Upgrading My Blog: Part 2 Break Stuff

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In the last post in this series, I specified the need for a plan with regard to upgrading my blog. Well a plan has emerged, been refined and has now been formally adopted. Rather than migrate Contains Moderate Peril to a new platform and effectively have to rebuild all the content, I am going to upgrade my existing presence on Squarespace. This decision was made for two reasons. Time and money. Migrating to a new platform will take a lot of time and incur additional costs. Upgrading the existing website will take less time and has no cost implications. That is not to say that it will be easy. It has become abundantly clear that the upgrade process will break stuff and that all published posts will have to be manually repaired. Hence my choice boils down to the lesser of two evils.

At present Contains Moderate Peril runs on Squarespace 7.0 and uses a template called Trombone Shorty. The template is obsolete and Squarespace 7.1 is now available with improved functionality. If I simply upgrade to the latest version, my site will break. If I replace the obsolete template with a compliant one, then upgrade, my site will break less. It’s all a bit of a Hobson’s Choice and somewhat annoying. However, this coming Saturday 13th September, I shall be upgrading one way or another and so expect the website to have anomalies. I shall then go through the back catalogue of posts and fix the formatting and replace the various pictures with ones that can be scaled accordingly.

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I have decided that as part of this revamp and relaunch of Contains Moderate Peril, I am going to streamline its content. Film, television and video game related posts, such as reviews and long form criticism will now be the primary focus of the revised website. All other content will be relocated elsewhere. Where exactly, I’m not sure at present. But such content could find a suitable home on a platform such as Blot or Bear. I like to write about a wide variety of subjects and will continue to do so. However I think that it is wise to keep them separated. There was a time about a decade ago when Contains Moderate Peril had a clear identity. I think that has been diluted over time by trying to do too much in one place. I think re-establishing a clear remit will be beneficial.

The Songs of Middle-earth: Part Two

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Song is a fundamental aspect of Tolkien's writing, serving the same role as it does in our own cultures. It is a means of documenting history, expressing cultural heritage and maintaining traditions for the people of Middle-earth. The Ents sing lists of lore. The Rohirrim sing of battle and heroic deeds and the Shire folk, of ale and frivolity. Let us not forget that Tolkien’s fictitious world, Arda, was effectively sung into existence via the Ainulindalë, the divine music of creation sung by the Ainur. The cultural significance of song is also a key element of Tolkien’s world building. The songs within the narrative bolster the authenticity of the various cultures of Middle-earth, embedding their history and heritage into the story. Music, rhymes and songs also help define characters. The lighter ones sung by hobbits, provide lighthearted moments, contrasting with the dark and dangerous tones of the larger narrative. It also reinforced their rustic heritage.

 Eight years ago I collated three songs that were either inspired by Tolkien’s writings or were indeed specific songs from the source text that had been set to music. These can be found here; The Songs of Middle-earth: Part One. The post was originally intended to be part of a series, so I therefore thought it was high time that I wrote about another three, as there is still so much material to choose from. Once again I have chosen two which are clear adaptations of songs in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and have been set to music. Then there is one which is an original piece, though clearly inspired by Tolkien’s Legendarium and sung in Quenya. I have also added the lyrics and where necessary an English translation.

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Gil-galad was an Elven king is a poem consisting of three stanzas, spoken aloud by Sam Gamgee in The Fellowship of the Ring. It is a brief account of Gil-galad, the last High King of the Noldor and his death during the siege of Barad-dûr at the hands of Sauron. Sam states that he learned the verse from Bilbo Baggins but Strider then asserts that it is part of a larger, older piece, written in an ancient tongue (probably Quenya) and that Bilbo no doubt translated it into the common speech. The song version presented here is from the BBC radio adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. The music is by Stephen Oliver and composed in the English pastoral tradition, The vocalist is actor and singer Oz Clarke who adopts a baritone style.

Gil-galad was an Elven king
Of him the harpers sadly sing
The last whose realm was fair and free
Between the mountains and the sea

His sword was long, his lance was keen
His shining helm afar was seen
And all the stars of heaven's field
Were mirrored in his silver shield

But long ago he rode away
And where he dwelleth none can say
For into darkness fell his star
In Mordor where the shadows are

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 Misty Mountains features in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The music is written by Howard Shore and the words are an abbreviated version of the original song written by J.R.R. Tolkien in the book The Hobbit. Sung by the character Thorin Oakenshield, played by actor Richard Armitage, the rest of the cast provide additional vocals. The song itself is an oral history of how the kingdom of Erebor was attacked by the Dragon Smaug and how the dwarves were driven from their home. It is sung “a cappella” and has an almost “Gregorian chant” religious quality to it. The song was subsequently used as a leitmotif throughout the remainder of the film.

Far over the Misty Mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away, ere break of day
To find our long forgotten gold

The pines were roaring on the height
The winds were moaning in the night
The fire was red, it flaming spread
The trees like torches blazed with light

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Golden Leaves is an original song composed by Bear McCreary for the first episode of the second season of the Amazon Prime series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. It features lyrics sung in Quenya by actor Benjamin Walker, who plays Gil-galad, the last High King of the Noldor. The song is a lament for the fading of the Elves in Middle-earth and how it is time to return to Valinor. According to Bear McCreary, the lyrics were created by John D. Payne and were inspired in part by the lyrics Tolkien wrote for Galadriel’s Song in The Fellowship of the Ring. Dialect coach Leith McPherson guided Benjamin Walker’s pronunciation of the Quenya text. Characters expressing themselves in song is a core tenet of Tolkien’s writing and Golden Leaves reflects that admirably.

Sís laurië lassi taiter,
yénin linwavandië.
Anpalla Vai Ahtalëa,
sí lantar Eldaniër.

Eldalié! Eldalié!
Hrívë túla helda ré úlassëa.
Eldalié! Eldalié!
I lassi lantar celumenna.

(Children’s choir:) Cormar nelde aranin Eldaron

Eldalié and’ amárielvë
ambena solor.
Sí néca riëmancan,
viliën an Valinor

Eldalié! Eldalié!
Hrívë túla helda ré úlassëa.
Eldalié! Eldalié!
I lassi lantar celumenna.

Here long the golden leaves grew,
on years branching.
For beyond the Sundering Seas,
now fall Elven-tears.

O’ Elven-kind! O’ Elven-kind!
Winter is coming, bare leafless day.
O’ Elven-kind! O’ Elven-kind!
The leaves are falling in the stream.

 (Children's choir:) Three rings for the Elven kings

Elven-kind long have we dwelt
upon this hither shore.
Now fading crown I trade,
to sail to Valinor.

O’ Elven-kind! O’ Elven-kind!
Winter is coming, bare leafless day.
O’ Elven-kind! O’ Elven-kind!
The leaves are falling in the stream.

Battlefield 6 Open Beta Part 2

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I spent several hours today trying Battlefield 6 during its first Open Beta weekend. Trying being an apt word as I experienced some technical difficulties during that time. There were server queues as there often are during test periods, which took 5-10 minutes to clear. I also found that when a multiplayer game ended the client would often freeze, requiring me to use the task manager to shutdown the .exe file . As I then had to restart the entire game it meant having to rejoin the server queue again. Furthermore, despite various methods, I could not get Battlefield 6 to display on my second monitor. Although there is a  clear option within the graphics settings, I could not get the game to output to my Dell S2421H monitor. If I used the Windows + Shift + → key combination, the game would briefly appear on the second monitor then instantly snap back to the first. I also could not take any screen captures or use OBS to capture video. I believe this is down to the game’s anticheat software.

I wanted the game to run Battlefield 6 on my second monitor as it is FHD and so any recordings or screen captures would be in the standard 16:9 ratio. However, I had to use my main monitor which is a Dell U2412M which has a slightly larger 1920x1200 resolution which is an aspect ratio of 16:10. A minor problem when it comes to uploading to YouTube. However, my current GPU, an AMD Radeon RX 6650XT, seemed to handle the game’s graphics adequately and I certainly didn’t encounter any visual issues during my gameplay. As with previous versions of the game, Battlefield 6, continues to use a colour scheme that features muted, desaturated tones, with a focus on browns, greens, and greys. This aesthetic is done to enhance realism and immersion, as these colours are commonly found in military camouflage and environments. However I do find it rather drab and at times a visual impediment when it comes to identifying distant objects.

