Biggs' Zone

A Geek's Cogitations, Conjectures and other Cortical Experiences

MMO Times: Sorry for the Delay

By

On March 6, 2012

In Gaming, MMO Times, MMORPG

Issue 27

Hello Gamers! Sorry for the delay in bringing you the MMO News. As you may be able to guess life got a little busy. Enough about my excuses, here is the latest headlines. Enjoy!

SWTOR Patch 1.2 Coming in April

Posted 3/6/12 – The masters behind SWTOR (EA, Bioware and LucasArts) announced that the next big content patch (1.2) will be hitting PCs next month. This patch has some long awaited features including Guild Banks, legacy benefits, new flashpoints, ranked warzones and more. Follow the link to Game Guru to read more.
GameGuru post

Rumored Diablo III Release Date

Posted 3/5/12 – According to an Italian source there are rumors that the possible release date for Diablo III is April 17th. The evidence for this rumor is that stores in Italy have been clearing space for a new title after retailers received a tip from Activision Italy. Blizzard didn’t comment but a twitter post simply said “9” – perhaps this Friday we will all know for sure. In my opinion, it would make sense which may also explain why Bioware plans to release its next big content patch (1.2) for SWTOR around the same time. Follow the link to Massively to read more.
Massively post

SWTOR Guild Summit Summary

Posted 3/5/12 – Unless you have been living under a rock (while playing SWTOR) then I’m sure you knew that this past weekend Bioware/EA/LucasArts held their SWTOR Guild Summit. This was an opportunity for SWTOR developers to host panels (with Q&A) to dicuss the future of SWTOR. The panels covered everything from crafting, to PvP, guilds and the legacy system. Darth Hater (a pretty renown Star Wars fan site) has a pretty good summary of the summit. There is quite a bit of good stuff to check it out.
Darth Hater article

SWTOR March 2 Community News

Posted 3/2/12 – The link to the latest Dev Q&A is also on the RSS feed on the right. This week the developers talk more about what to expect in patch 1.1.5, 1.2 and future features. They seem to be really building up the benefits of the legacy system. Follow the link to read the blog post on the SWTOR community news site.
Community News Blog Post

DCUO Expansion Announced

Posted 3/2/12 – Players will have the chance to face off against Brainiac in the upcoming DC Universe Online expansion. The interesting thing about this expansion is that if you were previously a paying subscriber you will get the expansion for free, but those playing for free will have to buy it. No pricing has been announced. Follow the link to read about it at GameSpy.
GameSpy article

More Character Customization in GW2

Posted 2/28/12 – The developers for Guild Wars 2 have released details about how players will be have more character customization. Based on what I read this is more than just how the characters look, but you will also be able to customize how the character plays. Players will be able to tweak their characters through traits and attributes. Follow the link to read more at Massively.
Massively article

MechWarrior Online Teaser Trailer!

Posted 2/28/12 – Piranha Games gave the gaming community a treat when they unveiled a teaser trailer first look at MechWarrior Online. The video does not show in-game footage, it is a cinematic but it is 1 min and 30 sec of drooling yumminess. I also found the URL for the official website.
Massively post | MWO website

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Humor Helps

By

On March 1, 2012

In General Cogitation, Programming

As I have said in the past, I have been in the software development industry for nearly 10 years now. Currently I am working for a consulting firm which means I am often placed at various clients around the city in need of Enterprise Microsoft Solutions. I have worked for some pretty big clients and I have talked to some pretty important people at those clients. I have learned a very important and undeniable truth, humor helps.

I will not deny that it’s more important to be serious when its appropriate. You should not crack jokes in front of a Vice-President, CEO or any other high ranking personnel. However, I think its also important to allow the lighter side of your personality to come through and I believe this for two reasons: building rapport and dealing with stress.

It’s rare when I leave a client that I don’t have well over a dozen people coming to me to say farewell. I know one of my strengths is building a good rapport with everyone. I believe its my humor that helps build these relationship. How many times is it suggested that a joke be used as an ice-breaker? Humor is a natural ice-breaker, it helps quell nervous behavior. Granted I don’t walk into a client the first day and start making jokes, I think its important to warm up to people first and find out what kind of humor is appropriate. The wrong kind of humor will have the opposite effect.

