July, 29, 2010

Currently Playing

It’s nearly a month now that I quit playing Runes of Magic. A few days ago I read that they improved the account system. It seems it’s now possible to use different passwords for all the accounts you create by signing up for the game + the number of failed logins is restricted now. I don’t miss the game so I won’t go back. Besides, I still have other, equally serious, issues with it so no.

Anyway, I’m playing something else at the moment: Torchlight. It’s a Hack&Slay and looks and feels like the Diablo games but I don’t mind, I love those games. To be able to play an updated version is fun.

Here’s the trailer on youtube:

New Books

Last week I was tempted into buying books because I had a 11%-off coupon available. I wanted to buy much more books actually (for ~ 60€) but I managed to tame my “me-want!” side down to books for 30€. Phew!

Here are the books I bought:

Demon Blood by Meljean Brook

My favorite paranormal series.

Period.

There’s nothing more to say.

Academ’s Fury by Jim Butcher

I really liked Furies of Calderon, the first book in the Codex Alera series. So much that I wanted to read the next one right away. Of course I couldn’t because I never (well, at least I can’t think of an example) order several books of a series before I’ve read at least one book in it. But I was very tempted to order all the remaining books in this series together with Academ’s Fury.

The Lawman’s Redemption by Pam Crooks

I like to read Western romances now and then and this sounded interesting: the hero is “as wild as the fierce Montana landscape he roams”* while the heroine is described as “all fine city clothes and polite manners.”* Plus, I like to try new-to-me authors from time to time.

*from Harlequin’s website

One Unashamed Night by Sophia James

Again, a new-to-me author. What made me take notice of the book is that the hero is described as slowly losing his eyesight. I also liked the excerpt = buy.

Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas**

I like Kleypas’s contemporary voice and so it was only a question of when I would buy this book. I bought it this time because it was the only book I wanted that was in stock. I have to wait around three weeks for the others to arrive in my “me-want!” hands.

**already read

June, 18, 2010

Currently Reading: A Fortune Wedding by Kristin Hardy

ONCE, HE WAS HER WHOLE WORLD…

…until Roberto Mendoza left Frannie Fortune and their hometown far behind. But she was no longer the seventeen-year-old in love with the smoldering ranch hand. She was a woman accused of murdering her husband.

When he left Red Rock nineteen years ago, Roberto swore he would never return. But when an unseen enemy threatened the Mendoza clan, he found himself charging to Frannie’s rescue, determined to help her clear her name. And when passion reignited–hotter and more powerful than before–Roberto knew he’d do anything to heal the past and build a future with the woman who’d always belong to him.

The woman he’d never stopped loving.

I like the writing and the voice in this novel (like I usually do with Kristin Hardy’s novels). I think Hardy’s a good writer and she knows how to tell a story. But this time, I have a hard time getting into the story.

The first thing that threw me off was that apparently the police didn’t search the surrounding area where someone was killed. Otherwise I can’t explain why Roberto had to show them where to find the murder weapon nearly two weeks after the murder… And his brother implied that Roberto did something wrong by coming forth with this knowledge. Umm, right.

The other thing I have a problem with is Frannie. After she realizes how dependent she’d been on other people – first her mother, then her husband – and how deep in trouble she’s now because of that, she never wants to be dependent on anyone. I say, good for her and totally understandable.

But she also has a debt of two millions and when Roberto offers to look into the matter of the properties she now owns (she never even had any idea her husband bought them) she refuses, never mind she doesn’t know the first thing about managing properties. In fact, she probably should sell them as fast as possible but she won’t accept Roberto’s help (who knows a thing or two about that because that’s his job) because she has to do it on her own. Umm, right. Well, at least she comes around after Roberto points out that she could pay him – like all his other customers do…

I guess what bothered me was Frannie’s insistence on her independence (I take care of it on my own no matter what) in that situation seemed more stupid than strong to me. Why couldn’t she have taken Robert’s offer of help and said she would pay him? Without him having to point out that possibility? Instead, the way she handles the situation reminds me of the heroines of old who stomp their dainty foot and toss their luscious curls over their shoulder.

Currently Playing: Runes of Magic?

I seriously think about quitting. I think I’ve said that several times already but it gets truer and truer every time.

The rip-off tendencies I saw in the game from the beginning get clearer and clearer with each new offer in the item shop. There are more and more gold sellers on the servers and a lot of bugs that simply don’t get fixed. In addition, the support is…I don’t know what to call it.

