| Good Ole Games is having a Woot-like sale today

HORDES OF GAMES ON THE CHEAP. lol I grabbed Tales from Monkey Island for $4, and Spell Force Platinum, a game I had heard about before but completely forgot about. Weeeeeee

GOG.COM FTW

| For those that like Torchlight

An indie game out there called Krater is pretty fun. It's more on the RPG side of things, and to be fair I'm not too deep into it yet, but the upgrade / crafting system is really pretty neat. The graphics and animations are solid, and the combat is interesting so far. Looking up the reviews, it seems like it either got top end grades or people pissed all over it, so the metascore is kind of misleading I think. Anyway, if you can catch it on sale or whatever, would recommend.

| Larry Potter

Check out these awesome transcripts from the meetings George Lucas, Spielberg, and Larry Kasdan had planning out Raiders of the Lost Arc in 1978.  TRANSCRIPT

It's kind of amazing. It's totally one of the best movies ever.

It's old but heard about that link from Scriptnotes, which is a screenwriting podcast I really enjoy.

| Awesome sauce on the FTL expansion

And I was surprised to see it's going to be free! That's both really cool and really unexpected. I would have gladly shelled out another $5-10 for it.

Weirdness: 500 views on the FTL Black Box blog (say that 10 times fast) in the last 3 days and accelerating. lol Can honestly say I was not expecting to have more than a few dozen people read it, let alone a few hundred. That's kind of fun! I am still slacking on the new log entries on my end, but I have enough still laid up from the previous sectors that I can crank out some material by just polishing up what I've already put down.

In other news: Looks like the battery is dead in my cell phone. WIN. So I get to pay $40 for a new battery and hope that fixes the problem, or I can sign up for indentured servitude with AT&T for another contract, or I can accelerate my plans to jump ship over to the Metro PCS deal - seriously.. 4 unlimited lines for $100 a month, including tax and all the bullshit? THAT'S MADNESS. Even if I have to chip in anther 10-15 a month to get my phone to unlimited 4G, that's completely worth it to me. I just dunno if my phones will work on their plan and if not, what that's gonna cost me to switch them over. Meh. Guess I'll go do that shopping tomorrow.

| Speaking of FTL...

New iPad edition coming out soon!
Also big free update, FTL: Advanced Edition.

| Heh.. MINECRAFT MEGA PROJECTS FTW

Will have to think on that. Of course, by the time I get done with it, everyone will be burnt out again and no one will see it. haha

| And When the FTL: Kenny Loggins Returns Home

You can always hop in the Minecraft server and build an enormous castle for all to enjoy!

| RIP Annie

Yeah, it's not easy to stay with it. Although, I'm now into Sector 4... half way there (assuming the ship/crew doesn't die a horrible death before reaching the Rebel Flagship, lol)

| Ah, Action Team Annie - RIP

The FTL write-ups reminds me of my time trying to do write-ups for the B-17 game and the adventures of Action Team Annie.  I stopped fairly early in my career, and using the kewl new search option on the side of the blog here, I re-read one of the write-ups.  It was like I was ghost writing because i have no recollection of doing it.  Wylie had just been born so I wasn't in my right mind, which makes sense why I cain't remember nuthin'.

| FTL Kenny Loggins

So, I've been writing. A lot. And I thought to myself, man.. that is going to be a shitload of words on the Action Team blog if I copy-pasta all that over. So, I got a wild hair up my ass and decided to make one of them blog things to Encapsulate it.

FTL Black Box

Hopefully I make it through the whole thing before I stroke out or die of old age. This shit takes a lot of time but in some way, I think it's a good mental break from thinking about real life. At least I haven't taken up drinking booze like an alcoholic. Yay!

| So there's a giant satelite about to deorbit and no one knows when or where it's gonna crash

Apparently the Ruskies were doing some kind of low-orbit science and it needs a constant ion drive to not fall out of orbit and, well, the fuel for that ion drive just shit the bed. So now it's a waiting game and anyone's guess as to where it's going to impact. Good times! GOCE RE-ENTRY TRACKING

I haven't played FTL since we were all playing it that first time around. What a great game! I'm busy playing Torchlight 2 (it IS a lot better than the first game - love the open environments) and Minecraft. Thanks for the sweet log cabin!

| Who wants some fictionalized FTL Captain's Log action?

