Comments enabled

I actually did this last night, but decide to mention that I've enabled posting comments. I decided that if someone wanted to tell me off for my opinion I would actually like to hear from them about it. Not to sound masochistic as I much prefer glowing praise, but I admit to being a pessimist so I know what kind of comments I'll get. :P

Things that I feel a review needs to let you know. Part 1 (the bad)

This is in continuation of the reviews post an not a part of the Talion post.  Also I would first like to say that in this overly sensitive day I hope that no one takes offense at this blog post.  We must understand that there is a difference between a preference and discrimination.  A preference is just the fact that an individual likes or dislikes something over another thing.  Some people like hot over cold, chocolate over vanilla, and broccoli over cheese.  In the context of preference, discrimination is treating someone different because of their preference.  I hope people understand that any comments made here are simply my preference and I hold nothing against others because of them if they are or were in any example listed here.  Other comments here I believe most will agree with me when I show my dislike for practices that are illegal in most places.  While writing about them can have some value that doesn't mean I wish to read about them.  I trust that people will be adult enough to know the difference between preference and not see it as discrimination or bigotry.  So on to information I would like to know about from a review before I read a book.

For example while I have no problem with alternative life styles and have had friends in the past that had such a relationship I personally don't want to read the details of it.  There a few books that handled this with simply an allusion to such a relationship for plot reasons rather than trying for what I assume was some type of shock value from others.  Attempting to create a situation that they could later claim was a means to show how open minded they can be.  There is a difference in a book that uses the relationship for a honest plot.  Such a book when written for people that do not live such a life style needs only to mention such a relationship.  When a book is written for people that do not live such a life style instead uses multiple quick descriptions is looking for shock value and I find that in poor taste.  If a book is written for such a life style then it is know for that and I can avoid it.

Another problem I had with one book was the use of lame plot devices simply to have multiple sex scenes within a book. If you have two protagonists that are unsure if they actually like each other or not, don't have them instead go sleep with someone else because they are unsure if they are being forced into loving someone (one book) or because the two can't confront their possible feelings for each other.  While someone might make such a decision I find it in poor taste to continue to keep writing scenes for erotica value in ignorance of the actual plot.  In a book where the plot is truly supported by such a notion it would at least treat the situation with a little class.  It still wouldn't be the type of book for me, but would be expected and easily avoided.  I think a lot of stories could suffer to understand they are not Hollywood and don't need a sex scene in every book and actually take the time to make an actually compelling story instead.  Some of the best, most widely loved books don't have a single sex scene and have relationships adult enough they don't feel they have to run out and sleep with someone else.  Now don't get me wrong I'm not a prude.  I've read several books that have had sex in them where it was used to show a deep physical and emotional relationship, which was still a rocky one, and yet did not feel the need have the character go sleep with someone else.

One more hitch on my list is books that use what I call SWS or Sadistic Writer Syndrome. I find SWS to be a common new disease among writers now days. This is where the writer feels they have to do horrible things to their characters in order "to show how horrible real life can be".  These are not biographies we are talking about but Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy types of books.  While bad things are going to happen in a book taking it to sadistic levels is too much.  Yes we are talking about people that do not exist, but at what point is needless sadism ever acceptable.  The description of pain to an individual for no other reason than that pain is sadism whether it is in your imagination or not.

Finally, while you could lump this in with sadism because it really is I still wanted to give the topic its own point.  Having your characters raped or even just continually almost raped is in poor taste.  While attempting to give the reader, who may be invested in the character, some dramatic tension could be warranted the act itself is extremely distasteful.  A plot tastefully done where this happens once as a central core to such a plot can be understandable.  To simply continue to do or almost do such a thing over and over can serve no purpose.

So these are the things that I feel should really be mentioned in a review.  While I've given my views on why, others may agree that they should be mentioned but for wholly different reasons.  Also, while I give an often extreme example of some of these events in books that isn't to say that any time they are used they are not tastefully handled and in such a way that others my prefer to have them take place in a book.  However, the point of a review is to give people information that helps them make a decision on whether it would be a book they wish to read or not.  You don't have to give your opinion of such events, but as you can see for some it can be important information in their decision and it would be helpful to at least make mention of them.  Next time I'll be a little more on the positive side of those things I would like to know about in a review.

