Happy Stick-It-To-The-Brits Day!

Random chatlog picture we'll call "DBZ and Porn."

That's all I have to say.

Galb apparently sneaking in the shell quietly:

I bought a Thalassocrat for my Dragoon.
I love the way it looks with my armor.



Garlaige Citadel coffer key hunting for my Monk:



Liabelle and the NPC Luto have a serious conversation.
Draconum pretends to listen and wears a funny hat.

My long-time friend Elminster has led a social Linkshell for quite some time now. He has extended his reach into leadership of a Dynamis Linkshell called TheDarkTower. Having left SpiritsofEvolution behind early this year, I decided to join up with Elmo's crew. Sodako, Galbatorix, and Saruka have all followed suit and bring our distinct Solonavi 'spice' to the soup of Dynamis. Below are a few shots of random death, dancing, and the dire consequences of talking about human anatomy in an LS of serious business.

The new /dance4 animation is a big hit with the 'Navi boys.

We wipe. But still we dance.



Related, but possibly confusing so a bit of background: A couple of the LS members aren't big fans of yours truly and my brand of humor. Leaving the names in the pic 'cause I don't enjoy whiners and also I'm too lazy to shoop it.
It should be noted that I have no idea what this Bellbottom guy was talking about as far as me "making fun of people" or complaining in any way. We goof around in shell and this kid comes outta nowhere sending me /tell chat about why I'm mistaken for being gay. Reading comprehension isn't strong this day and age, I suppose. Mooooving on.



That's all for today. Hope everyone has or had a fun and safe Fourth of July weekend. Until next time~

In Your Grotto, Filleting Your Fish.

First order of business:

What goes around, comes around.

Meeting up with Galb for some murderous action:

I can make Light Skillchains with my NPC now.

It's difficult to take myself seriously.
So I don't.

Traveling in style:

Draconum's MO:
Lure Mithra into his home, then make them dance.

Found fellow blogger Ringthree leveling... Black Mage, of all things:

Lots of Sahagin beatings:

Including Novv the Whitehearted, who drops a Bard coat for Popstar:

Dancer soloing (with LS buddies helping so I'd get done faster):

And that, ladies and germs, is June in Pictures. A little leveling, a little NM-slaying, and a few Moogle Staring Contests to get me through another calendar month. July is on the horizon, with many changes in life abuzz. Until next time~

Back In The Saddle.

Back again! I decided to delve back into Vana'diel for some more entertainment after my work days. It just so happened that the Adventurer Appreciation event was going again. Along with that, an Anniversary Ring was being given out this year, as it was in 2007. Now, these lying little Moogles told me last year that the Anniversary Ring was a once-only gift and yet, here it was. The ring itself is a great item that gives 30,000 bonus EXP during the course of its ten uses/charges.

Well, I had planned to use my "Annie" ring on jobs I didn't like, so that when I tried to level something and needed it over with quicker, I could turn to the bonus. I had used only one charge in the past year, and so the time came to burn the rest. See, I can't acquire a second ring without trashing the first one. After not being in FFXI for a while, this is quite the "head first" approach to getting back in the saddle.

The decision first came to play Bard. With limited playtime, Bard was most assured to get EXP party invites and create good parties where I could gain the necessary points as efficiently as possible. It just so happened that Galbatorix's Paladin, Sodako's Thief, and Djohn's White Mage were all within range. Thus, we headed out and got my Bard from level 69 to level 71 in merely a couple nights. Very nice gain considering the levels are so long.

I died... a couple times.

There was rejoicing to be had, however.
We did a little dance, made a little death.
And got 71BRD tonight.

Sodako rubs in my third death of the evening.

I used a charge of the ring on my Dancer, trying to get it up a bit closer to 37 so it is a finished subjob and I can turn toward more important issues. I grew tired of this, but I did get to 33 before it was over. Luckily Dancer can solo pretty well if you choose the correct targets.




Next up, when the boys weren't all present, was Monk. I used the Anniversary Ring to get from 47 to almost 51. At 50 Monk's bread-and-butter subjob, Warrior, provides Double Attack. DA is easily one of melee's best abilities and makes Monk even more lethal. At 51 Monk gets yet another damage-related trait: Kick Attacks. This will be enhanced by the Kung Fu Shoes I purchased (for quite the pretty penny).


During this party, I met a Tarutaru Paladin named Chiisai. Apparently this was Chiisai's first job that wasn't a mage. I must say for the record that she did an amazing job tanking this party, and we'd never have gained anywhere near as much XP as we did if she hadn't been rock-solid. Not only that, but she was also a riot to play with, making things quite enjoyable. Kudos from one Paladin to another, Chiisai!


