Cav's Place

Got the repaired HDD yesterday, but due to some issues which I’ll describe below I only installed and checked it today, also copying everything back on it in the process. At least this time around it doesn’t have bad sectors from the very beginning, as the old one had, but with a label that says “certified repaired” on it, I’m not putting too much faith into it lasting too long. It’s not the same one I sent them of course, the serial number is different, but seeing that it’s “repaired” when the model is so known for being faulty either way really doesn’t help one’s confidence.
Didn’t install Windows on it yet, however, because there’s something to be done around the window and I took this opportunity today to move the desk and dad prepared the area and also sprayed where mold had appeared again, in the areas where I hadn’t sprayed when I last did so myself, so the computer wasn’t on for most of the day. Getting that done, along with drivers and updates, is the plan for tomorrow, but then I’ll stop, without also installing any programs, and switch back to this one to test some things, such as making sure I remember exactly what mods I had installed for games and comparing the latest version with the one I had before for some programs, to see whether I actually want to upgrade or not.

And since I mentioned testing newer versions, I’ve been doing that for my antivirus. I was quite sure that I wanted to stick to the 2011 version, but took the opportunity to try the latest one and convinced myself that my original idea was right. It has a couple of interesting new features, but also, as I knew, changed others in ways that I really can’t deal with… And it’s still not stable, despite having been released back in June. A module didn’t make any exceptions to granting access on boot, so you couldn’t run chkdsk on the system partition, and Tuesday they released an update to finally fix that, as well as several other issues, but in the process basically made computers running it unusable unless on-access scanning was disabled.
I did notice that as soon as I rebooted after that update the computer got much slower and there were some weird HDD access patterns, but tried to just deal with it… Until I tried to open the file with my story and I got a blue screen, which obviously made me just about shit myself. A reboot in safe mode with command prompt worked, chkdsk, which then I could at least run, didn’t find anything wrong with the drive, but trying to boot normally just resulted in another blue screen, and then an attempt at a regular safe mode resulted in another automatic reboot. Back in safe mode with command prompt, I took it step by step, disabled and re-enabled the driver listed on the second blue screen, then finally managed to boot normally and do what I still had to do that night, though the system was extremely slow.
Actually left it like that when I went to bed, but woke up after barely three hours and noticed the HDD LED back to the same pattern, and by then I was quite sure I knew it was because of the antivirus, despite what the blue screen had said, so I went to their forums, saw that some people were saying that disabling on-access scanning fixes it for now and did just that. Then I waited for a patch to fix the patch, which they had announced yesterday morning, in the only forum post that actually said something about the problem and didn’t just ask everyone reporting it to run various diagnostics and send them the results, as being at most 24 hours away, so that was why I didn’t put in the new HDD as soon as I got it, wanting to improve my odds of being able to boot again. However, this morning I just said fuck it, if it’s disabled it should work well enough, and did it anyway, because the announced fix only came later, ending up being installed after I turned the computer back on in the evening.

Otherwise, I think this issue gave me the idea for the next post to file under Society, though I can’t say whether I’ll be able to actually write it this weekend or it’ll have to wait for next week, after everything will be back in its place. Still, I absolutely need another couple of posts filed under Society by the end of the year if I’m to manage to stick to that rule for as long as I said I will and not end up needing to drop it even earlier, so you might say that this helped in some way, and at least nothing got damaged in the process, or at least I didn’t notice anything get damaged, so it can be said that all’s well that ends well… Though I sure wish they’d release new versions when they’re actually stable for once, because they seem to release them earlier every year, getting from a September or perhaps even October release date back when I first started using it, in 2004, to June now, but the most nagging issues are still only fixed around November, and unfortunately the patches meant to fix said issues also quite often tend to introduce even worse bugs at first, before new patches released in a haste fix those as well. As you can see, this year was no different.

But enough about that. Now I have to catch up on what I couldn’t do today, tomorrow I have my work cut out for me, after that I’ll see how the weekend plays out and on Monday I gather the last part of the work on the window will be done, so I’ll be getting everything out and moving the desk again, and then probably once again going to check on something I got curious about this week, just like I did today while dad was spraying, considering how badly those vapors messed me up last time.

