The darker side of Dactrius...

It's just business...

2009-05-04T07:26:46Z

This morning as I walked into the kitchen I saw Ebony sat by the back door looking outside seemingly transfixed at something (The doors are essentially made of glass). I took a look and there was a small bird on the lawn quite near the house. Quietly I crept toward the door, slowly turned the key and reached for the handle. Just as I was about to open it and release the feral black lightning, the little tweeting bugger flew up to the fence and then off into the air.

Ebony was seemingly satisfied the bird was off her lawn and went back to licking her paws.

A little anticlimactic really.

She's losing what she never had...

2009-03-26T20:03:59Z

Katti says (19:58):
fniss, I got to say NO U on facebook *giggle*
Dactrius says (19:58):
I saw. And it made no sense.
Katti says (19:58):
It did!
Katti says (19:59):
He said "I bet it's Swahili for anus"
Dactrius says (19:59):
Okay...?
Katti says (19:59):
so I said "no u"
Dactrius says (19:59):
Alright. And...?
Katti says (19:59):
Think, Liam, THINK!

WAT?

LFG Heroic Conversation...

2008-10-25T18:46:27Z

Since Katti has become the only person to talk to me on an IM within any definition of the word regularly, I'm going to find some new friends that will.

Yep. That'll show you all.

We'll see who's too busy when Dac's... er... too busy.

Yeah.

AIM always made the worst sounds...

2008-09-26T21:14:06Z

Life on my IM's has slowed to a crawl. Never did I think I'd actually be yearning for someone to talk to.

Did everyone pack up and leave the internet? Is there something cooler now?

Why does nobody tell me these things!? :(

The Sims goes galactical...

2008-09-16T23:17:06Z

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Spore. I dunno, it had my attention but I didn't really feel like I would enjoy it too much so I was on the edge about getting it. I finally decided to give it a go out of sheer boredom and all I can really say is that I was not expecting what I got...

Most of the stages of evolution in the game are pretty easy to explain, but I'll skip all that as most reviews fill in those blanks. Needless to say, you make a creature and then shape it as it advances. I started off with something quite different to the picture above but that was ultimately how they ended out. The chieftain there is wearing tribal armour that I designed from individual compnents, but the modern version of the species are adorned with utility pouches and jetpacks. I say modern because I'm currently at the end phase of the game (Which is by far the longest), the space age.

This is why I was inspired to write this particular entry. The space portion of Spore was something I largely expected to be a novelty. I figured you would probably take your creatures, fly to another planet and start a new colony there. But no. Well... yes, but that is only the beginning. Amongst the ming-bogglingly massive number of stars can be found other alien races that are far in advance of your own. They have more colonies than you do, better weapons and larger influence. But how you address these situations is where Spore finally starts getting complex. A number of diplomatic options are available such as undertaking missions for your new neighbours, opening up trade routes with them or even forming alliances. Of course there's also plan B, or as I like to call it 'pro-active negotiations'.

This image is what you see when you zoom out pretty far. To get an idea of just how awesome this part of the game is, from here I can literally fly to any of those star systems, scroll in the mouse and my ship will fly down into them with no loading screens. From there I can fly to one of the planets and swoop right down onto it to ground level, again with no blackouts or cop-out loading images. Just a seamless swoop in. All from space, and then back again. I can zap up a creature from one planet, fly all the way out to the galaxy view and then go to another planet far away and drop the creature on it. Madness!

What really sold me to Spore as I was playing it was the amount of customisation - something I originally thought was limited to your creature. Everything from your buildings to your vehicles are designed from the ground up. You start with a pool of building blocks and fashion whatever your mind can come up with for your creation. It's a system that has to be played with in order to truly see the scope of it. I honestly do not think there's a design for a creature or object that cannot be recreated in the editor.

The space stage is the perfect icing on a very filling cake. I imagined I was in for a somewhat basic starjumping affair but instead I was rewarding with a complex and strategic open-galaxy campaign trading spices with neighbouring races and tooling up for my eventual rampage through the stars.

One mission had me painting a planet purple. A whole planet. This kind of game doesn't come often kids.

That's not how you spell it...

2008-09-01T20:23:00Z

I hate the word 'addicting'.

That is all.

End of wits...

2008-08-14T12:20:29Z

Where the hell is Belisama!?

It's not funny now...

Sleeping awake...

2008-08-08T11:26:24Z

I believe I may have discovered the secret to time-travel.

My kitten seems to have an almost supernatural effect on me when she cuddles up. Several times now I've been curled up on my bed playing with a piece of rope and she's decided to flop on me and take a nap. From that point time seems to almost... stop. I can lay there for an indefinite amount of time in what I can only describe as an almost trance-like state. It's bizarre to experience. It a common ability among cats I have no doubt, but something I guess you have to be close to a cat to witness.

Also, her 'happy purr' makes me sleepy lol.

Breaking News!

2008-07-14T14:33:43Z

This just in...

I love my kitten!

I've had Ebony for 10 days now and she's warmed up to me almost completely. She no longer ducks when I approach her, she doesn't struggle when I hold her and even though she hasn't identified her name yet, she will follow my voice when I call her. We've shared endless hours sprawled on the sofa watching telly (Which is something I never did until she arrived). It's brilliant really, she's just so affectionate and curious. I love her to pieces.

