Its been a while. A long while

As I am writing this I am actually in Japan crashing at one of my friend's place.

So what happened this year? Well mostly the same I can say, but it isn't really a good year to start with I can say.

First, one of my cousins passed away. It was pretty bad. The exact reasons I won't disclose but it is one of those things that you can see it tearing into that family.

Then work is well, work. Like the last post I did. I was generally pretty angry. What I can say is I couldn't agree with the direction of what is being done and things generally got worse. I wonder if I should say which I guess probably not. 

You know I realize there is a lot of things I couldn't say. So let me say something I can.

First I am moving to a new job starting Sept 24. Civil service. My short term plan is at least get familiar with the role then look for a place to study and get my college degree before I think of something else.

Currently I am in Japan, took no pay leave as I wanted to have that break before I start my new job. Besides it is not like my work is appreciated when I am there anyways.

For me it was weird like when I was at the airport, "maybe going over isn't that a great idea. I should like save the money for something else." I was literally guilt tripping myself. Once I got on the plane, that thought just vanished. I generally don't enjoy plane rides. It is hard to sleep and there's nothing to do.

While being bere, I am setting up some stream equipment which used to be my portable streaming setup. I have been thinking of really reducing time playing fighting games. Even with my new job I thought I want to like do something else. Also I really suck at fighting games and I seem to be reaching a place I can no longer get better. I do believe though putting more time and slowly learning I will get over that. It is just I want to spend time on other things. 

I thought I want to say something positive, I feel good now that I don't have to worry about carrying a phone with me or the servers exploding (something like that). The feeling you are like freed from a very heavy burden no one wants to take up.

I remember I had more I wanted to say when I was on the plane, it seems I have forgotten about them. I will note them down when I remember it.

That's it for now.

What boss said

I have to get this off my chest if not I be in agony. Basically my boss called everyone in and tell us that the company is not sure what to make of next year with Europe being in shit and other stuff.

So at the end of it, it came down to being more productive at our work. That just gave me a straight message that the MIS department is not getting anymore new operation personnel which I personally feel is becoming insane with the amount of new stores opening and the amount of projects and new to come projects coming next year.

I am already working extra hours on the daily basis to get things and I am already getting the fact that the company staff has a lack of respect for MIS personnel weekends by calling us regarding IT on a weekend.

So I like to end with a quote from Southpark. "Bail?" "Bail"

An experiment

I started a new twitter account called "unclekilTC" which stands for Uncle Kilvear's Training center.

I just started 31 years old 3 days ago from this post and I wonder how much have I slowed down in terms of reaction time, learning things etc. You know the general stuff about aging. I also like to test the idea that age doe not apply to video games since you are not using a lot of muscles save your arms.

So I decided that I would want to test this out by learning a fighting game that is not available here. Well I decided to learn 2 rather than 1. The 2 games are Chaos Code and Aquapazza. The character I will pick for Chaos Code is Kagari and Aquapazza is Tamaki.

The tweet feed I will use will have updates on what I learn and the notes about the characters and the videos I watched. So you can use and follow that.

All this updates and tweets will be on going till I go to Japan end of this year from 24th Dec 2012 to 2nd Jan 2012 which once I reach Japan I will post as much as possible regarding my progress, match descriptions and match outcomes.

So that's that. I thought I share a bit of the my gaming history so it can provide more background on the experiement.

I have been playing games since I was 9. I started fighting games around the time Street Fighter 2 first came out and did not get serious honestly until I hit my polytechnic days which was 17. Given the time I played I still consider myself by far slightly below average player (AKA scrub for those familiar with Fighting game terms).

I joined a couple of tournaments and also organized a couple myself. My tournament standing is pretty poor and probably only thing that I was like getting something was 2 Arcana Heart 2 tournament where I got second and first place respectively. This isn't a big deal as the tournament only had 9 entries and the best place was not in the tournament.

I have been to Japan a couple of times and I know the relative standard of players is pretty high compared to mine.

So the experiment begins.

Live Streaming

Recently I have been doing some live streaming on and off. It is for 2 purpose. First and more important is just a hobby purpose of messing around with some new tech and figuring how they work. Second trying to setup a game night kind of thing for  No game No Talk. The details for the second one will not come anytime soon. Well details are not even concrete.

