Right now on the games front...

Right now I've got sucked into Terraria. There's something about these graphics and mundane tasks that are so relaxing for the mind.

People usually choose their music dependent on moods. I do the same with games. If I want to just relax a bit, Ill fire up Terraria, or another Adventure-game. I play adventure-games when Im in the same mood as I would be to pick up a book and read. Relaxed, focused. At ease. I'd listen to Opeth's Windowpane-album and drink Lady Gray Tea with a spoonfull of honey.

Terraria is (as you probably know) created in a charming 2D that brings your mind back a good decade... But it still feels fresh.

Which is where the next thing on my current list comes in:

The Longest Journey (1999, Funcom)

I recently downloaded it on my Eee-Slate to play, and its working swell (despite some problems making it work with my stylus at first). This little gem is guaranteed the best thing to have ever come out of Norway's largest game-factory Funcom. Oh Ragnar, why can't you recreate this feeling? It was so genuine, the characters were marvelous, the story was great.

I won't say that games like those don't get made anymore, because honestly if you're one of those people who make such claims, you're suffering from one of two possible reasons:

1) You're overly sentimental to old games or

2) You're not playing a large enough scope of games.

But still, I too am sentimental over old games. And this gem is worth another play-through. Steam, 10 Euros.

By the way, did you know that The Longest Journey predicted Twitter?

Hardware Bonanza!

Alright so its that time of the year. One of my personally favorite times, because I can finally sit down and play with the toys I looted during the Xmas Riots. And what I wished for but didn't get... Well, I might have to buy those. But point intact; this is the time for testing it all out! Maybe Ill write some proper reviews. If I can unhook myself from Tamriel long enough.

Mouse Upgrade!

So, Santa delivered a couple of tech goodies this year. First up; a Cyborg R.A.T 9! (Thanks Mom!)

The R.A.T-series have been on my wishing list for a while now for the reason that my fingers are absolutely screwed. If you're a regular reader, you might have figured that out by now. But anyway, not only are my fingers riddled with inflammations, they're also very very small. Which doesn't really suit most of the gaming-gear presented these days. Most mice are too big, which leaves my fingers having to struggle to or simply fail at reaching some of the featured buttons and wheels.

Until now I've used the pretty featureless Logitech Performace Mouse MX, whom despite not being a gamer mouse, is pretty darn good. But it's curves are a bit too big, and the button is a bit rough to press (compared to Jerry's Razer Mamba) and I've missed a couple of features that is avaliable in the RAT9, such as the easy sensitivity switches. The pinky and thumb-rest of the RAT9 is certainly an added bonus, and the ability to change its weight is not just good for controlling it, but also for your wrist.

Might have to do a full review on it later!

Camera Level Up!

And no less then a Canon EOS 600D. (Best. Man. Ever.)

Last year we almost both bought each other a Wii. Even the same color one. This year, I asked him if we couldn't just skip that whole Christmas-gifts thing and buy ourselves a DSLR-camera instead? And then I saw his disapproving face and figured "Oh well, Ill save up for it myself". Little did I know about his plans. Evil Genius. My grandparents joined us for Christmas-dinner, and when my grampa brought out his brand new 600D I looked at it longingly, saying "Oh, that's the one I want...". I didn't see Jerry's huge grin behind my back.

Audio Upgrade!

Hopefully Ill get to play with my Christmas-gift to him as well, the wireless audiophile Sennheiser RS180. I'll have to unglue them from his head first though. Not sure how to manage that!

Keyboard Upgrade!

For a while now I've wanted a mechanical keyboard. As previously mentioned, my fingers are shite, and every little added comfort helps as much as I use the computer. The advantages of mechanical keyboards over the standard Membrane ones aren't just that every key has its own individual keyswitch mechanism, making the typing that more accurate. It is also a lot easier as a touch-typist, since you don't need to press down the button all the way -meaning reduced stress on the itsy bitsy finger-muscles. Yay!

The negative is of course that mechanical keyboards have a tendency of being louder (remember those old-school keyboards?) but the Cherry MX Red is supposed to be quite quiet. Mechanical keyboards are on full speed back into the the gaming-scene, led by Razer's Black Widow, whom uses Cherry MX Blue switches, which is strange considering Blue's are essentially a typing switch.

