tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81507813595595875142024-02-19T10:52:36.865-05:00Ben Stanton: Gamer, Writer, Programmer, ActivistScorphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048283560741587629noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8150781359559587514.post-40469923797043943452013-03-26T16:06:00.001-04:002013-03-26T16:08:53.851-04:00The Nerd Scale<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9G3QT-X5R-zjOgVuaRC3UvwA2LB4p9YQ3Y_bT7lOWCsDUkKs941uBoDKJvAtubJRX6LgNj-_UHV4FQnb2RgAQ15AOUygAU_nykvm6ApiwJwUF8HTFqYhob9XpTgFFIeomYAB4Wg0HHRk/s1600/Nerd-Scale.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9G3QT-X5R-zjOgVuaRC3UvwA2LB4p9YQ3Y_bT7lOWCsDUkKs941uBoDKJvAtubJRX6LgNj-_UHV4FQnb2RgAQ15AOUygAU_nykvm6ApiwJwUF8HTFqYhob9XpTgFFIeomYAB4Wg0HHRk/s320/Nerd-Scale.png" width="320" /></a>
<p>Where do you fit?</p></div>
Scorphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048283560741587629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8150781359559587514.post-10911496368007167042012-03-02T13:32:00.004-05:002012-03-02T13:38:47.828-05:00Mass Effect 3 Launch Trailer Review<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bG2mdZ23eP8" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe><br /><br /><a href="http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/323/index/9579018/20#9581162"><span style="font-style: italic;">Reposted from BioWare Forums:</span></a><br /><br />I'm not sure if I'm already too pumped for ME3 or what, but I don't think I had the same reaction other people did to the trailer. I mean, sure it was nice and all, but my pants and my keyboard remain thoroughly unsoiled.<br /><br />Thoughts on the trailer:<br /><br />Heavy emphasis on Male Shep. Great for people who want to play him, not so much for people who want to play FemShep.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">0:22</span> Oh great, it's that kid again. Look, it's not like it's not an emotional scene, it just doesn't have the same impact when you keep seeing it over and over and over and over and...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">0:43</span> The Asari being held by that Asari husk (don't remember what it's called), is that Rana Thanoptis? Her markings are white, not black, but aside from that they look the same.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">0:47</span> Looks like some kind of half husk. Is this a product of the Reapers or Cerberus?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">0:52</span> Is it just me or does Garrus sound like he's talking with a bit of lisp?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1:03</span> Ok, third time seeing him, I'm pretty sure that's Wreav.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1:11 </span>The "Go to Hell" line seemed... I don't know, just out of place for some reason.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1:15</span> Car flip, explosion, pretty cool looking. <img src="http://na.llnet.bioware.cdn.ea.com/u/f/eagames/bioware/social/images/forum/emoticons/smile.png" /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1:19</span> Blowing up a Reaper: also cool. Though firing weapons on a planet: potentially dangerous and advised against, but I guess you gotta kill the Reaper somehow.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1:21</span> Explosions in the Migrant Fleet. Hope to god Tali's on my ship during this time.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1:22</span> Tali!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1:24</span> Legion!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1:26</span> Jack, with some sort of mohawk ponytail thing going on. At least it looks like her jacket will cover her up a bit more (though leave plenty exposed).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1:22 - 1:27</span> Don't really like the heavy handedness of this line. Something about it doesn't strike me as "Shepardy"<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1:30</span> Reaper vs Giant Thresher Maw. Can't wait to see how this one turns out.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1:33</span> Migrant fleet again, with what looks like a ship of unknown architecture. Possibly Geth? And more explosions.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1:41 - 1:43</span> And Ashely romance. They've been emphasizing her a lot lately, now we know why. Still, at least they're wearing underwear for the romance scene instead of just straight up dry humping like ME2.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1:49</span> Nice looking fleet, though in some playthroughs, the Destiny Ascension won't be there.<br /><br style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">1:51</span> This game (and the series in general) seems to flip-flop on whether the reapers all look the same or different. Here, they all look the same.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2:03</span> Very impressive looking final scene. Liara's line really adds to it. Wonder what that thing is?<br /><br />Ok, re-watching it, I can definitely say I didn't not like it, but I didn't love it. It crammed a lot into a short amount of time and I really think it could've done it better. The ME2 launch trailer may have set the bar too high. It still gives me chills when I watch it. Heavy emphasis on MShep, plus some of the lines they used not feeling right, makes me give this trailer a rating of 4/5 (Good, not great).<br /><br />That said, I'm already really pumped for ME3. I definitely didn't need a trailer for that. Also, I think that, as of the end of the day, I'll be going on an Mass Effect media blackout. I'll spend some time with my wife this weekend to preemptively make up for the time she won't be seeing me. Bye everyone, see you once I've finished my first playthrough.Scorphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048283560741587629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8150781359559587514.post-48469024648700924412011-11-22T05:18:00.002-05:002011-11-22T05:22:40.204-05:00The Dangers of Splenda<p>The first time I had Splenda was in a candy my mother gave me. Now, I was never a fan of artificial sweeteners in the first place, but I was told that this was different.