Regarding well the hobby part. First off I like to say, all this video streaming thing made me realize 2 things (I wonder why it is often 2 things not 3). I learn a lot of stuff regarding video formats, types of video connectors, bitrates frame rates, terms used, video file containers, encoding format etc. It is a huge amount of information to absorb. I don't think this knowledge will net me any more money in my job but I do believe in improving myself and knowing more stuff. The saying goes "You become good at your job outside your job" assuming of course I earn from this which I don't.

Second thing is, all this equipment cost money. A lot of money. I lost count of how much I spent on the hardware but its like I am still lacking hardware to do some really good quality stuff. The last count I remember was nearly 3 thousand. I still lack another vital piece of hardware which is a sound mixer and a good mic which is clearly going to like cost another 500 bucks. 

This cost lots of money.

Also live streaming is like the cutting edge crap. If anyone actually asks me how to do it, I be like "I need to spend an afternoon at like my own place with you showing you how everything works". I was talking to Farp just today regarding some of the new stuff he recommended me to have a look. It is literally exposed PCB boards with PCI-E cards sitting on it.

Yeah that's how haphazard things are regarding the state of streaming and doing thing via your laptop for like tournaments. (Warning Tech mumbo jumbo ahead)

Invasion of cables. Lots of them

The setup I use is something like this. Xbox 360 into HD-Pvr into my comp via USB 2.0. On my computer (Running Windows 7 64bit) I would this software called SCFH DSF which is actually a software that captures the desktop at very good frame rate. You can google the name of the software but the page is in Japanese. If you wonder why I cannot capture straight from HD-pvr, the reason is HD-pvr doesn't not output what it captures straight into the computer. So it actually does compression on the hardware before it outputs to the computer via its own software. So I have to capture the output of the video of the software into FME. I also connect my webcam to my comp and launch my webcam software then I will make SCFH capture the video window of the webcam software then I will do some panel arrangements.

Anyways that's the general gist of it. If it sounds complicated, that is because it is. Definitely not for who casually wants to do streaming. The cheapest setup would still set you back at least a hundred. Again assuming you know what you are doing and what you need.

Handing over

I've been meaning to write this. As of last month I would consider myself have handed over the role of helping the community for round1 Blazblue Singapore.

Honestly I didn't think highly of what I did for the community. I grew up with low self-esteem and it didn't really go away. I probably got over that by not reminding myself how poorly I handle certain things aka not crying over spilled milk.

The last few months tiredness from work has really creep in and its slowly taking a toll plus not only affecting my health also affecting my general mood. Now I am even more cranky with the fact that I can't go on vacation anytime soon.

With that I realise I have done next to nothing for the community. I stepped down from active role from the community I can't remember like at least 4 months ago. I do want to at least do a Blazblue CS tournament for the folks.

Then for me the best thing happened, Farp informed me that Pablo is asking if he can take over doing the tournament. Well honestly this was the best for the community since first I wasn't very productive myself and I have personally have not been playing the game alot (not to mention my piss poor standard at playing the game now) and secondly the fact I strongly believe that I did a pissed poor job at it.

For me at this point I realise I should be teaching more folks how to run tournaments. I taught the folks who are running the Tatsunoko vs Capcom what they did need for video recording and live streaming. Akane taught about bracketing / seeding and the software available for Tournaments.

I don't think I should say I am relieve more I should be saying that the community is relieve that someone that has more energy and potential is taking over the active role of promoting Blazblue which I believe can be the third if not the second largest active fighting game community aside from Street Fighter 4.

I have no regrets handing over because I realize I am no longer able to contribute the amount of energy, time and effort into assisting the community. Again I wish all the best to the new folks taking up the job. I still be around if you need to ask questions (thought I believe you guys won't really need that).

P.S. Growing old sucks. I'm balding really quick.

Out of time?

Thought I write something since I finally get a longer weekend and not doing Thor's Hammer this week.

Well currently its Sunday evening already. I was playing Dragon Quest 9 abit. Strangely addictive. I guess I haven't played a traditional turn based dungeon crawler for a while already. This morning I actually had to head back to office to finish up some stuff since there are stuff that are unfinished. Not exactly having the best of luck when somebody iMac broke down right on a Friday evening.

