bits n pieces of boredom

[reverancepavane]

1. It looks like they might be doing longer story arcs in the second season of Eureka, the SciFi channel show set in a small US town with a rather surprising population. Apparently the first season was excellently done, although there is yet no sign of it reaching Oz. Even on our own <cough> SciFi channel. 2. The last two episodes of the exceedingly prematurely cancelled Drive were to be shown on July 4, then July 13, and now they will apparently be showing sometime after the heat death of the universe (according to a press release by the Fox network). Drive, a TV show starring Nathan Filion and written by Tim Minnear, was apparently just starting to get interesting when it was abruptly cancelled by Fox. The network promised they would air the remaining two episodes on July 4th (apparently to take advantage of the large numbers of US viewers glued to their televisions on that day), then shifted it to July 13, and have now announced that they have moved it to somewhere after the heat death of the Universe. As I expected, they are probably going to save them for the DVD release – after all, the DVD release of Firefly earned them more money than actually running the show did... By now most of the Firefly actors seem to be developing to join a series and have it cancelled under them. 3. Hearts of Iron 2 (a WW2 strategic computer game covering the entire world at division level) did fix a number of problems of the first game, the most prominent of which was by automating aviation, naval, and supply operations. Having to constantly monitor air operations was very time consuming. Then in an avid show of feeping creaturism they added extra elements (such as partisans) that need you to monitor stuff instead of concentrating on taking over the world. However the worst change was the destruction of the excellent technology/doctrinal research system (which I've always intended stealing for other types of camapign) in the name of simplification (and making it look prettier). The old system allowed you to research individual components and then combine them into protoypes/doctrines that could then be put into production/operation, with the abilities of the resulting units dependant on the components used. Thus you could rush quick and dirty upgraded units into production that largely used existing components (if needed), or take your time and put a killer unit/doctrine into production. Also, when they converted the old tech system into this new one, they forgot that many of the standard units use certain identical subcomponents. With the result that you now have to waste time researching stuff you have already researched, which means that variation is no longer cost effective. Also, they seem to have "improved" their scripts to simulate a historical WW2, regardless of what is actually occurring. The old game seemed to have an adequate AI that could cope with ahistorical campaigns (something I like trying out – the what if effect). This one doesn't. I think the grognards have got to the designers. However this is a minor problem, since, if I could be bothered, I could rewrite the scripts myself (and in fact most of the world) to create the campaign I desire. However, while my trial of the last game ended (for me) when my panzers rolled into Vladivostok, this time I shall be happy to finish with them rolling through Delhi. 4. PBEM Pendragon will be delayed for a bit. I'm trying to work out how I want to manage combat and otherwise try and mantain the emotional grandeur. Also I need to find my 3rd ed rules to get a copy of the lovely player map it contained. Which means I have to get the new shelving up and the libary sorted out properly first.