Saturday, July 26, 2008
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, ugh.
So I'm working on finishing all the thank yous I had to write for graduation. I'm finishing today, praise the Lord. Here's a small taste of what I've been through. This is about 8% of the total amount I had to write (about 90). And I know I'll have to write even more once I get married. Not looking forward to that part.
Star Command II
If any of you know me, you know my inherit weakness for anything electronic. Cameras, videos, gadgets, robots, games, they all fascinate and delight me. Lately I've been playing a particularly delicious game called "Star Command II."
Star Command II was released a long time ago, but a few years ago the source code was released, allowing for a geeky fanbase to remake the game for all modern operating systems. The result is a free-as-in-speech game they call "The Ur-Quan Masters."
This game is not a game in the usual sense that you play for some mindless entertainment or puzzle solving. No, it goes much deeper. The story is the main feature, and the immersion you feel while your character explores and manipulates the galaxy will be the reward.
The story kicks off with a cinematic telling the backstory. The people of earth have been fighting a loosing battle with an evil alien race called the Ur-Quan for many years. Your parents were part of a research mission that were sent to an alien planet to find alien technology. Underneath the suface of the planet a vast factory was discovered, but for unexplained reasons Earth lost contact with the reseachers, who had to make due on their own. Eventually they discover the factory can build spaceships, but they only have enough recourses to build one skeltal cargo ship. Your character was born and raised on this planet, and selected to be the captain of this ship. Your mission is to fly to earth and find out what happened.
Of course, that's where things get interesting. Turns out Earth lost the war and is now encased in a red shell called a "slave shield." A solitary starbase orbits earth, crewed by an enslaved regiment of humans. Depending on your actions, the commander of the starbase will help you out, and earth becomes the base for your foray into deep space.
The gameplay mainly consists of visiting other worlds and exploring them with your lander, collecting resources and information on indigenous lifeforms which you can use to hire crew, buy fuel, acquire new technologies, etc. In this way, it's a little like an RPG. Along the way you will meet over a dozen alien races, each one with a unique and often hum
orous history. I've made contact with at least 11 races already, and I still haven't met many that the other races refer too. (e.g. Syreen, Mmrnmhnrm, and the Sylandro are still somewhere out there.) The guys in the picture on the right are one of my favorites, the Yehat, who were one of the human's greatest allies in the first war and speak in Scottish accents.
You'll want to keep a notepad beside the computer while you play this, because the conversations are only had once and you'll want to take notes. Often the aliens will drop a critical piece of information, such as the location of a homeworld, only once. If you don't write it down, you'll spend hours searching the hundreds of star systems for the right place.
The other part of the game is the battle sequences. Some of the aliens you meet are unfriendly, and allied with the Ur-Quan. While you can still converse with them, it almost inevitably leads to a battle. Personally, I try to avoid battles as much as possible. It's almost impossible to get through one without some of your crew dying. It's not hard to get more recruits, but I still feel bad when any of them die.
Now for the real meat of this post. This is one of the few games that I've ever played that actually had a real story. I'm not talking about the "let's go save the princess" story, I'm talking about a story that is as good as or better then any book or movie I've ever seen or read, especially better than all the sci-fi ones. It has so many side stories such a full history that rivals Tolkien's Middle Earth. All in all, it is the greatest science fiction experience I've ever had. I think I'm about halfway through, but I don't want it to end. It has my attention like a good book. It's easy enough to put down (you can stick a "bookmark" anywhere), but I don't want to because I want to see what will happen next. The histories and cultures invented in this game are absolutely enthralling. Unfortunately, like most sci-fi, it approaches the universe from a naturalistic viewpoint. The aliens repeatedly speak of their "evolution" and how they "invented religion" when their good friend died. Typical. It's sad that that sort of worldview is typical in every science fiction movie, book, and tv show, with the possible exception of "Firefly." It's especially sad since it's a very fun genre.
In conclusion, if you want to play one of the greatest game/book combos ever made, one that lets you feel like what it would be like as a genuine starship captain, download "The Ur-Quan Masters." Make sure you download the optional voice and music packs, it makes the game a ton more enjoyable. And if you don't like computer games, well, I feel for you. You're missing out. No one else in my family likes them, (except my brother, but he won't admit it to anyone including himself) so I can understand it. But not really, because this game is way too fun.
