Twenty Sided

By Shamus Posted Wednesday Feb 14, 2007

Filed under: Movies 11 comments

Next PostTheyâ€™re taking the hobbits to Isengard! 

I mentioned recently that my wife and I just celebrated our 10-year anniversary. The music during the ceremony was performed by a string quartet. Looking back, this was probably my favorite aspect of the entire ceremony. (Except for the, you know, wife part.) I’ve never been much for wedding music, but I really enjoyed this. Pachelbel Canon in D was our wedding march, so I found this to be very funny:

The guy in the video above is complaining about the cello part of the piece, which I guess is quite dull to play. Our cellist was my cousin, who now works at Red Hat. I mention this because I know some readers here are familiar with him and I thought that would be an interesting bit of trivia.

A further note is that our violinist went on to be part of Shania Twain‘s band, and performed on the Tonight Show a few years later. It was kind of strange seeing someone on TV and thinking, “Wow. He performed at my wedding.”

I can’t say enough good things about the string quartet. If you find yourself getting married and don’t want to go with organ music, I think this is a great way to go.

Oh yeah: Happy Valentine’s Day

Shamus Young is a programmer, an author, and nearly a composer. He works on this site full time. If you'd like to support him, you can do so via Patreon or PayPal.

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11 comments

Returning Steam

By Shamus Posted Wednesday Feb 14, 2007

Filed under: Video Games 37 comments

 PC Games: Hunting for TreasurePrevious Post

Next PostGraphics Hardware is Killing PC Games 

In a comment on my tirade on Steam, I think SteveDJ has the right idea:

Here is a work-around so you can return software (or DVD movies, which I have done before) after you have opened it. Take it back to the store, and say “It doesn't work. My computer (or DVD player) cannot read the disk. It is defective”. They will gladly exchange it for a brand new copy â€" unopened even!

Now, a day later, you take that unopened copy back to the store and return it for a refund.

Normally I take a dim view of return-policy shenanigans. If I get the short end of the stick, I’ll take the loss but also carry a grudge.

But when it comes to something like Steam I would classify the exploitation of return-policy loopholes as basic self-defense. They took advantage of me first, and I would have liked to be able to escape the deal without taking a loss. The fact that they would take a loss (the opened package is now considered damaged goods) is their problem. They are the ones with the pushy software and the senseless return policy.

If I’d thought of this, I would have done it.

Shamus Young is a programmer, an author, and nearly a composer. He works on this site full time. If you'd like to support him, you can do so via Patreon or PayPal.

 PC Games: Hunting for TreasurePrevious Post

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37 comments

Rank Nerdery

By Shamus Posted Tuesday Feb 13, 2007

Filed under: Pictures 22 comments

 Ten Years Ago TodayPrevious Post

Next PostBuilding Edoras 

I glanced at my Technorati page today. I always wondered if I could make the top 10,000. Well, this is as close as you can cut it.

Yes, I know. This is only interesting because we use base ten. Actually, I’d have been even more excited if I was ranked# 16,384.

Sorry for dorking out on you, there. I’m extra short on sleep today and I’m feeling sort of giddy right now.

Shamus Young is a programmer, an author, and nearly a composer. He works on this site full time. If you'd like to support him, you can do so via Patreon or PayPal.

 Ten Years Ago TodayPrevious Post

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22 comments

RIP IMVU AD

By Shamus Posted Tuesday Feb 13, 2007

Filed under: Rants 23 comments

 Ringtone VerbotenPrevious Post

Next PostComply or <die> 

A reader expressed their irritation with the IMVU ads that have been running in the sidebar recently. I was actually glad to see I wasn’t the only one. They have a trashy, lowest-common-denominator feel to them. Kind of a “Welcome to Hoochie World” vibe. The ad has been running for over a month, and I’ve never seen a picture of a single male avatar. It’s either the quasi-jailbait in a bikini, or a couple of skanks in a pseudosapphic embrace. Using a pretty girl to sell your stuff is perfectly reasonable, but doing it with such a lack of class gets on my nerves. I’ve never used the software, but the ads make me think their chat software is a world inhabited by l337-speaking teenage boys that would make the average FARK thread sound like the Mclaughlin Group by comparison.