Every workplace will go through periods of high stress. It’s inevitable. The curse of professionalism is the better you are at your job the more work you are expected to do in a shorter period of time. If you are going to survive the day you need to have a way to let go of the stress. When I notice my team is really stressed out, that is usually when I increase the jests. Similar to ice-breakers, the humor quells the nerves and helps relieve the tension, even if its only temporary. I say its far better to laugh in the face of stress instead of wanting to hang yourself.

Remember, humor is a tool and just like any tool, if used improperly can cause more harm then good. If you joke too much then people won’t take you seriously. If you say the wrong thing, make the wrong joke, that can have an even greater adverse affect. This is why I take some time to get to know the people I am working with first.

Cheers!

Soapbox: Proper Grammar

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On February 22, 2012

In General Cogitation, Soapbox

Poor grammar is a pet peeve of mine. When I hear someone use a double negative or butcher sentence structure it’s like nails on a chalkboard to me. Gamers are some of the worst offenders, which is often why I leave global channels in WoW.

I know that I do not have perfect grammar. I know someone could probably go through every one of my blog posts and nit pick dozens of grammar errors, but there is a difference between subtle grammar violations and a blatant disregard for the English language. How you speak and how you write can have a huge impact on your success in life. I’m sure there is statistical proof out there that links job placement to how articulate the person was in the interview. Poor vocabulary and poor grammar can be devastating to your professional career.

This morning there was a guy on the elevator talking on his cell phone and I herd him say “I’m glad you wasn’t there…” … WEREN’T!!! I seriously almost said something but that would have been rude. I’m sorry but using the wrong tense of a word just makes you sound ignorant. “Ain’t no” and ain’t got no” are, by far, the worst phrases anyone could utter. I literally cringe when I hear someone use either of those phrases. I don’t care if “ain’t” has been added to the Oxford dictionary, it still isn’t a real word and to use it in a context that creates a double negative just makes you sound belligerent.

Folks, there are 40,000 – 50,000 chinese characters and 26 letters in our alphabet. Comparatively speaking, the English language is not that difficult. If you want to be taken seriously then please try to sound intelligent.

/end soapbox

Cheers!

Ending the Dry Spell, Hopefully

By

On February 11, 2012

In General Cogitation

Greetings all! It has been a while since I have posted anything on my blog. Life, as we all know, sometimes gets a little crazy. There was a curve ball or two thrown my way and, honestly, the news lately has just been atrocious. Assaults on various freedoms, bickering among party members, and this whole thing with Iran scares the shit out of me. But I’m not here to talk politics, I hate blogging about politics. I hate election years.

At any rate, I hope to be back in the saddle again immediately. I do like to blog and while I know not many people read my blogs, sometimes it can be extremely motivating when I find out people are reading. In fact, just before the “fit hit the shan” I found out that I had inspired a friend of mine to start his own blog. So I encourage you to visit Captain Light’s blog. I added it as a Suggested Link. He like to talk about movies, wrestling and various other topics. I’m extremely excited that I have motivated someone else to write more. Writing is great exercise for the brain, it helps you organize your thoughts and enhance your grammar and vocabulary.

All right, enough babble; time to start generating new post ideas.

Cheers!

The MMO Times: No Blizzcon & Giant Robots

By

On January 25, 2012

In Gaming, MMO Times, MMORPG

Hey gamers! Welcome back to another MMO Times. I hope everyone is enjoying SWTOR, for those that are playing it. Check out the newest headlines and enjoy.