Anyways SBO for Singapore is over and I'm was somehow caught up with doing some stuff for it. Pablo was there early part when we were setting up. I do have to show him more stuff about video next time for the Blazblue tournament coming in August.

Talking about that I got some special guests next Thor's Hammer and there be a some stuff about the new downloadable character Makoto Nanaya aka squirrel girl. Short take of her is that she is definitely not a beginners' characters. The fact that her combos need to be timed is not going to be newbie friendly. Having said that she has one of the most damage BnB combos outside Litchi (Litchi is just plain broke so she doesn't really count).

Just yesterday had a gathering at Sugar's place. Usually we do this like once in 2 months. Sugar's place probably the only place I know that has space for so many people. I tihnk we had like 15 people. I didn't count so somebody on facebook has to correct me on this. During the gathering I'm surprised that some of the folks doesn't understand some of the terms or techniques used by top players to ensure combos don't drop and how godly Sako (One of the top players in Japan) doesn't use tricks like double tapping to do 1 frame link combos.

Here's 2 videos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVmo0_5bByo
The first one is Sako's Cammy versus Mago's Feilong. Less than 20 seconds in the match Sako already scores 2 different 1 frame link combos. And checking his inputs he doesn't exactly "mash" or piano his inputs. Its just really well time inputs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzuBGS7U35Q
The second one is an old video of Sako's play for Vampire Savior. Not too long from the start of the second match. He almost finished Bulleta's infinite. Also the start of that infinite is his forward forward jab. Again that's like 1 frame links in between and he does 5 in a row.

I thought I wanted to write that out since people missed it during the gathering also for Hannybal the beat'em up I was talking about is this game > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Pilgrim_vs._the_World:_The_Game
The release as written on the wiki is 10th August on PSN and 25th August XBLA.

I thought I close this one with the fact I cannot go for vacation until November this year the earliest which I told my boss I rather go in January 2011 because plane tickets are through the roof in December. With that I bought my new laptop first instead. A photo of it and P.S. the videos I took yesterday I will pass to you guys soon.

My teamspooky email

If you send them earlier than this post, please resend them as I was experiencing problems receiving emails from it. Again apologies to the folks sending the email.

P.S. Did you guys go to the SBO qualifiers today? If not you should. Register your team!

If anyone wondered......

If anyone wondered why I don't rage on blogs or complain, usually I see those 2 things are pointless. First if I complain online who would want to read that. Next I always feel it is more productive to actually do something about it or if I can't do anything I rather spend my time on something else. Time is always short for me. So....no rage or complain posts from me unless there's some point I want to write and help me think about.

Its the eyes!

With E3 just over and most video games becoming either 3D over motion control. Genres catering to the American market which centres around FPS. I notice I'm becoming fast irrelevant for this industry as JPRG and even Japan as is slowing against the giant tidal wave of US market being the main driving force for game development.

I am personally prepared to drop video games when video games are no longer relevant to me.  There will be some sense of sadness when I do. Afterall I did spend a good part of life doing it, I will not feel that its the end of everything I love as I know it. It will still  be  part of something I love doing and still love doing.



Location : 18 Scotts Rd,

OK why does nobody know about this

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16 April 2010

Games played : 14
Games Won : 0
Games Lost : 14
Game against CPU : 0

Annoying fact

I can writes posts to Blogspot through my Nexus 1 with a blogging app but I cannot amend the entries I did using the online editor in blogger with my Nexus 1 browser. So I end up stuck with the stuff I wrote on my phone and I have to transfer it through my Gmail then copy and paste it from there. If you wonder why I don't draft my entries on the blogging app in Nexus 1. The app doesn't sync the drafts that is on the Nexus 1 to the ones already created on the server and vice verse.

ARGH! I EXPECTED BETTER!

Here's why I can never join google.

I've been fascinated with Google and their products. Well I do hope one day I can join them though after reading this article here I doubt I can.

http://www.businessinsider.com/15-google-interview-questions-that-will-make-you-feel-stupid-2009-11

Among there are some of the simpler questions like "Why are manholes covers round?" I couldn't even answer.

