Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Have you seen water so white...

I just came back from a trip to West Virginia (not tops on people "To Go To" list I've heard...) where yours truly went white water rafting with the fiance's bro and dad. It was a ball and a half, let me tell you...

So, after a moderately grueling 6-ish hour drive and a night camping, we showed up to the rafting...dispatch...area...thing. They provided a really nice breakfast buffet (to which I may have indulged in a smidge more than I ought...) and the three of us just hung out until it was our turn to ship out. I've never really spent this much time hanging out with Tara's family, so it was nice to finally get to know them better. Once we got on the bus, I found myself surrounded by all sorts of folk; what I would call the cream of the folk of West Virginia (the typical stereotypes are fading away the older I get...). Boisterous and gabby, everyone of them...

On the river, we were put with a guide who really was the physical stereotype of a West Virginia; accent, temperament, everything. As the day progressed, Eric (our guide) proved that a THICK accent and slight mispronunciations hid a quick wit and an intelligence that the partying country boy style contrasts with. He was quite a character, but he did know the river. I couldn't have asked for a better guide. And, as is par for the course on these kinds of trips, he graced me with the nickname 'Redbeard'. I wonder why...

The rapids were very good, though my experience is limited. I got a more than decent workout on the trip, that's for sure. Early on in the trip, a rapid knocked me out of the raft and into the river. Surprising, but I was fine. Thing is, I remember being pushed up and out of raft, but the video (yes, there is video footage of my folly...) shows me being pushed and rolled over the side. Live and learn. I do have to say that hearing my voice outside my body is still a VERY weird experience...

All in all, it was a beautiful day. I give high marks to Class VI River Runners and their program for the New River (which, I found out, is the second oldest river in the world...). The skies were clear, though it did rain after we got off the river, it wasn't too hot, the company was light and fun. It is most definitely a trip I will take again...

Friday, July 24, 2009

You know what I like...

Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord! Unfortunately, I'm not old school enough to have played it on the oldest of systems (read: pre-NES), so I cut my teeth on it during the dynasty of original NES. On the other side of the coin, I was out of loop for every sequal they ever released after the first Wizardry, so PGMO is all I've got. Regardless, it still to this day holds a special place in my heart, and here's why...



If you've never played Wizardry, here's the reader's digest version: Create a party of adventurers, fight through monsters and assorted baddies, get treasure and experience, and you do this long enough to be powerful enough to beat the end boss Werdna, thus saving the kingdom...or whatever. Too long for you? Let's put it into a recognizable phrase: It's a dungeon crawl. Period. Essentially, this game is Dungeons & Dragons for the NES (it even uses Hobbits instead of Halflings, how'd they get around that?)...

It's also one of the first of its kind, making it the granddaddy of several genres. It is a very early RPG (as far as video games are concerned), so it set the stage for games like Final Fantasy years later. It was also unique in that you travel in first-person view. While combat is turn based (much like future RPGs), you open doors, descend/ascend floors, flip switches, etc. in first person, which at the time was unheard. One of the few other games with 3D elements that I know about is super pointless and lame (can we say Fester's Quest?...). Best of all, I was just getting into D&D at the same time, so I could game with my friends (hey Brian) and then if I didn't get enough, I could go home and game some more. Sweet...



As much as I enjoy this title, I have an issue or two. If you ever play this game, be prepared to exercise ALOT of patience. Character creation is a chore in multiple ways, especially if you've gotten to the luxury of point-and-click RPGs on a computer. To maximize a character, you have to slog through the whole creation process over and over and over and...::SPLARG:: Tweaks me out just thinking about it. Once you finally have your party of six (I recommend 2 Samurai, 1 Cleric, I Thief, 1 Mage, and 1 Wizard, you make it into the dungeon. To get anywhere, you need to do some serious leveling up. This means seeing the same baddies over and over, returning to town to heal, rinse and repeat. I can't get through Floor 3 with level 6 characters, so be warned. Also, don't let anyone die. It's expensive if your party makes it back, and if they ALL die, you start all over with a new party. Blech. Now there is an option where you can go down and find your dead team and bring them back to town, but by that point, your new party should be on par with the old. Like I said, blech...

That aside, I highly enjoy PGMO (just before my party dies) and I recommend it, not only to RPG lovers, but also to you nostalgic NES fans. It's unique in that it came out during at era of Mario and Link and Samus and is still very well thought out and fun. The designers took this project seriously and it shows. If you'd like an old(er) school challenge and are a fantasy lover, keep an eye out for a copy of your own or find an online MOD. Imaginations recommended...

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Finally...

After all this time, ye readers few, I can get back to this thing the kids call a 'blog'. But understandable, my hiatus was. Moving out quickly, unpacking the important items, repacking for Ireland, going to Ireland, coming back into moving right into our new place (give or take a day or two), unpacking and setting up said new place, visiting with people. It's a process, believe me. I've lived a lot of my life out of boxes, but this is first time I'm (basically) away from my parents in that respect. Shocking...

So, here in Laurel I sit. I am on the lookout for a few things; some are necessities, others not so much. So here go:

- A comic/gaming shop (a combination or one of each)...
- The cheapest grocery store around...
- A decent, close second-hand store...
- A theater...
- The best job I can find...
- The closest college with a good Education program...
- A gym...

As you can see, I've got my work cut out for me. These are, in no way, in order of importance, but I will let you infer an order to the list. An eye is being kept out...

Super stoked about the apartment, though. I'm getting all my old gear back and weeding out all that I have sort of out grown or no long have a use for. It's cleansing. The stereo's back as well, which I have missed up in Ithaca. Now I can rock this joint with all manner of musics. Speaking of that, I have been weeding through my mysterious cd collection since moving in and let me tell you, it's been an education. I think I have been keeping around half of the cds I bought without knowing what a band was like. That means I will admit to having spent a bit too much on curiosity and broadening horizons and the like. I hope you guys like music as gifts...

Last item, there's a party at my place coming up (don't worry, you'll be invited...) which Tara and I are excited about. It's an alcohol party in which we will share out special finds with friends and they with us. We're calling it our 'Liver Let Die' party (my idea...). It's also a housewarming event so that our friends and family will know where we live and how we live in it. Should be a lot of fun...