Oh, that’s a “round” post number, isn’t it? Fitting for one dealing with computer issues.

Finally managed to finish reading Tongues of Serpents today, after letting it sit on my desk for a good month and a half after I started it, and put up a tiny one-paragraph review as well, so at least that should count as doing something. I now see that a seventh book was also released, but the paperback edition is only scheduled to appear next April, so I have time to get mildly excited about it again, after some sections of this sixth book somewhat dampened any slight enthusiasm I might have had.

Otherwise, earlier this week I went to a hypermarket that I hadn’t been to in nearly a year and was quite surprised to find Fate of the World: Tipping Point there, for just 37.90 RON, which is about €8.40 or $10.80. Now I see that the price for it starts at 35 RON on on-line shops, but being so cheap you’d have to pick it up from somewhere if you didn’t want them to add the shipping too, and either way I never even looked for it before. I was certainly curious about it ever since the original version was released, but never thought that something like this would ever be sold here, yet it would appear that an importer thought otherwise and it’s therefore relatively easy to find.
Anyway, even though I said I won’t be doing much of anything while I’m still on this old HDD, I did install and start playing it, only to confirm what all the reviewers were saying, namely that it’s next to impossible to complete anything other than the tutorial. This version includes some additional options and scenarios, but I’m not particularly keen on diving straight into those or on trying the new “easy mode” just to say I got past something, if I’ll manage it even then, so I kept trying, and obviously failing, to beat the original game’s second scenario. Of course, saving the environment is rather easy, but it can’t be done in any nice or ethical way and this game proves that wonderfully, the problem being that, save from a few covert options which have risks of their own, including triggering a loss condition if word gets out that you’re behind them too many times, you’re not offered the means to enforce the measures required to meet those environmental victory conditions. People will refuse to do what’s right on their own and will fight back if somebody tries to pressure or trick them into it, so you’re expected to constantly deal with that annoying reality without having any of the the coercive options required to break this resistance available to you.

But I have some more things to do this evening and tomorrow I’m planning to go out again, so I’d better stop here. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to say that I got that HDD replaced by the time I’ll write the next personal post, so I sure hope it’ll happen before the end of next week, because I’ve been on this old one for quite long enough already…

The subtitle is “A Novel of Temeraire” and it does indeed feel almost like a side-story, being restricted in scope, quite removed from the overall plot and at times appearing to lack in content, the author seeming to struggle for inspiration in a few moments. But at least the dragons are still interesting and the amount of human filth was reduced thanks to their very limited contact with others through a large part of the story, so anyone who liked the series so far certainly shouldn’t shy away from this book either.

Rating: 3/5

What everyone knows is that this Tuesday, United States citizens elected their president for the next four years, some 98.5% of those who even bothered to vote completely ignoring any options that might have represented actual solutions and making their choice only between the two major evils, ultimately picking the lesser one by a much larger margin than expected. But, of course, the Democrats are the lesser evil compared to the Republicans only in the sense that losing your hearing would generally be considered less terrible than losing your sight: Neither could ever be desirable or even acceptable choices.
As such, I’ll leave that, as well as the similarly rotten choices for the Senate and House seats that were also up for election, aside and move on to the many other issues that people were asked to weigh in on in various states. Of course, many of those have a strictly local impact or may even be largely technical in nature, yet others are definitely of interest, because they tackle important issues individually and therefore result in a clear message being sent by the voters, which may have a significant impact on a much larger scale. I tried to identify the ones that are particularly significant for those with green and progressive values and present the results as accurately as possible, but if anyone happens to read this and spots any errors or knows of other measures that should be added, let me know.

