The Defias Blog

I love it how so many people in the MMO gaming community seem to think that they know the magic solution that every game should have in its design to make it the omgbestestevar game on the internet.

Sure, we all have our preferences. Each of us likes some aspects of every game and dislikes others; each of us has our opinions (for example, I’m not thrilled about the Skirmish system and I believe it will have detrimental effects on existing PvP in Pirates of the Burning Sea). But, the next time you should find yourself getting ready to say something about how stupid the developers of [insert game title here] are for doing or not doing [insert change implementation here], ask yourself this question:

Where is the MMO that YOU developed, got published and are supporting with personal investments bolstered by contributions from other investors and subscription fees. Don’t have one? Okay, well how about the one you have in BETA? No? Oh…

With the birth of the new Defiant server, the end of the Invincible server, and the opening of server transfers coinciding with said server actions, Antigua has seen an influx of new blood from multiple servers which has led to Nine Winds growing to the point where our leader, Haven Iomane, saw fit to promote two of our most helpful captains to the Leader rank.

Meanwhile, I’ve been experimenting more in-depth with a Privateer and Freetrader in the French nation on the Blackbeard server. Nothing exciting there, and I haven’t been playing Stephen MacKenna to engage in any fun piratical acts.

In other news, I’m kind of ‘in the air’ as to how I feel about tonight’s Series Finale of FX’s “The Shield.” I was really, really hoping that Mackie would’ve found some way to get Ronnie out of the gutter without screwing himself over. I did expect Shane to eat his gun, but I didn’t expect him to kill his wife, son and unborn daughter…

I know, pretty far outside the scope of an MMO blog, right? Maybe, maybe not!

I know that most of the MMO gamers playing EVE and PotBS (in other words, not the happy elf games) are adults with jobs, responsibilities and people to shop for during the holiday season. So when I saw this post opp come up about a one-day-only Sears Super Saturday Sale running from 7:00am to noon on Saturday, November 22nd (while quantities last), I figured I’d go ahead and share it with you guys!

This Saturday, they’ll be offering several deals in addition to the general sale prices already in effect this week, including (but not limited to):

• 60% off on all Outerwear and Sweaters
• An extra 15% off all fine jewelry (which is already 40%-70% off)
• Kenmore Progressive vacuum cleaner featuring their new Intelli-clean system. Sale $229.99 (save $70)
• Craftsman C3 19.2-volt 3-pc combo tool kit including drill, saw and lamp. Sale:$89.99 (save $50)

This particular One-Day-Only sale, again, is limited to the hours between 7am and noon on Saturday, November 22nd and is only good while supplies last. In other words, if they’re out of those C3 3-pc combo kits, don’t expect a raincheck for that special price! My advice to you all would be to get there as early as you can Saturday morning to take advantage of some great prices as you start making your Christmas shopping rounds!

If you’ve never been to Disney World in Orlando, words cannot truly begin to describe the atmosphere they create there. “Magic” has become the standard, of course, but in a world where magic doesn’t exist, even that word struggles to convey the spectacle! When I was 12, my family visited the Magic Kingdom section of the humongous park and had a blast; unfortunately, we didn’t know that to see all of Disney World is a week-long affair because each of the six parks easily takes a day (or more) to fully enjoy (and that doesn’t even include Downtown Disney, Cirque du Soleil or any of the other ‘extra’ attractions at the Disney World resort).

This year, I want to go again to experience the wonders of a Disney Christmas extravaganza. I’ve heard so much about Disney World during the holidays, but never had the pleasure. After all, it’s so expensive to visit the Disney World resort (a 3-day stay will run you about $600, and that’s not counting airfare and/or gas and all of the other expenses!). But if one is so inclined, and looks hard enough, alternatives can be found!

This year on select nights between November 10 and December 19, WDW is throwing a party called Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, incorporating “everything you love about Christmas plus the unforgettable fantasy of the Magic Kingdom® Park.” For me, this is pretty significant as the title of the event seems to herald the end of Old Navy’s Chrismahannukwanzakuh nonsense and a return to the Holiday Season I grew up with: Santa Claus, Rudolph, Frosty and everything else that Christmas brings! The celebration features:

• Castle Dream Lights
• Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade
• Live Disney Character stage shows
• Character greetings throughout the Park
• Complimentary Cookies and hot cocoa
• Snow on Main Street, U.S.A.

Now, while all that is well and good, it still doesn’t help the expense. Yes, we’ll still have quite a bit of cash to dole out, but there are easy ways to find discounted airfare and hotel accommodations during the holiday season. But discount Disney tickets are a different story, and I’ve found just that! You could pay the Day-of-Entry prices of $55.95 plus tax (Ages 10 and up) and $49.95 plus tax (Ages 3-9) for adults and children respectively, or you could check available dates at OrlandoFunTickets.com and pay up to 25% less. I know the economy is bad right now and money is tight, but we’re hoping we can find a way and, if you can, I urge you to do the same. There is no place in the world that provides as unforgettable a family experience than Disney World in Orlando.

Rumor has it Santa himself might visit Mickey’s Party!

A couple of days ago, I passed on an interesting bit about how the US Department of Defense, among other things, is planning to test new Artificial Intelligence technology in human interaction with strangers via MMO games such as EVE-Online and World of Warcraft. Now it would appear they’ve been at the forefront of development for a blade-free eye surgery. Recently, retired US Navy captain Steven Schallhorn, M.D., stated that clinical research performed on behalf of the Department of Defense and NASA indicated that LASIK technology has by far exceeded established standards for safety and effectiveness.

Modern LASIK, known as the iLASIK™ procedure, used two lasers instead of the single laser used in early incarnations. In the first stage of the procedure, “wave-front” technology (which was the subject of a report published by Dr. Schallhorn and co. at the American Academy of Ophthalmology) maps the patient’s eyes. Then, an ultrafast, computer-guided laser creates a corneal flap. This laser replaces the handheld blade used in older forms of LASIK! After the flap is created, the wave-front mapping data guides a second laser for vision correction. The combination of these advanced laser technologies creates a custom-fit procedure clinically proven to provide excellent visual results with the added safety of a blade-free surgical procedure.

To date, 95% of military personnel who have undergone the new iLASIK procedure have achieved 20/20 vision. All naval aviators who have had the blade-free eye surgery have said that they would recommend it to others. According to Dr. Schallhorn, “technologically speaking, there is no better time than now to join the over 12 million Americans who have benefited from LASIK.”

For more LASIK information, visit www.ilasik.com.