Roger Edwards 2/18/19 Roger Edwards 2/18/19

The Elder Scrolls Online and Addons

After recently watching several friends stream The Elder Scrolls Online, I have re-installed the game (funny how that often happens). I played quite consistently last spring and the game finally “clicked” for me. The narrative driven structure is something I enjoy, and I also like way you can pick and choose the content you undertake. So after letting the 70.9 GB game client download overnight, I fired up the game yesterday and found my level 50 High Elf Sorcerer in Auridon, where I left them last Easter. The first thing that immediately stood out was the plain vanilla default UI, which is minimalist to say the least. After a heavy sigh, I realised that if I wanted to continue efficiently playing ESO I would have to install a bunch of addons via Minion. The only minor problem was that after replacing my Hard Drive last November, despite backing up most data, I had not made a note of which addons I was using. Luckily, a friend who still had the game installed went through their current installation, so I was able to collate a suitable list.

Roger Edwards 2/17/19 Roger Edwards 2/17/19

General Rock Renton and the Moon Rangers

I am a big fan of the detective drama Endeavour, considering it to be one of the best UK shows currently in production. It has well rounded, interesting characters and their journey through the sixties affords the writer, Russell Lewis, plenty of opportunity to explore the political and social issues of the time. Lewis further embellishes the scripts with numerous period and contemporary pop culture references, all of which add to the shows charm and appeal. Tonight’s episode “Apollo” set against the historical moon landings of Apollo 11, saw Morse and Thursday investigating the death of a promising young astrophysicist and his girlfriend. Initially thought to be a car accident, it becomes clear that there is foul play. As ever the plot was complex and established story arcs were moved forward. Shaun Evans also made his directorial debut with this episode.

Roger Edwards 2/16/19 Roger Edwards 2/16/19

Emotes, the "Carlton Dance" and Copyright

Actor Alfonso Ribeiro has been told he cannot copyright the "Carlton Dance" his character performed in the hit US sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Ribeiro, who played Will Smith's pretentious cousin Carlton Banks in the popular TV show, had tried to sue both Take-Two Interactive and Epic Games over use of the routine as an emote in the video games NBA2K16 and Fortnite. The US Copyright Office's denial of the claim was revealed in a motion to dismiss Ribeiro's lawsuit against Take-Two Interactive. Although a court is not bound by the determination, it is very likely that it will take it into consideration. A hearing on the motion to dismiss the lawsuit is scheduled for 18th March. If successful it will effectively end any current legal action taken by Mr Ribeiro and potentially set a precedence for any future lawsuits of this nature. Or will it?

Roger Edwards 2/15/19 Roger Edwards 2/15/19

Project Blue Book (2019)

Many years ago, I use to rush home from school to watch Project UFO. Based loosely on the real-life Project Blue Book, this show from 1978 featured two U.S. Air Force investigators, Maj. Jake Gatlin (William Jordan) and Staff Sgt. Harry Fitz (Caskey Swaim) and their subsequent investigation into alleged UFO sightings. Sometimes there would be rational explanations and on other occasions, there was clearly extraterrestrial involvement. By the second season out protagonists experienced a close encounter of their own. It wasn’t the most densely plotted of dramas and was produced and presented in the idiom of mainstream television of the time. However, for a ten-year-old boy it had some excellent miniature work (Brick Price Movie Miniatures) and anything about UFOs was always a source of interest. There was also a great and very seventies theme tune by Nelson Riddle. So when I discovered that History (formerly The History Channel) had produced a science fiction drama series called Project Blue Book, I became somewhat nostalgic and equally intrigued.

Roger Edwards 2/14/19 Roger Edwards 2/14/19

New Ships, Keybinds and Voice Acting

There has been a degree of controversy over the Discovery Operation Pack that has recently been made available for purchase in Star Trek Online. The bundle featuring ships, bridge officers, cosmetic items and more is displeasing some core players who feel that it is over priced and lacks anything relevant for Romulan and Klingon races. Personally, I’m only interested in two specific items from the pack, such as the Tier 6 Gagarin Miracle Worker Battlecruiser and the combat pet Tardigrade but at present they cannot be purchased separately. So, I shall not be parting with any money at present. The Gagarin Miracle Worker Battlecruiser is relatively similar to the Tucker Tactical Miracle Worker Cruiser, which I already own. However, it is an improvement aesthetically speaking (a subjective point, admittedly), so for me the obvious compromise is to purchase the fleet version and forgo the unique space trait and settle for an additional console slot. As I’m not a high-end player, the look and feel of a ship has as much appeal to me as its stats.

