Oh Joy of joys... The reasons i hate writing esays

By brianontoast January 29, 2011 18 Comments

Lets set the scene... 
 
Im sitting at my desk, my t.v is on in the corner playing an episode of band of brothers and im struggling for words. not struggling for words to write this blog but an important essay for my university degree. i would consider myself a decent enough writer but i can never fluently write important things. Already i have wrote more words in 5 minutes in this blog than i have written all day on my essay. 
 
This writers block i have is really devastating to me. Because when i'm stuck for words and bored i suffer from severe compulsive spending on ebay. The last week i have already spent £120 a PS1and games whilst and am currently bidding on a PS3. Now i can honestly say i don't really want a PS3 and to be honest didn't mind getting a PS1. This happens i suspect to daydreaming about all the fun i could be having playing games rather than sitting in a semi-darkness reading about how DIY media culture is affecting the average persons role in the media. 
 
I hope for my banks sake i can finish this essay soon and i can't wait to play on my newly purchased PS1 :D

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My first Blog: Why i prefer fallout 3 to new vegas (spoilers)

By brianontoast January 26, 2011 11 Comments

Just to get this off my chest, i loved new vegas. Its not an bad game. I probably had as much fun playing fallout new vegas as fallout 3 but after completing one of four endings i realised that i was both incredibly satisfied with the improvements to the overall gameplay changes but dissapointed by somthing that i still can't put my finger on. 
 
The first main problem i had was the overall story length and direction. In fallout 3 you had the main overall goal to find your father and activate the purifier whilst having interesting and crazy adventures as you travelled between key story locations. i didn't feel the same sense of excitement of exploration in my first new vegas. sure theres over 100 locations to discover but the majority of locations were just a waypoint with a sofa and some abraxo cleaner.  
 
The new addition to new vegas i disliked the most was the faction system. i can understand the ramifications and the intergral nature to the story but it just  irratated me that i was trying to play a good character but some factions didn't like me because i help people. while i can understand why it affects the two main factions (ncr and ceasers legion) i felt that having good karma should at least give a bonus to my faction standing in towns. In my opinion the karma system is now irrelevant. But my most notable hate of the rep system is the fact that wearing certain outfits disguises you as the respective factions. i finally managed to find (blow up and steal) some of the cool ncr armour from the games cover but because i was aligned with ceasers legion it couldn't wear it most the time becaue either ceasers legion, brotherhood of steel and powder gangers shoot me on sight. This is more irratating because it makes all the faction armour useless half the time because random people will shoot at you because I am wearing a piece of clothing that i think looks cool. Therefore i spent he entire game wearing plane old boring combat armour.
 
The one plus point in the favour of new vegas is the colour pallet of the world. The brighter landscape makes me smile. especially the flashing lights of the strip. In comparison to the dark grays and greens of fallout 3. The futures bright and is pretty orange.  
 
There are no decent new weapons that wern't in fallout 3 and its associated DLC's full stop. The one somewhat brilliant addition to the weapons is the mods you can buy. Each mod is only compatable with a certain gun and adds a certain special feature be it a supressor for the sniper or the laser sight for the humble 10mm pistol. Hopefully they will expand this feature in future games

Reading what i've wrote in the past 45 minutes i realise that i've painted a pretty negative picture of fallout new vegas. I would whole heartedly recomend new vegas to everybody but in comparison to the originality that fallout 3 brought to the xbox it, in my opinion is sortof a glorified expansion pack. I dont mean it in a bad way and i have no regrets for paying £70 for the collecters edition but compared to fallout 3 it does not much new that i would consider a positive addition. I consider these two games equal in value but fallout 3, for me has the first love effect. Later versions may be better but the first experience is the most memorable

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