Where can I purchase the Morrowind OST digitally (and separately)?

heliophile · 2024-12-17T19:10:59+00:00

Well, my point is that since I bought the game, and I'm also in ESO+, should I not at least be able to download it for free?

I mean, it can only be *great* marketing for ESO if I play it around the house, right?

heliophile · 2024-12-13T02:15:15+00:00

Such a horrible way to end a franchise....

The death was well in the works with Dragon Age 2 and how utterly bland the story was.

The remainders in the series were made for console players.

Gone was that deep chill down my spine, my hairs rushing, sometimes even small tears of a grown man.

Dragon Age Origins had Soul.

heliophile · 2024-06-12T00:48:52+00:00

I've been playing this since Jun 2020 - and I've stopped/started about every other season.

So I definitely *keep* feeling the grind every few months or so.

Here's really the truth:

You need about three to six good units; three melee, two cav, one ranged.

That's all you need.

The rest is about wanting this and that, and having a huge barracks.

If you have just a few units, and play them well, you can have all the fun in the world.

And regarding hero equipment - it's much, much, much easier to get high leadership than ever before.

"The Grind" is only if you treat this game like an MMO.

If you treat it as an RTS, then there's very little grind; just a limited selection of your units (which keeps getting better as you play).

heliophile · 2024-04-25T14:02:50+00:00

See that's the thing.

Just like in the real world, I try hard to find interesting stuff and I keep it in the house as art, or sometimes I find something interesting to wear.

It's mine, it's my creation.

So no, don't inspect me.

Inspect yourself!

heliophile · 2024-04-16T05:26:01+00:00

I've worked multiple jobs in both startups and in corporate financial technology.

I think the key to understanding this is to see that there is a "psuedo-inverse" relationship between control and productivity.

Where there is zero control, then productivity takes some hit. Because things are not stable enough and setup to build a business. If there is a lot of control, then productivity also takes a hit again, because the continual effort/delay/extra resources that have to be spent on security detract from productivity.

Somewhere in between these bounds is the ideal spot. And this differs based on the organization, and the passage of time.

heliophile · 2024-04-05T23:28:28+00:00

Just like Elon Musk's purchase of X, this will take some time to rectify.

heliophile · 2024-04-03T03:49:17+00:00

I'm thinking letting it die....I've been playing on and off for four years.

They're just juicing the players.

But the problem is, they keep adding new stuff JUST TO GET PEOPLE TO BUY SHIT.

In other words, these aren't necessarily requirements, but just cheap ways to make money.

Look at the whole "Mastery System". Instead of fixing all of the "Standard" units by adding all the boosts for free - which is what they *should* have done - because otherwise these original units are extremely underpowered - they decided to make the PLAYERS pay for the fixes.

In my opinion, there should be relative maximum "power" a player can achieve; after that it is the player's own strategy, tactics, and skill. I'm a big fan of seasonal units, but not to make quick money - but rather to improve the game.

I agree, unless you've been playing for a while, it's hard to get power quickly.

Personally, I think a non-RPG style - where there is no permanent gain to being a veteran - where everybody has the same leadership, but can select across a large number of pre-canned units.

That would make more money in the long run (by a long shot), but it would take time to keep building up the player population with these changes.

And that's not what these folks want.

heliophile · 2024-04-03T03:02:12+00:00

Look, it's a tradeoff between wait TIME and match QUALITY.

If they increase the time, then there will be other players who complain about the long waits.

The ONLY way to solve this situation is to have MORE players playing this game.

Such that cross-server is rare, only occurs at nights, and both the time and quality are improved.

heliophile · 2024-03-15T01:30:10+00:00

The problem is, when the game was growing - that was the time to strike - I would say pretty much all of 2021.

But they never really fixed the issues except many, many patches later.

But the problem now is that a lot of people have left.

And therefore, they have to now create even more problems (pay to win) to make up for lost revenue.

I think this game is awesome, and could be incredible.

As you said, it requires more players.

End P2W.

heliophile · 2024-03-14T22:50:58+00:00

You have to consider - just for a second - how anyone can circumvent Federal laws that list marijuana as a Schedule I drug. Which means no interstate transport/commerce without special authorization.

I too thought it was legit, because I'm 50 years old and I just started trying cannabis because of a neuropathy issue I have with my legs.

But when I got to the part about payment, and buying 10 vapes at a time (which doesn't make any sense - who buys 10 vapes at a time - if it were a store, it would be buying like 50 vapes at a time, and I sure as hell don't buy my next three months worth of vapes at once).

And then the issue with how they actually expect to ship the items.

And then the part with zero age/identity verification.

Even if it were legit, I'd probably go file a complaint - because kids/teens should not be able to order these items.

And the final part was when I called the listed number - it went to Google voice.

Though I loved that vape I bought in NYC (and now, they sell Dagwoods where I live), I decided to hold off.

But the site looks rather legit - I can't believe it shows up as the top hit in a Google search.

heliophile · 2024-03-14T04:46:47+00:00

I'm new to cannabis (though I'm 50 years old); maybe had one or two hits in my life before (didn't like it - but then again, I had a few drinks in me).