I completed Monk's Artifact armor quests handily, save the Garlaige Citadel coffer (holding my headpiece). Most of Monk's AF is unremarkable, as it simply attempts to accentuate Monk's all-around nature. A few pieces will be "macro" gear, which is to say I will keep them on-hand to use for Job Abilities like Chakra and Dodge. The body piece is actually fairly good except I already own a better alternative, the Scorpion Harness.

Djohn's return to FFXI was welcomed, and he came along for an assist in Davoi against the Orcs who held my Artifact gear.

In Castle Oztroja, I fought Huu Xalmo the Savage, which used to be considered a difficult battle back in the day. This wasn't tough other than his ridiculous HP level that took a while to chop off with just two sources of damage. Llewelyn and Sodako on the helpin' crew here:


It is nice to be back, and the time away has changed my feelings a bit toward the game. It's also promising to have old friends returning to TheSolonavi. FFXI isn't much without the people, and I've got more fun ahead of me, I'm sure. Until next time~

April... Snowshowers?

Snow? April... Why...? Oy vey.

Haven't played FFXI since I suspended in January. I haven't had much desire to return, to be quite honest. I've been very busy with life and in the free time I have, I play Xbox 360 or watch movies.

I've seen darn-near every recent movie that seems worth a view, using Netflix to keep a steady stream of new and "new-to-me" content coming. I'm a movie fan but not so much a movie critic. I know which movies I like but I can be entertained pretty easily overall. I don't tend to find a movie to be a waste of my two hours, so it's a decent way to entertain myself.

As far as my gaming goes, I did finish up Oblivion's various questlines. I got 1000/1000 on the achievement score (there's an additional 250 available via expansion pack, but I don't have that currently). I played some more of The Darkness as well but haven't finished hard mode or the side quests yet.

I bought quite a few games recently, as well. Assassin's Creed being the current favorite. I get to be (what else?) an assassin running around with various stealthy tools of the trade, helping citizens and abolishing corruption where I can. The developer, UbiSoft, really likes their acrobatic protagonists. Prince of Persia, the TMNT movie-game, and now Altair in Assassin's Creed are all able to run up or along walls, swing on poles, make hair-raising leaps of faith, dash across various obstacles and platforms, and so forth. Creed has a fun crowd system in the towns, which makes the environment all that more dynamic and realistic. I have to blend in to the crowd as best I can in order to avoid the attention of my target and/or the authorities. There are plenty of abilities and maneuvers to accomplish your tasks as stylishly as you can manage. The argument could certainly be made that Assassin's Creed is repetitive in its methods, with its similar goals and progression in each town you come across. However, I enjoy this type of game (Tenchu being one of my favorite series, and they share similarities). It keeps me entertained.

I also picked up The Simpsons Game which is quite funny. Played some Madden football and picked up a game I had played about a year ago, but recently found it cheap. Bullet Witch is a guilty pleasure sort of game in that I find it fun despite its obvious and glaring design flaws and some poor gameplay aspects. LEGO Star Wars II, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, and Spider-Man: Friend or Foe have been recent additions to my library for the purpose of cooperative play.

On May 1st I will be reactivating FFXI once more to visit with TheSolonavi members and see whether or not I get the desire to go whole-hog again. Time will tell.

Technology Owns.

In mid-February, I purchased a laptop. I had planned to just get a very basic computer that would suffice for maybe a year or so, until I bought an uber-PC, probably a desktop. Turns out I got far more than I had hoped for and got a pretty darn good deal on it, as well. I hadn't been this excited to buy something since back in October of 2000, when I had to wait line for midnight to arrive so I could be one of the first people in the area to own a PlayStation 2. Don't laugh; it was an important release... honest.

I spent many hours searching online, comparing specs and prices from a few manufacturers and retailers. I went with an HP Pavilion because that's what I've grown accustomed to lately. I have used a Hewlett-Packard for a little while now, and I've been somewhat impressed by the quality of the computer, for lack of a better explanation. The screen itself seemed nicer in comparison to any of the computers I've ever used. While shopping around I found that in my opinion the overall construction of the HP laptops felt... sturdier, I suppose.

I finally settled on the specific model I wanted only to find that not only was it sold out online at the main retailers, but that the local stores had none in stock either! I have worked for Best Buy in the past, so I asked a manager and former co-worker of mine to search around for me. He managed to find me the very last one in the four-state area and had it shipped to his store so I could pick it up. I was pumped, to say the least. A few days later I picked it up and bought myself a spiffy laser mouse (I hate touchpads). I didn't need an external keyboard because I have a full keyboard complete with numberpad. This was no accident.

I have a 17-inch widescreen high-definition display, which is awesome for watching video. Coupled with more RAM than I will probably ever need and a dual-core processor, I can multi-task with ease and keep the various program windows on-screen and in view at the same time. For instance, having a browser window open with other, smaller windows along the side. Not a thrilling story to tell by any means, but with me it's the little things that really matter. Spec sheets aside, having minor conveniences impresses as much as anything else.

