I’m Not Exaggerating When I Say This Post Changed My Life. Seeing This As A Terrified self Hating

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Games I Played in 2010...

After a brief look through this page, I decided to do my own mini review of the games I played that were released this year... 'cause I can...

Dark Void (Xbox 360) 

I must admit that I was somewhat skeptical of this game when I first bought it (I got it second hand on a whim) but after a bit of play, I really enjoyed it. Something about this game screams low production values - some of the controls are somewhat clunky and the graphics aren't exactly up to scratch, however the flying mechanics are this game's saving grace, making the whole affair seem intuitive and fluid without being overly complicated.

Mass Effect II (Xbox 360) 

I got ME2 with my '360 and it seems to be one of the games I keep coming back to. I'm a huge sci-fi nerd and this game just has everything I want. The graphics look smooth and realistic and the game play manages to be fast paced whilst staying laid back and enjoyable with a very engaging story.

Star Trek Online (PC) 

As I said before, I'm a sci-fi nerd, primarily star trek but I've never before been able to really enjoy a star trek themed video game, their lack of production values has tended to destroy any immersion that I might have felt.  While the ground segments of this game felt unwieldy and awkward, the space segments more than made up for this short-coming and kept me immersed and lost in the endless nerdgasm that this game rightfully induces.

Sims III (PC) 

While not actually released in 2010, the awkwardly titled 'high end loft stuff' expansion was released in february. While the Sims III certainly brought a lot of extra features from the Sims II, it did regress in quite a few key areas. For a start the whole game feels heavy and sluggish when compared to the ballerina that was the Sims II - the loading screens grate on the nerves and it just doesn't feel as fluid as its predecessor. Admittedly a lot of the missed features will probably be crowbarred in via expansion pack, however until that happens and the game loses a few pounds in the process, I'll stick with the sims 2.

Formula 1 2010 (Xbox 360) 

Being an avid formula 1 fan and a recent 360 convert, I couldn't resist buying this game, for once I actually paid full price on the day of release - so eager was I to get my hands on this game. And for once I found very little to be disappointed about. The graphics looked fantastic, nearing a level of photo realism that certainly impressed. The weather effects too are amazing with dynamic weather meaning that no two races will be the same. I wasn't impressed with the rule enforcement mid race, meaning that certain accidents that are infact the fault of the AI cars are treated as though they were deliberately instigated by the player. All in all though I have enjoyed this game, though there is perhaps a touch too much of a role-play aspect, this is a small price to pay for a fantastic F1 sim.

Smackdown vs Raw 2011 (Xbox 360) 

Sadly I used to be a fan of this series but unfortunately it stopped being quite so fan after 2003 when it stopped being about gameplay and fun and turned into yet another way for the WWE to make money following the madden principle of keeping the core game exactly the same as it was the previous year, introducing a few peripheral components like some slightly different match types and then updating the roster to match the current year's crop. It was the stagnation of innovation in this series that made me stop buying them in 2008... unfortunately such is the draw of this series that it caught up with me this year when I bought '10 and then '11 - the only real reason I play these games now is in order to make my own characters and then match them up against each other... yeah... not really that good a reason to buy a game series, is it? I'll try and give smackdown vs raw 2012 a miss.

Assassin's Creed Brotherhood (Xbox 360) 

I must admit I have barely played this game as I was bought it for Christmas and haven't had much time to devote to it however I have watched my Girlfriend's sister play it quite a bit and the animation and attention to detail is fantastic, even aside from playing through the main story, the free-roaming sandbox aspect of renaissance Rome and the ability to dive from a roof top solely to end a guard's pixellated existence in a stylish and amusing fashion just never gets old.

Minecraft Beta (PC) 

this song says it all, there are few words to describe the sandboxy awesomeness of this game, I doubt it will ever get old.

Scarily enough, that is all thus far, I still have a ton of games that I've bought and not played... I guess that'll have to be next year now :P

I can't wait until the police knock on this idiot's door in a few days time, wish I could be there to watch

...no-one is finally dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away... The span of someone's life, they say, is only the core of their actual existence.”

Terry Pratchett, Reaper Man

Day Thirteen - Beliefs

The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one. ~ George Bernard Shaw

I consider myself to be an agnostic atheist - I would like to believe in a divine creator but I don't really see there being any proof to that end. Unlike how most atheists are portrayed, I do not hate god, nor do I hate religion particularly much, I merely find it distasteful the number of atrocities that have been committed in either's name. 

I do however find the bible a very distasteful document and it is my opinion that anyone who feels otherwise has yet to actually read it thoroughly. The sheer volume of horrific actions that the book condones and encourages do nothing positive to enhance the image of Christianity as anything but another reason to kill people.

I do however hold firm beliefs that everyone is entitled to believe what they wish, so long as they don't mind me doing the same nor attempt to influence me - a few of my closer friends and even my girlfriend are Christians, and while I admit to a faint selfish hope that they one day turn from this path, if it makes them happy I will do nothing to change their beliefs just as they do nothing to change mine.

If however the existence of an all powerful creator can be proven to me beyond all doubt and scepticism, I will happily alter my path but between now and then; enlightenment is bliss.

Nik

Day Two - Introductions

"I'd like to introduce a man with a lot of charm, talent, and wit. Unfortunately, he couldn't be here tonight, so instead . . ." ~Melvin Helitzer

Today's topic is introduction; how you introduce yourself to new people, unfortunately it's been a long time since I've had to introduce myself, perhaps that's a sign of how closed my social circle has really become so tbh I don't have a clue beyond the usual "I'm Nik, I'm not crazy, honest" - usually I'd only introduce myself after I'd been chatting to the person for a while and thus built up some kind of a rapport beforehand so it's less likely they'll be horrified by my terrible introduction and run a mile... or three.

So yeah, short post for today but hopefully I'll be able to make longer ones about some of the other subjects... that's the plan anyway.

Nik

Simple explanation of the bills that farmers in India are protesting - in TikTok form!

To my uk trans people and allies out there.