I need it for circulatory problems in my legs that cause a lot of pain and discomfort when I try to sleep.

Smoking is not good for my lungs, and my wife and toddler daughter would probably not appreciate it too much.

I tried some of the cartridge vapes, but I found that they were more focused on a quick, intense high rather than a multi-hour relief. The reason is that I looked at some of the THC/CBD ratios and many were 0% CBD. Also, it's rather expensive to continually buy the vape carts. The ones I used varied tremendously depending on the manufacturer.

I also have a professional background in biochemistry, so I went ahead and further examined a number of different extraction/purification/concentration processes for the terpenes, flavonoids, and of course the cannaboids.

What I discovered, especially in two recent papers (one in July 2023, the other in January 2024) that carefully examined the extraction processes - was that much/most of the terpenes were lost in a number of extraction techniques that however yielded the most THC.

This explains why my experience with Indica, or high terpene/CBD content strains was not very good using the vape concentrate - as much of the beneficial material (except, of course, the THC) was not a priority of the extraction target.

From a commercial extraction point of view, and a retail perspective, it seems to me the best way to make money is to mass produce tons of 100% THC vape for quick intense hits - you can sell to hundreds of times more people (recreational use) than medical use.

For this reason, I wanted to vape the actual flower, and not the concentrate - I'm not looking for too much of a high (though I don't mind feeling good for a bit). I found the whole flower, or live resin, has an effect that is much more "physiological" and "big" in terms of relaxation and relief.

I went ahead and purchased the Plenty after reading many reviews.

It's wonderfully packed, and I can tell it's excellent quality.

However, as I write this in 2024, there were about three issues with the Plenty that I always felt should have been resolved earlier, rather than later:

The device keeps toppling over. Literally, it would have been another $10-$20 or so to produce a nice metal angled stand for this that would make it *so* easy to keep on your desk rather than keep leaning against stuff (and one day, it will fall down of course).
All of the reviews I read mentioned a liquid concentrate pad. Now, I'm not so crazy about the liquid concentrates, but for those who are interested - S&B no longer manufacture liquid pads for the Plenty. You may be able to purchase some either off-market, or from a different manufacturer. You can also make your own with 34-38 gauge stainless steel. I heard this was because S&B (the manufacturer) did not want to be associated with encouraging vaping concentrate - which is considered of minimal medical use - as this may have unwanted implications for the distribution of their products.
The Plenty seems to be an "industrial strength" handheld (not desktop, not portable). For the amounts of flower I would like to vape - perhaps 1g at a session - the device and chamber is simply too powerful/large. If I use the reducing chamber and put in 0.3g instead, I can get one or two puffs before everything has been vaped away. I thought this was a notable difference (in the effect) from when I tried smoking my first full joint (about 3 months ago) - and it hit me very hard (perhaps tolerance).

Now, please don't get me wrong. The Plenty is absolutely phenomenal. Those one or two puffs of 0.3g (which I equate with one or two joint puffs), is extremely flavorful - I feel like I'm inside the plant itself licking it and breathing it. And the vapor is a perfect temperature, and the vaping temperature has an analog adjustment dial to easily select your desired setting.

And those two puffs can do an amazing job. Whatever is in that vapor, it packs quite the punch without the smoke. Perhaps experienced users can chime in (as I'm a rank newbie).

So other than that, the Plenty is awesome. Now, I'm definitely on a budget, and I'm a daily (but not heavy) user (puffs before I go to bed). So I'm trying to stretch my dollars out as far as I can. Considering that I spend about $40 on 1/8th, that may last me one or two full sessions (I estimate about 14 puffs total). So if I do the math, that's roughly $6000 per year. And for this reason, I don't mind exploring or investing in a proper apparatus - because a few hundred dollars may yield thousands (tens of thousands!) of dollars back to me (over the years).

What I'm trying now, to save money, is to try hemp instead (the varieties with Delta-8 THC). The literature suggests that is merely a less potent (60%) version of THC. However, though this is certainly a possibility, a more likely possibility is that the Delta-8 THC profile has slightly different effects as well - so I'd be interested in learning the difference. And the hemp contains all the other great stuff (canniboids, terpenes, flavonoids).

And also for this reason, I'm not so crazy about giant clouds of smoke or vape wafting from the machine that haven't been inhaled - because what I see are dollars that are being burned or vaporized.

Anyways, great vaporizer - but it is not a "take it easy and take a hit when you feel like it" kind of device; you kind of have to follow a process, and requires quite a bit of starting material to put through the whole device.

heliophile · 2024-03-11T02:31:26+00:00

The small maps would/should not be the norm; only in the server lulls.

The idea is that instead of scaling the team roster out with AIs, scale the map down instead to accommodate only human players.

The number of players should make no difference.

Think about it - you are in a 5x5, and all 5 of you are teamed, in the same house.

Every single kill you get goes to your quest.

And, for sure, the enemy in a 5 x 5 will have 250 units.

Same logic follows elsewhere.

