

Is the MCP stuff applicable for you. If so you can put the onus on them for training.I will take and complete the exam withing 2 months of attending the relevant course.

@tigerionWe use Redhat at work, so i am tempted to push to get my RHCSA certification, that’d be pretty rad

Do itGet work time to studyGet them to send you on authorised coursesAnd get them to pay for your exams

My targets for this year (somewhat slightly condensed/paraphrased since it's broken up into about 8 sections with each one consisting of arbitrary targets like "National Supervisor and Manager feedback", "Broker Feedback" etc.).

* >90% files with an actively monitored legal/investigation expense budget.* 5% expenses reduction* 10 meaningful examples where legal expenses have been effectively managed* Reserve accuracy within +-10%* Reduce open files by 10%* 10 meaningful examples where I sought and obtained contribution/recovery from other parties* Actively seek and identify possible fraudulent claims* >90% of files actively kept up to date/have clear and appropriate strategy* 10 meaningful examples of alternative dispute resolution* Obtain understanding of underwriting initiatives that impact claims, 3 identified joint meetings with underwriting.* Feedback from underwriters on whether information provided was timely and/or useful* Strong positive feedback from brokers and clients* >8 meetings with insured/broker* 2 claim presentations to brokers/insured* Present at least 4 claims team committee meetings with a high quality presentation (feedback by national supervisor and manager)

All those meetings/presentations etc. are the things that I’m always bitching about because I feel like it takes me away from my actual job of, you know, managing claims.

I want to get promoted to senior this year but I shudder to think what their targets must look like.

Insurance, hey…? I too work in that field. Interesting. (Insofar as insurance can be interesting)

Liability claims is about as good as it gets if you ask me, though the complexity range is pretty broad.

I used to deal a fair bit with Liability in my old role. National QA covering all short-tail products, and including liability. I developed the systems the QA guys used to do reviews. Some of those liability claims were crazy complex, it was great reading.

Now doing similar stuff for Motor Assessing. Smaller scope, bigger portfolio.

3 months, some waffle about a project

3-5 years, "Continue to build my skill set and expand my role in the organisation"

See, that second one means nothing but sounds good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mny0zkq_goM

Oh god i’m tempted 😛

"Grow in current role" I’ve used that the past 2 years. Its a lot easier than explaining "I have zero motivation to go anywhere in this job".

Failing that the whole masturbation profusely route is also an option.

profuriously?! over abundance of angry wanking?

Eeeeyup 😛

@spaghett's last song played game!

Immigrant Song – Karen O, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Idina Menzel – Let it Go…I MIGHT BE LATE TO THE PARTY BUT THAT MOVIE IS AMAZING SO DON’T JUDGE ME BECAUSE I LIKE WARM HUGS

You think you’re late to the party, I haven't seen it at all yet, and my wife and son have seen it twice.

On an unrelated note Anchorman 2 is out on DVD and Blu-Ray on the 9th.

Orly? i still haven't seen Anchorman 2 (FAIL!) so that should be awesome 😀

Brick is hilarious.

Edit: The one I ordered is a two disc edition with an alternate version of the movie as well as the original.

http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/dvd/dvd-genres/comedy/anchorman-2-the-legend-continues-blu-ray/698972

Babymetal – Megitsune

I like this one.

Don't know why, but I just love the mix of Metal and J-Pop.

I have no shame in saying that it is so much of what I have been looking for in music. The instrumentals are perfect, and cover a good range of metal styles for my ear. The vocals are not unpleasant, and bonus points for not being in English so I don't have to waste effort listening to words. (No prizes for guessing that I also like Rammstein).The worst part is that there's not enough of it yet.

Tripod – Suicide Bomber

No Idea – Fake Band Name Goes Here

Reply fail. Wut.

I felt that their last album was a bit lacking. It's good to listen to their glory days every now and again.

Architects – Broken Cross

Summertime – My Chemical Romance

Sex Rocket – Snakes & Daggers

Arctic Monkeys – R U Mine?(also, could somebody please write out longhand how I link to the html and it displays ordinary words, rather than having to copy the url? Because I’m a newb. That's why. It would be very appreciated and awarded with an internet point.)

A href= "url" in the little arrow dealies above the comma and the full stop, and then the words, and then /a in the dealies again wherever you want it to end.

Only found out how to do this on the weekend, just googled it and clicked on the first one.

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080218120010AAdELQG

Arctic Monkeys – R U Mine?

EDIT: OOOOoooooohhhh YEAH!

Shotgun Blues – The Blues Brothers.

Carcass – Embodiment

Thaurorod – Anteinferno

It has a little dialogue at the beginning that reminds me of Dark Souls. 😛

[Dante:] Master, what is it that I am hearing?And what people are these so crushed by pain?[Virgil:] That is the manner of existence enduredby the sad souls of those who lived without occasion for infamy or praise.They are mixed with that abject squadron of angels who did not thinkit worth their while to rebel or to be faithful to God, but were for themselves.[Dante:] Master, what is it that lies so heavily upon them; that they call out as they do?[Virgil:] I will tell you very briefly.They are without even the hope of deaththeir blind existence is of such abjection that they are envious of every other fateThe world does not remember them at allMercy and justice treat them with contemptLet us not talk about themLook and pass on.

Hasa Diga Eebowai – The Book Of Mormon.

http://youtu.be/Y3JmKDquF8k

Links are too hard. It was the Grange Hill theme, guys.

Saw this article from some new site that is associated with my local paper which has taken the original story from The Independent. I can't believe someone at this paper thinks that M16 is a secret agency, when in fact it's a rifle.. But each to their own I guess heh.

At least they got it right in the article. Or was that the cut and pasted bit and all they did was the headline

Pretty sure it was straight cut & paste. I tried to view the source, but my net is capped so I wasn't getting anywhere..

To be fair, MI6 and M16 look pretty similar, and depending on where the paper is subedited it could be from someone who's 1) not from the anlgosphere and 2) English isn't their first language.

Whilst a valid point, how did the editor not pick up on this? Plus the paper is Queensland based. Not that they say which paper actually published it here heh.

Most regional papers use subediting services elsewhere, in countries like the Philippines.

The Editor at whatever masthead you’re looking at probably didn't even see this before it hit the page.

Oh wow 😐 I had no idea about this.. Cheers.

It's the same with any paper- all those little classifieds, sports digests etc are subedited elsewhere.

Not a bad idea, as it allows paper staff to focus on the important stuff, but it means things can be missed or misinterpreted as they require specific local knowledge.

Explains all the grammatical and spelling errors seen in the papers around here these days.

Yeah- the quality in Pagemasters’ editing has been criticised.

If you want some sausage is made-style stuff on it, this Crikey article is pretty good: http://www.crikey.com.au/2011/05/04/sub-standards-pagemasters-to-change-the-way-we-read/

Oh noooooooo what the… I’m hearing on the grapevine (ie: video game sites) that Dark Souls 2 for PC will be downscaled for graphical parity with the consoles. 🙁 They’ve pulled the high-quality screenshots from Steam, apparently.http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/133366-Dark-Souls-II-Hi-Fidelity-Screenshots-Removed-From-Steam

Well there goes any chance they had of people buying multiple copies

Welp, I may as well just go and buy Dark Souls 1 then. I figured 2 would be a good time to jump in but it sounds like 1 is a better experience.

…Not on the PC it's not. 😛

Well. I’m biased, I still haven't loaded it back up and tried @aliasalpha's configuration yet, but I initially couldn't get it to work.

I had zero trouble with it so I would heartily recommend jumping in

Well bias is easy to hold if you don't try not to! Get on with it lad!

What's your configuration?

__

@popdart5 – it's fine on PC but you’ll really want to use a controller and DSFix

Ah thanks for the heads up Greenius. Helpius \o/

Now I just need to buy a controller…

Wait. GFWL will be cancelled in June. Dark Souls might go with it. Bulletstorm has already been sunk. See what comes of it.

Nothing special, i just sent Transient my mod files since I know for a fact they worked on my system and thought it’d be worth a try to plug them into his and see if they worked but somebody is slack…

Any chance I can grab a copy? Performance wise it runs fine on my machine, but I still have trouble being summoned/summoning others for boss fights, even after installing the supposed fix, so maybe your setup will help…

Well I doubt it’ll make much difference but I’ve put it on my FTP

http://aliasalpha.customer.netspace.net.au/dsptd.zip

Everything goes into install\data

What mods did you use?

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/11/09/dark-souls-mods/ I pretty much followed this step by step

Definitely pay attention to the "controller strongly recommended" link.

Also look for the modding guide and get the prettying up mods

"Strongly recommended" really should be changed to "needed"

At least they did that stuff now rather than at release *Cough*Aliens:CM*cough*

I still need to finish playing that game.

Aww crud, I just realised my pile of shame this year is basically the who's who of bad games. Diiiiicks

What, how does that even make sense. What the actual fuck.

They said it wouldn't run on console. PC is more powerful.

What the fuck.

The dynamic lighting's the really big, noticable change that would be missing… and I think DS2 actually had its gameplay altered a fair bit to account for that. Torches are a little bit fucked in that they’re really damn scarce before you get to the areas that you can tell you would have needed them if the lighting had worked, but they’re common as damn muck when farming areas afterwards where you don't need them at all. The timers are too short for them to have been any practical use in the areas of the game where you can see sconces for lighting.

What's puzzling is that it LOOKS like the game was developed on PC first then downscaled for console… so what exactly needs changing on the PC?

Your last para is exactly my point. WTF.

Tin Foil Hat Time says the HD textures and settings get patched in when the PS4/XBone version releases…

Well that's fucking evil, if true. I don't really think they’re of the culture to engage in those kind of shenanigans… but I guess you never really know til you’ve had that wad of money waved under your nose.

DS2HDfix in 3 – 2 – 1 😛

One of us, one of us…

Give it an hour (perhaps literally) and it’ll be modded…

I don't know why anybody thought it would look like the initial stuff. All they ever said about the PC version was better frame rate options, and better res textures.

And now, from the look of things, those higher res textures are going out the window…

Why the blue fuck would they do this after the absolute reaming they took for the shitty quality of the PC port of the previous game and all the time they’ve spent saying they were putting heaps of effort into doing a really good port this time? 🙁

My weekend consisted of 2048, Ikea, Sleep(and lack thereof) and board games

Played Rampage for the first time on saturday, I really Really enjoyed it. a game that makes you do stuff to it. in this case, Destroy an entire city. 🙂

My friends and I have been getting into Star Trek Attack wing – Almost obsessively. I like the models from X-Wing more but I love the Star Trek Lore. anyway, I died all the times last night, I am terrible against my housemate.

I got X-Wing (Millenium Falcon FTW) and love the crap out of it, haven't tried Attack Wing, but as far as i have read, it is just a re-skinned version isn't it? they bought the rights to use the likeness and rules from Fantasy Flight?

Pretty Much. But the figures aren't as nice quality. But I get to be the Dominion, AND THE MOTHERFUCKING BORG!!!!!

Does it still have this issuehttps://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/t1.0-9/1964789_10152297681066622_508852991_n.jpg

I will admit we have 13 ships between us…

And X-Wing itself is basically a knockoff of Wings of War / Wings of Glory

I hit up Ikea on Tuesday, bought everything. Spent two days assembling it, swear it's never going to happen again.

So, probably around August my wife will convince me we need a china cabinet or something.

Haha yes. I only went because Anton wanted a stool and some lamps… 2 hours later I’m contemplating mass murder and trying not to pee myself in store.

Rampage- that's the blowy one by Bauza?

Yup – soooo goooood

Bauza has made two of my favourite games (HANABI and 7 wonders) so I’d like to give Rampage a shot.

Rampage is excellent for when you dont feel like anything cerebral."here throw this monster at a building! or blow all the meeple over!"

I also love Takenoko. It's my mothers favourite game these days too.

Takenoko is excellent… it is currently my partners favourite game as well, it's pretty much all we play 😛except i’m now pushing for 7 wonders, because that's bloody excellent too 😛

I was so happy I got 7 wonders to the table with 7 players when I hosted board games the other week. It's one of those games you need to play twice when starting off- once to get people in the flow and mechanics, second time to actual play.

7 Wonders is my partners second favourite game. We play it when we can. I have been craving it a bit lately.

Haven't played that, but I’m going ot a board game day for international tabletop this Sat so i’ll see if I can get a game of it in. I always make a point of playing something new at these things.

It's a Bauza game, nothing can go wrong. 🙂 ALL HAIL BAUZA ALL HAIL BAUZA ALL HAIL BAUZA ALL HAIL BAUZA ALL HAIL BAUZA ALL HAIL BAUZA ALL HAIL BAUZA ALL HAIL BAUZA ALL HAIL BAUZA ALL HAIL BAUZA ALL HAIL BAUZA ALL HAIL BAUZA ALL HAIL BAUZA ALL HAIL BAUZA ALL HAIL BAUZA ALL HAIL BAUZA ALL HAIL BAUZA ALL HAIL BAUZA ALL HAIL BAUZA ALL HAIL BAUZA ALL HAIL BAUZA ALL HAIL BAUZA ALL HAIL BAUZA ALL HAIL BAUZA ALL HAIL BAUZA ALL HAIL BAUZA ALL HAIL BAUZA ALL HAIL BAUZA ALL HAIL BAUZA ALL HAIL BAUZA ALL HAIL BAUZA ALL HAIL BAUZA ALL HAIL BAUZA

Our Bauza, who art in Valence, hallowed be thy name.Your kingdom cardYour will be drafton earth, as it is in Hanabi

Yes, all hail Bowser!

@mrtaco i was going to post boooooooooo but then I realised you’d construe that as another Mario reference.

Bauza is our spirit animal.

Everyone seems to be all hype about 2048, but I’m not quite sure why. I heard that 1 out of every hundred games can be finished by simply going up and right continuously. Sounds kinda broken to me.. I haven't played it myself though, so perhaps it's fun enough to make it worth taking a look at?

Lol, and I thought today would go smoothly at work, with no major hassles to be seen. Lol. What a silly boy.

Dunno if it's been mentioned here yet but just a heads up that there's pretty big The Last of Us spoilers in the "If Video Game Covers Were More Honest" article

Yeah, I figured that's what that was.

Thanks for the heads up

Helpius strikes again!

Thanks Spoilerman!

(Not that I read many actual articles these days :P)

Picture spoiler! (well there's words in the picture :P)

Had to laugh got some National Party propaganda in the mail today, since i’ve no interest in them, since they have done nothing to help our town at a state level like promised, I gave it to the dog and not even she wanted anything to do with it, haha.

Also had to cut the dogs nails since one of her dew claws was extremely long :S She is the only dog i’ve had that makes no fuss when having her nails cut, doesn't freak out or anything like our other dog used to. It's a real pleasure, and i’m less likely to accidentally cut too far and nick a vein.

Despite my frequent musings over past supposed-achievements, I have come to truly believe that being a father to my children will be the most important thing I ever do with my life.

So, to TAYbies taking the parenting path: two words. WORTH IT! 😀

And that's what more people should say – instead of telling people "Oh you’ll lose sleep" or "You’ll have no money" and all that. Just say two words to a prospective parent.

Worth it.

I don't know, I’d rather hear it how it is:

"You’ll have no money, you’ll forget what unbroken sleep is, you’ll get no free time, you’ll want to tear your hair out at their logic, you’ll lose your valuables to curious fingers, you’ll be forced to touch substances that you can't even fathom, you’ll fret and stress about their safety every day for the rest of your life, and will never again know the bliss of total self-involvement… but it's worth it."

See I went with the abridged version. You just had to go all War & Peace.On the plus side, that's the longest thing I’ve seen you write in ages where you haven't plugged your products.

We love you and your constant plugging. Oh wait, that came out wrong. Uh. Look, just don't change.

You could make it up to @shane by going to Bookdepository and buying copies of the Aurealis award nominated Peaceful Tomorrows.

100 copies would make it up to me.

Hey, if we get sales to spike, your canada guy might notice

Sigh, how I wish @bish would notice.

FINE NEXT PAY I’ll buy one of all of your novels.

This guy.

@tigerion @rize @chuloopa @dc

Worth it.

(I threw DC in there for laughs.)

:'(

Hey! Why the sad face? I recall you mentioned you would love to have kids and that you are father material, on your blog post! It’ll happen!

If his child is anything like him, he wouldn't have to worry for a while. It’ll likely inherit his hermitude, and stay in the womb until someone drags it out kicking and screaming! That's providing he ever got out of the house to find himself in the kind of situation that could result in this kind of thing happening. 😉

You’re an inspiration.

I’m actually looking forward to this with relish. I can't wait to see my little son/daughter 😀

It's the most important thing any parent will do with their lives! o/

\o

/cheesefest

Every front lawn in all of Australia would be overgrown and gnarled if people didn't have kids to do the work.

nope.jpg

Warning: rant

A constant source of underlying stress these last few months have been two projects I have under submission to my publisher: my next graphic novel, The Game, and a proposal for a Kickstarter campaign for its follow-up. I sent them both to my publisher in early December, and am yet to hear back, almost four months later. Have run out of polite ways to follow-up – I’ve only gotten one response so far, promising quick action, and then… nothing.

Was hoping to have my Kickstarter project live this week, but can't do that without the permission of my publisher. Am going to have to adjust all the timelines and plans I’ve had laid out for months. Was hoping to see the release of The Game this year, but that might not happen either, which means that I won't have any new material at Oz Comic-Con this year, if I go.

Every day I have to really fight the urge not to fire off another email. Every day I write something tetchy into Gmail, and then delete it. Really disliking this. Really, really disliking it.

Gah, I know in the scheme of things, this isn't a huge deal, but I find it really frustrating not being able to get an answer either way. Feeling angry and uncharitable towards folks who get in the way of my dreams. >:(

Your publisher is in Canada, yes?

Are you saying I should expect them to be slow? 😛

No, I’m saying send @saturday in to kick some arse.

Actually, I was wondering whether you could jump ship.

My existing contract for previous books say that they get first refusal on future works with the same characters/setting. If they refuse, I can jump ship, and might do so.

It's tough, sure.

Pity you can't readily set up a face-to-face, and from here you dunno hat's going on there- they may be in some sort of financial strife or similar.

Would you be able to skype someone there?

That would involve successfully getting a reply to an email asking for a Skype chat 😛

I see him ‘online’ on Gmail from time to time. I think next time I see him there, I’ll open a chat window and see what happens.

While we’re talking publishing, does Triumviratus have a publisher? the art for that is pretty cool

@redartifice: Not yet. But it will one day. I’ve only sent it to a few places so far…

surely after four months you are well within your legal right to offer them an ultimatum?

worst case, some quick edits and Drathk the wild horse tamer, becomes Horus the Stable Master!

Err doesn't combining kicking and Saturday usually end badly for him?

Depends if you consider a Canadian Prison Record a bad thing or not… 😛

I think you are missing a reference here. Which is more extreme than you are thinking

I’d write out a timeline of events, a list of contacts and replies and then phone/VOIP. It's harder to ignore or postpone a phone call and with a detailed list of how many times they’ve screwed up, you should be able to pin them to a definite timeline for action and make them stick to it. Be sure to tell them that you’ll make a note of the date, in a nice way but one that leaves no doubt that you’ll be checking

Ideally in their head they should see a little box in the corner of their view that says "Shane will remember this"

That would be nice. But I have no phone number for them. It's just a one-man business (with some outsourced work).

And I feel kind of bad about outright confrontation, because he is a nice guy. I think he's just a bit overworked.

That said, I’ve got a mental list of all the issues I’ve got (and have had in the past). It's not a short list. I was too grateful just to be published (and still am) to make a big deal about any of this stuff, but I guess my patience for it wasn't infinite…. :\

Yeah there clearly needs some discussion at least, overworked or not he needs to get a bit more happening. Maybe just an email detailing the way your timelines are being messed up will motivate him a bit

Do you have a phone number for them? Might not be cheap, but phone calls at least get some kind of immediate response./edit …..and as soon as I post this, I see the above post saying you don't have a phone number. Oh well. That sucks man 🙁 Best of luck! If you do wish to try and track down a number, I know a few peeps who live in Canada who might be able to help you track em down if you want.

Looks like somebody made friends with the upload button@transientmind

OH… Pixel can't read… NOTHING TO SEE HERE, MOVE ON

I thought he was talking about upvotes too.

I totally couldn't figure this out for ages. You’re talking about Steam, right? I’ve uploaded more screenies than that! I was showing a friend how to upload screenies to Steam. So I could check out WoW armor sets.

Yeah, I just went into my activity and there was a whole bunch from you from half a dozen different games. It was more that I had to scroll through multiple pages to get past them. Not that I mind, I like looking and reading comments on screenshots

Nice Tits. (SFW)

Ahhhhh the Great tit, so majestic. I still don't understand people who prefer the bearded tit, personally I think even the penduline tit is better

DAMN that's a lot of Tits

Big ones, small ones. Great variety.

Some as big as yer’ head!

Gotta be careful motorboating those bad boys! Likely to knock yourself out, or worse, suffocate!

Give ’em a twist, a flick o’ the wrist, that's what the showman said.

so majestic

Just spent 45 minutes explaining to my friend that his PC is "Freezing" because his GPU is overheating….

the highlight of the discussion?

"If my GPU thing is Overheating wouldnt that help thaw the rest of my computer so it works warmer?"

Take away his computer before he hurts someone with it.

i suggested he cook some bacon on his gpu instead.. 117 degrees should do the trick!

Payrise! \o/

Your shout then?

Money! \o/

More tax \o/

Wait a minute that's a bad thing!

Eh, you still come out ahead.

Yeah I know, I just wanted to be witty /o\

Just I’ve had that argument or tried to explain it to many times.But that payrise will put me into the next tax bracket which means I’ll be worse off because my tax rate will be higher. GAH! Is it really that hard

Barring some exotic tax thing there's no.pay rise that leaves you with less take home pay. Your income may grow slower, but under standard income tax you’ll still be better

I know. But some people can't understand the concept of the different rates for different portions of your yearly salary. So if I go from tax rate X to tax rate Y that is on my entire salary. It's frustrating that they don't get it

Payraise the sun!

Fark! Nice work sire! wish I could say the same! :\

Just read a preview of The Witcher 3.Haven't played either of the previous games, though TW2 has been sitting on my shelf for quite a while. Either way, Witcher 3 sounds really really good. Here's hoping it comes off, but I have faith that CD Projekt Red can pull it off. They seem to be a studio who knows whats what

You need to fix your lack of Witchering. It is one of the top two or three RPGs of the last 10 years.

I know, its definitely on the list. Should I play 1 first or is it fine to jump in at 2?

1 is a great game but it has some really clunky parts. It's built on a heavily modified Neverwinter Nights engine and it's amazing what they ended up doing with it. I personally loved it, but TW2 is miles better in just about every way.

Huh! I did not know that, Neg. But it all kinda makes sense when you look at the crafting system in particular.

@novacascade TW1 is pretty prehistoric, but it still manages to be playable. The graphics are solid and oh MAN does it do the worldbuilding right. If you play TW1 and TW2, you’ll pretty much be steeped in all the Witching you could want.

Nothing like having the starter cord on the mower snap when you go to do the mowing…

Put the mower on it's side and hand start it like the old prop driven bi-planesDon't do this

I’m sure if I put in slow I have a better chance, right? 😛

Instructions unclear. Now I’m Jewish.

Dont forget to remove the chalk and have someone there to guide you down the runway

Can you replace the cord?

Yeah, gonna do that tomorrow it's pretty straight forward. Just gotta remember to use some vice clamps on the spring mechanism so I don't lose a finger 😛

Ours has been gone for over a year… So we took the cover off the engine and to start it we wrap a thick electrical cord around part of the exposed engine and pull start that! SAFETY!

As tempting as that sounds.. Think i’ll pass 😛

Icypoles are awesome.

Wow they still make those?! Coooool!

They’re no Frosty Fruits though.

Silly local paper, publishing an article about Robins Kitchen and how the local store is set to reopen in a few weeks time, it reopened last week 😛 I can sorta see why the company went bankrupt nationwide, their stuff isn't cheap, which is expected for brand name kitchenware, but even the no name brand stuff which isn't very durable is very expensive :S

Eyyyyyy

Is it worth letting calls for impromptu phone interviews go to voice mail/tell them I’m busy at the moment (even if I’m not) and have them call back later so I can actually prepare for them?

I just got a call from someone mid-way through a Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright trial :P!

I did alright but fumbled a bit on the "what do you know about our company" part. Usually I’d research it but there's the whole impromptu thing, and researching in-depth before/while applying would take too long. Another company called to give a heads up about a phone interview so that was good but too bad the phone interview didn't ask about the company itself :/

While I’m asking advice…

I got a letter for jury service a few weeks ago and I did the online forum to get out of it. Has anyone else got out of it? It's not that I just don't want to do it (I actually wouldn't mind), but the period they gave me is RIGHT in the middle of when a whole lot of jobs I applied for have interviews and it’ll definitely interfere with it. You can also be exempt from it if you live more than 50km away from the place, and according to Google Maps I live about 40kms. Public transport around me is also terrible.

The online form didn't have a "explain yourself" box like the physical one did but would those be legitimate enough reasons? If I can't get out of it then I’d at least look to postpone it so I don't miss any interviews.

Thanks peeps

I might have told this story before, but I once took part in a phone interview whilst riding a packed bus.My fellow passengers enjoyed it. I did not.One lady in particular paid close attention to my answers, smirking away as I fumbled through cliche responses regarding strengths, weaknesses, previous experience, etc.

Ouch :/

Good thing I don't go outside

I’ve answered job interview calls while playing Dota.

Yes, valid reasons regarding jury duty. "I will be busy performing entry interviews for jobs relating highly to my future career" etc/

Honestly, I signed up for jury duty and forgot to send the follow-up form with all my permissions and everything until it was too late. Called the Sheriff to ask if I was in trouble or what I had to do next and they said, "Enh. Whatevs. It all good."

Next round of Studio Ghibli JP Bluray releases announced: – The Wind Rises, June 18 – Spirited Away, July 16

Preordering both with the fury of a thousand suns. At least once Amazon JP pulls their finger out and lists them. July 16 coincides with the JP theatrical release of Ghibli's next film, When Marnie Was There.

Presumably the release cycle after this will be Princess Kaguya and Ocean Waves. Really hoping Ocean Waves doesn't get forgotten just because it was made for TV and not theatrical, as it's the only older Ghibli film I haven't seen. Seems a bit fishy that they’d hold it for after Spirited Away, but on the other hand it also makes sense to have Spirited Away, Miyazaki's most internationally famous film, release alongside his final film.

Cannot wait to see Spirited Away in HD.

I want this!http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-03-31/miyazaki-1st-directorial-work-listed-in-13-disc-blu-ray/dvd-box-set

Basically just re-releases of the Ghibli BDs + Nausicaa (pre-Ghibli) & Cagliostro? It’ll be stupidly expensive, those JP box sets are always crazy. Might be cheaper to just buy all the BD releases. They’re region-free, up to about Arrietty and Ponyo they include the English dub (and in some cases other dubs too, eg the Porco BD has the amazing French dub) and the presentation of the cases is stunning.

Just finished work and I can barely lift my arms, just doing a final reaed through of what I wrote about Trials so that should be up within the hour..looking at you @greenius

So expect a wall of text from me soon, also how was everyone's day?

WOO TRIALS!

Man, this inFamous Paper Trail is a lot of hassle.

Yep.. I did the first bit then said MEH to it.

I decided not to bother the instant I heard I’d have to dick around with some ARG over like a 5 week period. Fuck that shit. If the content isn't in the game when I begin playing, or easy to add, I’m not going to play it and I’m sure as hell not going to go back to a game I finished just for the DLC.

It's irritating that it's making me switch between the PS4 and the PC constantly, which wouldn't be so bad if they weren't at opposite ends of the house.

Could it work on a tablet? (if it's just online with no java or something?)

This is the primary reason I haven't been using the wiki for Dark Souls 2. 🙂 No moral high ground or enjoyment considerations, just… it's a pain in the ass.

The guidebook is very good. I often have that open in front of me while I play! I’m sure @thecracks got kind of irritated when I was just standing around in Black Gulch, certain that I’d missed something 😛

Not at all! I learned things! (Was my first run through there, as it happened :P). Particularly pleased to learn where Lucatiel was.

Oh cool. I had no idea. You handled yourself confidently 😛

I see things, and I stab them.

Currently making banana bread, it smells good, lets hope it tastes equally as good.

All banana bread is good!

Agreed, this recipe calls for nutmeg & cinnamon in it, oh man it makes it taste so epic. Also the cream cheese frosting is also much win.

How did it turn out?

Awesomely is the answer lol.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBNaHiQ7G28Sorry for the poor quality.

I’m now charged with pumping a small child full of sugar and buying it noisy toys promptly before handing it back to my brother.This is going to be the best job in the world.

For its fourth birthday you should give it a drum kit.

Best present.

Basically any musical instrument is a perfect present

So Joe Hockey comes out and says all of Australia is going to have to bear the burden of a budget crunch and "everyone will have to do some heavy lifting" as the economy is apparently struggling.

Same day that QLD MP's get a $55,000 pay rise they claim they have "no choice but to accept".

Sometimes I feel pretty certain the current government we have is quite literally the worst we’ve ever had. I don't like to throw the word "corruption" around much as the term can get devalued pretty quickly but god damn…

Corrupt sexist criminal misogynistic backwards bigoted racist homophobic totalitarian I don't see a problem.

You forgot barbaric violation of human rights Nah, everything's fiiiine

They want to cut the pension by $200. I get $900, that would bring it down to $700. Also, our pensioner discounts on bills are usually negated by GST meaning our only discount is really the gst being removed (which is usually $10 or under)They are morons.

Morons would imply a degree of innocence rather than an informed willingness to screw over the people who can afford it least so they can say they’re saving money which doesn't make a bit of difference because they’re happy to let society go to shit

Strange thing is that Centrelink gave me $100 more than usual last week, who knows, maybe it was their way of saying "Stock up on essentials while you can"

"you’re going to be screwed in a month's time."I need to write a letter to Bill shorten about how difficult things will be if they remove $200 from both mine and my mother's pays.

Bill Shorten doesn't care. Some work experience kid at his office would respond to you with a form letter.

I know that, but the point is if it's a written complaint, at least it's there

You’re both right. :/

I couldn't live off my university allowance. I was making a loss every pay period. If I didn't have some savings I wouldn't have made it. :\ Under-paying allowances is nothing new i guess.

Those in charge getting crazierJob queues grow through the land…

Song's 33 years old and seems to get more relevant with time rather than less…

I feel like they are preparing for when the economy bellies up by stashing as much money away as they can before people catch on and kick them out of parliament, however that just opens the door for more MP's to get pay rise's every 6 months or so

Or saving up to buy defences when people storm PH to burn it to the ground.

Actually no, it's politicians… saving up to buy individual escape routes when that happens

Why can't I upvote this twice?

It's probably payback for when I couldn't upvote one of your comments twice

I’m sorry?

I’ve just realised it's been ages since I’ve seen you say that. It's definitely you.

Oh man, you should’ve seen me when I first started commenting on here. Every post had a sorry. Every response was a sorry. The people here have helped* me stop it a bit

*yelled at me for saying sorry constantly

@scree I never knew… I feel I should say sorry…

@aliasalphaNo, it's fine.

Sounds like I should secure a nice corrupt cushy job with the gov't and hoard the money while I can 😛

You have to be pretty senior to get the perks. Especially in Queensland, where the govt is taking a huge rusty axe to pretty much all public services :\

Pshhhh, Queensland has nothing on what it used to be like.

JOH! JOH! JOH!

Good ol’ Joh!

Word is they’re also having another go at a stolen generation.

I know the current crop of worthless, compassionless, amoral cockbags politicians have a retro kick going but fuck me there's fads we don't need to revive

They just gave Campbell a 70k pay rise last week ffs :/ He's now on a 380k salary apparently.

You know, I’d not even mind that if there wasn't a pretty fair reason to assume they were also being paid by other people…

Don't begrudge the man a trifling 22% pay rise. I’m sure he works very hard and earned every cent :\

Yeah, i’m sure he did Shane.. lol.

Trials: From a greenhorn to a more bruised and sore greenhorn

With the newest iteration of the Trials franchise now in Beta and it's release roaring around the corner like a kid who can't find the brakes on their new pit bike, the decision was made that this was as better time as any to try my hand at what some call the proverbial Dark Souls of motocross. After winning a beta key off of University Of Trials’ Head Professor FatShady I put my money down, picked up a copy of Trial's Evolution and set myself up for a weekend of expletives, bruised fingers and a sore neck as well as some more expletives.

I started with Evolution because I guess, why not? It has a strong following and, well, I had it already installed and needed to kill time while Fusion installed. So I strapped my helmet on, booted it up, only to get hit in the mouth by what can only be described as one of the funniest opening screen songs I’ve ever heard. The music in Evolution is the perfect blend of "pump up" and "rage" to fit in to the mood you are going to be in for the foreseeable future every time you go for a no fault run and crash in the last 2 seconds of your leader board breaking time. As I loaded up the training level to get my license and my first bike I was nervous, knowing that I was going to get addicted and knew I would stop at nothing to get good at this game, my laptop had other ideas, the game was lagging, the screen would jitter even on the lowest settings with everything possible on low, playing in a windowed screen helped but I’m one of those few who despise windowed play to no end, it feels emersion breaking and while a game like this doesn't need much emersion it still feels wrong playing it windowed but I proceeded as it was all I could do cursing the design of not having a graphics quality changer. Like a child who's learning to ride I found my style was full throttle, no breaks and what the hell is leaning. Safe to say after multiple crashes on the first 3 tracks I realised that play style was not going to cut it. But I learned, I adapted, I started to lean and gain the confidence to take jumps at speed knowing I can land this, which I didn't. I needed to go back to the drawing board and figure out what I was doing wrong, after half an hour of try and try again I got the hang of it, I was keeping up and getting gold medals. That didn't last long however as my laptop over heated and shut off ending my play for the night.

After the laptop over heating fiasco I decided maybe I should try Fusion as it had finished downloading before my laptop blacked out. Loading it up the music is still in the field of "pump up" sound with a twist! its more electro synth rock over the heavier rock rap of Evolution this works well to fit in with the Sci-Fi vibe they are running with in Fusion. The game surprisingly runs smoother as well and the addition of a graphics changer is most welcoming. Running on medium I have the same frame rate issue as I did in Evolution but by dropping it to low the game runs like a charm only slowing down ever slightly during heavy level effects occurring in the background. At first glance Fusion's feels slim lined and polished; everything is shiny and new from the new menu outlay to even the after race reports. Even on low graphics the game looks amazing, the combination of Future and Nature works well without being too overpowering of the other and the detail in what's happening in the background half the time makes you want to just stop and gaze out into the world.

While Evolution has the obvious advantage being the seasoned vet with the massive fan base clocking in new leader board highs everyday as well as loyal riders creating amazing, jaw dropping tracks which they have been doing for years, I feel Fusion is the better choice for a new rider. While it doesn't have the player base or the back catalogue of player made tracks Fusion is the new kid on the block with the shiny bike eventually people will come around to see.

While my playtime with both of these game has only been minor, roughly 2 hours each I believe, the games are definitely worth the praise that they receive and it's easy to realise now why so many people love playing these games, it's addictive. The hunt to always do better on the leader board, to get better by playing more, getting smarter in the way that you play, that's why people play Trials for the act of pushing your skills to the edge then going over it and praying you don't crash on your zero fault run.

The opening song for Fusion sounds very much like Pendulum, which I wasn't expecting, though it's certainly not unwelcome.

As for framerate issues, I’ve found lowering the resolution to have the most dramatic effect, and dropping it to 1920×1080 sees it running like a charm.

It may well be optimised specifically for 1920×1080 because it's all the poor widdle consoles can output.

Have you run into any weird geometry bugs when retrying tracks, like tiny invisible objects that you can collide with? I’ve had runs messed up by them more than once, rather frustrating to be cruising along really well over open ground and suddenly have your front wheel react like you’ve hit a tiny box and flip you over

Yeah, I’m not sure what causes it, though occasionally the wheels will interact incorrectly with something. At best I’ll lose momentum (which can be manipulated in one spot at least, to my knowledge), at worst I’ll crash.It's been a run-breaker sometimes 😛

Yeah I’ve got a few instances capped, I’m thinking of editing them together, youtubifying them (when my net is uncapped) and sending the link to redlynx.

Because I’ve only ever noticed it on replays of the track, I’m thinking maybe the level isn't quite unloaded correctly before being reloaded and there's occasional fragments of collision mesh still there

Yeah ive had those, on one map it happened and the entire screen went brown and so I couldn't see but it would let me keep riding only fixing itself when I crashed

Weeeeeeelll since we’re talking Trials I might as well casually mention that* I topped the distance achieved by a certain @fatshadylive in the balancing act skill game by a good 15 metres (doesn't sound like much but it sure is at that stage of the level) and am currently 45th in the world.

*Everything that follows was correct when I logged off last night, who knows now…

Was this in Evo or Fusion? either way add me on UPlay ColdCamV

In fusion, it's the easiest of the skill games I’m sure but I’m going to stay near the top as long as I can

I’m pretty sure PC isn't his main platform 😛

And if any of us learnt anything last time, DO NOT tell Shady you beat his score because he WILL beat yours ;D

I’ve got Evo on both, not 100% on what platform I’m getting fusion for yet but the beta is PC and I’ll almost inevitably get it on PC one day if I don't at launch.

I already tweeted shady bragging, so far he's not improved his score even the slightest, I’d say someone's scared…

Im just happy I beat Greenius's score to be honest, I couldnt get past 272m

Wait until the full release and I’ll be back with a revengeance!

If you’re not doing so already, use the smaller bike, far easier to manage on the higher angles.

I did enjoy reading all of this. I’m not going to make excuses, that balancing act track is tricky and i know the jump you had to make to beat me. you did well getting to that point, i have only done it once.

I will try but can't really give it any time atm because of work, but i’ll get you back 🙂

Friendly tip, there's no finesse involved in making that jump at all, it's pure power. You know how you have to get up the bendy thing that kind of looks like a solar panel? Try a slow buildup of speed till you reach the section where it flattens out then floor it, you’ll shoot up and the back wheel will hit the top of the next obstacle, a quick tap of the brake and you’ll stabilise and be able to be pissed off by the next section.

Play more! It sucks that Evolution isn't really working well though :(.

The Fusion beta is really limited in what it offers (which is understandable for a beta), so I’m not really playing it yet and I’ll wait for the full release. The later tracks in the Medium-Extreme difficulty are my favourite ones.

Oh, and Urban Trials on Vita isn't related at all. I think it's just a copycat game 😛

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UTrftZSjTw&feature=youtu.be

My favourite start up song!

I reckon, it only really started affecting the game after the first few levels, mainly the Storm The Beach level and everything after that have framerate issues for me

It's a bit of a sloppy port all things considered, even my rather powerful system has framerate troubles at times. The quick fix I’ve found is flicking the menu open and closed again. Can't imagine why it works but it does seem to

There's a From Dusk Till Dawn TV series?

SOLD!

Has this anything to do with the 90's movies with Danny Trejo, Quentin Tarantino & George Clooney..?

Yes. Yes it does.

Epic. Hope it's good then!

Speaking of Danny Trejo, Machete Kills is out on DVD and Blu-Ray, and I believe he's got a cameo in The Muppets: Most Wanted.

Edit: Apparently they’ve already confirmed a second season too.

http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/from-dusk-till-dawn-tv-show-gets-second-season-1201147515/

Haha yeah I bought it on Blu-Ray today when I saw about 3 weeks back it was out. So good.

I need to see The Muppets, seems promising. I love Danny Trejo, can't recall where I first saw him though, but all I remember he's basically only ever played a cartel boss or something similar lol. Loved his role in Sons of Anarchy as a Cartel boss working with the DEA. Always thought he was underrated for what he does. lol.

I’ll just leave this here, @kermitron.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoU-w8e3bLQ

@phlanispoI’m not sure if you played the originals (I did after Explorers of Time) but this was an interesting Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Red and Blue trivia:http://i.imgur.com/Uie0yB8.jpg

Yeah, I think I saw a similar post on memebase about three years ago.

You could misconstrue it to be subliminal messaging, as the Blue Rescue was the DS version, and Red Rescue was the GBA version. The Blue Rescue people are looking down at the Red Rescue people because they are the master race of DS users.(I wouldn't put it past Nintendo to try something like that, but I don't think that was the intention)

On the topic of whether I played the first Mystery Dungeon, I did. I played Red Rescue team, but it was too hard for me. The damn hunger system kept screwing me over. I later played Mystery Dungeon Explorers, and really liked it. Shortly after, I picked up a version of Mystery Dungeon Blue Rescue that had a bunch of cheats to make the game easier.

I find that Explorers is the far superior version. I felt that Rescue was trying to appeal exclusively to kids, evidenced by the fact that the rival team was called Team Meanies. Whereas in Explorers, it's allHey you caught Grovyle? Good for you! NOW WITNESS YOUR OWN EXECUTION AT THE STAKE, MOTHERFUCKER.

Or the DS cartridge slot was above the GBA cartridge slot on the original DS/Lite.Explorers spoiler:That was the great thing about the plot. It was just such a good twist with such a dark side compared to the rather upbeat style of the game earlier (it was really intriguing as well, all those flashback things and the stone, and the time gears!) I still never really got part of the future plot though – were those lights supposed to be a futuristic version of treasure town?

Funny fact, this was before I had played much of the main games, so I thought that was Celebi's normal colour. I was so confused when I started playing the main games properly. I still don ‘t consider the Celebi in explorers to be a shiny – I just assume it's a genetic mutation caused by the time problem or something. None of the other pokémon are shiny, except for this one random one in the future…

If I have one problem, it's that the villain shouldn't have been a Dusknoir. According to the Pokedex entry, a Dusknoir is literally the grim reaper. I instantly distrusted him when I first met him. When he caught Grovyle, I decided that my presumption was incorrect, and that I shouldn't have predicted his personality based on what Pokemon he was. That's just not fair, he doesn't get to choose what Pokemon he gets to be.NOPE EXECUTION AT THE STAKE.

But seriously, they should have picked a different Pokemon to play the villain. Keep his personality and stuff, that was awesome. But they should have picked a Pokemon that was intimidating, but not instantly recognisable as a bad guy.

Chun Soft (the developers) should have picked a Pokemon like Rampardos, or Granbull, or Smoochum the duckface pokemon would have been a better than trying to pretend that the grim reaper is a swell guy.

I had a response, but it crashed before I could post it, so I’m going to do it briefly:I didn't exactly trust Dusknoir, but I found Grovyle more of a threat (time stopping still).It's hard to imagine anyone else in the role: Ramparados is too big (all the pokémon in the guild would have been looking up at him) and Smoochum and Grunbull are too small. The pokémon has to be strong, strong enough to go around in a dungeon by themselves, remember? Smoochum and Grunbull don't really fit that description (I know size is irrelevant in the Dungeon world, but this is about viewer placement). I think Rhydon would be a good choice, tough looking (especially with all that armour) and medium-size.

http://pokemondb.net/pokedex/dusknoirUhh, Rampardos is 1.6m tall, and Dusknoir is 2.21 tall. Everyone was looking up at him anyway.

Lol, I thought Ramparados was massively tall. Ignore that then 😛I think that he’d be a good choice, as long as his dialogue was very much altered from Dusknoir's. As long as whatever Pokémon you choose isn't as mysterious as Dusknoir was, it could work. I want to play these games again now >:)

I feel tired, and want to sleep.I’min bed, but I’m not tired.I might watch every episode of Kill la Kill on my tablet.

Also, Carmageddon on Android is fantastic.

http://www.siliconera.com/2014/03/31/bravely-defaults-success-west-making-square-enix-rethink-jrpgs I’m stunned. Squenix sound like they actually finally get it.

I still don't understand why they didn't/haven't released Kingdom Hearts 1.5 ReMix on the Vita, seriously X seems to be showing them that Vita can handle their games so why not release KH on it too, I for one would love to play it on the go

I got it on the PS3, and it looked really good, but then it just went on the pile of shame (I thought that the only difference between normal and easy was the items you get at the start, but apparently not…So I’m thinking of retrying on easy :P).I think I just play more games in general on handhelds or mobile. Even if the TV is right there, a handheld/mobile is just more personal, and I find, more engaging than watching it on a big-screen TV.

Yeah I brought it on PS3 and to be honest I havent even unwraped it yet, it sits inbetween all my other games still wrapped in plastic and has been for the past few months, since before christmas atleast.

Fuck Kingdom Hearts, where's my localized Vita port of FF Type-0?

At least Squenix are actually releasing Vita games in English though. Bandai Namco haven't released anything since Ridge Racer at launch. 🙁

I have succumbed to the ideaology that it is never coming that way if they ever announce it the hype train will be full swing but if its not well then if I cant see it, hear it or smell it it doesnt exist.

Yeah hopefully they see this as a stepping stone to get more games out on the vita, we can only hope

There's a fan translation which should be out either this month or next so if Squenix doesn't pull their finger out then they’re going to be too late.

But how does one get their hands on said fan translation? Squenix won't announce anything at the most they will try and cease and desist the fan translation and claim a port will be coming in the future

Keep an eye on TAY. Also I imagine a lot of the game blogs like Kotaku will mention it. I don't think Squenix will C&D unless they intend to release it themselves.

In terms of actually running it you’ll need a CFW PSP or possibly a PSP Emulator plus a legit copy of the Japanese release of the game.

You know what needs to come back properly? The expansion pack. Blizzard are basically the only people out there that do it any more. I feel much better about buying an expansion to a game I like than I do about buying bits of story DLC.

Aren't they basically the same?Both offer additional content to a game which (usually) has to be pre-bought.Or are expansions usually bigger? (I missed most of the expansion-based games).

But, the Sims is still going strong with expansion packs 😛

Expansion packs were what they called sequels on the same game engine back in the day.

This. Nowadays the only games that get true Expansion Packs are MMOs. Stuff like Diablo III's Reaper of Souls is incredibly rare.

Well based on GTA4's output, there's hope that Rockstar will keep the spirit alive

Agreed, but people are too impatient to wait 9 months for all say 5 bits of DLC to be put together in what is essentially an expansion pack *sigh*

Assuming the DLC in question is actually story content not crap like skins, guns, maps, vehicles etc..

Story DLC is different because it usually slots into the main game or is completely stand-alone. It's not the same thing as an expansion which would usually be an entire campaign or a continuation of the story or similar.

Sure, you could take say Mass Effect 3 and build an expansion with those 4-5 Story DLC packs, but you can only experience those while playing the game itself. If that pack comes out 9 months down the track then you’re already done with the game. Hell, I haven't touched any of the DLC from that game that wasn't available in the first week, because I’m not interested in re-playing the whole thing just to experience it.

I’m completely okay with expansions that are basically whole new games on the same engine as well. What I want is to see more Reaper of Souls or more Blood Dragon-style re-using the same engine with extra content in what is essentially a brand new game.

Bring it back!

I know you were joking but if there was a thing like that that I could slot into the PS4 to add PS3 back-compat I would buy it in a heartbeat.

Did anyone else find it weird that when you save a conduit from being beaten to death by a mob that same mob starts cheering you for saving him?

Nope, I killed both the conduit & people. I usually found I had cops or D.U.P shooting at me, it's like I did something wrong, pfft 😛

*Walk around town, people cheering you, all like "Marry Me Delsin!"*

*Shoot a drone*

*Everyone runs away screaming*

😐

I think i’m happy I went inFAMOUS over Hero.. Everyone runs screaming from me regardless, it's awesome.

When I finally get a PS4, I think I’ll quickly blast through the story missions and get my good playthrough out of the way, then do an evil playthrough doing all the side missions and find all the collectibles and stuff along the way.

Yeah that sounds like a decent idea. I’m gonna do a hero play through at some point lol.

Only as weird as it is that a bunch of people will be cheering and carrying on when you walk past if you’re doing the Blue path and then the instant you use any powers they run away screaming. It's like, was it really that much of a surprise?

At least you don't keep failing your super-powers because no matter what you do, ‘restraining’ these people is evil – yet good – yet evil.

Why would a mob beat a conduit to death? What did it do?

You will get conduits in your recommended items list from now on. Mwa ha ha!

Totally just summoned @thecracks in Dark Souls 2. Spent ages just waving to each other, while our torches slowly burned down. Then he died very rapidly. His summon sign appeared again a bit later, and I think we got as far as The Rotten… but he died again 😛

Thanks for the help, man. Definitely good to have some assistance with those Black Gulch… things.

PS: Just beat The Rotten, completed Lucatiel's third successful summon, and got my final Great Soul. Now I’m off to seek "the castle", which I assume is a different one from the three or four I’ve already explored… 😛

No no. You’ve finished the game. Congratulations.

I still have seventeen achievements to get 😛

Speaking of… just finished the game myself.So I go to check the wiki to see what I missed.OH MY GOD I AM SO OBLIVIOUS I MISSED ALL THE THINGS.

So I have some back-tracking to do. Being SL 210+ and maxed out all my gear (OMG @freezespreston you can buy infinite titanite chunks when you’re done!), much of this stuff is proving to be trivially easy.

Yeah, I’ve glossed over a few things, like the Dark Covenant thingo. I’ve met the geezer in one or two places, but there's one in the Gulch that I don't feel up to tackling just yet (have to fight through some pretty powerful giants to reach him), and I don't plan to tackle the Abyss until endgame anyway, so I’ll come back later 🙂

Oh, re those giants… bring some poison arrows (say, about… 30-odd for safety's sake). You can run right between them or around the edge of the wall into a little alcove behind them. They’re very susceptible to poison, so just plink away at them (4 hits to activate, I think) and wait. 🙂

Well… that sounds easy enough.

You DO have to fight that same type of giant properly, later, so I probably should’ve taken advantage of the opportunity to learn their move-set and stuff, but it's pitch-black and there's two of them, so fuck that. Cheap little punk mode it was.

Cheap little punk mode is my mode!Sniped the fat Heide's Tower boss until he turned around, went into his fog door and only had to hit him once to take him down.And more recently, that mob of guys in the room on the way to Ruin Sentinels. Open the door, lure them and run and shut the door before they get me. Go around and snipe them all through the window while they’re congregating at the door. Extinctified them that way. Worked really well except for that one time I accidentally shut myself inside with them. 😛

@strange What's really fun with that mob of guys is tricking one of them into swinging and striking the powder kegs in that room. KABOOM. Clean-up, aisle 3. I imagine a pyromancer would find it even easier.

When I was down to the last two that you have to go right into the room to lure out, that was my preferred method. So much fun.

The Castle is frakking scary looking.Was awesome to be randomly summoned and then notice your name!Sorry I sucked hard the first time!

Hahaha, it's all good, man. I hate those dog things – you helped! 😀

Walking Dead TV show.Well, I s’pose we had to see Rick again sometime. Shame. 😛 Also, "Samurai" made me giggle.

Dark Souls 2.Stoopid Ruin Sentinels. I think I need a gooderer shield. Also, got invaded by a Princess something or other and half-killed her before getting stupid and dying. Much better than I usually do.

Walking Dead.

So many monologues!

Just saw the trailer for this at the start of Machete Kills and thought it reminded me of Trainspotting, turns out it's the same creator, heh. Looks like a good movie.

It's just come to light that Aurealis Award winners are expected to give an acceptance speech. It's almost (but not quite) enough to make me hope that I don't actually win 😛

I like the positive/negative thinking there. Still… I’ll cheerfully accept an award on your behalf and give a speech on your virtuous nature and the brave struggle to pursue a dream without risking the security you need for your family, etc. Use it as a springboard for a graciously motivational bit of encouragement to others and so forth… yeah. That could work.

I’m trying to put something together now. It's hard. Don't want to be dull, don't want to seem too prepared or underprepared, and need to be brief. Really brief.

Honest opinion of this? I can't decide if it's too punny or not. Too long or not. Not humble enough. Not personal enough. Not good enough.

Edit: here's the whole thing as it currently stands.

The Cambridge Dictionary defines a ward as " a person, especially a child, who is legally put under the protection a guardian." I first came across that word while reading Batman comics as a kid. And now look where I am, accepting an award for my own comics.As much as I’d always dreamed of having a successful writing career, it never once seriously occurred to me that I might find myself winning an award for my work. Wow. Thank you. It's an amazing honour to have been selected by the Aurealis judges for this award.While I’m thanking people, I hope you’ll indulge me for just a moment so I can thank my wife Katie for her ongoing support of my after-hours second career, my friend Alex Cavenett who copyedited this book vigorously and thoroughly, and the publisher who took a risk on an unpublished and unproven young writer. Without these people, Peaceful Tomorrows would not exist, and I wouldn't be standing here today.I rather naively joined this racket in an attempt to avoid having to speak in front of large groups. I guess I’m going to have to bear this in mind when I’m deciding just how good my next book should be.This is the realisation of my life's dream, and I am so thrilled to be here with this award. Thank you again.

