lvl 20

Day 322 of 365 in the “Marathon of the Dope” . . .

.....................................................................................................

Seems like a reasonable level cap.

However, nearing that level now, I find that I’m only about 75 % through and that cap is no good at all.

It’s good enough for D&D (tried and true), but it is no good for Fallout 3.

It seems like the harder section of writing I’m going over necessitates more escape from the real world activities, and since it looks like a game of Twilight Imperium 3 is not going to happen any time soon - my eyes gaze upon the unreal worlds of 1s and 0s.

Scary will be the day when we figure out how to pipe these products directly into the brain and do away with the computer screen altogether.

Imagine a computer so complex and quick and accurate that it could trigger exactly the right rods and cones to produce on the retina the images needed.

I don’t think I would like to play Fallout 3 when that happens.

Something about a Deathclaw ripping you to shreds while you squeeze off as many shots in panic trying as best you can to not be its dinner that I don’t think lends itself to complete immersion in sensory surround vision and sound.

Well, unless you want to have a heart attack - for real.

For now it’s back to the novel, then afterwards, some more wanderings in the wasteland.

Until tomorrow . . .

most wanted

Day 321 of 365 in the “Marathon of the Dope” . . .

.....................................................................................................

This is my favourite car racing, cop chasing, adrenalin lacing, fast pacing computer game.

I finally got “Need for Speed: Most Wanted” to work on my new machine. It was a simple matter of using the compatibility option of windows 2000 when installing and then not using the compatibility mode once it was installed.

Loading problems aside, there is nothing much more fun than outracing the cops and causing spectacular crashes, sometimes taking the cops right out of the picture.

All of the cop chatter about your exploits as they try to set up roadblocks and capture you is downright fun, and sometimes nail biting.

But there is no time to bite your nails when you are cruising through town at 120 miles an hour evading the cops and trying not to crash.

Then there is all the street racing goodness as you try to work your way up the most wanted list. The game gets progressively harder the higher on the list you climb.

The cops will start using roadblocks, spike strips, unmarked cars, rhino suburban trucks and even helicopters after a while.

Holy car race batman.

And the actors and script during the cut-scenes are pure unadulterated cheese - they are so bad in fact they will have you laughing - well it had me laughing.

So, if you want the best cop chasing, street racing computer game go out and get “Need for Speed: Most Wanted”. It’s the most fun you will have in a simulated car (besides Flatout) that you can find in a PC computer game.

Remember keep you that street racing for the game, and drive responsibly . . .

Until tomorrow . . .

teletubbie timer

Day 320 of 365 in the “Marathon of the Dope” . . .

.....................................................................................................

So, I was wanting to get an actual sand hourglass, but was unable to locate one. (Anybody know where I can find one?)

Anyhow, the one I bought is for cooking and looks just like La La the Teletubbie - well, not exactly like her, but close enough to cause me a laugh every time it’s writing time and I need to time how long I’ve been at it.

And I should take a picture and show you, but this new computer has no card reader and figuring out how to transfer the image is - well, too much like work - so you have to trust me on this one.

Posting late today because my wife and I slept in (daughter is at a sleep over) and had porridge and peaches for breakfast and talked a lot about what writing is all about.

Mostly we talked about the practicality of writing. How it’s not about the feeling so much as the ass in chair hard work. I think if you ask any successful writer they will tell you the actual writing itself is only one part of the whole and not the whole - if you follow me.

I get a kick out of writers that are so excited to be cranking out thousands of words a day - this is all well and good if you have a plan, or a deadline to meet for a publisher.

Or, it’s fine if you like to write for write’s sake. I am not going to poop on your output in any way. After all, you can’t sell a product you don’t have. (Yes I know all about Breax)

Maybe the Engineer in me is just too damn practical, but I see writing as a having several well defined and pragmatic steps.

Plan.

Execute plan.

Edit.

Re-write.

Rinse and repeat until it’s off to the publishing houses (seems like 3 to 7 times is the norm) - then start on your next project without looking back.

Yes, I know everybody works differently, so am not speaking as a know-it-all. In fact I know that I don’t know enough about the process yet or I would have more than a few short stories published by now.

End of babble.

Start of hard work.

Until tomorrow . . .

late nights three

Day 319 of 365 in the “Marathon of the Dope” . . .

.....................................................................................................

I’m feeling dragged over the coals from the activities of the last three nights.

Long night one was our offspring’s sleep over. The house gets invaded and I feel displaced. I did not get a good sleep because I stayed up and watched Stardust until after midnight once the girls finally went to bed.

Good movie, by the way.

Long night two was our reading night, and despite it being fun, it too lasted until after midnight and I was up at around 6 AM the next day.

Which brings me to long night three, our D&D night (yes, after midnight again last night) when I finally fell off to sleep. I did manage to take down three adversaries with magic missiles in the final battle though - which was a blast (actually, several of them).

And I’ve gotten so into the habit of going to bed around 10 and getting up at 6 now that I can’t seem to switch it. Problem is when I go to bed really late I still get up at 6 and so lose sleep.

Tonight I’m getting back to routine.

Until Twilight Imperium night, which I’m trying to schedule right now for this coming week.

Until tomorrow . . .

d20 day

Day 318 of 365 in the “Marathon of the Dope” . . .

.....................................................................................................

I get to roll some d20s again today as we pick up a D&D session last played around 1978, I think.

Okay, maybe it was a few years after that, but still the events and our current character status is beyond my abilities to accurately recall.

There was something about a dungeon, and getting poisoned and wondering who among our party was going to get a cure and who was going to be allowed to die.

We are a low level party, and hence, pretty useless. A rabid kobold and his pet gerbil could provide us a genuine threat and leave half of us dead.

So, what did we do in the last session - from what little I recall - we foolishly ventured into a place we should not have gone. And now we face the prospect of rolling up some new characters.

Ah, the joys of Sunday evening adventuring.

Should be a whole lot of fun.

But, isn’t that the snarl of a gerbil coming from behind that closed door . . .

Until tomorrow . . .