Then last week I learned that by signing up for the game, I actually opened three! accounts. One for the game, one for the real money transactions for the game’s item shop and one for the forum to the game. I now play for nearly ten months and didn’t know that. I simply was never told when I signed up. What’s more, all three! accounts use the same login name and the same password… When you change the password, you just type it in one time. You don’t need to type in your current password before you change it; you don’t need to repeat the new password to make sure you didn’t make a typo; you don’t get a email notification;… I changed all my passwords (except the one for the forum; you can’t change that on your own…)

On Monday this week I learned that my login name and my password was transmitted in plain text every time I logged in to play…

I changed my password for the game again.

The last time I played was last weekend. Right now, with that kind of “security” measures and irresponsibility on the comany’s side, I’m not sure I want to play again.

October, 10, 2009

Why is it that when I finally feel like reading again I don’t have the time and when I don’t feel like it I have the time?

There’s something wrong.

Ah well, at least I did manage to finish Juliana Garnett’s The Vow this week – liked it! – and I’m looking forward to reading more of her novels. Actually, I want to write about this novel so let’s see when I find the time.

New books

have a 5-Euro-off coupon valid until today (buy for 25 €, get 5 € off).

Here are the books I need to decide between:

• Meljean Brook – Demon Forged
• Tessa Dare – Goddess of the Hunt
• Claire Delacroix – Fallen
• Elysa Hendricks – Enchanting the Beast
• Eloisa James When the Duke Returns
• Kathryne Kennedy – Enchanting the Beast
• Juliet Marillier – Heir to Sevenwaters
• Sue-Ellen Welfonder – Devil in a Kilt

It’s good that I still have a few hours left.

Currently Playing

Runes of Magic

Yes, I’m still playing.

I do this despite the fact that

• I have very annoying technical issues ever since they released chapter 2 (low fps, often high ping) – I might quit playing because of that.
• I’m also getting a clearer view of what “free-to-play” means in this game (highly favoring players who use the cash shop) – I might quit playing because of that when my character has a high enough level for this to become relevant.

But at the moment, I’m still with it.

Disgaea 3 – Absence of Justice (PS3)

I loved the first one in this series, Disgaea – Hour of Darkness. Like the first one, Disgaea 3 is a turn-based strategy game. The gameplay is similar, too.

You’re playing Mao, a student at the Netherworld Academy of Evil and son of the Overlord (Dean of the Academy). Good and Evil is turned around in this world: being an honor students means to be cruel and evil. As an honor student, you don’t do your homework; in fact, you don’t even attend classes. Things like that are for the delinquents to do.

Mao is a top-of-the-class honor student. He also wants to defeat his father because…his father accidentally destroyed all Mao’s save games (several millions hours worth of playing video games). Mao researches the matter of how to go about overthrowing his father with comic books, mangas and animes. And video games of course. His solution: get the title of a hero.

Important characters so far: Mao, a hero (Almaz) who lost his title and has only a few hours left before he turns into a full demon (at the moment, he’s at the cosplay demon stage), the badass delinquent Rasberyl, and Mao’s most devoted servant.

The humor in Disgaea 3 is rather self-referential and I have a lot of fun playing it. The chances are good that I’ll like Disgaea 3 as much as the first one.

September, 24, 2009

Currently Reading

Bound By Your Touch by Meredith Duran

I started it yesterday evening and I’m on page 71 (chapter 4). I’m loving it. I also thought this

“[…] You are an actor who plays his role very well, but you did not make the role possible. Society did! Given the opportunity, science could deduce the pattern that guides your action, and account for every one of them!” (58)

[bold = in italic in the text]

a very nice surprise. I was tickled pink to read it and I’m hoping there’ll be more.

Currently Playing

Runes of Magic

But in fact, I barely read. At the moment, there’s a lot going on and I feel slightly stressed. It’s not just the construction here (the vacuum cleaner noise is 24/7 for some time now), there are also other things. And when I feel stressed, I’m more likely to play games than to read I guess.

So yeah, still Runes of Magic. I’m far from a fangirl, there are quite a few things rather off with the game, but it helps me to relax and you can play it for free. (How far that will get you is another matter).

Anyway, they released the second chapter last week, The Elven Prophecy, which added new content. They also opened a new server for the new players here. I started a new character there. I’m a bit fed up how some things go on the server my first character is. When a difficult quest comes up, most players look for a high-level character to help. Which means, I don’t learn a thing about playing my character because the high-level character takes care of most everything.

This will certainly be different on the new server, at least in the beginning. Funny enough, I didn’t have much time to play, so I’m actually rather behind in levels to some players who started a new character there too. But still, compared to the other server, playing is very relaxed and easygoing on the new server.

Added benefit: there are also less lags (so far).