I like it for the cute factor – touching, and puns are always good. Harshest criticism? Too many words for too little payoff, maybe. That pun's reaching a teeny bit; you do better almosy daily on TAY. Are we trying to impress? How long do you reckon it has to be? I imagine there’ll be a few speeches given, so I’m sure some levity would probably be appreciated, but I’m sure brevity would be equally appreciated. Just depends on why you’re making the speech. What is it that you actually want to say? Thank you? Booyah? Special people to me, you’re awesome?I wasn't kidding about the motivational thing either. Something along the lines of, "This has been hard. This is why it's been hard. This is why it's worth it. I recommend it, you can do it too."

My girl (and others) have claimed I have a way with words, but I’ve tried to explain that this isn't really true… I’ve not studied the language, so frequently get the form wrong. Whenever I’ve written or said something that's had an impact, it's usually not because of any trickery with the language. It's mostly been because I’ve tried to – as succinctly as possible – convey a powerful emotion or thought. The better the reaction, I reason, the more that thought or feeling has resonated. Words are just the delivery mechanism. (Analogies are my favourite delivery mechanism for that reason – it's about relating.)

When my Dad asked me to do the Best Man's speech for him, I was pretty keenly aware that I simply don't have the skill or knew the audience well enough to make a play for ‘funny’ like you see in the movies.So I went with sincerity.I asked what I wanted to accomplish with the words, and framed them. Didn't write anything beforehand, and that actually helped – just firmed up which main gist I wanted to get across, then made sure to hit those points. I told the people there the kind of man he was, how he’d impressed me not just as a father but as a man. And said it wasn't because I was trying to ‘sell’ him to them; the man sells himself. Instead, I told them I was trying to reassure them. Because I knew every person in that room was there because they cared about Deb (his new wife). And in some way, I wanted them to feel the same reassurance that I felt, having spent time with Deb and her family, and seen the generosity and warmth they offered. Not just in their hospitality, but their generosity of spirit, of welcoming. I asked them to celebrate with me in the spirit of relief and joy, in seeing just how their different natures complimented each other so well, and in seeing that, know that they would take care of each other as well as any two people can.

The point seemed to cross the language barriers, seemed to go down pretty well. Brief, to the point, conveyed the message. I think message is more important than form.What's your message?

Thanks, man. Your feedback is appreciated!

My message, I think, is "I don't want to be on stage, but I’m going to try to make this a little more interesting than your average boring sci-fi speech while I’m here."

I had to make a best man speech three days ago. I went for joke, joke, joke, joke, forced mushy bit, toast. The whole thing was over in 90 seconds, and got rave reviews from everyone except my parents 😛

Edit: but my hands were shaking so badly when I finished, and didn't stop for nearly an hour afterwards. Not usually that rattled by public speaking.

See, that's what I’d have gone for if I had creativity and skill. 😉Why no parental raving?

Without getting into it, they don't have a lot of interest in me. They decided not to come to the award ceremony, for instance.

Riiiiiiiiight.Backin’ away from that one, then.

Best opener I’ve heard from a best man: " said if I did a good enough job being the best man for this wedding, I could be best man for his next one too."

Oh, I’m a bit wary about going the motivational angle, given that the audience will be comprised largely of other Aurealis finalists, including a huge mess of people with careers much more firmly established and intimidatingly successful and respectable than mine 😛

That's a good call. 🙂

OK, on seeing the full thing as it stands, I’m liking it. A lot.Forget all my wordy crap I wrote on only seeing the first para, seems like you got your messages across very nicely, with minimal preamble.

Thanks. Much appreciated!

God… acceptance speech. Never, ever thought I’d have to write one of them. Doesn't seem real.

need to be brief. Really brief. "Thanks" *Exit, pursued by a bear* (If you’re feeling suitably Shakespearean and can get a bear)

Hahaha, that certainly would be memorable.

Oh man, now I really want to do this instead.

I’m enormous, quite hairy and work cheap… just saying. Or do you just mean the less dramatic one word speech?

I like it!

Yesssssssssss

Good stuff.

Man. Feels like bedtime already.

Actually it felt like it about two hours ago, but there was stuff to do still.

And the cycle begins anew…

DARK SOULS 2: …Six trophies til platinum. That’ll do for the night, I think. *kercrash* Zzzzzzzz.

Niiiice. Which ones? Guessing all the ‘learn spells/hexes/pyromancies/miracles’… what are the other two?

Yeah, the collectin’ all the magics. Also, I haven't killed Vendrick. And didn't discover the Dragon Remnants covenant while I was there. Doofus! I hated getting there, now I have to do it again. Albeit this time with super powers.

Haha oh man Machete Kills, so awesome.

I totally forgot that Jesse James was responsible for the badass armoured El Camino machete drives.

Also Lady GaGa is in this and she's actually pretty decent at this acting thing..

Oh yeah and Charlie Sheen as the president of the USA? Fucking awesome.

No, Carlos Estevez.

Seriously thinking about buying this, is it as good as the first?

Heh, fair point..

I think its as good, it's nonstop awesomeness. I don't see how it scored so low with IMDB & Rotten Tomatoes, it's fucking great. Machete Kills Again In Space looks win as well.

It's so dumb but I love it so much. Probably the most fun I’ve had watching a movie.

That's what a lot of people miss I think, it being dumb for a reason lol.

And so, @liondrive, AMArch draws to a close. I’m so sorry.

Noone has done one for days have they?

There's still 47 minutes for WA TAYBIES to do one! 😉 😉 nudge nudge Phlanispo old buddy 😉

All right, I just pulled the trigger on my Kickstarter project. Expect it to go live within a week.

NB: You should also expect me to go into mega-hype-self-promotion mode. You probably won't notice any difference.

I wish you the best of luck. Go forth, and may triumph be on the path.

This means that I did get on to my publisher last night, and we had a brief chat.

Me: "Just wondering if you’d had a chance to take a look at the Kickstarter proposal?"[15 minute pause]Him: "I think we can safely say that we are interested in publishing this anthology."

(cc @redartifice @aliasalpha @zetrox2k @welbot)

Heh good stuff. How does the kickstarter thing affect the publishing? Is it just to make the contents fuller or is it more to increase circulation/PR (as if you need help with promotion)?

The rewards I’m offering are my previously published books, so I needed my publisher's approval to obtain said books at a cheaper rate to make this viable, and permission to distribute them in this way.

Also, the Kickstarter project is for a book set in the same universe as my previous books, so they had first refusal on any new project. I thought it would be a good idea to get some in-principle approval of the project.

Kickass!! Great to hear! If you still require any help, let me know and I’m happy to follow up on anything I can!

"APRIL 1, 2014 1:20 AM"

I don't do April Fools.

And even though it's now been approved (by both publisher and Kickstarter), I’m definitely not launching the campaign today 😛

Best of luck Shane!

So Melbourne has decided to be a pain and start giving us 30 degree heat again, in the middle of autumn. How am I meant to get things done, huh, Melbourne weather?!

31 today, 23 tomorrow, 19 Thursday. Gotta love variety.

Bring on tomorrow already. Can't do anything in 30 degree heat.

It's not just Melbourne. 🙁

It sucks, you can't get anything done

36 here, today. Hottest day in April on record, apparently.

It's Melbourne's idea of an April Fools Prank; hot weather in Autumn.

It can shove it's prank up it's arse

28 on Friday in Perth.

Ok, I sleep like a skipping stone. Bed around at 11:47, then waking up at 3:18, 5:27, 6:35 and 7:42 (ker-plonk).

You should try polyphasic. 🙂

I think I might have kind of just naturally ended up in a 1- or 2-nap Everyman cycle at a few points in my life now. It was really weird, I’d just get super tired and fall asleep at my desk or whatever, but then ~20mins later I’d be fine again. It was a bit of a problem when the boss at my only "real" job kept catching it happening 😛 I always thought it was something to do with heavily air conditioned environments though, because the earliest I remember it happening was back in high school, in a particular classroom that always had the AC on overdrive. We had a cyclic timetable so that class wasn't on at the time time each day, it cascaded from first to sixth period (then one day without) every seven school days so it didn't seem to be a particular time of day that it would happen. My only guess was that I was just cold blooded or something 😛

My only guess was that I was just cold blooded or somethingBasically what you’re saying is you’re one of the Visitors? Have you been eating your 5 mice a day, you might be suffering a lack of nutrients

Have you considered relaxing and not focusing on taking such exacting notes on what times you wake up?

I am relaxed. That's just the time i saw on the clock when I glanced at it during the few seconds I was conscious 😛

HI I’M SHANE AMA…Again.

Is there a Kindle version of Peaceful Tomorrows?

Soon!

(Is what I’ve been saying for months, I know… but my publisher mentioned it when I was chatting with him last night. So it might actually be soon. He definitely wants to capitalise on this Aurealis Award nomination, but whether or not they can find the time is another matter.)

Will the kindle version be comfortably readable on the old slow kindle 3's that often have trouble with images?

Also, I saw you have a youtube trailer for it (though I couldn't watch it, stupid capped internet), have you considered using something like powerpoint to make a standalone EXE presentation of the opening to work as a demo? Similarly with the more common eComic readers

1) I don't know. I’ve never owned a Kindle. I also don't know what specifications my publisher puts on the digital editions. Honestly, though @phlanispo (I think) tried to read the books on a Kindle, and they were unreadable. I recommend full-screen computer even if you buy the Kindle edition. (There will probably also be a PDF version for sale, much like The Lesser Evil now)

2) I am not sure what you mean. So technically I guess the answer is no, I have never considered it…

Yeah I figured basic eink kindles will always struggle with images.

Powerpoint does slideshows which seems like an ideal way to build a demo of a graphic novel, it can also make slideshows into an EXE you can run without needing to own powerpoint

It's not so much the images that are the issue – the black and white art looks great on my Kindle Touch. It's more so the sizing of the text that is difficult to read.

WHY??????

That's a pretty heavy question for an AMA.

I recommend you ask your pastor/shaman/priest/clairvoyant.

Edit: If you’re asking why AMA, it might be boredom, it might be an attempt to practice talking about myself, it might be pure blatant self-aggrandisementnessicity. Who can say?

Is it a coincidence that you’re doing this on April 1st?

There's literally no answer I can give that you’ll believe if you’re sceptical.

So instead, I’ll just leave this here.

Tell me a painful story from your childhood? Tell my an angsty story from your high school years? Tell me an inspiring story from university?

1) In Year 2, I was moved into a different class from my friends. For some reason, when I got to the new class, I started crying "I have no friends!", probably in an attempt to get them to move me back. Instead, the teacher made everyone in the new class promise to be my friend. Even then, I knew how incredibly embarrassing that was. I wanted to sink right into the floor… and have felt that way pretty much every day since 😛

2) http://shanewsmith.com/published-works/custard It's not quite true, but it's close enough.

3) Oh man, I did so much writing when I was at university. The usual crap that students churn out – most of it unreadable – but I was really excited and proud of it at the time. Some of that stuff is now ten years old, but I’ve kept most of it. It represents that point in my life where I really started to take my writing seriously (though I’d written two novels and a bunch of novellas before that, so it might be more correct to say that I was already taking it seriously, but took it to the next level at university). I learned a lot while I was there, and the most valuable stuff was learning about myself and what I was capable of, more than the structural, formula stuff. I read Fray while at uni (as part of a Whedon-binge), and that's what made me decide to experiment with a comic for my Major Creative Project in third year. I landed a mentor who knew a lot about comics, and he helped me panel-beat my ideas into something readable. The following year, I got my first big publication: my Honours thesis/comic in an academic journal. It's been a long path, and even if I’m no longer proud of the work itself, I’m proud of myself for doing it, for sticking with it, and getting where I am now. It's all up from here.

Good answers. Not great, but good.

Nah, they’re pretty great. Pretty real great. Not unlike youuuuuu.

You’re lucky. Because of the way you phrased the questions I was expecting "No." to be the answers.:P

Most embarrassing moment?

Dreams for the future?

You are given the choice between selling out for millions, or writing the stuff you’re passionate about but never ‘making it’. You can't do both. Which do you choose?

1) Have you ever messed up a speech and just stood there, mouth agape, while a whole room full of people just stare at you, waiting for you to regain your composure and continue… but you just can't do it? The silence stretches on and on, and it's so complete that you swear that you can hear the sweat leaking into your armpits? You can feel your face getting hot, and the whole thing just gets exponentially more uncomfortable with every passing moment. Eventually, unable to regain your footing, you sit down and hope that everyone will please stop staring at you.

No? Me neither.

2) Stay married. Quit my job. Write full-time.

3) I’m lucky that I’m not really passionate about anything I write (in terms of subject matter, etc). Selling out would probably not be so different from what I’m doing now, except I’d have mo money! (Though if I had to do zombies or vampire fiction to get those dollars, I think that’d be enough to tip me away from that path :P)

1) I have, @rize can attest to this, because it's all his faulttafe graduation, i had to do the Student Appreciation speech… 5 minutes in, completely forgot what i was going to say, and the speech was comfortably tucked away in my back pocket, under the graduation robe :\…After about 30 seconds of staring i broke the silence with something like "well… this is embarrasing" and then started rambling about some crap…i still cringe thinking about it now, 3 years later 😛

no idea why i’m sharing this, but there it is 😛

You should’ve just changed languages midway through the speech! 😀

Oh god that would have been better then the car crash that speech was 😛I think my missus still has a video of it somewhere but i’ve refused to watch it on the basis of "hell no" 😛

I told him he should start in Danish, go for like 30 seconds, then look confused and slowly switch to English. He chickened out 😛

I still blame you for completely losing where i was up to… Sitting down there at the back… staring… laughing 😛

Pop quiz, hotshot. There's a bomb on a bus. Once the bus goes 50 miles an hour, the bomb is armed. If it drops below 50, it blows up. What do you do? What do you do?

He advertises his book, duh.

Don't start the bus. Call the bomb squad. Run like hell.

Missing quality time with early 90s era Sandra Bullock!

PHEW.

I see.

Missing quality time with early 90s era Keanu Reeves?

Duuuuuuuuuude

Whoa

I’d suggest driving at 40 till you reach the depot

Why's @effluvium-boy such a jerk? Do you think he has a face of a jerk too?

I’ve met him. He was good to me. He has the voice of an angel. I thought his face was quite nice, too.

Maybe you’re the jerk? You did put your hand into my pocket after all.

Tried. Tried to put my hand in your pocket.

Blame Alanis Morissette and misreading the intentions of that soooong.

What's a question you’ve been dreading that no one has asked so far? What's your answer to that question?

OKAY FINE IT WAS ME WHO STOLE THE LAST COOKIE (cc @bish)

Oh man, but the pasty twins solved that mystery! It was the cookie monster!

Well, that's what you get when you send savoury snacks after sweet.

Alphonse.

Is your acceptance speech going to be "This is unnecessary, it only confirms what I already knew. That none of you are even in the same league as me and I’m a class above. I’m done wasting my previous breath on crayon scribbling pond scum" *double finger salute while walking off stage*?

You know it.

What is the capital of Assyria?

Blue. No, YellOOOOOOOOOAAAARRRRRRRRRGH

Do you, or do you not know about the bird?

If this isn't Flight of the Conchords related, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Must be some Illuminati codeword…

Oh, it was my understanding that everyone had heard

AMA-pril!!!– Have you ever watched "Here comes Honey Boo-Boo"? If so, what did you think?– On a scale of 0 to Sasquatch, how hairy are you?– What's the most under handed thing you’ve done to get ahead?– Do you iron your laundry?– What Disney Villain would you be and why?– What movie best relates to your life?– Do you ever feel like a plastic bag?– What's your number one party song?

– No.– Field mouse.– I’ve only ever gotten jobs by knowing people. I guess that counts?– No.– I’m going to say Jafar, because I seethe with unrealised ambition– It's a Wonderful Life– Yeah, actually, I could eat one right now.– Par…teee? I haven't been to a non-preschool-age party for a very, very long time.

Alrighty, I only just woke up when I wrote those questions, that's why they were left, wanting. Bonus round! 😀

– What's your favourite fast food?– Shoot, Shag, Marry: Barack Obama, George Bush, Tony Abott?– What's the worst time that you’ve been caught out on a lie?– What's the number one thing on your bucket list?– What's your dream for your children? (career, personality, etc)– On a scale of Thrift Shop to Dolce and Gabbana (D&G), what's your fashion sense like?– Have you picked an outfit for your awards ceremony yet?– What food would you be (if you had to be a food) and why?

– Burger with the lot at any greasy charcoal chicken takeaway– Marry: Obama; Shoot: Abbott; Shag: ah damn it…– Can't think of an example off-hand. I try to live relatively honestly. I made Lee lie once in The Walking Dead, and felt bad when he got caught out… does that count?– I’d like to go into space one day. Would really like to set foot on another world, but that's almost certainly not going to happen. Going into space.– I want them to find their bliss and follow it. I would be upset if they got locked into the rat race and were miserable.– K-Mart– Sort of. @strange suggested suit jacket with T-shirt and jeans. That's the frontrunning idea at this stage.– Ice-cream. I’m coooooooooool, but if things get too heated, I just fall apart.

That last answer was surprisingly deep for a what food are you question :S

I vote…Light (faded) black jeans (goes with everything), with a nice long sleeve button-up shirt (not done up completely, no tie) with an optional suit jacket and casual shoes (NOT SNEAKERS!!!) 😉Remember to match your socks to your pants!

I know better than to ignore fashion tips from a gay guy.Thanks, man! I have no faded black jeans, but I’ll do what I can! 🙂

How accurate is that stereotype that gay guys know fashion? 😀

I can't help being…FABULOUS!!! 😀 *\o/*

I just out gay’d myself 🙁

@liondrive: Haha! You so crazy. I don't comb my hair when I leave the house and I have like three shirts. XD

Wait, people comb their hair? I thought it was just for getting rid of lice 😛

I dunno, Mr Lumberjack-Shirt. How accurate is it?

PS: How fun is time travel?

@shane: Every gay dude leaves an elaborate web of lies in their past. 😛

Hey guys, I found out that this could be happening. Read it last night, so I don't think it's an April Fool's joke, It’d be cool if it happens, never got to play either of the games in the series.

Also, apparently the "free" games on offer this month with "Games With Gold" are Hitman: Absolution (today) and Deadlight (from the 16th).

Hmm, got both those games already. Hitman needed a bit more work in my opinion (though still fun) but Deadlight is great

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74aA2rbU45Y

Ah, the Dreamfall Chapters devs are also working on Draugen. Looks so, so good.

First person survival horror adventure dealy!

So last night ended up being a pretty great JC2MP session.We were joined by @gorzilla and @gingerchris86, and oh god so many Berings!though i think i’ve perfected my parking job with it:http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=244300797

It was so much fun, i think we will have to do it again later this week.Is there any time that suits people better then others?cc’ing: @rize, @cakesmith, @mythamphetamine, @sernobulus, @blaghman, @rocketman

Yes.

soooo… when is best for the good sir?

So I played some ESO pvp this morning. Nothing much was happening at first because the Dominion owned pretty much the entire map and no one from the other factions seemed to be on, but then we got a battle going at a wall and eventually pushed through that and started attacking one of the other factions at there keep. It was pretty fun. The use of siege weapons was pretty cool. It felt like I was in one of the LOTR movies with all these trebuchet and ballista around. One thing that I didn't like about it was how it seemed to really heavily favor range over melee, just like RvRvR in GW2. I’m playing a mage so I was fine, but it seemed if you were a melee character it would just be really annoying. It was also pretty glitchy. Joining a group DCed me from the game with error messages and then I wasn't able to log back in until after I’d been auto kicked from the group, an issue that it seemed a lot of people had been having. Also at one point the game started flickering really bad and any movement on my part would cause the Cyrodiil loading screen to pop up for several seconds.

Warhammer Online had the same issue with RvR in that it was all about the ranged characters (fireballs and nuking for days). Melee was only really useful in sneak attacking the squishies at the back, repelling climbers, or blocking off access to the keep lord.

Does ESO have a similar mechanic in that you need to kill a boss NPC to claim a keep or is it quite literally capture the flag to capture the keep?

Far as I can tell any objective just requires capturing a flag.

Just remembered, Daylight Savings changes back this Sunday.

So another hour of late night gaming? WINNAH!

I think we actually lose an hour…

aw /o\

I thought we gain an hour? Clock goes back?

Let me put it this way;

In the height of summer where I live if DST wasn't a think the clock would read 4:30am when the sun was waking up, but with DST it reads 5:30am and I get another hour of uninterrupted sleep! Which also grants us an extra hour of sunlight after work (assuming you work 9-5 or whatever)

This time of year we’re not really gaining or losing anything since the days are becoming shorter.

Now I’m really confused. 😛

How is it confusing? It's simple to understand.. The further you move away from the equator in summer the longer the days are and the sun is up earlier, so hence why DST was created, to allow for light at the later hours of the evening rather than at stupid o’ clock in the morning 😛

Where's this bank account of all the saved time then, rize?! Why’re you hiding it from us!

Welcome back to normality 😛

Well we already had a @bish simulator http://store.steampowered.com/app/255520/

So now enjoy living as our other Canadian friend @saturdayhttp://store.steampowered.com/app/227220/ now at a great price

Hey Tigs!

Hi DC

Another successful social interaction!

That cleaning sim, well the Santa one they did is so wrong, yet so funny.

I’m not even going to click on that link until I know it's not about crotch-kicking.

it's not about crotch kicking, that would be this one http://store.steampowered.com/app/220860/

The above is actually a great game that I highly recommend

*insert hilarious prank involving telling you guys my family died or I got diagnosed with cancer or something similarly not funny only to shout April Fools once you guys get all sad and organise something*

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

You guys are a riot.

Im pregnant @blaghman is the father

fox offered me and @bish a oppurtunity to play the new odd couple

@strange is my actual mum now because she murdered my actual mother with a crochet scarf she made

@f4ction is a actual space marine and i am his commander

@DC is both my brother and brother in law

Wait, I’m the father?

That's the nicest thing you’ve ever said about me!

I’m not really a machine

D:

It's true. I met him once.

My disguise still works wonders to this day!

Had me fooled.

Gotcha 😉

That's what all robots say just before they kill all humans.

Curses I’ve been found out! Too soon! TOO SOON DARN IT! 😛

Nothing is ever as bad as you think it is.

I think the Holocaust was pretty bad. It's good to know I was exaggerating it in my head. Thanks, man!

I dunno man, I think having your face eaten by plague ridden rats while you’re forced to listen to the sound of everyone you love being tortured to death around you is exactly as bad as I think it is.

This is pretty bad!

Fuck you guys

April fools?

<3

Pretty damn excited for The Last of Us PS4… Have been wanting to pick it up for PS3, but considering i havent even turned on my PS3 since i got the PS4, i couldnt justify it. 🙂

Ooh it IS confirmed now? Awesome!

see my comment below…

Played and loved it on PS3 and could easily justify buying it again. I’d probably buy PS4 versions of all Naughty Dog and Quantic Dream games. XD

Whoa dude! I literally had a comment typed up about this (something like "what do you all think about The Last of Us PS4 rumours" and JUST decided not to post it :O (your post appeared the second I refreshed!). But now that you’ve mentioned it, I guess it's a sign that I have to talk about it 🙂

Last time I checked it wasn't really confirmed yet but it still seems likely as most people were pretty happy with it. I borrowed and finished it on PS3 but I’d still like to play the DLC so I’d definitely buy a PS4 copy.

I wonder if people are willing to buy it again, especially those who loved it (@dc ?)

Greenius, post apocalyptic urban decay! POST APOCALYPTIC URBAN DECAY!

I typed too much and you already answered my question above! 😀

I’m known for my premature quickness.

…

*posts anyway*

and now I have the streets stuck in my head, Thanks D.C. 🙂

I’d buy it again just to give Naughty Dog more money. They deserve it.

PS4 Jak and Daxter pls

see my comment below….

As with everything today,

[citation needed]

Theres no way it can be a false rumour. The Sony PR's comments were way too specific… He specifically mentioned PS4, and that it will include the Left Behind DLC… Nobody would make such a specific comment… it wasnt just a "Last of us is coming to PS4"; a comment they could have shrugged off with a simple "accidently mentioned the wrong game" the fact they specifically mentioned the inclusion of the DLC and PS4, in my books is solid confirmation…

Also, the retailers add didnt simply just accidently put up a product page for The Last of US PS4… The listing was also pretty secifically tailored to PS4, with the inclusion of official Last of Us merchandise for preorders.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/456400/retailer-lists-the-last-of-us-complete-edition-for-ps4/

Nice. As long as it's a good price for the GOTY edition, I’ll get it. Haven't purchased or played it on PS3.

http://indiestatik.com/2014/03/31/most-expensive-game-jam/A most interesting read.

It's a pity that Polaris fired the author after this article went up.

Really? Why’d they do that? I thought he was their main review writer/scripter for their shows.

Edit: Nevermind. It would be hard to keep a job after that trashing of the brand name and the exec.

Guess they’re in damage control mode: https://twitter.com/notquitefrodo/status/450742394606981120

Well, he says it was a miscommunication.

CLARIFICATION: PolarisTweets never let me go! I am still there in my old capacity. It was really scary miscommunication, thank God.

Jesus, that's messed up. I’m surprised I didn't read about or hear anything about this until today (I guess they tried to cover it up and didn't show it?).

Thanks for sharing!

How awful

Dang.

Interesting stuff.

I JUST read that. Wow. That's some pretty crazy stuff.And some very decent writing.

Oh the gullible falling for Dick Smiths poor attempt at a April fools joke :/

I can't pick it on their site.

This was on their facebook.. They’ve just announced a dog kennel with a 2 way video link…

Ah.

I know people who would buy that. They call their dogs their ‘children’. No joke. Like, when people ask if they have kids, they say they have two babies, knowing full well that the questioner was asking about human children.

(Edit: Same people were also very seriously trying to get a ‘take your dog to work day’ started – at which point I would’ve demanded the day off with full pay – or setting up a webcam at home and work so their babies won't be lonely.)

I know such exist.. and as I said on their FB if this was any other day than April 1st i’d believe it. People scare me. lol.

Edit: Depends on your work place 😛 If I worked on a farm i’d like that given I own a Kelpie haha.

I don't want kids and have substituted with dogs, they are my equivalent of kids but I still call them dogs (or pups) and treat them accordingly, I love them to death but they are still bloody dogs. I do however sometime refer to them as the kids I can lock outside without fear of being arrested.

Ha, this. I like the way you think.

Haha, stopped taking my craaaazy pills yesterday and it's amazing how quickly its effects disappear. Feeling not zombie-like any more. *still does zombie Thriller dance anyway*

Well I guess it is good that you are feeling, well feelings againDon't need to be a zombie to do that dance

It's close to miiiiiidnight…

..something evil's lurking in the daaaark.

Under the mooooonlight…

I don't know the rest. Oh wait..

COS THIS IS THRILLERRRRR, THRILLER NIGHT!

*zombie dances for twenty minutes*

The pink ones keep ya from screamin’.

If only, man. If only.

Now that you’re no longer a zombie, you should jump on TS some time.

I don't know what that is!

*backs away slowly*

voice chat

Oooooh!

Ah, nah. I still have a terrible voice that no one wants to hear.

I only speak if I absolutely have to or to fill the silence at meats. XD

I respect your stubbornnessi also hate it

And yet you sang… SANG! and put it on the interwebs?i don't say alot, but i do laugh a lot… even if you jump on without a mic it's entertaining 😛…no pressure 😛

@freezespreston put it on the interwebs. XD

Was also somewhat drunk. 😀

best way to TeamSpeak trust me XD…if you feel up for it one day, seriously just jump on and listen to how dum-… intelligent our discussions are…Actually usually, if we’re playing a game, the first 10’ish minutes is us becoming religious… especially in JC2 :P…"oh god…OH, god… OH GOD" etc 😛

Which in retrospect might not be a good thing if you’re nervous and apply the usual "imagine everyone in the room is naked" thought pattern… then it's not a good thing… so don't do that

If you stat going too crazy in the other direction, go for a half pill. Better a bit zonked out than batshit crazy in the non-fun way

I hate that I love Metal Gear Solid games so much, because I am terrible at them. I’m attempting to get through Ground Zeroes, but I keep getting caught. Metal Gear Solid was one of the first adult games I ever played, but my lack of skill at stealth frustrates me. I haven't thrown my controller yet, so that's a positive.

Go commando. Kill everyone, there's only 13 of them. Then do all the goodie quests.

there are endless reinforcements, as I figured out on my first brute force walkthrough. 😛

Ah, it must be the Deja Vu mission only, then.

I’m OK at it- My brother was the guru at MGS2 though, he got all the dog tags on all difficulties.

I generally play them just to fuck around and find all the weird little secrets.

my first go at that it took me literally about 4 seconds after assuming control to be spotted, I unloaded all my sleep darts into a pole in front of the guy that saw me, the whole camp was alerted, I got shot to death. I put it down and decided to try again another day. You have to have done better than that 😛 I’m terrible at stealth too, Farcry 3 and a couple other recent games got me appreciating it a lot more though.

Sounds like my first attempt. So I started again and went my normal stealth game route of sneakiness combined with ruthless lethality. I don't want nobody waking up those suckers again. Well, I lie a little. I used the tranquilizer pistol a heap to save the silencer on my rifle for later 😛 But I did go and stomp on the fools for a bit while they were asleep!

the first time I rolled through, it took 3 hours, 30+ dead and copious swearing. I was on teamspeak as well so people heard my repeated failure.

I’ve learned something about Metal Gear, and stealth games in general- you have to be risky. I mean, proper scouting and fucktons of patience are a given, but there are times when you need to be like "FUCK IT," albeit in a subdued tone. You don't know what's around that corner, but sometimes you just gotta roll with it and knock out that guy who's right there.

Baring that die & reload a billion times and then you’ll have memorized the entire base layout!

Apparently Hanson are going to tour Australia. Being announced this morning though, I have to wonder….

I feel like @trjn needs to be tagged.

BUNNY IF YOU WANT TO GO I WILL TOTALLY GO WITH YOU

Prepare for girlish screaming from Trjn alone!

I’m pretty sure they still tour here every so often, so probably not a joke…

Funnily enough they only just toured here a bit over a year ago. Since I recall the Cooly Hotel pimping their tour lol.

Whelp, I know what to get him for his birthday now.

Oh shit, this is for real? He really likes Hanson? I thought it was all for laughs.

Sometimes I want to listen to something poppy and they’re actually pretty rad.

Michael Jackson and David Bowie is as far as I’d go for poppy.

He plays them in the car on long car trips! I think he likes them.

"If you could be stranded on a desert island with any woman in the world, who would it be?""Taylor Hanson.""Taylor Hanson is a guy.""You guys are yankin’ me." "Hey, let's put one over on Quagmire.""No, he's actually a guy, Quagmire.""What? That's insane." "That's impossible."[pause]"Oh god. Oh my god." "I’ve got all these magazines." "Oh god."

Last night I went from wanting to try out Rogue Legacy again to remembering why I despised it within half an hour :P. I think I need to finally get a 360 controller for my PC so I can play games like that a little better.

Board Gamey people- This is up on kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2012515236/coup-reformation-kickstarter-edition

Anyone played Coup? I’ve played vanilla Resistance, and I’ve heard good things- worth it?

Realized this morning that I forgot to eat yesterday. You would not believe how good this hash brown tastes right now.

There's a point where a hash brown doesn't taste good? also how do you forget to eat? i mean, sure i have missed a meal before, but an entire day?

I do that every second saturday.

There is a point, but it's usually immediately after having consumed five hash browns already, and the feeling only lasts a moment. 😛

You lie! Stop with the lies, Shane!

Also, I remember you had seventeen cheeseburgers and four milkshakes after Supanova. I can't believe a sixth hashbrown would be a deal breaker.

Well, what's a hash brown without a serve of toast, bacon and eggs? After five of those, you tend to get a little bit full 😛

Full of lies!

And no fair: that was a weekend tally of my food intake, not a single sitting 😛

Busy, man. BUSY! Work and meetings and work and a sneaky bit of Dark Souls and more work and then considering eating due to being hungry, but didn't have any snacks handy and when deciding between an extra 1.5hrs sleep and the hassle of cooking/getting dressed and going out agian, decided to opt for the sleep. It was a pretty good decision. I slept like a damn log.

But y’know, while there's the bonus of seeing the sharp-line abdominal results from dropped water-weight in the mirror when taking a shower in the morning, thaaaaat's probably not a good thing to do regularly.

Yeah doesn't sound like a great idea, though i feel for you in regards to being busy…BUT EAT MOAR DAMMIT!

Yeah, but the humble hash brown tastes pretty excellent no matter the circumstance!

Better than normal. 🙂

Yeah, I could go a hash brown right about now.

I haven't really eaten for a couple of weeks. On the plus side, not sleeping and not eating has given me plenty of time for games. Actually finished a few and getting through the pile.

My crazy pills have made me crazy hungry. Been eating like five meals a day.

Happens to me on some Saturdays mainly due to amazing winning streaks in League of Legends and I go on the "Just one more game" train, suddenly it's 11PM

Video games with an absence of easy-to-prepare snacks/meals. "Spend 30-45min cooking, or keep playing.""Enhhh I’ll get something later."LATER NEVER COMES.

Next weekend is probably going to be "Have dinner or more lightning bolt?… I am hungry… but LIGHTNING BOLT!" 😛

This. I once wrote for 16 hours straight before I realised that I hadn't even had so much as a sip of water all day.

Holy crap, I think I’d die if I didn't have something to eat every hour.

*goes off to the staff fridge to rummage around for unclaimed food*

I went without food for two and a half days after going from Tokyo to Beijing. I drank a lot of tea, but I just sort of… avoided eating.

Which was silly, since I was on one of the best snack food streets in the city.

@vonsack: How’d the date go, maaaaan?

Hey DC!

It was a pretty casual affair. Ended up just having a few drinks and listened to some live music at my joint. I cooked a romantic dinner of ham and cheese toasties, seasoned with salt AND pepper.

My best efforts to get her to try Vegemite were in vain this morning. The world hates Vegemite it seems.

Thanks for asking 🙂

<3

Young love.

Smooth as fudge

Refuses to try vegemite?

That's a warning sign right there.

Yeah. A warning sign of good taste and a functioning sense of smell. Best be vigilant on personal hygiene – freshen up!

DOWNVOTEVEGEMITE IS THE KING OF SPREAD ANS CONDIMENTS.

HELP! I’m being oppressed!I shall rally all the vegemite-hating nations of the world to punish you for your cruelty.

Even though you might think the inflicting of vegemite upon your citizens is a valued tradition within your culture, the world police have decided that your cultural quirk is BARBARIC and shouldn't be inflicted upon the citizens of your nation! Then they’ll bomb you into the stone age. Some of us innocent non-vegemite eaters will probably get caught in the cross-fire, but that's the price we pay to be liberated from the tyranny of vegemite!

. o O (Too heavy-handed?)

GO BACK TO RUSSIA OR WHATEVER HELLHOLE YOU CAME FROM

She's a keeper😛

DOWNVOTE FOR CRAZY FOREIGNERS!

RACISM!😛EDIT – I ACCIDENTALLY HIT THE UPVOTE BUTTON OUT OF HABIT RATHER THEN THE DOWNVOTE BUTTON SO I’M LEAVING IT! YEAH!

Xenophobia, thank you very much.

It's not that I hate people of a specific race, it's that I hate anyone who isn't from right here.

Oh, well that's alright, then. EVERYONE does that, EVERYWHERE.(Actually, there's more truth to that than I’m really happy with. Oh, humanity… when will you get it together?)

"…this morning."

SUCCESS.

I resisted the urge to high five.

Sounds to me like the Ham and Cheese Toasties were so good, she was hoping that if she came back the next morning there’d be more!#winnah #ladiesman #iam12andwhatisthis?

It was the cracked pepper. Its just that good.

giggity

/o\😛

Ever feel the need to edit every single post just because, I dunno; nitpicking?

I never edit my posts. Never.

Much April fools, many joke.

uuuuurgh Doge 😛it's worse then LOLcats… WORSE I TELL YOU!

You love it Pixel.

I never got Doge. I’m sure there's something I’m missing.

I think the internet just got tired of cats, and then decided to start another poorly made up language with a dog as the main character instead 😛

To be fair the dog is centres around the Shiba Inu are apparently very hard to train and I think the meme is meant to play on that, like they’re being sarcastic and such lol.

I thought Dolan was an abomination way more than Doge ever was… and I get neither of them

😐 not that horrible excuse of a meme that butchered the American English language, since we know it didn't need any further butchering 😛

The only Doge one that's made me chuckle was "Snoop Doge" 😛

There's nothing to get.. Basically like every other meme, they’re stupid and not meant to be fully understood. Given most of them were/are from 4chan..

Youth. You’re missing youth.

Once you hit that Submit button.. it had better be perfect otherwise you’re right back in there.

I never like to change the meaning of anything, but lord knows I’m tempted to go back and spellcheck/grammar fix a lot of what I’ve typed in the past.

For example, I used "payed" once while discussing monetary recompense for services. Erggh. Damn you past me!

See, i’m fortunate, i just blame a language barrier and then everyone feels bad (in theory) for pointing out how terrible my grammar is 😀 little do they know that my grammar is just as terrible in other languages

I don't like editing my posts because of that little "Last Edited " that gets added to the post. Makes it seem like the post has been sullied.

Yes, I know I’m weird.

Exactly this.

I’m the opposite, if I re-read my post and find a mistake, or forgot to add something, I can't resist the urge to fix it.

I tend to delete them before I post, I’d have like 10 000 comments by now if I didn't.Also I am a bit of a serial editor,

There's a comma there that should be a period. I’d edit that if I were you. 😀 Kidding. I’m just being an arse.

Unless it's a really inconsequential typo or something, I usually (exceptions reserved for super-emotional things) make sure to add ‘Edit:’ to my edits, so that I kinda have to own the stupid shit I put out there.

Kinda mandatory for me if someone's already responded/liked/disliked, as a matter of courtesy to the respondents, but also a decent thing to have in the back of my mind when posting stupid shit."Just remember you’re going to have to live with those words being out there, dumbass."

YES. Coz I never get anything write the first thyme.

Perfection. You always nail it.

I generally tend to edit A LOT of things that i write because i am so nervous about stomping on toes/being misunderstood…I’ve tried recently to not do it so much, but it is a reeaaal struggle 😛

Hey! That's not an edit, that's a completely new post! 😀

Eh, I wouldn't worry about offending people. I mean, sure, I avoid saying "that post makes you look like a colossal dickbag," and it's probably for the best if you avoid posting about the war, but if you’re misunderstood you’ve been given the perfect opportunity to try and explain yourself, and if the other person won't listen or acts irrationally, then you can just add them to the ever increasing list of people to ignore.

Just booted up Dark Souls II and got a message that XBox 360 servers will be down for maintenance tonight from 9pm till 11pm, I think I worked that out right, they only gave times for Japan, UK and US.

Edit: I think I worked it out wrong. I think it's actually from 7pm to 9pm…I think.

Japan is only one hour behind eastern standard time here or two hours behind daylight saving time.

and the UK is currently 10 hours behind us 😛 US fuck working that out, but it's currently 8:30pm in Florida 😛

Well, they’re gonna be down from 8am to 10am GMT.

So 6-8pm daylight saving time.. That's a bit rude.

That's actually not too bad for me. 9:30-midnight is my usual play time \o/

Typical only person things work out for is that jerk @shane 😛

I joke.. or am I?!

I’m okay with it, either way. Because things have worked out for me! 🙂

@redartifice @f4ction @tech_knight @freezespreston @sernobulus @negativezero @steve-o_the_deve-o @beeawwb @rize

I am going to be almost totally offline for the next week and a half after today so this is your best (and probably last) chance to rack my brains about anything to do with the world, character creation, etc.

At this stage I am still tentatively planning for the first session to be on Monday the 21st but this may change. I will confirm with everyone when I get back and finalise the last few details. So that we can all be ready to hit the ground running, I politely ask that you all acquire the following:

– a Google + account– a Roll20 account– a microphone if you don't have one (it will be helpful to be able to communicate). A webcam is a plus but not necessary.– a completed character. I know most of you have rolled up your characters but for those that haven't, it's kinda necessary to have your stats all ready.

I will take care of some final stuff in the week leading up to the first session but things are pretty set up and ready to go.

Also Red, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get the Numenera recap for last session out before I leave the country but I shall try my darnedest.

Leave the country? WHERE YOU GOING? HAVE FUUUUUN!

Going on a holiday to Hawaii for just over a week. Time-wise I’ll be out of the country for about 9-10 days (dat international date line). I’m super looking forward to it. 😀 😀

Oh man, sounds so awesome!

Roll D20 against your holiday modifier.

Critical success!

You laugh, but I do actually have a D20 on my desk here somewhere

Why would I laugh? That's a good thing.

Roll against gluttony. Critical Failure!

I guess I’ll be visiting the glory that is American McDonalds then. 😛

Hope you have a great time Popdart! 🙂I’m also going to try to see if I can get an avatar together for my Elf, which I’ll send over to Red as well.

What's the Google+ account for?

Not participating, just curious 😛

Roll20 plugs in to google hangouts, which we’ve found to be a little better quality than the native Roll20 voice client. Plus you can stream from it

Hey, at least you’ll have the place to yourselves!

😛

Hey, when we streamed Numenera last week we had a whole 7 viewers! 7!

Google Hangouts, which has a Roll20 plugin, makes it so easy to run these sessions as @redartifice can attest.

Hey, don't worry if you can't do it. If you need a memory jogger the video is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyarbSp6vls&feature=share&t=18m26s – in fact if you’re pressed for time you can put that up in addition to/in lieu of.

What city would have the largest university in Idris?

Can you give us a brief summary of some major conflicts / wars in the last 100 years? Are there any ongoing major wars?

Xondol has one of the largest universities in Idris but there are sizeable institutions in Dynnoi and Fesimeer as well.

The last 100 years has been rather calm in terms of major conflicts. Aside from bandits and pirates harrassing the trade routes, there has been no large-scale war. The Merfolk caused a bit of a ruckus when they began taking ships hostage and charging tolls to travel across the sea but that situation was diffused rather quickly with a tribute paid to the Merfolk in exchange for protection from the more dangerous sea monsters.

The Kator Horde musters itself every few years and pillages the land around it however they have not marched on Vinks since about 75 years ago when they were repelled by a combined Human and Orc army. The armies of Kraalnaact and the Land of Grog have been engaged in fighting off raiders from the far side of the Beryl Sea for about a decade now and they are looking at places that would be suitable to settle. So far they have not had much luck.

Perfect, that gives me both a reason to head towards Xondol and also some "local history" I can work in along the way. 🙂

ooh, one quick question, before I write it- I name dropped a char as coming from Kraalnacht in my prologue (de Clamerie, the beetle browed man) and I’m about to write the final part of it which will mention him. Other than "Germany-y" anything else I should mention Kraalnacht-wise? Cultural tats, specific reasons people hate Kraalnacht-ers, etc?

Kraalnacht is like Germany in the same way in how they were formed. Kraalnacht is the capital of the Land of Grog which is named for, you guessed it, an amalgamation of pirates and bandits. A greater hive of scum and villainy there never was, although things have calmed down since their more heady days about 500 years ago.

People are still inherently mistrustful of Kraalnacht-ers for their heritage and the belief that they are no better than riff-raff.

oh good. de Clamerie is riff-raff to the stars.

Land of Grog is filled with Pirates? I’m really wishing I’d rolled that Human Buccaneer gunslinger variant now.

I think I just need a Roll20 account so I’ll sort that out.

Google+ 🙁

I guess you’ll all find out my True Name then unless I make a fake account.

I actually need to test out my headset, I haven't used it in a while and I found that the in-line volume control box thing got run over by my chair a while back so I’m not 100% sure it works. Also the one time I participated in Numenera before my schedule went to shit, I had some really bad latency issues on Roll20, though I was on WiFi at the time. May need to try everything out beforehand.

Maybe I’ll forget to turn off the vocal mod on my microphone again and you can all speak with the deep booming voice that is your new G-od.

I just sent you a very minor revision to my character sheet. I wanted to do it yesterday but I fell asleep 🙁

Cheers for that.

Almost flew into a rage over Dark Souls II. was in the main menu and went to scroll down to "information" to check the times that the servers were going to be down. Did it using my Battlefield 4 controller (don't buy one, the D-pad is shit and the RB button sticks sometimes), anyway I went to scroll down with the D-pad and hit A, instead of going down once from "continue" it went right back up the top to "new game", because I hit A so quickly it was too late.

Straight away I had a terrible feeling the game only allowed for one save file and that it was going to overwrite my existing one. Skipped past the cut-scenes, quit to main menu, hit continue, both old and new save files were there.

Phew, thank fuck for that.

Yeah, the game allows for multiple characters to be played. Can imagine the terror, though, if you didn't know that!

Figured I’d play through inFamous on expert difficulty as a jerkface and get the platinum trophy. Man, Delsin goes off the deep end quick.

Being young = greater potential for angst and rebellion and thinking you have something to prove. All of which are a great recipe for being a complete and utter tool. Much like real life… (Well. Mine, anyway.)

I kinda wanna see more Joel-like protagonists in mah games, now. Less anger and rage, passion for a Cause, more ‘just getting by’, on account of the gradually-realized, unwanted knowledge that none of it actually matters in the end.. o O (Isn't it a bit early in the week for nihilism?)

That's one of the disappointing elements of the new Thief, his motivations have elements of mystery and adventure whereas old Garret's motivation was solidly "Hey, these bills aren't going to pay themselves"

Yeah, that was one of the attitudes I loved about early Garrett. His whole attitude was basically, "Urrrrgh, why can't you people and your prophecies just fuck off? Oh god dammit, now it's interfering with my work? THEY TOOK MY FUCKING EYE. Fine. FINE. Just stop dicking around, let me look up this prophecy crap, deal with it, and then everyone can finally just fuck off and leave me alone for good, yeah? Good."

At least in this one it's as much self interest as excitement and adventure but he's not saying it's self interest which old Garret probably would have.

There's enough there to still make it feel like part of the series, just a little more different character wise than I’d have made it

Dark Souls 2…. Can you tell me how close I am to finished please?

I just completed Dragon's Aerie, had a chat with the crusty old dragon, popped into some giant's dreams, and am about to head through the King's Doors in Drangleic. Close?

Kings Door in Drangelic is the final boss.

Happiness…

Quite close.

Did you kill the giant lord guy thing? If yes, then you’re partway through the endboss gauntlet.

If thats the one

at the end of the rampart, that damages you by spinning in circles but never connecting a blow… yeah, defeated him. Made me really mad though.

Last night, Freya and I saw John Cleese open a Lemur exhibit at the zoo (Dubbo's premier wedding location). Turns out the chap is quite funny, even when basically telling his life story and doing a Q&A.

There weren't any lemurs but we got little toy lemurs.

Now we’re watching Python.

So he opened a Lemur exhibit, but there were no Lemurs, interesting.

Loved John Cleese ever since I first saw him in Fawlty Towers back in the 80's. Never saw any Monty Python until about 15 years ago.

That Eb Mariokart 8 preorder……

20 bucks extra for a blue shell figurine… that's probably tiny…… and i’m still considering it.

Seriously, what possesses people to call their children things like Chanel or Versace or other fashion label names?

It's a very serious condition called idiocy.

Bogans.

Well, Chanel (or Chanelle) is a girls name as it stands.. So that one I think makes sense.. But who the fuck calls their child Versace?!

Someone who named their first kid Chanel and wants to keep the theme going. And their brother's name is Gucci or Hugo Boss.

Somehow I doubt most people who call their kid something like Mercedes are aware that it was a name first and a brand second.

I’m tempted to have a child now just so I can call it Reebok

Staying true to my original plan for kid-names: Bebop and Rocksteady.

All you guys who upvoted should be ashamed of yourselves.

But my kid is named Nike! Now they must kung-fu-fight.

Oh not this starting again… There was a time when everybody was kung-fu fighting, those cats were fast as lightning, in fact, it was a little bit frightening but they did it with expert timing so I guess it could have been worse

Just read a Q & A for The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth and it's got me all excited for Rebirth 😀

I bought the original during a sale and had no idea what to expect. It ended up being my most played game during that sale period and one of my most played (on Steam) of all time. By the time I got it, its first DLC was already out but Rebirth is going to add a whole bunch of new content which will make returning to it a lot more exciting 😀

It's supposedly going to be on PS+ when it launches too, so I’ll have PS4, Vita and PC versions 😀

😀

😀 😀

A great game indeed.

Bought the Unholy Edition months ago when it was on sale at EB, still haven't played it, probably because the CPU requirement is for a 2.5GHz processor, and I’ve only got a l.6GHz Celeron (seriously need a new computer).

Got a Steam gifting key if anyone wants it.

Edit: Crap! replyfail, was meant to be a reply to @greenius

???

The Binding of Isaac.

ahh…

I’m guessing reply fail to greenius in regards to binding of issac

It ran okay on my dual-core 2.0GHz Pentium. Just turn the graphics down a bit.

Do yourself a favour and watch these videos from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and the Chaos Communication Congress;

(Jacob Applebaum Presentation) To Protect And Infect Part 2; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vILAlhwUgIU

Through a PRISM Darkly Everything We Know About NSA Spying; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_P1NA29X7Mw

The militarisation of the Internet; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW-N7qQU-tA

Will definitely bookmark this page so I can watch it later. How long do they run for?

’bout an hour or so.

Each, or all up?

1:021:030:45

Nah.

There's something hilariously wrong with a group of hackers being concerned about people's privacy.

Shows how shit things have gotten

Hackers have been open internet for a very long time.

Had a nice little intimate dinner hosted by a lady friend and some others today before she set out on a trip to Europe. All's well, bit of sparkling wine being drunk, and some decent first-time cooking being served. Fun times, right?

"I added avocado to this mango salsa." <- the host"Oh, personally I wouldn't have done that, but you know it's still good." <- me"I used coconut milk in this recipe!""I’m more partial to yogurt, myself.""I used white chocolate for this desert!""I find dark chocolate gives it a better-""OH MY GOD FUCK OFF SATURDAY""WELL EXCUSE ME FOR HAVING DECENT TASTEBUDS WOMAN"

TL;DR- Saturday don't social well.

That's our Saturday *canned laughter*

I just wanted to share a amusing anecdote but every other time it turns out to be a "THAT’S OUR SATURDAY" post.

To be fair, I should avoid posting near the end of pages. Or beginnings of pages for that matter.

*goes blue in the face trying to contain the obvious joke*

Just say it.

WE SHOULD CHANGE YOUR NAME TO ROCKETDAY!!!!

Wait…

http://replygif.net/i/721.gif

Page Six is THE page for obvious jokes. Out with it.

Hey.We should go eat sometime.

Avocado and Mango actually go quite nicely together in a salad.

You know, maybe in a salad, but a salsa? It's just that avocado is so good it can be it's own thing, that's how good it is. It's not gonna overpower the mango, and I suppose it adds contrast in terms of texture, but I dunno, it's just down to preference, right? Mangoes, tomatoes, cucumbers. maybe some red pepper- that would be a good mango salsa to me.

FASTER THAN LIGHT

Alright. Mantis B, entering The Last Stand. I have a fully-trained crew – a four-Mantis strike force, a Rock at the helm, a Zoltan powering the engine room, and two Engi manning the shields and weapons. Everyone is maxed out on their appropriate stats. Shields and engine are fully maxed out and there's enough power to keep every other system running and still have enough left over for two of a weapon and/or drone.

I got this. Surely.

Nah.

Heh.

You got this. *shakes head sadly*

and don't call me Shirley.

Okay sure

That was a couple hours ago… did you got dat?

Maybe not as good as I could have, got a little sloppy. But I managed 😛

bro-fist.

At lunch, I got hit in the head with a can of Coke.Thank God it was a soft drink.

#PAGESIX

I went to a wedding. it was so touching, even the cake was in tiers.

I got fired from the calendar factory. I can't believe it – all I did was take a day off.

I used to think I was addicted to bacon- i ate so much of it that my skin started to be oily and dry.

Now I’m cured. #dadjokepagsix hi @strange!