</p><p>They were right.</p><p>As soon as the candy touched my tongue, I had to spit it out. It felt like I had placed acid on my tongue. Very soon, my stomach started rumbling. Within minutes, I had the worst hour of gas I'd had ever. I shudder to think what might have happened if I'd had the entire candy.</p><p>So, for a while, I assumed I was safe from Splenda. If it causes these problems, it's not likely to catch on, right?</p><p>Wrong.</p><p>Soon I was seeing the Splenda logo everywhere I looked. New diet drinks, sugar free popsicles, basically anything that used to use aspartame.</p><p>Then came the real problem.</p><p>One day, I was offered a stick of gum. I began chewing said piece, waiting for the flavor to show itself. The flavor turned out to be acid.</p>Hurriedly, I spit the gum out. I thought it horrible. They were using Splenda in gum now?<p></p><p>I asked to see the package. No, there was no Splenda logo on the package. I checked the ingredients. There it was, 'sucralose', the technical name for Splenda.</p><p>It was my worst fear. Splenda was being used without warning. Apparently, too many people are unaware of it's dangers. It may never again be safe to eat or drink anything sweet without checking the ingredients list.</p><p>Warn your friends about the dangers of Splenda. The colon you save may be your own.<br /></p>Scorphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048283560741587629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8150781359559587514.post-63439549050380998572011-09-09T12:00:00.001-04:002011-09-09T12:00:06.487-04:00Status Report<p>Hey everyone! I've been meaning to update my blog for a while now. In fact, I'm hoping to do it at least semi-regularly.</p><h2>Computer Woes</h2><p>To start things off, if you've been following my <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/scorpst">Twitter account</a>, you may have seen that I was having trouble with my new video card.</p><p>My previous one carped out on me (the Video RAM burnt itself out) a while back. I managed to get it working slightly for a few weeks over the summer, but then it stopped working altogether. I had to wait until I had enough money to buy a new Video Card. Once I had the money, I bought <a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131433&nm_mc=TEMC-RMA-Approvel&cm_mmc=TEMC-RMA-Approvel-_-Content-_-text-_-">this one</a>. It was the best Graphics Card I could find that would fit in a single slot.</p><p>Anyway, I get the card, put it in, and it's working fine. I download the latest drivers (because who trusts the the drivers that come with the hardware) and installed them and the <acronym title="Catalyst Control Center">CCC</acronym>. When I rebooted into Windows, after a few minutes, I started seeing red dots on the screen. Moments later, other graphical corruptions manifested themselves. After a while of that, I got the dreaded <acronym title="Blue Screen of Death">BSOD</acronym>. A few restarts, same thing kept happening. I even managed to remove the old driver but to no avail. Nothing bad happened in safe mode and it worked fine if used the "Standard VGA Adapter" driver, but that would hardly be enough for gaming.</p><p>At that point, it was time to do some diagnostics to find out if this was truly a software problem (like it seemed) or if I'd gotten a faulty card. I installed an old hard drive of mine and set up a partition (which it now seems was unnecessary) to install Windows onto. With a fresh install and up-to-date drivers, I found none of the graphical errors that occurred my normal portion. That was the good news.</p><p>The bad news was, that meant I had to re-install Windows for <span style="font-style: italic;">real</span>. I backed up all my important files, as well as my Steam Installations, onto an external hard drive (turned out to be unnecessary, but still a good thing to do). Then it was time to do a fresh install. Thankfully, I was able to do a clean install without having to worry that I only had an upgrade copy of Windows 7.</p><p>So mostly this past week has been spent re-installing all the software I've been missing. So far, I've installed Firefox, Winamp (for music), VLC player (for video), Photoshop (along with the rest of CS4), Steam (along with all the Steam games I had on my previous installation), and Mass Effect 2, which looks even more awesome than I remember, by the way. I still have to re-install MS Office (will be doing that later tonight), Dragon Age 2 and the Sims 3. Oh, and I also got a free copy of Deus Ex with my Graphics Card. I'll be trying that out soon.</p><h2>The Job Front</h2><p>In other news, I started a new job. I'm going to be working for event security for IU home games. It's not much, but it's better than nothing. Hopefully this will lead to more gainful employment.</p><p>Unfortunately, this comes on the heels of some other news. I will not be attending college this semester. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get IU all the information they needed in time so now I have to re-apply for the Spring Semester. I also can't attend classes at Ivy Tech due to a "Maximum Timeframe" issue. Apparently, if you don't graduate after attempting a certain number of hours, you lose your financial aid. Had I known that ahead of time, I wouldn't have taken so many electives.</p><p>Anyway, that's all I've got for now. Till later!<br /></p>Scorphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048283560741587629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8150781359559587514.post-10909898915112723872011-08-29T16:00:00.001-04:002011-08-29T16:00:03.964-04:00Hipster to English DictionaryHipster: They used to be good, before they sold out.
