Up late talking games & writing? You're...

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Baby: Quick update on the OB situation from the last post-- we went into the doc’s office today and as the nurse was doing the vitals on the wife, she asked if she was feeling all right, and what happened.
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I was a little surprised that this nurse knew about our situation, so I asked her how she knew. She stated that she was standing next to the person who had denied my wife care as the phone call was happening, and knew that this staffer was giving the wrong advice. Unfortunately, she felt as though she didn't rank above the woman on the phone and didn't want to contradict her. I appreciated her inquiry, but I would've appreciated it even more if she had stepped in to correct behavior she knew was not proper.
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A few minutes later, the OB comes in and when I ask if she's aware of what happened, she says she has no idea. I recap it for her, and to her credit, she agreed that the staff person's refusal to take my wife's blood pressure was absolutely the wrong call. I told her in no uncertain terms that I felt this particular incident reflected badly on the office, and that nothing of the sort would be tolerated in the future. She agreed.
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I don't think anyone's going to get fired over it, but the doctor said she would have a very frank discussion with that person and instruct them about what the proper procedure for a potentially serious situation like ours would be in the future.
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It was the answer I was looking for and I'm glad that the doctor was in line with my thinking, but I have to admit that although it was appropriate, the resolution was not very satisfying… nobody's head rolled (at least, in front of me) and no blood was spilled. It was kind of anti-climactic, really.
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Games: I finished Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune last night, and although I took copious notes and intended to dress it down in a formal review, after a good night’s sleep, I realized I just don't care enough to make the effort.
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will you remember me in six months? didn't think so.

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Overall, it was a shallow, trite game that brings absolutely nothing new to the table. Even worse, it swipes wholesale from other sources. The thin exploration and puzzle elements are reminiscent of Tomb Raider, although nowhere near the same level of intricacy or design. The gunplay feels a bit like a Gears of War lite, and there's far, far, far too much of it. The story and setting crib from Indiana Jones (or perhaps The Librarian instead), yet the generic white-guy main character doesn't have a tenth of Indy’s charisma, not to mention the half-baked plot never comes together.
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Honestly, I don't even understand what Naughty Dog was going for here. There's no ‘hook’ or unique identity to the game. Make a few easy jumps, kill a million mercenaries, and travel from scene to scene with very little drama or suspense. Graphically it's fairly strong, but it fails to deliver in every other category… sort of like a videogame equivalent to being a Jack-of-All-Trades. It tries a few different things, but doesn't do any of them particularly well.
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In other PS3 news, I started Valkyria Chronicles tonight, and although I'm quite early in the adventure, it's easy to see that it's definitely a quality undertaking. The action-oriented spin on traditional SRPG design is very much appreciated, and it's extremely easy on the eyes.
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On the downside, the story (so far) hews closely to the typically cliché Japanese-Style Political Conflict outline that a lot of games in this genre share, but it's not terrible. There are also a few odd things about it, like the way only certain objects can be used as cover, or the way a defensive bonus granted by a blocking stack of sandbags remains in effect even if you sneak up behind the hiding person and take a shot squarely at the back of their head.
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Even so, Valkyria remains a vitally fresh attempt in a genre that is especially stale, and it's definitely keeping my attention. One-hit-kills on my tank from behind are definitely a bummer, though.
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Writing: My co-author and I have ironed out most of the remaining kinks in the new book’s plot, and it's progressing nicely. Still need a title, though. Anyway, I should probably stop blogging and get to it… Got another 40,000 or so words to go.
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