I was somewhat disappointed to get stuck with Windows Vista, preferring that it had come with XP. However, while I think it's better to have adopted the new operating system later (when the kinks are worked out), I haven't hated it as much as I thought I would. In addition, I can and probably will be soon adding XP to the computer as well. I have it already and just need to install it. Vista is pretty to look at and in some ways I prefer some of the smaller details, but for sheer functionality and compatibility with current software, it would have been better to end up with the already-established XP. I'll live.

This laptop is adequately designed as the "entertainment PC" it claims to be. As mentioned above, the screen resolution makes for quality gaming and video display. My graphics card provides ability to finally dig into some PC games, which I have yet to explore much in my gaming career. With the hard drive space I've got (lots), I am able to store plenty of movies. I've already taken to making copies of my DVDs so I can quickly access some of my favorites without a need for the discs. My iPod enjoys the new laptop as well, with plenty of space to store and manage music. I love having music going all the time.

It came with a TV tuner card, which allows me to watch & record television right on the computer. I hadn't realized that these were even made, but it came with the machine so I was all for it. In addition, I can watch Blu-Ray movies on this laptop, and I must say that they look very nice indeed. (Go-go Blu-Ray, domination of HD-DVD all but complete!) I'm enjoying having everything at my fingertips, and games have been interesting to play with a mouse-keyboard setup as opposed to a controller like I'm accustomed to using.

Web browsing is of course the bread-and-butter of most people's computing experience, I would assume. There isn't much to tell on this front other than the ability to fit a few different windows on my screen at once so I can flip back and forth between them at will. I also like leaving my Gmail open pretty much around the clock. My laptop has a built-in webcam and microphone for communication as well. These are nice additions for keeping in touch.

I've already learned a lot and intend to keep trying out new things and getting into exactly how computers work as time goes on. Now that I have a functional tool to work with, I can experiment to my heart's content. I spent quite a bit of time researching and removing various software that had been pre-loaded on the machine. Starting from an almost-clean slate, I know what belongs and what doesn't, for the most part. I'm trying to keep a good eye on the performance and keep everything running smoothly. With a little (read: plenty of) help from my friends and some studying of my own, I've figured out quite a few new things I hadn't tried or heard of before buying this machine. It's been a lot of fun.

So far so good, 'cause I love my new laptop. It's a convergence of convenience and power, and the entertainment value is high for me. Its tech won't last me forever, but it'll bridge the gap until I care enough to go for more, and certainly will make a nice sidekick computer for use as a secondary screen or for portable purposes later, assuming I have a desktop for most of my usage.

Here are a couple pics of what the computer itself looks like. These don't show the finish on the casing, which is actually very sleek and stylish. I like it, anyhow. Sleek black with a silver inside, and backlit control panels using that cool blue LED light color. Gotta love it.

Dark Oblivion.

As Dead Rising reached closure, it was time to strike up another adventure. Delving into the game library revealed The Darkness and Oblivion, which both deserved attention. It was going to be another bolster for the ol' gamerscore as well as keep me preoccupied until some other life events took place (which may be another post).


The Darkness was a quite fun, if fairly brief, romp through gritty streets and subways. You play a mobster-type guy with a "heart o' gold" named Jackie. Just so happens that Jackie ends up endowed (possessed?) with demonic powers. Gunplay, execution-style killings, mob hits, subway travel, profanity, angry mobsters, crooked cops, family betrayal, trips to the brink of hell, and even breakdancing ensue.


This game was one of the more aesthetically pleasing I've played in a while. While not every aspect was in itself top-of-the-line, the attention to detail and truly authentic feel of the city streets was astounding. I also enjoyed the dialog for the most part. I think the voice actors did a pretty nice job, though the script was sometimes trying too hard. All in all, I had a nice time getting through The Darkness which I finished in two or three evening sessions.

The real story of the month is The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. This game isn't exactly "new" by release standards. However, I purchased the game mere days after getting my Xbox 360 over a year ago and played it for hardly an hour. At the time it didn't capture my attention, partially because I knew it was a big game and would require lots of time. I was into Gears of War heavily during that timeframe, and thus did not have time after work and before online deathmatches to squeeze in exploration-heavy RPGs.

Oblivion is the offline replacement for FFXI while I'm not online. The dungeon-crawling is rewarded often with new treasures and skill increases. Myriad options are available for your character creation, including race, facial features, birthsign, job class, and more. My character ended up being a cat-dude with statistics predisposing his style as stealthy.

Rei, as I named him, emphasizes stealth, illusory magic, and a dash of swordplay. I took the more evil route right away, being one to pick locks in order to pillage townspeople of their hard-earned assets. I joined the Dark Brotherhood, who are essentially assassins-for-hire, as well as the Thieves Guild in order to reinforce my current playstyle. Later on I can do things like fight in the Arena as a gladiator-type warrior, join the Fighters or Mages guilds for various odd jobs, then head through the main storyline.