Having a shit day. I’m tired and grumpy. and pissed with someones ignorance…

But you’re coming to Dubbo for BOARD GAMES over the Easter long weekend. So there's that.

Except for being on call now, might need to postpone it by a week… does that still suit?

Freya will be working nights the week after, that's less good.

It's international Tabletop Day on Sat, are you going to a thing?

I’m on call this weekend so probably just going to play games with my housemate and my partner

Nice. I’m going to a thing run by the Terry Pratchett fan club here- only game I know I’ll play is Carcassonne, as I’m running a demo.

A thing run by a Pratchett club, a game is involved and it's not Thud!?

All the DW games will be there- Ankh-Morpork, Thud, The Witches- but it's pretty varied.

I kinda want to try Dominion.

I notice you didnt mention Guards! Guards!

You know what looks really nice in ESO? The Sun.

On a sidenote, it's a bit annoying that taking a screenshot saves that little "screenshot taken" thing in the corner. There's probably an option to disable it in settings, I haven't bothered looking, but I wish I’d known that before I took it.

That sun is… praiseworthy.

I would say it's grossly incandescent .

You are so ready for this role.

I’m so happy they didn't add to the HUD. I really, really like that they kept it minimal.

Also, I *think* there was an easy way to hide the HUD when screenshotting that also hid that message. Can't honestly remember it though. Alternatively, run it through Steam?

It appears to be that time of the year again where all the DST articles start popping up about how complicated telling time is depending on where you’re standing. The joys of living on the border of NSW & QLD. I wonder if SA & Vic border towns have the same issue because of different time zones or SA & WA.. No probably not.

VOICES FROM THE FUTURE

every kotaku post is timestamped 30 min ahead for me.

you are technically seeing the future! that is all kinds of cool! \o/

DIVEST YOUR APPLE SHARES NOW

Haha, kinda weird how we don't have a feature to set timezones in our profiles in regards to timestamps would be handy for you guys who’re in other timezones!

Choosing to have daylight savings is the second dumbest thing any of the states do in relation to the management of time. The dumbest is NOT following what everyone else is doing, even though it's idiotic, because it's MORE idiotic to be out of synch by an hour each way. Makes interstate business a godamn hassle for no good reason.Rasserfrassin…

Eh, each to their own, I like it because it gives me advantages because of where I live 😛

So my wife and I made a cake shaped like a PS3 Controller last weekend. Very late last second thing…

http://i.imgur.com/yJ45gNI.jpg?1

What flavor?

Quite the Infamous flavour…

chocolate mud with buttercream between layers. Outside is white fondant painted black (edible). We were going to use black fondant but they wanted a glossy look 🙂

…can I try some?

NO!

lol you are quite welcome to, i have the cut out pieces in the freezer!

Peasant.

Walking Dead TV Show (Season 4 finale)

What did everyone think? @strange @scree @dc @virus__ (I can't remember who else :P)

Spoilers!I quite liked it, actually. It's a shame it ended on such a cliffhanger, but I guess there wasn't really any other way to finish it in time. I thought FOR SURE that they had cooked and eaten Glenn and the group 😛 Where do they get all this meat to cook it 24/7 on the off-chance someone walks in!?

I liked the scene with the baddy group ambushing Rick and co (me? like a scene with Rick and Korl in it? Unbelievable!). Was suitably horrific and I loved that they didn't try and pull a ‘Korl-is-all-growed-up-and-can-save-everyone-by-himself-now’ thing 😛

I’m… weirded out that no characters seem to care that Beth has completely vanished. Maggie especially (more last episode than this one though). They’re just like ‘Eh, whatever.’ Overall I’m very happy with how the second half of season 4 turned out. It's like a completely new show after the horrible second half of season 3.

Your last point. I agree with Rick and co., after they heard she was with Darryl, but Maggie? Maggie thinks Beth is dead.

My only complaint was Rick's final line. It seemed, I dunno. Forced?

TOTALLY.

I loved the episode, but really think Terminus felt like a temporary detour that's not going to be important after an ep or so. I feel like it was necessary for regrouping our characters, but think Washington D.C. is where we’re heading! Glad Tara is still with the group too.

I’d be happy with that.

Terminus wasn't ever about what happens when they get to Terminus. It was more a device to get them all back together again. That's the way I saw it, anyway.

Agreed.

I am trying REALLY hard not to click the spoiler… will be watching it tonight!

Loved the ep and think season four is now my favourite.

4, 2, 1, 3. (Though I loooved the first half of season three.)

Uh oh. We have the same order of favourite seasons.

Something isn't right!

I don't know where my reputation for disagreeing with you came from. XD

I can't watch it until Saturday when my data resets, i’m so distraught D=

I have a pretty good idea what Terminus is about though, and the concept what I am thinking creeps me the fuck out.

3rd point It is weird about Beth, even when Darryl mentioned her "she's gone" after Rick asked if she was dead, you’d think he’d ask "where?" maybe. I actually had myself convinced that they were all going to eat her at terminus. Still interested to see where she ended up. (I still think terminus people ate her), I really liked the scene with Rick mauling the bad dudes too and as much as I hate Karl I kept wanting him to shoot the main bad dude that had Rick (the Mayor from SOA) then quickly shoot the rapey guy that was at his window leaving only the 2 that were wailing on Darryl with no weapons drawn. Also curious what Carol and Tyreese will get up to, maybe they’ll be the rescue squad

I actually do kinda like the idea of a character disappearing and you just never see them again… Seems sort of more like something that would happen in real life. Not very good for TV though I suppose 😛

Not very many people have usable cars anymore. How long before they find them? Maybe at Washington. Wondering how Tyrese and Carol are going to go but my god, I want to see how "Rick"‘s people get out of this.

Does it annoy anyone else that Rick calls them "his people"? it annoys me.

Doesn't annoy me. I consider my friends my people and I’m there people but then maybe I’ve watched too much Grey's Anatomy.

Fine, you’re all my people then =D

So if we all consider @dc as ‘our people’, do we have to work out some kind of time share thing or is it first come first served?

I just marathoned the last four episodes and The Grove is my favourite episode of the season. So good and yet so tragic.

I felt the attempted rape took things a bit too far, they could have just left the evil ways of the group to our imaginations instead of going all Deliverance on us. Seriously, all that was missing from that scene was dueling banjos and a mutant kid.

The final scene was a bit of a letdown. It would have been better for them to end the season with Rick's words, ‘They’re gonna feel stupid when they find out..’

Ha, nonbelievers!

I both did it and set new records for most ships defeated (51), most beacons explored (106) and most piloted evasions (347).

Almost had a new top score too, but my last failed run beat it by 355.

Just finished How I Met Your Mother. I loved the show like crazy up until season six but I’m glad I watched the finale. Was an awesome and beautiful return to form. Even if you’re a lapsed fan I recommend it!

From what I’ve read, it's divided audiences!

I thought it was perfect. I can see how it might be divisive though.

So did he meet their mother?

SPOILERS:Apparently, yes. And then she died. And then, in the present day, he realised the love of his life was the one he's been dancing around the entire series. Robin or something.

So did him telling his children a minutely detailed account of his sexual conquest of half of New York have any bearing on it?

The children reckon the entire story was about Robin, and that's why he's been going on and on about everything, rather than skipping straight to season 9.

I thought it worked incredibly well. Asking permission and framing the story to ‘ease’ the kids into the idea. I don't think it cheapens the relationship with the mother either cause this was important to who Ted was and defining. That needed to happen for the next thing to happen.

Cool!

Also:

They shot the footage of the kids years ago. This was always the end game. Very specific dialogue, etc. How’d they keep that secret? 😀

@dc It's pretty great they always intended it to be that way. And structurally speaking, given that the show went for what, eight years apparently, without showing the titular mother's face, the show was clearly not entirely about what the title said it was about. I kind of like that misdirection… though not enough to ever make me watch it 😛

"Ok kids, I want us to all sit down and talk about the time I nailed Aunt Robin repeatedly."

I like the first part of your spoiler. It's a bit macabre, but it also makes for a pretty good story. That Robin thing though. I though she was married to Barney? I haven't really been keeping up with the show; did their wedding fall through or something? Or did Ted realise he loves her but never gets with her? Because that's even more depressing than the mother thing.

Robin and Barney got divorced after three years. Robin drifted away from the group and became a successful journalist based overseas. Ted surprises Robin at her apartment in a scene that mirrors season one. (Blue french horn!)

THANK YOU FOR FINALLY TELLING ME WTF HAPPENS.

No, seriously. :’)

Hmm, do I try and slam through everything unwatched (2 and a half seasons, I think), or do I just spoil myself on the finale…

Just skip the last few seasons. (Though I recommend 8×24 and 9×16.)

You could spoil yourself on my post and save yourself those twenty minutes…

Noooo, the finale is as good as any of the early episodes. I suggest you watch!

I’ve only seen the pilot, and I want those twenty minutes back, please. 😛

Seemed pretty awful to me. I think the problem is the presentation. You can't spend nine seasons building up to things (not just Ted meeting the Mother, but things like Barney and Robin's wedding) and then take both of those things away in a matter of twenty minutes without really touching on the fallout. It's hard not to see that as a ridiculous cop-out.

Speaking of shows that sap me of precious time I can never get back, Mrs Shane borrowed Community from a friend, and we watched the first episode last night.

Can't remember the last time I actually wanted to punch a show in the face.

Episode 1 of just about everything is terrible 😛

True. Season 1 of Parks and Recreation was terrible.

Season 2 became brilliant – especially the bit where they re-wrote an entire character, explaining it as "He fell down a hole and knocked his head and now he's woken up he's a really nice guy".

@shane give it until episode 1, season 2. I promise it does get better.

Also orginally Leslie is very "Michael Scott" its pretty much identical.She develops her own personality in season 2 and from then on the show finds its feet.

The Community Season 1 Episode Quality Graph!

http://i.imgur.com/fII18oU.png

Okay, maybe I was a little cranky because Mrs Shane wanted to watch this instead of Six Feet Under. I might give it another chance.

Takes community a few eps to find its feet.

The first few episodes of Community are pretty average. After that, the hilarity ramps up quite nicely, as they start trying to chuck weirder and more outrageous things in. Very funny show. Stick with it.

Can I skip ahead? Which one episode would you recommend to get me hooked?

Hmm, it helps if you have some of the backstory- it's not as self referential as Arrested Development, but it does rely on knowing a character's groove.

My two fave eps are s1 ep 23 and the D&D one in S2, but they need a little character knowledge.

It's worth watching all previous episodes just for the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons episode.

Such a great piece of writing. with no D&D knowledge required!

Only the first couple of episodes are so-so, in my opinion. The graph Cake posted is actually pretty accurate 😛

You could skip as per Cake's graph, but I wouldn't. Just tough it out through the boring ones.

I hated Community so much for its robbing me of my time. SO MUCH.I kept seeing all these funny gif clips from reddit/macromeme/whatever and thinking, "Wow, I’ve really got to watch that sometime," but it's pretty bloody obvious those fans basically just ripped out and gif’d the only two minutes of humour in the entire fucking series.

GOD DAMN YOU, COMMUNITY.

There's not a single likeable character in Secrets and Lies. At this point I’m hoping they’re all guilty.

While we’re being cranky about TV shows:

I’m rewatching Veronica Mars. I love Veronica Mars and can't be cranky at it.

I’ve only seen a few eps, but loved them. One of these days I’ll binge watch.

We used to watch it at uni and yell SASSSSSSSSS at the screen whenever Veronica is sassin’ someone.

We yelled SASSSSSSSSSS a lot.

That doesn't sound conducive to an immersive tv viewing experience.

Immersive? More like AWESOME

collective audience experiences are a wonderful thing.

I do agree, there's nothing better than seeing a horror movie with a packed audience reacting. 😀

My two favourite mass audience experiences I’ve had are Cabin in the Woods and The Room.

Dawn of the Dead (2004) was pretty great. 😀

Also fun seeing new Evil Dead and watching Freeze react. XD

@dc I don't usuall go for Horror movies, but I knew I’d be in good hands with Goddard & Whedon.

Was not disappointed.

Man, I saw Cabin in the Woods with a cinema full of like three people 😛 The Room would have been great, wish I’d have heard about the cinematic screenings they were doing here a couple of years back *before* they’d happened.

My most memorable packed cinema experiences would have to have been with The Expendables and The Simpsons movie. Really helped with Simpsons that I barely even knew that the movie existed before my friends invited me along to see it 😛

I’ve been getting the urge to do that, especially after all the recent talk about it.

<3

I’m not cranky about TV Shows! I love TV Shows!

Shameless second-last-episode tonight! 😀 (12 episodes per season isn't enough D:)

Watch The Americans! WOOO!

Game of Thrones and Mad Men back very soon too.

Isn't GoT this or next week?

Next Monday for us! 😀

I watched all of it with the ladyfriend in prep for the movie. Yeah its pretty fucking great.

I LOVED Season One. Got very cranky at the structure of Season Two, and never saw Season Three.#GrumpyOldShane

S3 was pretty disjointed, they got wedged by their network.

You like the pitch video for FBI season four?

Never seen it. Watched the movie in a cinema the other week, that was fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xV5p_BndJs

SASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

12 minutes? Not while I’m at work, will watch later.

That's what I hear, and because Season Two irritated me, I figured I probably wasn't going to enjoy S3 so much… :\

Reality television pisses me off.

Sure, and how does that relate to VM?

It doesn't. It relates to cranky.

Ah, OK.

I’ve never got into reality TV. I watch Man vs Food on Youtube occasionally, and I liked Penny Arcade's Strip Search, but no Block, no Big Brother, no nuffin’

Good man.

Speaking of VM what is the best way to watch the movie?Obviously I can go sailing but otherwise

Reasonably cheap rental off Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/The_Veronica_Mars_Movie?id=iNCEAzQX9Ow

Also on Xbox video, iTunes and PSN

Crashing. Crashiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i78olLC6YnY

SAVAGE GARDEN WOOOO

Hey @DC do you still have that mega list of movies to watch? i lost my way a while ago on my path to watching 100 movies this year. I have watched about 22 i think. SO im on track but its mainly just downloading stuff that has been recently released.

shane– A Few Good Men– Clerks II– Over the Hedge– Music and Lyrics– Children of Men*

bdkiaf– Pulp Fiction– Reservoir Dogs– Anchorman– There Will Be Blood– American Psycho– Warrior*– Drive*– Hanna*– American History X– Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels– Snatch– Adaptation*

blaghman– Beauty and the Beast– In Time*– Lars and the Real Girl*– Pleasantville

greenius– Ghibli Films– Pulp Fiction– Memento– 12 Angry Men– City of God– Life is Beautiful

redartifice– Usual Suspects– The Good, the Bad and the Ugly– Dr. Strangelove– Memento– Dark City– Heat

sughly– Pulp Fiction– There Will Be Blood– No Country for Old Men*– Blue Valentine*– Wendy and Lucy– The Child (Dardenne)– 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days– Martha Marcy May Marlene*– Black Swan– Rust and Bone– Kid with a Bike– Celeste & Jesse Forever*– Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead– Babel– Devil's Backbone– Lawless– Vicky Cristina Barcelona– Fargo– The Science of Sleep– Revolutionary Road

freezespreston– Equilibrium– The Sunset Limited– Machete– The Departed– Black Snake Moan– Kung Fu Hustle– Shadow of the Vampire– Fearless

effluvium-boy– Mary & Max– The Hidden– District 9*– Akira– Pathology

Tigerion– The War of the Worlds (1953)– Rango– Red Dog– Men of Honour– Wasabi– Tais-toi– The Princess Bride

tofu– Life is Beautiful– Battle Royale– Porco Rosso– Meet the Robinsons– August Rush

spaghett– Boondock Saints– Spawn– Limitless– Rescue Dawn

virus__– A Clockwork Orange– Scarface– One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest– Pulp Fiction– Full Metal Jacket– Reservoir Dogs– Inglorious Basterds– Shutter Island– Machete

strange– Delicatessen– City of Lost Children– Rosencrantz and Guildsenstern Are Dead– Princess Blade– Volcano High– Coraline

smurfydog– Reservoir Dogs– Slingblade– Barfly– Withnail and I– Ghost Dog– Amile– Kids– In Bruges– The Usual Suspects– Four Weddings and a Funeral– Three Colours Trilogy (Seen some of it.)– Lost in Translation– The Last King of Scotland– Ghost World– American Beauty

jimu– The Machinist– Ghost in the Shell– Paprika– Ninja Scroll– Armour of God 1 & 2– City Hunter– Project A– The Life Aquatic– 12 Monkeys– Baron Munchausen– Tideland– Brazil– Dancer in the Dark– Perfect Blue– 25th Hour– Innocence– Vioces of a Distant Star– Summer Wars– Time Bandits– Jacobs Ladder

beardymcmuttonchops– Disaster– Splinter– Pandorum– Triangle– Rob Zombie's Halloween remake

thecracks– The Untouchables

ynefel– The Kingdom

powalen– Rubber

cakesmith– 13 Assassins– Attack the Block– Death At a Funeral– Drag Me to Hell– From Dusk Til Dawn– Inside Man– Ip Man– It's Kind of A Funny Story– Let the Right One In– Oldboy– Red State– Son of Rambow– The Book of Eli– The Descent– The Forbidden Kingdom– The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo*– The Raid Redemption– The Road– Trick R Treat– Tucket and Dale Vs. Evil– Unleashed– Kick Ass

My own suggestions:GattacaGirl, Interrupted

danke buddy i love this list. 🙂

How many have you crossed off?

Also, add Contagion to mine.

Great movie.

Haha, I’ve only seen the ones marked with an ‘*’…

Shameful. :'(

You haven't seen A Few Good Men yet? But Sorkin, man! SOOOORRRRRRKKKKKKIIIIIIINNNNNN!

I don't pirate movies. I don't have disposable cash to buy stuff from JB. List requires movies being on TV. XD (Though I have seen this on Foxtel from time to time already half finished. :D)

I have two (or three) copies at home. Was going to just chuck one of them. If you want it, it's yours.

Kind of you to offer, but you know how I feel about kindness. >:|

😀

@dc >:(Seriously, I’m gonna junk this thing. I’m in the middle of culling my overflowing DVD shelves. Take the bloody thing, would you please. You’d be doing me a kindness.

>:|

Tell him it's a game by Quantic Dream!

Man, If I lived near you I could lend you quite a few of those.

You could always moooooove!

(Though Jimu got me 12 Monkeys for my birthday and I still haven't watched. D:)

@dc so could you! Fresh start, new city, new characters, would be like a spin-off.

And then it’d get cancelled after the first season. Turns out people were watching for @Sughly and @Strange and @Freezespreston. (And the tension of whether Gutsoup and Jimu would ever get together.) Not DC. Also, Adelaide wasn't nearly as glamorous as the networks made it seem. Lots of serial killers too.

@dc moves to Adelaide- a fresh start, a new city!

He teams up with new cast members @redartifice and @benny to investigate a mysterious series of murders.

Despite low ratings, it's picked up by cable for extra truncated seasons and remains critically acclaimed

I guess I could become best pals with @jacksonwryan too! He could be our lab analysis guy!

@dc we’ll bring @lucifer9783 in for a mid season ratings bump

You can't handle the truth, no truth-handler you, I deride your truth handling abilities.

This list would be a lot shorter if you consolidated duplicates.

I know, but I like knowing who recommended what so I can tag them in follow up discussions. 🙂

How else would you know to thank me for telling you to watch something?

You’ve got a pretty impressive list of great stuff. You’re winning! (Granted, I’ve barely touched any one elses lists. XD)

@dc Rightly so.

That's a pretty great list.

replying to a post a little higher up but couldn't reply there,You can always borrow some of those movies from me, I live close but it would involve interacting with me somewhat.edit: Also games, I have a pretty sizeable collection of games and DVDs.

We’re a suburb away! SO CLOSE, YET SO FAR AWAAAAAAY!

I think you should add ‘Whisper of the Heart’ to my list. Yep.

Maybe later!

I don't make the list. Maybe it's because you indirectly reference me whenever you mention Gattaca.

Also the list was made long before you started posting on TAY. 😛

Yeah well I never wanted to be a part of your stupid group anyway! *cries*

Out of curiosity, who exactly are the founding fathers, so to speak, here?

Of TAY? Dunno! I ain't one of them! I think @strange is, though!

I’m no Founding Father, I’m just the First Lady.

I think Blaghs was here before the beginning of time.

So many great movies in those lists,

I’ll have to put together my own list for you.

Also, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, is that the original or the remake?

I think both! I’ve only seen the American remake!

Good for different reasons, but if you’ve seen one you’re probably OK.

Please watch Rubber, Rocketman!

is it like flubber???

Not at all! 😀

Okay I just imdb’d this and wtf?

Don't read any more into it before watching.

It's really good.

Ha! I did the whole "forgot my password" thing on Louis CK's website and the email was:

Apparently you forgot your password? Ok, so here's your new one, stupid:

EMAIL: [redacted]PASSWORD: idiot.apmz9

😛

Just so you don't all think I’ve gone total grump, I’ve started playing Crono Trigger on the 3DS, and I’m freakin’ loving it. All the nostalgia for the bygone days of SNES.

Such a cool game.

What a total grump.

The only irk I had with it was the DBZ-artstyled cutscenes, really didn't feel like they were meant to be there. "Am I playing as Crono or Goku here?!" 😛

Are they a Nintendo DS exclusive?

Yeah it's been "refined" for DS use, including touch screen support, and a few extra optional areas being added as well I think…

Whoop, 'tis a fine game, enjoy.Don't worry I’m avoiding taying lately cause I’ve gone hyper grump

@strange Listening to some music in a friend's car on Sunday night and I was thinking ‘Gee, this sounds a lot like Nightwish.’ It was a Tarja Turunen solo album. So, I’ll be borrowing it from him when he's finished listening to it.

Also, have you listened to Lacuna Coil? I bought their new album Broken Crown Halo off iTunes this morning and I’m really enjoying it so far.

Tarja's solo albums can be a bit hit and miss but her latest was pretty cohesive and not bad.

I’m a huge fan of Lacuna Coil's earliest stuff, but then they lost their way a bit. Their last one, Dark Adrenaline was a step in the right direction and I’m hearing good things about their latest. It's on its way to us in the mail. I have my fingers crossed.

I thought their cover of Losing My Religion was pretty good, although their cover of Enjoy the Silence was better (particularly live). I got to meet them at Soundwave 2009 and they seemed like really nice people.

I really enjoyed Lacuna Coil until about mid ’00s, when I not so much heard something I didn't like as much as just stopped listening. I’ll be honest… I only started because of Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines.

That's not a bad thing, it's how I first heard them too. Same with Gil Scott Heron, I’d never heave heard of him if it hadn't been for GTA4 and now he's one of my favourite non-metal artists.

Hell, bloodlines did weird shit to me musically, I liked a fucking dance song because of it!! I mean granted it was heavy industrial style dance bust still dance! I voluntarily went to the club in santa monica just to listen to that song… It was so profoundly out of character for me, the equivalent of being happy to see a child or eating a banana!

Cristina Scabbias accent is kinda cute 😛

Just thought i’d mention that..

Cristina Scabbia is kinda cute.

Fixed it for you.

Oh she's also that.. Jim Root is one lucky man. Also his beard is dreamy.

*FTL*

NARROWEST OF ESCAPES

Playing with the Zoltan ship, only one I’ve got that I haven't finished with yet. Absolute shoestring run so far, not getting much scrap and absolutely scraping by. Almost got finished by an invasion of three Rock men at a sun, with fire taking out most of my ship. Just now, I beamed my Mantis pair aboard to take out the crew. They haven't had much training yet though so aren't that strong. One of them was about to die but my teleporter still had another cycle of charge left before it was ready to go again, so I went to send my guys to the back of the ship where they’d be safe. Nope, doors are locked. Shit. Then I realised that I’d left my Halberd beam to charge, I thought hey I’ll fire that on the shields, messing with shields usually gets their attention. Not in this case it didn't. But then I realised I just so happened to also fire through the door control room. My guys were free! Sent them to the back of the ship and just as they got there, the teleporter came back online and I beamed them out of there. Only five health remaining.

I love this game.

I’d probably be better at the game if I didn't feel like I had to destroy every ship I came across and that fleeing is for pansies.

Its way more important in Normal difficulty to know when to flee. Easy you can get by without it unless it's painfully obvious you should run (e.g tough ship with environmental hazard like solar flares)

Much easier to just destroy the crew instead 😛

I like to open with a cloak to avoid their teleportation/missiles, set an EMP to pound their shields while a beam/missile hits knocks their weapons out of commission and keeps doing so. The enemy ship invariably diverts all their crew to the weapon room to fix it, resulting in their deaths by fire, oxygen-loss, or laser-cutter.

So i totally forgot that the English translation for the Steins;Gate VN came out yesterday, so that was a pleasant surprise in my inbox.

So far… it's a VN?i haven't gotten to any of the choices yet, but so far it's great, but that's probably because i know what's happening thanks to the anime. However it's interesting seeing things directly from Okabe's point of view, it's already given quite a bit of information that he never mentions in the Anime.

Oh and i saw an advanced screening of captain america last night, It was great, so far Marvel studio's is on a good streak with there movies.

EL PSY CONGROO

I keep reading @redartifice's name as "Sir Rad of Artifice".Appropriate.

🙂

Actually, thought of a better one.

George Brandis talking to Penny Wong after she interjected his rant about the Racial Vilification laws.Well, you know, Senator Wong, a lot of the things I have heard you say in this chamber over the years are, to my way of thinking, extraordinarily bigoted and extraordinarily ignorant. But I would defend your right to say things that I consider to be bigoted and ignorant. That is what freedom of speech means.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/28/race-law-debate-touches-emotional-chord-in-parliament-and-out

I mean, it's getting to a point where it can't be serious and is all an elaborate joke on the Australian people right?

WOW! That lesbian Asian woman just got so TOLD by that old rich white guy!

…wait…

Brandis is an arse.

Also, the thing that gets me in all this is that they’re going to all of this effort for Andrew Bolt. Who not only was (and remains) a bigoted arse, but the matter in which he was convicted he was a lying bigoted arse.

Why can't I upvote this more than once? Dang it…

I don't get it, what am I missing? I don't pay much attention to this BS.

"When he described me as bigoted, I turned around. As someone who has been the target of bigotry before, it was a difficult thing to hear.

Just because you’re been a target of something and you didn't like it, doesn't mean you don't do the same shit to other people.

Kindergarden 101, ffs.

I have a feeling that this thing I’m missing is related to some weird BS flying around that Abbott wants to legalise being racist, or something. Amirite?

Because Brandis, being a straight white male, wouldn't know what it's like to be a minority who has had to experience systematic and widespread bigotry.

And the matter is the repeal of a section of the racial discrimination act and its replacement by something too broad.

Ah, ‘broad’ like the ‘QLD bikie laws’ kinda thing? I see how that can be a problem. :\

Basically, it would make it so the act does three things-

Removes the word "offend, insult, humiliate" but adds "vilify"- harder to establish

Adds a "test" which is also hard to apply: to be determined by the standards of an ordinary reasonable member of the Australian community, not by the standards of any particular group within the Australian community."

And adds an exclusion you can drive an aircraft carrier through: "This section does not apply to words, sounds, images or writing spoken, broadcast, published or otherwise communicated in the course of participating in the public discussion of any political, social, cultural, religious, artistic, academic or scientific matter."

EDIT: Worth noting: that last statement was in section 18D before, but 18D had provisions around "anything said or done reasonably and in good faith" and fairness provisions.

In other words, there might as well not even be an Act any more.

It substantially weakens it.

What gets me, too, is that it's behind a discussion about "free speech" – but there are many more onerous restrictions on free speech to go after first if that's what you’re really after.

And that's the ironic bit – Australia does not have free speech. You are only free to express your political views. Nothing else. Freedom of Speech is an American thing, it's in no way codified in our laws.

I’m actually really impressed in how she responded, turning her back and refusing to bite and say something that could’ve just exploded in the media and would’ve in the end bit Penny Wong back in the arse.

We can only hope that the collective ignorance, stupidity, corruption and bigotry of the current federal government causes some massive implosion before they can drag the rest of this country with them.

Problem there is what's the alternative? Labor still hasn't got its shit together after tearing itself to shreds, Greens still have too many nutjobs to be viable as a leading power and no one else has the numbers to be significant. Or they are called the Palmer United Party and as hilarious as that would be to watch no one wants that.

I’m calling a hung parliament and the rise of the independents.

…I can dream.

What about the Pirate Party? 😛

I only mention them cause my mate is a key member in their Queensland party heh.

Future Party!

I suggest some manner of extremely unfortunate extremely deadly accident that I will have no part in followed by an interim government appointed from TAY. I nominate the following:

@Shane can be minister of tourism since we know he’ll talk the place up a treat@scree can hold the dual portfolio of social security and apologising@transientmind can be minister of communications/storytelling@phlanispo can be minister of youth development@fatshadylive can be minister of justice (well, Trials really, much the same thing)We’ll have to establish a ministry of sexytimes so @mrtaco will have something to doI’ll be foreign minister so I can shout at everyone and call them dicks

Who else wants in?

As long as my portfolio involves arguing with the press and making them look like idiots, I’m happy.

Oh it most certainly would. Also comms & foreign would cooperate on carefully crafted insults to other countries, I think between us we could effectively insult the entire planet by the end of the week.

I am coming down hard on the junkies in my area! >=D Means testing for them! If they fail, they are out of the public housing so that families who are struggling have housing!

Then I’d probably apologise for being so mean.

Maybe you should be minister of housing as well, that way more will be built. Maybe in rural areas if you can get jobs here too so you should also be minister of employment.

Ahh bugger it, lets just say Government By Scree

Well, if we can provide some government works in rural areas, then people may move there as there will be jobs. It may cost us up front, but it’ll pay off in the long run. The jobs created will mean more taxes paid.Also, we need to build more schools and hospitals. Can we get rid of the minister for sportsball?

See? You’re a natural! Minister for rural development, transportation, employment, getting sportsball out of government, you’ve got it all!

WE LOVE THE SCREE DAY CELEBRATED IN TAY!

@aliasalphaI have a confession. I learnt most of what I know from Sim city. The new one. I’m sorry

You learned, it still puts you a long way ahead of what we have currently.

Hell, just playing the new sim city means you’d understand the importance of a stable broadband infrastructure!

I want in!

Doing what, you need to say. We’re not keeping the concept of a minister without portfolio because that's just for vote stacking and a waste of money.

Minister for the Environment, I mean I couldn't do anything worse than the current & what Peter Garret was like!

Okay, lets test your qualifications.

As minister for THE ENVIRONMENT do you think that FUCKING WELL MINING THE GREAT BARRIER REEF is ecologically responsible? [ Y / N ]

Oh fuck no. I also think it's fucked the idea that Tasmania has TOO much "protected" forest & that it should be cut down.

Welcome to the cabinet!

I’m something, yay \o/

I’ll be Minister for Science.We need that back.

Promise to wear Vulcan ears and talk about things being logical and you’re in!

I volunteer for head of outback relations, my platform promotes arming the population against the outback menace (I mean, have you seen how dangerous bush pigs can be?), and planning busses to larger population centres for meat summits.

Maybe we should build a tay town, for taybie

TAY city, and then micronation that shit.

We even have a food we could immediately adopt as our official one. Technically it should be Australian but Irish is pretty close considering the makeup of the initial colony

I’m sure enough of us have played harvest moon to be able to grow food. It's the same as harvest moon, right?

@scree, I’ve never played it myself but a few weeks ago I watched that yahtzee guy from zero punctuation play it for an hour as part of his kind of podcast kind of lets play thing. I think I got the gist. I could fill in in a pinch but I’d be better off doing networking I think.

Okay you’re in as long as you make it expressly clear that ‘bush pigs’ is not a euphemism for unattractive people and that shooting them even as a joke is bad. Also I’d suggest an even distribution of meats, for every small to large movement, the next should be large to small so it's not always rural people having to move for the convenience of city ones.

Now that I think of it I suppose @mythamphetamine would have to be minister for island relations (though now that I write that, it makes it sound like he's going to try and shag Great Keppel Island or something)

Consider it done.

I’ll just be an NPC, thanks.

Quest giver or background?

My repetition on TAY tends to lean toward background.

So Aldi are currently selling braided 2m HDMI cable version 1.4 with high speed ethernet for 7 bucks, they’re surprisingly excellent quality, especially compared the 1.5m 6 dollar ones kmart sell lol. I’m sure you could buy a bunch and tell people they’re 50 dollar HDMI cables and they’ve believe you lol.

Yep, $40+ junk at stores is the same thing. I personally buy $1.80 delivered cables from eBay.

Eh, i’m happy paying less than 10 bucks for HDMI cables from a brick & mortar store, I usually need them right that moment when i am buying them heh. Plus braided cables are nice can never find them in the cheap one!

Today was technically a pupil-free day because of the teacher's strike, (although they aren't allowed to call it a strike, so they call it a Teacher's Rights March or something) but I went to school today due to my back-catalog of work. I think I completed a somewhat passable amount of work today.

Going to school on a day off? NEEEEEEEEEERD!

Responsible, sensible, forward thinking nerd. Well done.

You’re a crazy kid Phlanispo. Going to school, on a pupil free day. That's a whole new level of crazy!

I think I may have done it once myself by accident. Would have been when I lived less than a block from school though so at least it’d have been a short walk home.

Yeah, I did that once. I immediately jumped back on a bus and a train (Now that I think about it, I think I went on the wrong bus) and went home. On the way home, I ran into another kid, (must have been from a different school) and he asked why the heck I was wearing a school jacket on a public holiday. I told him that it was cold and it was the only jacket I had. That is probably the only time I have successfully lied in my life.

Didn't see anything about these supposedly leaked renders of a new iPhone on Gizmodo, interesting if the new iPhone did come with a larger screen.

They can't, Apple dug themselves into a hole.

Unless they are magicians and pull out a display measuring a couple inches more, but with 4x the pixel-count …..

Edit: or they just add a vertical collumn of pixels.

But they still fucked themselves anyway, no matter what they do it won't be a good outcome for many people.

Yeah, I mean it’d be cool if they did amp up the resolution, to a certain point, but nothing overkill.

Wall of text and no idea why I wrote all this.It's a problem, just like with iPad Mini. Since they have a set screen resolution on all their devices, the iPad Mini #1 had to have the same resolution as iPad #1. iPad retina is 4x the pixels, so backward–compatibility with #1 is possible with zero changes to apps.

So Mini#2 had to have the same pixel-count as retina ipad, which means that the retina iPad display now looks like trash against the retina mini. The only way to fix this is to double the resolution on the iPad, which I don't think is going to happen any time soon.

iPhone 4 to iPhone 5 was also a problem but they got away with it by adding a horizontal icon layer. Once again, apps on 5 has back-compat with 4 because they just add in a small amount of black space.

Now, to make iphone 6 a bigger screen, they will either need to:– Make it 4x the pixel count of iPhone 5, which may happen but it's unlikely.– Add in black bars around a vertical side of the phone for backwards compat with 5.

If they use option 2, then what will happen to iphone 4 apps? It will have cause 6 to have black bars on two sides on the screen, which will look terrible. What happens to the apps, they become dead unless updates? Removed from App store? Apple doesn't even give developers notices of the changes before product is released, so how are they gonna fix this?

All valid points, not sure how Apple will get away with it, if they can.. But knowing Apple they may make people just suck it up and deal with it..

I might as well ask, but has anyone pre-ordered Trials Fusion on PC yet? What's the best price for it?

So far I’m seeing $16 at GMG for a Uplay version and Amazon has it for $15ish ($20 but with $5 credit added later). I assume the beta is just a beta and we’d have to buy the full game later. Trials hype!

@aliasalpha

The beta, at least as far as I’m aware, is only beta, at least @fatshadylive never said anything to imply otherwise.

I’m still undecided as to platform, I’m loving playing it on PC with my 360 controller and am leaning towards that as my default but I hope to order a PS4 within a few weeks and it’d be a nice addition to that. The choice will probably come down to whichever one my best mate ends up wanting or if I find the PS4 controller uncomfortable after an extended session.

One way or the other I’ll be getting the season pass deluxe version, the description sounds like it's adding 6 new events over the coming year as well as editor stuff, probably worth $20

I’ll most likely buy the DLCs but the season pass will only drop in price, so I don't see any reason to buy the deluxe at launch.

The thing stopping me from playing it on PS4 is that I love using the DualShock 4 and I would hate for it to be destroyed :P. All those bunny hops and whatnot would surely ruin my analog sticks 🙁

Hmm… it also seems like the leaderboards reset :/

Reset??? Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

The replays were broken since the last patch, I figured the leaderboards would be reset post-beta but not during. Oh well, I have pictures of being better than shady… (Although, April 1? It’d be a cruel trick)

Oh? When I first played I didn't see a reply option so I guess it's back and must’ve worked at some point. I forgot about the April thing but it's probably just a coincidence :P.

That's why I didn't want to play too much of the beta! And I’m sure the second you unlock a faster bike and go back to those earlier tracks, all those times will be beat instantly.

Yes I believe its only a beta. Yes your record still stands with me. Yes I pre ordered on Uplay so I could get beta access. I was given 5 beta codes but bought my own. The Ubi guys laughed at me but I told them they didnt give me the codes early enough.

You can tell that they reset the leaderboards, last night I was 11th in the world on Balancing Act. I’d LIKE to think I can get there legitimately one day but I’ll be content with top 50

Haha, this is the best rage inducing April fools i’ve seen so far.

I wish it was real, the amount of hate Sonisphere are getting on Facebook for a well executed joke is brilliant. I guess not many checked todays date 😛

April Fools Day: The best way to float potentially catastrophic PR ideas, risk-free.

I reckon they should do it! Buy cheap ass digicams, make em take pics with that, which they can download to their phone before they get it back! Damn kids and your recording everything and not paying attention! Get off me lawn!

Hmm. So Alex McKinnon is going to be a quadriplegic for life. Makes you think the NRL should be a little more tougher with penalties for lifting tackles, like season long bans tougher, but they won't because footy players are just larrikins who don't mean any harm no matter what they do.

Absolutely crack down on unnecessarily dangerous conduct. It's sad that it takes something of this magnitude to bring this stuff to the forefront.

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I believe that if McKinnon hadn't tucked his head in as he was brought down, his injuries may not have been as severe. I feel sorry for Jordan McLean as well. Jesse and Kenneath Bromwich were just as responsible for the tackle as him, but McLean is the one who is punished. I have also heard that it hasn't been confirmed that McKinnon is a quadriplegic. By the way, yes I am a Melbourne Storm supporter.

I don't follow or care about NRL so all I’ve seen is the low-speed video of the tackle in question, and it looked to me like it was in no way deliberate or malicious, it was the way the guy landed trying to roll his head. Had he gone down cleanly nothing would have happened. It's not like a spear tackle or head-high or anything.

Apparently Captain America got altered pop culture references (in a little notebook which lists what world events he has missed out on).According to IGN,

Australia got AC/DC, Steve Irwin, Tim Tams and Skippy the Bush Kangaroo — a show a vast majority of Americans have never even heard of.

I think it's quite thoughtful of the team to do this, other countries got different references as well, it just makes it a bit more relevant to the country.

Why does that happen?

Really Americans have never really heard of Skippy? I thought that was one of the damn reasons why they thought we owned pet roo's..

I’m just gonna leave this here.

Which also means my Melbourne arrival date is set. 28th October, baby!

I screwed up the dates/timing so now I’m stuck in Darwin for 2 days unless I want to pay $450 for a one-way flight. Holy shit, these companies are a wrought.

…rort?

This one is correct ^ =D

Raught.

Rawt.

Roart.

I’m *thinking* about getting a new PC.My current laptop is certainly passable, but I want something a little beefier. Not really sure why.

Anyways, if people in the know can have a quick glance at this customised quote, that would be awesome. I’d rather not have to piece it together myself (yay for laziness!), and I’ve heard this mob are quite good on customer service.

Intel Core i7 4770 Haswell 3.4GHz 8MB Retail BoxIntel BXRTS2011AC Air Cooling CPU SolutionGigabyte GA-Z87X-D3H LGA1150 ATX MotherboardG.Skill 32GB Kit (4x8GB) DDR3 Ripjaws Z C10 1600MHzCrucial M500 2.5″ 7mm 120GB SSDSeagate Barracuda ST2000DM001 3.5″ 2TB 64MB 7200RPM HDDGigabyte GeForce GTX770 OC 4GB GDDR5 2xDVI HDMI DisplayPortLG BH16NS40 16x Black SATA Blu-Ray Writer OEMFractal Design ARC Midi R2 Black Mid Tower Case w/Side Panel WindowFSP Raider Edition 650W 80PLUS Silver Power SupplyBitFenix Alchemy Connect 600mm 30LED Blue Lighting StripMicrosoft Windows 8.1 OEM 64BitTrend Micro Titanium Internet Security 2014 3 User 1YR OEMBenQ GL2760H 27″ Full HD WS 2MS LED MonitorRazer DeathStalker Expert Gaming KeyboardRazer Carcharias PC/Xbox Stereo Gaming HeadsetPower Shield ZapGuard 6 Way Surge Board Black12 Month PLE Return to Base Labour WarrantyPLE Professional Assembly and TestingStandard Build 5 Working Days

Unit Cost :$2,794.00

Any suggestions for components to change? Is that a reasonable price (inc warranty, assembly, antivirus, etc)?Probably don't *need* 32GB of RAM, but it does sound nice.

Those fractal design cases are nice. Bout all I got.

Quad SLI GTX Titan Z's or go home.

Is that within the price range you were going for (because if it is, then it's all good =D)I’m not sure about this, but do all games work properly on Windows 8? I thought I’d heard about some games not working or something, so that might be worth researching (and Windows 7 might be cheaper now)

Windows never gets cheaper. The only way to get it cheaper is to be a student and use the microsoft deal on that itsnotcheating site if that's still a thing.

32GB is massive overkill, unless you’re planning on storing multiple HD films in ram at once, you don't need it, dump it and upgrade something important. If you somehow need that much ram down the track, it's an easy matter to whack in another pair of 8GB sticks whereas upgrading monitor or video card is a more expensive proposal.

I’ve drawn up an alternative list (with a few subs where exact models weren't available): http://www.pccasegear.com/sc/pd

The monitor in there is substantially more expensive than the one you were looking at but that's because it's 2560×1440 so if you didn't want that, you could save another $250-300. Alternatively, you could stick with the 1920×1080 monitor and upgrade to a GTX780 for roughly the same difference in price.

I’ve never investigated the system builder options since I enjoy the DIY aspect but I know they offer standard build systems you can modify and given their good customer service I’m sure they’d have some option for total custom jobs. Might be worth emailing them about it at any rate.

Oh and for antivirus, just get Avast. Free, reliable, free, effective, free and doesn't cost anything.

Ta. Will have more of a look in the coming days.

No real comments on the build, just a +1 for PLE. When I lived in Perth they were fantastic, ended up getting enough parts for 2 different builds off of them, any warranty issues I had were sorted out on the spot (DOA power supply for 1) and the price was pretty damn good as well.

Though @aliasalpha ‘s build at PCCG looks pretty good too, and never had any issues with them either.

32GBs waaay overkill unless you’re building a server. Three grand is a bit overkill, however I see that the figure doesn't just include the box. What's the cost of the box all up?

Some points:

– No K processor, but Z mobo?– Hope you aren't paying extra for that Intel CPU cooler, cos one should come with the CPU for free.– Get 2x 8GB RAM sticks at most, can always add later.– 4GB GTX 770 is probably not worth the extra cost, go a 780 or standard 770.– Don't buy AV, unless you really suck with getting viruses …– What's the point of a bluray writer? I still only have DVD, there's gotta be specific reason to plonk down $90 instead of $20.– Keep in mind that pccasegear requires you to select the ‘system build’ option – CC: @aliasalpha– Those Razer Carcharias headset is ‘open-back’. Meaning people around you will hear you playing games, and you will definitely hear every noise around you too.

Gaming PC? You don't need an i7. You’re paying $100 more for about 100mhz clock increase and a bit of extra cache. No point getting a Z-series motherboard without a K-series CPU (Z-series adds overclocking, but only K CPUs are overclockable)

Don't pay extra for crap like Trend (Note: I am super biased here). Win 8.1 includes AV out of the box for free.

Bigger SSD. 120gb is incredibly limiting – bear in mind that once you’ve got windows and some a\basic programs on there you’ll be at about 30-40gb free space.

I don't know FSP as a Power Supply manufacturer, you may want to do some research on them. PSU is the place most people skimp but also a good PSU is one of the most important parts of a build. I’ve always gone for Corsair or Seasonic personally.

Don't ask me why, but I have the Bakemonogatari End theme stuck in my head…

Why? 😛

HE SAID NOT TO ASK!

Ask him why you can't ask.

Probably one of those things you don't want to know.

There are far worse pieces of music from that series you could have stuck in your head than that.

Finished Spider-Man 2.

Much better than the first. The actor's much better now, even though in some scenes he's still not great (almost like they got him lessons half-way though or something and left all the already-done scenes the same :/). I also like the villain in this one. At his core, he's not really evil, just a man with a vision (even though most superheroes have vision, this one is just being a good scientist).It seems to me like the first one was the set-up and they had to throw in a villain, whereas this one can just skip all the intro stuff that the first movie was for.I think that because of this reason, Spider-Man would be better-suited to a TV show rather than films.

I also spotted Stan Lee's cameo, which I missed in the first. I’m going to keep an eye out in the next one 😀

Told you so. 😀 And yes, the original animated tv show was pretty rad.

I’m seeing a lot of "Vote Liberal in the WA senate" ads on Youtube. They’re actually quite funny to watch.There are about three variations of basically the same ad. In all versions, it states why you should vote for them:-Scrap the Mining Tax which costs jobs (Actual quote)-Scrap the Carbon Tax which costs jobs (Also an actual quote)-Put WA first (Hahaha)-Create jobs by scrapping the Mining and Carbon Tax

In one of the versions, it explains why there is a re-do of the election. It says all the the votes went to random "crazy deals" third parties. (Because we can't have that, can we?) It randomly zooms from random ballot papers with random third parties. The Hemp Party, (sounds like a fun party to be a part of) the Australian Sports Party, Wikileaks Party, and the Greens Party. "Some of the votes even disappeared!"

They seriously put the Greens and the Hemp Party in the same category?This marketing campaign is really freaking bad.

I think that's because voters are thinking, "oh god, anyone else has to be better then these jokers"

You’re assuming a lot about the intelligence of the average voter there.

Also, they are trying to make the Greens look terrible due to the Green's preference deals with Labor means a vote for Greens is as much an anti vote for LNP as a vote for Labor.

Translation:Bend over and bite down.We’re going in dry.

costs jobscosts jobsCreate jobs THEY TOOK UR JEEEEERBZ!

I found out today that are plans (or maybe it's already started) to do Hydro-fracturing (a.k.a. fracking) in Perth. Oh dear.

Look on the bright side, you might be living on Australia's next new island!

I suppose making a Molotov Cocktail just got waaay easier. Just add water!

Okay, I like all sane people don't like april fools bullshit as a rule but this… Bohemia Interactive have put in some real work to make something pointless and fun

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSAJdRpqltM

Definitely worth it.

I had a giggle at this one through through the terror of the thought.

http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2014/04/andrew-bolt-to-replace-charlie-pickering-on-the-project.html

Ooooh.

http://www.eztv.it looks different.

I did like the one they did last year where they announced they would be providing all content exclusively in RealMedia format as it was "the future of media encoding" and changed every file extension to *.rm.

I was going to write something complaining about the whole early morning thing, but the state it has my head in all afternoon/evening makes thinking too hard to do.

Also, friends did a pretty good April Fools thing, re-dressing the forum to be called Gooks (lampooning Vooks). Slight risk of being interpreted as racism, but it's not like anyone outside the joke goes there at all 😛

…

You have a forum where all the girls go to talk about you?

You don't?

@dcI blame you for this. Like, 5 minutes after you told me to "get back to work slacker", the other person I was supposed to be working with called in late, said she’d be around half an hour. That was 2 hours ago. I’ve been by myself all afternoon in a busy customer focused job. I cut my lunch break by half an hour. There's crap everywhere. I’m exhausted. I’m still here for another three and a half hours.I blame you >:(Jynxing my lunch break! EVIL MAN!!!

I’d get his mobile number and drunk text him all weekend!

That's what I do.

So many old man photos.

Err is "old man photos" a term for dickpics?

Note to self: Never give out my mobile number.

Or remember my mobile number.

Once for no reason Freeze sent literally dozens and dozens of pictures of Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon. Why? WHO CAN SAY?

Hmm, maybe I’ll get drunk Saturday night…Good idea Aliasalpha! 😀

No one has my number, but I have everyone's. XD

What's mine? I can never remember

Hey, it's a sacred trust. I don't share these things. Unless you pay me money. XD

I get it. I’m no one…

Remember that time you got me this for my birthday just to remind me everyday that I’m nothing?*

*Might be changing details of story. 😛

I was giving myself to you BUT YOU DIDNT TAKE ME HOME YOU MONSTER!

I was waiting for the right time, man. The right time.

I fitted that to the frame with no scissors or a knife to cut it to size, I mcguyvered that shit good.

Your little black book of accomplishments hey 😉

I’d like that. That ding of the SMS thing makes me feel loved. XD

Wait, ding of the sms? DING OF THE SMS?!?!You’d ignore my calls?!?!YOU MONSTER!!! D’:

That’ll do, Liondrive. That’ll do.

Woo, Kestral B get!

It's strange, I end up with a super diverse crew in every other ship but using the Kestral I seem to pretty much get stuck with humans for the most part. Glad you only need two of the three achievements to unlock the other ships.

Kestral B is the first layout I won the game with, I think. I found the Engi ship pretty useless, but the layout of the Kestral B (aka Red Tail, I think?) is slightly more efficient.

Haha, I think the Engi ship was the first I won the game with 😛 Liked it much better than the Kestral.

It's really cool just how differently the game plays from one layout to another. Which is great since it actually provides motivation to unlock and try them all. Which is horrible because that means there's still so many more hours to sink into it 😛

Weeeeeeee

These graduate programs are super competitive and reading about the process and all their stages makes them seem so intense. I’ve gone through a few stages with a bunch of them but I’m still a long way off… ugh, I just wanta jerb! Too many stages!

Help me get a job Melbourne TAYbes :-)? I’m pretty okay!

I reckon my chances are a whole lot better with a smaller company compared to these graduate programs. But who knows :P…

Good luck, Greenius. 🙂

Interview thingy tomorrow!!!!!!

Yessss. You got this!

Just pay someone to turn up with a fax machine and plug it in them send through 46 pages of you half naked and oiled up in various poses. I guarantee* you’ll getter job.

*Individual results may vary.

I said smaller company would be better bet. 😛 Everyone is applying for grad programs, and you probably have a 1/10 chance at best for the popular ones.

I know but I’ve applied to both anyway 😛

Best chance for small company would be TAY connections… help a brother out 🙂

Well good luck anyhow!

What was your qualification again? 😛

Bachelor of Business at Monash University with double majors in Banking & Finance and Econometrics.

Distinction average.

Have you tried applying to big companies, and universities? Those that don't have grad programs. I’ve got nothing to help you atm. 🙁

I’ve just been looking and applying for graduate jobs but I haven't really seen any from the big companies that aren't programs.

They have a ton of positions often that they don't advertise. If you wait for them to advertise, especially for graduate positions, you may wait forever.

@negativezero if they don't advertise it how am I suppose to find them/apply? :P. Send an email asking?

It’ll definitely help to have someone "on the inside" but I don't 🙁

@greenius: I’m sure I’ve told you about this before but I got my first job out of university by sending my resume to every company I could think of.

@negativezero you have told me :D. I guess I should do that if these programs don't work out (a lot of them are still in progress at the moment) and it should be a lot easier now with email, although that means I can't distribute them on fancy paper with fancy folders like you did 😛

I always get cranky when there's no summon signs down near a boss in Dark Souls 2 when I want them, but I never actually put my own down to help out other people. There's something wrong with this. 😛

I caught all 150 Pokémon in the Google Maps challenge! All 150 of them.I WANNA BE THE VERY BEST, LIKE NO-ONE EVER WAS!

Grugh. Laundry done, skipped napping in favour of trawling through Hark A Vagrant archives. (SO GOOD.) Work to be done. But I dunwanna. Avoiding gym because of recent aforementioned not-eating and clear signs of fighting a winning (but precarious) battle against a cold.