Rift: Carnival of the Ascended

Trion has announced patch 1.7 for Rift entitled Carnival of the Ascended. The oddest thing I find is Trion is including a marriage mechanic. As if these games don’t already create alternate realities which can pull a person in and dominate their life, now there is the ability to marry. I wonder if there will be a new profession soon too, Divorce Attorney. Follow the link to read the article on Massively
Massively article

TERA Release Date Announced

En Masse has officially announced a release date of May 1st for North America. If some of you forgot, this game received some pretty big awards at E3 last year including Best PC Game and Best MMO. Based on some of the videos and screenshots I’ve seen, the graphics look amazing. Follow the link to read more at Nerd Reactor.
Nerd Reactor post

Diligent Testing Pushes SWTOR Patch

If you were expecting the 1.1 patch in SWTOR on the 17th, you probably noticed that it didn’t happen. During the public testing, some issues were discovered that weren’t found during internal testing. As a result, Bioware delayed the release of the patch. I like to see developers taking player feedback and choosing to delay a patch. I think its the sign of pride in a quality product. Follow the link to read more from GameSpy.
GameSpy post

No Blizzcon in 2012

This October something is going to feel a bit off. Blizzard has announced that there will not be a Blizzcon this year since they have so many titles promised. They do have a full plate with Diablo 3, Mists of Pandaria and Star Craft 2: Heart of the Swarm promised by the end of the year. Follow the link to read more on MMO Crunch.
MMO Crunch post

Guild Wars 2 Beta Coming In March

An article on Game Bandits has a post about ArenaNet’s plans to have a beta starting in March. They are wrapping up some of their internal testing and closed beta testing in preparation. The president of ArenaNet still assures gamers that they plan to release Guild Wars 2 this year. Watch for invitations during March to get into the beta. Follow the link to read the post.
Game Bandits post

Centurion Unveiled for MechWarrior Online

Piranha Games has added an old favorite to the roster for MWO, the CN9-A Centurion. This was one of the fan favorites from the old school games and I’m sure fans watching the development of those game are rejoicing about this announcement. The article on Massively is short but they suggest going to the official website for more details.
Massively article |  MechWarrior Online website

WoW 4.3.2 Patch Notes

I am going to wrap up this issue with a link to the patch notes for 4.3.2 coming to World of Warcraft soon. I know its odd to single out a minor patch update but I wanted to because of a new feature coming with the patch. In this patch you will be able to form same faction raids with Real ID friends. I think this is pretty sweet because I do have a few friends on different servers and doing LFR with them will be great fun. Follow the link to read the patch notes on WoW Insider.
WoW Insider post

I also provide The MMO Times in an e-mail. If you are interested in receiving the e-mail version please subscribe.

May the Force Be With You, George

By

On January 19, 2012

In Movies, Star Wars

The man that brought us our beloved Star Wars universe announced on January 18th, 2012 that he is retiring from the film making industry. While many so-called “fans” continue to belittle and berate the man, I wish him Happy Retirement and Thank You. Your stories will live on forever in the hearts of millions.

I honestly can’t stand all the negative press and despicable grief thousands have been giving him over the prequels and the minor (and I mean extremely minor) changes that he has done to the original trilogy. I don’t blame him for retiring for these reasons; some ungrateful “fans” we turned out to be! Unless you can cough up a few million bucks and purchase the rights to the Star Wars movies, I say leave it be and STFU. These are his movies, his stories, his intellectual property. He is entitled to make, change or remove anything he feels like and if you don’t like it, well … tough! Buck Up, Sally!!

If it weren’t for him in the beginning we wouldn’t even have a community. We would all be worshipping Klingons and wearing pointed ears, and who wants that?? (Just teasing Trekkies!) I’m just saying that just because you have been a fan since you were 10 years old doesn’t entitle you to dictate how the story should be told when it’s not your story to begin with. I admit that the prequels have their flaws, but a true fan, a dedicated fan, can learn to accept the flaws and embrace all of it, unequivocally.

Besides, in the end it isn’t about midichlorians, or who shot first, or what Vader should or should not have exclaimed. It’s about immersing ourselves in the lore and adventure of different worlds and different species. It’s about total strangers from all over the world, coming together under a single, unifying, albeit fictitious, universe. This is what George Lucas has done; that is his legacy.

Thank you, George! And May the Force Be With You!
Cheers!

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