I'm sure impending doom nefariously threatens the game world. Too bad, 'cause I'm having too much fun raiding people's houses, killing monsters, executing assassination contracts, robbing the wealthy, plundering caves and the like, and buying houses all over Cyrodiil (the setting for Oblivion). "Thieves get rich, saints get shot, and god don't answer prayers a lot." That about sums up the game so far.

February will see a FFXI reactivation, as I will need to send a borrowed item back to Supergirl (sorry I forgot, Supes). Also interesting in the gaming world is the (re)release of Rez on Xbox Live Arcade. Rez HD is well worth the ten bucks Microsoft is asking for it, and its 200 achievement points will serve as a thinly veiled excuse to play through the game yet again. I own a pristine copy for my PS2 but it never hurts having a great game in two formats.

Until next time~

Two-Thousand Eights!

That's a lot of eights. Anyhoo, January is another hiatus for ol' Draco. Taking the month off for many reasons, actually.

In my free time this month, I'll be playing Xbox 360 games more than I have been lately. I'm a bit of an achievement junkie. Much like gaining a level in FFXI, I like adding to the numbers, essentially. For anyone who isn't familiar with Achievements, it's a new concept to gaming in general. I've heard people say they love it and some say it's stupid.

Each game has its own goals and missions and so forth, but now the Xbox 360 tracks specific scores per game, and assigns your Gamertag (read: sign-in name) a Gamerscore (a number totaling your accomplishments). If you're connected to Xbox Live (an online service run by Microsoft to connect gamers to each other), other gamers can see not only which games you've played, but how much progress you've made in those games. Each retail game can reach 1000 AP, while Xbox Live Arcade downloaded games (smaller games in general) cap at 200 each. Some games are entirely single-player, while others have achievements based on multi-player.

To me, this can be cool and lame at the same time. For the less-imaginative developers, this can amount to an achievement list being mostly tasks like "Complete Level 1" and so forth. This is all well and good, but if a game is easy to finish, you can get a large numerical score for a mere few hours of just plowing through a game. Then you come to a game that is more difficult or time-consuming with a similar achievement structure, and it won't yield nearly the same points-for-time ratio. Not a glaring flaw, but noticeable.

There are games with very easy tasks that take little effort and yet give more points per task, most notably the sports games. Getting 20 rebounds (which is easy) in a basketball game might unlock a bunch of points, and you could get full points from a sports game in a short evening if you tried. Then there are games like RPGs that take quite a bit of time to do more complicated tasks for less points per task.

Then we come to the really well-done and well thought-out achievements. One of my favorite lists is that for Dead Rising. The game is a free-for-all romp around a gigantic mall, wherein you fight thousands of zombies and uncover the truth behind why said undead creeps are around at all. This game is quite non-linear, thus you can do whatever you please almost any time you please. There are few rules as to how to get through the game. The achievements are terrific in that they all equal the same number of points per task, each vary in difficulty & time, and they are a mix of game completion tasks and unique ideas that have nothing to do with the main game.

For instance, there are achievements for completing the game and solving the case, defeating enemy characters, and escorting survivors out of danger. These types of goals are achieved through normal playing. Then we come to more unique ideas, such as killing specific numbers of zombies, catching air on a motorcycle, trying on clothes in the mall, and the list goes on. There are 50 different achievements and each are worth 20AP. Casual players who pick up the game and go through it in a rental will maybe get 100 or so, while those who explore and want more points can (and must) devote a lot more time to the game.



I like this because now that games retail upward of $60, a developer can considerably increase the replay value of their creation by being clever. Some games of course have excess difficulty or time to them, such as games that require numerous complete play-throughs from beginning to end (usually in the form of "Beat the game on Normal, Hard, Very Hard, Extremely Hard" and so on). If they're not adding something new or different to each play-through other than being tougher, it's little incentive to keep going.

In recent weeks, I've finished Tomb Raider: Legend and Tenchu Z to max AP. I've gone back and played more of my older games, with about 2200 AP gain in the last couple months. No, the score itself means nothing, and it's no better than a person in FFXI who boasts multiple 75-jobs. Yes, there is some effort and skill and persistence required, but having a lot of levels or a high Gamerscore also means you've played a lot of games. That's nice and all, but at the end of the day (and later, your life) it doesn't make any difference to anyone.

Still, I've had fun watching the little "Achievement Unlocked" bubbles pop up during my games, and it has definitely increased my motivation to try out different things, both new games and new approaches to those games. I hope developers continue to be creative in all ways, and this certainly doesn't hurt if you ask me.

I need to finish up my last goal on Castlevania: Symphony of the Night which is beating the secret quest. The Darkness and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion also await this month. Should be fun.