Raithe

I did the heroic on Tython, and that was already quite a bit of fun. My jedi knight has done everything on Tython but the heroic... I really need to get that done before I leave planet. I seem to have picked up the habit of focusing on all the class-story and world-quests.. I pick up the Heroics..but I don't actually focus on doing them. I'll join a group if I notice people asking for extras, and I'm not engaged elsewhere, but I keep forgetting about them and suddenly realising I'm about to leave the world with this mass of heroic missions left on my log... Found my fourth datacron on Balmorra, and then took a side trip to build my first "matrix shard cube". Think I'll start todays gameplay with some space missions though, just for that arcadey feel...

It only seems to kick in like that for me in that time frame.. so it's not like it's too much of a hassle normally. Well, at least not yet it isn't.

Well, after an evening "pre-christmas meal" with friends this night, I'm going to jump back in for a short amount of playing with a couple of cobra's in me (the beer, not the snake). I've been bouncing a little between characters today to explore what's going on. All on Corellian Run, Sith Inquisitor - Drayke, and the Bounty Hunter - Khayul, along with the Jedi Knight - Ehtiar. The pure atmosphere difference between Korriban and Typhon is quite interesting, and certainly adds to the shift in world view between Sith and Jedi. I'm not sure just yet if the Bounty Hunter is grabbing me or not. Edit: Note to self, attempting to log in around midnight gmt (especially on a weekend) means waiting in a queue for at least 10 minutes..

I think some of its hard to say just yet, the character stories are split into three chapters (not including the prologue) and they have said that you'll see different results depending on your choices you made in previous chapters... As of yet, I'm still in chapter 1 of my Sith Inquisitor, but there have been a mixture of corrupting choices, slightly sociopathic choices, and outright "hm, you have a holocron that could lead to a sith weapon so I'll kill you rather then free you from this republic jail" type of choices. Of course, the latter led to you having one of your key contacts on the world turn on you because the sith was his son... You did get some of the undercurrents of Sith backbiting and machiavellian behaviours on korriban, so it'll be interesting to see if any of those have long term effects. Since I'd actually hit level 20 with my SI, I thought I'd have a short break and look at the other side, so just started up a Jedi Knight and I have to say that Typhon is a completely fresh atmosphere compared to Korriban. Don't get me wrong, Korriban was fun in that Sith, arid , ruined landscape.. but the difference in feel is quite interesting. Also, realised they don't seem to let you put people on your friends list if you're Republic and they're Sith.. So looks like no cross-faction chatting.. Or there just happens to be something wrong with how I made the attempt.

Had just settled back into SW:TOR following dinner, getting into the rythym.. and suddenly boom! Trying to twist around to rescue the puppy from being impaled behind me, the fresh, barely sipped pint mug of tea went flying from my desk.. and covered my keyboard, mouse..chair and floor immediately around me. ... some strange flickers..but I think I've finally got it all cleaned up enough to work properly. Of course, this means I'll have to break out the steamcleaner again for the carpet tomorrow..

There are a general mix of dark and light as I play through as a Sith Inquisitor. Although its kind of interesting that if you do tend to keep an eye on the whole..loyalty to the empire, taking care of the troops and civilians (even if its in the same way you'd keep your gun clean) it tends to rack up light side points. Currently got my ship and finally into the first chapter. And running with around 1,000 light side points and about 700 odd dark side. So I think you can say I'm keeping it fairly neutral/grey... Realised there were two heroic quests I hadn't finished on Dromund Kaas, but still, just had to check out the starship and peek at Balmorra.

And scratch that. She went out shopping for a dress for a work do. So in that time, the dog managed to get one of the attachements to the vacuum cleaner and chewed it up.

Indeed. Corellian Run has been running pretty smoothly, then suddenly yesterday or today (depending on how you want to call it) just before and after midnight, latency kicked in. Bad enough it actually dropped my connection (and I was in the middle of an Operation on the big World Boss on Dromund Kaas). I hit the button to go back to the server..spent about 10 minutes in the queue.. and then it gave me the message that it had also disconnected my account and I'd have to log back in from the beginning.. However, after about 20 minutes it had settled out and wasn't having any troubles. "He's a twisted madman I tell you. He's obsessed with weapons technology, war droids, cybernetic experiments and ergonomic chairs!" - To describe the renegade and outcast Sith Lord Grathan. I have to admit, that was one quest with a light side/dark side I don't really agree with. Grathan's a renegade Sith Lord, he's that twisted and outcast and he collects slave-scientists to develop further twisted monstrosities. You get asked to steal some data on a "regenerating cybernetics" (okay, you're doing it to sell it on and make a pile of credits). When you get to the point you steal the data and corrupt the original - the slave scientist behind it appears and does the whole "it's my life work! if you do this I'll never be able to use it to heal the sick!". So if you take it, its dark side, if you leave it its light. However, slave-scientist held by a twisted outcast Sith Lord who only uses science for mad, evil, weaponised things? How is leaving him access to regenerative cybernetics for his troops a light sight thing? How likely is it that the slave-scientist will get to use the data to "heal the innocent"? Or is that just me?

Well I woke up halfway through the night for no reason that I was aware of.. managed to get back to sleep. Then had the morning wakeup where I just didn't want to crawl out of bed... Although the good thing for the day is that my sister has taken the day off work, so hopefully she should be dealing with the dogs...

I'm buzzing away on Correllian Run with a Sith Inquisitor...