<br />English: I don't know what they sound like now because I can't afford their album.
<br />
<br />Hipster: I Liked them<span style="font-style: italic;"></span> <span style="font-style: italic;">before</span> they were popular.
<br />English: This is the first I'm hearing of them.
<br />
<br />H: I have <span style="font-style: italic;">X</span> ironically.
<br />E: I learned about irony from Alanis Morissette.
<br />
<br />H: This look is in right now.
<br />E: These clothes were on clearance at Goodwill.
<br />
<br />H: I have a Facebook page ironically.
<br />E: I got a Facebook page before I became this pretentious.
<br />
<br />H: I don't have a Facebook page.
<br />E: I don't want you to know I secretly play Farmville,
<br />
<br />H: I don't have a MySpace page.
<br />E: I don't know how to delete my MySpace page
<br />
<br />H: I don't have a Twitter account.
<br />E: What's Twitter?
<br />Scorphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048283560741587629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8150781359559587514.post-42803808754814968812011-08-28T21:24:00.004-04:002011-08-29T04:36:05.689-04:00Gripes<p>As I sit here, waiting for a graphics card for my desktop that may or may not come tomorrow, I've been surfing and have found a few things that really annoy me. If you follow my twitter feed, you may already know them, but I feel like posting them anyway.</p><h2>Firefox 6 is out already?!?</h2><p>Seriously? I haven't even updated to 5 yet because Google Toolbar refuses to support anything beyond version 4. Granted, I could probably live without Google Toolbar on my desktop, that is once it starts working again, but it's a real pain to work without it on my laptop.</p> <h2>Protected Tweets</h2> <p>I suppose that's a little misleading. I understand there are people out there who have legitimate reasons for protecting their tweets, among those the potential backlash that could be caused by a current or prospective employer.</p><p>No, the problem I have is when people have conversations over twitter and one or more (but not all) of the participants protect their tweets. It's like being in a room with someone who's talking loudly on the phone. Even if what they're saying sounds interesting, it's still annoying because you're only hearing half the conversation. Hell, that's the whole reason I refuse to send any @replies to anyone who protects their tweets.</p><hr />Ok, I suppose that's all I've got. Still, even if no one winds up reading this, it was nice to vent a little.Scorphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048283560741587629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8150781359559587514.post-10156536425766034392011-05-19T10:00:00.000-04:002011-05-19T10:02:53.063-04:00The RuptureAll this talk about the so called "Rapture" that will allegedly happen this week has got me thinking. I've come to a startling realization. I don't think I want to be raptured.<br /><br />I mean, think about it. Let's say the rapture is real. Lets just say it's going to happen and then you'll be brought up into heaven and be able to do whatever you want when you get there and live in a paradise forever.<br /><br />Sure, it seems nice, but how long will it be before you don't want it anymore? In a perfect paradise, there will be nothing you can't do, and you don't even have to put any effort into it. There will be no fear. No fear of dying, no fear of injury, no fear of failure.<br /><br />There will be no challenges to overcome. No challenges means nothing to spark the imagination. Paradise will get boring, only you won't even realize you're bored.<br /><br />Meanwhile, those of us that get "left behind" will have to suffer through the apocalypse. Sure, it'll be Hell on Earth (literally), but at least we'll be living.<br /><br />Life is filled with pain and fear. Living is finding a way to cope with the pain and rise above the fear. If you can't do that, then you were never really living in the first placeScorphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048283560741587629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8150781359559587514.post-63767401713282623932011-04-06T01:50:00.002-04:002011-04-06T01:59:10.591-04:00Mass Effect: ExtinctionI've started a new FanFic called Mass Effect: Extinction. You can read it over on FanFiction.net<br /><a href="http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6875433/1/Mass_Effect_Extinction"></a><blockquote><a href="http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6875433/1/Mass_Effect_Extinction">Mass Effect: Extinction</a><br />Commander Shepard's actions, while done to safeguard the Galaxy, have resulted in Galaxy-wide chaos. Now, with the Reapers closing in, Shepard must unite the Galaxy's waring factions if she has any hope of stopping them.</blockquote>This story stars a version of the Shepard from my previous FanFic who made a few different choices over the course of ME2. I'll reveal those different choices throughout the course of the story.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6322244/1/Mass_Effect_2_and_a_half">Mass Effect 2.5</a> is going strong. Not as many readers as I'd like, but much more than I expected. I'll be wrapping up Episode 3 this Friday for anyone who wants to read it.Scorphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048283560741587629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8150781359559587514.post-32327877882714980742010-09-14T00:00:00.002-04:002011-04-06T01:44:57.988-04:00Mass Effect 2.5So I had an idea to write some Fan Fiction for Mass Effect. It's essentially how I'm bridging the gap between Mass Effect 2 and 3. It will likely contain references to upcoming bridging DLC that BioWare is coming out with as well as an abbreviated Lair of the Shadow Broker chapter or two. Not a whole lot of focus on Action, but with Drama and Humor galore.