Rules for playing Eve

Eve can be harsh. Any loss you suffer is going to be big, even when you’re first starting out because you don’t make that much isk per hour. Also, some CEO’s, both alliance and corporation, really don’t give a stuff about your real life commitments. They don’t care that you’re 5 year old is home sick, get your backside in fleet and join the op or you’re out. The 0.0 alliance you’re in is at war with another 0.0 alliance, they need you, even though you have to leave for work in five minutes. This is why I came up with the following

1. Trust no one

I learned this one the hard way. I never been ripped off or scammed, but one player I trusted turned out to be an isk buyer, probably even worse than isk sellers as buyers keep the sellers in business. So from that point on, I don’t trust anyone, even though they may have saved my shiny T2 ship from being ganked.

2. Don’t be a slave

Games weren’t designed so that people became slaves. They were designed so people could enjoy themselves. If the CEO or directors of the corp you’re in throws a temper tantrum because you can’t play 23/7 and you can’t join the “mandatory” mining/fleet op, find a new corp.

3. Real life comes first

I don’t think I need to explain this one. But if you’re putting Eve ahead of family, friends, hell even sleeping and eating, then it’s time to see a psychiatrist.

4. Time to take a break?

If you find yourself getting bored with anything you do in Eve, it might be time to take a break. I’ve taken several, both forced due to real life and voluntary because I was getting bored. What makes taking a break even better is whwn you have long skills to train, say a skill that might take 3-4 weeks to train from level 4 to level 5. Just make sure you keep the account active as CCP has removed ghost training, which is a shame really, but it’s a way for them to make money off “inactive” accounts.

If neither of the above work for you, then it might be time to leave Eve forever. Players you’ve flown alongside for a long time will be disappointed to see you go, but there’s always email and a myriad of other ways to keep in touch with ex corpmates and allies.

Until next time

Lord Yu

For crying out loud, SHUT UP AND GO AWAY!

I’ve probably written about this before. Forgive me if I have, but the topic has come up again.

There are players on the Eve forum whinging about how people aren’t playing the game the way they want them to. These people are usually low sec pirates who can’t enter empire because of their low security status, and have no targets because high sec empire dwellers don’t want to enter low sec to have their ships ganked by a bunch of players.

Because that’s all low sec pirates are: gankers looking for an easy kill. They’re just as risk averse as high sec dwellers. Yet every week or so there are idiots on the forum complaining about how other Eve players don’t play the game their way.

Well guess what? Eve was designed so you can do what you want do. Want to mine and build ships and modules? Go for it. Want to roam low sec looking for pvp? You can do that too. Hell, you can do both if you have the skills for it. The corp I’m in right now allows me to do what I want, but if another corp/alliance declares war on us, then I’m expected to help out. Which I don’t mind doing. Yes, I’m going to lose ships in any war, it’s a given and expected.

So stop whinging and whining that players aren’t playing it YOUR way. As the little guy with the funny hair once said “Your way is not the only way”.

Until next time

Lord Yu

How to avoid Eve Online getting boring

I’ve just come back from a 4 month break from Eve. Granted, it was a forced break, but having come back to Eve after that break, I’m refreshed and I’m ready to get back to manufacturing and mining. While I was waiting for my hulk’s mining lasers to finish their cycle, I was wondering to myself “How do I not get bored with this game?” And here’s what I came up with

1. Don’t play Eve 23/7

Eve is like a toy. You play with it all the time, you’re going to get bored. Break up your game time. A coupke of hours here, a couple of hours there. My mining can take up to 2 hours a session to complete, and at the moment, I’m playing 4 hours a day. Granted, it’s going to take longer to mine the minerals for a drake, but I’m not going to get bored with Eve any time soon.