Eh, why am I explaining all of this? Better just get your butt over to overclock.net and check out their Mechanical Keyboard Guide. Know which switch would suit you best before buying a mechanical keyboard! Considering the costs of these badboys, looking into it might be worth it. And remember that Razer isn't the only company out there although their keyboard might be the most profiled one. (Not that their products doesn't do the trick, if I had larger hands I'd probably be using a Mamba too.)

So anyway, as a Xmas-present to myself, I just ordered Corsair's Vengeance K90 (pictured above), which uses Cherry MX Red. Its launched as a MMO/RTS Gaming Board, which explains the 18 Macro-keys on the side. I don't much care for them, although I am a MMO/RTS-gamer. The reason that I bought just that was because it's back-lit, got some nice features I wouldn't want to be without (Windows Lock button and Volume wheel), its sleek design - and well, it was on sale! Waiting for it to arrive in the mail, then I might write a proper review on that as well.

In other news, we bought my littlesister Skyrim. Yeah, she's lost.

And until next time: NO LOLLYGAGGING!

Love,

Skamta Clause

What Autumn looks like.

Bitches be crazy

I think its funny how men often seem to assume that if the girl is a gamer chick then she's a all-round nice girl.
Like always, assumptions are stupid.

It's no secret that if you're a girl in games you tend to get a lot of attention. Even from social games with chats where the ratio seems 4-6 girls can still get a nice little man-harem going if they are up for it.
To put it bluntly, some of these girls (note: certainly not all of them!) feed of the attention they get from these harems, they're using you to feel good about themselves - and if another girl happens to even be in the vicinity (and thus getting a tiny widdle bit of attention, wanted or unwanted.) their bitch flare goes up and they'll start defending their pack in the way that girls tend to do.

Personally I've found it a bit amusing that these are the same girls that tend to whine about "never being the popular one in class". Well, good job paying it forward?

But I've seen it so many times its really starting to bore me. Its just immaturity, and they'll (hopefully) grow out of it or grow tired of it, and then they can probably be labeled "nice" girls.
But really, the moral is, stop making assumptions that girls in games are so much different just because their choice of hobby. It all boils down to sex and power anyway.

CSI games, casual playing and...more casual gaming.

I admit that in spite of their flaws I tend to like playing the CSI games.
And by flaws I mean its evidently not created for players over the age of 13. I mean the whole game is really just hovering your mouse over the screen to make sure you get this icon that tells you there's evidence there.


I don't quite recall, but the first time I started playing the CSI games I think I was around 18 yrs old. That's ... 6 years ago now. I seem to recall them being harder. I seem to recall an option to turn off that damn feature where you'll see the mouse icon change when hovering over interact-able objects, and I sure as heck seem to recall you being able to try out all the different equipment on the evidence to have Grissom tell you you're an idiot to try to use plaster on a fingerprint and that doing so would lower your score.

Im not sure weather I remember it this way because I'm just a plain better gamer now then I was before (no doubt there) and can recognize the game design and miss a more "hardcore" mode on the CSI games, or if they really did shave the CSI games down so much that they've taken away the actual exploration in favor of making the game more "casual friendly". It seems more like interaction story-time for young CSI fans then a game.

I bought a CSI game a couple of days ago. Generally, I've liked playing them then I have a moment for myself. When I'm home alone, or, when the man is asleep. Then I can sit here in peace and shift through mud and used syringes, looking for evidence, nailing that bastard.
Last time I played a CSI game I still had that feeling it was perhaps too casual. But anyway...
I bought the newest CSI: Fatal Deception when I had such a moment alone, and fired it up. I felt slight disappoint that the game is basically a simplified 3D Find Waldo.

Maybe I've just outgrown it?

Either way, I fired it up and I got stuck at the first case! I was happy about this, I was hoping there was something I had missed, something I had overlooked. Something making me actually search and engage myself in the story. Some twist at the end. The blood of the suspect didn't match the hair I found, instead it matched the victim's! Were they really family, siblings maybe? Why hadn't he told us about this in the interview?

But no. After a lot of messing about, it just seemed like a bug. So I checked up on a walk-through, and the hair was supposed to match the suspects DNA. Bah. Now it's stuck at Case 1 and since the other cases doesn't unlock unless you finish case 1, I guess I need to wait for some fix.

However, when I shut down the game I got a little pop-up. I had been granted a 1 year free Elite membership on CSI: Crime City, a facebook game. Generally I'm not particularly fond of facebook games, not because I have anything against them -they just seem to be a waste of time. I've played a couple though, such as Texas Hold 'Em, Bejeweled and my favorite Word Challenge. Either way I was starved of entertainment so I figured why not. I got a elite pass and everything.