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The first multiplayer game that I joined was in Breakthrough mode. This is a large-scale battle where attackers have to advance and claim territory. The rounds last between 20 and 40 minutes. Set in a mountainous village in Tajikistan, Liberation Peak is a substantive and craggy map, with terrain that is ideal for vehicles. I spawned into the game and moved forward with my squad, only to get immediately shot by a sniper. It was a very Battlefield moment, to say the least and one that highlights a common issue arising from games with large maps. Although in open beta, players have already established where the optimal sniper points are on specific maps. Hence players spawning into the game with no prior knowledge are easy pickings. However, this is a foible of the larger maps. The next game was set in an urban area of Cairo and the densely packed streets offered greater protection.

The amount of time I spent in Battlefield 6 today was insufficient for me to make a definitive personal opinion on the game at present. My overriding impression so far, especially in the smaller urban maps, is one of functional chaos. The destructible environment is a major factor in all engagements, as you cannot really dig in and hold a position in the traditional sense. Squads have to continuously move around capture points, laying down suppressing fire, rather than remain static. Vehicles can be used effectively, if adequately supported by infantry. The lone wolf that tries to take a tank deep into enemy territory is extremely vulnerable. The guns feel well balanced with regard to firing and recoil. However, I find that the amount of hits it takes, especially with SMGs, to kill other players is a little high. I appreciate the necessity of “bullet sponge mechanics” but this does at times kill immersion.

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Perhaps the most interesting addition to Battlefield 6 is the ability to drag an injured player to cover to revive them. This really does impact upon the ebb and flow of the game, as it reduces the amount of time spent respawning and returning to your last position on the map. However, for this mechanic to work, just like re-arming players or repairing vehicles it requires players to embrace the role of the class that they’ve chosen. Spotting is another ability that is key to effective squad gameplay. Speaking of classes, I prefer maps where weapons are locked to specific classes, although in this iteration of Battlefield, there is support for multiplayer games that allow you to “mix and match”. I like the fact that Battlefield embraces the fact that not all players have the same level of skill or wish to do the same things. Hence the clear class distinctions allow players to find a role that suits them. Altering the loadouts for classes, diminishes that philosophy.

I have tried my best not to read too much about the ongoing beta test, as I want my opinions to be based directly upon my experience. That said, I am aware that there have been concerns raised over the size of the maps available in this latest round of testing as well as the TTK, that I have already discussed. However, this is a beta test and as such, I expect aspects of the game to be adjusted in accordance to player feedback. I certainly hope that Battlefield Studios addresses the veracity of their anticheat software as it is a problem that I can’t record any game footage or take screen captures. So far, I have enjoyed what I have seen and experienced of Battlefield 6 and it certainly does seem like a welcome return to the halcyon days of Battlefield 3 and 4. I look forward to next weekend’s test to see what else the game has to offer.

Update: I managed to take some screen captures using AMD Adrenalin software.

LOTRO: 64-Bit Server Migration Part 2

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Standing Stone Games were scheduled to open their new 64-bit servers for the MMORPG, The Lord of the Rings Online, today. However, when the free transfer service went live yesterday, it was quickly overwhelmed by the sheer number of players trying to migrate their alts from the older 32-bit servers to the new ones. Eventually SSG had to disable the transfer facility so that they could process the backlog. Hence today’s launch of the new servers has been postponed till tomorrow. In the meantime, the official LOTRO forum’s have gone into meltdown with irate players berating the developers for handling the migration poorly. True to form, SSG have been somewhat defensive and prickly in response to what they see as unjust criticism. Let it suffice to say that neither party has covered themselves in glory and there is a good chance that the technical problems will persist a while longer.

So far, as stated in my previous post, all I have done is create placeholder alts on the new server that I intend to move to. I didn’t attempt to migrate any of my characters yesterday because I suspected that the service would grind to a halt under the volume of users. Those who did manage to initiate a transfer request currently find their alts in “gaming limbo”. They cannot access their characters on their old server and the new servers aren’t open yet. Not exactly an ideal situation. Hence the pushback from players on the official forums. According to feedback from SSG, the slow performance of the transfer service is specifically due to housing claims and moving kinships. If the backlog isn’t addressed in the next 24 hours they have hinted that they may defer opening the new servers further.

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After working IT for several decades and having been involved in several major server migrations, I am painfully aware that there is always scope for something unforeseen to crop up and derail the most well planned project. However, SSG seem bamboozled by the fact that a substantial percentage of their player base have done exactly what they were encouraged to do. Namely, transfer their alts to the new 64-bit servers, on the day stipulated in SSG. It seems somewhat odd to publish a timetable and then be surprised when people follow it to the letter. Sadly, this isn’t the first time that SSG have been wrongfooted by their own plans and it probably won’t be the last. Which is why a lot of LOTRO players have chosen to adopt a “wait and see” policy, like that of UK Prime Minister Herbert Asquith. Let us see what tomorrow brings.

Update: While writing this post, SSG have announced that the new 64-bit servers are now going to open on Friday 7th March. Furthermore, the transfer service will return on Thursday 6th March, possibly as early as 8:00 AM EST. However, all dates are potentially subject to change.

Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)

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Originally, Friday the 13th Part 2 was intended to be an anthology film based on the superstition associated with the date. However, after the popularity of the original film's surprise ending, the producers opted to continue the story and mythology surrounding Camp Crystal Lake. This eventually became the parameters which all future films would broadly work within. Friday the 13th Part 2 is a more polished production than the first movie, benefitting from twice the budget of the original. The quick turnaround meant that Paramount Pictures could continue to capitalise on the popularity of the slasher genre. However, there was growing social pushback against these types of films, from Christian lobby groups and other “concerned parties”. Hence, Friday the 13th Part 2 ran into problems with the MPAA ratings board and cuts were imposed. Something that would continuously plague the franchise over the years.

Second time round the film boasts a nominally stronger script by Ron Kurz with better defined characters. Amy Steel stars as camp counsellor Ginny Field and continues the tradition of a robust and dynamic “final girl”. Betsy Palmer makes a cameo appearance as the late Pamela Voorhees and prophet of doom, Crazy Ralph (Walt Gorney), returns briefly before an unpleasant demise. The boldest step in the screenplay is a major retcon of Jason Voorhees, who has now survived the drowning incident of his youth, having lived as a hermit in the woods for twenty five years. Like so many genre films, it’s best not to dwell too much on the plot details as they’re seldom logical. The larger budget meant better production values. The cinematography by Peter Stein is more atmospheric this time round. But the main focus of attention are the set pieces and death scenes.

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Tom Savini passed on the opportunity to return and undertake the film’s makeup effects. Stan Winston was briefly involved in the production but then left due to scheduling conflicts. Finally Carl Fullerton, apprentice to the legendary Dick Smith, took on the project. He has crafted some excellent death scenes, two of which bear an uncanny similarity to those seen in Mario Bava’s A Bay of Blood. However, rather than this being a homage it would appear that they occurred purely by luck. Sadly most of these effects sequences were shortened by the MPAA to the point where it’s difficult to discern what is happening on screen. Thankfully the excellent new HD transfers by Shout Factory help with these details. I noticed for the first time that the throat cutting and the machete to the face scenes both use the wrong side of the weapon for safety reasons.

The final 25 minutes of Friday the 13th Part 2 are well conceived and executed. The chase between Jason and Ginny is well paced and tense. At one point Ginny hides from Jason under a bed and a rat scurries past her. It is discreetly implied that Ginny wets herself out of sheer fear, which is a curious but credible minor detail. The denouement in a dilapidated shack where Jason has a shrine to his dead mother Pamela Voorhees is suitably creepy. Due to the clarity of the Blu-ray transfer, details such as Alice’s body, the “final girl” from the previous movie, are far more apparent. Harry Manfredini’s score continues to be very effective, especially in the chase sequence. Overall this is a solid sequel, offering more of the same but with a little more attention to detail. Friday the 13th Part 2 lays the foundations for future instalments of the franchise. The only thing missing is Jason’s iconic hockey mask which doesn’t appear until the next film.

Watching TV Part 2

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A modern Smart TV menu

Watching TV was a far more communal activity in my youth. Families sat and watched specific shows or sports together. “Appointment TV” had its benefits not only for TV ratings but for advertising revenue. Although audiences may have grown over the years, they have also become more fragmented and compartmentalised. Smaller market shares have therefore made advertising far more pervasive. Even big streaming platforms are feeling the squeeze with declining subscribers and therefore introducing advertising on lower tier tariffs. Many catch up services also rely on advertising. However, viewers can always pay a fee if they wish to dispense with it. Another foible of modern digital television is poor picture quality Many smaller digital channels broadcast in standard definition. The source material has often been converted between different picture formats and has been cropped to suit a 16:9 screen. This results in low definition picture quality, with weak colours and a lot of digital artefacts.

