The Damned

Yeah, it would have been a bit better as something more like HG/SSs PokéWalker. In fact, that would have not only been easier to use, but even more intuitive. I get what they were trying to do with the Dream World, but they should have set it up on the DS, not the PC. Plus, all the restrictions on using it and how much you can access, like having to get thousands of points to be able to randomly find certain pokémon... I've been active as much as I can be, over the last four days, and I'm only at 400 points. How long will I have to play it to get to the point where I can actually so more? Weeks? Months?

Sooo... what happened there, Jack? You were talking about not buying any more pokémon games, with all these reasons why...and here you are, buying the newest one and enjoying it. Just curious as to what changed your mind. Also, which starter did you get? In case any one wants to trade for one they don't have. EDIT: Also, redid the list so it's in alphabetical order, should be easier to get the FC of someone you want now.

Good points. Lots of companies will put out great-looking pictures of their games, but they aren't necessarily what the actual output of the system is. Also, I've often heard that once a console is released, the planning and development of the next system is started. It makes sense. They just spent how many years and how much money on what they just put out, so why wouldn't they start working on the next hardware right away? Worst case scenario, they have a new console to replace the one they just put out and flopped. Best case, they can start manufacturing and selling the next one quickly once they have the design down, even if they sit on it for a while. Honestly, I'd love to sneak around the big three's various buildings, just to see how they go about it.

Hmm, it seems that Street Fight on the 3DS has some coding in it that makes it connect to a console... except it's not supposed to be the Wii. http://www.3dsbuzz.com/rumor-super-street-fighter-iv-3ds-to-connect-to-nintendos-new-system/ Interesting if true. That would indicate that Capcom staff knew about this new console a long time ago. Although, the linkin the above article goes to an April 4th article, that quite frankly, isn't very specific and only speculates. Too much of that going around these days.

No one does late April Fools jokes. A bit before is fine, on the actual day is the whole point, but two weeks later? Not happening. No one does that. If it was just IGN making these claims, I'd ignore the whole thing (seeing how they like to just make shit up sometimes), but since there are multiple reports from sites that aren't known for reporting bullshit, I think it has some validity. But we won't know for sure until it's actually announced.

Google, motherfucker. Do you speak it? Well, I guess you can't actually speak it, as it's not a language. I should have said "do you use it?", as it's a service, not a language. Unless Google also refers to some sort of programming language they used to make the search engine, in which case my first statement would be accurate and appropriate. But even then, that's really a written thing, isn't it? Can you speak a language that is only written? If there's no spoken elements to it, can it really be a language? Even if there are some parts of it in English, does that make it a separate language unto its own, or because it uses an existing language but in an entirely different way, is it still its own language? For that matter, even if it was a language, and you could speak it, wouldn't you just sound like you were repeating random words and numbers and such, to represent the programming language? To anyone else, it would sound like gibberish. It has its own grammar and syntax, so it must be a language in that regard. Damn, this is some heavy stuff for so late in the evening. But still, it's not like you can't look it up, right?

That's Nintendo's plan, though. They don't do high-end (and thus, more expensive) hardware. They make cheaper hardware that can be sold at a profit instead of selling the system at a loss and making profit on the games. So far, it's worked out really, really, really, really, really well for them. Meanwhile, Sony and MS are still selling their systems at either minimal profit or a significant loss, and hoping everyone buys lots of games. EDIT: Oh wait, wait, wait. What is it's HD as in Hard Drive? Yep, it's a Wii, but with a lot more storage capacity! Oh yeah, 80 drive, here we come!

"Alright sir, here is your plane ticket to Alexandria, Virginia. And now for your luggage... will that be carry-on?"

Fuck yeah, I finally got on. It only took... about 32 hours to do so.

Updated... again. What's going on with you and this game, Arek? Also, over 24 hours since I signed up for Dream World... and still not able to get onto it.

