World Domination

Well, that was either the worst or the best secret message container I've ever seen. I can't decide which.

Heavy Rain is a game that makes me wish I had a PS3. It is being created by the same people that did Indigo Prophecy, which I greatly enjoyed.

The game follows four people as they try to track down the origami killer and stop whoever it is. The developers take a fairly cinematic approach to it, giving you varied emotional response type dialog choices along the way. If one of the four main characters is killed, the story actually continues without them. You just play the parts of those who are left at that point.

I know I won't get a PS3 just for this game, but one day, if I ever do decide to break down and buy one, it is a game I will get, along with Uncharted, Infamous, God of War, and a few others that are only on PS3.

These days, I am playing both Dragon Age and Mass Effect 2, alternately. Both are enjoyable. I was very happy when I recruited Archangel. He gets a spot on the team, no matter what. I keep flip-flopping on whether to take Dr. Mordin or Miranda for the other spot. I usually choose my party based on how cool or amusing they are, as opposed to how useful they are. Miranda hasn't impressed me much yet, but she seems like the person to take as a renegade. I'll probably just take the scientist, Dr. Mordin, because he's more amusing.

For Dragon Age, I filled out my team with Morrigan (the witch of the wild voiced by Claudia Black) and Zevran (the assassin who sounds like Antonio Banderas, but isn't). They form team evil, along with Alistair, the token good guy. Dialog between the characters is much more interesting when one of them is constantly complaining about how evil we act. You have to take the token good guy for that reason alone.

Serendipity Station has a crew now. I am pleased to be part of it. I am also pleased that gower and I shall be playing in the same game together. We run games together all the time, but very rarely are players at the same time.

Now begins the time to start figuring out how my character knows various others on the station. Since I am playing the local PI, I think I shall need to talk to shadowravyn as the local security to find out how well we get along with each other. There are numerous others to talk to as well, but that one seems key.

Otherwise, I am now part of Google Wave, thanks to elenuial, so I guess I'll start figuring out what that is all about. I also apparently have some invites I can dole out. If anyone has some advice about Google Wave and what one does with it, I will take some. It seems interesting, what little I've looked at so far.

What I have tried so far was to upload the photo I used for Facebook to use as an icon and Google Wave couldn't quite handle it. It would only display it sideways, so I used a photo of Syler instead.

That does remind me. If anyone is bringing a camera to the next Strange Boston game, I'd love to get a picture of myself dressed as Sebastian, one with claws and one without. I like the look and think I'd like to use it for my icon instead.

Today has been a fairly pleasant day off. My brother and I have started playing Borderlands, a co-op shooter/rpg set in a wasteland. So far, I'm enjoying it. I'm playing the hunter class, so I'm focusing on sniper rifles, upgrading the skills that give me more damage and less rifle sway after shots.

Left 4 Dead 2 is great fun. So far, I like the sniper rifle/katana combo for weapons, which gives nice long range single shot kills, with the katana as backup for close range stuff.

Otherwise, Story Wars is full. It filled quickly.

My decisions on games have bounced around a bit, but I think I have my final schedule of games for Intercon.

Friday night - Run Story Wars

Saturday morning - Limbo - I was considering 36 Degrees, but it filled while I was still waffling about it. So, it's either Limbo or playing Collisiion Imminent for a 3rd time. While I've never actually played Mary Celeste, I have run the game 7 times, so playing it doesn't hold as much interest to me.

Saturday afternoon - I have decided on Fuzzies after hearing that someone else is playing it. I was looking for an excuse to pick something. I had also been considering Sound of Drums and had briefly signed up for it at one point, but I'm just not sure I want to listen to other people banging drums. If the game was running on its own or the last game of the weekend, I might not care as much, but I'm not sure I want to risk a possible headache from drums for the rest of the con.

Saturday night - still Leash

Sunday morning - 10 Bad Larps

The 360 has added twitter and facebook to its features. I've never explored either before. Twitter, I've never explored mostly because I don't really use my phone all that often and it seemed like it would be pointless without. But maybe I'll take a look at it and read stuff on my 360. Perhaps the random stuff people have to say will amuse me. Or it will bore me to tears and I'll be forced to blame all of you for doing that to me. Yes, you in the back. I've got my eye on you.

Otherwise, Story Wars seems to be close to full now and final signups haven't quite opened yet. We've got 1 male slot open, 5 female slots open, and 1 neutral. I'm not expecting that to last long once final signups open.

By brother and I ended up playing some Left 4 Dead last night.  He tragically died at one point.  The characters you play often make their own comments about things like bemoaning the loss if their friend or stuff they see.    In this case, my character made the comment of "Oh God, not - hey first aid kit!"  Finding her dead friend's first aid kit was obviously much more important than his death.

It kind of stopped the game cold at that point as he swallowed his soda down the wrong tube and had to gurgle all the rest onto the floor as he tried to laugh and drink at the same time.  It was tragic.  It was hilarious.  It was tragically hilarious.

Otherwise, computer controlled characters often produce wacky hijinks. This time, our favorite drug addict, Luis, whom we often hear finding pills and immediately swallowing them to the words of "popping pills," - he got extra twitchy and started pointing guns at us, while in the safe room.  He even started firing random bullets for no apparent reason.  He's the worst computer controlled teammate we ever had and I'm going to miss him in the sequel.  We could always count on him to make the game more fun.