My sister got a new pug puppy yesterday and that's been an interesting experience. We all expected Ebony would have a problem with him (Rocky) and she did, but she keeps her distance for the most part and only lashes out at him when he gets within pawing distance. He's very funny to watch as all pugs are, he's so docile and cumbersome yet very loving and playful. They'll be the best of friends eventually, but for the moment Ebony is the queen of the castle and he's a foreign intruder. :P

Sorry about how small and low quality it is, but my digi-cam is missing its' cable. I'll try and score something better at some point. :)

Sugar and Spice...

2008-06-29T00:04:16Z

I've been thinking about this a bit and I'm starting to believe being nice and understanding might not be such a good thing for all situations.

I'm not saying my life is bad or anything (Far from it, I consider myself blessed) but sometimes I find myself in a really crappy situation and I notice I'm defending the people that screwed me over. I mean what the hell is that? Why don't I flip out like most other people? Where's all this apparent rage I'm supposed to be filled with? I'm finding too often I'm explaining my problems to friends and ending with "But you know, I can sort of understand their perspective..."

I get told a lot that I'm sometimes too nice. I'm starting to think maybe I keep finding myself left behind because I let people do it. I ain't saying I'm a pushover or anything, but there's a time for understanding and there's a time for making a fuss and I seem to lack any experience on the latter. I dunno, I suppose I just have a lot of growing to do.

I'm just tired of being hurt and then making excuses for the people responsible. It's in my nature to find logic in everything, but I feel like I'm taking that a step too far. I need to start accepting that sometimes people mess up and they don't always do it in my best interest.

Again, I don't have a lot of problems, I'm just tired of repeating the same pattern when I do.

World pass...

2008-06-03T01:51:56Z

Today my mother asks me if I'd like to go abroad and meet up with any of my friends, all on her expense.

I'm not quite sure she knows me very well. =/

Phase 4 is especially devious...

2008-05-22T14:12:14Z

WG has seen an influx in activity this last week and I'm really happy about it. I'm starting to want to be there again. I don't see many of you on IM's so it's about the only contact I have with you and it's nice to see you're all still alive and kicking. Good work team. :D

I'm currently working on the death ray and compilling a list of our demands, so phase 2 isn't quite done yet. Oh and by the by, if anyone has a plutonium-powered influx capacitor, I could really use one. Turns out powering a weapon of mass destruction takes more than a few banana peels and a half-empty can of light beer.

Who knew?

Musical chairs...

2008-05-13T09:18:04Z

Every couple of weeks or so, Katti and I go through the motions about the decline of activity at WG. Most often the chief reason brought up is "People have lives". This is about as valid as it gets, most regulars have jobs and families that need seeing to. But if we're honest, everyone has at least some free time and if WG was worth visiting then it would be spent there. I know that used to be the case.

A few times in the past I've gone on a rant about WG in this journal, trying to warn people that it was declining in activity and changing in ways that weren't so good. Irregardless of that, I think we can all agree it's not really the happening place to be that it was before. I've gone over various ways to maybe spice the place up with quite a few of you before, but nothing's ever really taken off. And it's a shame, because I know deep down it's the home away from home for a lot of us.

It doesn't matter how busy we are, if WG was bustling with activity we'd make time for it. As it is now, most people don't see the appeal.

So I've been thinking about it. 11 thousand members and hardly a soul in sight. Why? What's so different than other forums? We have a mass appeal for mature gamers which if we're honest is the holy grail in gaming. We're sitting on a gold mine, so what's the problem? It's not the fact that nobody is ever there that worries me, but why.

First of all - Expression. This is what I tell Katti is my biggest problem with the place. I feel so restricted there. No avatars, no signatures - and why? For arguably the most mature place I've ever found on the internet, why do I feel like I'm not trusted? It's a good target site for abuse, granted, but the self-moderation on that forum is fantastic and even the appointed moderators do their job better than most. I still side with the idea of a European moderator or two, but it's not in dire need I suppose.

Secondly - Subject matter. Katti made this point this morning. Why do we never talk about games? I don't mean negative stuff like how women are treated in MMO's, or lackluster sales of PC games compared to consoles - I'm talking about the specific aspects of games. I'm tired of the Lolcat thread always being at the top, I don't want to know what 3 minute song you're listening to right now (Without a Youtube link it's useless anyway). I want to know what's hot on the Wii according to WG'ers. I want to know if there's any decent PSP RPG's on the horizon that regulars think I would like. I want silly threads full of banter that make us giggle. I want innuendos that would make even Brummbar blush. Where did it all go?

Anyway, that's just what I'm thinking. What I propose is we start with my first point. I know I would be at WG more if I had control over how I appeared to other members. To some, avatars and signatures are a novelty that means very little or nothing at all. To others it's more than that and a way of communicating who we are seperately from our posts. But more importantly to me, I'd like to be treated like an adult by the staff there (Who I know mean well and are looking out for the site's best interest, but come on. Countless webmasters give a forum full of 12 year olds the ability to express themselves, why can't a forum of adults be afforded the same privelage?)

So tell me what you all think. I was pondering sending a mail to the WG staff about this (Even though I've asked about 5 times already and constantly got returns of "We'll think about it") but I think it'll hold a bit more weight if I can say with honesty that's it's something more than just I want. On the flip-side if you don't like the idea, say so. Every thought counts.

It's raining outside...

