Perianwyr's New Writeups

Vagrant Story (thing)

2000-06-12T05:22:11Z

Released in May 2000 for the PSX, by Squaresoft.

Vagrant Story is one of Square's last releases for the aging PSX, and it is a worthy send-off- Vagrant Story pushes the machine to its limits and weaves an amazing story into a seamless environment, to create one of the most compelling PSX titles to date.

The setting is a quasi-medieval world reminiscent of that in which Final Fantasy Tactics takes place (indeed, the game's art was drawn by the same designer as Tactics, and the game opens with a quote from Alazlam Durai...)

You play the part of Agent Ashley Riot, an agent of the Valendia Knights of Peace (a FBI-like organization in this fantasy world) who is a member of the elite "Riskbreaker" unit, this agency's equivalent of the modern-day Delta Force. Riot joined this group after his wife and child were killed by bandits. As a result, he undertakes well-nigh suicidal missions without hesitation.

Riot is sent to investigate a cult worshiping the dark…

modus vivendi (idea)

2000-06-07T06:10:40Z

Translation: Latin, literally "a way of living".

This is a term often used to describe diplomatic compromise-

"Hey, you've got your cows, I've got my cows, and that depends on me not rustling yours and vice versa. So what's mine is mine, and what's yours is yours. Can you please put the sword away?"

Palm IIIe (thing)

2000-05-31T07:01:20Z

Caveat: This Palm doesn't have flash ROM, or an expansion slot. The lack of flash ROM means you can't go any higher than PalmOS 3.0, or use any of the neat flash storage utilities out there. The lack of an expansion slot means you can't get any of the many neat addons that are available (including more memory.)

This is not a very big deal, however- I own a IIIe and am perfectly happy with it. Indeed, the 2MB memory keeps me from putting games on there, and wasting my time with it.

When a Gameboy is 30 bucks, why waste your address book/to do list/general organization lifeline's memory and battery power (very important, that!) just so you can play a roguelike...

ermm nevermind. heh. OK, sacrifice the 72k you need for pocketrogue. But don't get any other games. Ha!

and oh yes, don't forget Theremini... size-wise, it is a bargain, and quite possibly the weirdest thing you can put on a Palm.

Problem of Evil (idea)

2000-05-31T05:11:57Z

It can also be argued that the best proof of God's love for humanity is that he allows humans free will.

Yes, this sometimes means that they will perpetrate great evil upon one another. But the good that comes from free action is far more valuable than that which is forced- can we even say that a man is good when he does good things only because there is a gun against his head? He isn't actually doing them- the man with the gun is telling him what to do. There's no good in that, only self-interest.

Now, if you believe that all actions are predestined, and that human will plays no part whatsoever in actions taken on Earth, then I can see the logic. But otherwise, it only makes sense that evil would be allowed to exist, because you cannot have ultimate and meaningful good without the temptation of evil.

System Shock 2 (thing)

2000-05-30T20:32:19Z

Here's a fun Easter Egg for System Shock 2:

When you first begin the game and exit the subway station, you'll be facing the UNN recruitment center. Go to the right and around the platform into the dark. Do a Thief-style "mantle" against the pipe-like thing there (i.e. jumping up and holding jump to pull yourself up to the platform above you.) Atop the pipe you'll find a basketball, which you can pick up (by centering it on the screen and right-clicking- you won't have the interface or targeting cursor to guide you, but it works anyway.) This is the only item you can take with you through training and to your eventual assignment on board the Von Braun. Hang on to that basketball for a while.

Later, on Deck 4, you'll be charged with the task of activating a transmitter, which happens to be inside a basketball court. Once you make your way there, get the ball through the hoop on the court for a secret message.

Sabotage (idea)

2000-05-30T03:58:16Z

From the French, "sabot", meaning shoe.

Literally, to throw your shoe into the works.

Usually applied to activities designed to undermine the operation of a machine or other process.