Yet despite these commercial pressures, TV is still a major form of entertainment, although the manner in which we view it has changed substantially. We don’t necessarily watch the  same shows together and at the same time. However, the social aspect that surrounds popular shows still exists. Rather than talking about last night’s episode at work in the break room, we now discuss it online. Or we recommend a particular show to a friend and wait for them to binge watch enough, before enjoying a lengthy analysis of what has happened so far. Dramas have become more complex and in many ways, more like cinema. It  can be argued we live in a golden age of TV. However, some aspects have declined. I find that historical and science based documentaries lack the intellectual rigour of those produced in the seventies and nineties. News coverage has also become simpler, risk averse and reticent to show the realities of modern life. 

Returning to the matter of the old CRT television I saw in the charity shop window (from the previous part of this post), seeing that old set did make me nostalgic for a time when I felt that TV was more special. I can remember when the BBC first broadcast Life on Earth. This major wildlife show had taken years to collate and felt like a significant milestone. This was the very definition of event television. A decade later, popular shows such as The X-Files became a highlight of the week. Something to look forward to. We now live in an age where high quality shows abound. Yet does their abundance diminish their value? I’m not sure. I still look forward to certain shows starting a new season. But not quite in the same way as I did 20 years ago. Perhaps that’s because there were real stakes back then. You could miss a show or your VCR could fail to record it. These are no longer factors. Shows may go from streaming platforms due to licensing changes but they never truly vanish. They can be “found”.

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Is YouTube the same as regular TV?

Finally, how does YouTube fit into all of this? Many younger people do not watch traditional TV. Yet they spend comparable amounts of time watching various YouTube channels. Technically, you can argue that YouTube content isn’t the same as regular TV because it is not made to the same technical standard, does not have any kind of editorial oversight and is not subject to independent regulation standards. But not every YouTube channel is made on the fly. Many professional establishments have channels that they run along traditional lines. I think the distinction between YouTube and TV is not so clear. I also think that the ability to watch YouTube on your lounge TV makes a difference as well. It garners a sense of legitimacy. Furthermore, YouTube channels can gain substantial audiences and become very influential. These numbers make them relevant. So does their clout.

TV has proven a resilient medium over its seventy year lifespan. It adapts to the latest trends and embraces new technology. There was a time when the TV industry thought the advent of the VCR would kill commercial televsion. It didn’t. Similarly, the growth of Netflix a decade ago, caused panic among traditional television networks. Then multiple streaming platforms emerged and split the market. Due to a need to create more and more content, many of these companies have over extended themselves and are now finding that there are consequences to growing too fast. However, the traditional outlets, weather the storm and continue on, as they always have. So all things considered, let’s not write off television just yet. I have no idea what the next trend or innovation may be but I’m confident that most people still want to be able to enjoy quality entertainment from the comfort of their own home. Until that changes, TV is safe.

Selling My Parents House: Part 2

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I wasn’t planning on writing a second post about the sale of my late parents’ home but the entire process has been so different from what I expected, I thought there may be some interest in exploring some of the aspects that have come up. The last time I had any dealings in buying and selling property was back in 2003 when Mrs P and I moved from one home to another, to gain more space. It was at a time when the UK economy was booming, and the banks were taking a “relaxed attitude” (some would say cavalier) toward mortgages. The flat that we were selling found buyers very quickly, who offered the full price. Mrs P and I similarly found a bungalow that we liked, and it didn’t take long to secure its purchase. Due to the chain involved it took 8 months to move but the paperwork was handled efficiently, and I don’t recall the bureaucracy being excessively complex. Perhaps due to the busy nature of our lives, I didn’t notice. Plus, memory can be deceptive.

Twenty years later and the UK housing market is very different. My parent’s house was listed (to use an American phrase) on June 19th and interest has been slow, with only a dozen viewings in three months. The house was originally listed at £30,000 more than its probate valuation but due to the housing market, we had to drop the price after two months by £25,000. The reasoning behind this being that the two major housing websites in the UK, list prices in increments of £25,000. If you wish for a property to appear in search results for those who may not have previously seen it, you have to drop the price by that amount. Furthermore, it is very much a buyers’ market at present. Interest rates are high and therefore mortgages are harder to secure. Many currently buying are upsizing and as there is not so much “competition” the pace of selling has slowed. Buyers are also negotiating hard and often not offering the “asking price”.

Fortunately, two weeks ago an acceptable offer was made on the house by a buyer with an uncomplicated property chain. Due to these factors my sister and I agreed to it. This naturally had a tangible impact upon the ongoing sales process. After weeks of everything moving at a glacial pace, things have suddenly accelerated. I asked our family solicitors to handle the conveyancing work and within hours I was inundated with emails with multiple PDF attachments. Although the process of selling a house in the UK appears to have embraced modernity, there are occasional moments when it betrays its arcane and archaic origins. For example, I was sent a document called “Overriding Interests Questionnaire” that included the following questions about the property for sale. “Is there a liability to pay corn rent”. “Are there rights of fishing, shooting or grazing”. “Is there a liability to repair the chancel of any church”.

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There are plenty of online guides and FAQs that provide a detailed overview to selling a house. I have found that both my estate agents and solicitors have been very helpful in explaining processes and procedures. However, this is ultimately a legal matter and that means there is a degree of complexity which makes it somewhat daunting regardless of the support you may get. I think there is a psychological element to it all, as the selling or buying of property is potentially the most expensive transaction that most people undertake during the course of their lives. It also bears repeating that selling and buying a property is not cheap. There are additional costs on top of the property price. Estate agents have fees and there are conveyancing charges to cover. Then there is stamp duty to be paid (effectively a tax on the property purchase) unless you’re a first-time buyer. You may also incur costs from having to survey a property. Finally moving or clearing a property add to the total cost.

Having completed all the paperwork regarding the sale and conveyancing of my parent’s house, the process once again returns to a waiting game. Although we are not in a large chain, we still have to wait for our buyers to sell their home. Like any sale, no matter how well organised all parties may be, there is always scope for some unforeseen problems to delay or derail the process. However, the matter is now beyond my control, so I am content to just let things run their course. I would be happy if the sale went through by December with a moving day scheduled for the early New year. That would give my sister one more Christmas in the family home before moving into her new house. If it happens earlier, then that would be an added bonus. Due to the professional manner in which this process has proceeded, so far this is not as stressful as I had thought it would be. I hope it remains that way.

Revisiting Star Wars: The Old Republic Part 2

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I returned to the MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic a month ago. After a few days orienting myself as to how to play my primary character, I quickly got back on the levelling treadmill and started playing through all the story content that I’ve missed since 2013. Yesterday, I reached the new level cap of 80 and spent some time and money trying to get the best gear I can from the Galactic Trade Network. I’m not especially concerned about having the best build I possibly can but I don’t want to gimp myself. Hopefully I made appropriate choices. I now have a healthy item rating of 305, for what it’s worth. Broadly speaking, I haven’t run into too many tricky situations as I’ve levelled, although every now and then there’s a boss fight that seems disproportionately one sided. The Ugnaught Leader in “Little Boss” being one example with their annoying one hit kill, knock back.

In my previous post, I posed the question as to whether I’d maintain my enthusiasm for SWTOR for a month and whether the Star Wars “feels” would remain. I’m happy to report that both of these aspects of the game have prevailed. However, that is not to say that I’m not without some criticisms. SWTOR does a shocking job of explaining itself to its players and I habitually have to have a web browser open on my second monitor so I can find out about something mundane. Some of the barter items and reward systems are impenetrable. I may well be sitting on multiple sources of good gear but I am conspicuously ignorant if this is the case. The game also takes liberties with reasonable assumptions that players will naturally make. I had to find a way to shut down a forcefield in one Chapter of Knights of the Fallen Empire and the first three power couplings were clearly in the vicinity of the bunker and easy to find. The fourth was obtusely placed a substantial distance away, rather than cunningly hidden. Stuff like that is annoying.

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Boss fights are often painfully slow,as I mentioned in a previous post. However, the end fight with Revan at the end of the second expansion, took this to a whole new level. I was simultaneously fascinated and bored by how staggeringly unengaging this climactic fight was. Another beef I have with SWTOR is starting a mission, only to find that it’s gated in some way or dependent on group content. This is frequently the case with Alliance Specialists and Companion Recruitment missions. Some require World Boss trophies and one was gated behind a yearly event. Again this is very annoying and I see no reason why these criteria aren’t clearly flagged in advance. However, I do applaud the game for the sheer number of companions you can access. I like to change mine regularly, depending upon my mood. I am especially fond of Blizz and Gus Tuno. I also appreciate the fact that I no longer have to acquire gear for them.