Wait a minute... she gives me a mine detector, in a grassy field with only one way in and out. My god. There are mines here. Or not. False alarm. Carry on. They need to get a lawnmower or something down here. This place is just overgrown. Who knows what else is growing in this place? Adding that one to the list... Come to think of it, these plants look kind of like a certain popular plant... A young man in a silly outfit. Standing in the middle of some suspicious plants. And he thinks he can see the future. Oh, this place is about to become the new spring break hotspot. Stidge chomps on that thing like a bone. Finally! A sign that I'm close. I've been on that road for what feels like minutes, and ran into a damn hippy. No, a bus system would be fair. But don't worry, I've already added it to the list. When I'm done, I'll see about getting someone to take care of these things. I guess. It's not like I'm ever going to find out. It's not like they're giving bikes away in the next town or anything. Finally. Mauville. Intel from DAD suggests this is where I should find the next badge he wants.

After recruitment, proper training and a strict regime of proper exercise and diet will do anyone a lot of good. It's not long before May shows up. How she got ahead of me, I don't know. She must know short-cuts and have access to places I don't. That, combined with er unknown allegiance, makes her someone to be careful of. Betrayal! She's here to ambush me and silence me once and for all! You little bitch, I'm not going down without a fight! Stidge takes down the whale thing like a Japanese fishing ship. Stidge then tries to take down the giant chicken like a fat man takes down a KFC buffet... but it turns out that giant fire-breathing chickens are actually kind of dangerous. I have to bring Stidge back in. Reaper takes a hit coming out into the fight, but he quickly recovers and uses his new attack to slam the chicken thing into the ground. Even the weird mushroom creature can't survive the attack. Hmm... whale, chicken and mushrooms... Some of the ingredients for Japanese cuisine. This may be a clue. Her attack is not an execution, but an excuse to provide me with a new tool. Just like that time back by her home town, she seems to be fighting me as a pretense to talk to me. Have I really misjudged her? Or does she just have a really good poker face? A mine detector! Some places will use mines as part of their security. It keeps spies and soldiers from just walking into their base, and also gives advanced warning of any invading forces. This mine detector could come in handy. May offers some token advice and then scampers off.

A man, like any other. And what is a man, but a miserable little pile of secrets. But enough talk! HAVE AT YOU! Chomp. Chomp. Chomp. All three go down easy. That's classified information. There is no doubt in my mind that the Trick Master is completely and totally fabulous in every way, if you get my meaning. Finally getting out of the maze, I see the Trick Master sitting at a table, waiting for me. I walk over with the intent to sock him right across the face for wasting my time. His gift of a Rare Candy puts his beating on hold... for now. I've wasted too much time on this guy and his side show house. Time to hustle. The old woman looks at me and begins to reach for her bio-weapon containment pods. A quick chop across the side of the neck fixes that. With no car to drive around in, and the only road in site requiring a bike I don't have, I have to walk to the next town. I'm adding public transportation to the list... I spot an item on the ground, but it's just another vial. I was hoping for a grenade or a flamethrower... sigh. Maybe for christmas. The kid then decides that showing me them would be a good idea. Stidge, however, has other plans for them. But being cool-headed is.