2008-05-11T15:52:48Z

The latest questionnaire doing the rounds of LJ. You know the drill, click if you're inquisitive... or y'know... bored.

1. Name: Liam Brierley
2. Nickname: Dactrius, Dac, Kat (And sodomised variations thereof).
3. Birthday: 10th February
4. Place of Birth: England, UK.
5. Zodiac Sign: Aquarius
6. Male or Female: Male
7. Education: Yes.
8. Schools you went to: I blocked that information out of my memory.
10. Current Residence: Leyland, UK.
11. Screen Names: Dactrius

Your Appearance
12. Hair color: Dark Brown/Light Black.
13. Hair Length: Down to my neck. It grows fast.
14. Eye color: Brown/Green
15. Best Feature: Kicking action and pull-string for authentic catchphrases.
16. height: 6'2"
17. Braces?: Schnell.
18. Glasses?: A long time ago.
19. Piercings?: Once in my ear. Lasted very little.
20. Tattoos?: Nope. Never.
21. Righty or Lefty: Right handed.

Your 'Firsts'
22. First best friend: I don't remember how to accurately spell his last name, but a guy called James.
23. First Award: I won a plaque for coming first in a chess tournament.
24. First Sport You Joined: Hahahahahahahaha... Hahaha... Haha...
25. First Pet: A cat. Called Gingernut Marmalade.
26. First Real Vacation: I think a family trip to Wales.
27. First Concert: Never been to one.
28. First Love: A girl called Gemma. A silent crush for 5 years.

Favorites
29. Movie: Back to the Future trilogy.
30. TV Show: I have a few but if I had to pick one... 24.
31. Colour: Black, regardless of if it's actually a colour.
32. Rapper: Rana.
33. Band: Poets of the Fall.
34. Song Right Now: Miss Impossible.
35. Friend(s): Katti, Liam, Rana, Dan, Domi and... she who names herself Belle.
37. Sport to Play: Extreme Lounging. Thinking of going pro.
38. Restaurant: Frankie and Benny's.
39. Favorite brand to wear: None.
40. Store: GAME.
41. School Subject: Creative Writing.
42. Animal: Cats, Pandas and Penguins.
43. Book: *Snicker*
44. Magazine: Don't read any anymore.
45. Shoes: Trainers. I go through 1 pair every few years, lol.

Currently
46. Feeling: Content.
47. Single or Taken?: Single.
49. Eating: Pringles.
50. Drinking: If you need to ask, you don't know me. :P
51. Typing: (?)
52. Online?: No.
53. Listening To: Katti talk about something. I'm not really listening. Mmm... Elves.
54. Thinking About: Why is it female Night Elves have firm ears but male Night Elves have floppy ones? Is it a sign of virility? Does that mean male Night Elves are struggling to perform?
55. Wanting To: Fill in for the male Night Elves.
56. Watching: (?)
57. Wearing: A green T-shirt and blue jeans.

Future
58. Want Kids?: Yes., yes, yes, god yes, absolutely yes, yes. Yes. YES!!!
59. Want to be Married: I do.
60. Careers in Mind: Writer (In most any field).
61. Where do you want to live?: Not fussed.
62. Car: Banana.

Which is Better With The Opposite Sex
63. Hair Color: White. Or failing that, black.
64. Hair length: The longer, the better.
65. Eye color: Not really particular about this.
66. Measurements: Same as above. I like tall women though.
67. Cute or Sexy: Both?
68. Lips or Eyes: Eyes.
69. Hugs or Kisses: Both?
70. Short or Tall: Tall.
71. Easygoing or serious: A mix of both. Depends on the scenario. Preferably more serious I guess. I like a woman with a cold streak.
72. Romantic or Spontaneous: Romantic.
73 ?: That's what I said.
74. Sensitive or Loud: Sensitive. Loud is bad.
75. Hook-up or Relationship: Que?
77. Trouble Maker or Hesitant One: Not sure what this means. Hesitant I guess.

Have you ever
78. Kissed a Stranger: No.
79. Had Alcohol: Yeah.
80. Smoked: Never have, never will.
81. Ran Away From Home: Yes.
82. Broken a bone: No.
85. Broken Someones Heart: Not that I know of.
86. Broke Up With Someone: Kinda.
87. Cried When Someone Died: Yes.
88. Cried At School: Don't remember.

Do You Believe In
89. God - Me and the big guy have a complicated relationship.
90. Miracles - Yeah.
91. Love at first sight - No.
93. Aliens - Yeah.
94. Soul Mates - No.
95. Heaven - Not the traditional kind, but yes.
96. Hell - See above. :P
98. Kissing on the first date - Sure, if the two people involved 'click'.
99. Horoscopes - They're bizarrely accurate with me, but never enough to convince me they're real.

By Request...

2008-04-16T12:54:33Z

The game is basically, type what you would call a certain object. Note for readers of this particular entry, below are the actual English answers. All you Americans are ruining the language with your teeter totters and your carts! Stop making stuff up!

1. A body of water, smaller than a river, contained within relatively narrow banks. Stream.

2. What the thing you push around the grocery store is called. Trolley.

3. A metal container to carry a meal in. Metal? I guess you mean plastic... Lunchbox.

4. The thing that you cook bacon and eggs in. Frying Pan.

5. The piece of furniture that seats three people. Settee. (Not sure on the spelling)

6. The device on the outside of the house that carries rain off the roof. Err... (?)

7. The covered area outside a house where people sit in the evening. Porch, I think. Although... that sounds a bit American.

