Monday 10 May 2010

Time for a girly chat

I should probably apologise to those of you who got the impression that this was a gaming blog. It isn't. This is my personal blog, where I type up whatever I feel like. Normally, that does happen to be gaming notes. Right now it's menstruation.

No one here who doesn't want to be?

Kay.

So, I used to assume that the amount of blood I lost was average (average being 30ml to 80ml per month). I'd complain about cramps for four days, and be annoyed messing about with stupid sanitary things. Then I got a menstrual cup, which is freaking awesome (just saying). It also had the side effect of letting me know exactly how much blood I lost each month.

It averaged out to 20ml, which is very much below average.

I felt a little bit ashamed of myself for complaining. In my defence, I've never been anyone else, so I assumed everyone was about the same as me.

I asked a couple of people on an LJ comm how much they lost, and that was generally around the 110-130ml mark. And I felt both embarrassed and incredibly lucky.

Three months ago, I was fitted with an IUD. Since this was a flexi-T 3000, it had the effect of making my periods heavier. I knew that it would, but I figured, since I was so far below average, I'd take that rather than the hormones in the mirena.

So now I'm losing 40ml a month. I'm just about average, if on the low side.

It's not fun.:(

Thursday 11 March 2010

Mooncup

An email inquiry I sent to the Mooncup company through their website;


A few days ago, I had an appointment at the Brook, and the nurse and I began talking about my use of the Mooncup. Although she had heard of them before, the information had consisted of a ten minute talk during her training, and she'd never actually met a cup user before. On hearing my positive reaction, she wondered if perhaps cups were something that the Brook could learn more about, and suggest to girls.

I think this would be a wonderful idea. My knowledge of menstrual cups came solely from a livejournal group on the subject ( http://community.livejournal.com/menstrual_cups/ ), and when I went to buy mine from Boots, the sale assistant was initially confused as to what I was looking for (she did eventually figure out what I meant and was able to locate them, but it clearly wasn't a well known product).

So, my query is, would it not be possible to offer more information about the Mooncup or menstrual cups in general through health services such as the Brook? Even something so simple as leaflets in the waiting room, or nurses or gynacologists with more information would make a difference. I feel that it would also be helpful is Mooncups were discussed in schools, as part of sex education, or PSME lessons. Even if people don't act upon the idea right away, at least they're aware of it, and may check out more information online, or be more open towards the idea the next time it comes up.

Are there any leaflets or any other information easily available which I can carry around with me to show to people when the subject comes up?

Thank you for your time.

Just by the way, I find your reaction to the Keeper Company's unethical business practices very classy.


I sent it under "all other enquiries".

The Brook is a charity which provides free confidential advice and contraception to young people under the age of 25, and PSME was, in my school anyway, Personal, Social, Moral Education. We did two years of it in secondary and had a few odd lessons in primary school. In primary school it was all about people with disabilities, and racial issues, while in secondary it was mostly about sex, and growing up.

Friday 15 January 2010

Yesterday

Things I did yesterday;

Learned to crochet, got my eyebrows waxed, walked two miles, found out I got 87% on my last Welsh history assignment, watched the entire series of White Teeth, watched five episodes of Smack the Pony, did some yoga, read 'Salem's Lot, solved some puzzles, danced, called the bailiffs off of my grandmother's dead boyfriend, spoke to a friend on the phone for an hour, learned to express ownership in Welsh (fy mlog i!), organised my purse, played Final Fantasy 2.

Things I did not do yesterday;

My next Welsh history assignment.

Wednesday 6 January 2010

How to Write a Game Review

A lot of people find writing reviews tricky, to begin with.

The point of a review isn't just to express your opinion on the game - it's also to define why you feel that way. Other people may not feel the same way, and would probably appreciate being given enough information to decide if they'd also find that feature good or bad.

I find that the easiest way to begin a review is by going through a checklist and making notes. I mostly play RPGs, so this list is going to be biased towards them, but you should be able to adapt it to other games. I'm going to be mostly thinking of FFI here, since that's what I'm currently playing.

This list isn't in any particular order - you'll do that later. Note also that I'm using the key words (the bolded headings) as starting points for other ideas. You'll probably find that some sections blend into each other - that's absolutely fine. You can always copy+shuffle+paste later. Just get it all scribbled down.

Controls

How does the game handle? Do you keep accidentally pressing the wrong buttons, or find that your characters move or react annoyingly slowly? Or does the game seem to follow your ideas almost intuitively? Perhaps it falls somewhere between the two?

Gameplay

How do battles work? Are there random battles? How does the menu work? How are key items used? How do weapons and skills work? How does levelling work? Are exp/money ratios set high or low (ie, do you find yourself constantly under levelled and broke, or stupidly overpowered?) Is there anything particular unusual or unique about the gameplay, particularly in relation to other games in the series, if it is part of a series? How do save points work Can you save at pretty much any time, or you going to have to be prepared to slog through a couple of hours before you can? Are any of these features annoying? Useful? Something that probably sounded good on paper, but doesn't work very well at all within the game? Is there a steep learning curve (ie; in Vandal Hearts II, I found that the weapons/skills system was a little confusing at first, but then, once I'd got the hang of it, it worked incredibly well).

