I've meant to blog earlier, and also to get all my photos uploaded to the internet so I can do a ranger blog with pictures, but life got in the way. My mom's not well and I've been a little distracted. Anyway, on to what I've been up to.
Gaming: Haven't played anything other than quick casual stuff since I started working again, but I am taking advantage of the 99 cent flash sale on PSN this weekend as I type. I picked up the Back to the Future and Sam & Max The Devil's Playground bundles, both of which I've wanted for a while. See, Cary? I do take your advice :). I already had the first episode of Back to the Future that I'd picked up for free quite a while ago and I want to finish the story, but not bad enough to get it at full price. Cary keeps recommending the Sam & Max games and he rarely steers me wrong, so I figured how could I go wrong at 99 cents for the whole bundle? I want the Tales of Monkey Island bundle, too, and I'll probably get that before the sale is over.
Listening: Still the same batch of CDs in the car from my last blog entry. Andy loaned me John Prine's In Spite of Ourselves, which I really didn't get into. It's OK, because the CD I loaned him wasn't to his taste, either. I also listen to the NOAA weather station a lot, too. When you work outdoors, it's kind of essential to know what the weather is going to do to you, and gives me an idea of how to plan my work week.
Reading: Because two people have recommended it to me, I've started reading the web comic Girl Genius. I'm also reading up on a lot of natural history stuff for work. I did find a couple of books that I'd started and then lost hiding under a pile of laundry.
Watching: Took a break from Supernatural for a bit, and started watching MI-5. It started out slow, but gets better as it goes on. Also loving how Agents of SHIELD is tying into Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Some serious plot twists going on and I'm eagerly awaiting the next episode.
Ranger stuff: Got word that I'm getting something cool and long awaited next weekend. I'll post a pic when I get it on Sunday. The spring peepers started up a week ago, a sure sign that spring is finally here. And then it snowed an inch and a half on the poor little dudes. Migratory birds are returning to the area from their wintering grounds and the ones that stay all year are getting more active as they plan their summer flings. Saw a flock of wild turkeys on my way in to work last week, one lone male doing his best to impress his harem - chest all puffed out, tail fully fanned and strutting his stuff. At my house, the little roof over my front door has been inspected by both a sparrow and several phoebes as a possible nesting site. I'm cool with that, just means a little scrubbing of my porch when their done, and Kaylee would love the live documentary going on outside the window. We're gearing up for our annual family-friendly bird watching festival next weekend, the high point of which is Hope Douglas of Wind Over Wings.
And that's it for this episode of Rangergirl's random updates!
I need to watch Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. then. I loved Jason Bourne and The Winter Soldier.
Look forward to the Sunday picture.
Wrong Winter Soldier. This is the new Captain America movie.
No, I was making a joke about how much The Winter Soldier reminds me of the Bourne films, as a lot people have said.
If I was a turkey, I would be trying to impress my harem too!
I hope your mom feels better. 
Oh, he was very impressive. Those suckers are HUGE! The funny thing is all the hen turkeys were completely ignoring him.
And thanks for the good thoughts.
Wild Turkey...that shit's harsh without a chaser. JK!
Happy Easter Tami!
I was placing mental bets on who would make a remark like that, and you were pretty high up on the list, lol.
That's really cool you saw some wild turkeys, Tami. Since I have a little while to prep and take classes at our community college before I apply to DigiPen Institute for university, I have time to think about random game ideas I'd want to prototype for projects once I get there. One idea I have is for a 2D stealth puzzle platformer called Sneaky Turkey. The rough idea being to avoid predators. When or if I start prototyping that specific idea I would want to study turkeys more. Not to make it a simulation but just to get ideas for how they behave, what kind of defense mechanisms they have, and the environments they like, and what they eat. For example I don't even know how intelligent or social turkeys are, that's basic stuff I'd need to learn about.