8. Carbonated, sweetened, non-alcoholic beverages. Pop!

9. A flat, round breakfast food served with syrup. Pancake.

10. A long sandwich designed to be a whole meal in itself. Impossible.

11. The piece of clothing worn by men at the beach. Grin.

12. Shoes worn for sports. Pumps I guess?

13. Putting a room in order. Tidying.

14. A flying insect that glows in the dark. Firefly.

15. The little insect that curls up into a ball. I have no idea.

16. The children's playground equipment where one kid sits on one side and goes up while the other sits on the other side and goes down. See-saw.

17. How do you eat your pizza? Put it in my mouth.

18. What's it called when private citizens put up signs and sell their used stuff? We don't do that here.

19. What's the evening meal? Tea.

20. The thing under a house where the furnace and perhaps a rec room are? Basement I guess.

21. What do you call the thing that you can get water out of to drink in public places? Water Fountain I think.

And yes, ketchup does go on pizza. And anything else warm.

Coconut brothers!

2008-03-25T20:30:03Z

Half-inched from Belle who similarly relieved it from the previous owner.

1. What curse word do you use the most?
'Gnome'. Or perhaps for the more mainstream of you, the 'F' word. I like to spice it up (As one does) with different variants. For example "Oh look, it's that fucking Gnome!", or "I'm-a fuck that Gnome up!". And of course the ever favourite, "Fuck that fucking Gnome the fucking fucker!".

2. Do you own an iPod?
No. I play music sometimes on my PSP if I'm out and about.

3. What person on your Flist do you talk to the most?
Hmm... Rana I guess? Hard to say, I talk regularly to a few people.

4. What time is your alarm clock set to?
Haha, you're funny. Why would you alarm a clock!? That makes no sense.

5. Do you still remember the first person you kissed?
A girl named Zoe. Her friends practically forced me to do it. I was at that ever entertaining age of, "Urgh, girls!", right before my current age of "Ooh, girls!"

6. Do you remember where you were the morning of 9/11/01?
At school. Doing science. I rushed home to watch Pokémon. That's right bitches, I'm not ashamed! Squirtle fo' life, ya heard!?

7. Would you rather take the picture or be in the picture?
Take. I'm never in a photograph. Doesn't matter if I look my best, I will always look bad in a photograph. I'm good with a camera though.

8. What was the last movie you watched?
The last movie I watched was Toy Story 2 - which is still to this day a gnomin' great movie! The last new movie I watched was Shoot 'Em Up.

9. Do any of your friends have children?
Yep. And they're all cute!

10. Has anyone anyone ever called you lazy?
I am made of lazy.

11. Do you ever take medication to help you fall asleep?
Nah. I just think about doing Livejournal questio... zzzZ

12. What CD is currently in your CD player?
Don't have one.

13. Do you prefer regular or chocolate milk?
Regular. But I rarely drink it.

14. Has anyone told you a secret this week?
Yeah. Stop telling me your secrets, asshats! Just because I don't tell anybody, doesn't mean I'm good with secrets - I just have no friends!

15. When was the last time you had Starbucks?
Never. I don't do coffee. I get my caffeine fix the natural way. Pepsi!

16. Can you whistle?
Yeah, I can.

17. What is the first thing you notice about the opposite sex?
That they're the opposite sex? Hah, I made a funny! Nah, I suppose the hair. I'm a bit of a nut when it comes to a head of hair. Women take note! Short hair is bad.

18. What are you looking forward to?
Grand Theft Auto 4!

19. Did you watch cartoons as a child?
Absolutely. And still do. Though admittadly most of the ones on nowadays suck ass.

23. Do you own any band t-shirts?
Nope.

24. What will you be doing in one hour?
Doing Alterac Valley probably. Just 6000 more honour!

25. Is anyone in love with you?
If anyone is, they've not told me. And they're bizarre. I'm an "automatic friend zone" type!

26. What was the last song heard?
Diary of Jane by Breaking Benjamin I think.

27. Last time you cried?
Hmm... not sure. I'm not gonna go with the typical manly response because... well I'm not an emotionless slab of granite. It was probably over some movie. Or when I discovered the woman who plays Fren in Final Fantasy 12 doesn't have white hair like her virtual avatar. You toyed with my feelings bitch!

28. Are you on a desktop computer or a lap top?
Desktop. PC.

29. Are you currently wanting any piercing or tattoos?
Nah, not my thing really.

30. What's the weather like?
It's dark outside. Which means I am happy.

31. Would you ever date a girl/guy covered in tattoos?
I would, but it's not something I'd actively look for in a potential partner. It's not really my thing.

32. What did you do before this?
Ate lasagna. I just discovered it has mushrooms in it. So upon completion of this quiz I'll be off to regurgitate the contents of my tummy.

33. When is the last time you slept on the floor?
I honestly don't remember.

34. How many hours of sleep do you need to function?
About 3 or 4. I don't like sleeping in.

35. Do you eat breakfast daily?
Haven't had breakfast for about 10 years.

36. Are your days fast-paced?
Not in the least. I'd kill for a change.

37. What did you do last night?
A lot of Alterac Valley, contemplated suicide because of Alterac Valley, then Alterac Valley again. Look bitches, Night Elf males Hunters are not a good class choice. They look rediculous and they're scientifically proven to reduce the size of your genitals. Give it a rest and roll a proper class. Anything on Horde, your choice.