It's like there's a voice in my head telling me things I need to know. And I don't mean Otacon, either. He only tells me what to do, like don't open that door, Snake. Don't go in there, Snake, it's a trap, Snake. Stupid Otacon... where is he, any way? Something they did in Gen 3 was make use of puzzles where you had to find where a sparkling light flashed for an instant somewhere on the screen. While it wasn't too hard to see where you're supposed to go, if you missed it the first time, you had to either leave the room and re-enter, or just search around until you found it. It could have been anywhere in the room, on or behind any object. Can you see where it is in the right hand picture? Your feet are sticking out from the other side, and I heard you giggling when I came in. Plus, it smells like you haven't showered in weeks. Things this island needs: 1. its own postal service 2. proper names for roads 3. more showers for the crazy ones He explains that he is some comic book villain reject named the Trick Master, and his house is some sort of puzzle. I hate puzzles. If I can't just shoot or punch the solution out of it, then I don't want to deal with it. He runs behind the poster, giggling like a drugged-up hippy. Hold that thought... Things this island needs: 1. its own postal service 2. proper names for roads 3. more showers for the crazy ones 4. less hippies Any way, I decide to follow him. He might have something I can use. My there is a lot of commentary in this part, isn't there? The Trick Master is an entirely optional side-quest. He will create a new maze with a new puzzle every time you get a new badge, and after you've beaten all of his puzzles, he will give you items as a reward. See here for more details. But aside from a Rare Candy, and a TM that has no real in-game use, he doesn't really offer anything. If you set up a Secret Base, the last puzzle will get you a Red or Blue Tent to put in your base. So, really, we'll be skipping this guy after this bit. Those little tree things are all over the place. Luckily, Flapcakes is an expert at cutting them down. I once spent a month in Canada cutting down trees. It wasn't training or anything. I just really hate Canadian trees. A scroll? On the floor? That's improper storage of reading material, and a serious violation of barracks keeping. But the moment I go to pick it up and put it away, a young boy asks me for help. By sending his bio-weapons after me. Stidge bites it so hard, it can't even move... oh, wait... big dog with teeth, small fuzzy animal that fits in its mouth... oh dear. No wonder it can't move. The rodent seems to have been saturated with growth hormones, because immediately after Stidge finishes chewing on it, she begins to mutate! Mightyena is Poochyena's evolved form. It literally doubles all of it stats, except for Attack, which almost doubles. Check it out: HP: 35 -> 70 Attack: 55 -> 90 Defense: 35 -> 70 Sp.Atk: 30 -> 60 Sp.Def: 30 -> 60 Speed: 35 -> 70 Plus, its ability changed from Run Away to Intimidate, which lowers the opponents attack stat one level upon entering battle. It's like a free Growl when your pokémon enters battle. I'll send a rescue party after you once I compete my mission. It shouldn't take any more than a few days. In the mean time, try to stay alive. I'd escort you out, but after what happened with that Boy Scout troop back in the states, I'm court-ordered to stay away from all young boys. Stupid child protection laws... it was only one live round for training purposes... I even had to give up my Scout Leader position. Oh, you have got to be kidding me...

Snake has accomplished another step in his objective: defeat four Gym Leaders and acquire the special Badges. Doing so will give Snake the added assistance of DAD, his local deep-cover help. With the second of his four targets neutralized, he makes his way to the den of sin itself, Slateport. Upon finding his next contact, Captain Stern, and handing an important item over, Snake and Stern are attacked by the local militia, Team Aqua! A quick but decisive battle followed, with Snake victorious. Now, he must make his way North to the next target, the Gym Leader of Mauville. The Man For The Mission: Snake, international soldier for peace The Mission For The Man: To stop the creation and shipping of biological weapons known as Pokémon The Tagline For This Chapter: Overthought and maybe a bit too much like previous ones Join our hero as he embarks on his most dangerous and exciting mission ever... RIGHT NOW! It's like all my other bio-weapons have escaped from their computerized holding system. I only have my current group and Covert-Ops, the scariest looking one of these things I've seen yet. I better make use of his appearance. It could prove to be a tactical advantage. Even my team seems put-off by his appearance. They seem.. different from before. When the museum pirates left, they seemed to have taken their c-team with them. Now that the path is clear, I can finally get going towards the next town. Things this islands needs: 1. Its own postal service 2. proper names for roads My confusion over the road names causes me to drop my guard. A middle-aged woman walks right up to me before I even notice her. The locals will use anything as an excuse to battle their bio-weapons. Ahhh, Plusle... half of the utter failure duo that was introduced in Gen 3. It's weak as hell, has a lackluster movepool, can't stand up to anything decent, and looks stupid. It was supposed to be Gen 3's cute little mascot, like Pikachu was Gen 1 (and the series in general), but it never happened. Totally just box fodder. Catch it to complete your dex and then never bother with it again. She sends out some sort of stunted rabbit. But looks can, indeed, be deceiving. After a few bites, Stidge is suddenly slowed and unable to move effectively. The little rabbit seems to have done something to her. But Stidge still manages to finish it off. Meet Minun. Everything I said about Plusle applies to Minun. The only thing significant about the two of them is their abilities, Plus and Minus. When they're in a double battle at together, they boost each others Special Attack by 50%... which might be useful if they didn't still have sucky stats. Catch, box, ignore. The woman sends out another rabbit thing, but this one is blue instead of red... not that that matters. Color means nothing when you're being eaten by a dog with giant teeth and a pathological need to chew on other living things. I decide to use one of the more powerful medical vials to restore Stidge to full fighting power. It not only heals most of her wounds, but also restores her agility. I've been grooming Reaper for an officer position. He'll make Lieutenant by the end of the year. An odd sign by a house catches my attention. I suspect that it may be code of some kind... like directions to a location. But I can't decipher it. Better just walk in and ask.