Progression

Does the game lead you by the hand, or does it just drop you in the desert with no clue as to what to do or where to go next? Is it linear, or more freestyle? Does it have a check-list kind of style, with a clear list of set objectives to complete (ie, .hack, FFX-2...)? Is this enjoyable or constricting? Would you rather the game had more structure?

Subquests

Are there any? Are they enjoyable or a pain? Are they easy to find, easy to miss? Is this one of those games where you suddenly get a glut of quests as soon as the final dungeon opens and spend so long completing them that you lose interest in finishing the game entirely?

What would you want to know?

For instance; does the .hack series require online access (no, it's a simulated MMORPG, and is entirely self-contained)? Are you going to miss out on any features if you don't have another system (I find that several GBA and Gamecube games offer additional features to people who either have both systems, or are able to link their systems to other players - this means that single players, or gamers with only one system won't be getting the same experience)?

Graphics

Breathtaking? Simple? Confusing? Do treasure chests blend into the scenery, or do stealable items sparkle at you? Can you tell the difference between characters? Do the FMVs drag on, or are they tantalisingly short? Did you get drawn into the story, or did one badly drawn expression have you cracking up?

Comparisons

Is this game part of a series? What features does it keep from other games in the series (whether they came earlier or later - if you're reviewing an older game, readers have probably played or heard of the later games). What does it change? Do these changes work well, or is this the bastard child of the series?

What games does it remind you of? How?

Try not to make these the key point of your review, as many players won't have the exact same game library you do. However, they are worth dropping in occasional, as people who enjoyed/disliked particular features of one game will probably like to know if they show up in another. Just remember to describe the feature you've talking about, rather than just relying on the reader's previous knowledge.

Trivia

You'll probably want to include this bit in the introduction.

Do you know any cute stories about how the game came to be? About the company? About any of the key developers? For instance;

  • Sacnoth, the company who developed Koudelka and the Shadow Hearts series, was formed by ex-Squaresoft employees, who wished to take RPGs in a different direction. Unfortunately, through a lack of funding and faith, they couldn't take it quite as far as they wanted, and ended up with a curious (and, in my opinion, brilliant) combination of horror and RPG.

  • The concept of Project Zero came from the idea of getting right up close and personal to the ghosts, instead of running away, as in other games (and that works pretty well too).

  • The first Final Fantasy game is called Final Fantasy because, at the time, Square was dying, and the game was to be their swan song.

  • Final Fantasy IV was originally released as FFI in Europe and North America, because the first three games were only available in Japan. Although the first two games were later released for the GBA and PSX, the third game is only available on the DS.



See? Don't worry if you can't think of anything; you can always just list down other games the company is known for (or, if this is their first, mention that), when the game was released...



Characters

One? Dozens? Do you control them directly, or does the AI? How intelligent is the AI? Do the characters stick around, or are you going to want to strip them of their equipment before they disappear for half the game? Are they voiced? How is the voice acting? Do you care about the characters, or are you killing half of them off every chance you get? Are you relying on one character while the others sit on the sidelines, or are you completely ignoring one useless character and using the others? Does the player's style make much of a difference in how useful a character is? For instance, games like Shadow Hearts and Star Ocean: Till the End of Time, use different models of attack for each character, so while some people will find Alice and Zhuzhen effective, others will fail their judgement rings constantly, and prefer Margarete or Keith. Are the characters clichéd, unique? Do they fall into any specific roles (ie, Princess and Knight, the Ditzy one, the Solemn Violent Girl, the Smart One)? Is this well done or clunky? Were you rolling your eyes, or utterly entranced?

Spoilers

Avoid them. You're trying to describe the feel of the game, not the plot. If you must include any, warn for them.

Writing The Review

Now you've got all those notes scribbled down, it's time to put it all together. Start with an introduction, usually involving the trivia or history of the game, and then work your way through your notes. What you're attempting to achieve is to describe the feel of the game, so people can tell whether it will be something they'd enjoy or not.

Monday 4 January 2010

Final Fantasy I - Monster List

This table lists the monsters found in the first Final Fantasy game, and where to find them. This list is applicable to the version released for the PSX as Final Fantasy Origins, along with FF2.

I wrote it because the game includes two very simple lists (you can find them in the menu, under 'config') - items collected, and monsters defeated. Each treasure chest opened adds to your percentage on the former, while each different kind of monster defeated adds to your percentage on the latter. As you complete these lists, more artwork will be unlocked.

I admit, the sheer fact that a percentage is listed means that I want to reach 100%. It's impossible to find a similar guide anywhere that I've seen, simply because most sites are geared towards the US, where I gather the games were released differently. And, half the time, they're for the GBA edition anyway.