38. Do you use sarcasm?
I'd add some kind of sarcasm here as proof, but you'd be expecting that. You see!? Your whole world is upside down now ain't it? You never know where I'm coming from next do ya!?

39. How old will you be turning on your next birthday?
Mentally? Physically? Well the number is quite low on both accounts I guess. 12 and 24 respectively.

40. Are you picky about spelling and grammar?
Find a single grammatical mistake throughout this whole questionnaire. Don't bother, you won't.

41. Have you ever been to Six Flags?
It's a restaurant right? In America? I barely move six feet away from computer, so chances I ever will are slim.

43. Do you get along better with the same sex or the opposite sex?
Opposite I suppose. Women are easier to get a straight answer from. Well... usually. It depends. Hell, I don't know. Me, I get along best with me. We'll go with that.

44. Do you like mustard?
I'm a ketchup man. Is it warm and edible? I'll ketchup it!

No. Not that. That's disgusting.

45. Do you sleep on your side?
On my stomach. I can't fall asleep on my back.

46. Do you watch the news?
Never.

47. How did you get one of your scars?
I don't have any. My reflexes are swift like the bear. My metaphors also make little sense.

48. Who was the last person to make you mad?
99% of the time the answer to this question is Rana. Who I also love unconditionally. So it doesn't matter.

49. Do you like anybody?
Yeah, that's a complicated part of my personality. Which for you ladies out there doesn't mean "Find me and point out this part of the questionnaire and only this part.", it means it's something I don't want to discuss.

50. What is the last thing you purchased?
If you don't know the answer to this, you don't know me.

In other news it's too damn hot in this house! Where did winter go!? I liked her. She was cold and vindictive. My favourite.

Abyss...

2008-02-16T01:39:19Z

I've just been reading an old WG thread, and couldn't help but notice how sickeningly cheery I used to be. Seriously, I was like... happy.

What the hell happened to those days? To me?

I actually cringe at my old posts. What a suck-up.

Until the very last bite...

2007-12-12T17:14:34Z

A few days ago I found a transparent box of cookies in the kitchen. The chewy kind, that you can tear apart with your fingers quite easily. Choc-chip of course and super yummy.

Thing is, since I discovered said box and began very slowly devouring my way through them, I've seen cookie comments everywhere. People asking me about cookies, people talking about cookies, cookies cookies cookies.

It almost feels like a temporary era of cookie-ism until I inevitably finish the contests of this plastic haven of chocolatey goodness.

Hmm...

Crysis - I see what they did there...

2007-11-21T04:34:53Z

I wanted to post about Crysis earlier, after about half way through the game. I felt I'd seen enough to know what my impressions were and figured I'd witnessed most of what was on offer. I can say now in retrospect that that would have been a massive mistake. Because you see, until the credits roll you ain't seen anything. Crysis is the game that never stops delivering.

When I first heard about this game, my initial impression was; "Interactive engine demo". I mean, the game looks drop dead gorgeous. It boasts technology never seen before in a game. They could have made it incredibly mundane and it would have still sold by the packet, because it just looks that damn good. But here's the kicker: The game is actually freakin' awesome. I have never in my life witnessed (In games or otherwise) an atmosphere as thick as this one. You could actually choke on the tension sometimes. Nobody actually plays Crysis, you strap yourself in and pray to God you'll still have control of your mental functions on the other side.

So okay, I'll explain a bit. For those not in the know (And I'll keep this spoiler-free) you play as a lone Special Forces operative code-named Nomad. Aside from some obvious military training, your edge over the bad guys (In this case North Koreans) is a multi-million dollar nano suit with several body-enchancing functions. For example at the press of a button you can have the strength of six men, or the speed of a gazelle. You can even go invisible for a duration. Your suit in Crysis is what bullet time was to Max Payne, or what the shadows are to Sam Fisher. It gives you an advantage that without you simply wouldn't survive. The plot deals with the American response to Koreas settlement on an island way outside of their territory. It's essentially an act of war so Uncle Sam sends in a team of nano-assassins to knock some heads. Well, there's something about some archaeologists too but all we really need to know is who to point a gun at right?

Speaking of which, Crysis features a rather intuitive weapon modification system. The default rifle you start the game with comes with a laser sight, a torch and a dot sight. For a while that's your lot. But should you eventually find an enemy rifle with a scope on it, you can wrench that sucker off and slap it on your own U.S-brand puppy and start clocking heads. There isn't a tsunami of upgrades available but there are enough to make the feature warranted and that's enough for me.

But above all it's the gameplay itself that makes Crysis a must-buy. The game is just a joy to play, from beginning to end. Well, except this one level but we don't talk about that. It has a brilliant mix of stealth-based sneakery, long-distance sniping and full on bullets-in-your-face mayhem. And like I said until the credits roll, the game does not stop throwing new surprises at you. I don't think my jaw ever actually closed the whole way through.

If your computer can run this game (And it's worth trying the demo as it's not as strainful as it seems) and you're an FPS fan in even the slightest degree, you owe it to yourself to play through this. Crysis makes my top three games of all time, I have no apprehensions making that claim.