2. Try something new

So you’re bored with mining and manufacturing. Or you’ve got all the skills you need for mining and manufacturing. Go out and try something new. Run missions. Find an experienced PvP corp, buy and equip a frigate and go hunting with your new corp. Because you can mine minerals and build your own ships, PvP isn’t going to be as expensive. And you might find your new corp mates come to you for their ships. Just be sure to give them a generous discount. After all, they’re helping you, so it’s only fair that you give them their due. Or if you’re really game, move to 0.0. Just because you’re new to PvP doesn’t mean you can’t survive in 0.0. A lot of pure industrialists in Eve can at least fly interceptors. There is no need to get into a bigger ship, unless you find PvP more fun than you first thought.

3. If all else fails…

Failing the above 2, all I can suggest is take a break. Keep your accounts active if you can so you can keep training skills. Your corp mates will understand that you are getting bored and need to take a break. Even players that have been playing since beta have, at some time or another, taken a break and come back. Just be sure to let your corpmates know you’re taking a break. If you’re living in 0.0, having all your ships and equipment moved to empire. You never know when a major war will break out and if you’re on hiatus, you could find yourself trapped, especially if the station you’re docked in is conquerable.

So there you go, my tips for not getting bored with Eve. If you find the above tips don’t cure your Eve boredom, then it’s time to say goodbye to Eve and move on. No one is going to fault you for it. There are other games out there you can try. Just not World of Warcraft, please

Until next time

Lord Yu

Major Races of Stargate: SG-1

I got curious one day and did a search to see if anyone had done anything on the major races of SG-1. I came with nothing. While SG-1 and other teams have explored many worlds, there are only 7 that are commonly seen in SG-1.

1. The Tau’ri

The Tau’ri are the people of Earth. While not technologically superior to any of the other races, SGC teams manage to beat back any threat to Earth, including the Goa’uld. SG-1 manages to beat back any invasions of or attempts to destroy Earth on 2 occasions, and combined SGC forces beat back 1 attempt by Anubis to invade.

2. The Goa’uld

The Goa’uld are snake-like parasites who invade a sentient host and take control of the host body. 2 species are known to have been host to the Goa’uld: the Unas and the Tau’ri. They also believe they are gods and should be worshipped by those they have enslaved.

It is believed that the Goa’uld are also parasites of technology, although on several occasions we see technology that may have been invented by the Goa’uld themselves: the personal shield and the personal cloaking device. Apophis also manages to cloak an entire fleet in one episode. What is known is that the Goa’uld did not invent the stargate, as is seen when SG-1 visit a planet not charted on the Abydos cartouche found in the pilot episode.

3. The Tollan

The Tollan first enter SG-1 when they are rescued from their planet, which is in cataclysm. Unfortunately, the Tollan are not willing to help the SGC develop weapons that will help defend Earth from Goa’uld attack. They are concerned that the United States would use any advanved weapon technology to threaten or attack neighbouring countries

The Tollan are attacked by the Goa’uld when SG-1 help thwart a Goa’uld plan to send weapons of mass destruction through Earth’s stargate by bypassing the iris using Tollan phase shifting technology, the same technology used in a previous episode when it appears the Tollan refugees walk through the walls of the base. They are not seen again in the SG-1 series, and are presumed to be wiped out by the Goa’uld.

4. The Asgard

The Asgard are short, grey-skinned aliens, much like those described in alien abduction stories. The Asgard are enemies of the Goa’uld, and also become allies of Earth. Again, while not willing to share weapons technology, they do help in the form of adding Asgard shields to Earth’s first space battlecruiser in return for saving their home planet from the Replicators.  True allies of Earth and its people, the Asgard both give and receive help from SG-1 in several episodes, finally honouring Earth and it’s people by pronouncing them to the Fifth Race shortly before committing genocide.

5. The Tok’ra

The Tok’ra are a group of Goa’uld who do not believe that hosts should taken by force, rather that the host should choose whether or not to share his or her existence with them. The host can take control at any time he or she wishes, and may also relinquish control to the Goa’uld as he or she wishes. It is more of a symbiotic relationship, rather than the parasitic relationship of the typical Goa’uld. The Tok’ra operate within the ranks of the Goa’uld covertly, and would rather die than give up any information of the current whereabouts of Tok’ra bases and outposts.