What I REALLY wanna do is drive up to Mt. Cootha and shoot the breeze with my best friend while watching the city go to sleep, and develop a vaguely goofy grin at the beauty of it, only to glance aside and see that she's not actually looking at the lights at all, she's looking at me with that same goofy grin.

…On a related note, if we had the ability to choose what we dreamed about, pretty much everyone in the world would get enough sleep.

Oh well. Work work. Zugzug. More work? OK.One foot in front of the fucking other.

I’m sure every city has their own place for that story to unfold.

Griffith Observatory in LA, Mount Coot-tha in Brisbane. :’)

Sughly suggested last year that we should all have a BBQ meat up at Mt Coot-tha. We totally should. Won't be the same as your scenario though. Prooooobably. *wiiiiink*

Hmm, dat Mt Cootha paragraph. Not sure if:

😉

or

😮

or

"WHERE WILL THIS TAKE US NEXT?!"

Just reminiscing on better times.

A comic I was reading last week really nailed a similar scene 100% (so I’m guessing they’ve been in that kind of scenario themselves – it wouldn't be uncommon) and it just got me remembering. Been thinking about it since.

Oh, so this is a refection on the past, so it's your friend who went on to be your gal friend? 🙂

Yup. She's still my best friend and confidant, which makes the distance… hard.

(Just background: She started getting real sick about a year ago, moved out about 8 months ago, and had to move back with family in the US for the last few months, to take care of her and her medical needs. They tell us she won't get better. We’ve been the best of friends for the last 14yrs, but only made a commitment to a relationship a few years ago. Not long enough, but honestly… a lifetime wouldn't be.)

I know roughly about your situation, and I always have my fingers crossed when I stumble upon your username. 🙁 Youse a cool dude, dude.

Ha, my Steel Panther album arrived today, it's awesome seeing my name in the lyric booklet in the thank you's.

how did you manage that?

Gotta be in with the band 😉

Lol, I fucking wish. Nah they were offering to Aussies who pre ordered before end of Jan with JB online to have their name printed in the lyric book as a thank you. I expected a lot more names than there was honestly. Only 2 pages at a decent size font.

damn, wish I’d known. I’m just falling further and further into a hole of isolation. There are so many things lately that I didn't even know were a thing until after the fact.

Haha, yeah I was just lucky my mate alerted it to me as soon as it was available lol.

I have a friend who is obsessed with them, I’m surprised he didn't get on board with that or alert me to the fact. :/

That is indeed odd. Maybe he went for the the fan packages on the bands website, where postage cost 2x as much as any bundle :/ Was gonna buy one until I saw 44 dollars shipping for a 22 dollar package 🙁

Goodnight, everyone!

HORY SHIT

The Sky- The Art of Final Fantasy is on sale on Amazon for 13 bucks.

13 bucks. It's $76 off. Have you seen that goddamn thing in person? If there was one video game art book to buy, this would actually be a top contender.

FUCKIN BOUGHT

Nice. I had a look, but Amazon wants to add $35 to post to Australia.

Ha! No.

I’m lucky enough to have somebody in the US to hold it for me until the next trip over, otherwise it would be a extra 15 bucks for shipping. Mind you, even with $35 tacked on it's still a half-decent deal.

This whole waking-up-before-7-unassisted thing is really weirding me out. The last time I remember it happening this consistently was when I was like… 10 or something, and I’d always wake up super early on the weekends. Then get up and watch ether the Three Stooges or that stop the pigeon show, depending just how early it was I’d gotten up.

I don't think I’ve ever managed to fuck with my sleeping patterns so hard that it actually "fixed" them.

Huh, surprised that last post went through. Right when I did, TAY kinda fell into the void between months and ceased to exist for the next hour or so 😛

Got this in an email from PayPal this morning. Might be of interest to people:Top up your wallet with $50 via PayPal and get a $10 voucher to spend in the PlayStation Storehttp://www.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/au-en/promotions/top-up-promotion/?EMCID=GM390007

Not an amazing deal, but a bonus 20% is handy if you were going to do it anyway!

The $10 voucher needs to be used by a certain time, FYI.

Ooh, good call. Got till the end of May. Still, I was going to be renewing my PS+ soon anyway, this will save me $10!

Shame you can't add funds tp a non-AU account from AU Paypal 🙁

So sleepy…Stupid heat…

@batguy repost!

Top up your wallet with $50 via PayPal and get a $10 voucher to spend in the PlayStation Store

(AU PSN only I think)

http://www.kotaku.com.au/2014/04/talk-amongst-yourselves-270/comment-page-7/#comment-2506860

___

I’m fairly certain if I resub to PS+ during this period, there’ll be a sale shortly after 😛

Note repost!

The $10 voucher has a (short) expiry date! Also no one is sure when exactly you’ll get it! And the $50 can be made up of multiple transactions!

Does the $10 from the voucher have to be used quickly or is it just something that has to be redeemed quickly and the money will be in your account till you use it?

The $10 is the voucher, so you need to spend it quickly.

Oh, bollocks to that then. I thought it’d be a redeem and keep kind of thing.

Yeah, same. 🙁 Because then I’d be loading up $100 at least.

Ahhh its that lovely time of year again…..Always get a headcold when its supposed to be cooler, but its hot :o(

I love your avatar.

I love Totoro, and this is the best one I have found :o)

Facebook are such jerks, their brilliant idea of loading videos in the background so you can play them whenever you want is just fucking stupid. I don't watch any of the videos that end up on my timeline/news feed.. I wish there was a way to disable that cause it isn't very nice on a capped connection :/

Not a perfect solution, but what about connecting to https://m.facebook.com/ – that should keep the videos from pre-loading (at least I’d hope they aren't preloading video on a mobile site!)

Wow, Facebook have not done anything to their mobile site in years :/

I had thought about that, lol.. But might be easier to disable flash lol

Yeah I noticed that too, maybe they’ve got a setting to disable it, not sure…

I hope, I didn't see anything about being able to disable it in their release about it the other week *sigh*

I’m on capped internet too, so I might need to block those from my news feed to avoid them loading at all if that's the case.

Yeah it's a pain the arse, it's only facebook videos though, not youtube or other services than god.

You can disable it, go to your settings, it should be under a tab named "Videos", I read about it this morning, not sure if true yet though.

I’ll have to investigate this, cheers, Techy!

Can only select "show only on wifi".

Edit: Im talking about the app, Android in particular.

Only they fail, because the instance of video in the timeline is different to the instance when full-screen. So your options are small and muted, or opening the video.

Yet another fail brought to you by Facebook.

They’re good at fucking shit up like this.

https://twitter.com/PHIL_FISH/status/450999474731880448

Heh…

As if it wasn't going to be.

This makes me very h- OH WAIT

Sad now.

Is this a 1st of April thing? That seems to be the response…

If so, kind of a bad idea to remind people that the project doesn't actually exist anymore because of a hissy fit. If not, then it's shockingly bad timing 😛

I’m hoping it’ll be another Blood Dragon announcement (oddly timed on April 1st). Probably unlikely but I’d buy it 😛

Ever wanted to really bang your head repeatedly against a hard surface but lacked motivation?

http://io9.com/this-is-what-the-gops-war-on-science-looks-like-1556202056

*headdesk*

See? guaranteed motivator.

One of the comments summed it up perfectly:"I don't understand how science works but I have a microphone and I’ll be damned if I’m not going to use it."

Administering an exam for the right to vote would be too difficult.

But it shouldn't be as difficult to demand an exam be passed to actually stand as a representative. You know. Some remedial economics, sciences, and a multi-cultural, multi-faith course on theology.

(Edit: Oh, and basic fucking maths, including a subject on statistical analysis.)

I’ll have none of your librul lie maths, heathen.

The bible states that Pi equals 3 and that's good enough for me.

Cool Duff McKagan is gonna be in Guns N’ Roses for a few shows filling in for bassist Tommy Stinson. Now watch a bunch claim it's the first step to a reunion of the classic line up. Naaaaaah, Slash has no interest & who knows what Izzy Stradlin is doing these days.

I don't even know who any of those people are.

I know who they are, but they can't be real names 😛

C’mon, I bet we’ve all known a "Duff McKagan" at one point in life.

Just like the name Nikki Sixx, right? 😛

I don't really know who Tommy Stinson is, other than he is some unimportant member of Guns N’ Roses 😛

I know you’re joking when you say you have no idea who Slash is.. Cause South park taught me that Slash is everywhere..

Slash? I much prefer em-dash.

———

I don't need a Guns N’ Roses reunion. Having seen Slash perform with Myles Kennedy is enough for me. Myles is miles better than Axl anyday. Todd Kerns also does a decent version of You’re Crazy.

A one off show like Led Zeppelin did would be interesting, but otherwise meh. Plus Slash's new album is sounding awesome. Axl is just a diva, he likes drama and that is bloody boring.

Haven't heard any of it yet, but Apocalyptic Love is my most played album on iTunes.

He's doing a reel-to-reel doco (since he's recording to analogue tape) of the album, 5 minute shorts each week from the studio, and what has been in the videos thus far sounds really really good.

Man that was an excellent album, one of my favourites from 2012. It and House of Gold & Bones by Stone Sour dominate my plays in iTunes haha. Haven't really listened to either album in ages though, I should get on that!

Favourite song from the album? Mine is a tie between Anastasia and One Last Thrill.

Anastasia or Apocalyptic love for sure. Bad Rain, One Last Thrill & Not For Me also get a notable mention 😛

Also you hear the song Myles & Slash did for Slash's film ‘Nothing To Fear’? Wow.. Just wow… Chilling and awesome.

Just listened to it. Damn, that song is creepy. Myles's voice and Slash's guitarwork fit together perfectly. Shame that the movie sounds absolutely terrible.

Myles performing the GnR stuff with Slash, while technically perfect just lacked soul. When I saw them there was a marked difference between the other songs and the GnR songs in that his heart just wasn't in them. I left the show because if they can't connect to the songs they’re playing, how is the audience supposed to? This kind of thing really annoys me with live bands.

Like when I saw Edguy at 70K and Toby kept apologising for not being "metal enough for 70K" which is a crock of shit but because he believed it, the crowd started thinking it as well. And then when they played a ballad they started off good but then just joked around and rushed to the end, joking about it being a ballad. If he’d just believed in the song, he’d have sold it to the audience no problems. The stage is not the place to air your insecurities.

I don't know, I thought the version of Paradise City that I heard them do was amazing. Myles seemed to be into it. Maybe that's just me, as it was the encore, and I was extremely pumped then.

He may have been different at your show. It was obvious he was just going through the motions at mine, though which was disappointing.

Everything i’ve seen from Myles with Slash has been the opposite, Live in Stoke dvd, their Sydney concert they recorded & put online, anything i’ve seen from the various Euro festivals, even my friend who hates him cause he sings Velvet Revolver songs thinks he was great. That was the funniest having her admit that 😛

I never said he wasn't great. I said he was technically perfect, in fact. He has an amazing voice but he doesn't always choose to back it up with the conviction needed to sell a performance.

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply or say you didn't find him great!

I know what you mean, just i’ve seen the total opposite and heard the total opposite. I recall you telling me about this before and I just found it odd and off for Myles :/

Oh man, been watching Cosmos. So damn inspiring. The notion that scientists will continue to build upon each others works hundreds of years later. The awe of what's out there. The production values and showmanship of it. Arrrrrgh. HOORAY FOR SCIENCE.

HOORAY

Science is a continual process of standing on the shoulders of giants. For example, the work that I did at uni was made possible by the works of Erwin Schrodinger

You didn't kill a cat I hope! D:

We’ve been through this before- I cut up people.

Actually, my work wasn't in the field of quantum physics, but the opening up and formulation of quantum theory lead to the invention of the Atomic Force Microscope.

He hasn't opened the box yet so he did and he didn't.

You can't prove that.

Just as we were about to leave this morning, my son threw up. And then he was crying because I wouldn't let him go to school. He only stopped crying when sister brought out her Science textbook and gave it to him for the day so he could have "homeschool". He's been reading it all morning.Hooray for science, indeed!

Hope the little guy feels better.

If he reads enough science he can make himself better

I’m really loving Cosmos. It's one of the best documentary series I’ve seen for quite a while. Can be quite challenging in parts, particularly for a Christian. When/if it comes out on Blu Ray, I will be buying it.

What are you finding challenging?

I don't mean to speak for @ontargett but I suspect a lot of it will be the immense scales of time and staggering size of the universe really makes it hard to rationally believe that humanity is ‘special’ – we’re very insignificant.

Beyond that it depends if you’ve adopted specific beliefs that are common in the faith. Young Earth Creationism for example if you follow it through rationally effectively requires you to assume that god created the universe so that every bit of evidence suggests it's different to the way it really is, ergo god is a liar. The other one I imagine is around evolution (especially because a lot of Christians conflate evolution with the origin of life and as an alternative to creation, which it is not)

I’m aware that creation groups are in a tizzy over it- they’re also not happy with the Giordano Bruno stuff (which means they’re missing the point).

You know I find the fact that humanity is insignificant and the sprawling nature of the universe all kinds of inspiring in a weird way that I can't place my finger on. At the same time we’re apart of something bigger and connected to something greater which is comforting. The fact we’re here against all odds. I also truly believe that the staggering nature of our universe makes it more likely there's a higher power than what's written in the scriptures and all that. Don't know why religion and science have to be enemies.

"How is it that hardly any major religion has looked at science and concluded, "This is better than we thought! The Universe is much bigger than our prophets said, grander, more subtle, more elegant?" Instead they say, "No, no, no! My god is a little god, and I want him to stay that way." A religion, old or new, that stressed the magnificence of the Universe as revealed by modern science might be able to draw forth reserves of reverence and awe hardly tapped by the conventional faiths."

— Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot

Haha! Yeah, I think Sagan has summed up what I was trying to say way more eloquently. 😀

Sagan was a pretty awesome guy really. It's rare to find someone who has both a way with words and a deep understanding of science, let alone someone who can write and speak so elegantly and explain science in a way that anyone can understand.

The universe is effectively infinite for creatures with so a small a range of perception as us, trillions of star systems, trillions of worlds. Yet in all of that space where life may exist, there's only one DC & one Aliasalpha

Suppose the universe needs to be thankful for small mercies, eh?

Has anyone ordered anything from Teefury and know how long it generally takes to ship?

I believe they quote 15 business days, but it always takes a month for me.

Probably another couple of weeks thenBut I want them now 🙁

It's almost always worth the wait 😀

We got a few grab bag shirts recently and they came really quick. About 2 weeks.Although I’m still waiting on my order made a couple days later. I think the grab bag was just stuff in a bag and go rather than waiting for printing

I finished the Google Maps Pokemon Challenge last night. Pretty cool that Nintendo/The Pokemon Company let them do that.

I was thinking it’d actually make a pretty cool fitness-style game if they incorporated it with geo-caching or something. Make me get out of the house instead of me sitting on my ass scouring the world's landmarks for Pokemon.

Was pretty funny some of the places they put Pokemon though. Visit Uluru and see a Sudowoodo sitting on top of it or go to CERN in Switzerland and see a bunch of electric types running around. Dragonite sitting in Loch Ness was a good one too.

(I had to use a guide for the last 40-50 though, all I was finding after a while was duplicates… Plus it made me burn through my mobile data super quickly :P)

I used a guide for the last 60 or so

There was actually one right near my house- located at the Adelaide airport

I’ve been hearing a lot about the "Google Maps Pokemon Challenge," but I know nothing about it. Can you educate me on this subject matter?

It's this years April Fools "prank" by Google Maps. They put 150 Pokemon sprites on various places around the world and challenged people to try and catch them all. You just had to scroll around and click on them to catch. So you’d see Grass types in parks and Fire types near Volcanos, etc.

All over now sadly 😛

I did a bad thing…

I resubbed to WoW for some strange reason.

It's only a bad thing if you don't use it.

All the inappropriate things that could be under that spoiler tag… I’m a bad person.

It's only a WoW sub..

Oh well in that case it's not a bad thing since I have been using it \o/

I’ve been soooo tempted the past few months to re-sub. Whats stopping me is every expansion up to Cata i’d jump back in for a few months and then lose interest.

it just aint what it used to be for me.

Yeah pretty much. Cata was a great xpac, MoP how ever is horrible at every turn.

Yeh the more implementations I hear the more I shudder, it seems way too easy to get a max level character, I think you can even pay for it now.

I still cant get over Pandas being a race, makes me laugh. A fantasy world with humans, orcs, dwarves, elves – standard races in this type of setting. Fluffy Pandas seem so out of place to me.

Every now and then I get really tempted to go back to it too 🙁

This happened last night. Debating if an evil expert run through is in order to grab the last few trophies. Seems very doable given how ridiculously short the main story is.

I know it's not much of an achievement but it's so rare for me to 100% any game these days.

Could be fun, the evil powers seem more varied.

They are, they so are 😛

Do you get the bullshit of "lol you safely captured someone instead of blowing their face up, you lose your superpower!" ?

Nope hahaha.

Is the story short because the game is designed around screwing around/side missions, or is it just short?

It's just short.

Like, crazy short.

I tell ya…

Just short. There's no real side missions just sort of little tasks/distractions.

Took about 10-12 hours to do everything.

9.5 hrs on average to beat is the stat. That's without doing the side stuff: destroy all this and kill this many people, then you can take over the suburb, etc.

It's pretty easy if you just completely ignore every side mission in the expert run and power through the mains. Started my run on Sunday night, was finished by last night.

Oh wow a teenager has really upset Metgasco, so much they went crying to ASIC over an April Fool's joke. Hahahaha.

http://www.mydailynews.com.au/news/metgasco-says-prank-not-funny-april-fools-joke-may/2217118/

You’re playing with fire if you produce a press release under someone else's name. To be honest, I understand their reaction.

I’m sorry Shane, but for a company to get upset when they were getting court orders to allow them to force their way on to peoples properties when the owners did not want anything to do with CSG in the region is just fucked up. Which has only just had a stop put to it.

So if you ask me a harmless prank was pretty easy on them.

I didn't say I approved of their response, just that I understood it.

The point is, there's better ways to make a protest point than a fake press release, and many ways to protest that don't run you afoul of the law.

At the very least, it’ll teach her to include the fact that it is an April Fool's joke in the actual release rather than leave it implied. Claim legal protection for satire/parody/whatever.

Australian protections on parody are slim- look at all the shit The Chaser has gone through with Chris Kenny.

Actually, given our discussion yesterday, she should have called them all a racial insult, because apparently that's the only freedom of speech the fed gov wants to talk about.

Burrrrrrrn.

Disregarding the legal implications, the protest was successful in drawing public attention to an issue and the message was clear.

It's a lite version of The Yes Men's antics.

The Yes Men are covered by different legal regimes though.

And my comment is covered by "Disregarding the legal implications"I’m just commenting on the effectiveness of the protest.

It’ll be interesting to see how this pans out. Apparently teenagers can't be held responsible for their actions when it comes to killing or raping their fellow citizens, but will they be held responsible when it comes to potentially and unprovably harming a corporation?

Place your bets.

If the company throws enough money at the case i’m sure something will be done to hold her accountable for her actions, that or the courts side in favour of the big company who has been bullied and is ever so upset.

I’ve no sympathy for them. They want to destroy the Northern Rivers despite our local federal members best efforts to have a ban put on CSG here & people not wanting them here.

Or, you know, the courts will do what they’re supposed to do and side with the law which states that what she did was illegal.

Good joke, just like how a lot of the laws are there to protect us I guess…

So if this company spread a whole heap of "official statements" of how you completely support what their doing you’d be happy to laugh it off as a joke and ignore it?

Yes, because a company would go out of their way to target someone who doesn't even show up on their radar and go to the extent of defaming them by saying they support CSG, when it is untrue, especially when this is the only time i’ve ever been vocal about how I feel of it. Please go on.

@virus__ i think you’re missing the point.

Despite what you think about CSG or CSG companies, that doesn't mean that making false statements attributable to them is OK. At best it's confusing, at worst it can cause financial damage and muddy the waters further on what's an even more complex issue.

I don't care if you’re unsympathetic to their plight, it doesn't mean that it's OK.

@redartifice I get your point, that still doesn't change how I feel about things or care for them or the laws that are in place to help protect those who need protecting the least.

Hopefully that's exactly what they’ll find, and then they’ll record no conviction and no penalty, in line with the age of the offender, damage done and risk to the community. Sentencing consistency and whatnot.

As i said below, I doubt they’ll convict her.

Wouldn't surprise me if the worst this gets is a stern talking to. The civil suit is what I’d watch out for.

I’m not even sure if you CAN file a civil suit against a minor.

Edit: Which means, watch out parents/school for not exercising due diligence in protecting the corporation from this dangerous student.

@transientmind I dunno either way on that, but as the company's PR adviser over the internet with no actual connection to the company I’d be telling the boss that suing a sixteen year old in a community you’re already quarreling with would be a bad move.

Given she's 16 I doubt they’ll convict her for anything.

Metgasco could probably sue her though.

What I find interesting is Peter Henderson's response.To me, emphasising the innocence of the investors is a telling attempt to distract from the corporation's guilt. It's almost an acknowledgement, and a sloppy attempt at spin.(Or, at least, that's how I interpret it)

Make yourself the victim, evokes sympathy.

"Those nasty hippy dippy greenies are victimising all of our investors, who are grannies just looking for a comfortable retirement"

A guy went to trial a few years ago for putting a release out under ANZ's masthead

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-24/coal-activist-to-stand-trial-over-fake-anz-statement/4977748

ASIC can't do anything I believe so unless Metgasco wants to pursue a 16 year old girl on a torts law action this will probably just die as a April Fools Joke.

campaign against dredging the Great Barrier ReefWait, WHAT? How have I not heard of this. I know aliasalpha made some joke about it the other day, but I didn't think he was serious…

Blergh. My PC ain't turning on. :'(

Though weirdly yesterday I felt a pressing need to backup all my files, music, photos and etc.

Straaaaaaaaange.

@strange

So, did you follow through on that urge?

I did. 😀

Doing better than me. 🙂

This photo a day thing I’ve been doing has made me extra paranoid about this kind of stuff.

Even have online backups for that. 😀

Hmm. Should probably run a backup of my computer. Been meaning to do it for the past I dunno… six years.

Especially now that I actually have somewhere to put it 😛

I’d be placing bets on power supply not wanting to play, that or the power button is playing games with you.

Have you tried turning it off and on again?

Wait..

Serious response, though. Have you checked cables and such? Having cats around I wouldn't be surprised if they’d knocked something loose.

Yeah, all is good on that front. Had been locking up for a couple of weeks every so often, so think something screwy was going on. *shakes fist*

Does nothing happen at all when you press the power button? Or does the PC start (fans start moving for a second etc.) and then not boot?

The second thing. Just hangs on the loading Windows screen. Tried to do start up repair and all that, but doesn't help. Might have to do a system recovery.

Blergh. Not turning on means the Power Supply's burned out. What you have could be a ton of different things from software through hardware (but my money is on a dying hard drive)

I’m just thankful I have back ups. Whatever it ends up being will be annoying, but way less annoying than it would be to lose my stuff. 🙂

No power at all?

Double check power cable & PSU switch if it has onePop the case open and see if the mobo LEDs are litTrace the cables coming from the CPU fan & make sure it's plugged in properlyTrace cables coming from the power button to the mobo header & make sure they’re no looseReseat the video card

If none of that helps, it's the PSU.

Oh, make sure the power point is turned on, small shit like that trips even experienced people up. Embarrassingly I (with 3 IT qualifications) have wasted 10 minutes troubleshooting internals before realising I unplugged the wrong cable the previous night to plug in a battery charger.

If it boots to any stage, it's either hard drive or software. A format & reinstall will fix the latter or confirm the former

@saturday repost!

The Sky: The Art of Final Fantasy is $13 on Amazon!

http://www.amazon.com/The-Sky-Fantasy-Slipcased-Edition/dp/1616551607/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396398539&sr=8-1&keywords=the+sky

Shipping is like $30 but whatevs, that's still reasonably cheap! It's sold out at the moment but it seems like you can still place an order at $13 and get it whenever it's back in stock.

This is seriously the best deal for these 3 books ever. Hell, i doubt unless you get it for free there will be a cheaper price for it.

Was it in-stock when you first purchased it/has yours shipped?

Any chance it could be some sort of price error?

I’ve not received the e-mail confirming shipping myself but there are a fair few who have jumped unto the deal when it was listed as "not in stock" only to get a notification a little while later. So at least we know it's not a mistake.

I’m going to say something quite controversial in that I find Amano's artwork incredibly, incredibly unappealing. I don't think I’d even pay $13 for that book.

totes understandable, for me I dislike that his characters ooze the pretty-boy costume-design-clusterfuck archetype that people just love about Japanese rpgs. But all his designs invoke such a strong fantasy setting that I can get past those quirks.

Damn you @virus, after all your talk about Machete Kills and Steel Panther, I’ve gone and ordered the Machete Kills Blu-Ray and all three Steel Panther CD's from JB Hi-Fi.

I’M NOT S’POSED TO BE SPENDING ANY MORE MONEY DAMMIT!

Money well spent I say.

http://www.mmo-champion.com/content/3874-Warlords-of-Draenor-6-0-Patch-Note-Preview

Can't stop laughing at this. Good work Blizzard.

I don't play WoW and haven't for years, but this made me burst out laughingThe Love is in the Air quest "Crushing the Crown" has been renamed "Crushing the Candy". Bring it.

Rogue specializations have been renamed to better encapsulate the skills and gameplay they represent.Assassination is now known as "Stabby"Combat is now known as "Pokey"Subtlety is now known as "Shanky"

I would totally play this.

I wish it was so, since my main class has always been rogue..

I finished the fourth season of the Walking Dead last night, and I enjoyed it overall. The Grove was my favourite episode, followed closely by both Still and Alone. Does anyone read the comics? Is the show following the storyline set by the comics or is it now a creature (zombie) unto itself?

I think i’m one of the few people who didn't like that episode.. I personally liked Daryl & Beths episodes the most, they’re a fun team.

Were a fun team.

It's interesting how relationships are uncoupling and changing over seasons though, eg. Darryl and Carol has turned into Darryl and Beth. Tyreese and Karen (or Sasha – I’m not sure of their relation exactly) is now Tyreese and Carol. Sasha is now with Bob, and so forth.

Tyreese & Sasha are related, brother & sister, Karen however was linked romantically to Tyreese.

Daryl & Beth are probably my two favourite characters, Beth is just so adorable and innocent and Daryl is all broken and pissed off. Also blew my mind when I found out the actor who plays Beth is 29 😛

Ah , I almost forgot. I really enjoyed the Live Bait episode too, the one where the Governor becomes a good guy.

Hmm. This one might be my favourite. I JUST DON’T KNOW! Season four had some really good episodes, that's my point!

The series is different from the comics

Thank you.

I don't know the significance of this since I stopped watching the show halfway through season 2 and don't read the comics, but Kotaku posted an article with a video earlier today that mentioned that two pretty big TV show characters aren't even in the comics. I’d assume that’ll make it different enough from the comics in the long run.

I’ve only watched the first two seasons so far, really hangin’ for more.

Cheapest I can find Season 3 on DVD is $34 with free postage on Ebay.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/The-Walking-Dead-Season-3-DVD-2013-5-Disc-Set-New-Sealed-Xprs-Avlble-/121309168731?pt=AU_DVDsBlurayDiscs&hash=item1c3e97045b&_uhb=1

Anyone know anywhere that's cheaper? I know I shouldn't be spending more money, but I figure my wife's already gonna kill me anyway.

Ozgameshop has a great deal on the three seasons combined.

Yeah, but I’ve already got season 1 & 2, and their DVD's are region 2.

They’re kind of similar, kind of different. Largely (at least for seasons 1-3, where I stopped watching), they broadly followed the group to the same locations. But different characters came and… left… at different times. And the two redneck brothers (Daryl and whatisface) weren't in the comic at all.

So in terms of characters, the show and comic are really quite different. But the broad brushstrokes of story are roughly similar, I think.

Here's some examples: In both, Lori died in the prison. But in the comic, she died in the Governor's onslaught, and so too did the baby. Another example: Dale is still alive in the comics at this point. Hershall has all his limbs. Tyreese has been in the group for ages, not a newcomer. In terms of similarities, Michonne and the Governor had a major confrontation, but it was toned down a million times for TV. The comic version is unbelievably brutal, and was actually one of the things that made me stop reading it. Too much for me.

So, the Blizzard AR Viewer idea with the RoS Art book is a pretty damn amazing idea… The artbook is usually the reason why i got Blizzard Collector's Editions in the first place, and using your phone/tablet to see the final product of a sketch, in your living room, is a pretty, gimmicky, but awesome idea

I’m not sure if it's anything like what you’re describing, but the Journey artbook also had an AR viewer which let you see 3D models of sketches. It was pretty rad!

I’m assuming it's the same thing 🙂

Yeah pretty much, some pages have a little shield icon somewhere on the page, which means it's "AR" enabled… you then hold the phone/tablet up and let it "scan" the page with it's camera using the companion app, and it’ll recreate the final product as it appears in game, sitting "on top" of the book… Being able to see it in "real" 3d space and walk around it is somewhat surreal but pretty cool 😛

Slightly annoying when you’re sitting down on a desk though since I can't comfortably see all the angles 😛

Let's try a rare, ‘catch up on real-world news instead of video game news’ thing! What’ve I missed, the last couple weeks?

Who the hell is Miranda Kerr and why do I care if she's coyly not ruling out a lesbian fling and/or banging movie stars?

Oh god damn it. Could our local scum please stick to killing each other over drugs, love triangles, and petty insults, instead of killing foreign students for no apparent reason?

MPs giving themselves payrises. OK. (Yes, I know it's more complicated than that, they’re doing away with roughly an equal amount in untaxable allowances at the same time, because the allowances were being treated as a salary anyway, so at least this way they’re ostensibly paying more in tax. All the same…).

Aaaand the government's fighting any rise in minimum wage.

Nope. Can't get past four articles, I’m out. And there are people who actually complain about news coverage in the games industry. Give me gaming dramas about he-said/she-said, screwing us over in tens of dollars if we choose instead of millions we have no choice over, and crying over imaginary violence instead of real violence.

Games are SRS BUZNESS EA IS HITLER

Worse than Hitler.

Wait, Hitler?! Well then, time to get my biased hatred out then!

I don't think anyone is going to call you on bias for hating Hitler.

He did have one good point though, he did kill Hitler.

Oh I meant bias hatred toward EA, not Hitler 😛

It goes without say that Hitler did wrong and the hatred toward what he did is fair.

Fun fact: Pre WW2, there actually were Australian Nazi parties.

I vaz never a member of ze Nazi party! I had nussing to do vith ze var! I didn't even know there vas a var on! Ve lived in ze back… near Svitzerland! All ve ever heard vas yodeling!

AND NOW IT’S

SPRINGTIME! FOR HITLER!

@redartifice

Don't be stupid, be a smartyCome and join the Nazi party!

\o/

@freezespreston

I vas born in dusseldorfund zat is why they call me Rolf

Heil… Myself. Heil to me, I’m the kraut who's out to change our history.

fun fact 2. I was born in a country that officially fought for the allies cause they were under British rule, but technically fought on both sides cause England had invaded and taken over forcibly and a lot of people decided to fight for the Nazis. Way to divide a nation England 😛

Which country?

@redartificeSouth Africa,

Don't forget about the train timetables.

I heard about that girl last night. Makes me a but queasy thinking of my girls finishing school and going out in the world to chase their dreams and instead of being told of their ups and downs in life being told she was found dead and naked in a public place.

I don't even know, but I can only imagine it's worse if it's your kid going overseas. Like you’d be thinking, "If only they’d stayed at home, this wouldn't have happened…"And the fact that it's not a ‘normal’ crime. Crimes of passion. Ones we understand and expect.

We studied this shit in Journalism. Crime stats. The ABS keeps track of these things, nationwide.

Most people die of accidents and disease.But out of homicides:* Most murdered children are killed by their parents/de-facto spouses/parents’ partners.* Most murdered 18-24yr olds (DRAMATICALLY more males than females – for obvious reasons) are killed in avoidable violence – fights under the influence of legal or illegal narcotics.* Most murdered 24+ adults are killed by people they know. Either over drugs, money, love triangles, or long-running family disputes.

These are the things we intuitively know and understand, expect to a degree, because they’re what's normal for untimely death by murder.But just… out walking, jumped by a psychopath? There's no rhyme or reason to it, which I imagine makes it a lot harder. If only because there's no way you could have known, no precaution you could have taken.

That's not going to stop the parents blaming themselves over it. It just sucks that this sort of stuff happens and sucks even more the guy will probably get 10 years and out in 4 even though he ended someone's life and destroyed many others. Sometimes capital punishment seems very appealing.

On the Guardian website:One review for Infamous Second Son – 4 stars – 12 comments.Other review for Infamous Second Son – 3 stars – 65 comments.

Yep. Lots of comments wailing about why it didn't get a higher rating.We gamers are a spoiled little bunch of nitwits, aren't we?

Willpower, disappointment, & addiction.

well… if you’ve got me on twitter or facebook, you may have seen my posts about planning to quit smoking. lasted two days before being a jerk & succumbing (yep, seems I’m weaker than @dkzeitgeist after all).

anyway, point is that after 2 days, it gets easier. went from ~20 a day (holy shit, realising I was going through almost a pack a day scared me, and led to this decision to quit) I’m getting used to going longer & longer without a hit.

so yeah, while I’m disappointed that I stumbled, its not that bad, coz I’m just gonna start again.

but the scary thing – the really creepy thing – is how a chemical can fuck with your thinking. I mean literally.I made a conscious decision to not smoke, then my brain, my subconscious…. starts bargaining with me. trying to convince me that, its ok to have just one. it bargains, lies, tries to justify lighting up. telling me that what i’m doing is wrong.so yeah….

THERE IS A PART OF MY BRAIN THAT IS ACTIVELY WORKING AGAINST THE REST OF MY HEAD & THAT SCARES ME.

but fuck that guy.

time to reset the counter & start over.

EMPHYSEMA

Just keep at it, man. You’ll get there!

I’ve quit a lot of times and I can honestly say – if you go 3 days cold turkey, you are far more likely to continue without smoking. Why?

Because it takes 3 days for the chemicals to get out of your head. I find that really scary.To top it all off, I agree about the way it makes you think. "Hey, I’m out of smokes, I can't get any for three hours – no worries, I’ll pick up some then."

"Hey, I’ve quit smoking for 30 minutOH GOD I NEED ONE RIGHT NOW WHAT THE HELL WHY DID I DO THIS JUST GIVE ME THE BLOODY SMOKE"

Damn you brain.

Give it a few years and even the smell of it might make you physically unwell.I’ve had a few every now and then out drinking, part habit part just to remind myself, and I’ve felt like complete and utter shit during and afterwards, barely inclined to finish even the one I’d started.

That voice sounds scarily familiar.

"Burn things!"

No that's the other one.

If you don't mind me asking, why’d you start in the first place? What was the appeal?

Don't take this as me being judgy or any thing. Just genuinely curious.

I started about…… 6(?) years ago. my brother who I was living with at the time smoked, the girl I was seeing at the time smoked. I had the odd social cigarette & it just happened from there.

I commend you for making the choice of quitting good sir, keep at it! 🙂

THERE IS A PART OF MY BRAIN THAT IS ACTIVELY WORKING AGAINST THE REST OF MY HEAD & THAT SCARES MEYou needed external chemicals to get that to happen? Pfft, some of us have that in our head, all natural, 24/7… n00b…

Good choice on quitting though, fuck that guy indeed.

My loose folds of skin ripple as I laugh at your weakness.

Mum just walked past, we said our usual hellos, she paused, then asked "have you been using my home perm kit again?"

*sigh*

Alright mother, I will take the hint and get a haircut.

That doesn't sound like a no to me. *strokes patchy chin stubble*

…"again"? This sounds like a story that needs to be told.

You’ll just have to trust me when I say that it's her sense of humour.

You’d think that everytime she sees you she’d just think "Well, at least it's not shoulder length like it was a few years ago".Well, that and the immense disappointment you have brought her in the form of a son.

Ha, seems Diablo 3 has an April Fool joke? Apparently if you take a screenshot, there's a dude (left side) in it. But he's not in the game.

http://i.imgur.com/fuAut3q.jpg

At first glance I was like "…is that Nicolas Cage?"

Good I wasn't the only one 😛

always interesting to see what other people name their characters.

I had to pick a female Barbarian so I could call her "Barbarella"Fem Monk, as well coz she's "Tripitaka"

http://www.gog.com/game/tesla_effect_a_tex_murphy_adventure

Arrrrrgh! New Tex Murphy available to pre-order for April 22 release! 😀 😀 😀

This probably won't mean any thing to most people, but I love this series so much. Pulpy FMV/3D hybrid point and click adventure game. Also the last game Overseer ended on a cliffhanger… SIXTEEN YEARS AGO. XD

I feel like burgers. Freeeeeze, we should have burgers.

What does a lazy tailor say?

Suit yourself.

#alwayspage6

This man should lead us

YOU HAVE MY SWORD.http://memecrunch.com/meme/VK8X/you-have-my-sword/image.png

You have my s-word.

Sass

Would that make your mouth a sasshole?

SASSSSSSSSSSSS.

Ok I think I’ve seen this thing around the place a few times now. On the one hand I’d like to ask what it's about, but on the other I feel like I’d probably rather just not know 😛

It's what we used to say whenever we watched Veronica Mars and she was sassin’ someone, because she's sassy.

If it becomes a TAY thing I am totally OK with that.

Mrs Shane would love that. I don't think I’ll tell her.

Brisbane people who hang around the city at lunch time:

I’ll be wandering around on Friday in Brisbane aimlessly for most of the day waiting to pick up my brother from the airport late afternoon. Since that day coincides with some anniversary of my birth any one want to meet up for lunch? @dc wants burgers it seems so I guess some burger place somewhere?

I could also go for Beachhouse Avocado BLT dealy again. Or whatever you want to do, it's your birthday after all. XD

@dc speaks wisdom. I can probably arrange for an hour or so on Friday for birthday drinks and burgers if we can narrow down a time in advance.

I bow to the harsh overlord of work constraints and let that decide a time.

Also it's not super important since Saturday night is the actual celebratory thing. It's stressing me out not knowing anything about it though. I said to @dkzeitgeist last I saw him that I’d see him Saturday and he told me he had no idea what I was talking about. I went home and got irate at Mrs Freeze for leaving people out and she just laughed at me and called me a dickhead. Thanks Dan. I’m good at looking like an ass all by myself. Don't need any help.

Oh, it's @sughly's birthday on Friday too. Want to eat burgers, Sughly? Huh? HUH?

Why am I an afterthought in this! #soneedy

Haha! You’re not an afterthought. I was just playing it cool. It doesn't come easy to me. 😛

You already said you’d be keen so I just assumed. YOU WERE THE FIRST!

I’m needy alright!

Probably should tag some people.

@shane, @scree, @blaghman, @theartistformerlyknownasprince

Helpful.

I’d definitely be up for that! I’d have to leave at 2-ishpm, though so hopefully that will work with others.

120 pages of building contract \o/Contract doesn't comply with the Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995 /o\

Why have I got to go making things so difficult for myself by actually reading legal documents that I’m expected to sign?

I’ve always been tempted to just sign a contract John Smith or something to see if they’re paying any more attention than I am.

I read something a while back about someone that amended a few extra terms on the end of a generic credit card junk mail offer (no interest, unlimited time to pay back).Went to the bank, got signed off and card issued. The bank took him to court when he didn't make repayments, court ruled in his favour. Hate to think how they screwed with his credit rating over it though.

I’m scared to think of all the things I’ve signed or terms and conditions I’ve accepted. Can't help but think of the South Park with the Human Cent-Ipad.

Downvote for lousy contracts

I switched to Desktop View just to see if you’d actually downvoted me :p

You aren't the one who needs the downvote, the builder is

Eh, if pointing out that their sneaky amendment being illegal is not enough, I’ll just pop it back to the salesperson with a massive commission riding on that contract being signed to get it fixed.

I got the project manager to actually agree with me that the contract may not be legal. I … didn't expect that.

I do a school-based traineeship. All the students who wanted to sign up had to go to a meeting room and sign the contract. I was shocked that I was the only person reading the contract. Everyone just signed in the dots and waited 20 minutes for me to finish reading. Everyone kept giving me weird looks like I was outlandish for actually reading a contract.

When I signed up for the Wii online services about 4 years ago, I remember spending 40 minutes reading the Terms of Service. I haven't read a Terms of Service or an End User License Agreement since.

@greenius, interview post-mortem?

Other than the Vampire Lestat, post mortem interviewees seldom give the desired response.

whatttttttttttttttttt

Was literally typing it up when I saw this comment pop up after I posted 😛

*taps nose mysteriously, disappears in a puff of smoke*

HAHAHA oh god….

I did absolutely terrible in my interview thingy. It was one of those weird video ones where you read a question then your answer is recorded.

I don't even have a webcam but I have access to two laptops which have them. It was pretty hot in a shirt and tie and my neck got fatter so it was choking me :P. I had technical issues as well and actually closed it half way through because I knew it was absolutely terrible and incredibly embarrassing (I later went back and finished off the last question because the worst result would be the same as not completing it, but there's no way I’m progressing further).

I don't know why but this is just so different to face to face or a telephone interview (personal interactions with PEOPLE) and it just felt weird and it screwed me up. I also dislike taking pictures/videos of myself 😛

It's fine though, there were still a few more stages after this (this was like the 3rd stage?) but I knew these would all be a learning experience anyway.

No discounts on Mars bars for me 😛

But now I can stop worrying about this and relax!

You could always get a job at a servo, and get a discount on Mars Bars that way.

Genius!

Trust me, you don't want to do that.

What? People actually interview like that? The hell is the point? I’ve always thought the point of an interview was to get an idea of someone's interpersonal skills.

No fricken idea. It supposedly helps with first stage interviewing but from what I just experienced it's terrible.

http://www.vieple.com/

The next stages were an assessment centre (which I assume would have face-to-face interviews) and dinner with some higher up execs and whatnot for more interviews.

It sounds like typical big-company HR bullshit designed to make it impossible to ever hire any good candidates that would actually fit with the organization. IMO you’re better off not working for a company that feels it's an acceptable step in the hiring procedure.

Hate to be the one to say it but my gut feel is that it's a cultural and look thing.A quick and easy way to cut out the ones with poor English speaking skills or the kind of people who don't represent your company culture.Save the time of the interviewers rather than get somebody in and have to interview when 5 minutes in you know they are not going to be hired.

They’re testing you to see if you’re comfortable in front of a camera. Then they’ll start asking requests…

ooh, yeah, now take that tie off, sexy

SHAKE IT BABAYYYYYY

More than three stages? Man, interview ‘stages’ just reeks of corporate bullshit to me. A recruitment consultant skilled enough in bullshit to justify tripling the length and cost of their contract, or a culture you can get lost in.

Are you going to ask me some intuitive, meaningful questions to uncover my suitability to the role and vice-versa, or are you going to put me in a group of desperate prima-donnas and ask us to figure out how to respond to a contrived, hypothetical emergency?

Review your details/qualification/experience, maybe ask some questions over email/phone to rule out any red flags or qualify uncertainties, then a face-to-face to sort out presentation and interpersonal skills. Done. Anything more than that is padding; someone justifying their utterly unnecessary existence.

You’re quite likely better off.

If it was on video, maybe someone is making a knockoff of that apprentice show. @greenius probably did get lucky, another few rounds and he’d have been standing there, fighting off cognitive dissonance as he's making sausages and being told its somehow helping him qualify for a job selling electronics…

It's to be expected on a graduate program. You’re pretty much all identical – no work experience and a piece of paper. They need some cleverly-designed process where they can be racist/sexist/etc with no repercussions.

Preordered via Amazon JP: – The Wind Rises BD (June) – Spirited Away BD (July) – Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro (August) (Surprisngly they’re doing this on BD in the same packaging as the Ghibli collection which is badass. No details yet, if it doesn't have at least English subs I’ll cancel)

Nearly have the whole set of Ghibli films with these. Only remaining ones are Princess Kaguya (which hit cinemas in Japan in December 2013), Ocean Waves (which might not come to BD because it was made for TV) and When Marnie Was There (which hits Japanese cinemas in July)

Nice work, I’m coming by your place to watch.

Fine by me.

I’ll bring the beers. 😀

lolol @sughly

The person who downvoted you in that other article (What are you playing on the weekend?) upvoted you in http://www.kotaku.com.au/2014/04/the-big-question-to-wait-or-not-to-wait/

Looks like you’ve got a fan!

I’m not sure how to feel about this… (imagine if they upvoted/downvoted this, that would be amazing)

I just bought a PS4 😀

Suddenly not feeling too well… might need to leave work early today. And stay home tomorrow.

*feeble cough*

But you can go in Friday, because you’ll have played all the games by then.

😛

Except Knack. That one's shit 😛

And now for something completely different…

http://instagram.com/p/mRdBamtamp/

*melts*

Gah! Who dat? 😛

Dammit DC, you’re doing it wrong. You’re supposed to sing badly. That's the point. >:(

Badly, huh? *strokes patchy chin stubble*

http://instagram.com/p/mReFKotan5/

Can we get an album of smoky D.C. covers?

Season 2 of Orange is the new Black is out already? 😛

I like that you look stoned out of your gourd.

Dank. C

That's just my default state. 😛

Doll Cmoth?

Oh wait it's actually a video. That's slightly less weird then.

Still weird! And @powalen. You said you wanted to see my terrible teeth. There they are! FREAK SHOW! :'(

Look pretty pearly to me!

OH HEY YEAH *goes back to check*

…uh. What's so terrible about them?

My son: "Did DC get a new haircut? When can we have lunch with him again?"

Hahaha! Your son is awesome! Same hair cut just not maintaaaained. XD

Take me I’m yours

*swoon*

Nail polish fumes are strong.Makes it hard to keep working

A very potent smell, indeed. I loathe walking past those parlours.

Ah, Acetone.

Don't breathe too deep, kills sperm.

I don't think I have that issue…

I don't have fray check, so clear nail polish it is

@greenius @powalen Amazing Raaaaace, ep er.. 5. I think? This weeks. Whatever…

This was a pretty good ep. Super tight times between teams, always makes it more tense. Kind of sucks the girls had a non elim though, I was all "good riddance". Then they had the last laugh! I dont think theyre long for the show anyways. Love the afghanimals and cowboys are fighting for first ^^

I won't see it until Thursday… so…

😛

🙁

I didn't watch yet :P, I’ll bookmark!

Amazing Race Episode 6

Oh wowzers! Good ep :D. "C’MON GREEN!!!!!!!!!!" lolol. It kinda sucks that it was really close all the time though since I prefer it when it's a bit more spread out and if a team performs well they’re rewarded (have a lead), and if team messes up badly, they should suffer for it. I’m glad the Globetrotters weren't last/eliminated since they did well in the challenge. Country Singers won't last long though, they should’ve been out ages ago at that toy car challenge :P. Go Afghanimals and Cowboys! Top 2 faceoff with them would be awesome

@powalen

Unless one of them stuffs up of course, theyre both top contenders for sure. Would make for a great finale if they were!

Hey, for the final mat finish do both members of the team have to be there? I assume it's yes.

It’ll suck if someone slips up on the final sprint D: (has that happened before? And has there been any really close final finishes?)

Yeah both members have to touch the mat. The three way foot race I showed you for one had this – one of the hippies got there before the other team, but the other guy tried going across the rocks so he got their after the other two team members. Theres definitely been others, usually it was the guy getting there first waiting on some poor girl taking up the rear while another team beats them

We now have bathroom scales in the house, so I thought, "lets weigh myself to see how much of the weight I lost from stress from our old housemate I’ve gained back seeing as I’ve made a real effort!"

None… FFS 🙁 Still 58kg. Doctor's gonna wonder how the fuck I managed to lose 7-8kg in the space of a few months when I go back.

Holy shit, I have almost 40 kilos on you, and I’m not a big guy.

Mind if I ask how tall you are?

Around 165cm. It's not a bad weight, it's just that I hate getting told how scrawny I am and how there's nothing of me.

Not so bad.

I wouldn't worry. I know a guy who's 206cm or so, and weighed 49 kgs at one point.

…shit.

Was this him?

No, he looks way more marfanoid than that. 😀

Get your BMI calculator out.

What? Oh, yeah. BMI calculator…*Shiftily pockets notepad*

-note pad falls on ground-

Hey wait a minute! THERE’S JUST PICTURES OF DICKS IN HERE!

I keep thinking I should weigh myself some time cause I haven't done so in about a year….

Want some of mine? I could stand to lose at least 50kg

I wish I only had to lose 50kg. 80+ for me.

Technically it's 80-90 for me too but I’d happily settle for just dropping 50. If I got down to 140kg then I’d actually look like I had dramatically more muscle than fat rather than looking like I have more fat than muscle

How tall are you?

2m +/- 5cm depending on who's measuring, what I had for breakfast and what phase the moon is in. My ideal weight for my height & build is 110

@aliasalpha That's a big unit.

That's what the ladies say…

Or might if any of them ever looked…

and were lying…

Ok, that makes me feel a bit better. I weigh 160 at the moment. I need to get under 100 at least.

You can do it! I’ve been on the dieting and exercise track super hard the last 6 weeks (doing a 12 week challenge at the gym) and I’m now just above that magical 100kg barrier – hoping to get below it in the next 2-3 weeks. Will be the first time since I was about 16 \o/

That will mean you’ll weigh less than I do. Way to make me feel terrible Neg.

It's doable- I’ve lost 6-7 kilos since the start of the year without really changing my diet, just exercising.

That's a lot of jogging.

That's pretty much normal dude. You’ll have the rest of your life to stress about weight, it's good.

was just out having a coffee in the park near my office, when this rather attractive young woman walks past.she glances at me, I look back, not thinking much of it, she gets to the traffic lights at the corner, then turns around & stares intently at me.

fire off a quick smile at her, just being friendly etc, but starting to think this isn't normal & I’ve got a spider on my face or something.she walks over to me, sits down next to me & asks ‘so what's your name?’‘sean,’ I reply, ‘what's yours?’‘Jane*’‘pleasure to met you. and whats happening with you this afternoon, Jane?’*mumbles something*‘pardon?’*mumbles again. possibly something about going home*i hear the mubling & vague answers & vacant tone & the realisation dawns on me. ohhh…. she's higher than Keith Richards.I reply with something pretty neutral, & she gets up & leaves.

tl;dr The only time I’ve been approached by a woman in a flirtatious way in the last 5 years is only because she was stoned. still…. its been the highlight of my day so far. I’m bored.

*not her real name.

Still got it.

Still more successful with women than I 😛

Ha. Highlight.

Hey, not everyone's day can be filled with women throwing themselves at us. No need to laugh at the guy.

I was pondering adding in the space or some kind of italics or something. That’ll learn me 😛

It's fine, I’m sure someone was distracting you.

I guess that’d be a pretty common occurrence for you?the novelty of it hasn't worn off for me yet.

It hasn't happened enough for me to even be a novelty

It hasn't happened to me, full stop.

Only one time in my life a girl expressed interest in me first and it was craaazy uncomfortable due to circumstances. XD

You’re further ahead than I am then.

Same here

That's a shame, women is fun.

*stressful

Still fun. No regrets.

EDIT: No regrets in being involved with the women I have been. Regrets for not having been involved with a couple more.

@redartifice is bang on. Months and years later I regret more the women I turned down or didn't pursue properly than the ones I had but probably shouldn't have.

@transientmind There are points in life where you just kick yourself for missing/ ignoring the signs, and that was my real problem.

@redartifice @transientmind There's one I regret, but she was crazy and I only really knew the person she pretended to be. I guess it's all stuff that goes in the experience / maturity mental banks though.

@beavwa The big one I waited just too long for- her previous boyfriend emigrated from Canada of all places and they hooked back up.

@redartifice Clarification: I regret being involved with this one. A nice big erase button over that small chapter of my life would be the easy thing, but can't deny that it's something I’ve grown stronger as a person from.

The system requirements have always been too confusing for me and I’m someone who managed to get a DOS boot disc loading sound and joystick drivers and still enough free base memory to run Falcon!

Are you talking about the old Microprose game? Man, the Microprose flightsims were the best.

@transientmind The first 2 I think were Spectrum Holobyte before they merged with Microprose but yeah, those ones. Insanely detailed for their time, arcadey as fuck nowdays compared to stuff like DCS and even Arma but damn they were good. Hell their guesses about the stealth fighter for their F19 sim were good enough to have government agents show up to ask questions about it.

I’ve still got a 5.25 copy of Red Storm Rising sitting on my shelf, easily one of the most immersive war games I’ve ever played.

