Well I was close: I decided to get some work into PrBoom instead. And I finally nailed down the level end crash! Turns out there was already a check in one place for sounds to be turned off before unloading the other level, but there was another place where that unload was happening, and that didn’t have a check.
Well, since we don’t very well need to free the same memory tag twice, I just commented it out, and we’ll see how it goes.
After 146:32 of playtime (well, not entirely 146 hours, I’m sure it sat for a dozen or so hours while I got up to do other things) I’ve wrapped up all I’m going to do in Dragon Quest VIII.
Not a bad game, obviously I’m going to say that if I played that much, and got the two big endings in it. I didn’t do absolutely everything there is to do though, because after four of the Trials (none of this is really a spoiler because it’s far too vague) the necessary amount of levelling just became too much to bear. At over 100k experience a pop, and only 800-1500 experience available in a battle (outside of those pesky, unreliable metal slimes of all breeds), it’s just not worth it.
I will say, though, that I wouldn’t play it again. Certain mechanics, like the Ice attacks that wipe out all party bonuses (including tension levels), are just too annoying.
So, at my brother’s suggestion, I gave Final Fantasy X a try. The theory was that the levelling system was close enough to V to make it worth a try (I and V being the only Final Fantasy games I respect). but when it took an hour for me to past the tiresome opening movies, I got bored and quit.
Not sure what to play now. I’d like a good RPG with flexible character progression along the lines of La Pucelle or Final Fantasy V. Maybe I’ll just work on ToME 3 some more.
But it’s all fixed now.
Rob wonders why I speculate whether we blew up the North Korean ICBM. The answer is that I find it suspicious. They’ve had so many successful tests, and to have the one failure be the one that can reach us, and to have it fail so quickly, raises questions with me.
Sure, I know a long-range missile takes much more engineering than the short-range ones they’ve been lobbing over the Sea of Japan, but it’s still a question worth asking, I think. Especially in this one case, where we knew about the missile, we knew where it was, we knew it was fueled, and we could be ready for a launch at any time.
Arlen Specter isn’t quitting yet! And Linc Chafee has The Rack in his hand, I just know it.
Nomar Garciaparra was given the last spot on the NL All-Star team today, thus averting a great injustice. Hooray for recognition!
Plus, the Dodgers are in a three-way tie for first place today. Good day for blue!
In Mexico, the President is elected by a plurality of the national popular vote. Well, in their recount, the difference between first and second is 0.57% of the popular vote.
Do we REALLY want to have national recounts, with people in one state accusing each other state of fraud, back and forth, fingers pointing and shouts rising? Or do we want to keep the current system, where each state legislature is entrusted with ensuring that each individual states’ wills are represented?
I know my choice. Count me with the Constitution.
Something that we’ll all probably never know, because it won’t be public for a generation or two: Did we blow up North Korea’s ICBM that failed shortly after launch?
I’d love it if we did, because that would be the ideal scenario: Kim alienates everybody AND gets a taste of US might. But I doubt I’ll live to see the day when the truth comes out. Missile defense is too important to let out of the bag too soon.
230 years ago, a diverse group of freedom-minded people ‘spoke truth to power,’ and literally risked their necks for it. They did so by challenging their elected and inherited government on principle and tradition.
Aren’t we lucky that today, when self-absorbed activists make websites full of personal attacks on our elected officials, that they aren’t risking their necks?
For the holiday I have a Twilight Zone marathon going on now, and tomorrow there’s also a Columbo marathon.
Good choices.