Star Trek Online – just when productivity was about to happen
Just as productivity was about to increase, here comes, Star Trek Online.
The open beta convinced me to play the game. Of course there are hiccups and weird lag issues that anyone would expect from a beta. What made me decide this was the space shooter MMO for me? When I flew into Wolf 359 and observed the wreckage and the memorial.
I knew they got it. the developers know that the back story for this game is as rich as anything every created. It is bigger and more complicated than almost any other science fiction story ever created.
One of my earliest memories of television was watching late night reruns of star trek with my parents when I could not sleep. This is an MMO that feels like home. If you are over 35 and have seen all episodes of all of the star trek series and you have ever played and MMO, you will be playing this game eventually. You don’t have to wait. Go ahead and jump in the pool. The water’s fine.
Windows 7, Frame Rate increase
One noted benefit from upgrading my laptop from vista to windows 7 is an increase of 20 fps. My NVIDIA GeForce 8400M went from 36 FPS in bench market to 59 FPS after the upgrade. I had the latest drivers before and no other changes were made. Perhaps the drives for windows 7 are just better or maybe the OS is getting out-of-the-way. I don’t care. It is better and WoW looks better.
Note: Benchmark using Video Card Stability Test from The Freestone Group
Windows 7 Family 3-Packs
This is not a review of Windows 7. There are plenty of those. I am a gamer, and Vista is awful for gamers, and everyone else. I am just happy that Microsoft finally decided to do what Apple has done for years. Giving me a multiple license upgrade for a “reasonable” price. I think it should have been a 5-pack for $150 but a 3 pack for $150 is better than the old options.
I have upgraded most of my machines now, and had to pave my gaming systems since they were vista ultimate and I was “downgrading” to Home Premium, but gaming machines need to be wipe and reloaded every so often anyway. That aside, I wish I could have upgraded to 64-bit from 32-bit with the upgrade, but I am still satisfied with everything working.
ATT 3G Microcell
I have to admit that I am not like other people. Most people would change phone companies, or continuously register complaints about poor coverage, but after 15 years of dropped calls and delayed text messages in my own house, spending $150 to make that never happen again is an easy choice.
The 3G Microcell is finally available in my area, if you have an iPhone and have spotty coverage in your house and you have a good internet connection, you want this.
Setup was pretty straightforward. Took about 90 minutes from when I plugged it in until it was working. Just as the documentation said it would.
There is a deal with unlimited calling for $30 a month that will give you $100 back for purchasing, but I have enough minutes. I just do not want to miss a text or email again in my house.
Eternal Emperor Short Stories – An homage to Hammer’s Slammers
The once completed and pretty much unreadable eternal emperor novel I wrote 4 years ago is still locked safely away where no one can read it. My writing and editing is much better these days and will presumably only get better.
Rather than go and rewrite a novel that I have written at least 4 times in the past 2 decades, I chose to do something different. I was reading David Drake’s Hammer’s Slammers collection recently and it struck me that I should just rewrite the story as a series of short stories in a style of Drake. Why write a long novel about a 6 events and leave the reader asking why you did it, when I could write 6 short stories in the style of Hammer’s Slammers and get the back story out-of-the-way.
The choice to create the “Arrested Development Collection” seems so natural once I realized that Drake was the author that inspired these stories in the first place. I love Military Science Fiction. When you read this collection I think you will see the Hammer’s Slammers style in these stories, and I am happy if you find it enjoyable.
I will be posting the stories when the editing completes. Once it is all done I will post another version with the entire collection.
Fallen Earth – The MMO for after the fall of society
My son points out to me that most of my writing is not post apocalyptic, but is rather apocalyptic. So what about all those nifty stories that can take place after everyone else is gone? Well, I will leave that to Fallout games and now Fallen Earth.
I played the beta when the Non-Disclosure Agreement was up and rather than suddenly talk about this game when the NDA was lifted I chose to wait for the release. Not because of any problems, but mostly because I am lazy. I wanted to see what the game was going to be at launch.