Oh and those keyboard overlays… So many controls to master!

Hmm, waxing lyrical about old wargames as an oblique analogy of why I’m single. I may just have answered my own question…

I don't know if that e is a typo or you threw that plural in sneakily on purpose… 😉

A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell

If young me knew what old me knows now… I wouldn't have a job because I’d never have been allowed to get out of bed.

I don't think so… but then I’ve been told plenty of times that people I was talking to were stoned yet I didn't have a clue.

Back in film school there was a weird perception I was a stoner. I’ve never been high once. XD

I had the same thing happen to me when I worked in a bar! I think it was because I was always half asleep, lazy, and had longish messy hair.

Funnily enough, when I left that job, I actually became a stoner.

Stoned ladies still need lovin’ too. Keep a bottle of water near by though, dry mouths a bitch.

Ha, didn't realise I posted that at 4:20.

*puts on coolguy glasses*

BLAZE IT

Was curious after reading that Gizmodo Coke glass article so I checked and it's only available for pre-order in Australia at the moment. For $39.95. D:

40 bucks for a glass? hahahahahahaha no.

Yup. I’ve reduced my 3 can a day habit to 1 or 2 cans a day, and I do actually pour them into a glass before drinking, but even I wouldn't pay that.

I know I shouldn't but I usually have a 600ml at work.

Soft drink is really my main vice.

I drink 4 500ml cans of energy drinks every day.

I really have a problem with caffeine.

With that consumption?

Yeah, you probably do.

Try switching one (for starters) with a tea or coffee.

I don't have a problem, you’re the one with the problem with it! I can stop whenever I want! Get off my case! *throws glass at Red*

Not the glass! That's a $40 glass designed specially for Coke!

I was going to tell you how bad that was but I’m having my 3rd coffee of the day.I usually stick to 1 or 2 a day but bloody heat last night plus Mrs Tigs not sleeping well anyway means I am a tired boy

See, i don't mind my coffee consumption, as I drink it black.

The amount of caffeine is the only thing I worry about with it. I don't have any sugar with mine which was a big issue I had in my younger days.What is the difference between black and white coffee?

@tigerion If it's white, you’re getting all the other nutritional things/fat etc from milk, for better or worse.

I drink three Pepsi's a day now and that's a dramatic drop in the 8 or 9 I used to have. (Not exaggerating. XD)

you must have been going to the toilet every ten minutes.

But how will people know you’re enjoying a refreshing Coke without your dedicated Coke Glass™

Coke Glass™ sounds like something you wear on your face

I’ve heard of Coke-bottle glasses.

I knew a guy who had a pair.

At the height of my habit it was a 30 can carton a week. Did a no Coke for 6 months new year's resolution one year to break that.

looking at the glass design, I’d say the key part is the tapering mouth.secondary bit would be the surface area the liquid is touching.

you would probably get a similar effect from something like this http://www.barware.com.au/p/libbey-belgian-beer-16oz-473ml/LB3808

Inspired by the iconic curves of the original Coca-Cola contour bottle, this glass is designed to enhance the drinking experience. Shaped by trial and error by a panel of industry experts and Coca-Cola lovers, this form captures the distinct spices, aroma, and taste of Coca-Cola and creates a magical sensorial experience.

I think I see a public indecency charge coming in his future with the amount of wank in that statement.

In marketing copy stakes that's mild.

You should see the wank you have to put into government grant applications.

Yeah, I’ve seen corporate communications that literally do not make sense, even if you have made yourself a hyper-cynical cheat-sheet reference guide that replaces buzzwords and bullshit with real translations.

My manager has me come in and do punch-up/dictate corpspeak when she needs it

Image of you offering the government a "Magical sensorial experience".

You should see the communications we get from head office. They look like they were written by a 16 year old girl. Full of LOL's and totallys and OMG's.

f yeah going to Burger Got Soul for tea tonight! It's like $18 for a burger and chips but it's sooo good. If any of you are ever in Launceston or Hobart you should make a note of going 😀

ever in Launceston or Hobart

just passing through.

Well, it IS on the way to, uh… Antarctica.

Should be cool for the McMurdo Station meat tentatively scheduled for later this year. You will be there, right?

Kinda anyone's guess as where I’ll be after July – got a few things in the works, but hey! If I can convince the brass to let me go, I’ll pencil it in. Maybe I can score an assignment there for a while, making it local. Great experience, I reckon.

I prefer Flip. It's cheaper, and I think the burgers are better. I don't think Flip is in Hobart though.

I never did end up going there whilst I lived in Launnie. I always wanted to, but nobody else ever did for some reason.

Flip is great. One of their beef burgers with chips and a drink for $14, or chicken burgers, chips and drink for $16. Flip is also easier to get to for me. It's also the only place where I need to cut the burgers in half so I can eat them.

Launnie is such an Australianism. Our next big town was Nuri (pronounced New-ree) (Nuriootpa)

Noted for when I am in either city in 2 months time.

It was so good, but I’m so full. And they got rid of the satay burger 🙁 That was always my favourite!

It's taken a while because I’ve known he could do it since before he started school, but my son is finally attempting to read a book all by himself. He's so surprised at himself and how well he's doing. 😀

He's reading ‘Hop On Pop’, which I chose because it's not one of the ones he knows off by heart.

Next: http://img2.imagesbn.com/p/9780679645689_p0_v1_s260x420.JPG

Was expecting war and peace

Proust is denser than Tolstoy. And i say this as a guy who’d had War and Peace sitting half finished on his bedside table for nearly a year now.

Translated version??

Proust was French

I know, but don't you know that translations are at best 99.99% accurate and thus can never flawlessly capture the spirit of the original and if you read one it marks you forever as a barbarian??

Man, I remember being a kid and loving reading. I kinda miss that. My first two years of primary school was mostly spent reading books in the ‘reading corner’ while the other kids learned the alphabet and handwriting.

I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before, but I loved that Mum pulled out books at random from the adult fiction section every time we went to the library, for me. And I know a lot of it was probably MA15+ or worse, a good 5-8years ahead of what I should probably have been exposed to but I’ll be damned if it didn't feel just so… so damn valuable. Forcing my mind open wide enough to accept these concepts and perspectives that had never had to fit in that tiny space yet.(Which, if I’d been a cleverer kid, I probably could’ve used as justification to watch the cool AO/M-rated movies that I otherwise wasn't allowed to see. Y’know, arguing that in terms of adult concepts they’d already exposed me to far worse in book form. But instead I had to sneakily tape the movies and watch in private while pretending to be watching something else, which usually worked because they never knew if the VCR was recording or not.)

Huh. Apparently we still have Zooper Doopers in the freezer. Pretty sure they’ve been in there for the better part of a decade by now.

Still good.

I was so grateful to past me who bought Zooper Doopers when he had that heatwave here.

I remember that we got these Spiderman promo ones at some point around when the movie came out which were all sour flavours. They were friggen awesome, I wish we could just get them regularly. All I remember of the flavours is that Aunt May was sour apple. And Green Goblin was lime, I think.

I prefer quelch these days. 99% fruit juice with all the convenience of a zooper dooper

Reminds me of those frozen quarter oranges we used to get as refreshments when doing sports carnivals in primary school.Brb, putting an orange in the freezer….

Orange, eh? *strokes patchy chin stubble* We’ll surely avoid scurvy if we all eat an orange!

…errr… door hinge?

What are those ones that are a triangle? Most inconvenient iceblock ever made but really tasty

Sunnyboys!

That's the one!

a Swing?

If you’re not asking "How long's that green Zooper Dooper been in the freezer?" then, dammit, you’re not Australian.

Did they ever make a vegemite zooper dooper? They’ve tried cramming it into pretty much everything else

Given there seems to be a couple people here looking at weight loss, would people be interested in doing a Fitocracy/other social media thingy challenge for a month as a group? I know there was a bunch of you that did one at one point, might be fun.

Might be interesting. I’m starting basketball tonight so, that's some more exercise to add to my normal routine.

I was considering asking about this the other day! I’d definitely be up for it. I suck at self motivation, but I can get very competitive at times.

Group is still there with @sughly's awesome header art if you wanna resurrect group and get blown outta the water by @wilbur!

Yeah, i’ll go.

Edit: Although the reason i stopped with fitocracy is because they re-jigged the site and made it all funky.

How funky is your chicken? How loose is your goose?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efZH9gaIg98

Not funky enough to keep up with changes!

This song always reminds me of the original Buffy movie

I’ve never seen it!

It's some motivation to do something so yes.

https://www.fitocracy.com/group/14940/

http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2014/03/lifetime-ladder-is-a-free-no-equipment-fitness-plan-anyone-can-start/

Saw this the other day and started doing it. I’m so out of shape 😛

@masha2932

I joined it a while back but the seemingly endless encourago-spam they send you really turned me off. Never really did anything with it

Man date tonight! /me is hype! Also damn tired after a shitty day, but MAN DATE FTW!

*brofist* Captain America all up in da house, son. Winta soulja like a BAWS.

Old school adventure game fans!

Tex Murphy: Tesla Effect, Jane Jensen's Moebius and Broken Sword 5 Part 2? ALL RELEASED IN THE SAME WEEK.

Every time I see Tex Murphy I think Mad Dog McCree instead.

…I feel like I may have said this before.

BS5.2 has a release date? When?

Mid April according to Revolution.

That's not a date, that's a window! Damn you Charles Cecil!!!!

Jane Jensen is that lady that @sughly is having the torrid affair with right?

That's the one! I also wrote to her when I was sixteen cause I was the hugest of nerds. XD

Saw a mate share this on Facebook just before, won't load for me for some reason, but from the title I gather it's a troll piece.

Not really. It's actually written surprisingly well for a news.com piece. He presents a thought from someone, give his thought on it and opens the question. Doesn't deride an opposing view at all.

It's actually written surprisingly well for a news.com pieceWhich could just mean it's been spellchecked…

He does talk almost exclusively of the supposed benefits of the idea without mentioning cons and the closing statement is fairly provocatively biased.So very well written and balanced for a news.com piece.

Eh, it's an opinion piece. Doesn't have to be balanced. I don't agree with what he's saying in the slightest but he's not dickish or ranty about it.

Having not read more than the title, how exactly is talking exclusively about one side of the argument considered balanced? Or is that the joke?

That's the joke 🙂

Balanced "for a news.com" piece. So it is one sided and presenting only one view, but acknowledges it might not be popular amongst people it will affect negatively. But doesn't say that makes them worse than Hitler for not wanting to do so.

We already do pay. What, you think the baby bonus comes from pro-government t-shirt sales?(Though I hear the one that's moving fastest at the moment is one with, "What are you complaining about? I could live off Newstart, so can y– wait, I think that payment's got a decimal point shifted the wrong way. What? Are you kidding? OK, forget I said anything.")

You know, I reckon non-gamers should pay a teeny bit more tax each so I can get a PS4 & XB1 cheaper (maybe also a wiiu, just so I can have a look at one). Not free mind you, just knock the price down a tad, counteract the Australia tax and that’d be fine by me.

Well the baby bonus doesn't really exist anymore. Apparently I need to save up for my large screen TV.I can actually see the point in the article but disagree with the implementation. It isn't about taxing one group more than the other it is about directing more of the taxes that are paid to the correct areas. Having children born and having a fair idea that the kids are going to end up as little shits the disrupt the classroom and stop others achieving is not a situation you want.I also have an issue with smart and talented people not having kids because the infrastructure isn't there to help raise them. A little more community in child raising would be a good thing IMO.

Fewer children, but raised better. Mandatory exams for child-rearing!

Wait, so families made up of dual-incomes will pay less tax (and probably already have tax-offsets due to ‘married’ status) than a single-income single person? The majority of expenses come from car, home, health costs, which don't go up a third by having a baby in the house.

LOGIC.

Hey those families on 100k+ combined are doing it rough unlike us singles on <50k income 😛

Started playin FF10-2 HD when i decided I didnt want to fight the last boss in DS2.

I’ve never played it before and i dont really know what to think…. There are some really good elements… and then there aren't.

I cant tell if it's ruining FF10 for me.

Osprey victory! Ended up with a pair of both Burst Laser II and Pike Beam, on top of the fully tricked out Artillery Beam and backed up with Defense Drone II. Pretty much just ripped through everything 😛 Got the Federation B ship unlocked now. But just had a quick go with the Engi ship to unlock Engi B, it looks pretty interesting. Might give that one a go next.

(…instead of doing some of the more important things that are yet to be done)

You are on fire. Just like the enemy flag ship.

@dc @ontargett @wilbur @blaghman @greenius @aliasalpha @freezespreston Right, Ive joined that group- DC, are you able to set up a challenge? Something for starters?

Just made you an admin, so you should be able to start one.

Let me know if you can't.

There should be a create group challenge thing hidden on the left bar in the challenge area.

The website is the real challenge!

It's a little counter-intuitive. I’ll stick to the app I think

Ok then:

Red's Running and exeRcise Rampage

http://ftcy.me/ApqVNr

Let's do this! Starts tomorrow!

Alright you lot, lets have a good clean fight and all beat @Wilbur!

@dc @ontargett @blaghman @greenius @aliasalpha @freezespreston @anyoneelsewhowantstoparticipate

Tomorrow? Bleeeerrrrrrgghhhh…

Actually I hope the hotel I’m in tomorrow night has a gym. I could do something there.

Page won't load, stupid capped interwebz.

Going to slow to be successful… naaaaaaaah that won't be a metaphor

Will there be weightlifting challenges? I reckon I have those covered

Weights are a tracked activity that can rack up some serious points.

Witch Hunt, Witch Hunt, Witch Hunt!

Are you saying you weigh the same as a duck? Because that's just bragging.

I don't know if it is. I wouldn't wanna be duck weight.

I’m in. Planning on walking every day and playing basketball on Wednesdays. Played 20 minutes of basketball tonight and had fun.

I’ll try it out aye, see how long i last…edit: how does one work this website?

The app is a bit more navigable. Sign up, join the group, then do the rest in the app.

I got annoyed with Fitocracy during the last challenge we did on TAY because half the weights exercises I was doing didn't exist in their database so I couldn't actually record what I was doing properly. Eg. they have no medicine ball exercises listed, and I would use a 4kg ball for a lot of core exercises.

Parent/teacher interview was tonight. Just confirming what I already knew in that my son is "exceptional". 😛That seriously was a word she’d written down next to some results of the test they give all the kids at the start of Prep. She said she was blown away by some of his ability. She also said he's hard to go mad at when he's not listening, because his reactions are so cute. Yup. 😀

Hells yeah! No poison pizza punishments! 😀

Apparently the magical word I used to always get from my teachers was "unique". Mum still finds it an amusing story to tell 😛

That's just a thinly veiled insult.

Or maybe I just don't trust people.

I was apparently reading at a 3rd grade level in kindergarten, amazing the things kids can do when their parents bother to teach them stuff

I didn't actually bother to teach him anything, I just left him to his own devices and he pretty much just taught himself whatever he wanted to know. Apparently that's what I was like as a kid, too.I remember in Kindergarten they ran out books for me to read, so I had to go up to the Senior kids’ book storerooms. So scary!

Does his school offer any sort of extended curriculum for kids like him? Mainly as a result of the fact my mother was a teacher who stopped teaching when she had me (and I was an only child until I was school age) I was a lot more advanced than most of the kids in my class for a lot of my primary school due the head start I got at home and I think I ended up getting some bad habits as a result 🙁 Wouldn't do homework and never developed proper study habits until I got to the final few years of high school and was generally lazy and unmotivated and hated going to school because of the lack of challenge and extension.

Also being an arrogant unlikeable smartarse prick most of the time. 😛 (Hasn't changed)

Not at this stage, but they do let them go at their own pace which is good. But I do know from when they put my daughter up from year 2 to Year 3 after just one term that they will do what they can to cater for kids that are ahead.

Self-paced learning was the best thing for me at school. Like when you would do stuff where you were expected to read some thing and then do worksheets and they had graduated levels of difficulty. I would absolutely blaze through those. It got to the point that in about year 8 I had done all the year 10 stuff and that was as high as the system my school had went, so when everyone else was doing it and competing over what color level they were on I had to go sit in a corner and read whatever books I felt like. Which was usually enormous fantasy novels.

But while I learned really well that way I know it's a style that a lot of other kids struggle with. Requires decent reading and comprehension skills for one thing.

Also, that sounds pretty much how my schooling went, too!

Does his school offer any sort of extended curriculum for kids like him?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA.

Australia, extended curriculum.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA.

Dude, unless you pay out the ass for a top-notch private school, a ‘gifted’ child will actually be hindered in Australian schooling. Literally the best thing you can do as a parent is tell the kid to STFU, ace tests, and then teach it things yourself.

I went to primary school in New Zealand so don't have any reference point for AU schooling other than the general impression it's a bit less good.

NZ > AU, IMO. But then again that's most-primary vs mostly-secondary.

Which is what I was trying to say at least, though might not be 100% clear from the way I wrote it. Science and Maths especially were a long way ahead in NZ.

Parent Teacher Interviews as described by my mother:

"When you were in Year 1, Sean, we were worried about your reading ability since you were so far behind your sister. So we brought it up with your teacher, and she laughed at us."

And when she says laugh, she means like, real genuine "these people are idiots" laughter.

(grade 7)"I went to your Maths one, and I don't think the teacher actually knows who you are. When I said who I was his eyes sort of glazed over, and all he could say was that you were quiet and studious."

(grade, like, 11 or something?)"I think your teacher thinks that you’re a bit slow. She said that you tried really hard in class."

THANKS MUM!

Tried to hold off, but couldn't for any longer. Just had to nap. Stupid sleep.

Already feel like I need another…

REPOST as it was the end of the last page:

Red's Running and exeRcise Rampage

http://ftcy.me/ApqVNr

Let's do this! Starts tomorrow!

Alright you lot, lets have a good clean fight and all beat @Wilbur!

@dc @ontargett @blaghman @greenius @aliasalpha @freezespreston @anyoneelsewhowantstoparticipate

Does stuff have to be entered on the day you do it? I won't have functional net till at least Friday if not Saturday

You can backdate it

Okay, okay, I’ve signed up and apparently am already coming second

My girlfriend just got me signed up for a gym membership and I should really use…. What the hell, I’m in. Now what?

What's a Gym

Excellent! Sign up to Fitocracy, join the Tay group, and join the challenge!

You want me to do whatnow?

If I have to get up then no deal.

I don't want you to get up early- that's against everything I stand for.

Get up off your computer chair? Yes.

Get up off your computer chair? Yes.

Like I said, no deal. That's too much effort.

Has your computer chair got wheels? Get a broom handle and punt around, works the upper body and you don't have to get up

Sadly, it doesn't.

OK, maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration. I don't have an issue with getting off my arse. I just hate exercising, I’d like to be fit and lose some weight, but exercising is just so hard, I mean, I’d get puffed out just jogging to the corner.

Then walk, after a few weeks when you’re obviously used to it, extend the route or add a shallow hill. It sucks completely to do but music makes things slightly less shite

I’m in. I was already at the gym this morning, so I added that, and I hit level 2 straight away 😀

Is this a running challenge only? I don't like running too much, but I do want to get fit .. so i’d join other fit-friendly stuffs so I can get moral boost lol.

You can do whatever you like- Fitocracy assigns "points" to stuff

So apparently there is a new mode in League of Legends with 80% cooldown reduction, and unlimited mana. This just might be enough to get me to re-install. I think it's only around for a week, though.My friend was talking it up. He claimed he had a Lux that had a 13 second on Lux's ultimate, and he was using it to farm creeps. I’d imagine that playing any of the assasins would be crazy. Unlimited Alpha Strikes!Apparently, the cooldown reduction means that Ryze can shoot his Q off with no cooldown.

@tech_knight, if I ever re-install, I’d like to play this mode with you.

We’ve been playing it a bit already, but I’m seeing a lot of the same overpowered champions being used which is getting me bored of the game mode already to be honest, but sure I could try another champion in my pool. I think I found Amumu the most fun so far, 2.3s CD bandage toss :P.If you ever decide to reinstall, my summoner name is "TechKnight"

@f4ction posted a video on twitter. That this is blood insane.Will be interesting to see what becomes of it. I think there will be some random champ that just nails it once the strats are worked out. I like that @rize has already been banned.

Curious to see how ranged heroes go, Tris will 100% uptime on rapid fire with the speed boost could be brutal.

Ryze was removed from that game mode, fyi.And Kassadin

Kassadin seems like he’d be unstoppable. UNLIMITED RIFTWALKS!

A woman with cancer was arrested for failing to pay a $5 fine.http://reason.com/blog/2014/03/26/woman-arrested-for-late-payment-of-5-dog

Also, dog license? By the Eight Divines, laws can be stupid sometimes.

Terrible secret: my family dog of 15 years was never registered and never microchipped 😛 My mum refused to get him chipped because then he’d have to be registered and she didn't think it was fair to make people pay for registration, especially when we were super responsible dog owners with an incredibly well-behaved dog.

I’m not sure I totally agreed with the decision but whatever. Not much of an issue now.

My brother was the same. When his dog ran away during a thunderstorm it ended up in the pound. It ended up being about a qtr of the price for him to ‘adopt’ his dog rather than claim him. They did the microchipping and stuff as part of that

If one was to attempt to learn to play one of the many MOBAs out there:

1. Which?2. How long would it take to be good enough to decide if it's actually enjoyable?3. How does one get to that point in the most expedient way possible?

I learnt how to play LOL 2 weeks ago as my first MOBA… so here are some vague answers to your questions!

1. Any that you have a friend that can teach you the ways.2. Not very long at all to decide if you enjoy it and depends on how quickly you can pick up on some of the finer gameplay aspects.3. Tutorial, then play the crap out of it.

1. Play one that your friends play. That's THE BEST advice anyone can give you RE: MOBAs. Doesn't really matter which, they all seem very similar (at least at a glance, which when beginning is all you’ve got to base your opinion on). Just don't play with the general public, cos you’re gonna have a bad time.

2. I’m going to assume that "good" implies gaining an understanding of the base mechanics and how they work in combination with various characters, and not necessarily "able to hold your own in competitive play". I think I’m the former when it comes to DotA, though I’m FAR from a good player. I’ve got 300ish hours in it, although at least some of that is spent in queue, not actually playing.

3. Play a basic character to get a handle on the flow of the game. Once you’re comfortable with that, choose a random character to play, for every game ever, regardless of your team composition. This will get you familiar with a broad stroke of the characters and skills, and won't at all piss off your friends.

PS: I’m really shit at MOBAs, and the genre as a whole is really great at kicking you while you’re down. The most important thing is to play with people who are understanding of the fact that you’re learning, and are happy to go along with you. Find which one people are playing (LoL seems to be fairly popular with TAYbies), and start with that. Nothing else is really that important.

As someone with a lot of time and experience under my belt:

1. No.2. Like 80 fucking hours.3. I recommend crying.

Alternately, it would just be "omfg noob stop feeding, noob" and so forth.

In actuality, of the big ones, LoL is probably the easiest to get into, though I think Dota's tutorial is better. LoL's a much "smaller" game, to describe it as Bunny would, and it's slightly more forgiving because of it. Apparently Heroes of the Storm is the easiest, due to the removal of pesky elements like "items" and the like, but what with it being closed Beta and all, I don't think I could recommend waiting.

As it is, it takes quite a few games to really begin to "get" the genre, and I think the biggest hurdle is that the communities are toxic. It's especially bad in LoL at the moment because the OCE servers don't have a tribunal, so there's essentially no punishment for being a dickbag ever.

I also only ever play with people I know (typically at least 3 of us), since randoms are a very mixed bag, so if you wish to try and get into it, it's best to find other people doing the same, though that's also kind of difficult when people typically either fall into the camp of "have spent 3000 hours in the game" or "have no interest, or gave up quickly which is probably the smart move."

I have played League of Legends. I have no experience with Dota, but I know Dota is really damn hard to get into. If you want to get into LoL, I can help you. I played LoL from late March last year to about November last year, but some patch error prevented me from loading the game. I’d need to uninstall and reinstall it to play it, but I am willing to get back into it if I have people to play with.

How long does it take get good at LoL? About 2 years. I played for months, and I am still not very good.

How do you get good at it easily? Play lots of bot games. I played bot games for several months before PvP was even a viable option. I realised I sucked at PvP, and went back to bot games.If you get into LoL, I could accompany you in these bot games.

The game is really damn good if playing with friends, once you understand the rules. Contrary to what Dota fanboys say, League is a very complex game. The best way to learn is with friends that already know the game. They can help you with the lingo, the stats on all the champions, who is good, who is bad, who is good for new players.

It's worth it once you understand the ruleset, advanced strategies, the best matchups, farming strategies, and item build optimising. You don't have to understand all this at once. I learnt very steadily over the course of a few months. You don't go into a fighting game with the full knowledge of hit confirming and all that nonsense. You mash buttons until you have the confidence to try an advanced move.

If you are serious about playing, Mobafire is a fantastic guide.After a short bit of research, I found out that Kotaku has a guide. I haven't read it, so I don't know if it's good.

If all this is too intimidating for you, you can totally back out right now. However, you seem like you can handle it all.

Nah broseshozno, don't bot game. So many bad habits picked up from bot games, that took me so many real games to get out of. Until you’re like, level 20 (maybe 25), if you want to try a champ for the first time, then sure, bot match, but most of the time stay well away.

Or you’ll become awful, like me.

Yeah, I never got out of the reckless habits from bot games. However, I wouldn't recommend PvP unless you are smashing inter bot games in under 18 minutes. Bot games are so much more fun than PvP!

OH GOD don't use mobafire. Use solomid or something.

1. My experience with MOBAs before starting LoL was a single all-nighter in an internet cafe playing DOTA as a teenager. LoL made it really easy to start in, with the 10 champion weekly rotation, allowing you to focus on only 10 at a time rather than overloading you with information on 100+ total champions. Playing with friends that are already playing it is the best recommendation for newbies and I’m still playing LoL almost every day. DoTA2 is a much larger version with more complexity and horribly unforgiving mechanics for new players, e.g you lose gold to the enemy if you die, and the enemy can last hit the creep you were about to farm off and deny you the gold, so if you’re against someone skilled enough and with simply more auto attack damage than you can simply deny you farm as long as they want. So for newbies to the genre, my answer to you would certainly be LoL.

2. I’d give it one or two months after you’ve had time to refine your playstyle, finding champions that you connect well with, having enough free champion rotations, etc. Play with friends as much as possible (As these games are more team games than anything else, it's kinda needed that you work with your team to win the match), as they will way more likely have the patience with you and give you tips on improving if needed (Which I can certainly do).

3. In my opinion, only play bot games if you’re playing a champion for the very first time ever. That way, you don't get as much pressure while learning the champion's abilities, strengths, weaknesses and item builds. In PvP, just watch your enemy while you play, try to pick up what they do and why. That's how it worked for me, slowly I was just getting better and better. Also, if you’re really connecting well with a champion, Solomid.net or mobafire are good websites to go to just to have a read on what works well with that champion, where they can go to best help your team win, ability combos, even some champion tutorials which youtube has a fair few of to help you. All in all, getting better just means playing more matches, going up against different team compositions and having different champions on your own team, seeing what works and what doesn't work.

Step 0:

Learn to accept that you’re a piece of shit who watches his mother engage in mass-orgies with midgets and you are the one and only reason why the team is losing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu6DCYzkqn0I was going to embed it so it the video would start at a certain point, but I realised that the first two stories are both really good discussion topics. The pope thing is just for the lulz, though.

I just read the video date. Discount everything you just watched.

Bah!Should have taken the Skeleton Lords down super-easy considering I have a well-developed mace as my main weapon. But I got down to having one hit left on the last enemy and he got me first. Dammit, wheelie skellingtons!

Edit: (Dark Souls 2)

Wheel skeletons are the bane of my existence. When I saw that the Gravelord Covenant in DS1 added more, I almost cried. Then was relieved, since nobody actually Graverlord's.

Aarggh. I weighed myself tonight for the Fitocracy challenge, and found out I’m up to 168 kilos. I thought I’d put on some weight, but not that much. So I’m using the Fitocracy challenge as a springboard to get my weight down. It's good to know that I’m not the only one doing it.

I hope you beat me

I hope I beat errbody. Particularly @wilbur!

Not a worry man, I was 153kg in February 2013, and last week weighed in at 117kg, so it definitely can be done.

Wait what? (Attack on Titan)Did…did they really just kill off over half the main characters just as it got started? WHAT?! Armin isn't strong enough as a character to carry the show damnit!

Hahahaha. Yeah. It's kind of like that. The good news is… Ummm… There's whatserface, I guess?

WHY DID I JUST SPEND FIVE EPISODES GOING DETAILED INTO EHREN’S STORY IF THEYRE JUST GOING TO KILL HIM IMMEDIATELY! GAAAAAHHHH ANIME!!!!!

Keep watching my friend 🙂

Attack on Titan written by George R. R. Martin.

I can say nothing other than that you should keep watching.

Ooooohhh. So it's Evangelion. With meat Evas.

Huh? *confused look*

The Evas were meat clones of angels though, the armour was placed on them to keep them under control.

Not clicking your spoiler because I’m sure I’m way behind you. I’ve only seen the first two so far.

What episode are you up to? I’m probably going to do a marathon over the next few days. I only stopped after episode two instead of powering on because it was almost time to pick my son up from school.

That was for episode 6. Just watched 7 and will probably watch a few more tonight. It kind of keeps getting better.

Edit: Got the episode numbers wrong. I’ve watched more than I thought. Only started episode 2 this evening :/

Yeah, even from what I’ve seen so far it was difficult to stop. Very much looking forward to seeing what's next, especially from all the vague hints I’ve seen around the internet.

I really enjoyed it, I watched an episode and marathoned the rest within 24 hours (I didn't sleep that day), now I’m sad there's no more yet.

Vastly better when you can watch it all in one go. That show has some terrible pacing issues at times.

Man, I’m so bored…http://xkcd.com/667/

@aliasalpha what's yo Xbox name? I feel like comparing Trials scores!

I’m Greenius on there too.

same on 360 as I am here

*brofist* @welbot – Captain America was pretty awesome.I recommend it, guys.

Also, saw a QR staff member calling ahead on the radio to talk to a station ahead to make sure an elderly gent she’d been talking to got to his connecting bus safely.Service, people.

I’m’a tweet that shit and tag them or something.

(Removing boring overshare. Suffice it to say, Emma Stone is still hotter.)

I’m sure you had some stunning reasoning there but the fact remains that either way you’re wrong.😛

Booooooo! Honestly, it's because the ‘other redhead’ looks too much like an ex. Every close-up reminds me intensely of how much of a putz I was. 😛

Heh – on this note, that psycho ex I mentioned earlier… Remarkable likeness in the White Witch in Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. It was meant to be more of a kids movie but it scared the hell out of me.

Well if Emma Stone's competition was an old guy trying to get on a bus, I’d say that was a pretty easy win…

Gonna watch The Lego Movie before I start my shift, and Captain America during my shift tomorrow.

Xenoblade \o/ (wall of text incoming [includes spoilers up to Mt Valac])

Well its finally happened. I’m back to the point where I was last time I stopped playing. Though this time, I’m a lot higher level, have done a lot more quests, and am just generally better off. I have just entered Sword Valley, my entire party is level 54 and I have approximately 60 hours playtime under my belt. I’m fairly sure I have completed pretty much every quest that is available at this point. I have made it a point of going back to Colony 9 and 6, Frontier Village and Alcamoth every so often to see if any new ones have become available. Actually I need to do another loop through Alcamoth…

Hopefully now that I am into a new section, I’ll be able to recapture the sense of wonder and amazement I felt when I first played Xenoblade. Don't get me wrong I’m still loving the game, but I’m also fully aware that what I’ve done so far is things I’ve seen before. Of course, that hasn't stopped me seeing things I don't remember in story cutscenes, or stopping and staring in awe the first time I see Satorl Marsh at Night, or the first shooting star storm on Eryth Sea. Actually looking back, and comparing it to my playthrough now, I would say that Eryth Sea is my favourite area. There's just so much colour. Its like a giant middle finger to so many modern games. I did get the HD texture pack, though considering my laptop screen maxes out at 1366×768 I don't think I’m getting the full treatment. But its just another example of how artistic direction can overcome a lack of hardware power. There is not one area so far that doesn't feel distinct and memorable. I can only hope it continues.

General Comments from a new playthrough– I still can't stand Riki. The other Nopon aren't too bad because you only have to read their crazy talk, but listening to Riki in cutscenes… ugh, no thanks. There's a reason I barely ever use him in my party– I actually understand gem crafting this time around. Its made it a lot easier if I wanted to make certain gems. Though getting my hands on the right crystals is still proving to be a bit of a pain.– I never realised just how rare some of the collectibles are. So far I have only got the Mt Valac page of the Collectopedia incomplete, though thats only because I’m holding onto items that I know I’ll need for a future quest. Once I find an extra one, I’ll pop it into the page. But I seriously spent about 3 hours running laps of Makna Forest trying to find a couple of Fossil Monkeys. Stupid rare item that is needed to rebuild Colony 6– Speaking of, I’ve got Colony 6 up to Level 3 in all aspects. Which was extra nice considering the reward was an EXP Up III gem 😀 I learnt from my last run through where I made the mistake of selling off a lot of my collectibles and materials for some extra money. Then when I got to rebuilding, I had to go out and hunt them all down again. Not so this time– I must be misremembering but I swear this game had a Bestiary when i played it last. I must be confusing it with another game, but I was sure you could look up in game where to find monsters, a bit about their stats and drops and such. Oh well.

@greenius I hope this meets your requirement of a Xenoblade essay. I will report back with more over the next week or so once I get a bit further. Also tagging @powalen @strange and @negativezero because I know they have played it as well

Heropon Riki!

And I spent ages looking for Ice Cabbages D: (there's increased movement speed gems which help)

Yeah, the Ice Cabbage and the Frost Glass is what I’m missing

I’m pretty sure there's a bestiary in there somewhere. May be wrong on that.

Eryth Sea was my favourite zone. If it had Bionis Leg's music it’d be perfect.

Man date was a super awkward success!?!¿Seeing as I know fuck all about the Captain America comic history, I have to say I was rather impressed with the movie! Some of the 3d/effects were great! Close up fight scenes really don't do so well in 3d though. Apart from that though, it was much more fun than the first Cap film for sure! and mmmm 3d Scarlett Johansen!To me, this film felt more like what I imagined Captain America to be like as a character, and the action/fight scenes just drummed up images of the old Cap America and the Avengers arcade game for me! Was great!Downside to the evening was my super awkwardness kicking in when we left the cinema :\ I’m sure @dc can totally relate. Sort of anyway. Combo of super awkward "I haven't socialized in a long time" and "god damn young’ns and your future stuff! I’m tired and had a shit day git off me lawn #oldmanwelbot"Took me 30 mins to find my car and exit the car park cos everything was blocked off and exit signage was almost non-existent, and then once I did get out, I got stuck in a traffic jam! AT 10PM!!! WTF?! Brisbane traffic is shit at the best of times, but today was just a shining example of the wankeryness of drivers up here. This morning it took me 35 mins to drive less than 2km from my house to the freeway entrance, and then another 20mins to crawl to just past the first exit, where there was a truck broken down, well off the road, but the driver was lying underneath it trying to fix it, and every dick driving past went 10km/hr to have a gawk. Not a good day for me and traffic me thinks!All said and done though, it was made in to a great day by the generosity of your friend and mine, mr @transientmind! What a champ! I got one space left in the car for Saturday if anyone's in need of a lift btw! Gimme a holler if you wanna take me up on it!

Tranientmind IS pretty terrifying.

Why I oughta… wait. NOT HELPING.

was nothing about you, as I’m sure you know. We communicate fine via other means. It's just been a while since I really socialized in a face to face situation. Plus I’ve only really met you once properly before, and even then we didn't get to speak much, cos it was a huge gathering! I’m sure I’ll be more open and normal come saturday, surrounded by familiar faces! 🙂

Best decision I made today?

Rewatching the Farscape pilot episode instead of writing and instead of Dark Souls.

I’ve been looking for that on DVD to watch while I run – after veronica mars and probably fringe

I routinely see it around for $10 per season. You want I should pick it up for you?

I’ll keep looking – if I can't find it I’ll let you know, no rush.

They’ve got season 2,3 and 4 at JB for 20 bucks each.

http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/support.aspx?post=1&results=10&q=Farscape&source=all&bnSearch.x=19&bnSearch.y=6&bnSearch=Go%21

And seasons 1-4 at Mightyape for $30 each.

http://www.mightyape.com.au/search?s=Farscape&i=2

Or The Ultimate Collection at Fishpond for $86.33

http://www.fishpond.com.au/Movies/Farscape-Ultimate-Collection-Anthony-Simcoe/9318500036605?utm_source=googleps&utm_medium=ps&utm_campaign=AU&gclid=CLfLoZz0wr0CFYgppAod5UMAMg

Cheers. As I said, it's not urgent, but I’ll look around for it.

Second best decision? Watching the next episode immediately afterwards!

God knows, the early episodes had plenty of issues, but there are some things they got just right. Key moments that they nailed, and fascinating character dynamics

One thing that really amazed me right from the start was that they didn't trust each other. When one of them was compromised, the option to cut and run was always discussed. And each adventure brought them all a little closer, until they became family. It seems kind of silly to summarise it like this, but that's the real triumph of the first season, in my opinion.

I recently put some shelves up and reorganised my DVD collection onto them, which reminded me I haven't watched Farscape for awhile. Probably do that soon, right after I marathon Game of Thrones seasons 1-3.

Night off. You know what's happening: SLEEP. Booyah.

Sounds good! All day I been hoping I would be sick tomorrow so I can just stay in bed when I wake up!

My sister has an annoying habit of leaving the television on in the living room, and watching her own programs on the television in her room. She sometimes leaves the television on for hours.

When she leaves the television on, it always tuned to ABC3, the channel devoted exclusively to pre-teen sitcoms and other crap. I was waiting for my dinner to defrost, and decided to sit down and watch one of the programs instead of immediately turning the television off.

It was a program aimed at pre-teens about how to deal with cultural diverity, living with two cultural backgrounds, "it's okay to be gay" campaigns, and a bunch of other good stuff. It isn't aimed at someone my age, but I was able to view it from the perspective of someone six years younger than me, and I was impressed. For a program aimed at pre-teens, it was quite a progressive and mature. It shows how far we have become as a society that this kind of thing isn't censored or tweaked to appeal to homophobes and racists. I doubt that something like this would’ve been broadcasted on channel nine or seven. It kind of shows how awesome the ABC is, and that it needs to remain funded.

I decided that this was information that my sister needs to know, so I recommended she watch it. Her response?"Nah, I’m watching My Kitchen Rules."

I was still watching ABC3 in my gap year :3Pre-teens. Pfff, some of us just like watching kids shows 😛Prank-Patrol was pretty sick back in the day. And Spliced, Spliced was sick :3

still watching ABC3still watchingABC3stillMan I feel old.

There's more than one ABC now?

hehe 4 to be precise!

I’ll just leave this here.

Aren't you only like, 26-27?!?!

Old enough to not have been able to "still" watch ABC3 beyond my school life. Or even beyond uni life!

I still remember when there was one ABC it had better shows for kids than all the ABC's do now.

I watch Mr Maker on the weekends. And Peppa Pig!

Sometimes I watch ABC3. It's got some good cartoons. Riders of Burk, Clone Wars, Total Drama and various superhero shows.

Really! I didn't know ABC3 had Riders of Berk, my son is absolutely mad on How To Train Your Dragon. Have to look up a tv guide and find out when it's on, (the EPG on our tv doesn't work properly).

He’d probably like The Clone Wars too. He's not even 6 and he already knows who Darth Vader, R2D2, C3P0, and Yoda are (he watches Lego Star Wars).

Riders of Berk is on at about 6.05 pm. You can also watch some episodes here: http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/dragons-riders-of-berkThey don't stay up on the site for too long though.

Clone Wars is surprisingly good. I’ve been watching it recently (they added it all to Netflix) and it's been enjoyable enough that briefly I considered firing up SWTOR again.

Yay. I found someone who likes Total Drama!

It's the best reality show out there.

Too true. It's probably less scripted than the majority of "reality" shows these days.

That reminds me, I need to watch Total Drama Season 4. I watched up to episode 11 back when it was first released, but I just forgot about it.

If you want to watch the channel again, check out "You’re skitting me".It's a collection of skits which sort of parody ideas in our culture, and just other funny stuff.

Engi B was a pretty cool ship. Pretty tough to start with, but ended up with a good crew and Hull II + Breach II + Anti-Bio Beam combo backed with Defense/Anti Personnel/Repair drones as needed that just carved everyone up and raked in the cash. Then scored an Ion Blast II which served well as an alt for the Breach, which I later swapped the Beam out in place of for the Flagship. Suffocated the entire ship at the end of the first phase to flush out those pesky troops in its weapons chambers, then the rest was a cinch 😛

Slightly past bedtime now. Oops.

You playing on Normal or Easy?

I’ve only made it to the flagship twice (both times with the Engi ship, not that I’ve unlocked any others) and never actually succeeded.

Only been doing Easy, that's been hard enough as it is. Maybe once I’ve beaten it with all the ships I’ll give Normal another crack. Totally wouldn't be able to do it without the whole pause-and-think feature.

Night.

DAY

I’ll take your day and raise you one NOON.

Re-installing League of Legends now!In other news…

Hola Tayborinos.I really need to stop buying lunch everyday but my culinary skills are limited.Can anybody suggest things I could make for lunch that are not sandwiches and don't require a microwave or fridge?

wraps are like sanggers but more advanced.

If you are out and about i suggest a little esky of decent quality it will keep your cool stuff cool fairly well

but museli bars and fruit are generally decent snacks for lunch.I honestly struggle with finding new and creative things and i have a fridge and a microwave :/

Tuna snack packs are alright and don't require a fridge, though they are better when chilled.

but then he would have to eat tuna :/

Which is great.

Tuna is not really my thing but cheers for the suggestion!

Holy shite. I was you a year ago. Now I don't buy lunch except for one day a week (which is I work back late day, so I buy lunch and eat my brought from home lunch for dinner).

1: Burgers. Instead of putting them in a bun, roughly chop em up with the same stuff you would normally whack in there (tomato, bacon, onion) and dump it on a few leaves of lettuce. Burger salad! Also looks healthy, even though it isn't!

2: You say no sandwiches? I say yo man THIS IS A SANDWICH YOU WANT! Steak! Mushroom! Food! Squished! Tasty! I can confirm that eating too much of this will make you feel sick, but manly!

3: Dude, presentation is everything. Ever thought of doing a bento style lunchbox, even if it ain't filled with bento stuff? Makes lunch more interesting. You can make about 3 different dishes, add a little bit of each every day and you wont get food boredom (it is so a thing. Don't argue.)

4: Think about that bento box thing. Now think about what could happen if, instead of bread, you throw a tortilla in there. Flat bread/mountain bread. Now think about buying some of that mexican sauce in a packet. Now think about how easy it is to cook up some mexican beef/chicken. Now think about throwing that shit in with some sour cream, some lettuce, some carrot and maybe even some chilli or capsicum. BINGO! Sandwich that ain't a sandwich.

5. From this point on every Monday I’m going to post a "hey, Quiz_B cooked this shit and it was awesome" recipe. At the moment, I was up really early* and so I’ve got some beef bbq ribs in hoisin sauce slow cooking back home so I can walk in the door and gnaw on bones like the caveman I am at heart.

* = 18 month old didn't sleep well so I was up a lot of the night with him, so I might be slightly hyperactive due to lack of sleep hence the swearing and bro’ing in this post.

F***kin rad dude. Excellent ideas!If you tag me I’ll keep up with that Monday food post idea, tho I truly do have no cooking skills/experience at this point.

Neither did I until about three years ago, when my wife first fell pregnant, looked at me and said "You cook dinner now."

I’ll make note and tag you – Monday mornings are Quiz_B recipe time. Done.Now. Onto more coffee before I collapse.

Dat sandwich.A sangger containing nothing but knives and hardcore pornography would be less manly, and probably healthier.Shall have to give it a go someday.

No microwave or fridge kinda cuts it down. :\ As mentioned, tuna is good, or wrap/sandwich that can last a couple hours in the shade. I’ve got nothing else, sorry.

Grr. It better not be anyone here holding up @beardymcmuttonchops’ Metro 7 by not responding to the survey. I need to read this thing!

I did mine. Please don't hurt me.

"If you would like a personalised message when I sign the book, please let me know here"I couldn't come up with anything interesting on the spot (apart from "OK"), but it was a mandatory field, so mine has a rather lame "Whatever you would like to write"

MINE TOO! o/

Half expecting mine to say "To Shane, If you feel like it, whatever you want, really. MJHellscream"

"To Ryan,Yes.MJHellscream"

"Dear Rocketman,I banged your mumMJhellscream"

Not me.

As others have said really.1 – whatever one friends play cause they can teach you and playing solo sucks.2 – probably quite a while, in lol I’d say about level 20 you should have a handle on it.3 – bot game till about level 5 then pvp all the time. And play every day – it takes a fair bit of time and dedication.

"shakes fist at stupid phone"

Looks like Soul Sacrifice Delta is being localized to Australia, good news indeed!, Deception 4 is also out today not that anyone cares :S

Today is FTL expansion day!

Considering @mrtaco's posts have made me keen to jump back in, this is perfect timing.

Can't wait to dive back into it and try to unlock more of the original ships! 😛

WHAT DO YOU MEAN MORE CONTENT??

Just picked up the Stealth B ship by doing a few restarts runs til I found an unshielded scout ship in a nebula I could one-hit. Glaive beam is aaaaaaaaawesome 😛 AND I JUST FOUND A HALBERD BEAM TO GO ALONGSIDE IT, NEED MORE MONEY SO I CAN JUST START CARVING SHIT UP!

Tagged in case people don't want to know:New alien race, new ship for them, Layout C for all ships, new subsystems (hacking, mind control), new encounters, new music, new weapons and drones, graphics update, and a bunch of minor stuff.

EDIT: Also, once you’re done with that run you’ll have more choices. You’ll be stuck in FTL forever! AHAHAHAHAHA!…..etc.

Well… shit.

Oh man, move over Titanfall, my old god has returned to reclaim me.

Bloody hell.. Luftrausers.. that game is so much fun! I feel like a kid in an arcade all over again whenever I fly and explode so much stuff. Though I now am angry at the game because I was up late last night playing it *shakes fist*

Did you read the article about the state of mind of the devs when the created it. Was an interesting read

It shows through the gameplay, it's very difficult but still so satisfying in an aggressive way 😛

Just went to check up on the site for that and… Air Raid pack? Purchase of a hundred Steam keys? What?

For ALL the taybies

Oh man, my sister bought me and my parents Lion King tickets for October. Craaazy generous. This will be the third time I’ve seen it now. XD

I still haven't seen it or any musicals…

I haven't lived yet :'(

But don't you see, Greenius?

Musicals live in you! They live in me! Musicals watches over everything you seeeeee!

Me neither. One day we’ll live.

ONE DAY…

Learn to swim before you worry about musicals.

🙁

Awesome! I’m going in July 😀

I’ve never seen it.

Is that still Sydney in July?

Yup, at the Opera House.

I’ll have to rewatch the movie soon. I haven't seen it since chest hair O.O

Me either, but then again that was 2011. WHEN WILL I GET CHEST HAIR? :'(

Hey you’re quite capable of growing a luscious beard.

Beard > chest hair

I’ve got plenty to spare.

We can work out a payment program next I see you.

Yesssss.

I’ve been watching Dragonball Z Kai lately and just got to the end of Goku and Vegeta's fight, and I’ve gotta say…this is really highlighting how brilliant a job the TFS Abridged guys did with their series.The TFS stuff has far better voices (in my opinion) especially for Vegeta and Piccolo, and even though it's a parody it still captures the feel of DBZ so well. Vegeta's Galick Gun against Goku, for example, is friggin’ amazing in TFS.

Remind me again what TFS is.

Team Four Star Abridged. Used to be called Dragonball Z Abridged but had to change due to copyright issues.Essentially, a really well put together fan-created parody condensing the series a great deal and turning each character into a stereotype matching themselves. Goku is simple as hell, Vegeta is a psychopath, etc.

It's on Youtube and if you’re a fan of the series I strongly urge you to give it a try.

EDIT: Forgot to specify, it's put together as a comedy *without* losing the awesome moments in fights.

"kidney punch!" *whack* "kidney punch!" *whack* "kidney punch!" *whack* "and pause… kidney punch!" *whack*

Actually I’ve seen most of that. Never knew what they called themselves.

After the sheer amount of shitty clones that turned up on Youtube, I made very sure I knew exactly what they were called 😛

I love that Nail and Piccolo have internal conversations, brilliant.

"Death cannon!""Rail beam!""Nale gun?""…Shit that's good"

Such a clever series. I love the ongoing jokes they’ve created.

Having seen one of their "Making episode" youtube clips shows the amount of effort they actually make to get the dialogue right, right up to taking content from another episode entirely, even changing the colour of the sky to match what the original had. But yeah I really love watching the TFS guys, even their other content like "Krillin plays Scary game X" and Takahata (The voice of Nappa) playing LoL very very badly 😛

Fun fact: one of the reasons they make a heap of those videos is because they can monetise them, unlike the stuff containing DBZ stuff.And yeah, some of them are fantastic 😀

Yep pretty much why they exist, and I want to support these guys cuz they’re amazing guys so I watch them. 🙂

Oh god, Krillin plays Outlast… i laughed so.. so hard 😛

Krillin plays Dead Space is also awesome, he's got a Destructo Disc gun xD

That is now on my "To Watch" list… Haven't watched one in aaages, so that should be pretty great 😛

It also ruins (or betters) your perception of some characters, like Guru who I now see as a hopeless yet genocidal maniac.

And Popo!!!…PoPo – It gets 10,000 miles to the soul…Bulma – to the what?Popo – the gallon

I was watching the one where Popo took Bulma to the ship and couldn't stop laughing.

Popo – POPOBulma – Oh wow, the ships voice activatedPopo – No… it just knows better… PO PO!

Want a biscuit? HAVE A BISCUIT*throws biscuit at @rize*

SENSU BEAN! *throws sensu bean at Pixel*

TEEECHYYYYYYY!I saw a bird.It was pretty.…kick its aaaaaaaass.

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIZEStop making out with your booyfriiiend.it sounds like *makes slurping noises*

Hey Pixel! Look!It's a Pokemon!"I’m not a pokemon, my name is Chautzu! Chautzu!"You hear that Pixel? It's a Chautzu!

Oh god.

Global warming?!

NAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIL

Super Kami Guru.

So good.

Hey Dende….sucks about your parents. But you know who also lost their parents?

Not again..

Batman.

Guru..

Nananana Dende.

I was in tears watching that.

Krillin: Holy crap, I can hear a voice in my head!Dende: Is it telling you my name is Dende?Krillin: Hush, Little Green. The voice speaks to me.

I loooove the exchanges between Dende and Krillin

Krillin: I’m gonna call you Big Green!Nail: call me that again and I’ll snap your neck.Guru: BIG GREEN!!!!

What they did with Guru is fucking hilarious.

Just hearing Guru's voice shouting NAAAAAAAIIIIILLLL!!! still makes laugh aloud.

What? Do you think I’m just giving these things out?

Cos I’m not.

Now watch, Kakarot, as your life becomes inconsequential…as I reveal my giant monkey……form.

(Thank god, I thought he meant penis!)

Kaio Ken!!

Noooooo

Times!!!

No no noooo

FOUR!!!

Nononono FUUUUUUUUUU!!!

Love they got away with a swear word by splitting it up over 2 different scenes…

"Nononononono FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUuuuuuuuuu….."

…

"uuuuuUUUUUUUUCK!"

Yeah, esky defs going be

True dat.

They don't think it be like it is but it do.

that sounds like a sentence i wrote.

Roses are RedViolets Are BlueThey don't think it be like it itbut it do.

"sobs quietly in a corner"

@freezespreston: How you spending the last days of your 20s, my friend? Doing something reckless and irresponsible, I hope? 😀

Working /o\

That's pretty reckless AND irresponsible. Nicely done!

As you’re still in your 20s, that IS irresponsible.

I see you’re a sucker for responsibility 😛

What time you wanna do this lunch dealy tomorrow? LUNCH DEALY?

I’ll be there wandering around from about 10am so whenever people want to meander down is fine for me.

tomorrow is a Friday and that's the day I sit at my desk and pretend to do work 😛

There's always Saturday night.