<br /><br />So, without further ado, I present Chapter 1 of:<br /><h1>Mass Effect 2.5</h1><hr /><h2>Entry 217</h2><em>Personal Log, Shepard, Leanna, Commander, Normandy SR-2</em><br /><br />We made it back through the Omega 4 Relay. I didn’t expect to be able to say those words. I fully expected my previous entry to be my last. I’m cancelling the letters I’d scheduled to send to Liara, Ash and Anderson. I’m a little relieved too; they all seem a bit too sappy.<br /><br />Miranda is busy working on her report. I’m not sure what she’s going to do with it now that we’ve left Cerberus. I can barely imagine the strength it must have taken to turn her back on the man who saved her and her sister from her father. She’s a much stronger woman than she gives herself credit for, genetically engineered or not.<br /><br />In all, everyone seems glad that I destroyed the base. Grunt even thought it was funny. Legion made a comparison between my choice and the one his people made. He says we’re more alike than he realized. What he doesn’t know is that he inspired me to make my decision. If we continue to build our Civilization on the backs of Reaper technology, how are we ever going to stand on our own two feet?<br /><br />The rest of the crew’s fine. Jack’s being her usual “chipper” self. Mordin’s already moved on to his next project. Hope it’s a cure for Thane. I’m worried that without more exercise, the Kepral's Syndrome will get worse.<br /><br />I’m afraid Garrus might be minimalizing his accomplishments. He led that second fire team and probably saved Tali’s life. If something were to happen to me, I trust him to be the one to finish what I’ve started.<br /><br />I still question the wisdom of having a thief living on our ship. I swear, every time I go down there, her “personal collection” has gotten a bit bigger. Jacob’s spending a lot of time with her, but I’m not sure if he likes her, or just considers her a drinking buddy.<br /><br />I’m glad Samara hasn’t left yet. When she first joined, I got the impression she’d take off immediately after we returned through the Relay (assuming we got back at all). She’s staying on the ship though. She said she can “Continue to follow the code while onboard the Normandy”. I hope she sticks around. She seems lonely.<br /><br />Tali seems to be holding up well. I wish everyone had her strength. I’m surprised she hasn’t tried to contact the Migrant Fleet since we’ve been back though. She seems to be spending most of her free time around me instead.<br /><br />I also want to make a Note in the Logs about Zaeed Masani. Zaeed led the Distraction team that bought us the time we needed to make it through in Samara’s biotic bubble. The team made it through alive because Zaeed took every shot the Collectors fired. In the end, it seems his stubbornness wasn’t enough to keep him from death. Regardless of how he lived, Zaeed Masani died a hero. In his honor, I will make sure his ex-partner Vido is brought to justice.<br /><br />At this point, I’m unsure of what to do next. Part of me wants to warn the Council about what is coming, but I don’t feel like shouting at a bunch of idiots. Plus the way the Turian Rep does that whole air quotes thing just bugs me.<br /><br />I can’t face Liara right now. She’s on her whole Vengeance kick and I can’t deal with that. I need to feel happy for a while. I just wish things could go back to the way they used to be between us. The feel of her skin against mine. The way we…<br /><br />Dear god I’ve got to get off this ship. I’m setting a course for Omega. I’m gonna get drunk.<br /><br /><hr /><br />You can read the rest by <a href="http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6322244/2/">Clicking Here</a>.Scorphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048283560741587629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8150781359559587514.post-78584488091168812692010-08-11T03:13:00.003-04:002010-08-11T04:17:16.806-04:00Commander of the GreyWell, earlier this night I finished playing Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening. I used the character I previously played through Origins with, a Noble Human Warrior named <a href="http://social.bioware.com/playerprofile.php?char_id=1009455&display=character&nid=2262898486&game=dragonage1_pc&persona_id=221662877">Alisand</a>. Anyway, I've come to the conclusion that the base game was better than the Expansion.<br /><br />Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a bad game or anything. I liked the added combat options, and it was a good storyline, but I honestly can't see myself playing it more than one more time. I say one more time because there are still a few things I'd like to see play out differently with another (more evil) character, but that'd be it.Scorphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048283560741587629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8150781359559587514.post-28689100014994584232010-02-01T02:15:00.004-05:002010-02-01T03:24:57.853-05:00Mass Effect 2I never beat a game before online guides started coming out before (that is, after online guides started coming out), but that's exactly what I did last night.