Decided it would be fun to have another go at this. I probably won't put as much editing / revision effort into it as I should, but hopefully it catches the essence of the FTL experience anyway, lol

If nothing else, it will temporarily help me keep my mind off of not-so-happy life issues.

These are the voyages of the HMS Peckerwood, on a mission to save the galaxy from Rebel scum intent on destroying the Empire. We have been tasked to deliver sensitive information and data on the Rebel flagship to the main battle group. In order to complete our mission, we must navigate through a series of jump points and Sectors to reach the Last Stand. Our home base was destroyed before we could properly outfit our ship. As an older Federation Cruiser, we will certainly need to find spare parts along the way and spend time upgrading our ship's components. We must move quickly, because the Rebels are always on our heels. Once they locate the system we are in, they will give chase and we must move with haste to escape.

Crew:
Captain Arti F. Choke
Lt. Commander Notch, Human Pilot
1st Lieutenant Mort, Mantis
Engineer WaiShing, Rockman
Ensign Lisa, Engi

SECTOR 1, JUMP POINT 1: Captain's Log, 8.56.11.7:

Thankfully the 'Wood still has its military grade Artillery Beam intact, even if an older model without the modern upgrades to power modulation and accuracy. Even so, the old beast can slice through shields like a hot knife through butter. Though it takes some time for the weapon to charge, the result is devastating. The only other weapon this ship is equipped with is a Burst Laser, good for peppering enemy shields and sending a quick barrages to disrupt enemy systems. The shields are thin and older tech, but functional.

The reactor is likewise not upgraded to modern standard and other sub-systems clearly are in need of attention. We will have to do better than this if we intend to make our way deep into the battle, past enemy lines to deliver our critical data. We seem to have a slight head start on the Rebel fleet, hopefully we can put that to good use and salvage parts, equipment and upgrades for this old boat that will see us through to the end.

SECTOR 1, JUMP POINT 2 Captain's Log, 9.17.11.7:

Scans show a remote settlement being blockaded by a pirate ship. A moment later, while I was deciding how best to proceed, the pirate ship picks up the HMS 'Wood as well and opens comms. A strangely modulated voice screeches, “Stay out of this, or you'll be next! … Concentrate fire on...” and the line goes dead. Quickly, I snap, “We can't leave these people to be slaughtered. Alright everyone, let's do this. General Quarters!” and as they had done so many times prior, the crew scrambled to their stations to prepare for battle.

The Pirate ship is small, which will mean one or two sure hits should bring her down. However, it also means that she is likely agile and hard to hit.

Seeing our ship come around and begin powering up systems, the pirate wheels his ship and presses the attack. He is extremely quick. Before our crew has even had a chance to reach their stations, a small bomb has been teleported aboard our ship into the Shield Generator Bay. Just moments before, Ensign Jill sprinted through the shield room, hurdling bulkheads enroute to the foreward compartments of the ship to crew the Fire Control Center. From her station, she controls the weapon suite which allows for more accurate weapons' fire than the ship's automated systems. Her speed allowed her to just barely miss the ensuing explosion, which badly damaged the entire bay, taking our shields offline! This is not good. Engineer WaiShing, a lumbering Rockman, was not yet to his station in the Shield Bay when the bomb went off. Now arriving and begining the task of assessing the damage and attempting to repair the Shield Generator, he sets to work with a grunt.

The ship's emergency warning panel lights up like a Christmas tree as the damage report reaches the Bridge. I punch the comms button and order Lisa to double back to help with the repairs. Without shields, we will undoubtedly take a pounding that will produce costly repairs, or worse.