Wait, lunch dealie tomorrow?

You best believe it!

Sughly and Freeze both have birthdays. There will be burgers involved. (Possibly.)

This is why we tag the correct people @dc.

…

@beardymcmuttonchops @beeawwb @cufcfan616 @dc @dkzeitgeist @freezespreston @gutsoup @jimu @lambomann007 @popdart5 @rocketman @sernobulus @strange @sughly @transientmind @welbot @virus__

Dear Freeze

You’re not funny.Stop trying to be.

LoveFreeze.

Ugh, those guys. I guess I will still go.

Don't feel obliged. I heard only cool/funny people like me will be attending.

Guys like me?! I’m a guy like me!

Dammit, I’m flying to Melbourne tomorrow morning and returning Saturday evening. Can't make it. 🙁

I am in Brisbane tomorrow, but no where near the city.. Friend last night told me her & I were inviting our selves to a mates to get drunk & have a BBQ, I was all "Okay." and it ended there.

Ahhh fyi cc @freezespreston, mums came up today so I probs shouldnt abandon her tomorrow, I wont be there. After my complaining >_>

Aw, that's too bad but more than understandable. Hope you have an amazing birthday, man!

NOOOOOoooooooooooooo. 🙁

Yes?

@sughly: Strange is just saying what we’re all thinking. Bring your mum and make her bring embarrassing photo albums! XD

Twitter mentions would help me a lot 🙁

Time for my annual life update:http://shanewsmith.com/2014/04/april-2014-update/

Enjoy!

Ooo I wrote a short story called The Game once. Interesting. It was about a psychopathic shooter hunting down unsuspecting participants at a paintball competition. Good times.

Only two more days!

Are you excited/nervous/convulsing? 😀

All of the above!

There's a movie like that. I can't remember what it was called though.

Damn, good ideas are always already taken. Some days it's just like, what's the point.

Everything has been done before. You just have to do it better.

Put your own spin on it.

People don't really notice that The Lesser Evil is an unholy smulsh of Dune, Star Wars, and The Gap, with not so much in the way of original content, probably because I put my own voice into it (and possibly because they couldn't read it due to it being not that good).

IMDB have it listed as Paintball.

Yep, that's the one. I like how your story is called The Game and the tagline for Paintball is: This Is Not A Game.

Haha yeah that is pretty weird. I wrote mine up during high school, I should probably fish it out and post it up here on TAY. My story definitely has a better ending.

You should!

I have a PDF copy on hand, however I’d have to paraphrase it to make it at least half interesting and readable.

Two days! Oh man, that snuck up. I’m not ready. I need another few years 😛

Great write-up, buddy!

I quite enjoy the annual summaries. Going back over posts and tweets for the year, tracking progress in all my projects. It's fun!

It's like your state of the union address!

I’m gonna have to start calling it that.

Let me know once you start posting your state of the union undress 😉

I will. Should Mrs Tigs be worried? 😛

Why? Will the video be blurry or low quality when we watch?

Awww sheet. Weapons pre-igniter showed up at a store. And I could afford it.

Game over.

They make every fight but the boss a cakewalk.

But that's what the Automated Weapons Reloader is for 😛

Powalen's Adventures with Clients Who Don't Know Spelling Good

"Help, the website I’ve been working on for the past several weeks suddenly disappeared! Look it's not there! website.com/page"

Oh no! I’ll look through our backups and see what happened. Hm… there's no record of the pages you pointed out EVER existing. Are you sure you didn't dream them?

"Of course not! I’ve been writing them for weeks! We’ve had meetings! Fix it fix it fix it fix it."

-insert 2 days worth of scouring databases and backups upon backups with no results-

"I’m getting impatient!"

-stumble across a stray link to the pages they wrote: website.com/pages–

It helps if you spell URL's correctly.

And yet it's still probably your fault somehow, right?

They were actually pretty good about it. Had a bit of a laugh.

(And our office had a big laugh :P)

And then they cried at 16 hrs of lost pay. 🙁

Tech support hopefully charges by the hour.

Oh hey, cracked 4000 posts.Only took 4 and a half years.

See, you’re doing this right.I forgot that I was close to 500 and now I’ve passed it…D:

http://www.gog.com/game/tesla_effect_a_tex_murphy_adventure

TEX MURPHY!

Seriously, though. This is gonna be awesome!

And if you’re curious to see how an FMV game plays in 2014? Here's your chance! 😀

Tex Murphy: The Pandora Directive is easily in my top ten adventures of all-time.

(I’ll stop posting about this. I’m just crazy excited. :D)

http://www.ign.com/news/4/2014/tm_pandora_now_brown_space_marine_cover_shooter

Whaaaaat?

This is reckless and irresponsible. What are you, in your 20s or something.

The weirdest thing about this is that it's published by Atlus. I got an email from Atlus about it. I was very confused.

Yeah, seems an odd fit, for sure! I’m not complaining though. 😀

So due to a lot of shitty decisions from a certain family member i was left with the choice ofa) watch them sufferb) pay a LARGE sum of money for them which will probably never be repayed

I love being put into these situations, because you know its super okay to exploit your families love for you. Im super pissed, but i couldnt of done nothing. I cant bare to see shit happening to family. So now im just gonna stew for a while and hate everything.

Hate.http://youtu.be/iw-b_VdpCEU

You’re a good guy, Rockets. 🙂

no I’m a stupid guy dc, a stupid easily exploited guy.

Easily exploited, eh? *strokes patchy chin stubble*

How would you like to invest in the D.C. fund of unexplained specifics? 😛

Same thing.

I think the only time I would cave and help someone out like that would be in a literal life or death situation, but then I’m lucky enough to have not had to deal with it before.

You’re a better person than me, Rockets.

How much suffering are we talking here?Like, "but I’ll have to catch the bus to work until the car my boyfriend bought me is delivered" or "I have been mortally wounded and, for some bizarre reason, the only substance suitable for patching such a wound is smelted $100 notes"?

My boyfriend spent all his money on the gold plated steering wheel and 135 carat diamond gear shifter knob and couldn't afford the extra for the heated cup holders and I’d rather die than drink only warm coffee.

In our worl there exists what is known as a middle ground. The answer you seek is somewhere in the middle of your examples.

Basically if i didnt help out a family member would of lost their house. Its a long winded story that ends in me being a sucker.

Yeah… you’re not getting that money back.

$7k for a house is a pretty good deal though.

In Detroit that’ll buy you an entire suburb!

Something that came to mind just now: I remember listening to Hack on Triple J ages ago the best piece of advice ever for those situations – write up a contract. Don't feel bad about it, write up a contract saying they’ll have it paid back in a specific amount of time.

this,without going into boring details having something signed is the best bit of advise, legally binding, saves so much arguing.

I wouldn't go that far for immediate family – my parents, my brothers… they can have the shirt off my back if they need it. I’d go into debt for them.

My cousins/aunts/uncles? Not so much. Not sure I’d even go to the trouble.

Agreed. Extended family is the wooooorst.

Families and money suck. My husband's older brother owes him around $30000 and we’ll almost definitely never see any of it from him, even though he's more than capable of paying it back.

Yikes!

Yup.

We’re in a similar boat with my dads brother, dad lent him the money, to put a down payment on a condo or whatever in Manila, where he has resided for almost the last 20 years, whilst his place back here sold & finalised and yeah.. He has informed us he has the intention of paying it back, but yeah hmm.

Achievement: "Tactical Approach" – In the Stealth Cruiser, get to sector 8 without jumping to a beacon with an environmental danger.

Get to sector 6. Exit is in range of an asteroid field, a sun, and one clear beacon. Clear beacon is only in range of the exit and the sun.

God dammit.

Since I figure you’re going to waste too much time with FTL anyway, you know FTL can be modded, right? On the FTL forums there are plenty of links to new weapons, custom ships, new events; there are a fair amount of custom content out there.

I’ve heard mention of it around the place. I dunno though, I’m not usually really interested in that kind of thing for whatever reason.

It's all really well done, there's one particular one called the Captain's Edition that just completely rehauls the game into a new beast and adds waaayyyyy more content (for the better! Fight space stations, wander into minefields, buy and sell supplies via a rudimentary trading system..) They also add a straight up adventure mode with unlimited sectors.

With the expansion out today I don't think mods are worth it yet. So much new official stuff to play with!

Hahaha and now in sector 7 the only way to get through to the right half of the map is via sun or ion storm. It's like it's just trying to give me the finger now 😛

…well, the ion storm just gave me a Burst Laser III. I’ll take that.

Alongside the Glaive Beam, I’m pretty much ready to fuck everything up. Got a Pegasus Missile there as backup too. God damn.

Nevermind that, shop at the next jump had the Ion Bomb I’ve been hoping for! Glaive + Halberd + Ion Bomb + Weapons Pre-Igniter. Fucking done.

HAHAHA JUST BEAT STAGE 2 OF THE FLAGSHIP BEFORE IT COULD EVEN LAUNCH THE DRONE OVERDRIVE

Aw man, there's an article on the front page and the dudes name it's about reminded me of a character Adam Sizzler from my favourite Machinima ‘The Leet World’ and now i’m totally reminiscing about how awesome that show was and Web Zeroes, by the same guys.

I miss those shows, it's also a bummer the guys behind those 2 shows went their separate ways in 2010 and got more into just writing than the whole making amateur web shows, which were actually very well done, then again their live action one Web Zeroes was backed by Revision 3 which gave them access to better gear and the ability to hire more people to be in the show.

Yeah that's the name it was based on, Adam Sessler I believe his name is?

Haha, I was wondering that when I saw the article on the front page and I thought "hmm reminds me of adam sizzler from the leet world". I never knew the story behind Adam Sizzler, I just assumed he was just made up all together lol.

Also I was thinking it was you who said to me in the past you used to watch The Leet World 😛

Yeah I still got the episodes, one of my favourite machinima series. Main thing I’m watching now is RBWY from RoosterTeeth.

Same, thinking I may watch it for a break from South Park haha.

Me too, love The Leet World. Still go back and watch it every so often 🙂

My network drives are down at work.I’ve done my filing.All the stuff I can do is located on the network drives.I am tempted to clean my desk.…nah, early lunch instead.

My network drives are up, but they’re listed as having 0 bytes free. Also my reports are all listed as "Success"fully updated, but the last update was 3/3. Flupid bloroplope.

Final got around to Regenerating in Titanfall last night (Prestige from CoD, but in Titanfall) and couldn't have done it in a better way: got the game-winning kill with a titan on titan execute.

It still amazes me that people (including myself) will choose to remove all their progress in a game to get a shiny sticker and the chance to do it all over again…and I believe you can do it 10 times.

I know in CoD it gives you more loadouts. Does a similar thing happen in Titanfall?

This FF10-2… I just don't know.

Such questionable material. I dont know what the intended audience is.

The target audience is @strange

When I first played it I was a teenager and it felt…awkward? Like it clearly wasn't a game for me.

Long story short I decided to keep playing and see how far I got and actually ended up really liking it.

thats kinda what im doing. i dont really feel awkward… just a bit stunned.

When I played it years ago I was kinda put off- I liked the combat system, but the silliness of it all put me off. Might jump back into the HD ver.

If you get over the original silliness, the story and gameplay become really good. You’ll need to make sure you go everywhere in every chapter and sleep in your airship at least once every chapter in order to see the whole story in one playthrough, though.I really enjoyed the battle system(turn the costume change animation off as soon as you get the chance!), and Paine is a badass.

Oh, and it's never as lame again as the very start of it was. Worst beginning to a game ever. So cringeworthy!

And then they all became fairies in Kingdom Hearts.

Wait, what?!

http://www.khwiki.com/Gullwings

why? Because goddamnit there are never enough FF characters in KH.

In KH2 the Gullwings appear as fairies in Hollow Bastion, the world where most of the FF characters have fled to. Except Auron, he's in the Underworld.

Oh gods, that's awful. Fairies?! Seriously ridiculous.

oh damn, i havent been sleeping in the airship!

I figured the silliness would stop eventually.

I wanna turn off the animations but changing into festivalist makes me happy.

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2014/04/listen-to-the-awesome-cast-of-the-lion-king-start-singing-on-a-plane/

The Lion King cast singing Circle of Life on Brisbane to Sydney flight. XD

That's so rad I’ve gone blind.

Find out how much time you’ve wasted watching television shows.

I’m up to 72 days from 37 shows. I’m sure there's more.

I’ve wasted no time watching TV. TV is my liiiiife.

Hmm maybe spent is a better choice of word. My apologies.

Everything that's worth learning can be learned from TV. That's certainly how I learned everything.

Teacher, mother. Secret lover.

I’m not sure I want to know.

83 days, 15 hours, and 40 minutes

Thought it’d be more tbh.

I can't access the site at work, but I can't imagine how many thousands of hours I’ve spent watching reruns of M*A*S*H alone 😛

You make an interesting point anyway. The site doesn't take into account reruns or multiple viewings.

Not a site for me, then. I’ve watched a decent amount of TV if you count everything once. I’m sure it’d reach fairly excessive levels once you factor in re-runs, though. I love watching stuff multiple times.

At least 132 days, 18 hours, and 11 minutes but I didn't count a lot of stuff 😛

EDIT: I like how Survivor adds like 17 days and Conan adds 20 days or so 😀

I’m on 25 days, and that's only shows I’ve watched since I stopped watching TV, and ignoring the scores of shows I have only seen half a season of.

The good news is that it told me that there's a second season of Gatchaman Crowds coming, and I am so hyped for that.

I got stuck in an elevator alone for ten minutes this morning. That was fun.

How's your morning?

Did you fart loudly and then giggle to yourself?That's what i would have done

Actually i will be VERY disappointed if you didn't take the opportunity to do this

With sexy results?

I was alone.

So yes.

Did you press the stop button?

That's what they do in TV shows to have private conversations! Doesn't even inconvenience any one! 😀

For some reason i just imagine @alexpants staring as Short Round in Temple of Doom"You say to stand against the wall! I listen to what you say! Not my fault! Not my fault! "

I’ve been playing a lot of Shadow Run Returns. I’m really enjoying it, pretty damn dark but the story / world is super interesting. Kinda regret not making a decker so I can pick up some random lore about the world.

I usually ended up always bringing an NPC decker with me on every mission, which changed the annoying part to having to give up a party spot all the time. Very much like you would with a rogue in other party RPG games.

ROGUES REPRESENT!

Quoting DBZ Abridged has made my day. Sitting here at work not-so-quietly chuckling to myself while co-workers stare at me strangely.

just look over at them and say:

"YOU KNOW WHAT EVERYONE BETTER DUCK,Because i am about to turn left, and i don't want to smack you with my…"eeehhh you know the rest 😛

"The following is a non-profit fan based parody,Dragonball, Dragonball Z and Dragonball GTare all owned by FUNimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, and Akira Toriyama,Please support the official release"

Bit sad when you can recite it without aid

Not sad. Awesome!

I showed my friend Cooler's movie on the weekend, he said he's now up to date with TFS.

I’m a plant me a dumbass tree!

"I can't drink these! These are nuts!"

Seriously so many quotes, so little time…Though Muffin button is still my go to response for anything 😛

Mahogany

MAA-hogany.

I went out to do the groceries this morning and my bus was so late my phone ran out of charge. No more Freedom Call for me, I had to shop in silence. D:

Also, I loved eating at Carl's Jr. when I was in LA, but breakfast was the best so when I saw that they’re moving into Australia I was excited at first, and then sad as I realised we’d get a watered down version of their menu, and almost certainly no biscuits and gravy. 🙁

Caaaaaaaaarl!

Korl.

Caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarl,what did you do? Caaaarl!

caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarl, that kills people, caaaaaaaaaaaaaarl.

My tummy was making rumblies that only hands could satisfy

You hear that?

That's the sound of forgiveness.

He's in the house.

Amazing.

Man, I got, like, a bacon and egg and mushroom and cheese "burger" on a pretzel roll with, easily, a gallon of sweet tea for $7 AT AN AIRPORT!

Imagine if we got their shitty food AND their amazing prices!?

There’d be no need for the old age pension or superannuation!

Superannuation is an asset passed on to the next of kin, so there’d be need for that, still. Especially when all these fat bastards with heart problems can't get to work anymore…

we would all look like you when you were in grade 7

Titties floppin’ all over the place as we sweat in the dead of winter.

my bus was so late my phone ran out of charge.*Interprets this as meaning the bus was a week late*

Unless it was an iPhone, in which case five minutes late would do it.

Naw, 10 minutes if it's an iPhone 5 or 5S, iPhone 4 or 4S however, totally true.

My iPhone 5s lasted the entire Big Day Out taking photos and tweeting like craaaazy and then navigating Sughly with Google Maps. 😀 Then again, I’m sure my old school Nokia STILL has some charge left in the drawer. XD

Really? Nice! My iPhone 4 lasted all of Soundwave, couldn't connect to the network was too flooded ugh. So I couldn't tweet or hipstergram like I wanted to D=

So I just took pictures with it 😛

I couldn't access the internet at PAX.

Goddamn nerds.

I know right?!

I didn't ever have a problem accessing mobile internet at PAX… but then, I’m with Vodafail (who are actually quite good at the moment; I get coverage in places family with Telstra/Optus don't, and the prices are utterly incomparable). Might not have been any competition.

Apparently the Firefly RPG has just launched: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/128012/Firefly-RolePlaying-Game-Corebook

That’d probably be a fun session with Browncoats.

Is that new? I thought there’d been one out for ages…?

There was a Serenity one a few years ago, but the licensing in that meant they could only build off the film. This one is fully licensed to the TV series so can talk about characters such as Niska.

Ahhhhhhhh, my mistake. Carry on.

So… another campaign in the works maybe Red? 😛

I’d have to have a look at the system, but if I was going to run this I’d probably want to do it a physical table

Anyone played the Knife of Dunwall DLCs for Dishonored? They’re cheap atm, and I did like Dishonored- worth it?

I’ve played the first half. Really solid. Basically just more Dishonored, but the tweaks make it feel different enough.

Tried to play the second half but I couldn't get into the right mood.

Hm, for $12 for the pair on PSN atm, I might just do it.

Lunch! ®

You crack me up, little buddy!

I thought I’d trademark my little expression that I mention all the time. I think the reality is a few more steps than just adding a little logo, though. 😛

Coffee! ©

http://tiii.me/

How much time have you spent watching your favourite tv shows?

Apparently it takes 9 full days to watch all of Smallville.I watched all of it twice…

Why would you do that to yourself?

Cause Smallville real goooood :3

Nah.

I liked it :'(And I don't even like Superman!

Look, it could have been worse. I mean, look at Man of Steel.

I actually didn't mind that! 🙂

And 5 days and 1hr for all of Gossip Girl…

And out of curiosity it woukd take 75 full days to watch all of Home and Away.That's the worst torture imaginable, watching that crap non-stop for 75 days.

And always a moving target. Of course, by the time you reached the current daily drip-feed of torture, your victim's mind would already be mush.

One day and one hour to watch all of Game of Thrones. Hmm.

Five days to watch all of DBZ.

Six days to watch Buffy.

4 hours total if you take out reaction shots and people charging attacks.

More or less.45 minutes if you take out all the times Goku was coming to the rescue to save everybody.For what its worth I don't mind the drawn out nature of DBZ, well to a point. Season one I thought it added to the suspense and anticipation of the battle, when Goku and Vegeta finally got down I was on the edge of my seat fist pumping. Season two it started to drag. Come the Cell Games saga It was ridiculous. Doesn't worry me too much as parts of me like to think the story should have ended after Frieza died.

Got a bit carried away there, oops 🙂

They could cut 30% if the killed the previously on DBZ at the start. That was what turned me off in the end

The last time I watched DBZ other than abridged it was season one of the funimation dub. They had a nifty feature to skip the intro of every ep.I cant remember if they killed the previously or next time on DBZ..

Helping \o/

I’m of the opinion that they could have ended it after Frieza (I think that was the original script) with Goku THE Super Saiyan and Vegeta dead after realising his ways. When you look at what came next in the following seasons its almost as if its purely fan service.

"Wouldn't it be cool if X became a super saiyan, or if Y did too. Wouldn't it be cool if X and Y both fused together and then became super saiyan". Things got a bit ridiculous in order for that to happen.

Don't get me wrong, I love all of it, ridiculousness and all. We wouldn't have characters such as Future Trunks or Majin Vegeta 🙂

If I had a point to this post I lost it somewhere between getting a coffee and finishing this rambling.

*oh, this isn't too bad**wait, forgot all the Star Trek's I’ve watched through completely*…*oh this is bad*

Stargate SG-16 days, 16 hours, 29 minutes, and I’ve watched it through at least 3 times.

Totally worth it.

Only 3? 😛

Three full run-throughs that I can remember, various episodes here and there countless times.

They don't seem to have the other stargate series though

What other Stargate series?

😛

Personally I really Atlantis.Although Stargate:Stars Hollow was the best. I liked the characterisation and the way the anger and brutality developed in Rory.

They did when I looked? Universe is 1 day 6 hours, and Atlantis is 3 days 3 hours.

Man, I don't think I ever saw the end of that. I know that things were getting crazy with the Ori guys (or however they spell it), but then I have no idea what happened. Schedule fuckarounds or it just didn't get aired or maybe I just missed it I don't know. Also gotta see those two movies they did.

Neighbours

74 days 18 hours and 30 minutes.

Coronation St

110 days 16 hours 30 minutes.

The Sooty Show

110 days 17 hours 8 minutes.

The Price Is Right

123 days 3 hours 8 minutes

What do you mean they don't have Burgo's Catch Phrase?

Pfft they don't have Family Feud, well they have 10 seasons of it, yet it dates back to 1976 😛

Oh, man. I’ve watched so many shows. So many. The West Wing and ER alone would have craaaaaazy high numbers.

Only like 88 days 😀

Deja Vu.

Oh I have to do this when I get home (not worknig at work).

Off the top of my head:

Breaking Bad (s1 x3 + s2-s4 x2, s5 x1)Buffy (x3)Angel (x2)Stargate SG-1 (x3)Stargate Atlantis (x1)SGU (x1)Star Trek TNG (x3)Star Trek Voyager (x2)Star Trek DS9 (x1)Farscape (x2)Game of Thrones (s1 x3, s2 x2, s3 x1 and about to +1 each of those ahead of s4)How I Met your Mother (once is probably 1 too many)Scrubs (s1-s3 x 3, s4-s8 x1)Big Bang Theory (once)

Most of that's only in the last decade! What about the 20 years before that?! I WAS BASICALLY RAISED BY TV. DOOGIE HOWESER. THE WONDER YEARS. MURDER, SHE WROTE AND COLUMBO. COUNTLESS DISNEY CARTOONS AND ANIME. ALL THOSE SENSELESS DAYS LOST TO LETTING NEIGHBOURS WASH OVER ME.

Apparently it takes 6 days and 10 hours to watch all of The West Wing.

I have done that at least four times.

Often in less than two weeks.

It's actually completely impossible to calculate how much time I’ve spent watching quite a few shows, because I’ll often just repeat episodes while I’m doing nothing else.

Let's just round it off to about 26 years and call it a day.

Over 13 days of One Piece.Aww yeah.

7 seasons of Scrubs clocks in at 11 days, 17.5 hours.I’ve watched each season 3-4 times.

Got a couple of 75% off steam coupon for Skulls of the shogun. I’m not planning on using them so if anybody wants feel free to ask

Did I hear a rumour that Agents of SHIELD actually became watchable?

That sounds like crazy talk to me! XD

According to my missus, yes… i still have a rather "eh" attitude towards watching it…I can tolerate it, but it doesn't captivate me what so ever

It's weird. My sister who doesn't really like Joss Whedon loves it and I’m a guy who grew up on Buffy, Angel, Firefly and Dollhouse and I can't stand it. XD

I had a lot of time for Dollhouse. Enver Gjokaj was great.

Yeah, I loved that show once it got gooood.

They’d thoroughly thought through the implications of their premise, which was amazing.

I found the start of season 1 ok then it got kinda dull, then there was the end of season epitaph episode and they piqued my interest again. Season 2 was good, epitaph 2 was amazing, then.. pfft. Gone.

I must have stopped watching before then, 😛

First 5 eps were rote. Ep 6 it picks up

right I think i made it through 2 and had to stop, maybe I’ll give it another crack some time.

@gutsoup second one is the popstar one I think? It's awful.

The Freedom song from that ep was pretty catchy though. XD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2skZHw-UVU

Hrmm, think I’ll wait. I’ve got a mate who will prob buy it on DVD regardless so I’ll just scab it off him.

The later episodes are supposed to be pretty decent. I watched an episode last night on 7, I think it was episode 12, and it was okay.

The latest episode got an A- on The AV Club. An A-!

Yeah, that's what sparked my curiousity. A- on the AV Club is usually a sure bet.

They might just be going for the grade bingo though.

They do mark each series relative to itself, so a good episode of AoS might = OK episode of Arrow.

Ha! And you all thought I was crazy when I switched off after 15 minutes.

HAHAHAHAHA WHO’S CRAZY NOW!?Wait… it's still me, isn't it?

You’re so crazy you should be selling merchandise at heavily discounted prices.

Is that any way to talk to an award winning nominated author?

Probably?

Well. You know what they say about a stopped clock and all that. How it's a sad reminder of morality, and the inevitability of death.

…That's what they say, right?

(Related anecdote: When my grandparents passed, Mum got the old Grandfather Clock that grandad had kept wound up since Mum and her sisters were kids. First time she really broke down was when that clock stopped all of a sudden because she hadn't been in the habit of winding it up.)

April Fools!

@redartifice

I tried replacing an energy drink with a coffee in the morning and all I seem to have achieved is adding a coffee to my usual day.

If it's that much, the effects are probably habitual- the body builds a tolerance to caffeine pretty easily.

I’m 75% caffeine

@liondrive, I took your advice and bought some faded black jeans today. You’d better be right about this.

Oh man, this guy is influential!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7gszAo2CXs

You tried them on, right?You took a woman with you to tell you if they looked good, right?

Jeans are casual while being black pants makes them more formal, it's the perfect blend! I’m sure they’ll be fine 😉

Now you just need to find a nice top to go with them 😛

Yep.Nope.

I’m going shopping again this afternoon. Already tried Big W and Target. Now gonna try K-Mart, Lowes and a different Target.

I’ve never been so picky! 😛

Levi 595s!

LEVI 595S!!!

You should try .yd!!!They have really nice shirts, usually on special!!!Or Roger David!Or Stepping Up!Or Man-to-Man!Strongly recommend perusing .yd though! 😀And wear those black jeans so you see what they look like with the top!!!

+1 to YD, but only on $30 shirts that are on special.

Where are you heading today? Tarocash in Woden has a heap of nice shirts on sale at the moment.

TAROCASH!I was trying to remember that damn stores name for ages! Definitely check out Tarocash!…then .yd 😉

Okay, I modelled my clothes for Mrs Shane and got the giggle/blush seal of approval.

So, even if it's a flop on the night, at least we can say your advice was a success.

If you know what I mean. *slow wink*

o/

Probably doesn't even need to be a nice top. Just a plain white tarocash button-up shirt with some inoffensive pattern on the edge of it somewhere and a jacket.

Got it sorted. I already had a reasonably nice enough button up shirt at home. Saved the cash!

Probably doesn't even need to be a nice top.Get out! >:(

You must have missed @transientmind's subtle qualifier before the full stop which says "because it’ll be open to your waist, you’ll be sensually rubbing your oiled nipples and no one will pay attention to the top at all". It's in 1 point font, you have to zoom in to read it

Guess what I wear pretty much everywhere? Black button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, boot-cut blue jeans (faded preferably), and black tactical boots. If I ever need to go somewhere fancy, it's white shirt and black jacket instead. 🙂 Otherwise… black shirt, blue jeans. I’m taking the Steve Jobs approach to my wardrobe. A hojillion copies of the one outfit.

Are they skin tight?

595sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

Oh no, I’ve just finished Episode 7 of Attack On Titan but I don't have enough time to watch another one before I have to go pick my son up. Now I have to wait until tomorrow to see if my current theories are correct.Man, I’d forgotten how rabid for more I can get when I start mainlining shows. It's kind of scary.

haha, like i mentioned earlier, I really got into that one, watched 1 ep then absorbed the rest of it within 24 hours. Do like I did and don't sleep :D.

My sisters boyfriend kept texting me "SOOOO BADASS" every now and then while i was watching all i could respond was "I KNOW RIGHT"

Share your theories! I need someone to talk to as everyone's seen them all already ages ago.

I dunno, I haven't completely formed my theories yet but I’m kind of thinking at the moment that the Titans were created by humans and the ones in the Walls are not the only humans left like they think they are. As for that Titan we just saw who was all angry with the other Titans. He's something to do with Eren, surely? There's gotta be a reason "Jaeger!" is part of the opening song. And he seems to have absorbed Eren's rage, maybe?So far, we’re obviously barely even scratching the surface of what's really going on, though.I feel kind of silly talking about it when I know there’ll be people who’ve seen it already thinking I’m nuts. 😛

Nah, we were probably all thinking the same thing at the time. 🙂

Ugh. Contract signing cancelled, appointment with solicitor booked.Fuck this being an adult thing. I just want to go home, eat m’n’ms and play dark souls.

In a career full of dealing with builders I have yet to meet one that isn't a sleazy dickbag.

Sounds about right for this part of the world.

I’ve known one socially who wasn't… but he very well may have been in his work-life. People can put on different faces for their jobs. Just ask anyone who knows a chef.

Utter @#^$s in the kitchen, the most irrational, hypocritical, arrogant, sanctimonious pricks you’ll ever find in any environment outside of Hollywood. Outside? APPARENTLY perfectly normal people! It's some jekyll and hyde shit. As a bartender I lost count of the number of places you’d see wait staff come back to a chef with something wrong or missing on the order that WAS actually written on the docket, and at the end of the day it would somehow be the poor waiter's fault because apparently the chef is GOD and utterly infallible. Even when wrong. Especially when wrong. You couldn't pay me enough to work with one.

So the cars coolant reservoir has cracked, from what I can diagnose, all I can say is thank fuck it isn't a welch plug (which is an expensive fix & something can't do at home with ease and more expertise) or something more fiddly like a heater hose at the back of the engine.

And since Holden are SUCH geniuses, to access said reservoir since it's hidden behind a bunch of shit up the front next to the radiator, you have to take off the inside wheel guard, which is all sorts of fun as it is.

But eh, at least it isn't something more exotic and not as simple & common as a Commodore >_>

I miss my car ;(

What did you have?

just a Toyota Camry but it was in awesome condition but then I attempted a cunning stunt bonus but failed 😛

um, i also seem to have failed at linking a thing.here let's try the simple way https://www.dropbox.com/s/djlsu2lyjnzlq3h/IMG_3521.jpg

Well shit. That looks like it was deadly 😐

fortunately not, me and my girlfriend walked away pretty unscathed, i put a dent in the roof with my head and got a couple cuts on my head, girlfriend got seat belt bruising. Was uninsured so no car or money for me

You were extremely lucky by the sounds.

That sucks that there's no insurance money coming your way, what are the chances you can finance something to get you on the road again?

@kermitronVery high chance, but i hate debt, I bought that car with savings, I had debt for a couple of years for other things and was so relieved when I got rid of it, sorta trying to save but without a car I’m paying for expensive cabs/ public transport to get to work.

Ohh man i totally had to do that when i had heating problems in my car. I tore it apart, learnt a lot of stuff too. Commodores are pretty standard so there is a lot of guides around. In the end i had to take to to a radiator place because the radiator was super fucking clogged. But before that i must have pulled every other coolant hose out looking for a puncture.

Yeah I love that about them, they’re so common there's a massive spare parts market & the info available online & in books is just great.

We just had the radiator replaced cause it was on the way out, since it was suffering major corrosion, and the corrosion factor with some things cause of where I live sucks.

Man that sucks, my mate had the same issue with his ’87 Alfa Romeo, he had a blocked radiator that he thought was causing the overheating issue because the thermostat wasn't opening early enough, or at all, the pain we went through diagnosing that.. That car was not worth his time & effort I swear.

With Alfas, it's more of a miracle if they actually work rather than if you can fix the problems they develop.

Hahaha, so true. I never understood why he bought that P.O.S the Forester he bought after it was a pure dream mechanically.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6P0D_Q5ImvA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVlE8u6Hhp8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=X9mGQU7rGGM#t=2825

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEupRDloZLYTranslation: Whisper of the Heart 😛

Maybe later.

😛

Take me home, Country Roads?

I heard this so many times when I was in Beijing, thanks to this one cafe that played it all the time (it was a Chinese Western Themed place, just next to my hotel, and they did salad sandwiches which were a godsend).

That's the one! The movie starts with the main character translating it into Japanese.

(Every time I talk about this movie I want to rewatch it :P)

I kind of want to watch it purely for that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOvehWu39X4

Blergh. Adding lyrics to any thing Donkey Kong related is alwaaaays a mistake.

An abomination. The music is nice though. XD

CLAAAAAAAAAAP YOUR HANDS!

Wait a minute I just realised you’re talking about the DK Rap.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8BrU1yyDcs 😛

I don't think I’ve ever played a Crash game. This is kind of amazing though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0tt7yuQTF4

It's one of my favourite OST's. Entirely a capella! (and the last good Crash game D:)

Oh reeeeeeeeeeeally…

*looks it up, sees GCN version was cancelled* Hm. Well, guess not then 😛

Also, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJvRR5PoFEU

@gooky @mrtaco (ugh) Ahem. This is the only Rayman Origins song that is allowed to be linked on TAY: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQnsVJaZpdQ

@greenius

…man I so gotta crack open Legends already.

It's impossible not to whistle along!

@mrtaco

@greenius I’m pretty sure I actually did a few times while playing. And/or after I’d stopped playing too.

(Also I want to upvote this but you started the video on a Ponyo section, so…)

Such a good soundtrack, but often such a mediocre game soundtrack.

I was going to add "maybe I should play more of Ni No Kuni one day" but I’ve remembered that I traded it in at EB for forty-six cents and half a stick of gum. :/

This was my favourite song from the OST. So beautiful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjAAZkUTY7k

Kind of makes me cry halfway through. :'(

I really wish I could read moonspeak. I picked up a copy of it in Japan because it was like ten bucks and the book for it was super pretty.

But then it's an RPG so I probably wouldn't end up playing it anyway. Or if I did, would put it down for so long I couldn't remember what I had to do next.

I really want to finish that. One day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9ybFVYg2no

(Dammit DC, I have work to do!)

So do I.

…

You don't know that I don't.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tud1bmBmMQY

Lol, a local news site deleted my comment cause I called an article of theirs click bait & there to only anger people. Meanwhile the rest of the comments are people arguing with each other and such hahaha.

heh…

ha…

hahahaha…hahhahahAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAA

-starts frowning-

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

-is looking worried now-

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHHHHHAAAAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA

-eyes darting around looking for help, this is weird-

HA. HA, HA, HA, HA, HAAHAHHAAAAAAHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

-disappears in puff of red mist-

Probably.

Mass redundancies at my work today. Considering there's a high chance I’m going to be quitting and moving to Washington DC in the next month or so, I wish I got picked.

you could volunteer?

I’m wondering if I can. I’ve got no experience around redundancies but I thought voluntary redundancy only happens when they say "So, we’re going to have to make x number redundant, so we’re happy for people to volunteer for now".Otherwise this would be awesome.

When I got made redundant back in 2008 we basically had to reapply for our jobs with a cover letter explaining why we shouldn't be chosen. I wanted redundancy so I deliberately sabotaged myself by putting in the letter some of my mistakes from the last year but stressing I was committed to doing better in the future. Obviously the only part they cared about was the mistakes, even though they weren't ones they could (normally) fire me for.

I think I could have put my hand up for voluntary rendundancy but I think it might make you eligible for unemployment benefits if you "volunteer" and I wanted a fallback in case I didn't manage to find a job in the 2-3 months of buffer my payout would grant me. As it was they offered me a lower position at the same salary which I opted to decline, and that still didn't technically make my redundancy voluntary.

Oh man, writing a letter like that (if you wanted to keep your job) would really suck.

2 days with no sleep and 2 assignments due tomorrow. I feel like complete shit 🙁 I hate it when I can't get to sleep for days.

I’m gonna need coffee and hugs to get through today…

*hugs*

Warm hugs?

Warm, energy giving hugs?

Warmth is always good 🙂

Cold hugs would be creepy.

*throws coffee at Ben*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sws-buryO24

Anyone ever played Megaman Battle Network? It was a GameBoy Advance game that I Ioved playing about ten years ago – really clever and addictive. A mash up of elements from Final Fantasy and Pokemon, of sorts. Upon reflection, the Gameboy Advance had some pretty great games come to think of it.

Mind you, most of those great games were ports or remakes.

I had a blue SP, not the fugly original. 😛

YOU’RE FUGLY

I forgot just how nice the original was until picking it up again a little while back when going through my stuff. Such nice curves and stuff, really comfy to hold. Just a shame you can't really see the screen at all most of the time 😛

Also, Glacier > Arctic > Indigo > Fuchsia.

I really wish they released this 3DS at retail…

Now that would have been something special.

I want that orange and black one Japan has. Stupid jerks with their fancy colours we don't get.

YES!

Just kidding, the original DS was an eye-sore. The GameBoy Advance was a pretty cool guy. Actually the glacier one was a nice throwback to the transparent original GameBoy that I had.

I like and prefer the DS Phat too 😛

I hate my DS phat. Love my silver original GBA so much I modded a backlight into it.

Jesus, yes. The Red Sun/Blue Moon ones were the best. If only Capcom cared about Mega Man anymore.

hells yes, I loved Battle Network. A real shame they didn't continue with it,

What do you mean they didn't continue with it?It had 12 games in the main series and then another 5 spiritual sequel DS games.

Yup I played it on emulator 🙂 I had a lot of fun with it. I recently bought a GBA SP, scrolling through what games to buy, there were a tonne on my list but I settled for: Pokemans Green, Fire Emblem, LoZ:ALTTP, Golden Sun, Advance wars 2 and Super Mario 3.

Great lil hand held.

Well, just finished marathoning series 6 of Star Wars The Clone Wars. Bloody great but now I have a sad because there’ll never be any more…

Star Wars: Rebels is coming soon, though. Same people make it, I think. (Just Disney wanted control of the IP fully so commissioned their own.)

We’ll see about that one, depends how much control Disney exert and how dark it's allowed to get. That was one of the things that made Clone Wars special

So keen for The Expendables 3.

Additions to the cast are Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas, Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, Kelsey Grammer.

Van Damme, Willis and Norris are out.

Willis was offered $3 million for four days work but he wanted 4. Cause it's not worth getting out of bed for the day for less than a million you know? I feel that.

Kelsey Grammer

Wut

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xG94qxb7Uu8

He does his own stunts!

YES!

DAN! YES!

YES! YES! YES! YES!

http://www.comingsoon.net/nextraimages/expendables3posterlarge1.jpg

Everyones

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=116110

Ha hahahaha. My exact reaction. I hope he is an utter badass.

exactly what I thought when I saw that, huh?

I really need to watch the second one!

So need to. The first one was pretty dumb but the second woke up and remembered it was about a bunch of 80's action dinosaurs and had a lot more fun with it.

I still haven't either. Won tickets to it off here actually, but the stupid people took so long to send them out that the movie wasn't showing any more. Jerks.

Want to even more now having read what Freeze said about it 😛

I won that, too!But at least they sent us free tickets to use on any movie that was showing.Although I waited until the day before they expired and tried to take my son to see Jack The Giant Slayer but it was still on the NFT list. He cried. I am the worst.

Go team! *high five*

I actually managed to win the one for Total Recall around the same time too. But then when they sent out the replacement tickets, one of the two envelopes had two pairs of tickets instead of one. So that was cool 😛

NFT sessions are the worst. I don't get why it even makes a difference when you see the movie…

http://www.examiner.com.au/story/2190092/tassie-tops-housos-bogan-hunt/ go us!

Damn.. I was hoping it was going to be Logan, Beenleigh or a surrounding area up here..

Today might be a good day to finally purchase a discounted PS Vita from JB Hi-Fi with that gift card that I have. Hmm.

Is this an online only deal?

Cause I want a vita, just i’d have to layby it for the moment D=

Just rang my local, staff said they will honour in-store.

Win.

Confirmed. I just picked mine up.

may have to have a word to my mate in games see if he’ll let me layby said bundle.

Maybe.

Could also be the day you become a hero.

-pulls back hammer, aims at girl-

What's it gonna be, hot shot? The game? Or the girl?

The girl! Always the girl! 😀

You do realise the girl is just Dan in drag right?

He does have majestically long hair that shimmers golden in the sun.

As it floats free, no longer tethered to my scalp, on the sweet afternoon breeze of Australia's Hippest City.

As long as he/she puts out, it's all good.

Only if you earn it.

lol gay.

Cliche, I know.

Ah, really need to reinstall windows to see if that’ll fix my PC but putting it off. Don't want to lose my FInal Draft activation. :'(

Got a second hard drive? You could install it on that & see if he system works well for a while and then if it does you can reinstall everything properly

So it turns out that while my room turns into a fridge because of the AC, my sister's room (the reason it's been on a lot over the past couple of weeks) is still quite warm. Figured hey, I’ll just plug up the vent in my room with a towel (actually it was a pillowcase in the end) and that should redirect it over into her room instead, and that’ll fix both our problems.

Just got back to my computer desk out in the family room and it seems like it's the vent above me here that's now got all the redirect air pressure and I can feel the breeze blowing down on me. God dammit.

My solution to the fact that our air-con couldn't give two shits about my room is to cry.

Also, since I live in Canberra I just crack open a window, and she's all good mate.

Mostly.

I get yelled at to close my windows, because I want some fresh air coming through my room but it's a waste of that precious cold air that I don't want or something.

Actually this may be a good point. If you have evaporative air con it needs air flow – it won't do anything to a sealed room. Might be why your room is cold and hers isn't.

That's the thing though, the doors are all open and everything. Mine just gets like all of the air for some reason. Apparently they put the wrong kind of joint in with the original system, but I’m pretty sure they replaced the ducts and everything when we got the new one and put the proper sort in. Yet it still seems to be screwed.

A dude I know is level 50 in Elder Scrolls Online. Whaaaat. The game officially launches tomorrow, right? What's the cap anyway? D:

50. The level cap is 50.

There was apparently a sort of exploit with a pvp quest and group xp that made it really easy to level. I think it's been changed now. People hitting the cap within days doesn't really surprise me though. That's pretty much the norm for every MMO.

Dunno, he probably did it legit. Said he played 64hrs straight.

6pm. 1 assignment down. 2 coffees. 3 hugs. I might make it yet.

*throws more coffee at Ben*

I’m switching to instant cos I cbf cleaning the plunger again 😛 I want a coffee machine…

I got one of those Dolce Gusto pod dealies from Coles for $49 and it does a great job. Makes ice teas too.

SURVIVOR EPISODE 6!!!!!!!!!!!!

OMGOMOGMOGMOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGMOOGMOGMMOGOMGOM! Most of the episode was all "ugh, shut up Sarah!" but woowee! I really enjoyed that tribal, so many crazy moments! And it's NEVER a good position to be in the middle because you’re screwing people both ways and you’re going to be at the bottom of either alliance. STUPID PEOPLE! Sarah would’ve initially been a great choice for Kass (since Queen Sarah was annoying and guaranteeing that Tony doesn't have an idol) but then the whole idol thing happened at Tribal and she should’ve just stuck with Jefra. Kass’ alliance could’ve got Sarah out at any other time and there wouldn't be any idols, but no! OMG gonna be an amazing season!

@sughly @powalen @masha2932 @phoenix @strange

OMGOMOGMMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMOGMMGGOMG

I totally didn't think she’d say that thing but them she said it and I was all like whaaaaaaaaaaattttt!

I just wanted to be part of the team 🙁

It's clear she just came here to be number one!

YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND!!!!!!!

OMGOMGOMOGMOGMOGOMGOMGOMOGMGOMGG

Survivor! @sughly @masha2932 @phoenix @strangeI’m just upset that the Brains didn't stick together 😛 Was so sweet seeing Baldy and LJ's faces when neither of them got votes haha I don't know why you would tell everyone you had the immunity. Tony and LJ MUST have discussed that plan… I feel like there's no way Tony would give his idol to LJ if he didn't know what was going to happen. I really hope that Tony doesn't find the next idol. Would like someone I like to get it 😛

Stupid Kass though! Ugh. Thought for sure the Brains would be smart enough to try and stick together as long as possible. Then again, she could always swap back at the next vote (though Spencer did not like the move she made :P)

Duuuuudes! I felt so bad for Sarah! Why you puttin her down 🙁 She was in the right with Kass maaaan. Kass was being such a child. Sure, Sarah was being a little domineering with her choices, but still, the way Kass reacted to that was ridiculous. Tasha had the right idea – who care whos right or wrong, they *needed* Sarah, so just shutup and pretend your friends, geesus. I really thought LJ and Tonys idols had their group saved, getting numbers was the most necessary thing, so why no use the idols to try and get it. Great plan to go for Tasha – obviously they convinced Sarah and they didnt edit that in. And even so, Kass was *still* a child about it.

TLDR I hate Kass (but great episode regardless ^^)

cc @greenius @masha2932 @phoenix @strange

Psssst! Edited tags don't give notifications 🙂

I was only annoyed with Sarah being all "I’m the most powerful person ever and I’m in the best position!" swings are always in the worst! Both Kass and Sarah were being annoying and I felt bad for the rest of their tribe which they all screwed over. There's no way Kass is gonna win now (like Spencer said) – swings are always in the worst position! I’m not saying I’m taking Kass’ side but her argument on who to vote for made more sense (someone least likely to have an idol) but Sarah didn't realise it and kept insisting that Tony or LJ didn't have idols. The whole thing could’ve been different if Sarah just agreed to vote for Jefra or Trish. I agree with Sugs on the LJ move, it wasn't a bad move and it only helped keep their numbers

@powalen

Noooo but, but, Kass’ insistence wasnt even based off sensible thought by the end, she was just defying Sarah for the sake of defying Sarah. This was pretty evident in the whole "I’ve been replaced" whining. If Kass was truly basing her choices off being sensible, she would not have flipped on brains. So. DUMB.

Yeah, I agree that her end decision was super dumb

Survivor!Oh I totally agree that Tasha did the best she could stuck trying to mediate Sarah and Kass. I was surprised that Kass couldn't put aside her feelings for one night until after the vote. Just smile and nod and don't say anything, you could’ve voted her out next week! Argh, so dumb. I kinda pegged her for one of the smarter people on this season but I guess not 😛

@greenius @masha2932 @phoenix

I’m pretty sure none of the "Brains" would be smart this season after the first few eps 😛

Spencer totally is! Cmon Spencer you can still do it T_T Still want to see LJ go well though, I think that dudes got smarts.

Yeah, I’ve liked Spencer from the start :P. I hope LJ goes far too. Those are probably the only two I’m supporting but there's a few others I don't mind/find entertaining (Tony :P)

That's it, I’ve given up on Dark Souls 2 (at least until I have functional internet again).Everywhere I can currently go is pretty unjustifiably stupid.

Black Gultch:Oh, you want to take two steps?… and you’re poisoned.Oh, you want to roll away from the poison shooting at you?… and you just got insta-killed by a monster hiding in a puddle.

Shaded Woods:Yeah, invisible enemies is just what i want to fight. If I could lock onto them I wouldn't care so much, but it just isn't super fun.And all the trees make swinging my sword difficult >:(And they have incrediblly high poise! Atacking me while I’m attacking them, who do they think they are >:(

Iron Keep:F*** you you f***ing archers. Also, I seriously cannot put a dent in the Smelter Demon. I can get up to him just fine, I can hit him as much as I like, but my attacks were literally doing 16 damage to him at one stage. 16. F***ing. Damage.

If I was gonna be able to make any progress it would probably be through the Shaded Woods at this stage, but it feels far too much like a burden at this point.Also, I can't even upgrade my gear due to a limited number of Titanite Shards avaialble!And I refuse to respec. I’m not going to change my build just to get through one area.

Oh well, looks like I’m either buying inFamous or Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends.

Shaded WoodsThat misty forest part doesn't really have much in it. Just stick to the left wall from the start and don't move away from it and you’ll be in the next area without any resistance.

I stuck to the right, met that dude, died.Stuck to the left, got the ring on the ledge, died.I get that I’m gonna have to just charge through rather than attack, but that's not fun.Also, the amount of cheap deaths thrown in to make it "difficult" is ridiculous.a few examples off the top of my head:– Falling down the pit in Majula onto a beam, the beam breaks and I die. There was no way for me to be able to tell that it was not a sturdy beam.– Opening a chest, midway through animation notice that the chest now has teeth, and there is nothing I can do from being insta-killed. Atleast in DS 1 you could attack chests.– Poison is the new Toxic, and there is so much poison, everywhere.– Un-petrified the pyromancer lady. Proceed to open the door, suddenly there's a basilisk and roughly 6 poisonous zombie things surrounding me. My ninja cleric is made for no more than three surprise enemies at a time >:(– The entirety of the Gutter, the Black Gultch, and Harvest Valley.– F***ing exploding zombies.I’m just not having fun anymore. My enjoyment dwindled when I got to Sinners Rise, revved back up when I got through there, then has been on a downward spiral since Harvest Valley.It's a shame, I really enjoyed the first one 🙁

Fair enough. I’m kind of dwindling too tbh.

There's 2 staircases before that ring on the left you’ve mised somehow. First one has a NPC and next one has the next area.

I didn't enjoy it anywhere near as much as the first. Finished it despite itself and no real urge to go back.

I’m gonna go back for plat, but not with the same fervor as the original. Won't be letting it dominate my sleep schedule anymore.

Stars Hollow:People here are way too happy and nosy. It wouldn't be a town suited for a hermit. Don't engage.

Sunnydale:This town is totally on top of a Hellmouth. Lots of monsters to battle. Jump ahead. Use caution. Maybe try melee?

Neptune:Beware of excessive levels of sass.

Brisbane:Brisbane < Perth

Perth:Perth > Brisbane

Everywhere Else:Everywhere Else > Perth > Brisbane

😛

Everywhere Else > Perth?? Have you BEEN to Wagga? You’ll change your tune fast

Have you been to Perth!?! You’ll get glassed by some bogan going to your mailbox in Perth!!!

Have you been to wagga? They steal the mailboxes!

Shaded Woods

Stick to the left. Always left. There's some items if you go exploring (some coolish rings), but it's not worth it, really.

Black Gulch

Those poison statues can be destroyed. They’ll stay destroyed until you warp away or quit/reload. Bear that in mind, and do a few suicide runs if you have to. Also, there's some hidden paths which bypass a lot of the level.

Iron Keep

Smelter Demon is an optional fight. The tower in the middle of the lava can be climbed to bypass him and continue with the level.

I so went exploring everywhere in shaded woods. Some nice stuff out and about, and not as many invisibles as I thought.After my first embarrassing encounter, I wore that jester tunic which prevents backstabs, so the worse that could happen was I’d catch a bit of a slap on the wrist, which basically just alerted me to the presence of some invisible asshole who needs to die now. The bastard sword's R1 is basically a 270^ arc, and once they’ve lost a little health, their health bar hovers over their invisible and soon-to-be-dead asses. You just gotta be aggressive in finishing them off.

If it's optional, I’m gonna wanna do it, and now that he's killed me a couple of times I really need to kill him before I justify going on. I’m pretty sure a blunt weapon would work well against him, but like I said, I’m not going to respec my character for a blunt melee build for one boss.And I literally don't even wanna step foot into Black Gultch, at all. Destroying those statues is so time consuming and just not fun at all, and i still always end up getting poisoned while I’m destroying them. I think I hate Black Gultch more than I hate Blighttown, which I previously thought was impossible, but at least Blighttown was semi-fair (in comparrison).

I’m just not finding this game very enjoyable. The world feels lifeless to me, the design of everything (weapons, gear, enemies, environments (especially bosses)) is a huge step back, there doesn't seem to be a point to anything which makes everything feel like a chore, and the amount of cheap deaths / traps is just infuriating.

I’ll go back to it when I have internet at my house again, try out some co-op and invading and what not, see if that piques my interest again, but currently It's just not fun 🙁

I ended up really liking Black Gulch. Once you realize that nothing in there can actually hurt you if you avoid the puddles, and if you approach them slowly you can lure them out. You roll away and after they’ve made their initial insta-kill lunge, they’re vulnerable for ages and pretty weak.