<br /><br />I've spent the last couple months in dire anticipation of Mass Effect 2, the first being a game that blew my mind and showed me just what exactly my computer was capable of. I spent a long time reading forums and watching for developer updates on the game. As soon as I could, I preordered the Collector's Edition. I built the game up in my head as the greatest game I would play (so far anyway).<br /><br />You know how sometimes, you get so excited about something and when you finally get it, it's not as good as you thought and it lets you down?<br /><br />This was not one of those times.<br /><br />Mass Effect 2 was one of the greatest games I played since... well... Mass Effect. The level of detail was amazing (and I'm not talking about graphical detail, though that was pretty good too). Just about any action I took in the first game had some sort of consequence in this one. From the big decisions at the end of the major Missions, to what happened to my #1 fan on the Citadel. Hell, I even saw a guy finally getting his refund after two years of waiting (though he seemed to be at the wrong warehouse). It was such an incredibly immersive experience that it was impossible to play with a Shepard that I didn't create in the first game (and I tried, first with the default, then with <a href="http://www.masseffectsaves.com/">someone else's save</a>). I've got two more Shepards to play with, after which I'll have to go back to Mass Effect and churn out a couple more.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb_rprl-ALG3TBfujHexf0kYgkqb2nUtG3uafZgu6vOCQxYQahDjRaDZS0rfYmebf8F_TIeUh-JPrjO5TVmohMEOvVwu063reESbZVqv-m3jaP7OcQvZpGna19kpxO5urEpyNkCSBscqA/s1600-h/ME2Leanna1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb_rprl-ALG3TBfujHexf0kYgkqb2nUtG3uafZgu6vOCQxYQahDjRaDZS0rfYmebf8F_TIeUh-JPrjO5TVmohMEOvVwu063reESbZVqv-m3jaP7OcQvZpGna19kpxO5urEpyNkCSBscqA/s320/ME2Leanna1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433187718903101666" border="0" /></a><br />Leanna Shepard (2154- )<br />Still Fighting for the LostScorphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048283560741587629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8150781359559587514.post-32391045616547966462009-06-08T13:06:00.002-04:002009-06-08T13:08:48.506-04:00The Daily Blur, Suplimental<span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Project #5: Getting A+ Certified</span><br />This is one I keep meaning to do. I really need to take the tests at some point. That means studying the materials I have. I hope to get my certification by the end of the Summer.Scorphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048283560741587629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8150781359559587514.post-52163418381588590092009-05-31T01:30:00.004-04:002009-05-31T06:53:49.873-04:00The Daily BlurI can't believe that May is almost over. Here it is, 3 weeks into the Summer and I haven't even started on anything I was going to do. Well this week I'm changing all that. I'm making a conscious decision right now that I am going to get started on every one of my projects this week.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Project #1: Getting a License</span><br />This Summer I will be spending as much time as I can relearning how to drive. To start off, I need to get my permit which means passing the written driving test that I haven't taken in forever. Shouldn't be too bad though. I'm more worried about when I take the actual driving portion of the test. Fortunately, I should have plenty of opportunities to practice driving this Summer.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Project #2: Learning to Draw</span><br />So for a while now, I've had this idea for a webcomic. I even made two strips of the comic using pictures made in The Sims 2. Unfortunately, I learned that while getting a computer program to look the way you want is easy, getting it to <em>do</em> what you want is hard. I stopped trying to make comics, but the idea stayed with me.<br /><br />Recently, I took a class in game design. After a few classes, we suddenly found ourselves without an artist. Unfortunately, none of the remaining class had what could be considered traditional artistic skills. Thankfully, we did have some free sprites we could manipulate into backgrounds and we used simple designs for the creeps and towers.<br /><br />My Mother is an artist and I have started wonder if I am missing out on something that I in fact can do. These events have made me determined to learn how to draw. Of course, it's not like I could take a class to learn this. What I want to do isn't something that can really be taught. Instead, I intend to teach myself. I will discover my inner artist by starting my webcomic again. This time, it will be hand drawn. I just need to get my hands on some tracing paper and I will start drawing. (I will be penciling and Inking by hand but I'll be using photoshop for colors).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Project #3: Get Back on Track with Weight Watchers</span><br />So yeah. I haven't been to a Weight Watchers meeting since May 1st. I gained weight that week and I haven't been able to stick to the plan for more than a day at a time since then, I'm almost sure that I'm back over 200lbs. and I'm afraid that I won't be able to lose it again. I need to start exercising and I need to relearn how to control my cravings. Far too often I've had the desire to eat large amounts of unhealthily prepared meat and followed my urges. I keep sleeping in on scheduled meeting days thinking "I'll go to the next one". Well I need to go now. And I definitely need to start working out again.