I have spent some time playing the PVE space missions, where you use your personal ship. I have progressed exactly as far as I did when I last played and have found that the same problems thwart my progress. Sadly my reactions are too slow in specific missions and I collide with too many objects, which is frustrating because I quite enjoy these “on rails” space battles. I haven’t yet looked into  Galactic Starfighter although I intend to give it a go. PVP is not usually my thing but I just want to see how equitable they make this aspect of SWTOR. Will a new player be grouped with players of a similar ability or will we just get “thrown to the Wolves”? We shall see. At the very least it will provide me with material for another blog post. Overall, I am pleased that SWTOR has managed to keep me engaged. That’s mainly down to the well written stories and interesting characters. And it must be said that this MMO has one of the best soundtracks in the genre. It certainly has kept those Star Wars “feels” coming. 

LOTRO: Abandoned Game Mechanics and Systems Part 2

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In the previous post, I focused upon several major game mechanics that were added to the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online with much pomp and ceremony, only to fall into abeyance shortly afterwards. I cited such examples as mounted combat, epic battles and skirmishes. Their fate may well have been due to player indifference or the fact that the mechanics were complicated to develop and expensive to maintain. In this follow-up article I would like to discuss some additional systems that are somewhat smaller in their scope and relevance, but have similarly been abandoned by the developer’s Turbine/Standing Stone Games over the lifecycle of the game. Some are ancient history within the context of the LOTRO. Others are far more recent and that is a point worth reflecting upon.

Destiny Points. All LOTRO players earn destiny points after they have reached level 10, by progressing through the game’s content. The current award is 200 destiny points per level. The currency can be spent on perks that enhance gameplay and levelling. For example, points can be spent on accelerated experience. Similarly they can be spent on a combat run speed, power and morale regeneration, hope, damage and mitigation buffs. However, only VIP players can spend destiny points on perks and this system has never been extended to free-to-play customers. Destiny points offered tangible benefits between 2007 and 2010 but when LOTRO went F2P, the system was sidelined in favour of store based perks. Furthermore, the revisions made to the games levelling curve also impacted upon their relevance. As the LOTRO level cap has grown, levelling per se has become a lot quicker in earlier parts of the game and destiny points are not really required. However, they are still quite useful if applied wisely, although nowadays the system is buried within the game’s UI.

Episodic Content. This is possibly one of the best ideas Turbine/Standing Stone Games have ever implemented. Continuous player engagement is always an issue for the MMORPG genre. The Ballad of Bingo Boffin addressed this by offering players a weekly episodic story that ran for an entire year. The first instalment was set at level 8 so the episodic content could be used to provide a weekly goal for levelling, if a player so wished. Alternatively players could play all episodes in one session if they wanted to, once they had been released and as long as they had reached the level of the final episode. The story was fun and cleverly revisited a lot of existing zones that players may not have necessarily revisited. The weekly release also generated excitement and reason to log into the game. Yet despite the success of this game mechanic it has not been utilised to a comparable extent since its initial release in 2015. A decision that is somewhat baffling.

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Hobbies. Hobbies are a nice concept within the MMO genre. Something I’m sure Simon Quinlank would endorse. The idea of a non-combat based activity that can be progressed and developed over time is very appealing. Sometimes when playing a game such as LOTRO you just want some down time and to bask in the pleasant virtual sunshine. Hence hobbies were introduced to the game in 2008. The first one was fishing and sadly no further activities have been added in the ensuing 14 years. Furthermore fishing has been nerfed. Although it still yields prize fish that can be taken to the taxidermist and turned into trophies, the bait mechanic which improved critical chance has been removed. I miss the Red Wiggler bait.

Pipe-weed. For the Lore-master class in LOTRO, pipe-weed used to be an essential consumable that was required for any group content. Back in the early days of the game, the Lore-master skill Back from the Brink that can revive a downed player, was dependent on having a supply of pipe-weed. Perhaps that’s why the developer’s nerfed it and removed the dependency on actually having pipe-weed. Pipe-weed remains in the game as a farming item. The various varieties yield cosmetic smoke ring emotes but as a functional item it is now obsolete.

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Class Trainers. When LOTRO was first released, as a player’s character progressed through the game, class skills were not automatically bestowed and added to the quickslot bar. Instead you received notification to visit a class trainer and you bought the skill that you now qualified for. If you didn’t have sufficient in-game gold, then you couldn’t buy the skill. Hence you had to exercise a degree of fiscal prudence. However, this system has now been removed from the game and skills are bestowed directly to your alt as you level. The class trainer NPCs are now just relics of this system with no real purpose.

Currencies. MMOs love multiple in-game currencies and LOTRO is no different. As you level your alts through content there are multiple reputations factions offering unique currencies that can be used to barter for level appropriate gear. And therein lies the rub. Once you out level a reputation faction its currency can offer you precious little. Hence it can be very frustrating to have a barter wallet full of useless currency that you’ve worked hard for. It’s a similar story with regard to seasonal festival tokens. At one point Turbine/SSG talked about creating a universal token system and phasing out all the niche currencies. Sadly this never happened and more than likely never will. LOTRO continuously undermines the effort players put into the game.

Old Bexley and Sidcup By-election Part 2

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Political events in the constituency of Old Bexley and Sidcup have moved forward in the last few weeks, following on from the death of incumbent MP James Brokenshire on 8th of October. Although no formal announcement has yet been made regarding the date of the forthcoming by-election, the major political parties have started announcing the names of their respective candidates. There were initial concerns among some constituents that this safe Conservative Party seat may have been used as a means of parachuting in a candidate favoured by central office, rather than one determined by the local Conservative Association. Fortunately, that has not been the case. The UK Government currently enjoys a parliamentary majority of 79 seats and is therefore not in any urgent need of fast pathing further political allies.

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At present three candidates have been confirmed as standing for election. Louie French who is standing for The Conservative Party. Mr French has been a Bexley councillor for the last eight years and was Deputy Leader of Bexley Council from 2018 to 2021. He is a resident of the Borough and has a background in the financial services industry, working in the City of London. The late James Brokenshire was both a friend and mentor to Louie, therefore from a party political perspective, he is a logical choice to stand as The Conservative Party candidate. His existing familiarity with the borough and its constituents offers practical continuity. Considering the voting habits of constituents and the historical track record of by-elections held in Old Bexley and Sidcup, unless something radical occurs it is safe to consider that Louie French is the favourite candidate to win the seat.

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Daniel Francis, a Bexley councillor and former leader of Bexley’s Labour group on the council, has been selected as Labour’s parliamentary candidate for the upcoming Old by-election. Daniel Francis represents Belvedere Ward on Bexley Council and grew up locally. He is married with two primary school aged children, one of whom has cerebral palsy and he campaigns on accessibility issues. Mr Francis served as leader of Bexley Labour group from 2017 to 2021 and is the shadow cabinet member for environment, transport and leisure. He was first elected to the council in 2000. In the 2019 election, Labour polled 23.5% of the vote. Since the constituency of Old Bexley and Sidcup was created in 1983 the electorate has only elected Conservative Members of Parliament. 

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The third candidate to be announced is Richard Tice, the leader of the party Reform UK. Formerly known as the Brexit Party, Reform UK is now presenting itself as a broader political entity with policies encompassing wider and more traditional issues. The party lost its 29 MEPs when the UK left the EU on 31 January 2020. At present it has three councillors nationally. Reform UK has been seeking parliamentary seats since 2019 but has not been successful so far. Mr Tice is a British businessman and CEO of the property investment firm. It will be interesting to see whether the presence of Richard Tice as both a candidate and the leader of his party will gain any traction with constituents and whether Reform UK can transition successfully from a single issue party. Furthermore, will his participation in the by-election increase media attention?

Cutting Your Own Hair Part 2

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Today my Panasonic ER-GB37 Wet & Dry Hair Trimmer arrived. As I suspected, once unpacked there was nothing excessively complex about this device or its operation. So I duly charged it for a couple of hours and then decided it was time to attempt to cut my own hair, as I haven’t had a haircut in over five weeks. The trimmer can cut to twenty different lengths between 10mm to 0.5mm. I opted for 6mm which equates to one quarter of an inch or Number #2 as some Barbers refer to it. I washed my hair and then went and sat outside at the garden table to make use of the natural sunlight. Rather than removing one of the various large wall mirrors that adorn our house, I opted to use a simple shaving mirror. This proved a sound choice as it comes with a stand. After a few deep breaths I began the process.

I am happy to report that this wasn’t as difficult a chore as I suspected. I am right handed and could reach most of my head quite easily. Naturally the back and the nape of the neck proved tricky and I had to request Mrs P’s assistance for these areas. There were a few moments where it felt a little awkward and trimming around my ears took the most attention. Overall it went well and I am pleased with the results. I took off the plastic guard from the trimmer blades to fine tune my sideburns and Mrs P then used a safety razor to tidy up my lower neck. I was glad that the good weather allowed me to do this outside as I wouldn’t have wanted the mess that was made to have occurred indoors. It looked like someone had set about a Badger with a strimmer. This entire process was observed by both my neighbours who seemed sceptical of its success initially.