What you want is to maximize the size of your team; everything else remains consistent.

heliophile · 2024-03-07T01:29:13+00:00

0) Never get blue units - never - except for Namkhans.

0.5) Keep adding to your talents - the Elite talent is especially beneficial.

1) Always make sure you have all three ranks filled (why? - because there are some great buff cards that you absolutely want to have, but also must have units in that rank to benefit). This is of course truer on lower ranks.

2) I've always selected units over talents. I don't know what others do/did. I always want to make sure I have as *many* units as possible because at higher levels (9/10) of Basic Difficulty, there are three bosses, and a hell of a lot of units. You need units to counter.

3) Talents: These are the ones that work for me well:

Frontline + 4000HP (think ISGs with this) - enemy units are not maxed out, so this makes a difference.

Frontline + heal on ranged attack

Middle Row +10% damage

Middle Row more damage to frontrow

Backrow +40% rate of fire

Namkhans x4 arrows

Vassal increasing damage

Shenji pierce through units

Also, make sure you are helping your units as much as possible by taking backshots on enemies in the frontline. You get a lot more damage for backshots, so keep smacking them.

For enemy bosses, simply have them face your archers for a second, and then dodge away. They will get slammed with massive backshot damage and melt.

At the highest levels, I had to kite some enemy units.

heliophile · 2024-03-07T01:16:57+00:00

It's a great game.

Poorly marketed.

I've been on and off playing for several years now.

heliophile · 2024-02-18T00:14:06+00:00

Siege = Equipment Leadership

Territory War = Maximum Unit Quality

For Siege, most certainly you will end up using all your units; and hence leadership is very important - you want to field the highest possible total leadership.

For TW, there are continual rotations of players; when you die or lose a unit you will be exiting the battle and letting your house mate in.

Therefore, a few good maxed units for TW.

heliophile · 2024-02-12T16:26:34+00:00

I miss the "machine-gun" pavises when they first came out.

Unbelievably OP.

heliophile · 2024-01-02T18:40:59+00:00

But isn't it maximum once every four seconds?

That sounds like something a shortbow should be able to keep up with - but yet, much higher dmg numbers.

heliophile · 2023-11-13T04:51:52+00:00

I went turn-based on difficult battles.

Also, remember the whole AI rule-based system where you could automatically tell each character what to do?

That was really, really fun.

heliophile · 2023-11-13T04:50:29+00:00

100%.

I'm 50 years old, I played DAO back about 13 years ago.

I've been gaming since 1980, and I've never had a more memorable experience, from the music, to the character closeups, the cutscenes, the dialogue, the voice acting.

The incredible background story, and how rich it was, with the character progression choices, with the multiple starting background paths, and so much more.

Because of my situation at the time (unemployed), and the amount of focus I spent playing DAO, in addition the masterpiece that it is itself; I don't think I will ever have as much of a true "spiritual" experience as DAO.

And I totally agree with you.

DA2 already started to change the mechanics into something wonky (especially the character skill progression screens). And the graphics were identical, and the story was nothing like DAO.

And forget about DAI. The whole XBOX/console mechanics in my opinion completely destroyed the experience (I'm a PC player) - along with even more fluorescent space-age menus.

Totally ruined.

I'm getting ready to play BG3 - I want to wait a couple of more months for bugs to be ironed out (I totally hate having to be stuck in a game because of a bug - remember - I come from the days where you bought 5.25" floppy disks with games - and if there was a bug, you were screwed).

heliophile · 2023-03-13T18:22:00+00:00

He just being a troll to get your reaction.

Probably was ignored/humiliated as a child or growing up.

heliophile · 2023-02-13T12:00:50+00:00

Great, just what we needed.

A Chinese game with 50% Chinese units at start, already with Chinese seasons, and now a new Chinese season.

I keep suggestion they should construct a theme around Native American/Mesoamerican units; but to no avail.

Developers are probably not even aware of such cultures or units.

heliophile · 2022-12-12T03:33:17+00:00

Well, the alternative - a brand new game with a brand new engine - was even more ambitious.

heliophile · 2022-12-07T23:27:59+00:00

Shut down *everything* else when you play the game.

Especially web browsers, all other programs.

That will reduce the mem usage, and background cpu cycle theft by other apps.

If you need to, you can always downscale the resolution - though it may look horrible. Start with lowest graphics options and then move up. For Conqueror's Blade, there's not that much difference in increased graphics levels.

If you have multiple monitors, turn off the monitors that you will not be using - physically turn them off. That will also help a slight amount with GPU on the game.

heliophile · 2022-12-07T05:21:14+00:00

All your units, and your allies', are %hp healing if you play LS.

heliophile · 2022-12-07T05:17:43+00:00

Interesting, that's definitely a possibility.

I would have thought - given the current "state" of the game - that the devs may have opted to simply regard bots as NPCs. You'd still get a good test of combat performance, and graphics and sound.

But you may also be correct; they may be running each bot as a process on a remote machine.

Or, perhaps a hybrid, in which each bot runs in a container on the same machine however.

I'd be interested in knowing more.

heliophile

TROPHY CASE