I'd like to make a game about orcas as well but I'm not sure what the point of it would be or what mechanics you'd use. When I watched the documentary The Whale about the orca Luna in Canada that was socializing with people, I thought it would be worth the effort to try and make a game that attempted to capture that feeling of connection, intimacy, empathy, bonding, and mystery I guess.
Often when I come up with ideas for systems, mechanics, or stories I usually start from some kind of strong emotional moment, some catharsis, realization, something that inspired me in real life, or any kind of moment that can stir a strong feeling within me personally, and then I try to think about how to replicate that in a game to share with other people. How to build a game and story around that to build up to it and give it context.
The turkey idea I have is more straight forward, the reason why I was attracted to it was just for the mechanics of it. From what I know, turkeys can't fly very far, only for small sprints to avoid something. That's one thing that sounds like game mechanics waiting to happen. The orca ideas are much more nebulous and without any form whatsoever because the thing that makes them attractive are the emotions and complexity, so I don't know where to start with mechanics for those yet.
I bought some games from the PSN sale too. Also picked up Back to the Future, Sam & Max, and Monkey Island.
Great picks on the PSN stuff. Get the Monkey Island games mmmkay? Sorry to hear about your mum. Hope it's nothing too serious.
Monkey Island downloading now. As for my mom, well, we'll see when I go down there next week.
My good thoughts go with you Tami. All the best.
HD space is tight so all I got was Everyday Shooter. Unique concept, not perfect, but well worth a buck. The only other game I was thinking about was the first Spyro. I wanted to watch Agents but I can't stand comercials.
I'll have to wait untill they make their way to netflix.
HD space is tight for me, too, but I'm hoping to invest in a larger hard drive soonish, and I figured I didn't have to download them all at once.
Agents of SHIELD is on Hulu Plus, still commercials, but not as many.
How good is that plotline for SHIELD? Over the past couple of episodes it's been nothing but WOW moments for me. I do love the tie in with Captain America, and I hope the Agents show up in future Marvel films.
I loved that Flash Sale. I think I bought Jurassic Park and a couple of PS3/Vita games, and spent a total of $4. Can't complain.
Positive thoughts to your mom!
No kidding about that plotline! Do me a favor, if you're on Facebook, go and "Like" the official page. That show lives on the brink of being cancelled because it's so expensive to produce. And apparently, the powers that be are paying attention to things like social media. I get this from my friends, whose daughter is one of the assistant directors for the show, and that's what she told them.
Thanks for the positive thoughts, Chris.
I also got Monkey Island. I would have gotten the other two, but I have no attachment to those franchises really, so I would probably never played them.
I was kind of disappointed in Winter Soldier. After all the praise I heard, I was surprised how messy the plot was and most of all, how boring I found it to be.
I played the first episode of Back to the Future and really wanted to finish the story. Also, Cary keeps telling me I'd like the Sam & Max games, and he's usually right.
Sorry you were underwhelmed by Cap 2. I thought it was great.
I didnt get to participate in the flash sell but I do have several of the games in it already that I bought previously. I finished my book I was reading and have jumped on to a new one, The Chronicles of Malus Darkblade Vol.1. Im hopeng to start a book club. Ive been thinking about it constantly I think it would be something fun for me to do.
I hope your mom feels better soon!
I'm getting back to reading now that I've got the winter's depression under control. Half-way through A Clockwork Orange at the moment, and going to finish a few of the books I've started and then put down over the winter.
Thanks! My mom got taken to the hospital on Monday and now that she's getting proper treatment, she seems to be doing a lot better.
Hope your mom's feeling better. Haven't seen The Winter Soldier yet, but I plan to some time this week that way I won't be that far out of the loop while watching Agents of SHIELD.
Thanks. She's being discharged tomorrow. If you like good action movies, I don't think you'll be disappointed. And I love how they dove-tailed Agents of SHIELD around the events of the movie.
I made a killing during that .99 sale on PSN. Still have yet to play Sam and Max becaue my "little one" wants to be there to see me play it. and if she could have a stab at it first.