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Project #4: Games</span><br />After all the projects listed above, "playing games" doesn't seem like such a big deal. Well it is to me. I have a number of games that I likely won't have much chance to play once the school year starts back up.<br /><br /><br />Well, that's all I got for now. Later!<br />-BenScorphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048283560741587629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8150781359559587514.post-50101177803698247132009-05-09T03:02:00.004-04:002009-05-31T01:20:29.380-04:00Grakus Version 2Ok, we've done some work and I think we have a finished project. Check out Grakus on Kongregate! If you don't have an account, sign up for one, and please, please, <span style="font-style: italic;">please</span>, rate it 5 stars!<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://www.kongregate.com/games/grakusteam/grakus-tower-defense-v2?referrer=scorpst&sfa=permalink"><img src="http://cdn4.kongregate.com/game_icons/0008/6364/Grakus.jpg" border="0" /></a></div>Scorphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048283560741587629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8150781359559587514.post-56147119535693004362009-04-27T18:37:00.002-04:002009-05-09T02:55:39.970-04:00GrakusFor the last semester, I've been in a class where we've been building a tower defense game. Check out this current release version at Kongregate.<div align="center"><a href="http://www.kongregate.com/games/grakusteam/grakus-tower-defense-v1-1?referrer=scorpst&sfa=permalink"><br /><img src="http://cdn4.kongregate.com/game_icons/0008/6364/Grakus.jpg" border="0" /></a></div>Scorphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048283560741587629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8150781359559587514.post-5672043582686920022009-03-21T18:39:00.004-04:002009-05-09T02:55:24.740-04:0025 Random Things About Me<p>Ok, I got 2 people sending this thing to me on Facebook, so I figure I can't just ignore it. Here goes.</p><p>Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.</p><ol><li>I feel most comfortable in front of a computer screen</li><li>My Life's Goal is to design Video Games for a living</li><li>Although I love to play Video Games myself, I'm actually not that good at most of them, with the exception of Puzzle Games and RPGs</li><li>I'm 3/4 Irish and 1/4 German, and I don't drink</li><li>I've been on a diet for a bit over a year, but After losing 50 pounds, I've found it nearly impossible to stay on it</li><li>I've lost two family members due to smoking-related cancer, my Aunt and my Granddad</li><li>I recently built a brand new computer for myself, and it costed much less than if I'd bought it pre-assembled</li><li>People may sometimes see me as arrogant, but in truth, I'm just not much of a talker; I've gotten better though</li><li>I have a bad habit of correcting people's pronunciation of words</li><li>While I like my job, I actually enjoyed my job more before I became a Supervisor</li><li>I still have my appendix, tonsils, and all 4 wisdom teeth</li><li>I met my wife in 2nd grade, and from the 7th grade on, I never had any doubt who I was going to marry</li><li>I dropped out of two schools before going to Ivy Tech, now I'm determined to get a degree from there before I move on</li><li>I really wish I had the time and money to get back into collecting comics</li><li>I cringe when I read something that's over-saturated with netspeak</li><li>has always been my lucky number</li><li>I'm not a very religious man, but I believe in God, I believe in Jesus, I believe that no one religion could be completely right, and I believe that no one religion is completely wrong; except for [withheld], that scares me.</li><li>I've always wanted to go into space</li><li>I prefer a mouse and keyboard to a gamepad</li><li>I don't believe in the end of the world</li><li>I have a tendency to feel other people's pain, which is why I could never be a doctor</li><li>I like things as small as they can get, without sacrificing performance</li><li>I tend to get along more with women than with men</li><li>Earbuds don't stay in my ears</li><li>My greatest fear is that I will one day loose my mind<br /></li></ol>Scorphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048283560741587629noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8150781359559587514.post-80683588100710089982008-10-21T20:34:00.003-04:002008-10-21T21:31:38.767-04:0050!!!!!!!!!!!!Today, at 12:20pm, I weighed in at 190.6lbs, making my official weight loss 51 pounds! I am incredibly excited about this. In High School I used to weigh around 190lbs and I'm less than a pound away from this. I only have 20.6lbs to go before hitting my weight loss goal. Thanks to all the weight loss, I had to donate most of my jeans, so I bought 3 new pairs. I'm back to a 34 inch waist, but I don't think I'll go down even if I loose more weight. Your waist size can only shrink as much as your pelvis, right?<br /><br />On the gaming front, I'm actually starting work on designing a Video Game. It's still in the conceptual phase right now, but it's called <i>Spellmasters</i> and it's an RPG. The hook is the combat mechanics. Rather than using typical turn-based combat or the real-time combat newer RPGs are using, <i>Spellmasters</i> uses a card-based combat system similar to <i>Magic: the Gathering</i> or <i>Yu-Gi-Oh</i>. My plan is to make the first one, which I'm calling <i>Spellmasters 0: Prolouge Dungeon</i>, using Flash and make it (possibly) free on the web. Following that, I hope to use this as a portfolio builder until I can actually make the first complete game in the series (not that S0PD won't be a complete game, it just won't have everything I want in it). I actually don't want the game to stay on PC. I think it would be much better on handhelds like the DS, or PSP (or hell, even the iPhone). This isn't the only concept I'm working on, this is just the only one that feels like one I could acomplish before I actually graduate. I'll be taking a course in Flash next semester so expect my project to finish sometime in the summer.