I've just spent the last two days running my department as my boss, our interactive producer, has gone away for a short break. I have one more day to get through after the long weekend (thank you Australia Day!) as she is back on Wednesday. To say it has been a busy few days is an understatement. I've also been down most of my production team too, who got their holidays approved for the same time which doesn't make sense but I've had to have the head creative developer do the menial flash work so he's had to be taken off the website he's building. It's all about compromise, I am quickly learning!
During my extremely frantic days I've also had to fit in time to visit my physio as I've been having terrible back pain. Mostly related to my workstation in the office but also my poor posture. The workstation has been fixed and the posture is much better and improving with each visit. I haven't had the energy or patience to play any PC games once I come home from work recently.
I've always been careful to set up my PC gaming station in an ergonomic position because I know I will sit at it for hours without moving (unlike work where I know I will move around). But I often wonder what kind of damage it is doing to me; spending all day at work in front of a computer and then coming home and spending a few more hours in front of another one. What do other people do to look after their bodies, namely necks, shoulders, backs and posture in general? It can't be good for stress management? Although I do find a good round of FPS does well to calm me down when I'm tense.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Stocking up on PSP games
I’ve added a few new games to my PSP collection. Building on my newfound interest in RTS, I picked up Field Commander, a turn-based strategy game. It’s nice and slow – a good pace for me as I’m still learning about strategy games.
I also picked up a modern classic that I’ve had my eye on for a little while. It’s recently gone platinum, which means it comes with a $19.95 price tag so I decided to pick it up; God of War. Another I’d like to see reduced in price is the Simpsons game (I’d like to play it but I’m not going to pay $70 for it), as well as Tomb Raider Underworld, which I own on PS2 but I wouldn’t bother buying for PSP unless it was really cheap.
One game I am definitely going to buy in the next few weeks is Loco Roco 2 . I absolutely loved the first one and as long as the second one is along the same theme and has the same controls, I don’t see how it could go wrong.
I’m stocking up on PSP games because I’m about to spend a week in hospital, getting tests done for my epilepsy. I can’t bring my laptop however I’m allowed to bring my PSP. So I’ll be bringing in our two PSPs (playing one, charging the other), Azreal’s DS, as well as books to read. I’ll load up a few memory sticks with movies, tv shows and music (I’ve bought another 4GB stick in addition to our 4GB, 2GB and 1GB sticks), plus we have heaps of games and about three UMD movies (what a great success they were!). I’m a little hesitant about the whole experience, but the thing I’m most worried about is how bored I’m going to be!
I also picked up a modern classic that I’ve had my eye on for a little while. It’s recently gone platinum, which means it comes with a $19.95 price tag so I decided to pick it up; God of War. Another I’d like to see reduced in price is the Simpsons game (I’d like to play it but I’m not going to pay $70 for it), as well as Tomb Raider Underworld, which I own on PS2 but I wouldn’t bother buying for PSP unless it was really cheap.
One game I am definitely going to buy in the next few weeks is Loco Roco 2 . I absolutely loved the first one and as long as the second one is along the same theme and has the same controls, I don’t see how it could go wrong.
I’m stocking up on PSP games because I’m about to spend a week in hospital, getting tests done for my epilepsy. I can’t bring my laptop however I’m allowed to bring my PSP. So I’ll be bringing in our two PSPs (playing one, charging the other), Azreal’s DS, as well as books to read. I’ll load up a few memory sticks with movies, tv shows and music (I’ve bought another 4GB stick in addition to our 4GB, 2GB and 1GB sticks), plus we have heaps of games and about three UMD movies (what a great success they were!). I’m a little hesitant about the whole experience, but the thing I’m most worried about is how bored I’m going to be!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Starting on RTS
It’s been quite a while since I posted. I will admit, that’s partly due to laziness but also because I felt I didn’t have anything to blog about. Personally I wanted to approach this, my only attempt at blogging that had an actual topic (gaming), with only posting quality subject content. I didn’t want to post for the sake of posting, otherwise it would end up like all my other attempts: a rambling account of my boring personal life.
However, it is apparent that even frequent postings of information, small as they may be, is more conducive to a successful blog. That’s what the pros say anyway.
So on 31 December 2008 I crossed off the final item on my list of goals for the year: to try RTS games. Azreal loves RTS games; particularly the ones set in space, but when he got Company of Heroes last year I knew I had to try it. The thought of managing a whole battlefield scares me a bit (there’s so much going on and it moves so quickly), which is why I’d been procrastinating on taking the leap however I’d put it on my 2008 list so I had to give it a try.
It was great! Because I play Battlefield 2 regularly (along with Call of Duty, Medal of Honour and all those games), I was familiar with the types of weapons and how the characters worked so that was one whole area I didn’t have to learn. Between tutorial modules and the first few missions Azreal and I watched through the collection of Band of Brothers which of course made me want to play it even more.
It’s still way too fast for me but it’s great to have that new feeling again, with all my senses on edge as I play – my mind racing, trying to keep one step ahead; my heart thumping in my chest; my hands grasping the mouse intensely; my eyes darting across the screen to take it all in; my mouth dry. And then that surge of adrenalin as I destroy the enemy!
Computers don’t give you a rush? Well you’re just not using them properly!
However, it is apparent that even frequent postings of information, small as they may be, is more conducive to a successful blog. That’s what the pros say anyway.
So on 31 December 2008 I crossed off the final item on my list of goals for the year: to try RTS games. Azreal loves RTS games; particularly the ones set in space, but when he got Company of Heroes last year I knew I had to try it. The thought of managing a whole battlefield scares me a bit (there’s so much going on and it moves so quickly), which is why I’d been procrastinating on taking the leap however I’d put it on my 2008 list so I had to give it a try.
It was great! Because I play Battlefield 2 regularly (along with Call of Duty, Medal of Honour and all those games), I was familiar with the types of weapons and how the characters worked so that was one whole area I didn’t have to learn. Between tutorial modules and the first few missions Azreal and I watched through the collection of Band of Brothers which of course made me want to play it even more.
It’s still way too fast for me but it’s great to have that new feeling again, with all my senses on edge as I play – my mind racing, trying to keep one step ahead; my heart thumping in my chest; my hands grasping the mouse intensely; my eyes darting across the screen to take it all in; my mouth dry. And then that surge of adrenalin as I destroy the enemy!
Computers don’t give you a rush? Well you’re just not using them properly!
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