f0rkznet – with a dot net?

So I think forced boredom keys a new level of bad mood for me.  I become irritable about everything.  Now is not the time to piss me off.

So it seems that the general consensus about Valve announcing their new title has gone abruptly berserk as of late.  Rock, Paper, Shotgun really puts it out there well:

“While there’s obviously going to be something of a fuss made over people’s expectations that L4D would be constantly expanded for free, following the TF2 model, it’s important to stress that while this is obviously still the same L4D core experience, it’s certainly not a bunch of new maps thrown into the old game. It’s a coherent new imagining of the game, this time bigger, smarter, and far more elaborate. Oh, and gloriously more gory.”

I also want to add that L4D has a SDK in which people can make maps for the 4 characters.  I like the direction Valve is taking with L4D2.  New ballgame, new characters, new technology, and new game play mechanics.

And for those of you that didn’t read the Rock Paper Shotgun article (which was really good may I add) here is the overview of the 4 survivors and our beloved infected.

“Left 4 Dead 2 takes place in the South of the USA, beginning in Savannah, eventually reaching New Orleans. There’s four new characters to play, each with back-stories to be hinted at in their conversations. Coach is a high school football coach from the Savannah area, used to leading the kids, comfortable in his life, and perhaps not enamoured by the arrival of a zombie attack. There’s Rochelle, from Cleveland originally, working for a cable news network. She’s producing a segment on this strange story occurring in Savannah, and gets caught up in the events. Ellis is a Southern boy mechanic, an enthusiastic but smart guy with a “Southern flair”. Finally there’s Nick, a gambler and a conman, unsure of his company and cynical about the events.”

I am also excited that the game will play in one of Georgia’s hometowns of Savannah.  Perhaps there is an Atlanta map in the works…

There is a ton of changes to game play mechanics like push sequences.  Remember those spots we could exploit to get through push events easily? Yeah, so do I, and so does Valve.  Push sequences will require you to make your way to distant points while fighting off ongoing hordes of zombies.

“Another very smart change is to prevent sneaky players from trying to sit out the triggered events. In those moments in L4D where you had to press a button that began a frantic attack until an elevator arrived, or a door opened, it seems too many were crouching in a corner together and waiting for it to all die down. L4D2 has plans to prevent such treachery. Now some of the events you start can only be stopped by reaching a further target. In an extremely tense sequence, we had to make our way through a labyrinth of alarmed cars to reach a distant point that would finally see the attack fade. Trying desperately to avoid hitting any of the cars, and thus making the situation far worse, while having to make constant forward progress, amped things up significantly.”

I also read that there are new infected in the works, but they are keeping the same.  There are new plans for a boss infected like the tank.  This new beast is called the charger.  He is featured in the video above, and well, you can see what is in store for you.  Oh and don’t forget the witch! She wanders now, so don’t think you are safe going around…. She may just be around that corner ready to rage out in all her menstrual glory.

There are also new weapons in store.  I am personally excited about the new melee weapons.  There is plans for what looks like a baseball bat, a chainsaw (yeah a chainsaw), a frying pan, and an axe.  What giddy fun we will have chopping up zombies to make our gumbo in the streets of New Orleans (post-Katrina of course).

Overall it looks like this game will shape up to be the next great installment that will cause people to go into fits of nerdrage (Because face it people…  There is NO pleasing a valve player let alone a TF2 player).  Hopefully this will deliver more of a punch and keep us begging for more like its predassor.

Without further adieu, here are a few game play videos I found while going around youtube. This will give you an idea of what the game (might) look like.

Looks like some awesome frying pan action. Keep in mind the game is probably no where near being finished.

That video gave you a brief glance of some of the hazmad infected. Yeah, they are fireproof! This also shows the new Uzi which looks sweet.

This video shows a push sequence at its best as I described above. Looks like a new combat auto shotgun as well!

This is the new incendiary ammo that will set infected on fire when you hit them.

Looks like the charger at the start of this video!

Nothing to really say about this one, same dude going off by himself getting himself into bad situations

Looks like that is all I could find.  Remember to comment, share your thoughts, and stay a while!

I saw this video the other night when I was over at Hal’s house.  I lol’d hard when I watched it, the reliazed my morals have gone out the window! I guess if you go through life learning to laugh at the simple things, you go through life a happy man.  I’d rather be happy about everything!

Anyhow, work should be ok today.  Hopefully less busy than yesterday.  This new schedule is really screwing us but we don’t have much of a choice.

After watching this I reliazed how much I wanted to be an astranout.  Maybe one day I can go up there.  I’ve been watching the crew work today and it is most certianly amazing how they work.  Everyone works perfectly as a team.

If you want to go watch them work on hubble go to NASA tv http://nasa.gov/ntv/ .  They currently have helmet cameras on so you can see things as they see.

Looks like another sucessful launch! I am glad things are going underway with hubble.  Sad msleeper didn’t get to go to this one.  Theres always others!

Today the STS-125 crew woke up around 0501 to prepare for their objective today.  They inspected the heat shield with the robotic boom inside the payload bay.  Each tile on the shuttle has to be thoroughly inspected for faults.  They usually use a procedure called a ‘pitch manoeuvre’, but because the shuttle will not rondavous with the ISS they had to use the mechanical arm.  The ‘pitch manoeuvre’ means they roll the shuttle over several hundred feet from the ISS, while the ISS crew takes high quality digital pictures of the underside heat shield of the shuttle.  These images are examined by mission control and compared with images taken pre-liftoff.