Star Command II was released a long time ago, but a few years ago the source code was released, allowing for a geeky fanbase to remake the game for all modern operating systems. The result is a free-as-in-speech game they call "The Ur-Quan Masters."
This game is not a game in the usual sense that you play for some mindless entertainment or puzzle solving. No, it goes much deeper. The story is the main feature, and the immersion you feel while your character explores and manipulates the galaxy will be the reward.
The story kicks off with a cinematic telling the backstory. The people of earth have been fighting a loosing battle with an evil alien race called the Ur-Quan for many years. Your parents were part of a research mission that were sent to an alien planet to find alien technology. Underneath the suface of the planet a vast factory was discovered, but for unexplained reasons Earth lost contact with the reseachers, who had to make due on their own. Eventually they discover the factory can build spaceships, but they only have enough recourses to build one skeltal cargo ship. Your character was born and raised on this planet, and selected to be the captain of this ship. Your mission is to fly to earth and find out what happened.
Of course, that's where things get interesting. Turns out Earth lost the war and is now encased in a red shell called a "slave shield." A solitary starbase orbits earth, crewed by an enslaved regiment of humans. Depending on your actions, the commander of the starbase will help you out, and earth becomes the base for your foray into deep space.
The gameplay mainly consists of visiting other worlds and exploring them with your lander, collecting resources and information on indigenous lifeforms which you can use to hire crew, buy fuel, acquire new technologies, etc. In this way, it's a little like an RPG. Along the way you will meet over a dozen alien races, each one with a unique and often hum
orous history. I've made contact with at least 11 races already, and I still haven't met many that the other races refer too. (e.g. Syreen, Mmrnmhnrm, and the Sylandro are still somewhere out there.) The guys in the picture on the right are one of my favorites, the Yehat, who were one of the human's greatest allies in the first war and speak in Scottish accents.You'll want to keep a notepad beside the computer while you play this, because the conversations are only had once and you'll want to take notes. Often the aliens will drop a critical piece of information, such as the location of a homeworld, only once. If you don't write it down, you'll spend hours searching the hundreds of star systems for the right place.
The other part of the game is the battle sequences. Some of the aliens you meet are unfriendly, and allied with the Ur-Quan. While you can still converse with them, it almost inevitably leads to a battle. Personally, I try to avoid battles as much as possible. It's almost impossible to get through one without some of your crew dying. It's not hard to get more recruits, but I still feel bad when any of them die.
Now for the real meat of this post. This is one of the few games that I've ever played that actually had a real story. I'm not talking about the "let's go save the princess" story, I'm talking about a story that is as good as or better then any book or movie I've ever seen or read, especially better than all the sci-fi ones. It has so many side stories such a full history that rivals Tolkien's Middle Earth. All in all, it is the greatest science fiction experience I've ever had. I think I'm about halfway through, but I don't want it to end. It has my attention like a good book. It's easy enough to put down (you can stick a "bookmark" anywhere), but I don't want to because I want to see what will happen next. The histories and cultures invented in this game are absolutely enthralling. Unfortunately, like most sci-fi, it approaches the universe from a naturalistic viewpoint. The aliens repeatedly speak of their "evolution" and how they "invented religion" when their good friend died. Typical. It's sad that that sort of worldview is typical in every science fiction movie, book, and tv show, with the possible exception of "Firefly." It's especially sad since it's a very fun genre.
In conclusion, if you want to play one of the greatest game/book combos ever made, one that lets you feel like what it would be like as a genuine starship captain, download "The Ur-Quan Masters." Make sure you download the optional voice and music packs, it makes the game a ton more enjoyable. And if you don't like computer games, well, I feel for you. You're missing out. No one else in my family likes them, (except my brother, but he won't admit it to anyone including himself) so I can understand it. But not really, because this game is way too fun.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Has anyone here gone on a long backpacking trip?
This week the wheat was too moist to harvest (it has to be less than 12% humidity for the elevators to accept it, and we were harvesting stuff that was at 20%, which is bad) so we've just been doing weird things at the shop. I even de-virused my Uncle's computer there, so now the green star gps system in the combines should be able to sync with his computer. Anyway, on to my story.