Talion: Revenant

(Added Kindle Link)

So we interrupt our previously scheduled posts (scheduled is all a matter of perspective) in favor of some news near and dear to my book loving heart (promiscuity between many books is socially acceptable right?).  One of my favorite authors Michael A. Stackpole (one as in yes I do have many and favorite as in I don't have favorites for the moment, but favorite from the fact I've enjoyed every book of theirs I've read) is releasing his book Talion: Revenant in eformat both epub and kindle (which I'll link when it is up).  This is great for me in that I take my kindle everywhere and since I have enjoyed reading Talion: Revenant multiple times it makes it easier to do so again.  You can find some good reviews (good as in well done whether for or against the book) here on amazon.  The best news however is that if all goes well with ebook sales (epub and kindle) of this book he will finally write and release the sequel Talion: Nemesis.

(note: does contain vary vague spoilers)
Talion: Revenant at first seems quite simple it is about a man by the name of Nolan who is a Talion Justice.  The Talions are the broken into various groups according to the tasks they can perform.  One such group is the Justice, an elite group of individuals that work as a sort of cross between an elite military group (Rangers/Seals/etc) and the CIA.  It is their job to administer Justice and it is up to each individual what that Justice means.  They are answerable only to their superiors and the head of the Talions.

The book starts off at the end of his current assignment, but then quickly goes back to give us a back story of both Nolan and the Talions.  The transitions between present and past are well done so I never felt lost.  A lot is revealed of Nolan's back story and his motivations for why he does what he does.  There are many likable characters which also sets up for some tragic parts within the story.  That is one thing that did make this approach of present and past much more acceptable in this story because you are given time to know the current situation so that such tragedies are a part of this persons past and make them what they.  It gives more of a meaning to such tragedies rather than the author instead throwing them at the reader for shock value.  It gave me at least the more comfortable position of looking at old wounds so to speak.  The more current of the story his is mission to prevent the death of a king he despises due to his invasion of the country Nolan lived in as a child and the death of his family at the hands of those invaders.
(done)

I have to say over all the book is extremely well done and comes off as a solid history of the character and how he stands now.  There were many little reveals that setup well for future stories both in subtle hints as well as outright prophesies.  Which brings it back to the sequel (or maybe sequels) and how much many of us that enjoyed the book really want this to do well.  Over the long hall Talion: Revenant has done well in sales, but never enough for a publisher to pick up any additional books.  Understandably the author can't just blindly spend his time on it in the hopes it will do well as he is a full time author so all his money comes from his writing.  It is a good way to measure also how many sales such a sequel may generate.  Here is to hoping that it does well and he can write the sequel.  I know that I'll be supporting this as I can.  It isn't from the blind devotion of fandom, but the actual joy of reading more about this setting and its characters.  I hope that those of you reading this might give the first book a try I think it is well worth the while.

Reviews

I find that there are often problems with peoples conception of what a review is. That isn't to say I'm the perfect person to do reviews just that I don't feel it is necessary to verbally harm people over one. That seems to be the norm for people now.  The definition of a review as it applies to works is defined by Merriam-Webster as:

"6 a : a critical evaluation (as of a book or play)"

The thing to remember is that an evaluation does not exclude ones opinion of something. It is simply a break down of the pros and cons to something.  Which is someone's opinion.  Too many people say you shouldn't have your opinion in a review. They fail to realize that for instance if you are talking about a book a review of a book without someone's opinion of it is nothing more than a synopsis. Most books have one on the back and I would then suggest reading it rather than a review. Also the worth of a review is how often you agree or disagree with some ones opinion of a type of work. When I was young I knew that if both Siskel and Ebert liked a movie then I would hate it. I loved their reviews because I could determine what was worth my time even if there was a negative review. As long as they actually explain why the liked or disliked the work the a review can be helpful. You don't have to agree with someone for it to be a good review even if they rated something you liked poorly.

The other problem I have people can be a little to vague in their review in an attempt to avoid spoilers. The problem is that if you say nothing and make only flowery speeches then it isn't a review. One could say "There is an interesting dichotomy between the Empire and the Rebels" when it comes to Star Wars. However that is more relevant to a word-a-day calendar than to reviewing the movie. I would say currently you are very lucky if people are even that direct about what they are reviewing. That isn't to say there is no one good at writing reviews out there, because there are. It is more that in this day where everyone can say something often all they say is "something" which says nothing. :)

Some of the worst reviews are about books. If all you have to say is some variation of what is the synopsis of a book then it is best not to say anything at all. I don't know how many times I've read a review that was nothing more than rewording the synopsis. I don't know the reason behind it other than maybe an attempt to feel learned or just unable to speak with their own words. What ever the reason it is unhelpful because you can just read the back of a book just as easily.

