I'm sorry, I can't make the WoW Raid tonight. I'm busy playing Skyrim

Eh, no, not really. I'll be there, but it was really hard to pry myself away from the XBox 360 today. Oh, I have it on PC too, but I save that for work diversions. It has been a really long time since I've been this immersed in a game that I would buy both the 360 and the PC version and play both versions during the same week. I love being able to sneak up on enemies and shoot them from a great distance and when I hit them, they suffer significant damage and don't instantly dash to me and kill me. The game takes me more time when I'm stealthing, but I enjoy it and I get to see a lot more of the game when I'm not trying to run from the enemy or towards them and hack n' slash. The game lets you do that do if you want. You can use your sword (or swords if you dual wield) or other melee weapon to obliterate the enemy. You can also use magic as well if that's your style. You'll also learn some dragon shouts along the way that are basically beefed up magical powers that help you with your journey. There are puzzles along the way, but they aren't too complicated or "Myst-like" that you won't be able to figure them out. A lot revolve around reading notes that you find or using your dragon shouts.

The game is also amazingly beautiful, which is one of the reasons I like to sneak around and take my time. The entire scenery seems so real, I almost stopped to try and take a leak in the gushing waterfall, but alas I had a ladyfriend accompanying me on my journey so I decided against it (It was then, that I realized I really had to go in RL and the sounds of the waterfall were making it a lot worse). I'm going to add a disclaimer here: I haven't played the game in hard mode, I'm currently playing it in Easy. Once I complete the story, I'll go back and try it in medium and hard and see what the differences are and if I can complete the game in those modes; however, I'm more of a story guy and like to get the full story of the game, rather than worrying about getting my brains beat out of me at every single moment. Although I'm playing it on Easy, I have not used any cheat codes and the game makes it very easy to pick up at your last save, or auto-save, if you die, so cheats aren't really necessary at this point.

If you have enjoyed playing the previous Elder Scrolls installments, then you are almost certainly in for a treat with Skyrim. Even if you have shyed away from the game before, give Skyrim a try, you may find yourself enjoying the variety of ways that you can play and complete the game. The graphics are amazing, so if you are the type that the graphics make the game for you, then you also need to get your hands on this game. That's it for now, see ya next time (I know it's been a while since my last post, but I'll try to keep coming back as regularly as I can).

-Ashton

How much is too much?

I know it's been awhile since I've posted anything, but I wanted to get an update in before I let too much time pass and no one read the blog anymore. Anyways, I started wondering today, do I have a problem? About a month-and-a-half ago, I had a job interview for a subtance abuse counselor position. One of the questions was "What do you think the most important part of the 12-step recovery program is?" Okay, so with my new B.A. degree in Psychology in hand, I absolutely blew the question. I couldn't remember the 12-step addiction recovery steps and fumbled my through with some jibberish. Needless to say, I didn't get the job; however, I went home and looked at the 12-step recovery program. The first step is the most important, of course, because it is "Admit to yourself that you have a problem." You can't begin to recover if you don't believe you have a problem. Anyway, so enough of the psycho-babble for now, I started to wonder today as I was counting my characters in World of Warcraft, and the numerous other games that I play, if I really do have a problem. The number of characters shown over at http://combatengineers.enjin.com/profile/828566/characters/index/page/1only shows you my guilded characters within World of Warcraft. I'm working on adding my Rift characters there (I think there's around 5 there) and also my City of Heroes characters (somewhere around 15 or 20 total characters there). My Everquest 2 (4 or 5), Vanguard (1), and DC Universe Online characters (2) are not listed either. And that's just the MMOs. I also play numerous XBOX 360 and Playstation 3 games and dabble around on a 3DS every now then. Granted most of my game playing time is devoted to World of Warcraft, EQ2, and NCAA Football 2012 but I do play the other games now and then. So, I may have a problem. But then again, I do not think it's a bad one either, and it's definitely not a mental illness (A mental illness has to cause a negative effect on my normal daily activities, and I am very capable of fulfilling my daily activities and do not neglect my children in favor of gametime ;-) ). Some studies have shown that games can improve brain function, and I can definitely use some improved brain function. Everyone has a hobby, and everyone has different ways of having fun. So my hobby is gaming and I just happen to have fun when I sit down at a computer (or a console), log into vent, and play games with people that I get along with very well. And if you've got a problem with that, I've got two words for you.....

Yes, I really don't know Jack

I saw a new game for the XBOX 360 the other day that I just had to have for nostalgia, and possibly entertainment, reasons. The game, you ask? Why, my friend, you really don't know Jack, do you? Anyways, silly puns aside, the game "You Don't Know Jack" was recently revamped and released on all major platforms, including the Wii and PC. I remember playing this game into the wee hours of the night on the computer back in the day. The game was fun, a great game to play with more than one player, and you really learned a lot from the game before it just disappeared. So, I bought this new version in hopes for the same fun and nostalgia. I bought the XBOX 360 version and you can play by yourself (although the game does berate you for it), with 3 other people locally or on-line. Did I get the same enjoyment from this new version as I did from the old version? No, I didn't and my self-esteem is lower, thanks to games amusement at my lack of knowledge. Maybe I just knew more back in the day and as I got older, that knowledge disappeared. Or maybe I just don't get the same enjoyment out of getting made fun of for being dumb that I used to.



I'm not going to recommend not buying this game, but if you don't like games that make fun of you for getting questions wrong, then it's probably not for you. The game is still kind of fun, and as I continue to play it, I might learn something new, and become better at the game.