It is a surpisingly big, but shiny box. Hit level 15 with my Sith Inquisitor, roaming around Dromund Kaas and exploring as much as I can... It is a wee bit jarring when you run into people who are playing "Roger the Merciless, Mercenary". but the majority seem to be with more sensible names for the setting. Dromun Kaas certainly has some atmosphere, the whole jungle planet in the dark side carries itself off quite well.

Hm, it's been that strange mix of depressive week with some happy counters. The puppy has been acting up this morning, which gets a little tiring/stressfull when you can't even sit down for that first cup of tea of the day... but working on that now. And the geek-happy of my shiny CE Tor showing up in the post a few days early, which is kind of nice. Plotting out how to balance actual work/chores with being sucked-into-game-play time. And finished organising mom's drugs for the day.

And the shiny CE edition turned up in the post today. Okay, box is a little bigger then I realised it would be. And, visually..damn shiny. Had the short run through of it , but decided to wait before I tear it all open.

Cheerfully losing time to SW:TOR. What can I say, it's the geek way to battle christmas depression...

Well, from the beta weekend where I played a Republic Trooper, and my play of getting off Korriban with my Sith Inquisitor.. I'd have to say it really does feel like Kotor on steroids. The locations are much more expanisve, and the pacing is a little slower. But everything you get, you really earn. It took me about 6 hours to finally get a lightsaber, and damn it felt good to have that first fight with it. Apart from the "Heroic Missions", I've been doing everything solo, and there is no feeling of pressure to group up. I keep getting the urge to quick save, and yes, there have been times I really wish I could save just so I could see how alternate choices would play out. It would have been interesting to see a few more subtleties on some of it, and there are a few suprising moments. As a Sith Inquisitor acolyte and former slace, my immediate supervisor has a serious hate-on for you and constantly denigrates you, pushing another acolyte as his favourite. So when you hit the point you finally get accepted as an apprentice for a Sith Lord.. I thought the whole "thank you for your teachers, it just..inspired me so much" was more of a mind-**** comment to make to him, although it turned out to actually be a light side response. (Although his response, both in dialogue and facial animation was kind of mentally poked as well)

Having a fairly enjoyable run around on Korriban with my Sith Inquisitor at the moment. Hoping to try a more "grey" route rather then go full darkside, I seem to have accomplished a fair amount of the various world quests and the two Heroic Quests.. getting ready to face my "Final Trial" which is where I'll pick up my first companion. Some interesting characters, but so far no Imperial Officers with english accents.. Edit: And yes, Force Lightning is fun..

Well I received my Early Access and decided to whip up a character for it. Since Corellia Run is an East Coast server, I've decided to check out how capable it is.. have no noticable lag, so I'll poke around on there as well for the moment.

Had the slow start to the day. Ran through a friends dissertation to provide a grammar/language check since english is her second langauge. Now mom's got a doctor's appointment to go to. Check up on various blood tests and wotnot. Hm, then throw some of the empty christmas decoration boxes up in the attic and get them out of the way..

I've been dabbling at a re-run of Fallout New Vegas with all the dlc. Finished off Honest Hearts, meandered around, just started up the whole Sierra Madre kickoff. I'm not sure why, but I'm not getting hooked at the moment, having to stir myself up each time to try to get back into the game. I guess it's one of those odd moods, and no doubt twill pass..

One of the key elements thats troubling Greece.. is how bloody few of the people who live there actually pay their taxes. It's a national sport to avoid paying your taxes. It's one of the key reasons the government there has always struggled to keep a budget afloat. So say by some miraculous measure the EU actually works.. how long is it going to work, or be considered fair, if all the taxpaying Germans (for example) are paying money into the EU that goes to keep Greece afloat because those citizens aren't actually keeping up their tax end? Of course, as was pointed out earlier.. The UK is one of the biggest contributors to the EU budget as it were, and one of the few that has actually provided the money on time rather then in dribs, drabs and constantly putting it off.. I'm really seeing the financial responsibility and economic wunderkinds at work with this history.. Edit: You always know it's getting late when you start twisting your grammar around..

Technically I am. But I'm not. Funnily enough, the pre-order of the standard version (which is linked to my original account) has received the "invite" to todays early access. The trouble being, the standard version is going to my sister as a christmas present. While my CE version (which I've been told has already been shipped) is still waiting for the early access invite. (and yes, its linked to an account, so its just waiting). So although I technically could get in right now... I'm not. I'm waiting to be able to use my CE account.

1. I am a woman. 2. I like to read about women playing with lightsabers and guns that go pew pew. 3. It's a book in which only men get to do the cool stuff. Women get to have the hero's kid or die. That sucks. Maria - Try looking up the Liaden Universe books. The best description I've heard is "Star Wars meets Pride and Prejudice"

The fact that the blogger compares it to Jim Butcher's work, and comments that Jim Butcher's is derivative of Laurel K Hamilton's Anita Blake series tends to make me highly suspicious on it on general principles alone... Edit: And the hate really does flow the further you go..

Had a number of freakish dreams that I kept waking up from. Now I keep thinking/feeling its monday all over again rather then a tuesday. Edit: And to add to the joys, apparently the phone line is out. Or at least not giving a dial tone.

The other side of it, is that the UK actually enforces the legislation from the EU within our own country. While it pretty much seems that the majority of other countries have a very laissez-faire attitude to whether they pay any real attention to them. So , yeah, I wonder why we tend to have a slightly more jaundiced view of whats going on with it all/