Yesterday I took a trip to Spokane with my Mom and Brother to get ready for my year of Bible College. One part of that year is a week long backpacking trip. I am not the most outdoorsy person you'll ever meet, and I love "earth-worshippers" the same way Jesus loved the Pharisees. Anyway, we spent a bunch of time in REI looking for backpacks and non-cotton clothes. I had no idea it took so much time to find all of this stuff. When we were done, and I had a back car seat full of gear, my brother turned to me and said, "You get to see me jealous of you today, Darren. It's like the Salmon spawning, you don't get to see it very often."
Today I had to work in the field and Wayne and Mom made a trip down the road and boated on the river. When I got home from work I told Wayne, "This is a rare opportunity, Wayne. You get to see me jealous of you. It's like you getting jealous of me, you don't get to see it very often."
This week the wheat was too moist to harvest (it has to be less than 12% humidity for the elevators to accept it, and we were harvesting stuff that was at 20%, which is bad) so we've just been doing weird things at the shop. I even de-virused my Uncle's computer there, so now the green star gps system in the combines should be able to sync with his computer. Anyway, on to my story.
Yesterday I took a trip to Spokane with my Mom and Brother to get ready for my year of Bible College. One part of that year is a week long backpacking trip. I am not the most outdoorsy person you'll ever meet, and I love "earth-worshippers" the same way Jesus loved the Pharisees. Anyway, we spent a bunch of time in REI looking for backpacks and non-cotton clothes. I had no idea it took so much time to find all of this stuff. When we were done, and I had a back car seat full of gear, my brother turned to me and said, "You get to see me jealous of you today, Darren. It's like the Salmon spawning, you don't get to see it very often."
Today I had to work in the field and Wayne and Mom made a trip down the road and boated on the river. When I got home from work I told Wayne, "This is a rare opportunity, Wayne. You get to see me jealous of you. It's like you getting jealous of me, you don't get to see it very often."
What is a "Daring Wagon Dragon?"
What is a "Daring Wagon Dragon?" Many people have asked me this (well, two), and so I thought I should take this precious time before bed I usually take to play a computer game and actually write something. (but don't worry, I'm still collecting meat and radioactives in the background) Anywho.
Daring Wagon Dragon. Say it out loud. Daring Wagon Dragon. Ah... feel it cleanse your pallet. It has a blustery quality that is belied by its rhyming nature. Say it again. One more time please. Now, don't you feel silly? You should, because I do.
Now for the meaning. My name, as you should know, is Darren. In the original Persian or German (I'm not really sure which) it means "Great One." Wait... No that meaning has nothing to do with it. Daring Darren. That's it. "Darren" sounds like "Daring." So, actually, it's pretty simple. Simply complex, eh?
Wagon: My younger and only brother is named Wayne. In the original Persian or English (I'm not really sure which) it means "Maker of Wagons." So naturally, I wanted to honor him a bit and have a family connection in this name. And I do.
Dragon: collectively, dragons are cool beasties. I want one.
Keep in mind everything we have learned. If "Daring Wagon Dragon" were "untranslated," it would be "Darren and Wayne's Beast." This is actually misleading, as Wayne has no dominion over the beast that is this blog. If he did, it would have a lot more kayaks, Celtic designs, good dancing, and fashion sense, but since he doesn't it is what it is. It has stupid dancing.
"Daring Wagon Dragon" has a lot of cool qualities about it too. Imagine a world without horses, a creature that has done me more harm than good, and to replace them we had dragons. Or even a world with horses, but dragons are to horses as horses are to oxen. I'd like to have a dragon pulling a wagon into the places no one else will go. That's what I'll do, (go where no one else will go) and this name reflects that mission. Someday, I want to make a cool graphic of a dragon pulling a wagon for the banner at the top of this page, but that's a ways off.
To be honest, I just came up with "Daring Wagon Dragon" out of the blue. I thought of my name, my brother's name and the animal that went with them, and it just sorta came out. I liked it, and so here it is.
Daring Wagon Dragon. Say it out loud. Daring Wagon Dragon. Ah... feel it cleanse your pallet. It has a blustery quality that is belied by its rhyming nature. Say it again. One more time please. Now, don't you feel silly? You should, because I do.
Now for the meaning. My name, as you should know, is Darren. In the original Persian or German (I'm not really sure which) it means "Great One." Wait... No that meaning has nothing to do with it. Daring Darren. That's it. "Darren" sounds like "Daring." So, actually, it's pretty simple. Simply complex, eh?
