Spacehamster’s Blog

I’ve often wondered whether this “Next-Generation Game” tag is just a moniker used by overeager game journalists, or whether its something you can apply with any merit to recently released games. After all - today’s next-gen game can be next year’s CD frisbee.

With the release of Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, hopefully we have a game that truly deserves that title. I bought the Collectors Edition last Wednesday and, with the exception of a few bugs, I’m really loving this game. I’ve spent the past four days playing this game and I’m certain that I’ve barely scratched the surface yet. Had a few interesting encounters. The first Fighters Guild contract in Anvil is to resolve a rat problem - which isn’t at all what I thought it was! The NPC AI is also rather interesting. I was walking out of the Cheydinal Mages Guild when one older-looking female character remarked “I sense that you and I will have a very close and intimate relationship”. Needless to say I quickly exited the building. I guess that’s what happens when you bribe someone up to a disposition of 92.

And the Oblivion gates are more than just a little intimidating, and elicit more than a few memories of the Hell-motifs from Doom 3. I’ve already shutdown two Oblivion gates - the second one was a killer (literally). And much to my annoyance, I ran into another Oblivion gate while on a mission for the Mages guild. So I’m morally and tactically obligated to shut the d*mned thing down before I go any further - otherwise I’ll have fire-breathing demons chasing me all the way to Cheydinal.

God I love this game.

No matter how nice Tasmania is, there are occasions when you get an unpleasant reminder that there is a mildly unpleasant dark underbelly to this place. I was walking through the mall early this morning and someone tried to accost me in the middle of the street. I tried to ignore him and he racially abused me. I didn’t realise my voice would carry throughout the entire mall, which was kinda embarassing.

On the other hand, it’s nice to know I can command people’s attention when necessary.

Got the game yesterday via Gameswarehouse, and I’ve been spending the entire night playing it. It’s my first experience with a 4X game and I’m having an absolute blast. I created my own custom race, and put the emphasis on economic, research and diplomatic bonuses. I started out with a small map on beginner difficulty level and won a diplomatic victory by allying myself with Earth and the Ionians. When I attacked the Drengin, the bastards surrendered themselves to Earth - I didn’t expect a subpar-AI to make that kind of move!

My biggest caveat with this game is the lack of a good online reference. The manual’s explanation of manufacturing, social and research was slightly confusing. It could really benefit from an online reference similar to Civ4’s Civopedia (albeit better arranged). OTOH, the Stardock forums are a great place to find help - they’ve got some really good starting tips for newbies like me that helped a lot in my first game.

All-in-all, I’m really really pleased that I bought this game. I enjoy playing GalCiv2 much more than Empires at War.

There are some moments in your life you want to capture for posterity.

Seeing Billy Connolly live on stage is definitely one of them. Billy has been one of my favourite comedians for ages now. And I finally got to see him live on stage!

And my god, he was good.

I’ve seen a lot of his stuff on DVD and TV before, but nothing prepared me for just how alive and charismatic he is on stage. There were 3000 people in that theatre, and he had them in the palm of his hand about five minutes in. As usual he covered just about everything - marital relations, 70km/h grannies, sharks, scuba diving - and the highlight of the evening was a recreation of an opera with a cast of thousands.

I don’t normally go out all that much, but I’m glad I took the plunge this time and saw him in concert. It’s probably the first and last time that I’ll ever see him in my little part of the world, and it’s an experience I’ll never forget.

This article in SMH doesn’t sparkle with as much wit as you’d find in his Webdiary entries. On the other hand, it is a sober reminder that not every Muslim is a bomb-carrying terrorist, and that the voice of Mainstream Australian Muslims is increasingly being sidelined by out-of-touch Muslim leaders and a disinterested media.

Some commentators present sharia as a system of medieval criminal punishments. But for Australian Muslims, sharia represents little more than ethics (honesty, enterprise) and liturgy (how to perform prayers, weddings, funerals). Costello’s comments on sharia are, in effect, an attack on liturgy that should concern followers of all faiths.

Indeed, Costello’s comments about those seeking to establish sharia in Australia do not go far enough. What he should have said was that those seeking to establish only sharia (outward liturgy) without its spirit (inner liturgy or the spirit of the law) should find another country and another religion.

A minority of Muslims seek to establish sharia without sufism across the world. They are the source of virtually all terrorist groups in the Muslim world. Their theology is regarded by mainstream Muslims as isolationist and fringe. They distort sharia by imposing it on people without the inner discipline of sufism. They are openly hostile to sufi tradition.

These people seek to destroy Islam from within. They are arguably more of a threat to Muslims than non-Muslims. Hence, the majority of their victims are Muslims. Costello would like to see such people leave Australia. Most Muslims, on the other hand, would prefer to see these people leave our planet.

Whoa! Talking about one-upping Peter Costello!