While an alliance of sorts does exist between Earth and the Tok’ra, it seems the Tok’ra gain more benefit from the alliance than the SGC. This leads to strain relations and eventually, the end of the Earth/Tok’ra alliance. It is unknown as to whether the Tok’rs and Earth re-establish this alliance.

6. The Jaffa

The Jaffa are the soldiers of the Goa’uld. They also carry infant Goa’uld within pouches, much like a kangaroo does with a joey. In return, the Jaffa receives a longer life than the usual human life span, and superhuman strength. Some believe that the Jaffa have been enslaved by the Goa’uld using this method, but those that believe this are few and far between. It is only when Teal’c rebels against Apophis and helps to free SG-1 that other also start believing, although it takes some time for the movement to gain momentum and for a Jaffa uprising to overthrow the Goa’uld once and for all.

7. Replicators

Replicators are machines with the ability to recreate more of themselves. They recreate by finding and assimilating technology into their own. While not instantly hostile, any hostile act made toward a replicator is met with hostile force. A single replicator can turn into thousands in mere hours if materials to do so are available, usually metal such as the hulls of space ships. Many Replicators can link and form as one to perform various tasks, such as increasing the power to a ship’s warp drive and engines. Each replicator is made of tiny blocks, each block being linked through subspace. Replicators can reform if destroyed, however, if the subspace link between the blocks is disrupted, the blocks are rendered inert and cannot reform. It is worth noting that two blocks cannot form a single replicator.

It worth noting that I am no expert on the races of SG-1. What I have written here is merely from what I have observed throughout the ten series of SG-1. If there is anything that needs correcting or any information I have omitted, please feel free to leave a comment.

Until next time

Lord Yu

I told you…

Guess what?

Remember when I said I was quitting Eve? And remember when I said that every time I quit Eve I get back into it?

Yep. I’m getting back into it

I had a chat with one of the members of an alliance that was causing problems in the area in which I mine (yes, I’m being ambiguous, I don’t want every one knowing my stomping ground in Eve). Apparently, they’ve changed politics and are no longer running people out of the area. I’m going to re-activate at least one of my accounts and hang around in the area for a while, just to see what happens. If worst comes to worst, I can always evacuate.

Hopefully though, I won’t have to leave. It’s a good mining area, not a lot of people and plenty of minerals. If I get my skills high enough, I might even make a bid to get into a 0.0 alliance and help them out logistically. But that’s a long way off yet, as I still have plans to make it in empire space.

Anyway, my miner and hauler accounts should be re-acivated by the middle of next week, If not, there’s always my combat character I can play around with.

Until next time

Lord Yu

Edit: What I find somewhat amusing is the fact that I’m seeing ads for Eve Online everywhere. I play Sims 3 for a bit of relaxation and time-out from my normal, hectic combat style games and I had to look up a careers guide. Guess what, there was an ad for Eve Online on a sims 3 wiki site.  It seems that someone (or something) is telling me the time is right to get back into it. Now, if I just had the money to re-activate my accounts….

Not playing Eve

Ok, I’ve said this before, I know I have.

I’m quitting Eve. Maybe.

The reason I say “maybe” is because every time I quit, I end up coming back to the blasted thing.

But the reason this time is not because I can’t afford it (well, I REALLY can’t afford it at the moment), but because I’ve gotten into X3: Terran Conflict in a big way.

How big, I hear you ask?

I’m doing things in X3:Terran Conflict that would take me months, or even years, to do in Eve. I’m buying my own stations and setting them up, ready to produce goods I can sell to make money. I’ll be flying capital class ships that would take years to acquire in Eve. Eventually, when I complete the required missions, I’ll be able to reverse engineer ships and build them myself at my player headquarters, something that would usually require me to be either in a corporation or big 0.0 alliance. I’ll be setting up my own stations very soon, and those stations will produce goods I can sell to other stations that will feed my fleets’ needs for weapons and equipment.