One issue that was on the ballot in multiple states and received widespread media attention was same-sex marriage, and the results were reassuring. While in Minnesota, where same-sex marriage is not currently permitted, a measure to enforce the ban even further by strictly defining marriage as solely between one man and one woman was rejected, voters in Maine, Maryland and Washington approved legislation explicitly permitting same-sex marriages while at the same time protecting the rights of clergy and religious groups whose beliefs reject homosexuality to refuse to perform marriage ceremonies or offer any other religious marriage-related services to said couples. Interestingly, the Maine vote overturned the voters’ decision from 2009, when an initiative to overturn the existing law which at the time permitted same-sex marriages was approved, so that battle is probably not over yet.

Another hot topic was marijuana legalization, and here the results were mixed. If voters in Oregon rejected a measure which would have permitted regulated recreational use of the herb, those in Colorado and Washington approved similar measures, though how will that work when recreational marijuana use is still illegal at the federal level is still unknown. As for legalizing medical marijuana, voters in Massachusetts were in favor, but the measure was narrowly rejected in Arkansas. In Montana, where medical marijuana use is permitted, voters approved a measure aimed to more strictly regulate the cultivation and distribution of the herb.

And while I’m at smoking, a proposal for an additional tax on tobacco products, aimed to finance programs to reduce and prevent tobacco use in public educational institutions, was rejected in Missouri. On the other hand, voters in North Dakota easily approved banning smoking in indoor public places and most places of employment, including certain outdoor areas. As a personal comment, I find both of these results largely positive, because such programs are pointless and smoking should be a personal choice for all those who also accept responsibility for the consequences, but should certainly be confined to one’s own home.

Back to an issue with mixed results, voters in Florida rejected a measure that would have prohibited the use of public funds for abortions except as required by federal law or to save the mother’s life, but those in Montana overwhelmingly approved one requiring physicians to notify a parent or guardian at least 48 hours before performing an abortion on a minor under 16, with the exception of emergencies or situations where such a requirement is waived by a court or by the parent or guardian in question.

On the matter of assisted suicide, which was on the ballot in Massachusetts, the result was discouraging, as voters narrowly rejected a measure meant to allow people with six months or less left to live to request and be provided with medication allowing them to end their life with dignity, provided that many strict prerequisites are met.

Another profoundly disappointing result was recorded in California, where the tens of millions poured into the campaign by Monsanto and their allies managed to turn public opinion around in mere weeks and persuade voters to reject the mandatory labeling of genetically modified food.

Somewhat related, voters in North Dakota unfortunately approved an amendment guaranteeing the right of farmers and ranchers to employ modern agricultural technology and livestock production and ranching practices. I believe it should be quite clear for everywhere where this is going…

Also very disappointing was that Michigan voters rejected an amendment which would have required 25% of the state’s electricity to come from renewable sources by 2025, even if the proposal strictly limited the increase of the electric utility rates to no more than 1% per year, extending the deadline in case the goal will prove impossible to reach by 2025 with that limitation.

And still on the extremely disappointing note, voters in Idaho, Kentucky, Nebraska and Wyoming overwhelmingly approved measures meant to guarantee their rights to hunt and fish, whether for food or sport. Worse, with the possible exception of Wyoming, the measures in question also specified that hunting and fishing will be seen as the preferred methods of controlling wildlife. Voters in Oregon also unfortunately rejected banning commercial salmon fishing using gillnets by non-tribal persons.

While I’m on the topic of animals, voters in North Dakota rejected an initiative which would have made it a felony to harm any living dog, cat or horse in a series of ways. The measure, which made exceptions for production agriculture, hunting, licensed veterinarians, scientific research and self-defense, was challenged due to not covering more species or all forms of serious abuse. Still, the law could have been improved later, so I’m leaning towards considering this another disappointment.

And since I mentioned hunting earlier, and that usually involves guns, a measure aimed to strengthen gun rights was easily approved in Louisiana. Unlike most others with green and progressive values, I consider this to be a good thing, because it has to do with people’s right to defend themselves. I’d certainly like any such measures to state that guns should be owned for self-defense purposes and not for hunting, however.

Back to California, an initiative to eliminate the death penalty, replacing it with a life sentence without the possibility of parole, was unfortunately defeated. On the other hand, voters easily approved modifying the state’s “Three Strikes” law to reduce the number of crimes for which the third conviction will automatically result in a life sentence.

