Once again I am off to Seattle to partake in the madness that is the Penny Arcade Expo. I was going to do the same trek I did last year with the West Coast Train Trip but unfortunately my cohort in the trek had to back out. This year I will be traveling on the dork planes from Virgin America both there and back again. I have to give it to Virgin America, I was going to be in a middle seat but their First Class upgrade was only $50. Hell if I am going to pass that up. Last time I was in First Class was a kid on a standby ticket with the family. I hope to get some Fallout 3 action and I might try and find my way into a DnD 4e game. I'll definitely be in for the concerts with Jonathan Coulton, Anamanaguchi, and Freezepop. It's too bad the first night concerts are during the movie, The Gamers:Dorkness Risin.I want to see that but at least it is on Netflix now. I'll be posting pictures and updates during the week.

In Other News

I got my hands on a new Dell PowerEdge 1900 and I will be running ESXi on it. I plan on virtualizing about 10 servers on the thing. The list so far is;

• Windows Server 2008 Domain Controller. (DNS, DHCP, AD)
• SQL Server 2008
• SQL Server 2008 SSAS Data warehouse
• SQL Server 2008 SSRS, SSIS
• IIS 7, FTP
• Sharepoint Services 3.0 SP2
• System Center: Operations Manager
• Windows Server 2008 Cluster
• Development Server with Visual Studio 2008

I'll be busy for a while I surmise.

Since today is the 100 day mark since I posted Looking Forward 2008 I figure I would go over and review some of the things I have done on that list and the modifications to it.

Gaming

Gaming has been pretty light this year. I did drop my subscriptions to WoW and Tabula Rasa, I am glad I am subscription free until Age of Conan is released, which I have already pre-ordered. Hellgate: London has been taking up some time now that there is a crew for me to run around with. As for PC gaming in general, I don't think I will really be purchasing that much since most games will head to consoles first or there will be some horrible DRM(see  here) to deal with. Consoles have as well been pretty light as well so far. Rock Band is always bringing me back with the DLC content and with GTA IV released last week it my GTA OCD is back with 100% looming at the end of a dark tunnel. I'll get around to a PS3 once MGS4 is released and finally move up to Blu-ray. I still have not picked up a Wii only because it just something that I know would collect dust in between parties. I just can't see myself sitting around playing the Wii like I do with my Xbox 360. So as for the list I created earlier.

• Super Smash Bro Brawl (Wii) - Saw it, not interested unless for parties. NO BUY.
• Spore (PC) - EA's new DRM has put me off. NO BUY.
• Age Of Conan (PC)  - Seeing as a lot of LV friends are interested I have preordered it. BUY.
• Warhammer Online (PC)  - WoW Clone. NO BUY.
• Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3) - This is the reason I am getting a PS3. BUY.
• Splinter Cell: Conviction (X360)  - Meh so far. NO BUY.
• Star War: The Force Unleashed (X360) - I loved the euphoria engine in GTA IV. BUY.
• Prototype (X360) - Delayed to next year but still a going to get it. BUY.
• Ghostbusters (X360)  - Everything so far makes me want to buy but I'm in a wait and see mode. WAIT.
• White Knight Chronicles (PS3) - Still nothing new about this but I am looking forward to it. BUY.
• Fallout 3 (PC) - Probably only one of two PC titles I will buy this year. BUY.
• Left 4 Dead (PC) - I will wait for reviews but it is still on the buy side. BUY.
• Battlefield Heroes (PC) - Its free. DOWNLOAD.

Events

Since neither of the two events have happened yet there really isn't much to say. I did move into a new home and I love it so far. Nice to have a desk again and to have some work area. It's in a decent area and the drive from and to work is great but the neighborhood is a bit noisy and the damn dog next door is a yappy little poodle. Hate poodles.

Tech

I did finally get my home network moved over to Windows Server 2008. I rebuilt my VM host machine as a 2008 AD, DNS server and virtualized with the Hyper-V from 2008 three servers; IIS7 server, SQL Server 2008, and a development machine. I still need to install Visual Studio 2008 and everything is set. I also have  Sharepoint services running but I haven't opened it out to the cloud just yet. I need to work on securing it first.

I have not tried the latest release of Ubuntu yet since I don't really have a machine right now to install it on but I hope to get to that sometime in summer.

Movies

Seen a few here and there.