Wagon: My younger and only brother is named Wayne. In the original Persian or English (I'm not really sure which) it means "Maker of Wagons." So naturally, I wanted to honor him a bit and have a family connection in this name. And I do.
Dragon: collectively, dragons are cool beasties. I want one.
Keep in mind everything we have learned. If "Daring Wagon Dragon" were "untranslated," it would be "Darren and Wayne's Beast." This is actually misleading, as Wayne has no dominion over the beast that is this blog. If he did, it would have a lot more kayaks, Celtic designs, good dancing, and fashion sense, but since he doesn't it is what it is. It has stupid dancing.
"Daring Wagon Dragon" has a lot of cool qualities about it too. Imagine a world without horses, a creature that has done me more harm than good, and to replace them we had dragons. Or even a world with horses, but dragons are to horses as horses are to oxen. I'd like to have a dragon pulling a wagon into the places no one else will go. That's what I'll do, (go where no one else will go) and this name reflects that mission. Someday, I want to make a cool graphic of a dragon pulling a wagon for the banner at the top of this page, but that's a ways off.
To be honest, I just came up with "Daring Wagon Dragon" out of the blue. I thought of my name, my brother's name and the animal that went with them, and it just sorta came out. I liked it, and so here it is.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Video Blog 1
So I didn't have enough thought or want to type everything out, so I making a video. Here it be, like a wasp about to sting you. Swat it with your clicker!
I actually didn't say everything I wanted to. I'm not as eloquent as I'd like to be when the camera is on, but I'll get better. Like tofu!
I actually didn't say everything I wanted to. I'm not as eloquent as I'd like to be when the camera is on, but I'll get better. Like tofu!
Friday, July 18, 2008
We Started Harvesting Today...
It's only the first whole day of harvest, (we started yesterday afternoon) and I'm already tired of it. It's like I never left for the fall, winter, and spring... Oh well. Only six weeks left. :D
I'd type more, but I want to sleep. Goodnight, you ragamuffin imps. Goodnight, knight. Goodnight, moon. Goodnight, Blogger. Goodnight, word "goodnight."
I'd type more, but I want to sleep. Goodnight, you ragamuffin imps. Goodnight, knight. Goodnight, moon. Goodnight, Blogger. Goodnight, word "goodnight."
Direction of Daring Wagon Dragon
Daring Wagon Dragon is now a blog about me. I'm gonna talk about me and the things I like, because I never get to do it any other time and I'm potentially the only one who will read this. Posts without the tag "Journal" will not be about my life. By the way, I've been accepted into Jackson Hole Bible College, so I'll be going there in a few weeks. Yay!
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Harvest Begins!
That could be a title of a movie or some b-rate video game. Anyway, we got out of the shop today and into the fields. I don't like fieldwork, but I was tired of shopwork, so it's all good. Pays well, and I need money because I want to make money and pay for college. Yep yep.
The Dark Knight also came out tonight, technically tomorrow. I wanted to see it, but it was sold out! Ben and I were going to go. Some other people too... Ben and Pastor and Jordon V. are still going, but I'm not. Oh well, I'll see it later. It's going to be great. I'm almost more excited for it that I was for spider-man 3, but that was a more youthful excitement. This is a mature ecstasy.
The Dark Knight also came out tonight, technically tomorrow. I wanted to see it, but it was sold out! Ben and I were going to go. Some other people too... Ben and Pastor and Jordon V. are still going, but I'm not. Oh well, I'll see it later. It's going to be great. I'm almost more excited for it that I was for spider-man 3, but that was a more youthful excitement. This is a mature ecstasy.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Hellboy II
Went to see Hellboy II today with a bunch of friends. Actually, only 4 of them were around my age, the rest of them were parents. Good movie. I'll watch it again someday.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Super sooper soup!
All the soup in the world could not drown a good swimmer. Unless, of course, that soup was very cold and numbed the summer to death. But then again, in that case the swimmer would die of hypothermia and not of a plethora of liquids. A hot soup would kill like hot springs, basically boiling a person alive. But there are just as many hot soups in the world as cold ones, so if they all combined they would create a wonderful vat. Of liquid. You could swim in.
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