So, as it stands, I won’t be returning. I’ll leave my accounts inactive, just in case I do return.

Until next time

Lord Yu

Minimum specs: don’t believe the hype

Let’s face it: games are becoming more and more resource hungry, not just for RAM, but also for graphics and hard drive space.

What pisses me off is game publishers give what the minimum specs should be, when what is on the back of the box is total bullshit. I’ll break it down for you

RAM

Most games these days require a minimum of 1 gigabyte of RAM to play. This is the absolute minimun, mind you. Garbage. Most of us these days are running things in the background like anti-spam, firewall and anti-virus. So you really need a minimum of 2 gigabytes of RAM. And quite frankly, this is the ABSOLUTE MINIMUM anyone should have if they’re going to play games on their computer

Video Card

A good quality video card with at least 256mb of video RAM should be fine. But if you’re like me, you like game graphics to look crisp and sharp. Finding a card with 512mb of video RAM should be no problem these days. Just make sure your motherboard has a slot that can take a PCI-express video card, as most video cards 512mb and above are PCI-Express (or PCI-e for short). You might get lucky and find an AGP card that has 512mb of video RAM, but AGP cards are becoming harder to find.

Prcoessor speed

Unfortunately. if you don’t have the minimum processor speed listed on the box, you’re either going to have to put the box back on the shelf and walk away or buy the game and upgrade. Most games require a minimum of around 2.2 gigaherz. If you’re running Vista (and I feel sorry for you if you don’t know a lot about computers and got sucked in to buying Vista) it’s around 2.6 gigaherz. Best bet would be to try and get a processer that has a speed of 3 gigaherz, but these can be fairly pricey.

Hard drive space

Again, if you don’t have the required hard drive space, you’re going to have tp upgrade. Hard drives these days are inexpensive, and last quite a bit longer than they 10 years ago. Around 5 years is the life expectancy for a hard drive these days.

Sound card

If you don’t have a sound card that is compatible with at least Direct X 9C, you seriously need to upgrade. Again, sound cards aren’t all that expensive, and you don’t need a really expensive one. My sound card is actually part of the motherboard, and is connected to a surround sound speaker set up. The only problem is the volume of gameplay can sometimes be a bit loud.

So there you have it. A simpe guide to judging whether or not you can play the latest and greatest games. If only game developers/publishers would realise we can’t all have the best hardware available.

Until next time

Lord Yu

X3: Terran Conflict

Another game I’ve had sitting in my drawer due to lack of RAM is X3: Terran Conflict

x3: Terran Conflict (or TC for short) starts where X3: Reunion left off.  First, a recap

At the end of Reunion, a gate to Earth was built. However, as the X Universe had been out of contact with their Terran brothers for quite some time, the Terran authorities were quite distrustful of their Argon Brothers. The Terran basically told the Argon (and all the other races) they weren’t welcome in the Sol system (for those that don’t know, our sun is actually called Sol).

Their are several starts available in TC. I started as Terran Defender. Basically, it’s your job to defend Earth and the surronding planets from what the Terrans call Artificial General Intelligence (also known as Xenon in the Commonwealth ie the Argon, Boron, Teladi and Split empires). You are sent on several missions for the United Space Command and ATF (not sure what ATF stands for in TC), which not only raise your standing with the Terrans, but also your combat rank.

The thing with the plot missions is they are not time based. You can do them any time you want. Also, you no longer have to fly around docking and reading the bulletin board on each station. Stations will have an icon above the stating which mission they are offereing. Just be warned that the stations can have multiple missions, but only display one icon. it is therefore prudent to look at each station that is offering a mission to see if someone else may be looking for someone to a different mission. Missions can be trade, general, combat or station building. While I don’t have the credits to buy my own TL (I won’t be doing that for a while anyway) I’ve heard they can be pretty profitable, and I’ve also done a few combat missions that easily earned 300k+ (sidenote: I never earned close to that in Reunion at this stage of the game).  The two types of combat missions I’ve come across are station defense and assasination. I haven’t attempted a trade mission yet as I’ve noticed these usually require you to deliver some sort of good, and I haven’t discovered enough of the universe to find where to buy most of the goods characters are asking for.