Turns out all Elite pass really does is give me a funky floor:

If you get a seizure from looking at this screenie, I cannot be held responsible.

And the possibility of buying stuff for Ubi-points (read: real money) in the shop. So, for buying the game for real money I get the privilege of buying exclusive stuff for more real money! YAY!

Either way I played it a little, and its moderately entertaining in a grid-search kind of way. What is funny about this story though is that the f2p facebook game have so far given me more entertainment value then the CSI game I originally bought.

Anyway... I just bought "Blue Toad Murder Files: The Mysteries of Little Riddle" on steam (was on sale) today so perhaps I can use my casual detecting skills there instead. I hope!

The awesome caricature of me gaming

The awesome caricature of me gaming that can be seen in the background, was drawn by the artist Glenn at Universal Studios in Orlando (Disneyworld!) during our trip there in September last year.

I suspect he used more time on it then they usually do, and he captured some details really well (like the colors of Jerry's eyes) and I really love how funny me and him look together... :)

Of course we tipped him well! I just love this pic! Not just is it well done but it reminds me of such a good time..

Cosplay, Yay or Nay?

Alright, Cosplay is basically one of the outer limits of geekyness right? Its one of those things whom many of us with a geeky heart look at, talk about and admire -but we never dare to do it ourselves unless we can joke about it, somehow. I've flirted with the idea, but I gotta admit Im too much of a whuss unless invited to a party where it is mandatory. (please someone, make a cosplay-birthdayparty and force me to come.)

But if you got the opportunity to wear this, would you manage to say no?



I know I wouldn't! I think I fell in love.

The cosplayer pictured is swedish Jenni Källberg, or "The Worlds Greatest Metroid Cosplayer". I got the link from a friend of mine, Zhiva, who's such a die-hard he's got Samus tattooed on his leg. I can just imagine his face full of glee when he saw this article the first time. It makes me happy!

Read more at Kotaku, or go straight to the source at pixelninja, Jenni's own site featuring more cosplay-photos including Metal Gear Solid, Zelda, Ghost in the Shell, Battle Royale, and even Princess Peach plus many more things wonderful! Love!

Head on over to...

Head on over to Pressfire.no to check out their latest addition, the gaming blog! Featuring yours truly. 

This means I might not update this blog as often anymore, but Ill try. Im sure someone will nag, you lot always do ;) I might also do some reviews and such - time will show. Stay tuned!

RSI&RTS

Well Ive been taking some time off my spidercamping in Entropia since my RSI got really bad after a while. I knew it would happen as I pushed myself way too hard, hunting 10-12 hours a day nonstop. That just doesnt work with me. 

I recieved a beta invite to Heroes of Newerth, which is pretty much DoTA in new gfx. Its alot easier on my fingers so Ive been spending some time there. Which have lead to a revelation: 

....I really suck at RTS. 

Maybe its all the things going on or maybe its because I just cant seem to see what is going on at the map when it happens. I get confused, like someone just put a stun spell on me irl. 

"Øøøøh, now what. Oh Im dead"

I gotta say Im a whole lot better in Bleach Wars (W3) then DoTA but Ive not played much DoTA either so maybe it'll come with time. Right now I spend too much time figuring out items, spells and what combos work, and what to watch out for in the other chars.  Anyway, I enjoy it, its still amusing.

For me that is. For the DoTA geeks that comes into the noob servers and scream at us who is still learning, it seems unamusing. But honestly, get a life -dont come to the noob servers if you cant handle people making mistakes. And get a haircut.

New Comp!

500GB Samsung SpinPoint F1 HD502IJ
850W Corsair CMPSU-850TXEU
XFX MB-N780-ISH9 s775
Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 3.16GHz 1333MHz
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 275 896MB
8GB (4x2GB) DDR2 PC6400 Corsair XMS2
Cooler Master Centurion 5B Svart
Optiarc AD-7240S DVD±RW Svart SATA, OEM

Its at the post office now, gonna pick it up in a few hours time.
Entropia is currently down for CryEngine 2 update :)

Gaming Soap!

Oh My Gawd this is a must-have for any selfrespecting gamers.

The NES controller is a soap bar, and the Mountain dew is actually shampoo!

There's lots of different types to choose between, from PS to Xbox, Nintendo -Old and new kinds. I love it. I gotta remember to order some when I get cash! 
They also have tetris-soap! I love this shop!

http://www.digitalsoaps.net/