<br /><br />Oh, and before I forget:<br />©2008 Benjamin J. Stanton<br />©2008 Infinity ArcadeScorphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048283560741587629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8150781359559587514.post-40520326760719375472008-10-15T19:01:00.001-04:002008-10-15T19:04:09.656-04:00Hi Larry Us<p>I saw this the other night going through episodes of TDS on my DVR that I had yet to watch. I could not stop laughing. Enjoy:</p><br /><embed flashvars="videoId=187570" src="http://www.thedailyshow.com/sitewide/video_player/view/default/swf.jhtml" quality="high" bgcolor="#cccccc" name="comedy_central_player" allowscriptaccess="always" allownetworking="external" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" width="332" align="middle" height="316"></embed>Scorphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048283560741587629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8150781359559587514.post-86944787308015282792008-09-02T10:44:00.001-04:002008-09-02T10:47:38.093-04:00My thoughts on Internet Slang<span id="code_quacker">A brb l33t imho. L33t haXXor lol imho wtf irl aybabtu imho irl pwn pwn. L33t imao? S omg. L l33t l aybabtu s imao lol? Bump l? Roflmao roflmao lol. Imao imao wtf. Wtf irl. Wtf bump imao. Imao omg s. Imho brb imao! Lol a imao. Pwn roflmao omg irl aybabtu aybabtu. Wtf lol imao? Imao bump l. L33t l33t wtf bump pwn omg brb roflmao aybabtu! Wtf imao irl. Imho imao l pwn s. Pwn bump l33t bump brb. A pwn. Roflmao imho. S wtf roflmao. Lol aybabtu! Pwn l! HaXXor haXXor. Irl imao pwn a wtf! Wtf imao. A aybabtu pwn s omg. Roflmao s. Wtf l33t. Pwn aybabtu? Aybabtu bump pwn? A irl. S bump wtf a haXXor imho l roflmao imao irl. Imao imho haXXor roflmao irl aybabtu imao haXXor pwn imao imao brb imao s s? Wtf lol l s a roflmao l a irl! A lol irl! S imao omg. Pwn imho pwn. S brb lol.</span> (<a href="http://makesweet.com/secret/mystify?link=code_quacker">decode</a>)Scorphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048283560741587629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8150781359559587514.post-25001728675226041162008-08-12T23:24:00.002-04:002008-08-12T23:42:15.255-04:00Gearing up for Gen ConGen Con, a.k.a. the best four days in gaming, starts in just two days. And for the first time ever, I will be going to the entire thing! Yes, I will be leaving early tomorrow morning for Gen Con.<br /><br />For those who don't know what Gen Con is, well, instead of just telling you, I'm going to take the easy way and <a href="http://www.gencon.com/2008/indy/">link it to you</a>. So you may be asking, why are you leaving tomorrow if the Convention is Thursday and the place is just over an hour away? That's because I'm volunteering on Wednesday. Wednesday is Trade Day so there's no general admission, but they still needed help. I'll also be volunteering Thursday and Friday mornings. Why am I doing this? Two reasons: one, I actually want to be a part of this Con and not just an observer; two, they're giving me money back on my ticket. It's not the only reason I'm doing this, it's just the reason I'll be able to spend money on something besides a ticket this long weekend.<br /><br />I'm going to be taking pictures with my digital camera this weekend, and hopefully I'll be able to upload them while I'm at the Con.Scorphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048283560741587629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8150781359559587514.post-78766656068049688182008-04-23T20:06:00.006-04:002008-04-23T20:33:45.111-04:00Still AliveIt's been a while since a full update (although I have still been updating the sidebars), but I'm still here. I've just been busy with work and school that I haven't been able to type anything up.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Weight Loss</span><br />As of last Friday, I've lost 19 lbs. No small accomplishment for me, especially since I've been having trouble finding the time to work out. Oddly though, I've recently discovered that my appetite has a tendency to decrease when I don't do much. I'm winding up with extra points those days. Still, with the weather getting better lately, I hope to do more long walks outside.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Gaming</span><br />I haven't been gaming quite as much as usual, and when I do, it's mostly been PC rather than console. I recently started playing a borrowed copy of RollerCoaster Tycoon. It's pretty fun. I'm considering purchasing RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 as it's 3D and has an actual sandbox mode.<br /><br />I haven't been playing World of Warcraft as much as I used to lately. That's mostly because my friend (who's currently living in Japan) and I haven't been able to sync up our schedules as much as we'd like to. My Wife and I are going to be making a two-person team however. We're planning on putting these two characters on a Roleplaying Server, so if anyone has a suggestion on which server we two should join, I'd appreciate it. I'm going to be a Paladin and she has yet to decide between a Warrior and a Mage.