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Under the current “lockdown” conditions, I am glad that this enterprise went well. My hair may not be especially stylish at present but it is short and evenly cut and shouldn’t need another cut for three to four weeks. I will visit my 90 year old Father tomorrow and offer to cut his hair as he is currently sporting a what can only be described as a Worzel Gummidge look. A friend jokingly said that now that I’ve successfully cut my own hair is there any need for me to pay for a haircut ever again? Well as far as I’m concerned the answer is yes. Cutting my own hair is a convenient compromise but I much prefer my monthly visits to my local Barbershop. Getting your haircut is only half the pleasure of going. I enjoy the social interaction with the staff and find the entire process extremely relaxing. That’s not an experience I can duplicate at home.

COVID-19 Pandemic 2020 Part 2

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It’s been one and a half weeks since my last entry regarding the COVID-19 Pandemic 2020. As I’m sure you’re all aware, a lot has happened globally in that time and many nations are currently coming to terms with the ramifications of dealing with this virus in their own “bespoke” way. Personally I think a global approach to the problem would be beneficial but the rise of nationalism and a diminishing of worldwide institutions such as the United Nations has made such a strategy very difficult. I was going to summarise my thoughts on the UK’s response to this crisis but I have decided instead to defer such a post for another week and instead focus upon a more positive theme. Because something has happened recently in the UK. Something I was doubtful about because I’ve been so jaded by contemporary politics. And yet despite my cynicism, I have seen a demonstrable increase in community spirit, solidarity and compassion in the last few days. And it has been a thing of beauty to behold.

Since 2016, the UK has been beset by a malaise of partisan politics and cultural tribalism. We’ve seen an increase in hate crimes, the Brexit debate has caused families to fall out and not talk to each other and the UK has teetered on the brink of an irreversible culture war, just like the one that besets the US. Or to put it another way “Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria!” to quote Peter Venkman. But the current situation has suddenly pushed all of that to one side and suddenly we find ourselves confronted with a mass display of decency, civic mindedness and dare I say it, a sense of society. Something a infamous deceased Prime Minister claimed didn’t exist. Furthermore, the ongoing display of both common sense and public spiritedness raises questions as to whether there may even be a fundamental shift of perspective in the UK. Will certain jobs that have been branded low skilled and low paid and therefore bereft of any virtue (from certain quarters), suddenly be reappraised by a public who suddenly realise their inherent virtue?

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The prophetic words of Peter Venkman

We live in a world that is incredibly interconnected and based upon just in time supply chains and numerous complex dependencies. Yet modern life often focuses on the superficial and we are enamored by wealth, tabloids perception of success and by nonsensical political dogma. And then along comes a problem of a global nature and gives everyone a very swift reality check. Suddenly the denizens of the gossip columns aren’t so important. Reality show celebrities, sportsmen and women, as well as popular musicians suddenly don’t seem so relevant. And as for Hollywood actors singing an ill conceived cover version of John Lennon’s attack upon consumerism, well it’s all been shown in stark relief. Because suddenly we’ve focused upon those we depend upon. With regard to some professions, some of us have only just learned how necessary they are to the functioning of a well ordered society.

At present, an estimated 22% of all working-age individuals are in key worker occupations according to the IFS (Institute of Fiscal Studies). That is approximately 7.1 million working age adults across the UK, out of a total workforce of 32.90 million people, aged 16 years and over in current employment. So while over three quarters of the nation’s workers remain at home, just under a quarter continue to go to work, keeping vital services running. These range from the immediately obvious such as the healthcare workers, the police and other emergency services, to retail workers, the post office and local government. But when you think about it, the list continues to grow. Transport, freight and farming need to keep ticking over. And where there are people working, you need cleaners, caterers and security. The UK has an ageing population so this means a lot of vulnerable people need help at home. So the list then grows to include carers, charitable institutions and support groups. The bottom line is that without this very broad and diverse percentage of society, we’d all be up shit creek without a paddle, crying for our respective Mothers.

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On average, a newly qualified nurse can expect to earn around £23,000 a year

What makes this reversal in opinion or epiphany if you’re feeling more charitable, so surprising is that it comes hard on the heels of a decade of tabloid hyperbole and negative briefing against many of these people and professions. The government recently released new immigration guidelines in which they set a financial value on peoples respective worth. Apparently earning under £25,000 was crassly designated “low skilled”, despite the fact that the UK average salary is only £36,000 which implies that a substantial amount of folk in this country are therefore “low skilled”, despite this including many people working in professions I’ve already mentioned. Too long we have extolled the virtues of industries that already have pots of cash and then make more pots of cash, as somehow being the summit of human achievement. I don’t believe that these folk will be able to offer any practical help when you need a respirator.

Tonight, I rather sheepishly went outside of my home, stood on the drive and clapped at 20:00 PM to show my support to all those currently working in healthcare. Us Brits don’t go in for making a fuss and I’m sure many people, like myself, would much prefer to write an upbeat letter to The Times. However, as more people emerged from their houses, waved, chatted and exuded sincerity, I suddenly felt quite emotional and part of something inherently good. Finally, there is something honest and dare I say righteous to get behind. Throughout the UK, young and old are putting themselves in harms way by going to work and just keeping the nation’s collective shit together. From what I’ve seen, many are doing this with a sense of pride and a smile on their face. Which is why we must continue to foster this positive civic minded feeling and ensure that those taking a calculated risk (because that is definitely what it is) feel respected and appreciated.

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“No Roger you can’t have any Tramadol”

I went to the Pharmacist today to collect some outstanding medicine for my parents. I was greeted with a smile, and my enquiry speedily dealt with. I was also told that a controlled item would be dropped off later to my folk’s home address. Two hours later it was. I waved like a child greeting a train as the Pharmacist drove away. I can regale you with similar stories about the good natured staff who served me at my local supermarket. Many are in their teens and early twenties but they take all of what’s going on in their stride. And why not? Remember, young people have built nations if you know your history and Will Sampson quotes. So I ensured that I say thank you and offer genuinely supportive remarks to all I encounter. I was profoundly grateful to the hospital transport crew who brought my Mother home today after several weeks in respite care. I bellowed “cheers mate” to the courier who delivers vital supplies from Amazon. This list is ever growing and I urge everyone to be excellent to each other and spread this honest sentiment around.

The current state of affairs is unprecedented and many nations are having a crash course on what is important and what is not. The UK is certainly re-calibrating its opinions and preconceptions and I am delighted after years of scepticism to discover that we still seem to be a fundamentally decent nation. Not everyone is a card carrying member of the National Union of Assholes. People still volunteer, help others and care. Although this is a national crisis there is a great deal of scope to come together and become that tolerant and kindly country that we used to be. I hope we continue to do the right thing and maintain this positive mindset long after the problem that besets us goes away. We have collectively solved as a nation, more problems in the last month than we have in the last five years. The homeless have been found accommodation, the needy are being cared for and people are genuinely concerned for each other’s welfare, instead of bickering, and squabbling. Is it perfect? No. Is it a good start. Most definitely. Finally we’ve reminded ourselves that we can be a force for good and can live up to the values that all our dead heroes have extolled. Let’s not squander this moment.

Learning How to Live Stream Part 2

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It’s been a year since I wrote my last post about “learning to live stream”. I think that should give you a very clear indication of how well I’ve progressed. I mainly stopped streaming after a few experiments last March because of the time requirement involved. The only window of opportunity I had “go live” was from between 9:00PM and Midnight. That would have meant cutting into time I spend with Mrs P. Plus, due to health reasons, she often goes to bed before me. And as I use the spare bedroom as an office, my constant babble would have kept her awake. So this is yet another project that got shelved. However, a year later I find myself with a lot more time on my hands due to the current “global situation”. So today I fired up SLOBS once again and tried to get back on the horse. As with my previous experience, there’s a lot of fine tuning to be done if you want to live stream to any standard. So this latest outing was mainly a technical test to determine what needs to be changed in my current set up.

First off, I’m running a different PC this time round. To cut a very long story short, there is a Intel Graphics chipset on the Gigabyte Motherboard but the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 doesn’t support it and requires a discrete graphics card. So I couldn’t run a second monitor this way, as I did last year. However, my current NVIDIA GTX 1050Ti has 3 outputs; DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort. So after buying a DVI to VGA adapter, I managed to attach a second Acer X223W LCD monitor (1680 x 1050) and reconnected my existing primary Dell U2412M monitor (1920 x1200) with a DisplayPort cable. The cost was minimal (about £13 in total) and all items were delivered from Amazon in a matter of days.