The greatest show I'll ever love...

2007-11-05T16:54:24Z

I want to dedicate this particular journal entry to what I consider the best TV series ever made, Scrubs. Now the title isn't very imaginative and I suppose the setting isn't particularly brilliant, but the chemistry that makes up that show is for want of a better word, incredible. There's a lot of characters in there that I really love, but the two that stand out for me (And possibly most fans) are the protagonsit J.D and his 'mentor' Dr. Cox. The characters are played exceptionally well and I love that about them, but what most captivates me is the relationship between them that forms over the years the show takes place. When J.D first arrives at the hospital, Dr. Cox treats him like a typical facelss intern and constantly makes fun of him, yet over the course of time begins to see in him a little of himself and a very clear bond is formed. Cox never, ever loses that condescending attitude (Which is a good thing really) but on the rare occassion he really connects with his would-be protegé.

I want to link a few Youtube videos here of clips from the show that I found particularly amazing. For a comedy, it has some of the best dramatic moments I've ever seen in TV history and I'd like to share them. If you've never seen the show, or found it not to your liking I still urge you to watch the following clips and see just why exactly it is I like so much it.

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Ben's Funeral
This episode guest starred Brendan Frasier as Dr. Cox's best friend. He was in the original series and his character was diagnosed with Lukemia. Watch out for the end of this clip, when J.D delivers possibly the most shuddering line ever spoken on TV. It gets me every time.

J.D's Problems
This clip is from one of a few consecutive episodes that guest starred Michael J. Fox. He played an eccentric character that despite his weird quirks was actually some kind of super doctor. He made a lot of the other doctors feel inferior which sparked J.D's mood at the beginning of the clip. The scene between J.D and Michael's character was really well done and lesson here is very valid.

Dr Cox's Breakdown Part One
This is a clip from the first episode of a two-parter which still today stands as my two-favourite episodes. Three patients are submitted to the hospital with need of organ transplants and a recurring character from previous series' dies with a donor card allowing her organs to be used. However after the transplants the patients start dying and it becomes apparent the cause of the donor's death was rabies. Dr Cox takes the situation very hard as he rushed the procedure and thus blames himself.

Dr Cox's Breakdown Part Two
And this is my all-time favourite moment, following what happened in the previous clip. Several of the main characters take it in turns to visit Dr. Cox at his home to try and coax him from his depression, but none of them seem to have any effect. The only person that refuses to visit him is J.D, claiming he was ashamed of Dr. Cox for coming into work drunk following the screw-up. What happens in the clip is what happens when J.D finally goes to talk to him.

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Scrubs has the perfect blend of comedy with the occassional spout of drama and that seems to be what makes it so addictive. These 4 clips are only my favourite scenes, there have been many others like this over the seasons. I'm quite sad there's only one series left to go, but I'm sort of glad they're going out on top. I really hope they end it with a powerful ending.

The Dactrius etiquette manual.

2007-09-28T13:11:22Z

I've been contemplating writing something like this for a while and maybe the very act of doing so helps push me firmly over the edge and into the category of arrogant. That said, there are various practices involved in IM's and general conversation that really annoy me. So for the convenience of myself and the potential relief of others, here's a rundown of Dac's "Do's and Don't's":

What I hate: "How are you?"
Why I hate it: There is a massive statistical probability that at any given moment I'm fine. If I'm on the internet it's safe to assume I'm still breathing and have full control of my bodily functions. Though this question is more aimed at my mental condition, I could say pretty much the same thing. Please don't ask how I am. If I have a problem and I think you can help, I'll tell you.

What I hate: Calling me on Skype without asking.
Why I hate it: This is just rude. I enjoy 'Skyping', I really do, but simply calling me out of the blue without asking is just plain ignorant. Worse still, it will minimise any game I'm playing and even though my status in a game isn't in direct correlation with the rest of my life, I do treat it pretty seriously. Send me a message on Skype (Or MSN preferably) and I will answer as soon as I am able.

What I hate: Starting a conversation with a depressing mood.
Why I hate it: I think a little clarification is needed here. For some bizarre reason, how I react to people IM'ing me is directly related to how they initially address me. If you open up with, "Hey Dac, just passing through, thought I'd say hello.", then I will likely adopt your pleasent mood and respond in kind. If however you start with "yo", then I'm going to think you're feeling down and thus I'll go the same way. I suppose there's a psychological reason for this, maybe I'm just sensitive to the moods of others, but if possible try and avoid sounding depressed. (If of course you are honestly depressed, then fine, but don't act like it just for the sake of it).

What I hate: 10 second conversations.
Why I hate it: See for yourself:

Random contact: "Hey Dac!"
Me: "Good afternoon."

And that's that. Nothing else. Trust me, I appreciate you giving me a general poke every now and then to help keep relations up, but if you have to start a conversation with me please make it worthwhile.

What I hate: Poor grammar and spelling.
Why I hate it: I naturally abhore this above pretty much anything else. However (And it's a pretty big however) I fully understand not many people feel the same way. If you are naturally bad at grammar and spelling, I can and will look past it. My expectations would be set way too high if I demanded everyone type to me in a flawless manner. That said, if you type lazy simply to save time, I have no patience for you. For the love of Elune, read what you type before you send it!