<br /><br />That's all I have right now. Catch you later.Scorphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048283560741587629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8150781359559587514.post-18516547220176549432008-04-06T19:58:00.004-04:002008-04-07T19:31:35.683-04:00Witty TitleSo I'm really excited about our new World of Warcraft Guild. We just got enough gold for our first tab and between me, my alts and my wife, we've practically filled it. Hopefully, actually having a tab will help us keep our members more.<br /><br />I'm also considering entering the "<a href="http://worldofwarcraft.com/pvp/tournament/index.xml">2008 World of Warcraft Arena Tournament</a>". The only thing is getting a team together. The obvious choice is to get my wife and my friend (the other co-founder of my guild) to do it. The problem is that I'm not sure my wife will be able to justify the expense, and I'm not sure my friend will be able to do it as she's in Japan right now. The good thing is that if (and that's a big if) we make it to the big tournament, it's in October and my friend <span style="font-style: italic;">should</span> be back in the US by then. Other options include my co-workers (I know some of them play WoW), Guild mates (though I'm not sure who would be good for this) or just teaming up with some random people. Regardless of which route I pick, I have until June to figure it out. Who knows, maybe another option will present itself.<br /><br />Victory for Sylvanas!Scorphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048283560741587629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8150781359559587514.post-54318171580397197962008-03-30T19:00:00.002-04:002008-03-30T19:14:57.055-04:00Paternal IssuesSo, out of the clear blue, I got an email from my father the other day. He says he wants to meet with me. Now first of all, I haven't been on fairly good terms with my father for a while now. I will admit, a lot of it is my fault. I had a falling out with my Step-Mother and unfortunately, the rest of my Dad's side of the family got caught in the balance. The last time I saw my father was at my Wedding. The last time I heard from him was an email back in I think December where he said he'd gotten my previous emails but didn't have too much time on the computer. He said he would reply soon. It's now nearing April.<br /><br />Well of course the first thing I did was send him an email back letting him know when I'd be available and telling him to call me if he could. Now I play the waiting game.<br /><br />In other news, I now have a Guild on WoW. <a href="http://guildportal.com/Guild.aspx?GuildID=249045">Click Here</a> to see our Guild Page. Our Armory page isn't working yet. We're on the Trollbane server so if you're on, contact Carvis, my character, or either Nohkomi(My wife), or Miridia(a friend of ours). If none of us are on, try to join using the site.<br /><br />For the Horde!Scorphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048283560741587629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8150781359559587514.post-17283606550764846192008-03-24T16:55:00.004-04:002008-03-24T17:07:29.982-04:00So Many Games, So Little TimeYou know, I really hate the fact that I have to work <span style="font-style: italic;">and</span> go to school. If I could cut out work, then I'd be able to take the time I'd normally be working and do my homework. Then I could take the time I'd normally be doing homework, and focus on myself. I guess I'm just feeling a little overwhelmed right now. I've got to pass both my classes, keep showing up to work, stick to this diet I'm on, get a job for the Summer (because I won't be getting as much Unemployment as I did last year), and still find time to have a relationship with my family. I don't think I can keep doing the comic right now. I'm going to finish up the arc I'm on and then take a hiatus until the Summer.Scorphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048283560741587629noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8150781359559587514.post-61358064309494468552008-03-19T21:22:00.003-04:002008-03-19T21:27:03.497-04:00Spore!No real news post today. I'm very busy with work and school and all. Still, I found this cool Spore video online today. It's not the most recent (a little over a month old), but it's cool looking. I haven't watched it with sound yet, so I'll be doing that tonight. Enjoy!<br /><br /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://blip.tv/scripts/flash/showplayer.swf?enablejs=true&feedurl=http%3A%2F%2Frandommess%2Eblip%2Etv%2Frss&file=http%3A%2F%2Fblip%2Etv%2Frss%2Fflash%2F658052&showplayerpath=http%3A%2F%2Fblip%2Etv%2Fscripts%2Fflash%2Fshowplayer%2Eswf" allowfullscreen="true" id="showplayer" height="255" width="400">No real news post today. Real busy with work and school and all. Still, I did find this cool Spore video online. I haven't seen it with sound yet, so that's the first thing I'll do when I get home. Enjoy!<param name="movie" value="http://blip.tv/scripts/flash/showplayer.swf?enablejs=true&feedurl=http%3A%2F%2Frandommess%2Eblip%2Etv%2Frss&file=http%3A%2F%2Fblip%2Etv%2Frss%2Fflash%2F658052&showplayerpath=http%3A%2F%2Fblip%2Etv%2Fscripts%2Fflash%2Fshowplayer%2Eswf"><param name="quality" value="best"><embed src="http://blip.tv/scripts/flash/showplayer.swf?enablejs=true&feedurl=http%3A%2F%2Frandommess%2Eblip%2Etv%2Frss&file=http%3A%2F%2Fblip%2Etv%2Frss%2Fflash%2F658052&showplayerpath=http%3A%2F%2Fblip%2Etv%2Fscripts%2Fflash%2Fshowplayer%2Eswf" quality="best" name="showplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="255" width="400"></embed></object>Scorphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05048283560741587629noreply@blogger.com0