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The next issue has been tweaking various settings in SLOBS. Something that remains very much a work in progress. It took a while to resolve the “there was an error fetching your channel information" error message. Google presented a simple solution; enabling 2FA (Two Factor Authentication). However, it took several attempts before my Twitch Account recognised that this facility had been turned on. And then there’s the fiddling with settings. I play games at a default resolution of 1920 x 1200 (16:10) but the stream outputs at generic 1920 x 1080 (16:9) and so the image is distorted. I managed to resolve this issue after I stopped broadcasting. I also need to display my Twitch account Chat Channel on my second monitor so I can keep up with any comments. I suspect this wasn’t working earlier due to the 2FA issues, so I had to use my Fire HD 10 as an alternative means. It’s far from ideal. Another lesson learned is to stop using my headset and to switch to desktop mic. I was surprised how hot my ears and head got.

At present another matter that’s complicating this process is my own personality. I like things to be just so and it bugs the hell out of me when they’re not. I’ve yet to master the subtleties of SLOBS interface and many of its settings are not immediately clear to me.  Hence every few minutes I’m Googling questions and then having to watch various YouTube videos for answers. I may have to speak to other streamers and see if I can essentially “crib” their settings as I’m sure that for many, this is a fairly generic process. In the meantime, I’ll try and persevere. If I stream every couple of days, I’m sure I can iron out some of the obvious imperfections and improve the overall presentation. As for sprucing up my “banter”, that’s a whole different blog post.

Strictly Come Dancing 2019: Part 2

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There really is an excess of genuine talent in this year’s show. It’s week three and the standard has been raised yet again. Michelle Visage and Giovanni Pernice delivered a smouldering Quickstep to Cabaret, proving once again that it is unwise to write anyone off based purely on age. Furthermore actress Catherine Tyldesley dancing with Johannes Radebe stunned the audience and judges alike with a Rumba to the ballad Shallow from the film A Star is Born. The Rumba is a notoriously difficult dance to perform and to pull off such a feat so early on in the season was quite incredible. And we were also treated to our first Street Dance, with Dev Griffin and Diane Buswell performing an outstanding Aladdin themed routine. Considering that Diane had an accident during the week, it made such an assured performance even more remarkable. And let us not forget Kelvin Fletcher and Oti Mabuse’s robust Charleston.

Mike Bushell once again gave a frenetic and entertaining turn on Saturday’s show. What he lacks in technique is made up for with his commitment to the routine and the spirit of Strictly. It is obvious to all and sundry that he’s really enjoying himself and giving his all. I often find such celebrities of similar ability, somewhat trying but I’m warming to Mike because he just takes everything on board and gives one hundred percent (and you can’t give anything more can you?). I think he can achieve a higher standard if things are kept simple and he focuses on technique. Katya often comes up with rather theatrical routines designed to play to her partners strengths. However, I suspect it would be in Mike’s best interest to have a simple and more traditional routine that gives him some straightforward moves that he can not only learn but master. He can do better.

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Which brings me on to David James. His American Smooth to Seal's Kiss from a Rose with professional partner Nadiya Bychkova was a significant improvement over his previous two dances. His progress was also reflected in the judge’s comments, all of which indicated that he is finally finding his feet and moving forward. Now let us be realistic about reality of his Strictly journey. I do not think we will see an miraculous improvement and a surprise seizing of the trophy. But I feel he deserves a few more weeks to up his game. There’s nothing viewers like more than persistence and a contestant finding their dancing mojo. I just hope that another week of being in the dance off doesn’t dampen his spirits. As for Anneka Rice well she thoroughly deserved to be there. Her Charleston with Kevin Clifton lacked any distinct classic moves and often her partner seemed to be simply providing a diversion for her woeful lack of musicality. It was an act of kindness to vote her off and set her free.

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Finally, the BBC appears to be struggling with keeping the results of the show secret. At present, after the main competition is broadcast live on Saturday evening, the votes and the dance off are recorded and broadcast 24 hours later. It’s all seems a little unnecessary to me as the show use to have the main competition and results in one evening. The bottom line is that there’s a 24-hour period during which the BBC has to rely upon the goodwill of audience members and production staff to keep the quiet. However, in recent years, several dedicated websites have started posting the results roundabout midnight. It would appear now that some folk are openly sharing the outcome of Saturday’s show on Twitter, while travelling home, thus undermining the pretence of the Sunday show. You can argue until you’re blue in the face as to the moral rectitude of such behaviour but that doesn’t solve the matter. Perhaps it’s time to simply shelve the Sunday show and just extend Saturday’s coverage to include the results.

The Problem with MMO Economies Part 2

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A few years ago, STO developers Cryptic, added a new system to the game that allowed players to re-engineer gear and alter the various modifiers associated with each item. One of the reasons behind this move was to reduce the hyperinflation associated with high end gear that has the most desirable statistics. If players could re-engineer the items that they desired it would undermine the trade in such items on the exchange. Needless to say this plan didn’t succeed and the market did not radically alter. The overall cost of the resources required to successfully re-engineer a piece of equipment ended up being comparable or even more than the price of a similar item being sold on the exchange. Similarly, the legendary progression servers in LOTRO had a brief period of economic stability and fiscal prudence when they were launched. Initially, no one section of the playerbase had more resources than others. A year on and now the same issues of inflation and excessive prices have happened with a tedious sense of inevitability. Can anything be done to stabilise MMO economies?

If MMO developers wanted to seriously address this matter, it would require designing a game with a far more controlled and regulated in-game economy. It would also require a far more interventionist approach in managing the ebb and flow of in-game resources. IE controlling the availability of specific resources and items, as well as imposing taxes and fees upon auction house transactions. Such an approach would certainly be perceived as “political” from certain quarters of the gaming community and would not be well received. Given the levels of political and socioeconomic illiteracy among some players, it would more than likely play into the ongoing culture wars we see across all levels of society in western democracies. And it can also be argued that “trading” is one of the few social elements left in the MMO genre. Plus it’s also a “game within a game” for many players. If this is fundamentally altered or regulated to the point of “no fun”, then its effectively just another nail in the coffin of the old school concept of the MMORPG. I’m not too sure how many nails the playerbase can endure.

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Grinding out rewards and obtaining rare and unique items is a fundamental motivator for many MMO players. For those without the time to pursue such goals, buying these things from the in-game auction house is a credible alternative. There are still a few ships in STO that are demonstrably superior to others. If you are unable or unwilling to spend real world money on multiple loot boxes to get one of these ships, then there is always the exchange and the option to buy what you desire for energy credits. It may well be an immense uphill struggle but it can be done. If you remove such an avenue from the game you are effectively barring certain players from achieving their goal. That sends very clear message to the playerbase and not a positive one. There are already enough obstacles for new players of long established MMOs. If a player feels that they cannot reach their full potential then why should they continue to play. Life isn’t a meritocracy but we broadly seem to like the illusion of one.

Conversely, if resources and rewards are too readily available and easily acquired, it does much to mitigate a great deal of the challenge and motivation to play. It is always fun to log into a MMO test server and instantly receive all the gear you desire from the live server. But the novelty soon wears off. Players like to have goals to work towards and if you negate that you really are pulling the carpet out from under them. I don’t agree with the philosophy that things given freely have no inherent value but I do agree that familiarity breeds contempt. The optimal path is somewhere in between, so let players earn their rewards but make the journey credible. Overall, I don’t know what the long-term solution to this chicken and egg conundrum is, as it requires that developers and players alike must “unlearn what they have learned”. Perhaps it will fall to a small developer to make a bold experiment one day and create a game with an economy that breaks the existing mould. In the meantime I’m sure this problem will persist and we’ll still see regular articles decrying the status quo and asking for something to be done. Gaming like any other aspect of human culture is cyclical.

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Thoughts on Work Part 2

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The joys of commuting to work

In a previous post I wrote about my own personal employment history and the various ups and downs of my working life (so far). In this post I want to reflect upon the broader concept of work, because it has radically changed since I entered the job market in the late eighties. Contracts, job descriptions, the working environment and even the way in which we find work have evolved rapidly due to the internet and the advent of social media. Some of these changes have been good, but others I feel have been detrimental for job seekers. The job market is always subject to a lot of ebb and flow and depending on the state of the economy, it can either favour of the employer or employee. At present in the UK, it strikes me as being very much the former.