What I hate: Sending me files.
Why I hate it: I don't actually hate this, per se. The problem comes from the fact that a lot of people try and send me attachments or links to things they think I'll like. And usually I don't. If you're stuck as to whether I'll appreciate it, ask yourself these two questions:

1) Does my link/file seem Elf-related? Is there an Elf involved? Will it ultimately lead to an Elf?
2) Would a humourless adult with a severe grammar-obsession-complex find it funny?

If you answered no to either of those, send it to someone else. If you answered yes to either, then I very eagerly want to see what you have. It's that simple. (Yes, I realise nobody is that simple, but the amount of uninteresting crap I get sent is unreal).

What I hate: Youtube
Why I hate it: Okay. This one is a biggie. Here's why I hate Youtube more than any other link. The average Youtube video is about 2 - 3 minutes long, with many lasting well over that. That's a (rough) average of about 3 minutes of my life I will never see again because I sat through something I was supposed to laugh at and then didn't. I hate Youtube links, I really really do. I recently adopted a rule that I will block anyone who sends me such a link for one whole day. Several people tried to circumvent this by explaining what the link was before sending it to me. I tried this, but it does not work. I still sit through some video I don't even remotely smirk at. I don't care about the finalist of American idol, I don't care about some chinese game show with obscure subtitles and I don't care about home-videos teenagers make to complain about their lives or their warped and fatally-flawed views on world politics. Pardon the crudity of the following remark, but I just don't give a shit. Don't send me Youtube links unless you are absolutely, positively, undeniably sure I will praise the name of whoever posted it until my broken and exhausted body can praise no more.

I'm serious. No Youtube links.

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That's all I can come up with off the top of my head. I'll probably add more as they crop up again. If you were sent here by me, then chances are you just just made the fatal error of triggering one of my 'hate' switches. Don't take it personally, I just have unusually high standards which have come from years of repetitve conversations. For many this whole article might portray me as a bit of an arrogant ass, which is fair to say, however I'm not. I give the time of day to anyone that honestly needs it. If clicking your Youtube link will help cure your spiralling depression then I'll click until I bleed and if asking how I am will make your day a hundred times better then ask away. I'm not enforcing these rules to the point of blind stubbornness, but merely requesting that as my friend you follow them. The only time I'll take serious action is the Youtube rule.

Seriously you guys, I fucking hate Youtube links.

Props to my boy Lunar...

2007-08-29T03:34:24Z

I was hoping for a cat of some kind, but for some reason the Osprey grew on me almost immediately. It felt... 'right'. I'm fond of the idea of a bird daemon.

/huggle Calista

...and a kram for the road.

2007-08-21T06:34:54Z

I'm writing this shortly after Katti left for the airport. I'm gonna write a little bit about her visit here, but I think I'll leave most of it to Katti. I'm sure she has a number of things to say about it.

For me this experience was many things. It was a means to finally push my apprehensions about meeting people a little further and ultimately climb that barrier. It was a chance to get to know in person one of the many people that have affected my life in such a positive and profound way. And it was also perhaps one of the single greatest four days of my tiny existance. Although I've not exactly done many things you could claim as 'life-changing', this was definitely something that has changed the way I think about things forever. On the outside it was a simple visit from a long-distance friend but on the inside it was something much more unique.

On the broad-scale of things we didn't really manage to get up to anything epic. Like I said I'll leave it up to katti to detail things, but I just love how even though we essentially did so little, we still managed to achieve so much. In person Katti is very difficult to describe - she seems to fit in so easily (After her understandable initial shyness). After the first day we just lounged around poking each other in the arm and cushion wrestled - I mean it just felt so natural. I know we've known each other for what seems like forever now, but even with that behind us I still felt like we connected too easily. Not that I'm complaining or anything, I'm just very pleasently surprised.

I would like to point out how nice it was to see so many people supporting us on this. Although it was people I'd have expected it from it was still extremely nice to see people chiming in to check on us. It almost feels as if our friendship affects other people - I really don't know how else to explain it. Thankyou to everyone that helped, especially Faolchu for his determined speech on Sunday and Liam for joining us last night. We're very fortunate to have such good friends.

I have a lot more to say on it, but I'll wait until Katti's said her piece. I don't know how she felt about the trip exactly, or about me in particular, but as I expected she was just as special in person as she was online. Katti, you shattered all my expectations and then some - it was truly an honour to meet you and I would love to have you back again any time. As you should know by now, you don't even need to ask. ;)

To train them is my cause...

2007-07-27T02:32:15Z

I was just sat looking up at the blank space between the two Britney Spears posters on my wall (Don't ask) and I got to thinking about something profanic and deep - Pokémon. That's right, I want to talk about Pokémon.

I'll get the normal crap out of the way first and state I've been playing it for about 10 years now, since the first games. What truly amazes me in particular though, is how intricate and dare I say it... 'hardcore' the games have gotten. For example, in the original Red and Blue copies of Pokémon, you caught yourself 6 of the little critters (From a pool of 150) and then raised them to level 100 by gaining exp from pitting them against other Pokémon. When they reached level 100 they were at their pinnacle. And that was that. In the newer editions however, there's a slew of hidden stats untrackable by the human eye that when dealt with properly can make Pokémon vastly more powerful. And that's the near-fatal leap between a 10 year old girl showing off her new Pikachu and a 35 year old spending six weeks power-training a team of super-trained death rodents with the help of microsoft excel and a scientific calculator.