Use ctrl+f to search through the list. It's ordered as it appears in the game, which is, generally speaking, in order of appearance. The places listed may not be the only places the enemy can be found. The objective is - as far as I'm concerned - to fill in empty spaces. Should you find one, look up the monster just above it and scroll down.

Because I'm already 65% through on my current playthrough, at the time of writing, for many monsters, the location will simply be the name of the dungeon.
































































































































































































































































Name of Monster Where can I find it?
Goblin Near Cornelia
Goblin Guard Near Cornelia
Wolf Near Cornelia
Crazy Horse Near Cornelia
Skeleton Temple of Chaos
Black Widow Temple of Chaos
Gigas Worm
Temple of Chaos
Warg Wolf
Temple of Chaos
WerewolfTemple of Chaos
Zombie Temple of Chaos
GhoulTemple of Chaos
Garland Boss of the Temple of Chaos
CobraNear Provoca
Ogre Near Provoca
Ogre Chieftain Near Provoca
Lizard Near Provoca
Pirate Provoca
Sahagin Ocean
Sahagin Chief
Ocean
Privateer Ocean
Shark Ocean
Goggler Ocean
Tarantula Near Elfheim
Ghast Near Elfheim
Scorpion Marsh Cave
Shadow Marsh Cave
Green Slime Marsh Cave
Crawler Marsh Cave
Gray Ooze
Marsh Cave
Gargoyle Marsh Cave
Piscodemon Marsh Cave
Astos Western Keep
Mummy Where can I find it?
Wraith Where can I find it?
Anaconda Where can I find it?
Hyenadon Where can I find it?
Lesser Tiger
Where can I find it?
Minotaur Where can I find it?
Hill Gigas Where can I find it?
Gnoma Where can I find it?
Troll Where can I find it?
Wight Where can I find it?
Ochre Jelly
Where can I find it?
Cockatrice Where can I find it?
Vampire Where can I find it?
Ogre Mage Where can I find it?
Sphinx Where can I find it?
Lich Where can I find it?
Centipede Where can I find it?
Piranha Where can I find it?
Red Piranha Where can I find it?
Crocodile

River near Crescent Lake
White Croc River near Crescent Lake
Ochu River near Crescent Lake
Neochu River near Crescent Lake
HydraRiver near Crescent Lake
Horned DevilMt Gulg
Pyrolisk Mt Gulg
PyrosMt Gulg
Fire HydraMt Gulg
Lava Worm

Mt Gulg
HellhoundMt Gulg
Fire Lizard Mt Gulg
Fire Gigas Mt Gulg
Red Dragon Mt Gulg
MarilithMt Gulg
White Dragon Ice Cavern
Winter Wolf Ice Cavern
Mind Flare Ice Cavern
Ice Gigas Ice Cavern
Specter Ice Cavern
Remora Ice Cavern
Dark Wizard Ice Cavern
Evil Eye Ice Cavern
Desert Baretta Near Onlak
Sabretooth Near Onlak
Wyvern Near Onlak
Wyrm Flying Fortress
Manticore Near Onlak
Baretta Near Lufenia
Basilisk Where can I find it?
Allosaurus Near the Tower of Mirage
Weretiger Near the Citadel of Trials
???? Where can I find it?
NecrotaurCitadel of Trials
King Mummy Citadel of Trials
Medusa Citadel of Trials
Rakshasa Citadel of Trials
Clay Golem
Citadel of Trials
Nightmare Citadel of Trials
Dragon Zombie Citadel of Trials
Sahagin Prince Sunken Shrine
White Shark Sunken Shrine
Deepeyes Sunken Shrine
Sea SnakeSunken Shrine
Sea Scorpion Sunken Shrine
Sea TrollSunken Shrine
Ghost Sunken Shrine
Aquos Sunken Shrine
Water Naga Sunken Shrine
Kraken Boss of the Sunken Shrine
???? Where can I find it?
Black Knight Tower of Mirage
Chimera Tower of Mirage
Guardian Tower of Mirage
Blue Dragon Tower of Mirage
Green Dragon
Temple of Chaos
Stone Golem Flying Fortress
Aeros Flying Fortress
Spirit Naga Flying Fortress
Doom Knight Flying Fortress
Earth Medusa Flying Fortress
Dark Flan Flying Fortress
Soldier Flying Fortress
Vampire Lord Flying Fortress
Dark Warrior Flying Fortress
Warmech Flying Fortress. You only have a 1/64 chance of meeting this monster. The best place is on the bridge just before fighting Tiamat.
Tiamat Boss of the Flying Fortress
Rhyos Temple of Chaos
Death Eye Temple of Chaos
Purple Worm Temple of Chaos
Name of Monster Where can I find it?
Lich Temple of Chaos
Marilith Temple of Chaos
Kraken Temple of Chaos
Tiamat Temple of Chaos
Chaos Temple of Chaos