When I left full time education at the age of eighteen (I didn’t want to go to university as I had no clear career plan), the commonest means to find work were the classified ads of certain regional newspapers. Applications where usually made in writing or you’d request an application form by return of post. You could also visit your local Job Centre (which are part of the Department of Work and Pensions), which not only handled social security benefits but also listed local jobs. However, most of the work advertised at the time, tended to be unskilled labour and traditional “blue collar” positions. However, regardless of how you looked for work, the process was slow and ponderous. Positions were advertised for a fixed period of time and selections for interview often ran to a strict timetable. As I had no specific idea of what I wanted to do, I ended up in a government position, working in the UK Civil Service.

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Also known as the “dole office”, “the zoo” and “the social”

During the last major financial crash back in 2008-2009, I found finding contract work a little harder due to the market slowing, so I visited the Job Centre a few times. Twenty years on, the sort of positions available there had changed considerably so it was quite useful to peruse their listings. I spoke to several people during that time who had lost their jobs and it was quite a culture shock to be back in the jobs market. Many had not adjusted to the necessity with registering with online recruitment agencies and learning when the key times were to search and apply for work. Many were still carrying paper copies of their Curriculum vitae (résumé) and trying to find jobs via the press. It was a steep learning curve for them. Many job markets now have preferred ways of presenting your skills and work history. Plus the modern job markets requires applicant to be able to effectively sell themselves. Employers don’t just want the right skills but the right type of person. Some people just can’t handle the “you are your own brand” concept.

Moving on from how one finds work, I would like to reflect upon the actual work environment itself, because when you step back and look at it objectively, it really is an incongruous concept.  At its heart it is founded upon the hope and belief that a complete group of strangers are expected to get on. Furthermore, this goes beyond being able to work co-cooperatively. There is usually an expectation of some sort of wider cordial relationship. Hence, we find that birthdays, marriages and other social activities are dragged into the workplace. There are cards to sign, collections to contribute to and drinks after work to go to. The other thing that has struck me, is how despite robust recruitment processes, how so many obviously socially and emotionally dysfunctional people fly under the radar and find gainful employment. Bullies, racists, misogynists, tedious bores and people who are just lazy or shit at their job abound. Over the course of my 30-year working life, I’ve seen so many square pegs in round holes. Considering the friction and drama that arises so often within the work environment, I am genuinely surprised that there isn’t a higher murder rate stemming from work.

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“No, I won’t be signing Kendra’s leaving card and if you ask me again, I’ll cut you…”

Another thing that has changed about work culture, is that it is no longer just about being skilled at what you do. Now everyone is trying to be the best they can be, working towards a personal development plan, striving for targets and reaching for goals. This sort of corporate bullshit may be applicable to highfliers and certain types of jobs. But is it relevant to cleaners? Should someone on minimum wage, working a zero hours contract worry about whether they’re bringing value to their work, or upholding the company mission statement while mopping up faecal matter? But where corporate attitudes towards work have changed, so has that of employees and wider society. People of my parent’s generation where sold the myth that if you work hard, you’d be rewarded. Although this can still happen, for many it is no longer true. Too many people have got wise to the fact that they’re doing a pointless or arbitrary job, with no major hopes of advancement. They are neither respected nor valued by their employer, who mainly sees them as an asset. A tool to be used and then put down immediately when it’s no longer required. Social media has shown how the other half lives and popped a lot of bubbles. People now know that their life is pretty much pre-ordained by factors such as where you are born, the quality of your education and the social economic group you belong to. Therefore the modern workplace can be fractious and jobs are sometimes not done well, because why bother?

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Co’s this is what cleaning is really like

Despite growing up in the seventies, I do not believe that I am defined by my job (which I perceive to be a very American outlook). I have learnt the true value of leisure time and over the years have worked mainly for my own intellectual stimulation and just for the money. But many people don’t have that luxury. They do the jobs that are available, rather than what they desire and have little say over the salaries they earn. Furthermore, I suspect that this situation will only get worse. AI and globalism will further continue to reshape the employment market. There will be less jobs and those available will require more skills. Governments will need to have plans to address such a state of affairs or there will be consequences. As for me. I sometimes miss the social aspects of work but only because I was very fortunate with most of my colleagues. But commuting and listening to friend’s stories about what goes down where they work, soon makes me appreciate that I’m well out of all this. When my granddaughters get older, I shall try and impress upon them that need to gain skills. As I believe this is the key to successfully navigating the jobs market and ensuring that your working life is something you control, rather than something that happens to you.

The Proust Questionnaire Part 2

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At the beginning of November, I started to answer the various questions set out in The Proust Questionnaire, mainly because at some level I do like the occasional insight that “internet questions” can provide. Although most of my answers are frequently tinged with a degree of levity and at times even scorn, every now and then the right question can provoke a sincere response. So here are my measured replies to the remaining interrogative enquiries, for your consideration and edification. If you do not agree with them or find yourself at odds with my mindset, please address any complaints care of the late Marcel Proust (10th July 1871 - 18th November 1922).

18). If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? This is an odd question because if implies that changing one thing about yourself is impossible and can only be discussed in the abstract. This is of course nonsense. We can change ourselves physically via exercise, or surgery, make up or even by bathing regularly. As for making emotional, philosophical or psychological change to oneself, there are equally just as many options. I have always embraced the concept of continuous self-improvement. My life is a work in progress.

19). What do you consider your greatest achievement? I raised a son who now has a family of his own. He’s a thoroughly decent human being. Far more so than I. I helped contribute to this.

20). If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be? If I was a seventies comedian from the North of England, I’d probably say “a woman’s bicycle saddle”. But I’m not, so I’ll go with an incurable plague virus.

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21). Where would you most like to live? Robertsbridge in East Sussex. Or Horsham in West Sussex.

22). What is your most treasured possession? Walter.

23). What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? I assume this question is supposed to be drawn from your own experience. If so, the most emotionally challenging period of my life and when I was “the most miserable” would be when I got divorced and the accompanying emotional trauma that comes with such a situation.

24). What is your favourite occupation? Interesting. Does this question mean occupation as in job or in the sense of an activity or pursuit? Either way, for me it’s writing. I’m content whenever I am sitting at my desk, typing away on my PC, expressing my thoughts. I like the clarity that writing can bring as well as constructing a measured and logical argument. I also like the banter that can be found on Twitter (if you follow the right people).

25). What is your most marked characteristic? I suspect it may be my sense of humour and my somewhat sardonic manner. The world is a very odd, incongruous and at times illogical place. The current intellectual blackout that is spreading throughout western democracies, scares the hell out of me along with the general decline of politics. Therefore, I use humour and an irreverent attitude as a coping mechanism and prism through which to view life, without being directly broken by its crushing futility and inherent unfairness. I consider humour to be an important human characteristic, as long as one has the ability to focus that humour at oneself, as well as the rest of the world. Beware those individuals who lack any sense of mirth. I believe it betrays more about their nature.

26). What do you most value in your friends? The fact that they know me and yet still stick around.

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27). Who are your favourite writers? JRR Tolkien, MR James, Charles Dickens, Ray Bradbury, Agatha Christie, Arthur C Clarke, Saki, HP Lovecraft, Roger Hargreaves, Richard Dawkins, Shirley Jackson, Nigel Kneale, Alan Moore, Arthur Conan-Doyle, HG Wells, Isaac Asimov, William Hope Hodgson, Rod Serling, Marcus Aurelius and many more.

28). Who is your hero of fiction? The Hungry Caterpillar. Also, Mr Tickle and Sam Gamgee.

29). Which historical figure do you most identify with? Robin Hood. I had to wear a stylised Robin Hood outfit in a school play when I was very young. The experience left me traumatised. I bet the real Robin Hood’s outfits were made by his mum.

30). Who are your heroes in real life? Everyday people that do “good” things without the benefit of media scrutiny or praise.

31). What are your favourite names? Xavier, Telemachus, St John (pronounced Sinjun) and Throatwobblermangrove.

32). What is it that you most dislike? A lack of critical thinking. Emotive beliefs and the politics of “feelings”. And people with poor personal hygiene. Wash your clothes and bathe regularly.

33). What is your greatest regret? Leaving my finger prints at the crime scene.

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34). How would you like to die? What a stupid question. In my sleep of course and not being torn to pieces by a pack of rabid animals or having my nuts bitten of by a Laplander.

35). What is your motto? Pecuniam vertemus which translates as “Take the money and run”.

Strictly Come Dancing 2018: Part 2

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Series 16 of Strictly Come Dancing has been in many ways the most predictable season to date. It became clear within a matter of weeks as to which couples were the front runners, who had potential to grow and who would only go so far. Apart from the slight anomaly of Vick Hope going out early in week 5 due to a poorly conceived dance (blame Graziano for that), the show has followed a fairly unsurprising route. Therefore, it really comes as no shock to find Joes and Diane, Stacey and Kevin, Ashley and Pasha as well as Faye and Giovanni are going through to next week’s final. Nor should we be astonished by the subtle distinction between the judge’s favourites, and the couples that the public related to and take to their hearts.