On the surface is an innocent game of collect-'em-all, yet beneath is a supremely addictive and very demanding plethora of challenges that your average 'poketot' (I love that term) will never notice. Anyone who says Pokémon is just for kids clearly never gave it a second glance - but that's not what this is about. In truth I'm just in love with the phenomenon. The charm the games carry with them and the history of the franchise. I would actually love to berate Nintendo on its constant release of yet more Pokémon games, but with the fact they're actually very well designed and 'intelligent' games, I just can't help but give them a pat on the back.

In closing, my favourite Pokémon is Empoleon. He is water type. And I haven't got a clue what his stats are.

dactrius @ 2007-07-27T02:00:00

2007-07-27T01:00:45Z

It's nearly 2 AM, I'm bored and I found a random questionnaire-whatsit from Arwen on MySpace. Should kill some time.

1. What Do You Say Most When You're Trying Not To Curse?
Ranrrrr! >_<

2. Do You Own An Ipod?
No. Never have. I don't listen to enough music, though that is slowly changing.

3. Which Person(s) s Do You Talk To The Most?
I guess Katti... by quite a gap I think. Then Mathias, Daniel and Benedikt.

4. What Time Is Your Alarm Clock Set To?
My what?

5. Do You Want To Fall In Love?
I have a crush, that will do for now.

6. Do You Wear Flip-Flops When It's Cold?
I don't wear them ever.

7. Would You Rather Take The Picture Or Be In The Picture?
Take, absolutely. I love photography.

8. What Was The Last Movie You Watched?
Crank. Jason Statham is awesome.

9. Do Any Of Your Friends Have Children?
Yes, several of them do.

10. Has Anyone Ever Called You Lazy?
Hahahahahahahaha... I believe so, yes.

11. Do You Ever Take Medication To Help You Fall Asleep?
No, my body apparently has little problem with that.

12. What CD Is Currently In Your CD Player?
I don't have a CD player. PC ftw.

13. Do You Prefer Regular Or Chocolate Milk?
Regular.

14. Has Anyone Told You A Secret This Week?
Yeah, but I already forgot it. That's why I'm great for keeping secrets.

15. When Was The Last Time You Had Starbucks?
Never. Coffee is awful.

16. Can You Whistle?
Absolutely.

17. Do You Have A Trampoline In Your Back Yard?
No, but our neighbour does. Their dog sleeps on it during the day.

18. Do You Think People Talk about you behind your back?
Yes.

19. Did You Watch Cartoons As A Child?
Yes, and still do. The world would be a sad place without them.

20. What Movie Do You Know Every Line To?
Maybe... the first matrix film?

21. What Is The Last Thing You Purchased?
A six pack of pepsi. Need to top up my life blood.

22. Is There Anything Wrong With Girls Kissing Girls?
Wrong? No, what an odd question.

23. Do You Own Any Band T-Shirts?
Nope.

24. What Is Your Favorite Salad Dressing?
Anything that would hide the taste.

25. Is anyone in love with you?
I'm not really the type for that. I seem to be the best friend type.

26. Do You Do Your Own Dishes?
Yeah, most of the time.

27. Ever Cry In Public?
In my life? I guess so, everyone has as a child I'd say.

28. Do You Like Anyone?
This is an odd question too. You mean in general? Or like as in crush? Yes to both I guess.

29. Are You Currently Wanting Any Piercings Or Tattoo?
No. I don't like either.

30. Who Was The Last Person To Make You Mad?
Angry f'reals? Hmm... My friend Steven. When he types he makes absolutely no sense. He doesn't even try.

31. Would You Ever Date Anyone Covered In Tattoos?
I'd never say never, but tattoos are usually a big turn-off for me.

32. What Did You Do Before This?
Went to MySpace. Don't ask why.

33. When Was The Last Time You Slept On The Floor?
I don't remember. Must have been a long time ago.

34. How Many Hours Of Sleep Do You Need To Function?
Honestly, I'd say maybe 3 a night. I'm very weird that way. However I usually sleep about 7 or so.

35. Do You Eat Breakfast Daily?
I haven't had breakfast in about 15 years.

36. Are Your Days Full And Fast Paced?
Haha, hardly.

37. What are you doing right now?
Wait, what?

38. Do you use sarcasm?
No, I was born without humour.

See what I did there? I'm so funny.

39. Have You Ever Been In A Fight?
Not really.

40. Are You Picky About Spelling And Grammar?
I'll say this much: Your tendancy to use capital letters for almost every word in this questionnaire is driving me insane.

41. Have You Ever Been To Six Flags?
Que?

42. Have You Ever Gotten Beat up?
Yeah. Comes with being intelligent apparently.

43. Do You Get Along Better With The Same Sex Or The Opposite?
Hard to say. Opposite I suppose, but it's about even.

44. Do you like mustard?
Never tried it. For a reason. It looks disgusting.

45. Do You Sleep On Your Side, Stomach, Or Back?
On my side most of the time. I can't fall asleep if I'm on my back.

46. Do You Watch The News?
Not really.

47. How Did You Get Three Of Your Scars?
I think I only have 2 and one is on each hand. I cut both of my hands open attempting to climb over a gate with nails sticking out of the top. The first thing to note is that I knew they were there, the second is that it was my own gate. I had to have stitches.