• Cloverfield - Saw it and it was decent for a drama movie but not really a monster movie.
• Jumper - Didn't see, it goes to Netflix
• Diary of the Dead? - Still didn't see yet. Netflixed
• Teeth (HA) - Still have not seen this one either. Netflixed
• Vantage Point - Didn't really want to see this.
• Be Kind Rewind - Never had the time. Netflixed
• Run, Fatboy, Run - Saw this and was hilarious but just not as funny as Hot Fuzz or Shawn of the Dead.
• Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay - Still on the fence about seeing this. Just seems to over the top.
• Iron Man - Amazing is all I have to say. Can't wait for Avengers and Iron Man 2.
• Speed Racer? - I'm just not sure about this one either.

As for the other movies, the more expensive things get this year the more I just want to wait for Netflix to get it. I love Netflix. Unless its a group outing I don't really plan on seeing the other movies in theaters.

So this is a disturbing new copy protection that EA has decided to use. Like with Bioshock you have to activate the CD Key with an authorization server at EA but this time you have to also verify the CD Key every 10 days. What that means is that every 10 days you have to have have an active Internet connection or else EA will disable your game. This is entirely unacceptable to me as I like to game on my Macbook Pro and I am a heavy traveler. Yes I might have an Internet connection at Point A and Point B but the in between I am most likely not to have an connection to the Internet (ala planes).

Even though I already have Mass Effect I was on the fence about getting the PC version. I was going to get it if there was a significant mod community attached to it but now I know that I will absolutely skip Mass Effect. As for Spore there really was no way I wasn't going to get it but as it stands I am going to pass on Spore since this copy protection will not allow me to play the game when and where I want to unless I had a constant Internet connection.

If this is how EA wants to handle its PC games from here on out then there really is no need for me to buy PC game from EA. Just another nail in the PC gaming coffin.

On Mass Effect & Spore Copy Protection

Sorry it has been a while since I last posted. Work has been exceptionally hectic and things are finally calming down, for a little while. In the last two weeks I have been in Jackpot, NV and in Black Hawk, CO. We finally had some time to get some MSSQL Server upgrades in that have been needed for quite some time. I also finally finished a few SSIS packages for marketing that I have been working on for the past three months. Its sickening how long it took to finish them but now that they are in production maintenance will be smooth.

I finally moved out of the mountains and into the frying pan. I am now down by the airport, which is not as bad as you'd think. The flight path is perpendicular to where I live so unless its an old MD-80 I'm not hearing it landing or taking off. Although I'm not home when the 747s roll off so I wonder how those sound.

I like the new place, its fun to have my own stuff again. Above all its wonderful to have a desk again. I hated working on the bed as it just doesn't get that productive for me.

Well I'm off to work on more computers. My virtual servers that have Windows Server 2008 RC0 will be dying in a couple days so I need to rebuild those with the real versions. Also I am tempted to finally move my gaming machine to Vista Ultimate 64bit. I just need a couple more sticks of RAM and off I go. Oh if you are wondering I am playing Hellgate: London. I dropped my subscription for WoW, and Tabula Rasa. I haven't figured out if I am going to get a sub for Hellgate but so far its good without it. Other then Hellgate I am usually on a Steam game so add me if you would like, my name is Bluenullity there as well.

Well off to work on servers. Will update again with pictures of Black Hawk, CO.

 

Time to plan out the PAX 2008 trip. There is already a forum post on the West Coast Train Trip in the PAX forums for information. The itinerary is;

• August 27th 4AM - Drive a rental car to LAX Union Station.
• August 27th 10AM - Depart LAX on Amtrak #14 Coast Starlight Train.
• August 28th 8PM - Arrive SEA and check into the Sheraton. Yes that is 34 hrs on a train, thank gabe for gamers.
  
• August 29th to August 31th - PAX 2008.
• September 1st - Check out of Sheraton and fly back to Las Vegas. 

Since last year was such a blast I'm looking forward to getting my gaming on once again with fellow PAers. I'll have to keep up on the goods for the DS to make sure to bring the best MP games. For those that haven't seen I have some pictures from last years PAX on flickr.

Regarding the flight back from SEATAC I hope to get on a Virgin America flight. Especially when the inside looks like this, and the price is near to what Southwest offers. I'll have to update later on the flight situation once VA has posted the September flights.

Its a little late in the year but these are the things I am looking forward to for the coming 12 11 months. 

Gaming

There isn't much on my list of things I want for 2008. I still have a ton of gaming I still need to catch up on from 2007 and WoW isn't helping me at getting thru them at all. Not surprisingly there is only one Wii game that I am looking forward to along with all the other Wii owners (I still don't have one). Spore is always on my list cause any simulation that is really a 5XSIM is gonna be on the list. There are two MMOs on the list but if Tabula Rasa couldn't keep me at bay from WoW then can these two slay the WoW beast? The rest are (near)given triple A titles so they will get a spot on the list. So for my list of up and coming games they are.