This reminds me of the comments Georgina Bensley made about “Girl” games a while back. These ads, by trying to create an image of a world that is wall-to-wall with girls, is actually doing almost nothing to attract them. It might even be alienating them.

All of this, coupled with the fact that we’ve all been looking at the same 3 images for over a month now, has finally persuaded me to “block” the IMVU ads in the Google adsense controls. Although I notice they are still showing up. Maybe it takes a while to kick in? I dunno.

LATER: I’m at a loss, here. The block has been in place for six hours and I’m still seeing these ads. This is starting to annoy me.

LATER LATER: All gone now. Yay.

Shamus Young is a programmer, an author, and nearly a composer. He works on this site full time. If you'd like to support him, you can do so via Patreon or PayPal.

 Ringtone VerbotenPrevious Post

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23 comments

DM of the Rings LXIII:
Overly Requited Love

By Shamus Posted Tuesday Feb 13, 2007

Filed under: DM of the Rings 135 comments

 DM of the Rings LXII:
Everything But the GirlPrevious Post

Next PostDM of the Rings LXIV:
A Shocking Revelation 

Aragorn hits on Eowyn in Rohan. Saving throw vs. disease.

Continue reading ⟩⟩

Shamus Young is a programmer, an author, and nearly a composer. He works on this site full time. If you'd like to support him, you can do so via Patreon or PayPal.

 DM of the Rings LXII:
Everything But the GirlPrevious Post

Next PostDM of the Rings LXIV:
A Shocking Revelation 

135 comments

New ESRB Ratings

By Shamus Posted Tuesday Feb 13, 2007

Filed under: Random 17 comments

 Captcha vs. IdiotPrevious Post

Next Post.Com 

I actually found the parody ESRB sticker from yesterday to be kind of amusing. I found myself thinking about what other sorts of things I’d like to be warned about before I bought a game:

ESRB warning label. Not Girlfriend Safe.

ESRB warning label. Annoying Copy Protection.

It took a great deal of self-restraint to keep from giving Steam its very own label. No doubt I’ve overlooked your favorite villian. For the do-it-your-selfers out there:

The standard Windows font “Impact” works well for the text on the left, while the stuff on the right looks good in plain ‘ol Arial. I didn’t go to any great lengths to mimic the real thing, but it looks passable to my eye.

Shamus Young is a programmer, an author, and nearly a composer. He works on this site full time. If you'd like to support him, you can do so via Patreon or PayPal.

 Captcha vs. IdiotPrevious Post

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17 comments

The Plot-Driven Door

By Shamus Posted Monday Feb 12, 2007

Filed under: Game Design 62 comments

 Cheat CodesPrevious Post

Next PostRoundtable:
MMO Games & Social Busywork 

Some readers have noted my obsessive, even Kahn-like vendetta against Neverwinter Nights 2. During my brief moments of lucidity I have come to realize that the game has driven me quite mad, and that I am likely to go on ranting about it for some time. I’m comfortable in this madness, although out of affection for the many fine people who visit this site I do suggest you back slowly away from this post before I even get started. However, if you have appetite for a tirade, then perhaps the following will slake your inexplicable craving…

Most videogames in the RPG genre have plot-driven doors. You know, a locked door which may be made of wood and 100 years old, but which is indestructable, un-pickable, and un-openable until some plotpoint takes place. Some games are better about this than others, but it’s a necessity of the medium.

Players tolerate plot-doors to different degrees, mostly depending on the strength of the writing. Some games are really eager to abuse this, and use plot-doors in lieu of coherent writing. Let me bring up the most foul example of a plot-driven door. This one:

Let me tell you about this door…
Continue reading ⟩⟩ “The Plot-Driven Door”

Shamus Young is a programmer, an author, and nearly a composer. He works on this site full time. If you'd like to support him, you can do so via Patreon or PayPal.

 Cheat CodesPrevious Post

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MMO Games & Social Busywork 

62 comments

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