Mountains, Old video games and more about mopeds

(Philbyy has logged in)
...Oh wow, I actually came back. Hooray, the biggest hurdle is past!

Before I start, a quick nod back to my last post.

I commented on the little cloth leg covers moped riders wear. Well, I asked my colleague- a moteorcycleist himself- about them, and as it turns out, they are rain covers.

Thats right. Rain covers.

So... moped riders fear rain, but not the physics of a car hitting them at 60 miles an hour!? What!?

...anyway.

So, I just got back from a few days in Snowdonia in Wales with some friends. The weather wasn't perfect, there were issues with the travel, and our tent leaked- but it was a good holiday. Sure, I didn't actually get any rest, but it was a hiking holiday, I didn't go to rest, I went to see some beautiful Welsh countryside. And I did.

See what I mean? And that's just one of the photos I took. This one was from about half way down the side of Snowdon, the only time throughout that whole trip that we got weather that nice. Personally, I thought the low visibility gave it a sort of vieled bueaty, until the mist got so bad we couldn't see much further than ten feet. Yeah. At any rate, this holiday reminded me why I love walking so much, something I really shouldn't have forgotten to begin with. The fact is, this world is incredibly beautiful, and I want to see as much of it as I can. Maybe I'll post a few more pictures, if I'm asked for them. Of course, a few people would have to actually read this blog before anyone asks for anything.

And so, on to my final (ish) topic for this post.
Recently I bought myself a copy of Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War Platinum Edition on steam. Why? Well, I'm letting my World Of Warcraft account expire so I can invest some of that time seeing what else the video game medium has to offer. And I started by sticking my finger in a pie I haven't so much as smelt in years: The Real Time Strategy Game. (sec, daddy long legs)

... Right, we're good. Anyway.

So I haven't played much of this game yet, so expect more mention of it as I continue to play through it. But right off the bat, it made me do something I haven't had to do for years since I became a dedicated wowfag. Just to get past the first few missions, I had to think. Think about who I was placeing where, and why. Think about how best to use the terrain, how best to utilise my resources, how best to deal with the goddamn river of looted leman russ tanks the orcs seemed to be pissing like the things were heavily armored water. Once that little barrier clicked in my mind and I remembered how to game before the days of mindless button mashing enforced by warcraft's faceroll gameplay, it all gently fell into place. Patience, forward thinking, terrain manipulation, proiritisation, even a little micro-management- it all fell into place. And those poor greenskins didn't stand a chance anymore.

Since we're on the topic of video games, I want to point anyone who reads this in the direction of what I consider to be a very insightful- or at least thought-provoking- series of videos, published by the escapist magazine. I've been watching Extra Credits since video one, and every single one of their videos has left me thinking. You don't need a subscription, you don't need to be a member, theres no need to sign up to anything. Just check out these videos, and keep an eye out for the weekly updates:

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/extra-credits

Seriously guys, it's these people you have to blame for my freedom from the tyranny of Warcraft. So at least give them a quick check out, yes?

Anyway, I should probably clam up. Cheers for listening!

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