Raithe

Was trying to get a grip on my CV. Had a friend of the family who's husband passed away ask me to look at some tech issues she was having. All the paperwork on the home pc, her router and broadband are under her husbands name and files. And of course not all passwords for it could be found. Throw in a router that says its connected to her adsl line fine but has no internet access... Hm, and found out that my classic Crombie Great Coat is in need of some repair. The stitching at the back of the collar has given way .. Now while I could try some home repair, it's a damn good quality coat, so I think I shall have to take it to a professional to be on the safe side.

To be fair to the detractors, TIM is the ultimate, head honcho leader dude for Cerberus. He set it up, he organised it, he structured it. And he's shown he's perfectly willing to get involved in really dirty things if it meets his "goals" of improving humanity. Sure, there are a few examples of how they had occasional "rogue" elements go further then even he had planned - case in point, Jack and that whole "School" have elements that seem to suggest that they were keeping secrets from TIM about what they were doing. And TIM pretty much handwaves the elements of Cerberus that were involved in ME1 and testing things on Alliance soldiers resulting in their. But you don't really get much that states that that research group was totally rogue. If I recall, Miranda mentions them as something like a fringe element, but my memory isn't being specific about it so I could be wrong. As for killing off the Admiral, well, TIM runs Cerberus with a strict hand on security consciousness. So if some Admiral started turning over rocks and digging in ways that might endage some operations.. I can see him easily arranging a death. Although to be fair, TIM seems more like the type who would set it up as some form of "accident" that didn't look too suspicious. As compared to an obvious kidnap/death thing.

Does it really matter whether or not the Collectors could have successfully attacked Earth? They showed they were quite capable of hitting the fringe/colony worlds, and would keep doing so. That's still a rather large swathe of humanity, and I'm pretty sure that Shephard and co were quite frantic over that alone. I mean, remember overhearing some of the crew talking. They had family in those colonies, which is one reason some of them were so motivated. The fact that human colonies were getting disapeared like that was also having political knock-on effects with the Alliance. They were getting stressed the Council was ignoring the issue, and the other races would see it as Alliance weakness and maneuver for more political benefits. The problem of what the Collectors were doing needed to be solved regardless of whether they could have mounted a successful threat against Earth or not. You've been brought back from the dead after two years, you get shown this pattern of attacks and destroyed colonies. You get given data about a mysterious, race that seems to have very advanced tech. And then you find out that the Collectors were the very people that blew up the Normandy in the first place. You go talk to Anderson and the Council, and they pretty much ignore you and tell you that your visions of Protheans and Reapers from the first game aren't real and they don't believe you. Anderson believes you, but can't actually help you in any real manner. Then later you find out he wasn't sure he could trust you and sent a member of your old crew out "undercover" to find out if Cerberus was behind the missing colonies.. The only people willing to give you resources to look into and potentially deal with the problem are a group you don't like and can't really trust. What are you going to do, walk away and ignore the situation? Or use the resources you can and prepare a backup plan? At what point did Shephard and Co know that they only had the one ship? Sure, they encountered the same ship several times, but for all they knew, the Collectors might have had a full armada at their home of origin. Until they had definite knowledge, they have to act as if there might be a big fleet and a serious threat there... It would be like a certain renegade Spectre deciding that the Alliance only had one ship because he only saw the Normandy turn up at all the places he went to....

They weren't known for the attacks on the human colonies, that was a secret. But if you picked up stuff from the various novels and comics, the Collectors as a "mysterious species" were well known in Omega and that region of space. Everyone knew they came through the Omega Relay, and they tended to turn up and conduct strange deals and collect species - aka, seemingly pull random slaving missions. Trade weird, advanced tech for specific odd genes, mutated creatures, and the like. They have that reputation of engimatic, not to be messed with that would be very similar to some darkly dangerous, semi-criminal group would have in those environments. Also, that they'd been around for a very long time, but no-one knew specific details about them.. Just that they had that sort of reputation.

I think a lot of people get confused with the ME1 Reaper's disdain for organic life, and then ME2 showing they casually used organic life they manipulated and gengineered to their purpose in some bizarre scheme to make a Reaper using human tissue.. Personally, I think the "main story" of ME2 was a little weak, it got lost in the whole "gather the group and gain their loyalty", but that was quite well done, if over-using family issues. The key to it being that no-one knew what was on the other side of the Omega Relay, just that the Collectors came from there, and no-ship sent through ever returned. So what do you do to find out a way to stop the Collectors? You find a small group of highly trained/skilled people, put them in a highly advanced Reconnaisance vessel, and figure out a way to get through the Omega Relay to find out whats happening. Recon vessel goes through, and then you can put the group down on whatever area they find to gather intelligence and figure out if there was a way to deal with the threat. You don't want to spend the resources gathering a massive fleet to go through a Relay no-one ever returns from. You might need that fleet right here on this side of the relay in the future... You never actually get a clear answer as to whether the Collectors have more then the one ship. You only know the same one shot down the original Normandy, invaded the colony you were at, and happens to be there when you get to blow it up yourself. Also, that whole end sequence the Collectors were suprised by your arrival in their space. Who knows whether the ship was fully staffed and ready to deal with combat right then? The emergency response could be one reason why you can kick their asses so easily.. Especially with all the suped up technology you'd put in. If I recall correctly, the improved guns are actually based on Reaper tech. The Collectors have the big scary reputation because of their advanced organic tech, the mysterious way they behave, and that they come from a place no-one has ever returned from. They aren't exactly smart in their own manner. They are controlled puppets to a large degree, so you can't really expect them to respond in a great manner when surprised. They seemed to specialise in using shock and awe after a stealthy approach. Then blindsinding folks with their organic paralytics and wotnot. Which is part of what makes it fun when you use those same tactics on them. Sure, there are portions of the story I thought could have been developed better, and bits that were weak, but it pretty much had a fun space opera feel to it. And since they've said it was geared up as a trilogy from the beginning, I'll await the arrival of ME3 and see how it all connects up before I start saying it all retcons and contradicts itself too much.