Roger Edwards 2/13/19 Roger Edwards 2/13/19

Mirkwood, Enedwaith or The Great River?

Due to the nerfed levelling curve of Shadows of Angmar and Mines of Moria, I recently completed the Epic Story up to Volume II, Book 8: Scourge of Khazad-dûm and reached level 64 without any major problems. Hence, I wrote about preparing to play through the Siege of Mirkwood expansion. Content that I haven’t touched since its release in 2009. Well to cut along story short I completed the prologue and travelled over the Anduin to the Malledhrim bridgehead and quickly remembered why I disliked the dark and dingy forest with its densely packed mobs. So I revised my plans and decided to go to Enedwaith as I was the right level to revisit that zone. I was not a big fan of the story, finding the feuds between Dunlending clans and the machinations of Saruman somewhat of a distraction. However, I did like the sub-plot about the Dwarf Nâr at the library at Zudrugund to be more engaging, so I headed South, rather than striking East.

Roger Edwards 2/10/19 Roger Edwards 2/10/19

Contagion (2011)

Director Steven Soderbergh is no stranger to complex narratives, shot in a near documentary style. And this is exactly this approach that he brings to bear upon Contagion. A movie that beneath its contemporary trappings, still has the air of an all-star disaster movie. Unlike so many current films which suffer from underdeveloped characters due to poor writing, Soderbergh makes conscious decision to focus more upon the mechanics and nature of a global pandemic than the main protagonists. This somewhat detached approach may not be to all viewers liking. But the format starkly scrutinises and catalogues events in an honest fashion and doesn’t shy away from the realities of the situation or get side tracked by the emotional aspects of the ongoing human tragedy.

Roger Edwards 2/9/19 Roger Edwards 2/9/19

LOTRO: Ill Omens Skirmish Event

The following was included in last Monday’s LOTRO patch notes (Update 23.3 Release Notes). February 7th brings a new event: “Ill Omens” to Skirmishes throughout the game! Evil stirs in Minas Morgul, and harbingers of the Dead City spread across Middle-earth! Each day, your characters will have the chance to participate in a Skirmish Assault, which will send them to specific sets of existing Skirmishes in search of dangerous new foes. Characters who complete a Skirmish Assault will earn a special currency that can be exchanged for new equipment and cosmetic rewards. As for the most dedicated Skirmishers of Middle-earth, there are several new Deeds and titles to be earned during “Ill Omens”. In addition, characters who complete twelve Skirmish Assaults while the event is active will earn a powerful cap-level statted reward.

Roger Edwards 2/7/19 Roger Edwards 2/7/19

Are You a Team Player?

There’s an interesting post over on Tobold’s Blog, regarding how he personally had a successful game in World of Tanks, yet because his team mates didn’t perform as well, they failed to meet the overall group reward criteria. This all too familiar anecdote got me thinking about teams and group play mechanics that are still prevalent in many game genres. Over the years I have tempered my attitude towards teaming up with other gamers and being dependent on them to achieve a collective goal. I have moved from a social gaming mindset born out of my initial altruistic experiences playing MMOs, to a far more transactional outlook. I suspect that I’m not the only player who currently thinks this way.

Roger Edwards 2/4/19 Roger Edwards 2/4/19

Overlord (2018)

For the first ten minutes or so, World War II action horror movie Overlord ticks a lot of boxes. The film has a surprisingly high budget ($38,000,000) for a niche genre product and as a result has a handsome production design. The cinematography by Laurie Rose and Fabian Wagner is striking, capturing the beauty of the French countryside as well as framing the various unpleasantness in a suitably Teutonic fashion. The visual effects both digital and practical are also of a high calibre, further adding to the authentic atmosphere. Yet despite all these positive points, Overlord is a somewhat slow and underwhelming affair, running fifteen to twenty minutes too long. Like so many modern movies, the focus of the production is on spectacle, rather than on character and script. Hence Overlords fails to meet its potential and makes for a somewhat frustrating viewing experience due to it squandering such a good opportunity.

Roger Edwards 2/3/19 Roger Edwards 2/3/19

The Idiot Box

There are many aspects of TV and film that I wish to discuss here on Contains Moderate Peril, but they don’t all require and in-depth post or detailed review. Therefore, it seems practical to create a recurring editorial piece in which I can address these more concise and conversational pieces. Hence you are reading “The Idiot Box” which is my new means to quickly summarise and touch upon what I’m currently watching. Because I do the bulk of my film viewing at home now via VOD and no longer that much at the cinema, this recurring post will deal with movies as well as television. I’ll still be producing long form reviews because I enjoy doing so and they also constitutes a substantial percentage of traffic to this site. This virtual column is more of a “friendly chat” about my viewing habits as well as what’s popular, as you would have with your friends down the pub. So, let us begin with a few thoughts about some of the shows I’m currently enjoying.