It seems that not only do the AI trainers there use perfect IV, natured and EV trained Pokemon, but they also arrange teams to make the best counter to yours. The rest is coin-flipping, like when you have two pokémon with the exact same speed stat, the game will randomly decide who goes first. Then you get stuff like multiple critical hits from something that isn't boosting crits, or having your high accuracy moves missing over and over, while their low accuracy moves are hitting every time over and over. The Battle Subway AI does cheat, a little. You just have to figure out how it does it, and then counter it. Thankfully, the AI isn't that complicated, so once you know its tricks, it can't adjust accordingly.

Ahhhh, 27 years old. I remember those days. 27 was a wonderful time in my life. I was young, had a new job, making money, good friends and good times... Then I turned 28. Fuck everything after that. Oh, wait, this is supposed to be about you. Sorry. Uhm... avoid turning 28, if you can. It's all downhill from there. Another year closer to eventual senility! Congrats Garian!

"I got an idea on how to make a video game arcade machine, but you can put different games into it by using these cartridge things."

I can't seem to get anything on Dream World to do anything at all. I have sent one pokémon to it, but it just says "this pokémon isn't dreaming yet" and then that's it. I'm guessing this takes time. The instructions on the site are kind of basic and seem to be glossing over a lot of the details about what to do and how. Plus, I can't seem to get the Eevee evolution that I played that stupid block game for. Anyone got theirs yet? Also, when I click on Dream World on the site, it tells me that it's processing my registration data and that it could take five minutes or more... and it's been over an hour. I'm chalking this all up to server load from lots of people trying at the same time. I suppose I should try later tonight.

You guys know I made that whole thing up, right?

Fuck that. I'm just getting back to where I was before the loss, with as close to the original team as I can. I have to tweak a few things here and there, so obviously there will be some minor stat changes... not that anyone is actually keeping track of that. Also, some of the team gained a few levels, since I went a little overboard on the recreating thing.

I honestly don't know. I had to get the ROM and the emulator again, and now I'm going through the game with 500% speed to try and get to where I was. So far, most of the original team has been remade, but I have to hunt down certain items to get it back to the proper setup. This will take a good chunk of the night.

Oh god, bad news. I accidentally lost my save game. Everything up to the last post is gone. Even the back-up I have in another directory is gone. Thank you, Windows 7, for deciding to do whatever it is that you did that wiped out my Let's Play directories. I can redo it, but it will take some time. I'll have to recapture the team and retrace the game so far. It's going to take at least a day.

Or are they? Or aren't they? That's the thing; we may never really know what made both sides settle out of court... if it was even both sides. It could have been either one that forced the other to accept. Sony already has the resources to take anyone to court for a long time, so it's not a matter of cost-effectiveness is terms of keeping the lawsuit going. It hasn't stopped them before. If they had something on Geohot, they wouldn't bother keeping it quiet, as they could use it to show everyone that they were in the right, and to help scare off any similar future lawsuits. It would have been an important legal victory. If Geohot had something that he could have utterly destroyed Sony's case with, why wouldn't he? He could have not only won a big battle for himself and others, but also showed other companies that they aren't as safe as they think they are. Sony would have pretty much begged for the out of court deal by then, but Geohot could have just said "nope, too late now". So maybe he's a nice guy about it, even after they sued him, seized some of his property, and accused him of running away like a coward to everyone in the world? If both sides had someone on the other, then it could have gotten messy in the courtroom... which might explain why they decided to do it by themselves. But without knowing exactly what the circumstances were (and most settlements are private and aren't easy to find out about), we may never know what really happened.

So, they settled out of court. http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/04/11/settlement-in-george-hotz-case/ And now for the rounds of "he snitched on other hackers" and "sony dominated/completely caved in", as well as a few "Anon wins again" and "lol Sony" comments and then we all forget about this in a few weeks. Until the next lawsuit from Sony, and then we can dig all this shit up again as reference and ammo in the eventual hackers versus pirates rants and consumer rights debates.