So what is the perfect review to me? First, it should have substance if you liked it say what you like the relationship between one character and another or that if it seems forced then why. If it is simply one action that prevents you from being able to finish a book then warn about spoilers and explain the situation. The point is if you say nothing in your review how are you doing the book or yourself justice?  There could be people that would really like to read a book and your review because it is vague prevents this or encourages someone to buy the item even though they are actually going to end up disappointed in it.

Next time I'll talk about my pet peeves in books and the things I wish people would have mentioned in there reviews so I could have skipped them.

(Update: The follow up to this can be found here: http://sorwen.blogspot.com/2010/04/things-that-i-feel-review-needs-to-let.html)

Profound

So, I thought to myself it has been awhile and I should make a twitter post just to do so. The thing is with these social sites I often don't have a lot to say. Most of the time I'm not a talkative person. I don't feel the need to share most of the time. There some things I talk about as more of a warning or a hey look what this person did. My opinion on something rather than my opinion on myself. So when trying to come up with anything to say I thought about the word profound.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/
Main Entry: pro·found
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French parfunt, profond deep, from Latin profundus, from pro- before + fundus bottom — more at pro-, bottom
Date: 14th century
1 a : having intellectual depth and insight b : difficult to fathom or understand
2 a : extending far below the surface b : coming from, reaching to, or situated at a depth : deep-seated <a profound sigh>
3 a : characterized by intensity of feeling or quality b : all encompassing : complete <profound sleep> <profound deafness>

Often when most people talk on these blogs or something like twitter we are trying to do one of two things. Either we are trying to convey something or gain something. An individual may want to convey their feelings in general or about feelings about something (including themselves). Then there is gain where the individual wants to gain readers so he knows what he conveys reaches someone or a group/company is trying to gain an opportunity (generally an opportunity to gain money).

So why the word profound? It is just that like with what I'm saying here there may be the hidden hope that in some way what is said ends up profound. Either an attempt to prove that the individual writing has their own hidden depths or maybe that a chance comment might spark something profound in someone else. Even better that the words will create a feeling and that feeling will lead someone to come back again or to look at what the writer is trying to sell them. Not necessarily a monetary sale, perhaps rather sell them an idea.

Do I hope I'm being profound? Maybe if I'm honest I would say a little. I'm not honest with myself at least so I'll lie to me and say "no I'm not". :) I refuse to be profound on sheer principle. I did however manage to finally say something so the word wasn't pointless.

Star Trek Online

I know I'm going to hate myself for this, but I went ahead and bought the lifetime subscription to Star Trek Online (before the dead line for the cheaper price). The reason I was worried about spending the money was I had already done the same with Cryptic's other game Champions Online. A game which they continue to make most of the power combinations unplayable. There are so many "must have" powers that I don't understand the point of giving us a choice. Still I gave in to the silent peer pressure (my friends said nothing other than they were playing) and bought the lifetime. The only bright side is so far they haven't royally mess the game up....yet.

Currently it is a fun game, though the missions can be some what repetitive. WoW had what I called the "Do 10s". Go kill 10 of these, collect 10 of these, go get this glowy and on the way kill 10 of these, etc. STO has a few too many "Do 5s" as in go kill 5 patrols of X aliens. Still there are some nifty missions that tie back to the old show. They have also made the Cruiser (Enterprise type of ships) more playable and here is to hoping the continue so. It isn't a horrible game and if they every have a free trial I would suggest checking it out. With lifetimes only available to preorder customers there is the sense of get it now or miss out. Still it is just a hold over till the Old Republic from BioWare.

Round 2x, Ready...Fight!

So this took a little longer than originally planned. That in a way could be a good thing because it has given me a longer view of my two preferred MMOs the FtP Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine Online and Aion. Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine Online for those that do not know is based off the Shin Megami Tensei (or MegaTen) series of games which while they have the same theme most of games are not directly related to each other. The main theme tends to be that of an individual with the ability to summon "demon" companions to fight for or with them. The "demons" found in each game are another thing that tends to be a constant throughout the series. While a there are few different demons that are added or taken away for the most part they are the same ones in each game. Also while labeled demons they are actually taken from various religious and mythological source. You might have representation of anything from an Angel from Christianity or Parvati a Hindu Goddess or an Inugami a Japanese dog spirit. While the settings actually differ from Japan in the 1920s to the more common a post apocalyptic Japan.

In Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine Online (MegaTen Online, MO) you create an avatar that will travel through a post apocalyptic Japan as a "Demon Buster". And you can Insert story here. Like every good MMO there is a story there at the lower levels I've been playing it shows shadows of depth, but whether the story will ever actually reach any remains to be seen. While the quest have some interesting dialog and new takes on old quest it is still pretty much a standard fare for MMOs. I've have yet to run into the totally meaningless FedEx quests that are a huge staple of most MMOs now days. Whether that is just blind luck or they are actually not there remains to be seen.

The combat is based on a general skill system or Expertise as MO calls them. While you can use any Expertise you have access to you will select which ones will actually increase through use. As these "level up" you will gain access to thing such as new abilities, stat bonuses, etc. While you can spread out you only have a limited number of points you can gain throughout your whole career so it is suggested that you specialize to some extent. While your skills have a level your character has its own independent level and at each of those levels you gain attribute point that you can distribute between various stats that can directly effect your skills. While you will not necessarily harm your character through any type of wrong choice depending on what skills you use there may be choices that are better than others.

The additional twist to combat and the hall mark of MegaTen is demon summoning. In MO you must first get the demon with the use of one of three skills. The skill you use isn't about what your characters personal choice might be in dealing with demons, but how a demon is required to be dealt with. Your character is a no better or worse person if you choose to "Greeting", "Bribe", or "Threaten" one to work for you. Once you have one you can then summon them to fight with you. Only demons equal to or lower than your level can be gained in this way. Some demons may be acquired through quests and these maybe higher level than you. If they are you may not summon them until you reach their level. Your character can carry up to 6 demons with them and swap them at will with only a small cool down between. The demons have their own skills and generally add more as they level up. Their levels are separate from your own and they do not level up unless they are active. You can tell them which skill to use or take direct control of the demon and use them yourself. This is a nice twist to a pet system which can be quite fun and helpful. One other twist that is the ability to ride some of your demons. This requires the correct ring for the right mountable demon. I haven't really had the chance to try this out, but seems a nice touch to a mount system and allows them to double duty since when not riding these are in most instances the same demons you have been fighting with till now. Understandably not all demons are mountable by their vary nature this would have become quickly ridiculous if not kept in check.

One other staple of the MegaTen games (MO included) I failed to mention is the ability to fuse two or more demons together. This results in a new demon. Notice I don't say a better demon. While the demon does gain from such a fusion since some skills and traits may carry over there is no guarantee that the new demon will be better. However this is sometimes the only way you can get some demons. A tri-fusion can only be attempted with the help of someone else and it results may vary as well. This can be fun in its own right as you try to acquire that demon or demons that compliments your play style.

The some what down side to this game is the micro transactions. Like most Free to Play games the game subsists on micro transactions. While I've not played a lot of FtP games compared to most I've played they are quite a bite more expensive in MO. They have done well in avoiding anything being necessary some of the things you might like such as unique weapons/armor could run as high as $30 US. Luckily something more useful such as a demon bank slot which is needed to store more than 6 demons is cheaper. The flip side is that it only last 30 days while weapons/armor are permanent. Your first item bank slot is free, but any additional slots cost on a monthly basis. With up to 3 months being purchasable in advance for either bank slot. Again though none of these things are require to play the game to it's fullest (I'm looking at you DDOline).

Now you know the basics(and this really does only scratch the surface) you might be unsure as to why I like this game better than Champions Online right now. The game has been out longer (much longer if you count its release in Asia) so most of the bugs have been worked out of it and major game play changes are generally unheard of at this point. While you don't have the ability to pick and choose individual powers the skill system adds a lot of variety and it is nice to be able to increase those skills through use. For me it makes the system feel more realistic (such as you can feel in a game). The game is quite solo friendly up till this point and from what I have heard continues to be throughout the whole game. While the customization isn't as varied as CO and most of the more impressive armors are pay only, the armor values themselves vary little so you can still pick an choose to create a "look" if some what limited. It adds enough to give you a full and fun experience with the price tag of free so that is hard to beat.

Well with this running a little long it looks like next time it will be Aion.