I must admit, I do feel a degree of sympathy for Ashley Roberts and her professional dance partner, Pasha Kovalev. She is a singularly talented and it is clear that she and Pasha spend numerous hours rehearsing and perfecting their routines. Sadly, it is obvious that the lady does not have a substantial fan base, unlike Stacey Dooley and Joe Sugg. It must be incredibly disheartening to find oneself continuously in the dance off despite being top of the leaderboard. I wonder if similar doubts will cross her mind about the final. Irrespective of how good their performances are next week, I do not believe that the public is sufficiently invested in them as a couple. Sadly, this is often the case with couples that are clearly “good”, right from the get-go. The public much prefer those celebrities that go on a traditional “strictly journey”.

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Sadly, tonight saw the departure of Paralympian Lauren Steadman. Lauren has been a tenacious and diligent contestant throughout the weeks, along with her professional partner AJ Pritchard. I also feel that she has often been undermarked and given a harder time compared to fellow sportsman Graeme Swann. But such is the nature of Strictly Come Dancing. It is not a pure dance competition and the public vote changes the dynamics of the proceedings greatly. I think its fair to say that Lauren won a great deal of public support which compensated for the lack of marks from the celebrity judges. However, once she found herself in the dance-off tonight against Ashley, the outcome was inevitable. Nevertheless, I feel she can leave feeling proud of her achievements, once again clearly showing that “its about ability and not disability”.

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As to the obvious question of who will win next week, I have mixed feelings on the matter. I think that on a purely technical level, it should be either Faye or Ashley. But personality and “the journey” are also key factors. Plus, the public are often governed by their feelings and can be very tribal. Joe Sugg has a strong internet-based fan base and I think it will certainly mobilise to support him. Yet if I were to go to the bookies and place a bet, I put my money on Stacey Dooley. She very much “one of the people” and possibly reflects a lot of the core Strictly fan demographics. Also, she is partnered with Kevin Clifton who is a firm favourite with viewers. He’s been in the final four times and so there’s the question of “always the bridesmaid, never the bride”. And we also are living in times when the general public are not so deferential towards experts or in this case judges. However, this time next week we’ll know for certain. Regardless of the outcome, it’s been a very entertaining season and once again the bar has been raised.

Thoughts on Blogging Part 2

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I usually write a post early on in the New Year in which I list the various goals I’m focusing on over the next twelve months. To date I have not done this because I am still trying to work out what I can and cannot accommodate within my current schedule. As a carer I’m kept very busy, but my weekly routine does offers windows of opportunity for writing. However, free time is a finite commodity, so I have to really cut my proverbial coat according to my cloth this year. Therefore, I’ve decided to pursue the following projects. I will continue to regularly post on Contains Moderate Peril as I enjoy having my own platform and certainly feel that I still have a lot to write about. Also, the audience is steadily growing, and I think it would be counter productive to fly in the face of such a development. I was also given the opportunity to write for MMOGames recently and have decided to accept this invitation. Writing to deadlines and deferring to editors, is an invaluable learning experience. Plus, it presents my writing to a wider audience which is great for brand awareness and other awful marketing terms.

However, I have several other ideas and potential projects in development at the moment but it’s proving hard to determine which ones I should do. Some would be fun but are mainly driven by my personal preferences. Others are designed with an eye to reader involvement, which would potentially attract traffic. And as I ponder this matter, it has also dawned upon me how my bent for writing is slowly turning from a passion to a job. I’ve had to create a spreadsheet to track the various blog posts I have scheduled and I’m also setting constraints on the length of some posts, simply to ensure they can be turned around promptly. However, it is logical to put systems in place if you wish to manage a situation. For example, if I think it’s likely that I’m going to write about a film that I’m watching, I will always make notes about it. I also use of Pocket to save interesting articles and reviews that appear in my Feedly subscriptions. I also have a white board on the wall for ad-hoc ideas.

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It’s a curious situation, trying to determine exactly when you go from being an enthusiastic blogger to a “writer”. In the past some would argue that you had to have something formally published in physical print before you could credibly claim such a title. Nowadays the criteria seem to be a lot different. Some known and established writers have stated that the title is something you just choose to label yourself and that is substantiated by your body of work. It certainly offers food for thought. I would add that getting paid for your work at some point helps. And while we’re on the subject of writing as a formal job, I’d like to point out I’m not a fan of the old adage “do what you love, and you’ll never work another day in your life”. I think it’s hogwash. If you wish to do anything to the best of your ability, it will require effort and dedication. It’s therefore going to be hard and if it doesn’t feel so, then I would suggest you’re doing it wrong. Work can be fun, but it is not play. Furthermore, I always hear this phrase bandied about by people of independent means, which pretty much negates their point. If you don’t have to do something just to get by, is it really a job?

Despite trying to set some time aside, I haven’t managed to sort out a podcast so far this year. I suspect I am going to have a rethink on that issue. Rather than produce my own show, I may have to see if I can find a slot on someone else’s, which is a big ask. I think this issue may be a separate post in itself. I also fear my aspiration to do a light-hearted stream while gaming, is going to have to be shelved. The movie club idea may still happen, as it could provide a regular article for Contains Moderate Peril. However, the main problem is picking a film to discuss, that is available on most video on demand platforms and therefore accessible. While I try to figure all these things out, I need to focus on my current writing, as that’s something I can manage at present if I stick to my schedule. It also occurs to me as I write this post, why so many people consciously decide to give up blogging or writing in general. It isn’t as easy or straight forward as some perceive it to be. Furthermore, we’re often our own worst enemy by being such hard taskmasters.

Strictly Come Dancing 2017: Part 2

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I could be very philosophical about Strictly Come Dancing and describe how the judges scrutinise and mark the contestants on technique, viewing their performances through the prism of their own professional experiences. Conversely, the public react and elect to support the celebrities far more emotively; championing potential underdogs and showing solidarity with those they feel have been poorly treated. However, such Janusian analogies are unnecessary and ultimately pointless, because the show is primarily for entertainment and not a dancing competition, although the professional dancers may not see it that way. Also, as we saw demonstrated once again tonight, Strictly Come Dancing is a popularity contest and the only thing that really matters is convincing the public to vote for you.

This evening (well technically the show was recorded Saturday night), Mollie and AJ found themselves in the dance off along with Simon and Karen. Simon’s presence was far from a surprise. Despite his steadfast “have a go” attitude and pleasant manner, his level of attainment has plateaued of late, so it was only right, being bottom of the leader board, for him to be up for elimination. However, Mollie had scored a healthy 27 points, with her Cha Cha to "Better the Devil You Know" by Kylie Minogue. Furthermore, Mollie has shown improvement in her technique and is by no means one of the weakest celebrities in the show at present. Hence, the judges were somewhat surprised to see her in the dance off, although it can be clearly attributed to the public vote. However, this does raise the question why did the public not support her?

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There are numerous reasons and potential theories as to why celebrities that perform well, still find themselves in the dance off. It has happened often enough over the last 15 seasons of the show for it not to be such a surprise, although it can still be quite jarring. The most obvious one that comes to mind is that the public assumes that those celebrities that perform well also have a strong fan base that will naturally support them. “I don’t need to vote for [insert series front runner here], they’ll be alright. I’ll vote for [insert name of alternative, possible underdog here], co’s they deserve a helping hand”. Then if we consider broader and possibly less charitable possibilities, people may vote tactically because they do not want someone to succeed. As I mentioned earlier a lot of viewers do react to the show very emotively. Furthermore, Strictly Come Dancing is reported heavily in the tabloid press which is happy perpetuate rumours and gossip. It could be a case that Mollie King doesn’t find favour with certain core viewer demographics.

I heard some people argue that Strictly Come Dancing is skewed by the public voting and it would be fairer if the judges to simply decide. I won’t discount such ideas but if that were the case, then the show would be far less popular. It is the public vote and audience interaction that is part of the program’s success and appeal. At a time when many people feel marginalised and having little control over their lives, the importance of a tangible public vote that demonstrably delivers results should not be discounted. The other thing that we shouldn’t ignore is the significance of the “journey”. Although it is great to see celebrities that take to dancing quickly, it does make for dull viewing if someone is habitually great every week. People like to see the celebrities grow and blossom. It’s a winning formula and accounts why some of the winners haven’t always been the bookies favourite. So, I suspect we may see a few more upsets like tonight’s in the weeks to come.