A glance over to the Artillery Beam charge indicator shows 43% and climbing, slowly. Damn! No one set the Burst Laser to charge before Lisa went running forward to the Fire Control Center. From the Bridge, I tell the computer to begin charging the Burst Laser and auto-target the Pirate's weapon control center. Hopefully a lucky burst will slow them down long enough for WaiShing and Lisa to repair our sheilds and for the Artillery Beam to fully charge. I need that bomb launcher to stop.

The Pirate ship has a small single shot laser and it charges quickly. Without shields, we are vulnerable and taking fire. An unmanned storage room is hit, followed by an aft airlock. We are not seriously hurt, but the chances of one of these shots scoring a lucky blow are increasing by the second. Just as WaiShing and Lisa report in on comms that the shields are back up, another explosion rocks the ship. The Pirate has teleported another bomb into the forward compartments. The system warning alarm is still lit up, indicating the forward Burst Laser battery has been taken down. Lisa is already sprinting through the narrow bulkheads forward to save her weapons suite, through flames and smoke, before I can even issue the order for her to do so.

Systems check. Artillery Beam at 68% charge. If we don't start returning fire soon, the Pirate ship will keep picking us apart.

Another laser shot strikes the ship, but Notch has manuevered her slightly off-beam and it glances off our shields. A third explosion now, one compartment forward of the Fire Control Room where Lisa is feverishly repairing her weapons control suite. The forward airlock. It has been hit badly and is on fire. Almost automatically, I reach for the door control switch and vent the airlock to kill the fire. Just as I am reaching for the airlock control switch, the beautiful humming sound of our Artillery Beam coming to life begins from above and behind the bridge and then jolts the ship as the beam is unleashed on the Pirate ship, scoring a direct hit and cutting easily through their shield. The powerful beam slices through the hull and damages their Fire Control, Shield Generator and crew quarters. She is hurt badly and listing slightly. But, the Pirate is not out of the fight.

The good news: Surprisingly, despite being hit by the Pirate's small bombs, we have taken relatively little damage. Lisa has repaired the weapons control suite, the fire in the airlock has been put out and the outer doors closed.

The bad news: The 'Wood's reactor has not been retrofitted for some time and lacks the power output to fully power all the systems simultaneously. With the weapons suite operational again, power must be diverted from the engines and the med bay to the Burst Lasers. This will give Notch less thruster power to maneuver, and any injured crew will need to tough it out until this is over, but it is time to put this Pirate down for good and we can't wait for the Artillery Beam to slowly charge again.

Our shield, despite being composed of just one thin layer, is deflecting the Pirate's small laser fire. They must have used all their bombs up, or the launcher was damaged by the Artillery Beam, because the explosions have stopped. The Burst Laser comes to life and with Lisa's fine tuning, all three of the bolts strike home on the Pirate ship, the first shot disrupting the shield barrier, and the follow up lasers blowing chunks of metal and panels off of their Fire Control tower. Their guns have gone silent.

The Pirate vessel opens a comms channel and begins bartering for their lives, offering fuel, missiles, supplies in exchange for their release. The decision is instantaneous. No. They will not be allowed to threaten other innocents in this system. Piracy cannot be forgiven.

A quick scan of the instrument panel shows the Artillery Beam is recharging but is only at 50%. The Burst Laser will be recharged in a fraction of the time. The order is given to Lisa to fire at will. Seconds later the forward battery is powered and the next volley tears the Pirate ship apart. The battle is won.

Salvage operations recover twice as much fuel and supplies as were being offered by the Pirates for their lives. The greedy bastards deserved what they had coming. The settlers of the remote outpost offer their gratitude and some needed supplies. While we offer to take on additional crew, they all decide to test their fate and defend their homestead against the enevitable next wave of pirates, rebels and profiteers.

We move on to the next jump point, heading in the general direction of where the exit beacon to the next system is approximated on our charts.

| Zee Torche II

Played through it, pretty solid game. Well designed. It can get a little monotonous in that the levels are fairly similar. There is a lot more variety than the first one, with outdoor maps and whatnot. Very clicky / blow-em-up-y. Entertaining though, do recommend on sale, absolutely.

| these new work pens are the worst