Wednesday 27 May 2009

Picture me rolling

Massive geek post: video games! There are way too many coming out over the next year. Makes me really want my new PC now. My current rig is sitting in my room with its case permanently cracked open so I can easily get at it whenever the SATA cable comes loose (identifiable by a loud click and then the partial-freezing of the OS). It's done me well, but definitely at the end of its life. With the coming of Windows 7 (October this year), I'm excited at the idea of bypassing Vista entirely... even if it means I'm gonna have to ride W7 RC1 for a while.

The list of new and exciting titles includes mostly sequels (to mostly good games):

BioShock 2 - its predecessor was a bit of a mixed bag, although this looks to be shaping up good. It'll include a co-op prequel mode as well, which could be hot shizzle.

Assassin's Creed 2 - okay, so I've never played the original. Yet. It's on my wish list. My current rig wouldn't be able to handle it. However, once I have a new PC, play through AC1, I'm sure this'll be worth 10-12 hours.

Diablo III - yes!

Starcraft II - yes! Blizzard seem to have opted for the episodic thang with this one, so this particular installment (Wings Of Liberty) will be the Terran campaign only.

Mass Effect 2 - I'd really like to see the second DLC for ME1 before thinking too hard about ME2 - it'd give me more reason to play through it again and thus put me in good stead for the sequel. ME2 does look really sexy though - forget J.J. Abrams Star Trek, Mass Effect is the real deal when it comes to space operas.

Thief 4 - can't believe they're making another. The first one is up there with the greats (and also the only one in the series I've completed), but the little I played of T3, well, it just lacked something.

Deus Ex 3 - never finished the first, although it was a great game. The second never appealed as much, but I might pick it up cheap one day. A refreshed take on this brief franchise might just work.

Dragon Age: Origins - the only truly new title. However, BioWare have said that it's the spiritual heir to the Baldur's Gate series. A bit like BioShock is to System Shock I guess. As with any high profile release that includes consoles (and this one is shooting for both XBox and PS3), I'm a little nervous about the 'dumb-down' factor, but BioWare have a good rep for giving PC editions the love and attention they deserve, e.g. Mass Effect.

There are loads more, of course. I'll never have the time...

Especially if the 2010 Playoffs are anywhere near as exciting as '09! The game last night (Cavs @ Orlando) was awesome. Of course, that may have had something to do with it being my first time watching b-ball at an all-American 'pub' (go figure) - I had fun. Don't think I'm gonna get an opportunity to watch the Lakers/Nuggets game tonight, but I'm pulling for Denver; Billups' game is tight right now, still got love for him despite the transfer.

Anyway, I'm off to watch the Champions League final shortly. Seems I've more interest in footie here in the States than at home. Not really sure I want to see Manchester win though...

Thursday 7 May 2009

I'm living where the nights is jet black

Just banged this out over the last three hours. Not sure why or how.

In the beginning, there was nothing except for the glow. The edges of nothingness smouldered with the slow burning light of life. Gradually the light focused, magnified, and became more intense; it shone brightly into the darkest corners of emptiness. This light was Ubai’um. And in these dark corners of emptiness, enshrouded by shadow, dwelt the slumbering forms of the San’bai-Dhul.

’ (apostrophe)
Indicates inflection by way of affix (usually suffix, e.g. Ubai’um – Light that is god)

- (hyphen)
Used to indicate wholeness of a proper noun containing two or more components (e.g. Ubai-ul-Suluum - city of Light)

bai n.
Dusk/night/darkness

bai suffix
Indicates subservience (e.g. San’bai – servant of Dhul) or position of commerce (e.g. halem’bai – merchant)

calem n.
Militia or army

calem’ur n.
Warrior/soldier belonging to an organised force (such as a militia or army)

Dhul proper n.
(No accurate translation) legendary being of shadow; the Void

dul v.
Copula; links subject to object through meaning (e.g. id’Ubai-ul-Suluum dul ud’halem-suluum – the City of Light is a city-state)

dum prefix
Indicates duality; quantity of two (e.g. dum’halem’bai – two merchants)

halem root n.
Root form possessing no independent meaning; implies self-employment or freedom in conjunction with appropriate affix (e.g. halem’ur – mercenary)

halem’bai n.
Merchant or broker not associated with a specific lord, king or fiefdom; free trader

halem’ur n.
Warrior or soldier not associated with a specific lord, king or fiefdom; mercenary

halem-suluum n.
Settlement not associated with a specific country or region; a city-state (as with Ubai-ul-Suluum)

id prefix
Specific determiner (e.g. id’calem – the army); does not reflect quantity (i.e. id'calem could also translate as ‘the armies’)

il prep.
Indicates possession or relevance where subject precedes and object follows (e.g. San’bai-il-Dhul – servant of Dhul). Can be contracted (e.g. San’bai-Dhul). Note: ‘ul’ requires the reverse positions for subject/object (i.e. object precedes and subject follows); ‘ul’ cannot be contracted (i.e. San’bai-Dhul is permitted, Dhul-San’bai is not)

san n.
Being/creature traditionally opposed to the nature of Ubai (although not necessarily aligned with Dhul); implies daemon genus; often used incorrectly in place of ‘San’bai-il-Dhul’ (see ‘San’bai-il-Dhul proper n.’)

San’bai-il-Dhul proper n.
Servant of Dhul commonly belonging to the san (daemon) genus (see ‘san n.’); can be contracted to San’bai-Dhul. Differs to noun ‘san’ as it is honorific and therefore does not imply genus (e.g. non-san aligned with Dhul may be accurately referred to as ‘San’bai-il-Dhul’)

seraphim n.
Being/creature traditionally aligned with Ubai’um; implies angel genus; inaccurately used in place of honorific title ‘Seraphim-il-Ubai’ (see ‘Seraphim-il-Ubai proper n.’)

Seraphim-il-Ubai proper n.
Being/creature expressly belonging to higher ranks of Ubai-ul-Calem; contraction of Seraphim-il-Ubai-ul-Calem (angel of the army of Light), can be further contracted to ‘Seraphim-Ubai’. Members traditionally, though not necessarily, belong to seraphim (angel) genus

suluum n.
Town/city

ubai n.
Dawn/day/light

Ubai’um proper n.
Force of good; Light that is god

Ubai-ul-Calem proper n.
Army of Light; consists of soldiers in service of Ubai’um (see ‘Ubai-ul-Calem’ur proper n.’)

Ubai-ul-Calem’ur proper n.
Soldier of Light, in service of Ubai’um (see ‘Ubai-ul-Calem proper n.’). Differs to Seraphim-il-Ubai as Ubai-ul-Calem’ur makes no indication of rank

Ubai-ul-Suluum proper n.
City of Light

ud prefix
Non-specific determiner indicating singularity (e.g. ud’calem’ur – a solider or one soldier)

ul prep.
See ‘il prep.

um suffix
Indicates position of power; godhood (sometimes kinghood); omnipotence (e.g. Ubai’um – Light that is god)

ur suffix
Indicates martial role or position (e.g. halem’ur – mercenary)

Note: There is no distinction between singular and plural words. Quantity is identified through determiner (e.g. both merchant and merchants would read as halem’bai. ‘A’ or ‘one’ merchant and ‘two’ merchants would read as ud’halem’bai and dum’halem’bai respectively.)