The poison comes from the statues. If you move very slowly and smash all the statues, you can end up with a delightfully poison-clear area. You know that row of statues on a ledge above you, that you can't get to? You can actually get to it if you hug the right side of the cliff and spot a place you can drop to safely. You follow that back up, and it emerges behind the row of asshole statues. Smash-happy days! Bring a cheap shitty weapon to do it with so you don't blow all your durability.

You might want to avoid doing that near puddles in case hand-monsters suprise you, just wear the occasional splash of poison and keep some moss handy on your belt slot. Once you’ve got that down, and realize that the thrashing worm things can't touch you if you nestle in the space between their bodies and their holes, there's nothing else threatening in that area. Apart from the giants in the secret area below. They’re pretty threatening. Unless you hide in the alcove behind them where they can't get you, and toss poison at them until they die.

Buy a couple of fire arrows. Those puddles are flammable and the hand monsters don't move out.

Black Gulch was super super easy once I figured that out.

Meant to reply to @liondrive there.

Ohhhhhh, I never made that connection at all. That's devious.

Can also roll through them while holding a torch for the same effect (though sometimes they might lunge at you anyway so maybe not the best recommendation)

I HATE BLACK GULTCH >:(The only time I get insta killed is when I roll to avoid poison being thrown at me from literally every direction. I can pretty much kill everything easy enough, it's the enviromental shit that pisses me off, I don't care if legitimate enemies kill me. If poison wasn't super potent and didn't poison me in one splash and kill me in around 7 seconds, that would be great. And if my guy could take less than 5 seconds to drink some Estus, that would be great too.If I have to smash all those statues every time I go into that area I am more than likely going to smash my TV screen. I only just got into Black Gultch and I already despise it.

Different strokes. I treat them like I treat the gunk on instant scratchies. Gotta get ’em all!

Titanite: If you discover Chloanne in Harvest Valley and the ember in Iron Keep (which is up by one of the archers) which you give to Blacksmith MacDuff in the Lost Bastille, you can get infinite small and large titanite shards. They just cost monies.

I found the chick, bought all of her titanite reserves, levelled my gear up as much as possible, but it's still under-levelled. I haven't gotten into the Iron Keep far enough to find that ember due to my inability to (willingly) get past the Smelter Demon. The whole area still seems a little too hard for my dude at this stage anyway.My gear is pretty lack-lustre in general anyway. Apparently katanas no longer deal bleed-damge?! And miracles take a million years to cast, meaning they’re no good in a tight fight.

Nah, you don't gotta get past the demon. You know the walkway leading to him? You turn around and go the opposite way, jump over the gap, look to the right and see the platform below? Jump on that. Run up some stairs, there's yer ember and some glorious revenge against that archer up there.

I got the ember, and can now get infinite large titanite shards, but still can't get infinite regular titanite shards, meaning that there is no use for infinite large titanite shards :\

Once you’ve unlocked MacDuff I think Chloanne sells infinite small. Or maybe after your next great soul kill… maybe the iron king (a bit further on from smelter and a much easier fight. No worries in killing him then going back for smelter with a bit more gear and experience under your belt).

Happy days!

International Tabletop Day is on Saturday and it turns out that Dubbo actually has a FLGS!

Huzzah and hurrah!

FLGS? Some sort of STD outbreak?

Better and nerdier.

Friendly Local Game Store.

@transientmind

What time works best for you tomorrow?

Well, you mentioned you’d be ambling around at 10am. I might actually be able to make it for a bit around then. Say 10:30 or 11’ish or so.

I’ll be moseying around Rocking Horse from around 10am-ish. Text me when you’re near by. 😀

Even if lunch ends up being later I’ll still be in the city.

Oh, that reminds me – I didn't take your number. You’ve got mine, send me a text so I can add the contact?

You’re the one TAYbie who never gave me your number. XD

Oh man, I totally thought I did at the very first meet. I’ll send you a DM on Twitter.

Thanks buddy!

You claim to have mine but you never send me a text just to say hello…

Today I saw Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and stayed for both end credits (wish they’d switch them around), which is the first time I’ve ever done that.

Then I got Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright, but Big W didn't have any copies. I went to EB, but they said they only price-match if the store had stock, so I tried JB Hi-Fi as a last resort, and surprise, they did, and gave it to me for $48 (JB will continue to be my go-to store for games then :P). I think I just played an hour and a half straight of it, it's really good. Intriguing storyline and great puzzles/trials (from the 3 puzzles and one trial I’ve done so far :P).

… I need that but… I have no money >_>

dunno why they bothered with the second. totally wtf?

The second end credit scene?

I’m hoping that it means he’ll become a force for good and fight alongside the avengers in The Avengers 2, but I have no idea.

Yeah.No dialogue, just short shot of face. Seemed like a waste. Like you said, they should have swapped the two around

I want them to swap the two around because that's what they usually do: mid-credits scene is a reference to the next movie(s) and the end is something that ends the movie, but there's no real reason to stay to the end of the credits if that's the scene (especially if you’re with a group of friends who don't get why you want to stay to the end) whereas if they’re swapped around, you actually get something that's worth it.

lol that's what I thought exactly! Should have had the second one first, and first one after the credits were done! Would have made you feel like you actually hung around for something worthwhile!

Either that or they’re setting it up for Cap 3.

Also, 1st end credit scene.

Had no idea who "the twins were". Had to look it up on Wikipedia. Just in case anyone else is the same as me, they are Quicksilver and The Scarlet Witch. Apparently they’re gonna be in Guardians Of The Galaxy and X-Men first class (played by different actors though, as they’re younger versions of them). I’m pretty sure they’re gonna be in Avengers 2 as well.

I though it might have been the X-Men, but I thought the rights were owned by a different group (e.g. the Spiderman rights are owned by Sony, and are not considered part of the cinematic universe). Didn't know that about Guadians of the Galaxy, but then again, I know next to nothing about Guaridans of the Galaxy…

Yeah, apparently Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are the son and daughter of Magneto, so they’re part of the X-Men universe which is owned by Fox. Marvel/Disney must have payed them a fee to be able to use them in their movies. Fox apparently own Fantastic Four too, and I think they might be planning an X-Men/Fantastic Four crossover movie after the Fantastic Four reboot.

The thing you should all be taking away from the first after credits scene is

mutants are now in the Marvel cinematic universe.

So it's completely possible that Wolverine or even Spider-Man could be in the Avengers at some point, Avengers 3 perhaps. All depends on how co-operative Columbia (Sony) and Fox want to be.

I seriously doubt it. Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver were allowed because they’re not "technically" mutants, I think. Plus Avengers Three is going to be the conclusion of this team and this part in the cinematic universe that started with Iron Man 1. I read that once three is done, the next Avengers will be an entirely new team. That's why they’re setting up new heroes, like Guardians of The Galaxy & Antman, in Phase 2 & 3 that aren't (apparently) going to feature on the next Avengers. It's all very exciting if you like convoluted story lines that contradict themselves aka comic books.

How are Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver not "technically" mutants if they’re Magneto's kids? I don't know a lot about the comics, so apologies if that's a bit of a noob question.

Okay, this is gonna get confusing. There are two sets of Scarlet Witch & Quicksilvers in current cinematic universes, the X-men set and the Avengers set. The X-men set, that will be in Days of Future Past, are straight up Magneto's kids and they are mutants. The Avengers set are not related to Magneto as Magneto doesn't exist in this universe. These characters are Joss Whedon's favourite characters and he wanted to include them in Avengers 2 so him and Marvel worked out a deal with FOX, who hold the cinematic rights to ALL MARVEL MUTANTS, that would allow them to appear in this universe. He altered their origin so that now they’re the by product of experimentation with Loki's staff which is probably powered by one of the infinity gauntlet gems. (Don't worry about the infinity gauntlet, I know very little and it's confusing as shit) So when I say "Mutants are now in the Marvel cinematic universe" I mean people with super powers, basically. Meta humans would probably be better.

So to summarise. Avengers Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver are not the same Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver as the one's in Days of Future Past and they are no related to Magneto as he doesn;t exist.

Comics. Are. So dumb.

Gotcha.

Just finished How I Met Your Mother:

That last season was a complete and utter waste of time. They had a few good episodes and a few complete rotters. Instead of dragging out Barney and Robin's wedding weekend, they could have started the season with a multi-part episode about the wedding and then ended it with everything else that happened in the final episode.They pretty much locked up all of the good ideas they’ve had for years and had them after the framework of the story ended.Now I’m watching season 8 of Scrubs. The finale of the show is infinitely better than all of HIMYM and the rest of the season makes sense too.

I actually really liked all but maybe two episodes of the final season of HIMYM but the ending sucked.

"How I Met My Consolation Prize" is more accurate. It's like… Ted had to go be happy awhile and get some kids that Robin couldn't give him before she’d be the one for him? I guess it makes sense that the whole story is Ted getting his kids’ blessing to date Robin after losing their mother, but it also makes the length and all the filler stories so much more pointless. OH and they just had to "fix" Barney by making him grow up when faced with fatherhood. Isn't it nice how everyone just conforms to traditional values? /s

There were good episodes but there was some pretty dross filler.

My sentiments exactly.

Although why not watch Scrubs through from the beginning?

I’ll probably get around to that but why start at the beginning?

I think I’m just projecting. I’ve been meaning to watch it all again. Those early seasons were so good.

They were. Freya and I were just saying the show's seasons in ranking order are something like: 2, 3, 8, 4, 1, 5, 6 and then 7.

Mainly I’m just here for the finale then I might backtrack to the beginning.

I recently pushed through season 6-8 to get to the finale. I guess I’m glad I did but I don't think I’ve ever bother with a second runthrough.

I’d probably think about ranking season 1 a bit higher, but this is a good order. I assume that the season that no one admits exists is dead last 😛

I listed all of the seasons.

FARSCAPE \o/

Aeryn \o/

I bought the current Humble Bundle and don't need a second copy of Broken Sword 2, so if anyone wants a steam gift code hit me up.

Goodnight, everybody.

Have a look at this, fancy TAY-Folk: http://youtu.be/8jySvd1sw7g

A demo of a kickstarter game that looks like it could make for good multiTAY fodder. I’ve not played it yet but I’m planning on downloading the demo tomorrow for a look

Oh man. Wingman popped up to inform me of Facebook goings-on, apparently awkward-tried-to-tell-Sketchbook-he-had-a-crush-on-her guy is organising a thing with all the people from that weekend away in a couple of weeks. Heart jumped the moment she mentioned her. Then again later when she confirmed she was going.

….and again when typing about it now :/

*grabs extra-large popcorn*

*jumps on the comfiest chair in the room*

*Jumps on ColdCamV's lap**grabs a handfuld of Popcorn from @shane*‘sup?

#gookyworldproblems

So who's this Facebook person? I can't keep up.

Wingman is a mutual female friend of @gooky who has a bf and is thus appropriately named Wingman.

He's some guy who was a friend of the guy whose place we stayed at for a weekend at the end of February. Young, weedy-lookin’ guy with underdeveloped facial hair that should be removed 😛

While we were saying our goodbyes for the half of the group that was leaving earlier in the day, he took his last chance to try and tell her he had a crush on her, and it was super verbose and awkward and he was laughing/beating himself up over it a lot afterwards. So clearly he is a rival and I must take him down in a bumper car race to the death.

Young, weedy-lookin’ guy with underdeveloped facial hair that should be removedThe facial hair or the weedy-lookin’ guy? Because I could make a few calls…

Yes.

Lol @ your defense mechanisms popping up and saying mean things about the dude. 😉 Once again – you know exactly what to do ..

Haha, I thought that about him even before he went and did the thing. The facial hair thing is just a pet peeve, far too many friends in the past who would just desperately cling to their ratty patchy "moustache" as some attempt at looking older or whatever despite it being completely terrible 😛

So obviously I need to tell him to join the queue? Nah I’ll just quietly glare from the corner.

You didn't read the TAY thread last week about Dr Nerdlove, and how he actually gives good advice? With @transientmind et al?

If you don't make an advance, you will probably never get anywhere with her. Women are genetically and socially conditioned to expect the male to approach. Coupled with the increase in competition, you’re going to eventually reach the break point. Whatever you do, make sure it won't leave you feeling depressed and pondering the possibilities.

Oh, I did. But I’m holding back because of the whole bit where she has a (n interstate) boyfriend.

Or should I not be doing that? I don't know things 😛

Oh, right, she has interstate bf …….. wow. Did the other dude know about this?

I dunno, hard man. You’d have to know her situation. IMO:– If you know she definitely has one and it's going well, I would probably be leaving her alone as it's the moral choice.– If there's no reason for her to think that you know about her ‘bf’, and/or they aren't going so well, and you really do like her, I’d happily suggest just expressing an interest. Just a casual "hey we’ve had fun, lets grab lunch and a movie?" type of thing.

CHOICESSSSS. Spoilered in case you dont wanna know.

@stickman He came up in conversation on the train when I was literally two stops from the point where I was going to take the leap and do the casual-expression-of-interest bit you mentioned at the end there 😛 Most last-minute mission abort possible.

Oh and the other guy didn't know, not sure if he does now or not though.

@mrtaco

Oh yeah, I remember that bullshit now. 🙁

Uh, I dunno. Perhaps scout out her status right now. Find out if still together and/or they visit, etc. I still think you need to do something (express interest, or start forgetting about her), just for your personal sanity. Your course of action will depend heavily on exactly how you feel, but from what I’ve seen I think it's best if you do take the riskier approaches.

It was a joke.It was a joke about all the nicknames and stuff.I was implying that ‘Facebook’ was the name of yet another character in this soap opera.

Clearly it was not a very good joke.I apologise to you and @stickman for the misunderstanding.

Hahahaha, WHY AM I SO TERRIBLE AT PICKING UP ON YOUR JOKES?

I am the worst.

I think you know what needs to be done.

Run and hide?

Despite re-installing League of Legends, I still can't get in. I spent about three hours downloading an update. However the login screen told me I was in the wrong region. Odd, I remember that Oceania was selected. I close the client and re-open it. The update had to be downloaded again. I think I’m going to have to give up LoL forever… 🙁……Yay! I’m free!

I quit the download, and got two error messages:-Error reading PandoMedia file-No internet connection detected. (DESPITE THE FACT I WAS DOWNLOADING THE UPDATE THREE SECONDS AGO)

I have no idea how you have this much trouble :/PandoMedia you don't really need after installing so you can just remove that.

Uninstall Pando through Windows. It will redownload it some time and isn't actually required to run the game (it just helps, in theory).

Achievement unlocked: Working ManWake up before 8 on every weekday.

It's a troll achievement, like the first death achievement in Dark Souls II.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY OLD MAN @FREEZESPRESTON AND STILL SLIGHTLY YOUNG @SUGHLY!

You two are awesome.

Happy birthday @freezespreston and @sughly!

365XP awarded. Level up!

Learned new skills: hobble; wave cane; mutter incoherently about the good old days.

I think those skills only unlock at level 35, still a bit more grinding for those whippersnappers!

Happy happy birthday birthday @freezespreston and @sughly

Hope you both have an awesome day and take no guff from nobody! NO GUFF!

Happy birthday, Freeze.

And Sughly.

:'(

Hey! I didn't forget you! For very long. Less than a minute, clearly.

Yup, Happy birthday awesome guys!

Happy birthday dudes.

Woo, FTL's now been updated on the Humble Store! *downloads*

Shame you aren't on Steam, you’d have gotten it much faster.

I was waiting for FTL to update last night and assumed it hadn't even though I saw you start playing about 50 times while I was playing Bridge Constructor. 😛

I dunno, it only seemed to have released on iTunes by the time I went to bed, all the PC guys were still waiting.

Mario Kart 8 is gonna be so fun. Looking forward to playing multiplayer. (Assuming my net connection is up to it. *shakes fist*)

I’m looking forward to being reminded that I am the only person on planet Earth who is actually BAD at Mario Kart.

*hands Blaghs a blue shell, ruffles hair*

THERE YOU GO BUDDY! 🙂

IT DOESN’T HELP. THE GAME COULD GIVE ME INFINITE BLUE SHELLS AND I’D STILL LOSE.

Because I’d continue to use them while in first place.

Don't worry, I am also quite bad at it

You and @scree would very probably both beat me, I’ve never played it, I don't own the game and I’ve never used the console it comes on

Ah, but here's the thing: Mario Kart is designed with all this amazing bullshit catch-up to it. If you’re in last place, you start getting amazing rewards that annoy everyone else playing the game.

So to be truly bad, what you need to do is to be completely middling, and then sabotage yourself horribly on the last lap, putting yourself in a position where you can never catch up.

There's an art to it. An art that nobody wants, and that is bad, but an art nonetheless.

It also has speed-boost catchup, AFAIK.

I’d probably be middling, never been the best at racing games and tend towards oversteering and then screwing up trying to correct which slides me towards the back then I start getting good again until I hit a corner…

Can you use a Driving Force GT racing wheel with it? I might dominate then.

Just pick Peach, that slut always comes first.

#DoubleEntendre

I think you mean Rosalina.

*mumble mumble something or other bitch*

I dunno, the last game I played was 64. 😛 Peach always cheated and won.

Maaaan. You missed out on the best ones!

Yeah, I guess so. 🙁 I’ll get this latest one though.

Oh Oh we can totally race each other \o/…

You best believe it, my foreign friend! *decisive nod*

I CALL DIDDY. Even though he's STILL not been announced. WHAT GIVES, NINTENDO? :'(

I CALL BOO… is Boo accounced? i haven't even checked on it at all 😛

BOWSER 4EVA

YOSHI FTW!!!

still no Dry Bones either, c’mon Nintendo how about a couple less Bowser juniors and a couple more different characters.

With voice chat! 😀

D:

I don't have a microphone, luckily. (Wait, do you even need one for the Wii U or is it just through the controller?)

Either/or.

No excuse! It's so much more fun when you can yell at people!

(@greenius never voice chats with me in MK7 though. I assume it's so I don't hear him crying.)

That's cause you cheat!

MK7 has voice chat? D:

Actually… I don't think so. I was talking about Teamspeak 😛

No voice chat is confirmed for WiiU either, so you might get away with it @dc! Though I don't see why they wouldn't have it.

Because Nintendo 😛

It would be kinda cool if they did have it though. I mean they let you have video chat with your friends…

@mrtaco Pokemon XY has full voice chat in multiplayer, so I don't see why not!

It does? Huh, I had no idea. Oh wait the DS games had compatibility with that headset thing…

They’re like the only games that do though aren't they? The only other game I can think of was Hunters, which was a push-to-talk dealie in the lobby only. Actually, have there been any realtime games that use it? I mean I can see why they might only implement it in a turn-based game and leave it out of real-time ones where you might want more responsiveness or whatever. But then I guess you could still leave it to just the lobby and stuff. Hmm.

I still think it unlikely 😛

@mrtaco For Pokemon it's always-on chat (not push to talk) using the 3DS mic (if you choose for it to be on when first connecting) – I think it is friends-only though.

Can't think of anything else that has it… I don't think Animal Crossing does.

Actually Lets Go To The City did, via the Wii Speak! I don't know that anyone used it though 😛

But then if they didn't do it in the 3DS one…

Argh, Aurealis Awards are TOMORROW. I’m freaking out over here.

Remember your breathing! He he hoo he he hoo

*hyperventilates, passes out*

What song are you going to sing?

>:(

I suggest this one.

20 seconds?! I got all comfy and prepared for an awesome peformance 🙁

He's going to make up all of his points in the swimsuit competition.

Probably something from the Dark Souls Musical.

Extra points for going as Solaire

Super bonus points for going in costume as, and recreating the entrance of, the gaping dragon. Now THAT would be a memorable award ceremony! People would be talking about it for years to come. To their psychiatrists

Don't freak out!It's a win/win situation. If you don't win, you don't have to give a speech. If you win, you have to give a speech,but you win.

It's not the award part of it. I can handle sitting still and facing the front 😛

It's the hour of drinks and mingling beforehand D:

Fashionably late? 😛

Sounds like a good opportunity to pick some brains. 🙂

I… won't be doing that. Kind of concerned about looking like an amateur in a room full of professionals.

Pimp Zeitgeist when you win.

I was planning on wearing just a large Dan and Karl's Zeitgeist banner, and unfurling on stage when I win.

Don't worry. I’m sure you’re going to have it Peaceful Tomorrow.

So is anyone at all just as unsocial as me and has nothing to do tonight?For anyone interested, due to the success of our previous JC2MP session i suggest an unofficial soft opening of the TAYbar again, everyone is invited…There will be BYO Alcohol, and possibly some JC2MP or other games that people are interested in…CC’ing some people who may be interested@rize, @sernobulus, @gingerchris86, @gorzilla, @blaghman, @rocketman, @cakesmith, @mythamphetamine

If no one is interested i will probably drink anyway, but it seems more lonely and depressing that way

Can't guarantee what time I’ll be on, but I’ll be there.

I’ll probably be available from 8:30-9:00’ish till whenever i’m too tired 😛

I’m going to play Space Engineers until 4am again, I think.

Drunk Space Engineers? 😛

Nope sadly there are a lot of planes, ships and battleships (Maybe even a blimp, no idea yet) that need to die as I attempt to take control over the skies over an endless ocean again tonight.LUFTRAUSERS!

Still welcome on TS so we can throw around more TFS quotes XD

"Did you get the name of his attack though?""I know right? ‘Big Bang Attack’?""I dunno… this coming from Mister ‘Special Beam Cannon’?"

"makanansasasapaa…MAKANKASASAPAPAAPAah screw it, SPECIAL BEAM CANON"

"mine mine mine mine-mine-mine-MINE-MINE-MINE-MINE-MINE-MINE-MINE-MINE!""…Mine…"

"Bitch, you just jealous of my Super Saiyan swagger!"

FTL Advanced Edition is fun. However, there are not many new surprises other than the ones that have been already announced, which is a bummer.

BTW you can actually man the door/sensor subsystems which provide it a extra level boost. It's been really useful.

Full list of changes are here.

http://www.reddit.com/r/ftlgame/comments/224w67/official_ftl_advanced_edition_change_log_from_the/

I’ve not been reading up on the changes so apart from "new race, new ship, extra layouts, some other stuff" everything is going to be a surprise to me.

Watched Captain America: The Winter Soldier and The Lego Movie yesterday. Awesome movies, probably liked Lego a bit more than Cap though.

Captain AmericaReally liked it how Nick Fury mentioned Stephen (Doctor) Strange, Not sure if they’re planning on giving both him and Ant Man cameos in Avengers 2 or not. That’d be kinda cool. Wouldn't be surprised if they did to boost awareness of the characters before their individual feature films are released.

LegoThought this was really well done, and liked it a lot more than I thought I would. Also sort of hit home at the end. I realized that I am totally like the kids dad with my son. I should really encourage his creativity rather than stifle it just because I’m OCD and like things to be exactly as the instructions say. Told him this morning that if he wants to mix it all up that's fine with me. Also saw a lot of Emmet in me, not an idea in my head, always have to follow the instructions to the letter.

LEGO:Best thing about the movie is that my son has started building things again. Although with Megabloks. 😛 He's got a couple of Skylanders Megabloks sets and he's been using them this week to build some awesome things from his imagination, like dragons and spaceships. So cool.

No idea why I spoilertagged that, it wasn't really spoilery at all.

Captain America:I liked that too, even though I don't really know who he is 😛 (I know he's a character in the Marvel Universe, but not exactly sure WHO he is). Maybe they could have references to the characters? (like in Captain America 1 we say Stark's father, in Thor we saw Hawkeye, etc.

I think Hawkeye and Black Widow are going to have a lot more screen time in The Avengers 2.

I hope so. They were like afterthoughts last time.

Saw Cap.

Is was good but not great. Some of that dialogue felt really "Man of Steel"-like in that it was just poorly delivered exposition.

But I think my major problem was it felt like it was trying to be Batman and get all dark and serious and emo and mature and gritty and the dude wears an american flag suit so it just makes it all seem a little… off.

ANother thing that really bugged me was how desaturated the colours were. I mean, these are comic book movies for shits sake, chuck a bit of yellow or something in there.

All in all, though, I’d recommend it. The first, in my opinion, is still better thanks to Peggy and Skinny Rogers. But the stuff this one sets up for the universe? YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!

So there's finally a game revolving around the Dark Angels and, just as my luck would have it, it's an absolute abortion of a game…Emperor damn it…

I’m waiting for W40k:Eternal Crusade to eventually surface 🙂

That would be that thing that can't even be fucked working up the effort to be a lame tower defence game? Yeah…

It's feels like GW have a mission to ensure that only the worst possible digital versions of their games exist, almost as if they think it’ll crush the crazy computer game fad and get people buying more overpriced miniatures and dollar a page books. I don't think it's really what's happening unless they’ve got nurgle's rot in the brain, chances are it's just that they’re really bad at anticipating end products of stuff they don't control, but its what the outcome looks like

It's more like they don't give a shit about their license when it comes to who gets to use it.However… There is always hope

I dunno. Dawn of War games were pretty rad.

I am quite fond of the Spayce Maureen game

Dawn of War 2's Campaign and Chaos Rising Campaign were both incredible I thought. The complete lack of base building had its pros and cons, it's too bad I didn't really get into the multiplayer, cuz you know… GFWL and everything, Retribution wasn't that amazing either :/

Any word of DoW2 and how they get around GFWL?or is it just dead after this?

None that I know of. Most likely scenario: Relic don't do anything to fix the profiles and game saves and you’ll be back to square one as they don't decrypt the GFWL files, basically nothing you saved will work. But… I’m okay with that to be honest

As long as it still works, and will continue to be able to save after GFWL i don't care if i have to replay to be honest 😛

Yeah basically it’d be a reset on all your progress, so any campaigns you got running will most likely vanish.

DoW2 dumped GFWL when (I believe) Retribution came out. It switched to Steamworks.

Okay there have been some decent ones, I agree but far too many where I suspect the benchmark for quality was "How much are we making on the licence? Yeah that’ll do then, whatever"

Yeah, there’ve been a few duds. Although I quite enjoyed some of their early entries. There were the Warhammer fantasy top-down army ones; Mark of Chaos and Battlemarch stand out in memory. Also passable was the 40K XCOM clone – Chaos Gate. More fun was the Eldar-focused Rites of War (the Panzer General clone).

Dawn of War seems to have been the big success story, but I personally think it peaked with Dark Crusade. Everything since then was a huge disappointment to me; like they were going for more MOBA-style tactics-management instead of strategy.

Shadow Of The Horned Rat was easily the best implementation of Warhammer Fantasy that I ever played, felt really cool to play and only let down by systems being so damned slow. If they gave it to the guys who made Total War with the proviso that it needs to be a Warhammer version of RomeTW1 and NOT a Warhammer version of RomeTW2 then it could be amazing

Chaos Gate was fantastic right up until the game breaking bug some people got that they never patched. The Squad Command game on PSP/DS was pretty good too, very similar feel to CG. Shame that so often you have to play as the smurfs…

Dark Omen > Shadow of the Horned Rat

Just sayin 🙂

It didn't quite capture the magic for me, weird given that I’m an undead player, Maybe I just wanted the legions of the grave to be victorious, like they usually were in tabletop when under my command

I don't know what you’re talking about but I’m going to assume it's Jessica Alba.

That was my initial thought too and I was briefly excited then I remember it's loops and so it's some warhammer thing 🙁

1st Chapter of the 1st Founding > Jessica Alba

PS Vita get! Again!

\o/ again

#shakespeareantragedy

Why, as a woodcock to mine own springe, Osric. I am justly killed with mine own lack of compelling games, overpriced peripherals and poor marketing?

Again?

And was this bundle price enough to sway you? ;P

Yeah, it was actually. The first time I bought it full price and then sold it for more. This time I grabbed it on special and used a gift card to pay for most of it.

Out of pocket only $25. 😀

Nice stuff, hope you enjoy it this time!

This was in my Facebook feed this morning and it's amazing. So much going on. So much snide. I love it.

I saw a comment in the newspaper mentioning "Sir Plus" being missing and "Sir Cus" in Parliament House. Got a good chuckle out of me

Anyone looking at getting Injustice: Gods Among Us for cheap on 360 head on over to Ozgameshop. They’ve got the Ultimate Edition on sale for the next 12 and a half hours for $28, which is a pretty good price considering it's $70 at EB and $60 at Mightyape. But get in quick if you want to snag one, they’ve got less than 20 copies left.

http://www.ozgameshop.com/xbox-360-games/injustice-gods-among-us-ultimate-edition-game-of-the-year-goty-game-xbox-360

Pretty damn fun fighting game, i enjoyed HUGELY…Sorry @shane but i actually enjoyed the story 😛 enough to keep me playing 3 nights in a row just to finish it… cheesy and clichéed as f**k but enjoyable

Only thing I got from Injustice was that I really hated the Joker… @rize

down + forward + a = blam? 😛

Yes.. he was kiting me with that bloody thing and it knocks you down every darn time, so it's almost spammable enough to stunlock you 😛

Nightwings charge attack does something similar and can be spammed repeatedly to many peoples annoyance 😛

That move was like crack.

I kept telling myself I can and should stop, but didn't follow through very well.

To be honest, Joker also has one of the best executions (is that what it's called, i forget)Pie in face,crowbarGun,Extinguisher in FaceRocket launcherhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erboTsmh0bY

You don't have to apologise to me, man. I’m happy to admit I’m an extremely fussy bastard when it comes to what I like in fiction.

I choose to believe that my simple mind can appreciate silly and recycled plots 😛

Ugh. Sort of want, because Ultimate. But I’d rather have it on Wii U because then I can multiplayer with friends on my two sticks. But then it's not Ultimate and never will be because WB suck. But.

Ugh.

MQFT: R, K, L or S?

K

L

S

L for Strange.

A very @strange reply.

L!

Red Regards R. Rs R Respectable.

S for Saturday.

.. Actually wait, that's reason not to chose S, let's go for L.

Well, polls are now closed for the MQFT. L wins. I was deciding which band to listen to, and the choices were Rise Against, Karnivool, Lacuna Coil and Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators. So Lacuna Coil's new album Broken Crown Halo it is, for the third time this week.

So my brother has moved in, which has put me a little behind on the cosplays. I have to keep shifting furniture to make room when I should be working on things. Gr, on the upside, I have been enjoying watching Dead set while working on said cosplays

Hi Brother @scree…You should totally introduce him to us… it's not creepy.."hey, bro, here's these people from the internet"*waves awkwardly*…also HI @scree 😀

Just everyone rock up in star trek uniforms or wearing elf ears..not awkward

I still want to have a dog tay meat, whether he like sit or not. I have permission from Mum X3

Well i’m free for a while so i’m sure as shit keen on that as well

Unfortunately, we have to organise the house as he's kind of tipped it up-side down, making as move stuff.

yeah no problems, just give me a shoutout when things have settled down and let me know 🙂

How's that whole happy families and inheritance thing going?

Um, moving atm. So that's good news.

Yay progress!

Sounds positive, glad to hear its at least getting on

MQFT!Y/N?

Y

Let's go with /

I’m in a positive mood today, so N

http://www.moosedenied.com/images/2008-08/bird.jpg

It turns out that the rewards for completing bounties in Diablo 3 is the same regardless of difficulty.

Here I am, running through Torment 1 like a chump when I could be getting ten times as much loot by doing Normal. Damn you, Blizzard! Damn you!

New car get! Today is a good day indeed! It's not a new car per se, it's used, but it's new to us! A Ford Territory for the wife and she has no idea. I think she will be pleasantly surprised tonight! I may even get some! 😀 Way too many exclamation marks.

Greaaat. Hey everyone, look at this. ^

Will do!

Get some what?Maccas?Gaming time?DON’T LEAVE ME HANGING!

I’m so sorry, all I can think to reply with is this.

Was expecting a link to Kung-Fu fightingDisappointment!!………also high-five o/

I don't mind this version. 😛

If a guy buys his wife a freakin’ car and doesn't "get some" there's something seriously wrong.

Urk. I hate the idea that wife-sex can and should be bought.

Bribery is the only way out of the Friend Zone, Strange.

Gah! You put it so bluntly. >:| No one mentioned sex until you came along. 😛

I wasn't implying that you should buy your wife stuff just to "get some", if that's the only way you get any then there's something seriously wrong with the relationship. But if you buy her something that expensive you’d expect her to be pretty damn happy about it, and want to shower you with affection.

I dunno man, expectations? I just do nice things to see my girlfriend happy, not to get my dick sucked.

Which I guess is what you mean? I think the whole sex being the highest display of gratitude is what's a bit gross.

My point is that it should be enough for someone that something they did made the person they love happy.Nobody should expect anything other than that.There's more something "seriously wrong" with the kind of expectation that a wife should give her husband sex in exchange for being bought stuff. And not least because it perpetuates the belief that sex is for and all about the man and not the woman. Wouldn't you rather your wife has sex with you because she enjoys it, than because she feels obligated because you bought her something and doesn't really want to?

I’ll be completely honest here, as most have likely moved on from this conversation.

The reality is; my wife is the addict in our relationship and I’m the tired, lazy one. We both enjoy each other and there is never an obligation. When I make the innuendo jokes that I do here on TAY, it's all just big man talk and trying to impress my friends.

Just don't tell the other TAYbies else I won't live down the term Frigid Benny. Hugasaurus? 😀

*hugasaurus*

*adds note to Bennys file*

My wife and I take turns being the reluctant one. Feels natural when it's her, but it feels like a real failure of my masculinity when I’m not into it.

I mean…Hehehehehe Frigid Benny *points and laughs*

Ha! I was waiting for it!

Hypothetical situation here:

If someone was paying a hooker to be his wife for the benefit of lying to their family, then is that form of buying wife-sex okay?

I’m asking for a friend.

I get your point, but I think it's a little simplistic to see it like that.

If I buy my wife a gift, I’m not saying (or at least not just saying) "Now what are you going to do for me *slowwink*"… I’m saying "Guess what? When we were apart, I was thinking about you. I value you. I got you something nice because I feel affectionate towards you."

What happens after that happens. It's not manipulative, it's just a nice gesture that invites (but doesn't demand) reciprocation of some sort.

But if it's seen as a 1:1 transaction (present for sex), and the relationship is otherwise devoid of spontaneous affection, then yeah, that's not exactly a sign of a healthy relationship.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

But my point was what you just said. In less words.What happens, happens. But for him to say something is "seriously wrong" if someone doesn't "get some" after buying an expensive gift is exactly what you were just saying is not healthy.

You just verbosely agreed wholeheartedly with me in the guise of disagreeing with me. 😛

Well… okay then.

No, wait…I just noticed "(or at least not just saying)". Dammit @shane, this whole conversation will have me thinking Mr. Strange wants to "get some" every time he's nice to me, if even you think like that! 😛

Men live in hope… eternally.

Doesn't make us any less nice, but we’re always looking for an opening, anything that might be construed as encouragement. 😛

Edit: I assume this holds true for all (or most) men. Otherwise, I guess I’m just speaking for myself.

but we’re always looking for an opening*stifled giggles*

Yeah, I think @shane's probably right in this last comment here.

All-consuming, ever-present, ‘always-on’ WANT, desire, need… that's kind of what I associate with a good relationship. If there is ever a moment that I don't want to be causing my girl to make those expressions of pleasure (in happier times, at least), then I consider there to be something wrong.

I don't know if it's something women experience on the same level. Possible overshare, waxing lyrical:…because my girl considers herself an ‘addict’ on the subject, but she's always been surprised by or incredulous at the duration/intensity of our sessions. But there is nothing surprising about it. I will have her every which way for as long as she will let me or until I pass out – whichever comes first. And I’ve tried to explain with little success/belief/acceptance that it's not some ‘special ability’ or superhuman stamina or whatever. I’ve no-shit passed out into sleep on occasion, when it's been too long. 18hrs or whatever. But the simple fact is: I look at her, I want her. And I act on it, if she’ll let me. Even if we only just finished. It doesn't matter. It's that simple, that primal. But continuous. It never stops. I always want her. There have definitely been times I’ve called in sick on account of that. (And because, y’know, I hadn't slept yet.) Time NOT spent wrapped up in her, as close as any humans can ever be, is inferior time. If she's open and willing, I have pursued that desire to the point that it has negatively affected my health. It's something that has to be fought (and even then, grudgingly), for the sake of mental/emotional/physical/financial health.

You know that experiment where they rigged up a button that would simulate an orgasm in a rat's brain, and another button that dispensed food, and the rats starved to death? That's men (if not all, then at least a REALLY HIGH percentage). I strongly suspect that if women didn't act as gatekeepers to that uncontrollable impulse, civilization would never have got off the ground.

I don't know how to reply to this, but I gotta. Um. Hi?

Hi @stickman! Yeah… probable overshare, I put in spoilertags instead.

After reading this post, and despite what I said in my post, I think I must’ve only got a half-dose of testosterone when I was being made. Always being on fire like that… sounds kind of annoying 😛

I dunno, @shane. I’ll just put it like this…You know when you’re tired and just need to get off, and nothing's really working for you, so you go to your mental back-catalogue for a ‘finisher’? She's my Finisher. But yes, she is exhausting. I don't think I could live with her for very long periods. Separate apartments, same building works for me.

@transientmind Ahh, you and some other combination of TAY comments is making me rofl so much. :’) Much manly-kudos to you.

I mean… it's not one-sided. It's really important to her, too, and it's a huge part of how we relate to each other. Really important, which is something I miss. A whole lot. Not just because of Urges, just… being on that level.

Benny, I’m sorry I have not sent off those cushions. One needs stitching and I’ve been busy/lazy and haven't done it yet

Don't sweat it. I totally get it. Motivation: I have none. Procrastination? I’ve enough to share around. Seriously, when it happens, it happens. There are more important things to life than awesome cushions.

Err.. except in Japan. 😀

Wife, Territory, surprise.

Lol, if we don't hear from you ever again I wouldn't be surprised. 😛

I think it's time for a Friday thread (Fred?) on INTERNATIONAL TABLETOP DAY

So for people who are boardgaming at anypoint over the weekend, what are you hoping to play? I’d like to finally try Dominion.

Monopoly? Does that count? It's the only board game I currently have. Maybe my wife will enjoy it with me.

It counts. Just make sure you use the auction rule and don't houserule anything onto free parking, as it will then be a quicker and sharper experience.

Nah, she’ll be too busy driving her new car, and "giving you some", whatever that means.

That's only when she lands on a space with a hotel.

Go to the official website and find a friendly local game store nearby. You can discover new games and there are giveaways and stuff.

@benny Are you in Adelaide or outside of it? The event I’m going to is at Unley.

I’m at Modbury. Do you have a link to more info on this event?

This is the one I’m going to: http://www.tabletopday.com/item/city-small-gods/

This one is super close to you: http://www.tabletopday.com/item/hungry-hippo-board-game-cafe/

Also: Yay Modbury! My first school was Tea Tree Gully Primary, and my Grandpa still lives up that way.

No doubt there’ll be some StarTrek Catan: Federation Expansion…Definitely 7 wonders…Takenoko we always, ALWAYS end up playing…Who knows, maybe i’ll finally convince someone to play Gearworld 😛

I found out that there's a FLGS in Dubbo.

Odds are it will be terrible but I’m going to go anyhow and try to get me that Wil Wheaton Leader card for 7 Wonders.

That's the first I’ve heard of special promos. Pity the ones in Adelaide are all outside of retailers.

As soon as I found out, I pestered @gingerchris to try and get me one.

Admittedly, the FLGS in Dubbo doesn't look promising. Still, I think the promo things are sent out to people who signed up to host events, regardless of if they’re retailers or not.

Hmm, last time I went to one of these I was the only one with 7 wonders, so a man can dream.

I notice he's a leader- I don't have that expansion, worth it?

More 7 Wonders is more good.

Personally, I don't like the Leaders expansion as much as Cities. But people are fairly split on which is the better expansion and most people agree you should get at least one.

If you do get Leaders, I suggest a house rule where you deal out five or six leaders to all players, draft four as normal and discard the leftovers.

I noticed their promo last year was a Catan civilisation board. That would have been cool

I hope the goddamn card sleeves that I ordered on Ebay like 3 weeks ago arrive so I can finally add the translation paste-ups and try out my copy of Heart of Crown.

I still need to buy those 7 wonders sleeves.

Yeah but you don't *need* the sleeves. My copy of Heart of Crown is in Japanese. I need sleeves for 305 cards so that I can stick a translation in so that people can actually play the game with me. 🙁

Is it just a standard size card? might almost be better going into your local M: TG shop

Yeah they’re standard size but thing is I already purchased the sleeves and expected them to arrive a bit faster. I picked up 3 games I need to sleeve up and I have a fourth one on Kickstarter so gabbed 1500 sleeves (!) and it's vastly cheaper to import good ones than to buy locally in that sort of bulk.

Yeah, 1500 is a lot! just clear sleeves?

I think it was enough for 1500 at least, I’ve actually forgotten. Might have been 1200. Clear. KMC Perfect Fit. For some of the cards I intend to also get some KMC Matte ones and double-sleeve.

So turns out that whinging about it in TAY causes things to be delivered by Australia Post because my sleeves (15 packs of 80 KMC clear perfect size sleeves) arrived \o/

So I spent a few days earlier this week thinking I was the wrong age. And it's kind of bizarre, since I don't normally think about my own age, but once I’d somehow got the notion stuck into my head that I was older than I am, it kept creeping back into mind, until I finally cracked, and asked Google how old I am (YES I AM AWARE THAT BASIC MATHS SHOULD SOLVE THIS PROBLEM, BUT YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT THIS TOO LOGICALLY). It's kind of worrying that my conscious brain can be wrong about something, and my subconscious will just sort of nag at it a little until it cracks.

Apparently my subconscious is my mother. :/

Also, why did nobody tell me that this happened while I was away? I consider it a failing on everyone else's parts.

Google probably has that much information on all of us you could just type in "Am I 82?" and it wouldn't return any search results, just "No, Sean".

Just Googled "How old is [Blaghman's name here]"And I got this back:http://media.scout.com/Media/Image/106/1064402.jpg

You’re… you’re looking different than I last remember, Blaghsy.Must be the haircut.

Killer tan, Blaghs.

It happens to me too, funnily. I think it's because time appears to fly as you get older and your mind seems to get left behind. The opposite to what you experience, I often forget that I’m older than I think. 19 feels like just yesterday.. yet it's almost ten years ago.

For me it was super bad. I started off going "I’m 24, right?" Then my brain managed to crawl around to "no, don't be stupid, you’re 23, and you’re turning 24 later this year!"

I’m 22 goddammit. I still have at least two more years before I die of old age.

… i’m turning 26 in a months time… by that logic i should be well and truly dead*lip quiver*

Oh, it varies person to person. My life plan never involved living past 25.

That said, I’ve failed at everything else in my life plan, so I guess we’ll see how I handle that aspect.

You’re going to fail to die and accidentally become god-emperor, aren't you?

Not really, more fail at dying and then live a truly unremarkable, kind of lonely life.

Flexing ascension.

Babby. I turned 31 3 weeks ago. I must actually be 93.

and @blaghman

Get offa my lawn, ya damn kids.

You little punk…

I’m a little bit surprised, what with the insane amount of data collection that's happening, that you just cant google "how old am I?" & get an answer. (you cant. just tried it)

but then again, while google is probably quite capable of doing this, I guess someone forgetting how old they are & using google for the answer never occurred to them.

Yeah, my first step was asking my (Android) phone how old I was, but it couldn't give me an answer. Or maybe it could and I have no idea how the voice commands work, since the only one I’ve used was the Doctor Who easter egg.

Can Siri tell you how old you are? Someone with an iphone test it!

PS Vita related; I was just skimming through the latest EB Games catalogue and there is not one listing for a PS Vita game. Is this a sign of the end times? I just thought it was an interesting observation, really.

Of course I picked up P4G yesterday and will mainly use it for that and anything I decide to purchase from the PSN, I think. Yup.

Crap, I must have read it without my glasses. There's four Vita listings. Ugh.

Yeah, I’ve gained this suspicion that EB don't care about the Vita.

Might be related to that time I went to Civic, and their Vita section was a pile on the floor.

Haha, Modbury EB has that too – Vita game pile on the floor.

Must be company policy.

It's because they only make $10 per game, instead of $30+ like the consoles.

Wonder how many spontaneous shoppers go in, see the Vita games in a pile on the floor, think "Oh, that must be a good system, I think I’ll get one" and then proceed to boost EB profits by $30… 😛

It's about 10 bucks for Xbone & PS4 & about 20 bucks on most PS3 & 360 titles, some only 10 bucks though 😛 Since prices were dropped come next gen 😛

Couldn't tell you what a 3DS/2DS, Wii or Wii U title nets them lol.

Unless it's changed radically in the last six years, it's about the same.

though we weren't an eb, so had to go through a distributor, which meant our cost price was higher and we didn't stray too far from the RRP for games.

Ah yeah fair enough. I’ll admit I don't know the full detail, only what i’ve really said there, I got chatting to my boss about it one day since I was curious as to what EB buys the games for and what a profit on a game really is, since they make no profit on new consoles, and yeah.

She explained to me also how Kmart, Big W & Target all sell below the RRP and sometimes even below the value they buy the games for and they’re happy to take a loss on all that apparently, and why she isn't a huge fan of price matching those places because of that and I thought fair enough, where as JB is sensible and doesn't do stupid shit like that.

Yeah, they both get a lower cost price and sell them as a loss leader.

Doesn't help that Sony don't seem to care either. I mean our Vita display is right next to the counter, albeit it being faced toward the wall means nothing 😛

It's probably just easier to go digital on the Vita – My EB literally has a case with the only game being a collection of lego titles on a memory stick. My JB has a tiny section, with not much there. I’d say go digital if you can, the prices aren't that much different, it's more convenient, and Sony's recently started to have sales. Don't forget that their online store has PSOne classics and a ton of PSP games.

Oh man. Just found out that because i missed out on a convo with some dude in an earlier chapter I miss a lot of stuff in ff10-2….

I hate shit like that.

Like the chests thing in ff12….

who does that?? now im all ocd about my game.

…chests thing?

EDIT: Oh wait, the "don't open these ones" thing.

Must be some sort of boob glitch.

I must admit, this made me titter.

You guys forgot #errypageispage6 😛

puns are the breast.

Well now you’re just milking it

It's fine, once we move past this thread it will all be a distant mammary.

@redartificeThat thought is rather titillating

It's a real teat.

That is the exact thing that made me stop my initial playthrough of X-2 in disgust and never touch it again. If you have to play with a FAQ to avoid missing stupid incidental shit that actually affects how much of the game you have access to in a substantial way then that's straight up broken design and disrespectful to players IMO.

You don't have to play with a FAQ, you just have to go everywhere and talk to everyone in each chapter. Like the game told you to do when it was explaining that you move to the next chapter when you’ve cleared all the hotspots. It's not broken design, it's just player forgetfulness. 😛

And if you think you actually have done that but it turns out that one guy you didn't know about was really important to talk to?

Talking to everyone in that game every chapter is soul-crushingly boring busywork and also requires an enormous amount of careful tracking.

broken design and disrespectful to players

Square Enix's corporate motto.

While I agree that it's not ideal, I’m also hardly ever likely to encounter it on account of playing like @strange. I think it's been a JRPG trope for decades now that you can miss out on side-quests by advancing the main plot and you basically do every single possible sidequest you can before you tackle the what you’re supposed to be doing with any kind of urgency.

This just seems like a particularly jarring extension of that.

I wonder if this is a symptom of the different culture / approach to game dev that traditionally happens in Japan – there was an article that springs to mind from some time between Demon's and Dark Souls around why Demon's wasn't localised initially – their stages of development prior to the finished product look a lot more unfinished (aka crap), and the US guys having a look weren't interested.Maybe a lot more of their games are done in encapsulated sections, which has lead to the games (and probably the habits of their players) reflecting this.

Random lyric that is sitting in your mind for no reason game!

Take that you stupid corn…

I’m only happy when it rains.

You should come to Orange, we’ve got a ton of rain

It was pouring for a few hours in Canberra this morning. S’probably what started it running through my head 😛

Lost in a forest… Into the trees

Blink first and die

Never promised you a rose garden, along with the sunshine..

EDIT: Put together, these random snippets of lyrics are.. actually, no, they’re shit put together. 😛

i like that song sat, its something my grandad would like

Electrode, Diglett, Nidoran, MankeyVenusaur, Rattata, Fearow, PidgeySeaking, Jolteon, Dragonite, GastlyPonyta, Vaporeon, Poliwrath, Butterfree!

Music sounds better with you…

Aw shucks.

Mmfff mm mm mmff mfff mmmmmmmmff.

* (I don't hear lyrics)

Hahaha, I so totally get this. Some of my friends could never understand, we had a few arguments over it 😛

Everything is awesome, Everything is cool when you’re part of a team.

Is that all you get for your money?

"Inside you’re ugly… ugly like me."(Staind – Outside)

That's been lodged in there a while!

Good song/band

Wake me up before you go-go?

So apparently the Type C ships in FTL:AE unlock after you beat the game with the corresponding Type B ship.

AKA all the stuff I’ve done in the game over the last week has been for naught since I need to go and do it all over again. God dammit.

Did you unlock the lanius ship? Apparently all you need is 4 different ships already unlocked, which would explain why it was randomly sitting around my hangar.

Yeah, that fired off as soon as I started up the game. Just annoying that you need Advanced mode enabled when beating the game with ship B, otherwise I’d have another five cruisers unlocked now…

first playthrough I didn't equip any AE stuff (weapons or subsystems) but I made it to the flagship- which is now equipped with hacking and mind control systems.

WHHHEELLLP.

….

uuuuuhhh

SO ABOUT THAT LOCAL SPORTS TEAM?

I disagree.

I read before you deleted it. But I didn't understand what you were saying, so I’m just gonna go ahead and *hugasurus* you anyway.

Is this your imitation of Squall Leonheart?

Also, now I type that, i realise what a weird name that actually is.

Hug.

I’ve been watching Mr. Strange play Dark Souls 2 and because he rampages around recklessly he often has no idea how to get back to where he lost his souls, or where he should go next. Or which bonfire to use to get here he wants to go. He always asks me.I mentioned to him that I couldn't understand how he doesn't know anything about where he is, especially considering paying attention and learning are major survival elements in Souls game, and that I can see all of 1-1 from Demon's Souls (for instance) in my head, and just by thinking about it remember where all the enemies in the places I’ve been in any of the Souls games are.His response was that he forgets everything because he needs the room in his brain for "more important" things. I think he was implying that I don't have any "important things" in my brain. 😛

I do think I should stop helping him. He's not learning anything because he has me there to tell him.

Demon's Souls 1-1 is permanently burned into my brain.I’ve previously found it better to leave the room and not watch when the first Dark Souls was being played, when I was being asked questions more often than things actually being done on the screen. Fine once the habit was broken, I poke my head in now and again when it's being played now.

@strange Funny thing is, I know these games well enough that I can normally get a pretty good idea of progression and what's happening just by the yelling and swearing.

I think we can all agree that Hercules is the most underrated Disney movie.

Atlantis: The Lost Empire

Character designs by Mike Mignola, yo

What about The Black Hole? That was fantastic and no one talks about it because it wasn't some crappy musical cartoon

Emperor's New Groove. Patrick Warburton.

The Emperor's New Groove, you mean. (Oh snap, @Benny beat me to it.)

Beauty and the Beast.

What's that, you’re saying that it's a beloved classic? Yes, yes it is.

But compared to where it should be rated, it's underrated. 😛

(And Herc. only has 3 good songs, and one of them is only good because it's lame. That said, I won't say I’m in love is totally fantastic)

Who cares about the songs? The best part of the digital age is making it easier to skip boring-ass songs. Song-loaded films are the worst. Fewer the better. 🙂

You people seem to be doing your best to test my patience lately.

For once, I agree with Blaghman. @transientmind is the worst.

I think your fingers slipped and you typed Hercules there instead of Mulan.

Caffeine crash in3…2…1*head desk*

*secures coffee IV to pixels arm*We’re losing him, make it a double!!!

Instant won't cut it, we need so real stuff stat

Played more of Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright, this game is fun 😀Had me laughing during the trial, but I’m nit sure how spoilery it is so I’m not going to say it (it's the second trial, but that's still 3 and a half hours into the game).It's brilliant, and once you get bored of puzzling, you get to do a trial, and once you’re sick of the trial, you get to do more puzzling.Annoying: Luke's voice actor :/

is it the same voice actor as the other Professor Layton games?because then i completely and utterly agree 😛

I’m not sure (I didn't listen to the music in the one game I played, and if I did, I can't remember is voice), but it's a high pitched british kid…he just sounds so stuck-up or something, it's so funny (but annoying).