Another change Egosoft made is the addition of flight wings. Ships can be assigned to flight wings and given orders just as in real life. So while one wing can be off attacking that pesky Xenon destroyer, another can be attacking it’s fighter escort while you move in to kill the destroyer. Doing so may lose you a few ships, but it’s better than losing that shiny new destroyer you just bought and outfitted.

All in all, a much improved game over Reunion. Also, a lot of my favourite scirpts (Motion Analysis Relay System, Crystal Free SPP, even the cheat script) have been converted for TC. Which only makes it that much more appealing.

Oh, a word of warning: say goodbye to family and friends if you get this game. It s very addictive, especially the crazy amount of credits you can make, espeically in the early game. And the game is never ending, meaning you can build your empire to make it as large and as expansive as you want. Fleets of destroyers and carriers running around causing mayhem and destroying anything in their path. Mmmm, yes please!

Until next time

Lord Yu

Sims 3: First thoughts

I’ve had The Sims 3 sitting on my computer desk for a few days now, mainly because I don’t have the minimum 1GB of RAM to run it (X3:Terran Conflict has been sitting in my drawer a lot longer than that). Yesterday, I decided to enough was enough, and decided to install it.

I’m glad I did.

Not only did the game load a lot faster than Sims 2, although I admit I had every expansion and stuff pack installed, the graphics are a big improvement over Sims 2. The faces look a little cartoonish, but I can live with that.

Create-A-Sim is still pretty much the same. You choose everything from hair and make-up right down to personalty. But instead of choosing a star-sign, turn ons and turn offs, you choose 6 personality traits. Depending on the traits you choose will then define which “LIfetime Wish” you can fulfill from a choice of 5.

Once you’re done making your sim, you then go into the neighbourhood. Unlike Sims 2,  the neighbourhood in Sims 3 is fully interactive. This means that your sim can leave the house and can go to any building in the neighbourhood. Soms buildings will allow you to follow your sims into them, some won’t (such as the hospital and your sim’s workplace).

Another change EA made was the wants and fears panel: it no longer exists. Instead, this has been replaced with wishes (equivalent to wants in sims 2). Up to four wishes may be placed into the wish panel at any time. Fulfilling a wish will give your sim a mood boost for a period of time, and will become a moodlet, displaying the amount of time left on the mood bonus in the Moodlet Panel. Moodlet’s can also have a negative effect on mood, such as if your sim is tired, huingry, suffering from low bladder or hygiene, low fun or low social.

Just a little on the need bars: when Sims 3 was first announced, EA did say they were not going to include the need bars. Instead, they were going to have pop up balloons telling the player what the sim needed. I thought this was a rather silly way of doing things, and I am glad they kept to the tried and true method of need bars.

Throughout a sim’s life, he or she may receive challenges. Once a challenge has been completed, your sim will receive an award. Rewards may be in the form of simoleans, objects or a mood boost. As far as I can tell, there are no time limits on completing challenges.

There are so many more changes EA has made to the Sims 3, and unfortunately (or fortunately, whichever way you want to see it), they are too numerous to mention here. If you were a fan of Sims 2, then it’s a good bet you’re going to love Sims 3.

Until next time

Lord Yu

“Artificial” Sperm

Scientists in England have created sperm from stem cells.

This is wrong on so many levels it isn’t funny.

While I applaud “real” stem cell research (attempting to cure diseases through stem cell research), this, as far as I’m concerned, as playing God.

Also, what happens if it turns out that the sperm they make in laboratories can fertilize an egg AND produce functioning human beings? I guess the only thing us guys would be good for is taking out the garbage and lifting heavy objects.

Until next time

Lord Yu