With this questions it is no wonder Google always comes out with very interesting products. I guess for me the that would be one of the goals. To be able to join Google maybe someday.

Again t-shirt from zazzle.com
http://www.zazzle.com/simpleton_university_tshirt-235540337927466001

I'm not canned dogs

For people wondering, I'm not aiming to be like canned dogs. You know Zepy's blog. He covers a good range of topics related to anime and general Japan only games. Also I will never be able to be like canned dogs because I don't live in Japan.

I would want to offer how video games appeared when I started from my childhood all the way to adulthood. Currently in the progress of researching history of Singapore's gaming culture. That would take me sometime to write. I would like here to appeal to folks who have been playing games like me since a long time living in Singapore. I would say more than 15 years of playing Video games to email, IM, twitter, facebook etc I like to ask some questions.

And of course Singapore's gaming culture would be rather interesting to talk about. Since we did have a big of dark spot when we started like most Asian countries. Until then I be moving my office in 2 weeks time and I be burning my weekends from 17 April all the way till mid May at least.

Updates will be sparse during those periods. Worry not I will update as much as I can.

And of course here is Zepy's page
Canned Dogs

My favourite April Fools on the internet 2010

Hey it was fun while it lasted. My top picks for April Fools this year.

• http://www.arcsystemworks.jp/official/oyadosu.html
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K-5ZYG8WDg - Virtual Fighter 5 final showdown
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OwPyE1ovSo - Bayonetta 2D video
• http://xkcd.com/unixkcd/
• http://us.blizzard.com/diablo3/community/merchandise/gamerblanket/index.xml - seriously I would buy this
• http://www13.plala.or.jp/french/uso2010.htm - Yay more skystage

Noted that is more geek related or gaming related. Another well done April fools for this year. Well I don't have anything great to create for April fools. Maybe I will leave a small budget for April Fools next year.

Well done internet.

Shirt from Zazzle.com
http://www.zazzle.com/you_fool_t_shirt-235122825075960385

1st April 2010

Total meltyblood games played : 28
games won : 4
games lost : 24
games against cpu : 0

Annual most important internet day

Today is the most important internet day of the year. Well in fact every year. Failing to comprehend this fact will lead to one or more of the following (not in any order) :-

- Severe Anal evacuation
- loss of pride
- people around giggling and pointing at you
- looking at the ground at a sense of loss
- unable to control the sense of deja vu coming every waking moment of the day
- reminds you of High school / Polytechnic / Junior college days
- uncontrollable itches

Enjoy the rest of the day and godspeed for those who can't

Holy motherload of gaming websites.

Back then there were like only a handful of good video game websites. Now look at this list I just randomly conjure out of my head in 15 minutes.

1. 1up.com
2. ign.com
3. www.hardcoregaming101.net
4. www.screwattack.com
5. www.gametrailers.com
6. gamespy.com
7. kotaku.com
8. joystiq,com
9. qj,net
10. thegameheroes.com
11. escapist.com
12. gamespot.com
13. gamefaqs.com
14. destructoid.com
15. the-magicbox.com

This list is just mainly gaming news. I have not even included the gaming blogs, official sites of the games, amateur video skits about video games or ones that center around certain genre of games or even one game series even. Honestly even this blog of mine is related to video games. God damn video games everywhere on the internet.

Wow and a quick second post

I just notice my profile isn't updated and my age is apparently 253 LOL

It's a start

At this point of time, I'm actually in the process of moving my office. I've started packing most of my equipment in the store into the boxes with the help of interns. Awaiting to do some disposal so my department doesn't have to move so much stuff (big grin) still I be burning at least 3 weekends.

So the off days add up I be able to go to Evo without taking much leave. Even right after the move the department will be busy until least the end of the year. My boss is back at his position and things are moving alot. New systems coming in etc. I guess if I look what I benefit the most from this move is now my office is much easier to commute. The down side is I better start packing food to work. Orchard road isn't a cheap place to eat.

I haven't been practising much Meltyblood. I would need to play against some guys soon. I really need to train up before Evo. Also got to keep Mabinogi going as well. Until then.