Sounds like it could be the same… i know google has the answer but the search box is like… 500 pixel up from where i’m typing this

NA release date: to be announced

*looks longingly out window*

Don't worry, I’m sure you’ll get it for $20 cheaper than us 😛

Believe it or not, due to a weak dollar compared to the US our prices are more relatable to Aus's. Not *as* much, but we’ll only get it $10 cheaper. 😛

Bah, dumb slow bank transfers!

TECHNICALLY thanks to a few weeks early birthday present, I have the money for my PS4 today but the transfer from my mum's account has decided it's going to be one of those ones that waits for hours/till tomorrow…

You’re telling me. I cashed a cheque, yesterday. Who writes cheques? That's not gonna be around for a while. Certainly not before the weekend.

A cheque? How charmingly retro! You should have asked for a receipt to be faxed to you

@mrtacoI have an ingenious solution to your problem.First opportunity you get, invite Sketchbook to a traffic light party! 😀(for clarity reasons)Green = AvailableOrange = OpenRed = TakenSo if she wears orange (or green), you know you can safely move in! 😀And if she wears red, well you’re at a party, so just drink up 😉

But what's @mrtaco gonna wear? If he wears green (and maybe even orange) then he’ll have to fight through a throng of admirers before he even sees Sketchbook…

A Red jumper with a Green undershirt (this is the only time I’ll permit wearing green and red together :P).If Sketchbook wears something green / orange, @mrtaco can slowly take the red jumper off in front of her, showing that he's available, and then say to her "Or should I leave the red jumper on? *wink*". Or if she wears red he can take the jumper off and go have fun.It's a win-win! 😀

Plot twist: Sketchbook is in fact colourblind.

Oh fuck lol, NICE.

Red shirt with a green sketchbook on it?

Whoa, that's a thing? But all my shirts are green cause it's my favourite colour. IM EMOTIONALLY UNAVAILABLE.

But available for sexy times.

…

Is that your Squall impersonation?

It's not as good as @Rocketman's

Oh DC, I find it slightly funny how sheltered you seem to be 😛You just keep adding things to my itinerary for if I ever go to Brisbane 😛"drag DC to a traffic light party" is getting added now 😉

What if he's wearing red though? You have to respect that…

Why would you go to a sex themed party and specifically say you don't want sex anyway?

I think the answer is I wouldn't even be at a sex themed party. 😛

…

Perverts. 😛

As if I’d be at a party, sex themed or otherwise…

That said, I am a pervert.

It's totally not a sex themed party! :’OIt's just to make flirting easier!And red just means you’re there to party, not to hookup or anything!And it's fun :'(

Flirting? You deviant! 😉

I’ve only heard it in context of sex but I suppose you could use it for flirty things if you were of a mind I guess.

To be properly comprehensive, they’d really need to add some sort of icon system for straight/bi/gay and vanilla/bit kinky/can only cum if electrocuted in the bollocks

Well obviously flirting (hopefully) leads to sex, but you don't necessarily have to go to it looking to hookup. It's literally just for fun 😛

And you don't want to overcomplicate it with symbols for straight/bi/gay and whatnot. I mean, if you’re straight and a gay guy hits on you, just take the compliment, it means you’re cute, don't get offended 😛

Eh, if you get hit on by your gender of not choice you can always do a thanks but no thanks.

@liondrive Offended?? Pfft, astonished is the word you’re looking for…

I’m just too much of a system designer in my heart to let apparent inefficiency go by without at least trying to correct it with some kind of icon driven interface.

Uni hall used to have a party called "Porn Party" at a local pub.

I tended to sit that one out.

Are you sure you didn't make it up?

If he did make it up, he did it long enough ago for it to be mentioned on Mock The Week earlier this year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=eKPtxGO-WDk#t=758

Those’ve been a thing for quite a while now. I remember, uh… reading about them at uni.

There's just this whole level of worldliness that I can only aspire to 😛

The only coloured shirt I own is red, but I’m VERY MUCH AVAILABLE (just undesirable :P)!

I only own blue, white & purple shirts

@dc confirmed to actually be @greenius?

And when she's never heard of a traffic light party but turns up confused yet enthusiastic in a traffic light costume…

Pretty sure that would be my bit. Only after having spent a week without sleep preparing it, of course ;P

If you made it, I’d expect the lights to be functional

Of course.

The real challenge would be to make it tie in with the actual traffic light signals.

Nah, too simple. Get google glass & write a controller system for the lights that uses glass’ camera to identify people and activates relevant lights based on your opinion of them.

Hmmmm now that could solve my ambiguity problem, Glass Parties! Everyone writes their likes & dislikes, how open they are and everything on a companion application which are all linked together, Glass ID's the user and pulls the data on them from the local network. No need to wear a specific coloured shirt, glass would project an overlay with any and all pertinent information.

This is actually genius.

Everything I do is genius, whether brilliant hardware/software designs or sticking forks in power points!

Weird thing is, it’d be a perfect extension of the system I was building for a project in uni, it’d plug in to the back end with almost no modification needed. Shame Glass is as rare as hens teeth for most people.

Or do you mean the idea of using glass to control lights on a costume?

@aliasalpha Why not both 😛

I guess you could maybe use a smartphone camera for some AR type stuff, since they’re pretty much ubiquitous. But it's really not the same if you’re walking around with your phone out staring at it constantly.

The smartphone camera thing also has a slightly creepy connotation that a passive device like glass wouldn't (odd thing to say about glass given that it's so often cited as potentially creepy/privacy invadey)

I could see something like that system working on a VR platform but it’d be a bit weirder to use in a virtual environment unless it had very realistic avatars

I dunno, sounds like too high a risk of failure to me. I need something more ironclad 😛

It was such a good idea though :'(You get no awkward situations, a pretty clear answer to your question, and you don't even have to ask her if she's available or not!And you get to drink and party! 😀

I am fairly sure it would be red. What I need is a way to figure out how to get it to be orange or green 😛

Just be super nice before hand, go on some kinda-dates-but-not-really-a-date dates (ie movies with you, her and wingman, but ask wingman to bail 😉 ), and just generally be friendly / kinda flirty.Guaranteed orange colour by party time 😉

Paint

Or what liondrive said, one or the other.

Reply fail.How about them games hey? Heard they’re pretty good…

Games? eww.

You’re all deviants here, talking about this stuff. Everyone knows sportsball and clubbing is where it's at.

The poor little seal cubs

Yeah, but you heard the man. We need their pelts to warm our sportsballs.

Clubbing seals is horrible!!

The blunt force trauma damages the pelt too much. Poison, that's the ticket

🙁 ‘rough night’ is an understatement.

*sigh*

*throws coffee at Ben once more*

I got my assignments done at least 😀

But yeah, spent most of last night coughing and struggling to breathe, and 3AM D&M's about how everybody's worried about me. The past few days have taken pretty much everything out of me 🙁 I have no idea what the lecturer's saying right now. Something about head and put.

Aw, hope you’re okay buddy.

And the lesson here kids, is that cramming is not fun.

Oh this has nothing to do with uni work itself, I got that out in like an hour once I actually just sat down and did it, I just feel like complete shit and can't manage to get any sleep 🙁

Put yo head between your knees and cryyyyy.

I decided to mash up all the lyrics that people provided when Gooks asked "what lyric is stuck in your head." Here's our collaborative offspring of a monster, folks.

T.A.Y.Y (This Ain't Yo’ Yacht) Ft. PitbullItalics represent auto-tune chorus

Take that you stupid corn(Yeeaaahh)I’m only happy when it raiiinnnnssLost into a forest(Blink first and dieeee)Into the treeeeessNever promised you a Rose Garden(Along with the sunshineeee)

*DROP THE BASS*

Electrode, Diglett, Nidoran, MankeyVenusaur, Rattata, Fearow, PidgeySeaking, Jolteon, Dragonite, GastlyPonyta, Vaporeon, Poliwrath, Butterfree!

*30 minute drum solo*

Music sounds better with you(Mmfff mm mm mmff mfff mmmmmmmmff)Everything is awesome(Is that all you geeettt)Everything is cool when you’re part of a team(For your monnayyy)

Repeat x infinity times.

My favourite bit was the 30 minute drum solo!

It alone carries the whole song.

Even if I cut out the drum solo, I don't think I could sing this song. :/

Yeah, even if you get the auto-tune set up the jazz flute really supports the percussion so without it it's a no-go.

The Vocoder backing is easy, I’ve done it before using the women locked in my basement, and the jazz flute's doable, but I’m more worried about the seven part bassoon harmony.

*electronic bassoon, thank you very much.

I was looking forward to 30 minutes of "da de da da dee dee da tsh"

We need to do a sequel to Dark Souls the Musical.

When the PC version comes out we’ll do songs such as "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (That can be turned on in the settings, right?)" and "I Just Can't Wait To Be Glorious PC Master Race" in lieu of The Lion King's "I Just Can't Wait To Be King."

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!People say the graphics downgrade's really quite atrocious!The Master Race has had to wait and have become ferocious!Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Everybody look left (look left)Everybody look right (look right)Everywhere you look there'sA dynamic Spotlight!

Taurus to the leftAnd a capra to the ri ii iii iii iiightLets do the dark souls agaaaain…

Spoilered because contains some DaS2-related info and also lyrics with questionable syllabic rhythm.

I’m gonna get a mighty ring!New players should beware.(A lack of skills? A lack the kills! you’re hardly a nightmare.)I’m gonna be a bell keeper, Protect the sacred bell.Outnumber all that come to clang, And send them all to hell!(Outclassed by most, I think you’ll blame your ping…)Oh, I’ll just go join the rat king!No one saying BOW FIRST (fishing backstabs?)No one throwing HEL-LO (and again!)Maybe I’ll just GO HIDE (all for a lockstone?)Cheer "GO, RAT BRO!" (NO, RAT BRO!)Living in caves a-o-kay!Honourable fights? Not to-day!(I think it's time that you and I arranged a one-v-one!)You want to duel, be made a fool? The blood bros might be fun!(If this is how we PVP, my mind is full of doubt! No cracked eye orbs? The soapstone's lame… I’ve found I’ve hit a drought. Abandon cov-e-nant is now my thing!)Next thing to try? Guardian's Seal ring!Gonna aid a new guy!Stop him being toast!Rising up in his world…DISCONNECTED FROM HOST(BULL S—!)PVP frustrates, maybe it's not my thing,Let's see what else this game has got to bring,I think I have another piece of bling…OH, I’LL MAKE UP FOR ALL MY SIN!AN END TO FAILURE AND CHA-GRIN!OH, I HAVE GOT THE SUN SEAL RING!\o/

You know what's cool? Seeing @freezespreston in dad mode! It's awesome!

are you right next to him right now? say saturday says hi.

He went to pick up his bro from the airport. But he's sitting right next to me now… in my heart AND mind. :’)

…

Next time you see him say "Saturday says hi."

That could be months away though.

then write it down on a notepad.

What if we compromise and I Just add your name next to Freeze's name on ‘the list’…

this seems very cryptic.

… or, potentially very sexy. I approve.

Igeddit.

Any jokes and/or puns are purely accidental and shameful.

Believe in yourself!

All the subtle graphical changes in FTL:AE keep throwing me off. They don't look "right" 😛

Here ya go, @dc – this is about how your Nokia is feeling.http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=53

That about sums it up!

Blaghs's adventures at the Optometrist!

*Really shitty jingle plays*

So, I should start by saying that I sort of have this completely irrational fear of any sort of medical professional. So, Doctors, Nurses, Dentists, Optometrists, that sort of thing (and yes, I understand that that's amusing since I work at a MEDICAL CLINIC).

So it was with great reticence that I finally booked an appointment to get my eyes tested, though I’ll admit I needed it.

*Dramatic cut to Optometrist's room*

"So we have a previous visit on record here for you, which was in 2007, is that when you last had your eyes checked?"

"Uhhh, yeah. Yeah, that's right, I’ve been meaning to do it for a while, you know?"

"You know we recommend that people get their eyes tested every 2 years…"

*Hearing the judgement in her voice* "Yeah, time just sort of slipped away from me…

*Cut to after my eyes have actually been tested*

"It's probably a good thing you don't drive. Because even with your current glasses you wouldn't pass the eye test."

"Hahaha." *Stare awkwardly into the blurry middle distance*

"In fact, your glasses are one third of – sorry, less than one third the strength of what you should have."

"Geez, I really should have *mutters incoherently*"

*Cut back 20 minutes to when the assistant did some prelim stuff*

"Now this machine's going to test the pressure of your eye."

"Okay!"

"It does this by blowing air into your eye."

"Is this some sort of cruel test devised for your amusement?"

TL;DR, I spent $340 on new glasses today, because apparently lenses are crazy expensive.

Oh that machine that shoots a blast of compressed air into your eye is fun isn't it? Doubly so when they tell you not to blink!

Lenses are relatively cheap from what I can gather, it's the frames that are stupidly expensive. You know, those few sticks and bits of bendy metal that hold the precision ground glass that has to be millimetre accurate to achieve the correct effects and which take a lot of work to perfect, those things are worth way more than mere lenses…

$100 frames, $340 total for the glasses.

And I cheaped out on the material for the lenses (getting the tougher and slightly slimmer ones would have cost $70 more).

Edit: And I’m only on single focals. I shudder at the cost of multi-focal & astigmatism lenses (like my father needs).

Your frames were only $100? I think mine cost $180 and those were the cheap ones. For lenses that expensive I guess you must have a slightly uncommon eye issue or I have a really common one and can get what are basically off the shelf lenses

Spent $800 on my last glasses.But I did get all the bells and whistles.

I dunno man. Those few bendy bits of metal that are precision crafted to tell the fashion-conscious everything about your personality in a mere glace with millimetre accuracy; we’re talking about degrees of styling to achieve the correct effect in what impression you want to give, which takes a lot of work to perfect. A good image is worth way more than a mere good image on your eyeball.

Hey as long as my vision is good enough that I can see I’m being judged by superficial cockbags, it’ll do me. Cuts down on the number of people who might be worth talking to…

I went to the optometrist last Monday finally replacing my broken glasses (broken since I saw Robocop with @dc) and they arrived today. So quick. $199 for two pairs of lenses and frames.

And that eye pressure test is one of he few things a man is allowed to cry over.

To be fair, the eye pressure test is much more pleasant in blowing air into your eye rather than other methods I could think of to test your eye pressure.(And actually, with practice, I’ve seen some ophthalmologists be able to estimate eye pressure (looking for acute angle glaucoma)) by palpation over eyelids. But the air blowy thingy is much more accurate.

Also glasses = hella expensive. Are you covered by your parents private health insurance? That's the only way I got mine covered.

Apparently Amazon UK have free shipping on games to Australia?

https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/139259

Pls find some cheap games and tell me! ;D. I tried Tales of Symphonia Chronicles but it still charged 8 pounds fpr shipping but I think I did it wrong… it ended up being cheaper at Ozgameshop anyway because I had a $5 off coupon for them.

TOO MANY GAEMS

Buy all the harvest moon games! \o/I really need to get one, I’m having withdrawal I think

Have you considered just planting your own turnips and seeing if it works as well in real life?

but then I’d be tired

Tired WITH turnips though

So this is what missing an entire day of TAY is like.

Daunting.

Anyone else having trouble getting steam to download stuff? It just won't start, even after changing the server and even rebooting my router just in case it got stuck thinking I was capped

I love my husband so much I actually made a pun for him. There was no reaction. D:I blame you guys. 😛

Glad to see we’ve pun you over. 🙂

Blame? Thank. The king of humour types.

Holy crap I just almost lost to a suffocation mission. Lost half my crew moments before the final barrage of weapons fire (no thanks to a breach bomb that missed the first three hits in the battle), and JUST managed to come out of it with four crew remaining by putting the three most important in the med bay while forcing the captain to walk back and forth across it by going to rooms on alternate sides until the oxygen came back online and had made the place habitable again. Worst ever.

Why did I even try for Normal difficulty anyway 😛

…you’re talking about a videogame, right?

It's a type of game…

FTL:AE

They CLAIM they A stands for Advanced, sounds like it stands for Autoerotic-Asphyxiation

Through the luck of the draw I got a bunch of fire/breach weapons. It's pretty amazing how much more salvage you get when you simply kill the crew instead of blowing up the ships.

Kind of horrible, too…

Bavarian Beir Cafe for birthday dinner.

Best.

Oh man, that sounds amazing!

Tea and man cuddles. There's worse ways to end a shitty week.

I’m going to sleep for the majority of this weekend, if I can.

MQFT Results:Y:2N:1/: 1Looks like I’m getting Carmageddon: Reincarnation.

N

I JUST NOW GOT THE PUN.

And this is good, yes, why I vote Y in Y/N. Because it's always invariably, "Should I do…. X?"And the answer is always yes. Even if it's a bad idea. Doing is better than not doing. 🙂

Should I bang this syphilitic hooker without a condom? Y/N?

Y.

Cos.

Tan.

Sec, bro.

Okay, you’ve lost me.

Nah, man. Sin is where it's at. You don't have to deal with that adjacent bullshit, and you can hang out with the hypotenuse! I hear he's a pretty cool guy.

…

…answer is almost always yes… c.cBut think of the stories you’ll have!

I won't get the chance for much internetting tomorrow (11hr work day + getting crunk after work :3), so just wanted to wish @shane goodluck tomorrow (today for you future dwellers), and that I expect to see pictures of your outfit 😉

Thank you, man. Really appreciate it 🙂

So, with my brother moved in, we face a dilemma. There isn't really enough room in our house for his stuff. Our house is pretty small.We have one small spare room, and I keep all my empty console boxes in there because consoles are worth more if you have the box. But now I am seriously considering perhaps throwing them out. i kind of don't want to, but if it gives us more room…Sorry, I’m pretty beat up about it and uncertain of what to do. Please help

Do you have a manhole in the ceiling somewhere? (Like where you can get in to the crawl space?) I used to store all my boxes up there at my old place to save room

We do have a manhole, but I am terrified of spiders.

You have a brother, he's caused this situation, make him do it.

He won't do it.

Maybe he should live in the crawlspace, then you don't have to move anything. You can feed him a bucket of fish heads a week. Nothing could go wrong

I wish =P

Also how about unfolding and flattening them? I used to keep all my N64 and SNES game boxes + manuals in a single (large) shoebox, before I got a new set of shelves and decided they’d look prettier on there 😛

I guess I could. He’d probably make me throw them out anyway though. Ugh

Good idea.@scree, is there room under your bed for the flattened out boxes? In their flat state you should hopefully be able to find nooks and crannies to stuff them into and out of the way.

I’ve hidden a lot of my collectors edition stuff under my bed.I will definitely flatten them. Thank you for the help. I really do appreciate it

Preserving boxes is serious business!

Only slight hint of joke there. Got way too many friends who for some reason or other decided to throw out all their boxes (or their mum did) during their early teens or whatever, and have come to massively regret it.

That's what worries me. Thanks.

I just scored a Flak Gun MkII and it's my new favourite weapon.

Still talking about games?

What else is there to talk about? 😛

Also – one would hope.

SA Comic-con!

Must pray to god of restraint. I feel there will be so much to buy.

Got woken up twice by my phone this morning because I forgot to put it on silent. Both times were notifications of someone following me on Twitter. Both were game dev types. Weird.

I wish i got woken up by game related things 🙁

hope my dm didn't contribute! 😉

You’re fine. I was already up and about by then. 🙂

Tried to download Carmageddon: Reincarnation last night during off-peak (2am-8am), couldn't connect to net.Turn computer this morning, go to download, works perfectly fine.ಠ_ಠ

heh damn. at least it wasn't a super massive download

Oh god am I hungover.

Someone do me a favour and kill me.

*kicks down door**smothers you will birthday hugs**sees you are not breathing**also realises that its not Freeze**backs away slowly*

What if I killed your hangover instead?

Nice.

@aliasalpha @crazyguy1990 @anyone_who_pretended_to_care_at_some_pointI am now the proud owner of a headset! No-one could figure out what was wrong with the AUX port (headphone jack) on my computer, so I picked up a usb headset. It's the Corsair Vengeance 1500. I am going to download teamspeak right now. I had Raidcall already, but I don't think anyone uses that.

This headest is extremely comfortable.Question, what is the best button to assign to Push-to-talk? I might just set it to automatic if I can't find a key that work for me.EDIT: I just went with automatic.

My turtlebeach headset cancels out a lot of background noise, even brushing the mic accidentally, so voice activated works for me quite well, might need to adjust the threshold a bit as I am noticing cutouts on my transmitting when I talk quietly.

Personally I always use a mouse button. Basically only reason I go for mice with no less then 5 buttons. Depending where your going to be talk some places don't take kindly to automatic.

I opt for the tilde key, cause it is so useless 😛

Hmm, the headset doesn't seem to be working as a pair of headphones. When I tried watching a youtube video, the sound came through the speakers.

Right click the speaker icon in the taskbar, select "Playback Devices", set the headset as Default.Does it use optical input?

Nice!

Testing the headset with skype, and it doesn't work at all. I am getting annoyed.

If you want, I can remote in and have a look and see if I can figure out what's wrong

You mean Telnet?

teamviewer

Never mind, I think I fixed it.

Nice, I was thinking of a set of those myself before I got my steelseries 7h, given how crap the 7h mic was, I probably should have gone for the corsairs after all.

As Crazyguy said, you’ll have to change the default device to the headset. USB ones are actually a plugin soundcard rather than just headphones so you have to tell the system to use that as the playback/recording device or it’ll just try and use the regular soundcard. If it works anything like my old USB Logitech set, it should remember the defaults and swap back to them whenever you plug the phones back in

Hey @rocketman – are you playing the pokeymons again?

… If you could choose one Pokémon to get a shiny of, which one would you pick?

Ni Hao daijien!! (I think that's right) from China. My hotel has no wifi only cable but nothing I brought with me takes cable. This cafe across the street though does haven wifi that doesn't need a login so I’ve got that. Still 28 rmb for tea is pricey.

However it also means I can't TS which I was counting on for a source of socialising. Also turns out snapchat is blocked in China now too. Basically im living in solitude. Also a long weekend which means 3 days of nothing to do which is kinda lame. But on the plus side a guy in this area has a pet monkey that he takes for walks on a leash and as dangerous as it is I prefer the Chinese way for crossing the road.

Final note, is it just me or is Bravely Default rather dark/brutal for something with such a charming art style?

Damnit. Flipboard is also blocked.

not sure about the daijian.. sounds close to Zàijiàn, which means goodbye.If you meant hello everyone, then ni hao da jia would be the correct way.

Where abouts in China are you?

That also sounds right. I’m in Ningbo

Oh cool! I’ve never been to Ningbo, so I can't offer any tips on where to go, but I’ve heard it's a pretty cool place! Hope you’re having fun!

I’m sure I’ll enjoy it more as time goes on. Adjusting and all. But on a clear day the view from my room is awesome.

Also had my suspicions a few times but today for certain there were some girls taking my photo while I was at lunch. Think I saw you mentioning something similar happening to you.

Think you’ll be likely to get more cable only places? You might be able to pick up a cheap wifi adapter that you can plug in. You might also be able to use something like Hola unblocker to access blocked sites but I’ve got no ide if that's just against terms & conditions or actually illegal…

With any luck I’ll be moving into a family friends place soon. I assume he has wifi.

Solitude? sounds like a perfect time to get in your ancient monk kung-fu training, then.

Well I did have a high level monk in Bravely Default before I made her a sword Mage thingy.

Wo ai ni

Xiaxia

Well, skype now works through my headset. Thanks, @aliasalpha and @crazyguy1990!

No probs mate, chances are you’ll have to make sure it's the default device before running a game and if the game has built in communications, you might have to select the mic again, possibly the same with steam chat if you use that.

Woohoo!

@zetrox2k Remember when you you were talking about how I didn't have a mic when everyone was playing Titanfall? I have one now. What's the teamspeak server you were using?

If you haven't got the details yet, most people on Steam/Twitter will be able to pass it on. We’ve avoided posting it publicly (on TAY).

BOARD GAMES!

That is all.

SNARK COALSAccidentally killed the summon NPC, so I said fuck it, and solo’d that stupid giant spider. Yeah, that was a challenge.

I’m laughing at Mr. Strange right now because I’m mean.But really because he mowed the lawn in the sun for 2 hours this afternoon and now he's wrecked and complaining, and I’m just saying "Hahaha…now you can finally understand how I feel with two hours of walking in the sun every single day. Imagine doing that five days a week!" . 😛

Wait, why did it take him 2 hours to mow the lawn? D= Do you have like 5 acres or something? 😛

I’ve finished FFX before but I’ve never bothered doing all the extra stuff and going for 100% until now.

I finally experienced the infamous Chocobo Race and I’m dreading the lightning bolt dodge D:

This is the worst.

Yeah, those were incredibly bad ideas. I still can't believe I did them. I think if there's Trophies for those horrific final weapon tasks then nobody should go for them, to show Squeenix what a bad, bad idea it was. 😛

Lego Movie was awesome.

Except that fucking song is going to be stuck in my head for weeks now.

My son has been singing it every day since we saw it last weekend.

DARKNESS!

THE OPPOSITE OF LIGHT!

😛 Also my brain keeps wanting to replace "everything is awesome" with "I came in like a wrecking ball".

D: Cannot unhear!

Publisher Straighten vs Phonics’ Rite: Race Journey

Just summoned a parrot as a witness to a testimony to a witch's trial concerning someone being turned to gold in an alchemists's house. You can't make this stuff up. You just can't.

Also, I’ve played over 8 hours of this, and I got it on Thursday :/How long does this go for? Actually, I don't want it to stop. It's too good D:

I am evaluating phones again. My old iPhone I resurrected after receiving it from my sister after she smashed the screen on it is starting to wear out. Touch screen sometimes non-functional, right on the edge of obsolescence, power button doesn't press down any more and you have to mash it to make it respond, etc.

I have a Windows Phone, a Lumia 920, which is great except WinPhone 8 hasn't got the sort of apps i tend to use.

So I’m evaluating Android, which I’ve never used, and have a pretty specific question: Does anyone happen to know if it's possible to install Android apps from other regions? Like, if I wanted to stick something not available in Australia on there, is there a way to do it? Even if it requires getting root access on the phone, that's fine. It's basically impossible to do it on iOS (you have to swap your account's region and that has a whole host of issues) and on WinPhone there's nothing you’d actually want to cross-region install. It's not a major thing but it’d be a nice extra selling point for me in the evaluation process.

Getting a non-store version of stuff is really easy, and you can install stuff really easily if you get the apk. In terms of switching stores to access stuff more legitimately, I have no idea.

Edit: Though with the less legitimate means of accessing stuff, you may have problems if whatever it is has to access the play store (to download extra data or whatever), as it will get all confused and just sort of fail.

Chances are with droid the thing you’d need to do for cross-region purchasing would be switch between 2 accounts with 2 different home locations. It's all based on your google account which would likely restrict you to a specific country. Is there anything specific that's not available that you’re after or is this just a general question?

Rooting droid phones is usually a piece of piss; look up the model on xdadevelopers, check out rooting instructions and find whatever new rom you want.

Wow, longhuge message from my ex out of nowhere. Heard a song that she sung to me once, gave a bit of a nostalgia wave of when things were good.

Now I feel bad.

The closest I’ve ever had to a girlfriend once recorded me a version of Rudolph the red nosed reindeer where she sang alternating lines in English & Finnish, it was really well done.

I can't hear that song the same way anymore, now I occasionally don't find it one of the worst things in the world because I’m getting a bit nostalgic

I went and looked up the song and listened to it. Totally don't remember it at all 😛 But it has managed to push the Lego song out of my brain, and has also given me the sads >_>

Better or worse than song stuck in your head? Hard choice…

Also man hugs

On the latest co-optional podcast, there was a debate on whether Morpheus or the Occulus Rift would win. The idea of pron was brought up, and this magical quote came to fruition:

Maybe that's why Occulus will win, because Sonys cannot provide you with quality porn-Jesse Cox

There's already porn with head tracking. Not really good or anything but the 3dsexvilla games are compatible with TrackIR. In reality it's a pretty piss-poor implementation but it still works

Shout-out to @freezespreston and crew. Hopefully you guys are having a kickass time right now.

And to @shane, he should be back promoting himself as an award winning writer any minute

Wait, that was tonight? Oh man. Fingers crossed.

Yeah, alas, not so much. Maybe next year. Maybe.

You can still promote yourself like mad though, right?

I’m not sure I know how 😛

Most definitely. I feel extra bad cos around 4pm, my eyes started going all crazy bloodshot and hurty, then my body crashed hard, and my friends didn't want me to drive that far, so I stayed home 🙁 I was hoping it would be a quick nap, and I would wake up feeling refreshed enough to go, but I woke up at 11pm :\I fail at fun so hard 🙁

I won a game of Caverna today by stockpiling sheep, coal and rubies and then turning the coal and rubies into money and food at the end of the game.

How that makes any sense is beyond me but I won and winning is rad.

Board games are rad. People should play them.

They are.

I played Forbidden Desert, Dominion and Small World for the first time. Dominion is a pretty cool guy, and I’d like to play Small World again. Wasn't the biggest fan of forbidden desert.

Also, Suburbia, Carcassonne, and 7 Wonders!

BOARD GAMES!

Oh yes, I also got to play Rampage.

Really fun. Just the right level of dumb but there is some level of strategy because you have to think about which meeples to try and get a hold of.

Dominion really comes alive with expansions. Did you just do the base game?

Just Vanilla. Liked it better once we added cards like The Bureaucrat and The THief that made it a little more interactive.

Just saw the SU&SD review of Arctic Scavengers, and it looks neat (I don't have a deckbuilder yet). If I hadn't just kickstartered Coup I’d go get it.

Kotaku ated my reply.

Dominion has some interesting cards in the base game (Chapel pretty much makes it a completely different game). Different expansions add different things. Intrigue is pretty rad for throwing in more interactions.

I’m more interesting in card drafting games over deck building. Take one, pass the rest on leads to more interesting decisions.

On a sidenote, played Hanabi today and one of the people who I was teaching offered to shuffle because he was a Magic player. Cool dude but I had to politely tell him "bitch please, I own moxen." Well, I more did a couple of quick riffles and bridges while saying I used to play. Then that I haven't played standard since Odyssey block. Then that I don't play Legacy either. Then that I do have a handful of cards that are worth way more than I remember. Fuck yeah fetch lands.

Fun times.

Other than 7 wonders, what else uses a drafting mechanic?

I’ve had a look at intrigue, and it looks a bit more interesting- mainly because although I did love the "build an engine" aspect of Dominion, I can get that fix from Suburbia. Once the Thief and all that were in it became less about focusing on your own cards and more interactive.

Also, seriously, If you’re out of M:TG for good, those fetch lands are worth a bit. Which would get you more $$ for BOARD GAMES

I actually don't have any card drafting board games other than 7 Wonders. This makes me sad.

And yeah, when I said I stopped playing ages ago they asked if I had anything worth anything. Turns out the random fetch land I know I have (a bad one, GW) is still worth like $50 and the Force of Wills… damn.

Are there any other good drafting games that aren't also collectable or otherwise? I mean, you can do a draft with just about any sort of CCG or similar and they’re great fun, but 7 Wonders is the only one I know of that uses the mechanic in a fixed deck setting like that.

And also I don't really like it very much. I’m absolutely awful at it, played at least 20 games and never won. Usually I come last 🙁

@negativezero A fairly common thing in the MtG community is to have a draft cube. You build a set of cards, generally with some sort of general power curve or theme (ie a handful of powerful cards, a good amount of cards that go well together and the rest just solid or a poverty cube of only commons).

Android: Netrunner recently came out with draft packs that are essentially pre-made draft cubes.

The problem there is that that draft is the setup. Drafting is a neat mechanic in itself and it would be nice to see more games more focused on it.

EDIT: Honestly, the trick to 7 Wonders is getting your head around scoring. When you can quickly work out a card's value to you and your immediate neighbour, it goes a long way to getting things going.

Yeah but as I said, you can do decent drafting with most CCGs. There's not many that are actually designed with it in mind the way 7 wonders is.

Doing a search on the mechanic on BGG is useless as well because they consider anything where you build a deck as part of the game to be ‘drafting’ so stuff like Dominion and its many children count and that pollutes the search completely 🙁

and @negativezero: Wizards is releasing a set sometime this year called "conspiracy" which is designed around multiplayer and drafting- it has cards that only trigger during drafts and involve voting mechanics. It's still pretty hush hush, but it’ll be a neat cube set.

@NegativeZero Honestly, if I could get my hands on more card drafting games, I would. Either the mechanic hasn't been explored or they’re just buried beneath all the deckbuilders.

I had an idea for a card drafting game but the odds of me: 1) taking that idea and turning it into something tangible, 2) being able to turn that something tangible into something available to other people and 3) making the game be non-terrible are astronomically small.

@redartifice: not really a fan of M:TG any more. I’m all TCG/CCGed out now, too much of a money sink and no one to play with regularly. I nearly got into Weiss Schwarz after an exposure to it at PAX last year, but the English language releases are hard to get hold of, expensive and very limited compared to the huge amount of JP stuff. And mainly I don't have people to play with.

That's the biggest problem with TCGs and even LCGs really. If you only play periodically then investing the money is harder, and also if you don't have regular players to interact with you probably need to build and maintain multiple decks that are competitive with each other which is also a pain. It was one of the good things with the Star Wars CCG though – just collecting the cards meant you would maintain a decent light side and dark side deck and most tournaments you’d need to have both sides competitive because it’d be randomly decided which side you’d play with for each match.

I have fond memories of going with a friend who built a pair of decks around, as he called it, the ‘Jawa Rape Van’. Mobs of cheap jawas rolling around inside the bowels of a Sandcrawler, with the door closed to make it nighttime inside, a security droid to buff all the cheapo Jawas up crazily and a suction tube. When it got going, you’d roll into a spot, target the weakest dude your opponent had down, and then suck them up into the hold and mob them with 6 or 7 Jawas. He actually nearly won the tournament with those decks which was pretty amusing.

But yeah, not much happening for me in collectable card games now. It's why I like fixed deck stuff.

@trjn: I think that a whole game built around drafting is something that's really hard to do well. 7 Wonders works because it's very simple. It's a multi-player game where the drafting *is* the game. Most other stuff you draft cards in a group then play a tournament.

I played… nothing.

But I spent 5 hours sleeving cards last night (was up until 3am) so I guess that counts.

There's still time!

And @trjn

I will play Ticket to Ride on Steam with you right now so you can say you played a board game on Tabletop Day if you want.

Fudging wheelie skellingtons. If that boss battle was like the regular areas I’d only have to deal with wheelie skellingtons by now, that's how many times I’ve attempted it. So cross with myself for having terrible hand/eye co-ordination,

I know it's the previous game, but this comes to mind.

Oh man,I so very much needed that laugh! 😀

Hahaha, awesome!

Lost it at: "Wheel Skeletons can now perform the "WELL WHAT IS IT" gesture"

Strangely (hi @strange) enough, I had my best run (and victory) at that boss when I did the wheelies first. Don't ask me why.

Aurealis Awards

Oh well, never mind.

Actually, I’m a little surprised at how disappointed I am. I guess it’ll pass.

Look on the bright side, you were nominated for an award, and you got to spend the night chilling with other cool nominees!

That's not actually what happened tonight, but the rest is true enough.

There's still time! Get some board games going at the afterparty and become the true winner of the night by crushing all who stand before you.

Damn, I should have done this. Alas, I am home now.

This is why everyone should carry an emergency copy of Hive Pocket.

@liondrive

https://www.dropbox.com/s/nqmskr96hvkuvv2/2014-04-05%2017.15.45.jpg

At least that's one thing that went well tonight. Thanks, man.

:’)Such a stunner! You may not have win an awatd, but you won my heart! 😉Sober me will commit in the morning 😉

Very nice! 🙂Shame about the award, but at least you would have turned a few heads 😉You have my fashion seal of approval 😀

Drunk and sober. That's a ringing endorsement. Thanks again. I’ll be breaking out that look again many a time, I’m sure 🙂

Saw the results on a thing.

Hard luck. man, but a nomination is a pretty good feather in the cap, and puts your next work on the radar pretty seriously for consideration.

ALso, you might know: How did :exicon (which I haven't read) get nominated in the SF and the Fantasy category?

I’m going to take a wild guess and say "because speculative fiction".

It doesn't really fit cleanly into either. There were heaps of cross-genre nominations. One girl won two awards for one book. Kind of weird if you ask me.

Though I’m glad it won. It was a pretty cool book.

Well, on the plus side… not everyone can win. But what being there means is that these are your peers.You are in the same league as the best. Which is not just ‘something’. It's a BIG something.

I just finished reading it (Lexicon) last night, damn glad I did. Couldn't put it down actually and I’m a little sorry I let it linger on the shelf.

Better luck next time for your own efforts though, congrats on getting there at the very least. 🙂

I know you’re disappointed. It's fine, that's normal but there are people who go their entire writing careers without being nominated. This nomination is a massive boon for you and you should be so proud of yourself. Everyone on Tay is.

Thanks, You’re right of course, but emotionally I’d rather just blame @alexpants

But remember, everyone on here is bloody damn well proud of you and has your back.I remember just reading a summary of one of your ideas and I was freaking addicted.Please make sure you remember what an achievement this is, just being nominated. And if blaming @alexpants helps, do ahead and do it. =P

FFX Trophy Whoring:

Yessss! I managed to complete the Chaser Chocobo race earlier but since I forgot to grab the Sun Crest it's now blocked by Dark Bahamut… shit

Just did the lightning strikes and got my first Celestial Weapon woop woop!

Later: butterfliessss

I also started capturing creatures which makes backtracking reasonably more fun.

…now where am I going to find time for X-2 😛

@jimu

(too lazy to type again on Twitter)

Hi

What’yre you doing errreeee

@dc

you… did the lightning strikes?

you crazy greenman

There's this one spot that lightning strikes consistently so it wasn't too bad! Just tedious D:

Me too~! Using @greenius trix

"Previously, on TV show…"God dammit, I don't need to see this. I know what happened, I just marathoned a season in a day. (Getting bed-rest – am sickly and weak.) Trust me, I KNOW what happened previously, OK?

Most of the time I still watch them, even if they give away plot points. Oh, that minor character's scene is shown? I guess they’re important in this episode.

Sometimes I’ll even watch the "Next time on…" even though there's like 6 more seasons right infront of me 😛

Some DVD collections have an option to show that or not. There are even ones that let me skip the opening title because you are going to hate that noise by the time you get to season seven.

Single ladies, I can't hear tall, singles ladies, make noise!!! Love did club!!! Love you peeps!!! Not as drink as usuals, but still tipsy!!! :#

I’ve thrown up seven times. My chest hurts.

and that, boys and girls, is just one part of the reason I no longer drink alcohol! Hope you feel better soon sire!

I don't drink. Glad I am not alone!

🙂 The randomness of my migraines is the main reason. sometimes I can drink a 6 pack and feel fine, other times I’ll have 1 beer and be sick for days 😐

4 years working night shift on weekends was enough to stop me from drinking. That and my vomiting phobia.

I think the night I drank 1/2 a bottle of Jim Beam Black Label straight from the bottle in 20 mins was the beginning of the end for me. To this day, I still can't smell bourbon without wanting to puke!

Well, I saw a lot of stuff, including people who didn't wear their clothes probably because they were too drunk to understand clothes.

Well your first problem was touching that rank shit Jim Beam 😛

Look at this party animal!

This is where you need my mates home made alcohol, holy shit. That stuff does not leave you hung over or wreck you.. Which is a really really bad thing, but so good.

Sounds like you had a good night then! 😛

You know it! Good times had by all!

Saw the photos – it looked pretty great.

How was the party, man? Really sad I missed it.

(Also, apologies in advance if you or @freezespreston catch this thing. Three days in and the hardened green/white stuff is clogging me up pretty hardcore. I’m probably going to have to take a sick day.)oh crumbs, and the freezeling. 🙁

The party was great, man. Sughly, Dan and I were the only TAYbies there, but it was an awesome atmosphere and a whole lot of fun. Mrs. Freeze went all out. Free booze. Catering staff. DJ. Was amazing. Cake shaped like a NES, man. A NES. Good meeting Freeze's brother too. We all got pretty damn wrecked, my friend. Apparently someone was hitting on me and I was completely oblivious. XD

Hope you feel better, man!

Thought I’d check out the Justice League cartoon, see how that handles.Half a dozen eps in and it's pretty damn terrible, though.

Mostly just thanks to lazy writers, far as I can see. Hideous, glaring inconsistency everywhere. In powers, personalities, and circumstances. All the hallmarks of phoned-in kids’ show writing. And that's not even mentioning the DC-specific lore-bending and power-bending going on.

Such as: it's no fun if Superman is invincible and super-strong, so let's have him knocked around like a rag-doll by every bad guy encountered to show how serious a threat they are, until the last act when there's dozens or hundreds more of them and Supes can cut through them like butter. Oh, and let's make him able to be physically shackled in restraints which another character will break with physical strength later. Guys. I get that writing around a walking Deus Ex Machina is difficult, but that's what you signed on for. Maybe work with it and let it influence some interesting stories instead of treating it as a nuisance to be selectively ignored.

But I could forgive some licence with powers and crap if it wasn't just so damn inconsistent. What was ineffective at the start of the episode becomes effective at the end, and vice-versa. Positioning of the players or their resources is never kept track of, and the heroes all recovering from highly specialized strokes that cause them to randomly forget they have powers, for the sake of drama. It's writing done wrong, and I can only put it down to laziness.

Kids shows ARE actually capable of being smart and maintaining some consistency in their worlds. But these writers? It's like they were given some plot points that they had to hit, and no direction on how to connect them or make it believable. Every kids-show writer should get hit over the head with a boxed-set of Avatar or something until the idea of treating your world and characters with some respect for verisimilitude sinks in via osmosis.

A hell of a lot of kids TV has always had a "Fuck it, that’ll do" mentality, sadly the notably good ones were the ones where they viewed their audience as a kind of level 1 adult rather than as dumb kids. Write for people with low XP and not assume the audience is stupid and the end product will be a lot better. Sod it, don't watch kids shows kids, watch young adult shows. Also Pinky & The Brain

Even if they don't provide consistency across a series, internal consistency within one episode should be the minimum they should strive for. Obviously series consistency should be important too, without it we could have had "Oh this is the STTNG episode where Captain Picard says Fuck it, photon torpedoes solve everything!", even if consistent within the one show it just doesn't seem very Picardy to me

That was kind of what Lauren Faust, the writer of the new My little pony, was going for. Kids can understand complex story lines. Even girls. The whole point was to not underestimate children.Then of course the guy took over and made it all "Every girl wants to be a princess!"

Fuck vitamin d, why do humans need sunlight anyway? It's not like we "evolved" in the outdoors or anything, we were obviously created in place by god inside a climate controlled environment, why else would it feel so much better? My xbox, playstation, TV and gaming pc are all inside, explain that with your precious science, atheists!

Instead I’m sitting outside using wifi on a tablet like some kind of barbarian because my blood test said I was low on vitamin d, it's not the boss of me! Seriously, there's a spider out here and this screen is so reflective I see more of me squinting than I see of the keyboard!

You’d think they’d find some way to get TVs to emit Vitamin D. WHY IS THIS NOT A THING >:(

Or at least have it stimulated by controller vibration or something…

Oh then again, humans already have another feature stimulated by vibration, might get confusing now that I think of it.

I spend all my waking hours under the cold, fluorescent warm, familial glow of screens.

Hasn't your hair gone blue? That might not be the best endorsement ever…

If the whole "being able to see the screen in the glare of the sun" thing wasn't an issue I’d totally spend more time outside, if only to escape the air conditioning.

Well, that and the bit where you’d have to move the PC outside. Bit of a hassle.

simple, bare feet in sun, rest of you inside.

Only problem there is I’d need holes in the wall and then spiders could get in when my feet aren't filling the holes up

doors? You can close them.

Doors? What futuristic sci-fi world are you living in??

A house built in the 1930s?

I don't know how to begin this. I have spoilered it for wall of text and for emotions.For some reason, I can't differentiate hunger, the sensation of eating too much, the need to take a shit, or nervousness. It's all the same feeling to me.I have had a perpetual stomach-ache for the last three weeks. I can't tell whether it has been caused by stress, or some kind of stomach-bug. It's probably a combination of both.

I have also had plans to go into the city as part of some "exercising my independence" thing. These plans have been delayed time and time again, due to pre-existing engagements and weather. Today, I finally could go to the city without those barriers.

I was feeling a bit ill, but I chalked it up to nervousness and caught the bus to the train station. The bus ride wasn't especially pleasant, but I chalked it up to nervousness again. I arrived at the train station, and after waiting quite some time for it to arrive, I was on a train traveling at 110km/h.

The sensation whilst I was on the pain was one of horrible pain and fear. Despite the city train station being 3 stops away, I got off at the nearest station. I hung around at the station, not knowing what to do, before deciding I should catch a bus home.

The wait for the bus stop took about twenty minutes, and my brain decided it was a prime time for self-introspection.

I still can't figure out whether all this was caused by my pre-existing stomach problems, or my anxiety at going to the city alone. Part of me is really angry at myself for being so anxious at something as ordinary as going to the city alone. All I know is that I am not in a good place right now. My stress is overwhelming, my stomach want to kill me, and I am terrified by the prospect of perfectly normal things. Hell, I used to catch the bus+train alone as part of my daily routine four years ago.

I keep telling myself I have no time to do things. I don't spend any more time on homework/revision than I did last year, and yet my mind thinks time is shorter. I haven't been playing anywhere near as much video games as I once did, and that was my primary stress reliever for years.I suppose time it technically shorter because I wasn't here up until December, and I spend a lot of time here.EDIT: I forgot the spoiler tags

Do you see someone for your anxiety? Anxiety can cause severe stomach aches and upset stomachs

Okay first up; stomach ache for 3 weeks means go to a doctor. Even if it is entirely stress related, that's way too long.

There's an understandable degree of trepidation doing things like this when you’re not used to it but you made that much progress so you’ve started and that's one of the hardest things out of the way. Maybe a tactic you could try is planning to take the exact same route you just did, this time intending to get off at the first stop instead of just jumping off there impulsively. Nip to the nearest shop, get a drink then get the bus home and it’ll be a bit more of a planned trip which will feel like a success. Maybe the time after try the second station and see how you go there. Think of it like Dark Souls, no need to try and take on the Taurus Demon as soon as possible, he’ll wait, grind a bit and boost your stats first.

But yeah, doctor, definitely. Stress is downplayed way too much as a health issue and can do nasty stuff if you ignore it too long.

Oh, and as you get older, you’ll notice time whizzing right by, as well. Because when you’re like… five, a year is this crazy long period of time, like… a fifth of your entire life to date. When you’re thirty, it's a blip. Like… "Holy crap, have I really been in this job for 7 years already? How the hell did that happen?"

is there anyway I can contact you outside of Tay, like on steam or something?

Yes, I have a steam account. It's Phlanispo.

I’m scree06

Maybe restrict TAY to particular days or particular hours?Allows more time for other things but still provides an outlet.

That doesn't really solve any of your other issues though.

ALL RIGHT.

I’m back on the horse. Currently writing a co-op/invasion Dark Souls 2 song to go into the musical, to the tune of "Someone Saved My Life Tonight". A delicious challenge, and a complex rhyming scheme to conform to.

I predict a return to your regularly scheduled Shane in time for the next TAY.

That is all. Carry on.

PS: My Kickstarter is going live at midnight.

Glad to have you back. =D

So I just watched the Buffy Movie, and we’ve hit that point where I’m not sure how much of it is comedy, and how much of it is just "90s."

I mean, the comedically bad hair is 90s, and guyface's death scene is comedy.

But the hissing? The makeup? The vampires in general? The fight scenes? I feel like they’re up in the air.

SOMEONE TOOK MY LIFE TONIGHT(to the tune of Elton John's Someone Saved My Life Tonight)

When I think of that Drangelic Fort, and the sortOf nasty monsters in that stone wrought hellUsed my final effigy, I needed some helpGoing through it with assistance, started really wellAnd just one more step, and it happened: LOOK OUT NOWAllies started fallingMy friends out there writhing around upon the ground…

Someone took my life tonight (reddish glow)They sunk their sword deep into me (don't you know?)They started with a poison cloudPyromancy, a big greatswordAll that damn lagging made me slowYou’re invincibleOverpowered, level highFree to kill, words to my eye:You Died.

I never realised the passing hours, the poison showersInvaders attacking in my darkest dreamsSlaughtered by the Blood Brotherhood teamGot no chance, my blood pours out in its violent streamsIt's four o clock in the morning, damn it,Been dying for hoursI’m fighting by myself tonightInvasion time, the gods are laughing as once again I die..

Someone took my life tonight (reddish glow)They sunk their sword deep into me (don't you know?)They started with a poison cloudPyromancy, a big greatswordAll that damn lagging made me slowYou’re invincibleOverpowered, level highFree to kill, words to my eye:You Died.

And I would have walked head-on into yet another ambushClinging to these mortal bondsAs my HP declines foreverBells ring in the distance, death knells to take me homeBut then, someone saved my life tonightSomeone saved my life tonightSomeone saved my life tonightSomeone saved my life tonightSomeone saved my life tonightThe summon came and killed my foe, I’m not alone

So someone saved my life tonight (praise the sun!)Almost lost humanity (was nearly done)You nearly saw me fall againBonfire-bound, the world respawned,And hollowed just a little more…You’re a Sunbro too,And Sunbros are all great like youVictory, task complete,Bye bye

Oh man, forgot to dedicate it to @transientmind, the resident PvPer of us (as far as I know, anyway)

Nah, was just unlucky enough to be in a PVP-heavy level bracket, lucky enough that almost all invaders repeatedly fell for my cheap, cheap, dirty, low-down tricks and/or ganging-up. 😛 I’ll be doing my platinum run offline.

Kill la Kill episode 13-Ragyo Kiryuin has freaking raibow hair. I just thought I’d remind you of that. -Wait, I thought Satsuki was working against her mother? Oh wait, she is. And her mother is working against her too? Do they both plan to betray each other?-The scene where Ragyo was admiring Satsuki Kamui was… creepy beyond measure. Bad touch!-So Ragyo plans to conquer Japan to improve market share of her clothing company? Okay.-I love the weird pseudo-philosophy they delve into in regards to clothing."Clothing is sin!""No, clothing is the world!, the grand will that binds the heavens, the earth, and mankind, covering all!"-"It boggles the mind that you managed to make it to high school.""It's my mind that's boggled!"-I did not see the plot twist about how Shinjiro Nagita was Nui Harime in disguise-Wait, Nui beat Ryoko? Holy shit, Nui beat Ryoko. Nui beat Ryoko-Did they really need to show the scene of Senketsu *dying* four times?

Holy shit.Begone, crappy music!

Geez, sorry, man, I’ll put the song in spoiler tags 😛

OK, so Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls + latest patch is actually a pretty cool guy. I’ve changed my mind.

I was staunchly against D3 when it came out – felt swindled by the impact of always-online on character rubber-banding and loot/attack lag, plus the horrible nagging for you to get into multiplayer with it always turning on general chat, etc. Auction House, terrible loot balancing which drove you to the auction house, weak difficulty scaling such that your only options were to suffer through playing the entire fucking game through like… at least TWICE before you could encounter any kind of gameplay that WASN’T just, "Walk into room, drop tactical-wizard-nuke, pick up gold, move to next room."

But I gave it a bit of a whirl this weekend with all the changes… it's more single-player friendly, there must be Aussie servers because I was getting 30’ish ping instead of 200, and the change to the loot table and options for boosting difficulty just all come together to make it really feel like a revamped, polished version of Diablo 2, with new features and improvements (like Adventure mode). Almost like what a sequel is supposed to do! Yeah, it actually kinda feels like a sequel to Diablo 2, now. Diablo 3, even!Which, y’know… duh? But honestly, in its original incarnation, it did not feel like a spiritual sequel. It felt like a different (worse) game which borrowed elements from the original but otherwise bought into the publisher-driven forced online/forced social fad.

I am turned around, my mind is changed. Blizz, you done OK.They should have made it like this from the start, but in this case I guess later is better than never.

Offline mode and I’m there. They’re so close now with all the other decisions they’ve implemented lately.

T-minus 20 minutes.*excited*

Hmm. More response messages from the ex. Really not sure what to make of them exactly. And probably too tired to formulate a response right now.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/shanewsmith/all-the-kings-men-300-page-anthology

Night all!

Lookin’ a little blurry there 😛 Video was good though, it felt convincing.

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