Fairies and Unicorns Online: Everquest II: Echoes of Faydwer review
Fairies and Unicorns Online
Everquest II: Echoes of Faydwer
Sony Online Entertainment
by Henry Edward Hardy
Echoes of Faydwer is the latest addition to the Everquest II online multi-player roleplaying game. Set in the fantasy world of Norrath, the Everquest and Everquest II online games offer the player the chance to portray a fantasy character such as an elf or troll in a fantastic computer-rendered fantasy landscape. Sony’s Everquest game once dominated the online fantasy game industry, but was eclipsed by Vivendi’s World of Warcraft.
Everquest II is now the flagship offering of Sony’s online games. In Everquest II (EQII) the emphasis is on slaying monsters and solving quests. Players may choose to become craftsmen, traders or tinkers in addition to their primary, combat-oriented profession such as troubadour, necromancer, or ranger. Everquest II generally is more rewarding of a more thoughtful, cautious approach to gaming than Warcraft. Warcraft seems to be more international in scope, with a huge player base in China and south-east Asia, whereas EQII players tend to be American. EQII players tend to be older, and less “hard-core” than WoW players.
Guilds of players in EQII are more apt to be “family” type guilds emphasizing social interaction rather than “raiding guilds”, though both types are common.The graphics and sound presentation in EQII are excellent. The musical score for most zones is pleasant and perhaps a bit Aaron Copeland-ish. Server operation and reliability is not ideal , but is above the rather low standard set by most such games. Customer service is a notable deficiency. The new Everquest II has recently moved to an entirely web-based customer support system which is maddeningly difficult to use if one has a default browser different than Internet Explorer or has set any recommended security settings in Explorer higher than the default.
Echoes of Faydwer introduces to the world of Everquest II the continent of Faydark, where butterfly-winged fairies glide among the forest platforms. With its towering forests, white-marbled cities and not to forget OMG unicorns!, EoF seems deliberately aimed to a more social, age and gender diverse audience than the rather saturated 15-25 male age group to which most games appeal.
Everquest II is excellent for family play, casual play and solo play. There are a number of sites offering Everquest II information such as everquest2.allakhazam.com and the official site at everquest2.station.sony.com. A free trial is available for download.
A version of this article was previously published in Current Magazine and on Electric Current.
Copyright © 2007 Henry Edward Hardy
Literary Bohemian on Fear and War
Literary Bohemian has a really nice essay about the war(s). This brought a lump to my throat, probably because I miss my own brother so much. The Kevin Tillman letter about his brother Pat gets me for the same reason I suppose. God bless you and watch over you and your brother both, and us all.
I’ve been thinking a lot about war lately –perhaps because the President’s State of the Union address happened recently or because there is talk all over the internet and the news about going to war with Iran. Mostly though, I’ve been thinking about war because my little brother is on a ship at this very moment, destined for the Middle East.
More at: Fear and War
See also: After Pat’s Birthday
Copyright © 2007 Henry Edward Hardy
Michael Ledeen flies down the Memory Hole and Comes Out Smelling Like A Rose
Nice rundown on Michael Ledeen’s “down the memory hole” trip to discovering he had in fact, always opposed the Iraq war! The neocon rats are fast abandoning this sinking ship.
Michael Ledeen: The Best There Ever Was
Much of the blurghosphere is gaping in slack-jawed amazement at Michael Ledeen this afternoon. And rightfully so. Others in the right-wing’s core of frothing foreign policy lunatics are spectacular liars, landing the equivalent of double and triple axels with ease. But Ledeen has flown far beyond what anyone had dreamed possible for human beings. Behold, the nonuple axel of lying:
I do not feel “remorseful,” since I had and have no involvement with our Iraq policy. I opposed the military invasion of Iraq before it took place and I advocated—as I still do—support for political revolution in Iran as the logical and necessary first step in the war against the terror masters.
WOW. Let’s rewind the tape and watch that one again in slow motion.
More at: A Tiny Revolution
Neo Culpa Vanity Fair article that sent Ledeen diving down the memory hole
Namebase entry: Michael Ledeen
Michael A. Ledeen, Freedom Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute
Michael A. Ledeen profile on Rightweb
Michael Ledeen at Sourcewatch, Center for Media and Democracy
Michael Ledeen (wikipedia)
The Power of Nightmares: Film-maker Adam Curtis Uncovers the Truth (and Lies) About Terrorism. This BBC three-part series features some interesting interview clips with Ledeen.
Copyright © 2007 Henry Edward Hardy
Scanlyze response to ‘Army Suspends two NYT journalists’ on ‘Conservative Thoughts’
Conservative Thoughts has a bit on two journalists associated with the New York Times who have been “suspended” by the US Army for their reporting from Iraq:
Army Suspends two NYT journalists
My response to CT:
So the New York Times shouldn’t post any picture or video of someone dying? Only happy news, then?
Or is the issue that they showed an American soldier dying?
This war, which has cost the lives of thousands of Americans and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, is supposed to be covered without ever showing anyone dying?
This family should be a LOT more angry with George W. Bush and the US Congress who wrongfully sent their son to be killed in an illegal aggressive war on the basis of lies, lies, propaganda, and more lies. Waging an aggressive war was one of the four main categories of charges at the Nuremberg Trials after World War II for which the Nazi leaders were imprisoned, or in most cases, executed.
Images of dying soldier renew war coverage debate Houston Chronicle, January 31, 2007
Marjorie Cohen Aggressive War: Supreme International Crime Truthout
Copyright © 2007 Henry Edward Hardy
Support our Rapists and Murderers in Iraq (aka ‘Support our Troops’)
More disturbing (but unsourced, unverified) evidence of how ‘the troops’ have been conducting themselves in Iraq.
What was the most fun things?
The most fun thing, umm….definitely the women.
Yeah? They had chick insurgents, man?
No, they didn’t have chick insurgents.
Something goes down, they just grab everyone around, you know, fuck em. I mean, you gonna have 35 trials? No, you know. People are like, “Oh they’re innocent.” You know what, I don’t give a fuck. As far as I’m concerned, they’re all guilty. You know what? They should have kicked Saddam out themselves. Instead, we’re there doing the fucking job. We’re losing guys…
Were those people in the World Trade Center guilty? No. Fuck them. They fucked us, so now we’re fucking them. Fuck them, dude, anyone with a fucking rag on their head is fair game.
….girl, she was probably like 15 years old. Yeah, she was hot dude. The body on that girl, yeah, really tight. You know, hadn’t been touched yet. She was fucking prime. So…
One of the guys started pimping her out for 50 bucks a shot. I think at the end of the day, you know, he’d made like 500 bucks before she hung herself.
Video: http://www.alternet.org/blogs/video/47472/ at Alternet posted by Evan Dercacz.
Transcript: Abu Ghraib video transcript: Alleged Former Abu Ghraib Guard Discussed Gang Rape in Video from Iraq Slogger
See also, Hadji Girl on Sheldon Rampton’s blog at PRWatch sponsored by the Center for Media and Democracy.
Copyright © 2007 Henry Edward Hardy
About Scanlyze
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Scanlyze is an online magazine of essays, commentary, satire, and analysis. Were we half as clever, for inspiration we would take Mark Twain, Ambrose Bierce, Swift, Montaigne, or Seneca.
“The men who create power make an indispensable contribution to the Nation’s greatness, but the men who question power make a contribution just as indispensable, especially when that questioning is disinterested, for they determine whether we use power or power uses us.”
John F. Kennedy, October 26, 1963
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