barely fatal

The optimist says… The glass is half full

The pessimist says… The glass is half empty

The engineer says… The glass is the wrong size

The businessman says… How full would you like it to be?

The arts major says… Would you like fries with that?

The Game Convention: for the last time in Leipzig. Starting next year, Europe’s biggest entertainment fair will be located in Cologne – half an hour away from my place – yeah! I feel bad for Leipzig, but it’s just too far away for so many – unless you come from outside the country anyway.

Spore, and Far Cry 2: Those are the two games I keep my eyes on for the next two months. Spore could be the next big thing, but could also be as boring and shallow as The Sims – so I’ll have to wait for reviews. And Far Cry 2 could just be another hardware-eating shooter.

The rest of this year’s blockbuster games will ALL be released in November, why thank you.

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I’m thinking about opening a new site where I can post my photos – that might make me take more photos. I’ve settled on Drupal as the CMS, at least for now. Don’t know yet if I’ll really do it.

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Ah, JKB, CONGRATULATIONS for finally finding an agent! I’d love to get a signed copy of your first published book, whichever that may be! Way to go!

Sorry, bad title. Anyways, I just finished re-playing Crysis (on the hardest difficulty level). I found a mod recently that changes a lot of things around and allows for more performance while still keeping the pretty graphics, so I tried that and it turned out cool.

Crysis is a good game. It has nearly everything you expect from a modern FPS. So why isn’t it great? Because it’s sterile. It’s perfect, polished, and cold. Nothing is really new but the stunning graphics. It is orchestrated like a Hollywood action blockbuster. And if that’s what you expect, fine. I like Die Hard. But it won’t win an Oscar, if you know what I mean.

What bothers me though is that everybody talks about freedom and non-linearity and how it is lost in the second half of the game. I find that strange, because except maybe that you have less of a tunnel since you are on an island, you still follow waypoints, you still have to do things in the right order, and you still can’t choose freely where to go. Yes they use clever things like sharks and enemy boats to keep you from leaving the game area which is way better than having invisible walls or hedges you can’t jump over, and I understand that you need that. But the game never really feels non-linear, simply because it isn’t, at no point. You can skip optional missions or take a short cut by swimming through a bay instead of taking the road, but that’s it really. Back then I wrote

It’s brilliant when it’s open and lets you decide how to get from point A to B.

but it’s so rare and on the second look, doesn’t seem so open anymore.

Knowing the end helped me over the cliff hanger this time though and I could enjoy the end fight much more.

If you’re interested, you should check out the “mod” I used, XConfig: Crysis Optimization Mod. Google it to find the latest version. It changes the HDR and colors to be a little over-the-top, but that actually adds to the whole Hollywood action style. Will I buy the add-on? No. Will I buy the sequel … hmm, maybe, depends on the hardware requirements, and pricing – so maybe not right away.

FarCry 2, the (un-real?) successor to FarCry looks very interesting though and is due soon. The Africa setting intrigues me, so I’ll have a closer look.

And the last note for today: GTA IV coming for PC. ’nuff said.

One more room to be precise. I’ve been looking for a new flat with one more room (where I can work and game and not live at the same time) for a while now. I admit, I’ve been lazy and not really checked all the sites, but tonight I did a complete sweep of everything that’s available. I like this area of the city and I’m trying to find something around here, something to buy. Yes, you heard correct, I want to buy a flat. I’m just fed up with paying as much rent every month as I do now when I can just as well repay a credit and own the place in the end.

But no luck, all the flats I find are either too close to the trains, not big enough, too expensive or require a complete make-over (and I’m not doing that, oh nos). The text descriptions that most of the agencies use are ridiculous and funny at the same time. All flats, no matter how small, battered or noisy are “modern”, “light-flooded” and “cozy”. Sometimes it’s a big advantage to have an elevator, then again it’s really better that you don’t – they manage to turn everything around. Photos are the only way to get a half-way realistic first impression before you go for a visit.

Anyways I think I will talk to my bank people first, then start to really flat hunt. My job situation seems stable, and around here it’s not a problem to sell again later – prices are going up, if anything. Yes yes so young and already a bourgeois.