On the matter of separation of church and state, a slippery amendment, stating that nobody should be discriminated against or barred from receiving funding on the basis of religious belief but also, and perhaps much more notably, removing the existing ban on using state funds to directly or indirectly aid religious organizations, was defeated in Florida.

Still on the issue of funds, though this time not state funds, voters in California unfortunately rejected a proposition which would have banned corporate and union contributions to state and local candidates, contributions by government contractors to the politicians who control contracts awarded to them, as well as using any automatic wage deductions or union dues for political purposes without explicit authorization from members.

And speaking of corporations, Montana voters thankfully easily approved an initiative stating that corporations are not human beings and therefore are not entitled to constitutional rights, and also charging state delegates with offering an amendment to the United States Constitution to establish this fact. The initiative also aims to prohibit corporate campaign contributions and limit political campaign spending.

While I’m at elections, voters in Minnesota rejected an amendment requiring all voters in the state to show photo identification before being allowed to vote… And I’m still wondering why is this such an issue, just like I’m also baffled by the whole mess related to identification in the United Kingdom. I’ll say that I’m ambivalent on this one, but it’s possibly another issue on which my stance differs from that of other progressives, as I think that people should generally have a clear way to prove who they are whenever a person’s identity may be relevant.

And speaking of issues where my stance clashes with that of most others with green and progressive values, I’m rather pleased that Oklahoma voters approved banning affirmative action in the areas of government employment, contracting and education. Discrimination is discrimination, regardless of which way it goes.

As for another issue that I’m quite ambivalent on but gather that others with similar values were bothered by, Michigan voters repealed an existing law allowing the state to appoint emergency managers to take over local municipalities and school districts experiencing serious financial difficulties.

Last but definitely not least, the issue of immigrants also saw mixed results, with voters in Maryland in favor of allowing undocumented immigrants who meet a certain set of criteria to pay the same in-state or in-county tuition fees for Maryland colleges as legal residents, but those in Montana overwhelmingly backing a proposal requiring a person to provide proof of citizenship before receiving state services.

Since this is already long enough and I spent way too long writing it already, I won’t try to draw many conclusions, but merely say that, if I counted correctly, I agreed with 16 of the results presented above, was ambivalent about two and disagreed with 17. As such, even if the media’s focus on gay marriage and the legalization of recreational marijuana aims to make progressives believe that the results were very positive, from my perspective the overall numbers are at best mediocre. Worse, if you focus on the measures that had to do with green values, you’ll see that the results were in fact abysmal, with not as much as a single positive outcome on any of the nine measures that had to do with the environment or animal rights… But when the people who currently have the legal right to decide in such cases, be they politicians or the masses, are allowed to do so, that’s generally a given.

Despite the generally negative reviews, I rather enjoyed the first game, though that may be in large part thanks to the fact that I only played it fully patched and stayed well away from the broken mess I heard it was on release. Unfortunately, not even the latest patches can hide the fact that its successor not only failed to improve upon the original recipe but actually represents a step back in most aspects.

Finding redeeming qualities is difficult and none of the few that can be found have much to do with gameplay, but I’ll probably start by saying that the writing has some good moments, if you look for them. This applies mainly to the books and messages you find, which can occasionally be funny or witty, make some good points or even provide interesting information that’s not necessarily restricted to the game world. There are also a few twists in some tales and some references in quests that may bring a small smile to some faces, perhaps the most notable such case being Last Crusade. And there’s something to be said about the general idea and feel of chapter three.
Otherwise, it is of course nice that there are still no class restrictions and you can develop your character as you wish, the equipment crafting system is all right, and better than in the first game, the spell crafting is actually very cool, even if the vast majority of the available options will likely be no more than curiosities, and the final battle is a nice change. I’ll also add that the gear comparison comes in very handy and, since I’m really trying to find some more positives, that it’s a nice touch to see different coins according to their value, all the way up to those worth 10000.