What is Fallen Earth? You are a clone wandering around the Grand Canyon after a virus and nuclear weapons have wiped out the rest of the planet. If riding a horse and shooting a rifle while scavenging for metal to make you own ammo sounds like something you want to do in your spare time, this game is for you.
What makes FE different? It is a 3rd person view but combat requires you to aim. Your ability to hit what you are aiming at is determined by you skills, but the fact that you have to aim makes combat a more complicated version of the normal MMO shin kicking affair we are all used to.
The company that spent 6 years making this game is small, less than 100 people, and they have their sights set on a more eve online like model for growth. They know they will not be WoW, and are able to be profitable with just 20,000 or so users as opposed to Warhammer Online that seems to be a failure at a million subscribers.
I would write more, but I have to go gather some copper, my revolver needs some ammo.
NASCAR is in town, there must be a chance of rain.
With the first night race in Atlanta approaching, there is only one thing for certain on Sunday night. That would be a chance of a rain delay. I am starting to see these rain delays and rescheduling of races as a nice reminder of how out of control the real world is.
In our world we sit around happily in control of our lives and our environment, happily ignoring the things we have no control of. When it comes to racing the multi-million dollar operation that is a weekly televised race is as subject to the whims of the weather as any ancient hunter on the great plains. We are forced to live at the whims of nature.
I know other sporting events must do the same but really, who watches baseball. And football only stops the game when there is lightning. Something about not wanting to see millionaires being lightning rods on live TV.
So, when it comes to Sunday night and I settle back in my recliner ready to watch the first night race I will be ready for the hours of banter and explanations of how long it takes to dry the track. Even the 10 minute discussion about how the track dryers use jet engines and make the track slick due to the residue from the jet fuel. It is just part of being a race fan.
And oh, it is a 20% chance of rain right now.
NASCAR – Racing in the rain – Montreal PTSS
I have long been a proponent for NASCAR racing in the rain. Ask anyone that has been unfortunate enough to be around me when it starts to rain at a race. I am ready to admit I was wrong. There is no need to put on rain tires and a windshield wiper to have $100,000 racing cars smash into each other. It is not good racing, it is just luck. While it might be fun for a demolition derby fan that was a horrible end to a race, Sunday.
The drivers and fans would have been better served by a 1 hour delay and drying the track than to have the wreck fest ensue. I am sure Carl Edwards would differ, since he won, but he might be the only one.
Racing in the rain is something that Formula One does well, but even they have silliness when they have to put on the rain tires.
NASCAR is about drivers and pit crews doing their best with equal equipment. The wet race track just adds too much randomness to the racing. It gave the ESPN folks a story line to discuss all day. I am sure they are happy for that. Actually having to know something about racing is too hard for that crew, so they really come alive when they have some controversy to talk about. In this case, “Would NASCAR use the rain tires?”
NASCAR big wigs, ignore folks like myself when they say they want to see the racing no matter what. You should have ended the race or at least delayed it for track drying. We fans have no idea what we are talking about.
Football Fan Free Agency Is over. Falcons win.
I am not too proud to admit that I have been lured back into following my home team. The Dolphins could not match showing up at Brookwood High School and putting on an exhibition match. The Falcons have won with a little home town support. It also helps that they have a good, QB and the best Tight End in the game. The defense is more solid than ever and they have a real shot. So long as the Falcons do not make a silly move picking up another Vick like character and then making excuses for his bad behavior, they have my support. I know Arthur was holding his breath. He can go back to work now. My decision is made.
The move to WordPress just gets better
I am happy to find the the wordpress folks went ahead and pointed out how to use google apps for mail. I would have thought of it eventually, but they went ahead and listed the instructions. Though I will admit the majority of the mail I get to the domain is spam offering to help me increase site traffic. Not a reason the spend any real time or money on mail for the domain, but free and easy. I will take that any day.