Roger Edwards 2/2/19 Roger Edwards 2/2/19

The Three Stooges (2012)

I had mixed feelings about whether The Three Stooges could be successfully re-imagined and revitalised for a modern audience. When the first trailer was released it seemed to highlight the major differences between the old school slapstick humour of the forties with the worldly adult style of present comedy movies. However, as more information came out regarding the production and it became clear that the Farrelly Brothers are consummate fans of the source material, I began to revise my expectations. After finally having caught up with the movie, six years after its theatrical release, I am afraid all my initial fears have proven true and that The Three Stooges falls into all the traps I anticipated it would. That is not to say that the film is not without merits, but overall it fails to deliver in a manner that pleases all parties.

Roger Edwards 2/1/19 Roger Edwards 2/1/19

Anthem Open Demo

Before I start with my thoughts on the actual nuts and bolts of Anthem, let me just say that it’s nice that the concept of “the demo” still exists. There was a time when I use to buy various computer magazines in the late nineties, and they would all have a cover disk filled with game demos. I discovered many great games that way (MDK, Hidden and Dangerous), simply by having access to a few levels of a new title. Game developers seem ambivalent towards the concept of “try before you buy” these days. More often than not we get early access instead, which is not the same thing at all. But a functional demo that gives you a decent representation of the full product is a far better proposition. For the gamer at least. Because if you play it and like it, then you are sold. Unlike early access where you may see a product with prospects but whether it comes to fruition is another thing entirely. However, demos are a double edge sword, because may also come to a clear and unequivocal conclusion that you don’t like the game in question, or that is simply not for you.

Roger Edwards 1/31/19 Roger Edwards 1/31/19

Thoughts on Blogging Part 6

As January comes to an end, I am pleased that I have so far managed to maintain a daily writing schedule. I hope that I can continue in this vein throughout February. As ever the actual process of sitting and writing has proven a somewhat mixed bag so far this year. Some days the word simply spill out of me and a blog post potentially writes itself. On others, composing just three coherent paragraphs is like pulling teeth and much time is spent procrastinating and getting side tracked. But a mixture of self-discipline and a degree of pride have helped oil the creative wheels and kept the content flowing. Whether any of it is any good is for others to decided. However, it was nice to find one of my posts quoted in an article over at Massively Overpowered. It means that at least someone is reading my work and pondering upon the points therein. Writing is after all a means of communication and sharing ideas so it is rewarding to know that you’re not just yelling into the wind all the time.

Roger Edwards 1/30/19 Roger Edwards 1/30/19

Star Trek Online: Ninth Anniversary and Stuff

I have suffixed the title of this post “and stuff” so I can address several Star Trek Online related thoughts in a single blog post. Despite the fact that I frequently play STO it is does oddly get neglected in my writing. So, let us start with the issue of the ninth anniversary. As ever Q is back with the anniversary event and once again, we are stabilising Omega Molecules. This year’s reward is a Tier 6 Vulcan T’Pau Scout Ship. There are also emotes and sundry other items to earn during the duration of the festivities, but I more interested in the anniversary itself. Not many MMOs make it to nine years and if they do, they aren’t necessarily in as good shape as STO. The game has a stable and loyal playerbase and is currently tied-in to Star Trek: Discovery. Further established Trek actors are supplying voice acting and the game seems to be doing well across both PC and consoles. Like LOTRO, STO uses the IP well and seems to “fill in the gaps” in the existing lore as well as expand and extrapolate established canon. One of the best things about STO is that there’s always something to do in-game as well as new content in the pipeline. Perhaps this along with the handling of the IP is why the game endures.

Roger Edwards 1/29/19 Roger Edwards 1/29/19

Too Many Online Game Stores?

I first created a Steam account and started purchasing games via digital download in January 2010. Back then, Steam pretty much had a monopoly on the market, and it was both novel and convenient to be able to purchase what seemed like “anything” just from one outlet and then download it and play, at any time of day. And then the rest of the video games industry woke up and decided they wanted a slice of the pie that was at the time exclusive to Valve. Hence, over the last eight years all the major “Triple A” publishers have developed their own game launcher software and online stores. This has led to titles being withdrawn from sale via Steam and a gradual fracturing of the market. That’s not to say that Steam is no longer a viable service. On the contrary. It still has a diverse range of products and there are always deals to be had. But it is no longer the first port of call when buying games online.