And now that I did my best to be nice, let me move on and say that its predecessor’s strongest point, namely exploration, is probably the worst element of Two Worlds II. The areas are significantly less diverse, there are far fewer enemy types, there’s little to no reason to even visit many parts of the game world, especially considering the annoying chapter one respawns, and a significant area is actually inaccessible. Perhaps worse, go through a few dungeons and you’ll see perfectly identical center rooms, or perfectly identical large chambers, with perfectly identical little paths that go nowhere off to the side, and in a fair number of those dungeons there’s nothing to make it worth your while. Sometimes you may find locations clearly meant for quests that don’t exist or apparently secret areas with difficult to reach locations inside them, but not as much as a single chest, item or any other element of interest. And, of course, with the content, and also the locks, of chests always adapting to your level, there’s no reason to pick one particular place over another even if you do find something.
And yet somebody craving to explore a large, open world badly enough might find a way to put up with all of that… If only the world would be open. However, if the first game did a wonderful job of allowing you to go wherever you wanted, whenever you wanted, in fact encouraging exploration before quests, now you’ll find yourself held back every step of the way. Need to “open” locations when the game wants you to, impassable mountains and cliffs block access to large areas, and half the doors and even some chests are barred until you get a quest sending you there. And don’t think that you can still find a way through anyway, like in the first game, because the character can barely jump, will take fall damage even if climbing off corpses or running down slopes or stairs, and is next to impossible to control precisely, largely due to carrying far too much momentum with every action. Plus that riding, which worked so beautifully in the first game, is now only available in chapter one and has been turned into a chore that you’re far better off staying well away from.

If you’re still struggling along, you’ll find yourself plagued by many area loading times, frequently having the game freeze for seconds at a time while you’re running along, or perhaps even in the middle of fights if you happen to move out of the currently loaded little piece of the map. And in between those, you’ll notice terrible animations, including some unnecessarily long ones for common actions, and uncountable graphical and placing anomalies, such as the character’s hair vanishing when putting on even head gear that shouldn’t be able to hide it, NPCs sitting on invisible chairs, plants and even at least one chest inside rocks, a fair number of broken textures, and enemies floating in the air, stuck in the ground or the ceiling.
When you do get to combat, I imagine that the control issues make it a real pain for warrior characters, but I had a mage and what I clearly noticed myself, on top of the bad enemy AI, was inconsistent targeting for spray or ricochet spells, some issues with spell effects, and the fact that my character kept insisting on moving towards the enemy on his own when one was nearby, even though I was trying to go the other way to be able to cast.
As for non-hostile NPCs, you’ll quickly notice that, while everybody seems to hear you even if you’re sneaking and even sleeping NPCs or fellow thieves will notice and stop you if you’re trying to pick a lock in what should be their line of sight, there is an obvious lack of reaction to your character otherwise. This is particularly obvious if you’re a mage and still, for example, get warned that mage opponents are “something else” when fighting them in the Arena, or more notably can wander around without a care in the world, wearing your robe and hat and wielding your staff, even calmly stopping to listen to the town criers announcing that, by order of the emperor, all mages or possible magical activity must be reported and stamped out.

Like I did when I reviewed the first game as well, I must make a special note about the voice acting, which generally ranges between poor and atrocious, not to mention that Cassara’s lines are almost always cut short, so you’ll often have to read the subtitles very quickly if you want to know what she says. But by this point it must be obvious that there are so many other things wrong that this can already fall under miscellaneous annoyances, along with the stupid prologue, the segments of the questing system that’d be more at home in a generic free-to-play MMO, the messy map, some interface issues, and the problems with the archpriests quest, which could have been really nice but seems removed from the rest of the game, plus that the tombs were the only places where I experienced crashes, and many of them at that.

In the end, the save timer said that, not counting reloads, I took some 45 hours to complete the game, still exploring just about as much as I could and completing all but a few quests. That’s not much when you compare to the over 100 hours recorded by the last save for the first game, but they sure felt longer this time around. Two Worlds II feels like a game released well before it was completed, but also one determined to “fix” almost everything that wasn’t broken in its predecessor, while doing little to nothing about what was.