Later today the STS-125 crew will check out all the necessary tools used for the work on the Hubble.

If you missed the launch, here it is!

Right now on Nasa TV the Russian ship, “Progress” is on its way to the ISS to drop off 2 and a half tons of food and supplies.  The ISS crew has been up since 0100 CT, so it is fairly late in the day for them.  They will not open the hatch and check for leaks until tomorrow.

If you look in the distance, you can see the second shuttle ready for launch if needed for a rescue operation.

More to come as the mission progresses.

Images from http://nasa.gov/

I don’t know about you but that movie looks awesome.  I saw the trailer for it in the X-Men movie.  Peter Jackson produced it, it should be really good.  I always thought what kind of human rights we would give visitors from another world.  I think this video will depict how we would react very well.  In our society, ignorance is bliss.  Just blame the other guy.

Anyhow, work was good today.  About to start a new day in a few hours.  The monster I had earlier in the day is not wearing off fast enough.  Time to figure out plan B!  At any rate, its time for sleep.

Hopefully things will be good tomorrow.  Happy 25th anniversary mom and dad!

I think if I was ever stranded on an island with a group of people, my role would be the guy that goes crazy and runs into the jungle.  There always has to be one of those in the group.  Usually those movies don’t really focus on that guy, he usually gets eaten by a large gorilla or something to that nature.  Me personally would play it smart, screaming like a wile banshee into the jungle.  Maybe I will get eaten, but lets face it, I am better off then those other people!

Now, Lost is a different story.  If I could start screwing around with time space, I totally would.  I would do anything in my power just to screw with the future.  I don’t know why I have a strange need to screw with time, but I find the concept fascinating.

Not much has happened since last blog.  X-Men was really good.  There was never a dull moment in that movie.  Oh, and for the ladies there is totally a nude Hugh Jackman scene.  Yeah that’s right, nekkedness.  So take your boyfriends to see it! They will love the movie, and you will love the sights.

Anyhow, I am running into a thick wall of writers block.  I am going to post something more interesting later, I promise!

Sometimes I wish I had one of those voices that people just turn to listen to.  Imagine the guy that does the voice overs for movie previews.  The most recognizable voice, ever.  People hear that guy in the room, heads turn! Another voice that I think stands out a lot is the Helgast leader featured in this video.  One thing that I noticed was its quite an inspiring speech.  I sat there and watched that intro video over and over.  It was awesome.

Speaking of other games, I played Dynasty Warriors Gundam 2 last night.  I had a _lot_ of fun playing it with tricky.  I think I am going to pick it up when I am out today.  There’s something about playing a game where you decimate thousands of mobile suits in space.  Great times had by all .  I usually don’t post 2 videos on one blog, but this needs to be done because it is a really fun game.

I am going to see X-Men tonight.  I cant wait.  I have 2 tickets pre-purchased for the 7:00 showing at Discover Mills.  Hopefully tricky will get my text message in time and order the tickets.  We are double dating with beccaroni and him.  It should be a good time.

Anyhow, I need to lay down and take some medicine, my head hurts up something fierce.

So today was pretty good.  Cleaned a lot of crap in the office.  Took the trash out which was a pain.  Although strangely enough, I feel relaxed doing it.  Going down and listening to the roars of Atlanta makes me feel human.  Its amazing how much sound we actually make!

Got game testing tomorrow.  I can’t wait to play Global Agenda again! Speaking of games, I kinda blew up at the HLDS mailing list today.  I had a little fun pointing out how ridiculous this Patrick guy is.  He literally sits there waiting for msleeper to post, and then finds whatever reason to flame him.  It gets a little spammy, and honestly I am a little tired of it.  His argument was that I am gay for msleeper.  Great argument, seeing as I actually have a girlfriend… But whatever! Pricks will be pricks.

I am in a little bit of a bad mood.  The slap chop video made me smile a little but honestly, I am just done with pricks…

Today was a complete success! Work was fun, got a lot of good stuff done.  Looks like someone mistakenly shipped us network gear again.  We think its another fluke accident.  For now, it sits in a box.

The great part of today was alpha testing global agenda.  Now, I can not tell you anything about the game.  I can tell you that this game will blow the pants off of any competition out there.  When I can say more I will.  For now, I will just smile knowing I was one of the few that got to play this great game.

Penguin drove me today.  It was good catching up with him.  I consider him to be one of my good friends.  He is the type of person that wont stab you in the back for personal gain.  I admire that in a person.

The lan party planning is going great! HighRez studios will be coming.  Not sure quite yet what they are going to be doing while they are there, but it will be a good time nonetheless! They are all really cool people and I am glad to be working with them in the upcoming lan party.

On the flip side, I am feeling a lot better today.  Not exactly 100% yet, but I am getting there.  Those antibiotics are working well.  I am also glad they gave me the albuterol.  The medicine is helping a lot.

My little sister got confirmed last night.  It was a little strange seeing the archbishop last night.  He was a strange man.  I do admire how well he did Mass.  Afterward, I saw him in his non-archbishop clothing and saw he had a foot cast on.  Turns out he had pulled a tendon in his foot.  What a trooper!

Sorry this post is a little short.  I have some major writers block.  I need to go play some games.

Edit: Is it just me or does every trance music video have some insanely hot girl in it?