I had fun playing with a Ranger/Spirit Shaman build.. and that was damn useful for the amount of incorporeal undead you can end up facing in both NWN2 and the expansion.. You really s hould take advantage of the multi-classing aspects in the rules to really develop a fun character. Going totally with a single class always seem to lack something. First time I played it through I'll admit getting into the restoring the Fortress and managing those assets took a bit, but it was actually kind of fun.

Gratz on the new place, and enjoy the housewarming.. However you decide to do it. Trying to figure out how aware I am right at the moment. I think I managed about 2 hours sleep, possibly 3. Something woke me up in the wee small hours of the morning and I never managed to get back to sleep.. I have to admit, it's one of those things I find interesting. If I only get around 6 hours sleep, but have something specific to be up for, I can be jumping out on the dot, aware and active, feeling all fresh to go. If I don't have anything in specific to be up for and get around 8 hours sleep, I'm dozy and slow to wake... But if I only get 3 hours sleep I'm just Meh. Which is actually quite expected...

All numbers we impose on the universe are arbitrary. Some just appear to be less arbitrary then others...

So far I've only got Khem's affection up to the mid 5,000's.. I'm guessing that something develops as that affection goes up...

I had that happen to me when I tried picking up a datacron one time. Felt exactly the same when I realised the reason for it. But it is odd that picking up a datacron counts as a mission for some reason...

While the "starter" encounter for the Tattooine Bonus series is actually quite good, I found the missions some of the blandest/worst of the bonus series. Edit: speaking of the Republic side, I can't even remember anything standout about them from the Imperial side.

At some point I'm going to have to actually sit down and try finding a space on some Operations at some point.. Just want to wrap up those final world quests before I get into that area.

Neutral relics and other goodies for people on the neutral path are supposedly upcoming in one of the sooner-rather-then-later patches.

The original Normandy was purely a stealth ship. Meant for recon purposes, and to get a small squad in undetected. The Normandy mark 2 was about twice the size, so I'm guessing while it was still built for some stealth, it was going to have a lot more actual combat utility. Throw in the assorted upgrades you pick up to push the envelope..

Point of fact, you can wander off to the Citadel and they pretty much refuse to listen to you. Even Anderson has arranged for Ashley to be off at some colony to find out what's happening and doesn't admit that to you because of the rumours that Shep is working with Cerberus. So on the one hand you have all of these old allies who refuse to listen to you, or can't actually give you any help.. or there's working with TIM to find out what's happening, and that both gives you resources to protect humanity and allows you to keep an eye on TIM yourself...

Sitting down with a plate of scampi for dinner. For some reason just had one of those days where I've been in a totally spacey headspace. Haven't really focused on anything or gotten anything done.

Pretty much having a break from TOR this weekend... although I'm not actually in the mood to play anything else. Had a short return to my SI on friday to finish off a couple of the Correllian world quests. Although without the presence of the class-quest I will say I'm having a slight loss of forward momentum...

An Imperial Walker...

There were seeming examples of Character stupidity, but that can't really be classed as plot holes. Case in point, the Council sticking their fingers in their ears and basically going "bwah-bwah-bwah, you might have saved our lives but we don't want to believe the horrible things going on". However, that can be backed up by history and how people react in general... so. Not so much plothole. I think a chunk of the background plot did tend to get overshadowed by all of the family issues you had to keep solving to get your crew focused, but apart from how quick Shephard was to forgive Cerberus, or how folks like Ashley refused to even listen to reasons of why you were doing stuff - oh, and that Human-Reaper which was just.. kind of silly - I wouldn't have said there were hordes of glaring plot holes. More just, plot annoyances. ME has always been that space opera format. And that allows a certain element of silliness to be enjoyed as part and parcel of the genre. It isn't dark, gritty, hard sci-fi that is meant to be taken completely seriously. Just watch Mordin's take on Gillbert & Sullivan to get that..

Had some rather in-depth dreaming. Very.. spy thrillerish thing going on, betrayal, intrigue, being hunted.. Then I woke up. Had that combo of just..not wanting to get up, along with wanting to go back to sleep to figure out the plot of the dream...

Ah, but if saving the universe requires trusting your team, then solving the teams problems before you go.. actually means having a better chance of saving the universe..

Actually, I can see the reasoning behind it. The Mass Effect trilogy is the story of Shephard and how he deals with it all. If he's dead, he's dead. That's it. Story was over when you chose to play the game in a way in which he dies. That's the consequences....

It also has that slight clash if you look at the Achievements you get for it. If you do the prison rescue/breakout without causing alarms or killing Batarians, you get the achievement.. and then basically a day later you do what you have to..

One comment I found interesting back during the development days, was that they wanted elements of the Republic as we see it in the films, to show up in both the Old Republic and on the Imperial side, to highlight how things actually merged and combined at certain levels as time went by...

Actually I'm not bothered b y the Imperial vs Metric split. I'm happy mixing it all up and using both. The one that bugs me is the month-day-year thing... Edit: And to move on to more amusing, but accurate things..