• Super Smash Bro Brawl (Wii)
  
• Spore (PC)
• Age Of Conan (PC)
• Warhammer Online (PC)
• Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3)
• Splinter Cell: Conviction (X360)
• Star War: The Force Unleashed (X360)
• Prototype (X360)
• Ghostbusters (X360)
• White Knight Chronicles (PS3)
• Fallout 3 (PC)
• Left 4 Dead (PC)
• Battlefield Heroes (PC)

Events

Only two really notable events this year. One, I'll be attending Tech Ed finally and it will be a good year for it too with all the new server products from Microsoft. The other is PAX, I was able to attend last years and had such a blast that I am giddy with the thought of going again this year. Like last year the plan is to train it up from LAX to SEA and game all the way. Hopefully with recent events everyone still can manage to go. 

• PAX 2008
• Tech Ed 2008
• New Home

Tech

I mentioned it above but new server products from Microsoft this year. The next Long Term Support version of Ubuntu is due this year in April and can't wait to try that one out. Penryn chips are now out and I hope to see more laptops incorporate it as they are cooler and energy efficient. 

• Windows Server 2008
  
• SQL Server 2008
• Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron LTS
• Penryn Chips
  
  • Macbook Pro Penryn

Movies

Here is my list of movies that I want to see this year. Its quite the list and hopefully I can get to them.  

• Cloverfield
  
• Jumper
• Diary of the Dead?
• Teeth (HA)
• Vantage Point
• Be Kind Rewind
• Run, Fatboy, Run
• Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
• Iron Man
• Speed Racer?
• The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
• The Midnight Meat Train
• Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
• You Don't Mess with the Zohan
• The Incredible Hulk
• Hancock
• Hellboy II: The Golden Army
• The Dark Knight
• Untitled X Files Sequel

Well this will be the gobbler year.

2007 in Review

    August was my busiest month. Being in Las Vegas only 8 days of that month I was in Black Hawk(CO), Vicksburg(MS), Kansas City(MO), St Charles(MO), Los Angeles(CA), Seattle(WA), Portland(OR), and Bloomington(MN). During that month I had taken  9 flights, 1 train, 3 rental cars. Some of my favorite events happened that month, I was at PAX 07, Minnesota State Fair, and an Oregon county fair.

 

    I have picked up quite a few new skills this year in MSSQL05. Especially within SSIS. I also am getting very interesting in getting some SSAS done in the coming year especially now that Excel 2007 has some very interesting new functions in the world of Business Intelligence.

  More...

Been playing too many triple A titles lately to notice the mod community and I wish I hadn't have left them behind.

I wanted to see where Zombie Panic Source was at and of course they have yet to release anything to the public, but along the search I found Zombie Master. Its a Zombie mod for HL2 but not entirely FPS. The humans play the FPS portion with objectives while a random player is chosen for to be the Zombie Master. His role is played out like an RTS with the Zombie Master being a omnipotent over head view of the game. They get to send points to spawn AI zombies and place traps for the players.

I had also been waiting for a Sven Coop for HL2 and in the shadows was Synergy. I wanted to be able to play the campaign with other players but this looks to more complete than some of the other mods from long ago.

Lastly I wanted to play the Star Wars Battlefront 2 with the capitol ship battles but never did get into it but Eternal Silence might cover all my needs for a capitol ship action game. With a little mix of FPS and space combat, this might actually be some fun in there. 

All three of these will be taking up some of my time this week since I have been lacking in some down and out dirty barrel in your face action. If as all mods happen to be a lack of population well I can always get some gibbing on with TF2.

 

Ok I am way overloaded with gaming goodness this season. Here are a list of games I am trying to get thru.

Tabula Rasa [PC]
I know I told myself after the slow death of human life involved in playing them Tabula Rasa has invariably peeked my interest. I long for the days of Anarchy Online again when strolling thru Omni-1 was such a sight to behold. Tabula Rasa brings back my love of AO and MMOs and its tough right now to pull me away.

Mass Effect [X360]
Absolutely beautiful. Love the universe this is set in and the back stories. Its to bad the main plot is rather generic but its not detracting from the game at all. The gameplay is a little wonky, especially the driving bits. I also loathe the elevators. I hate the elevators at my office for being slow but if the future brings even slower versions than bring on the suicide booths.

Hellgate: London [PC]
Sorry but as much fun as this game is its still not complete. It feels so buggy and slow that I am shelving this one for now.

Ace Combat 6[X360]
I want to play this some more but just haven't had the time. I love the graphics and the game play is enjoyable. I'll probably get more into this once I am done with this year.

Assassins Creed, Rock Band, Call of Duty 4, Crysis, UT 3
I still haven't purchased any of these but I definitely want to play these. I just wish I had the time.