Odds And Ends

I have a lot of thoughts running through my head, but not a lot of time to type them out. So I thought I'd just mention some that I really should turn into posts one day.

First, the whole Chris Roberts vs. Derek Smart thing. Seriously, I'd ignore the whole thing except something funny is going on with the Star Citizen Terms of Service. If you don't like the way CCP handles EULA/ToS rulings, then don't play Star Citizen. I haven't figured out if Chris Roberts and Cloud Imperium Games are incompetent or just extremely shady. Either way, if you haven't fallen for the hype, don't hand out any money. Personally, I think if Roberts and Smart played EVE, neither one would ever leave Jita.

Next, I decided to renew my interest in EVE by playing Guild Wars 2. I should probably write a series on why playing other MMORPGs leads me to play EVE, but in GW2's case, it comes down to farming for jute. I'm up to level 21, but I'm still in Queensdale, a level 1-15 area, farming jute to level up my armorsmithing skills. At least I'm getting a lot of cooking supplies.

Speaking of EVE, Vanguard launched yesterday. I scanned down a couple of anomalies, but the important thing I did was set up to do run some level 4 mining missions in low sec. Signal Cartel is under a new wardec, so I thought I'd do some missions on my alt. Of course, I really should fit out the Stratios I built and go on a nice long trip through low sec. I have to do some theory crafting, but I think carrying around a mobile depot will prove indispensable. And if the wardecs ever stop, I'll finish running Wildfire, the level 4 epic arc for the Minmatar.

In another event, Wildstar did its free-to-play launch yesterday. Not only is the subscription gone, but they apparently have simplified the game. I probably should download the game again, if only to see how the game performs on a real computer. Last year, I played on a computer that could barely eek out 20 FPS even on low settings. This year, I have a computer than meets the recommended specs for running the Oculus Rift. I've noticed quite a difference playing many games. I wonder what Wildstar looks like with the graphics cranked up.

Oh, and I really should mention the latest Scope video. CCP got sneaky and released the latest video on a Tuesday. Really, were they trying to make us think yesterday was Friday and convince all of us to sleep in on a "Saturday"? I guess the Guristas stealing a supercarrier is kind of noteworthy.

I do have a question for the lore hounds. Have the Caldari done anything to upset the Drifters? Ishukone's CEO Mens Reppola is conducting an inspection trip and significant NPC characters are getting ganked. Didn't Ishukone play a major role in spreading Jovian pod technology throughout New Eden? Think the Drifters may hold a grudge?

Oh, and I did get a kick out of this news item in the Scope video:

"Egonics launches new augmented reality headset at YC117 Caille Technology Expo." 

I think that's a reference to Gunjack showing up at EVE Vegas this year. Or was that a reference to either EVE N_T or EVEsterdam? With all the player gatherings that CCP is either running or supporting, I get confused.

That's all for now. Hopefully I'll find the time to write some real blog posts in the near future.