GTA 2

Grand Theft Auto 2 is a video game that was released worldwide on October 22, 1999, by developer DMA Design (now Rockstar North); initially for the Windows operating system and the PlayStation console. GTA 2 was published by Rockstar Games. The game was later ported to the Dreamcast console and the Game Boy Color. It is the sequel to 1997 hit Grand Theft Auto. The PC and Dreamcast versions of GTA 2 are both rated M by the ESRB. The language and violence were toned down for the PlayStation and Game Boy Color versions. You're able to download this game for free on Rockstar's own website, just like the first game.

GTA 2 retained the overhead viewpoint of GTA, as well as the car-stealing and telephone-answering formula of the original. The player has the ability to explore cities on foot or in various vehicles. The aim is to achieve a certain score to proceed to the next district. Doing missions awards the player more points than any other method but are not essential for completion of the game. You'll also earn a score multiplier when completing missions.

A new feature introduced in GTA 2 is doing missions for separate gangs, of which there are two new gangs for each of the three levels of the game, and one faction (The Zaibatsu Corporation) which is present in all districts. Being employed by one gang will cause distrust from others (when working for gang 1 will incur the wrath of gang 2, working for gang 2 will cause enmity with gang 3). When completing missions for a gang their respect for you will gain. At first you can only do the missions that are least rewarded, but when you complete more missions for that gang (or kill opposing gang members) you can do missions that are harder, but also reward more money.

In the original GTA, only the local police pursued the player. In GTA 2, SWAT teams (four Cop heads) are introduced in the Downtown District, Special Agents (five Cop heads) are introduced in the Residential District, and the army (six Cop heads) is introduced in the Industrial District. These additional types of law enforcement begin chasing the player as his or her wanted level increases. The wanted level is represented by images of a cop's head just like the two other classics.

GTA 2 introduced an improved saving technique, unlike GTA, which saved only when finishing a level. When you enter a church with $50,000, a voice announces "Hallelujah! Another soul saved!". This notifies you that the game has been saved. If the player doesn't have enough money, the voice will say "Damnation! No donation, no salvation!". These lines are not heard on the PlayStation version. Other improvements pertain to city activity. Passing vehicles and pedestrians are no longer only parts of the environment, but actually play a role in gameplay. Sometimes pedestrians would occasionally enter and ride in taxis or buses. The game is noted for the behavior of its non-player characters. Pedestrians, gang members and the police would occasionally engage in fights, and there are other carjackers (always in green sweater) and muggers (always in red sweater) in the city.

This game introduces 'side missions' such as being a taxi driver, along with retrieving 'hidden' packages (GTA 2 signs), completing bonus levels and a health meter. Being a taxi-driver would earn roughly 1 dollar per second. When standing still, passengers could get out if they want to, and the earnings will stop, so if you don't stop they can't get out and you will constantly get money from them.

This is also the first GTA to feature a wide array of weapons to use, ranging from an electric gun to a rocket launcher.

Some weapons in GTA2 feature a Kill Frenzy mission when picked up, where a player has a limited amount of time to kill a certain number of people with a particular weapon loaded. Bonuses are rewarded (and an extra life) if the mission is successful. If a player finds a tank and gets in, a Kill Frenzy mission also starts.

Just like in Grand Theft Auto and GTA: London 1969 you'll get a bonus when running over a group of people with your car. A string of Elvis impersonators are sometimes spotted walking the streets. Their deaths are awarded with a large money bonus, followed by the line ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING.

The graphics of this game have been improved compared with Grand Theft Auto. Also, light effects have been added. The game can be played in two modes (only in the PC version), noon or dusk. On the noon setting the lighting is bright. On the dusk setting the game is darker, with multiple dynamic lights from explosions and car headlights. The Dreamcast version of the game can only be played in the dusk setting. The PlayStation version of the game can only be played in the noon setting.

To conclude this review: I liked this game, it has nice gameplay, can be addictive and it can also be a hard game sometimes. Since you can download this game for free on Rockstar's website you should check it out immediately.

Daily Thoughts 4/3/2010

The Owl and The Pussycat, an illustration by Edward Lear, 1871, from the Book of Nonsense II.

Daily Thoughts 4/3/2010

While I was at Barnes and Nobles, I saw a hardcover copy of Live Free or Die by John Ringo which is libertarian military science fiction. I went to Baen's webscription site to see if it was available as an ebook. The ebook cost $6 through their webscription service. There is a cover price of $26 for the hardcover book. I have already read several sample chapters in the ebook. Financially, it makes more sense for me to buy the ebook if I cannot find it at my library. Ebooks are cheaper than books if you want to buy something to read immediately.

I have been reading The Ruling Sea by Robert V.S. Redick which is the sequel to The Red Wolf Conspiracy. It is proving to be an enjoyable piece of fantasy writing.

A Better Pencil Readers, Writers, and The Digital Revolution by Dennis Baron

A Better Pencil Readers, Writers, and The Digital Revolution by Dennis Baron

Dennis Baron is a professor of linguistics at the University of Illinois. He is writing about how technology expands and creates new varieties of communications. He includes his own experiences with early computers, Wordstar, and word processors. He is writing about the history of technology from the point of a social scientist.

He starts with what it means to transition from an oral culture to one where everything is written down. I liked Plato's idea that writing everything down limits memory. Written records started as a means to record business transactions.

In succession we learn about the development of writing tools and methods; pencils, clay tablets, handwriting, typewriters, early wordprocessors and computers, and the modern digital revolution are covered. In each section there are interesting anecdotes. Henry David Thoreau designed lead pencils. Pencils are still the most used writing implement.

There is a theme that each successive generation of communication technology expands the variety and amount of communication that occurs between people. It does not necessarily improve the quality of communication or education. More people are reading and writing, not necessarily writing better things. Another analogy is the move from the letter to the telegraph to the telephone. There is more communication with more people. Is it better?

If we think of the Google Books Project for example, the objective is to make all the books in a number of universities and libraries available to the public. Because the book is in the library it must have some value and be scanned into a database. Initially the goal is to push all the information into one place. The attempt to organize and clean the data was not the first priority. The idea is that it is a good thing to have everything available. There are benefits and drawbacks to this approach.

Dennis Baron includes arguments for and against the advancement of writing technology. He argues that digital technology is another step in a continuous line of progress from the pencil to the typewriter to the computer. Is it good that everyone can now be an author? Are face pages like myspace and facebook safe places for people to communicate? Is Wikipedia a reliable source of information? We get a sense that how we choose to use the technology is as important as the technology itself.

A Better Pencil includes many illustrations, black and white photographs, and anecdotes. He quotes many different people including Plato, Sartre, Thoreau, Shakespeare, and many others. There is an extensive index and notes. The book is easy to read, well laid out, and entertaining. If you are interested in the history of the written word, this is well worth reading.

In my Easter egg

Just when it occurred to me that I’ve been shopping a bit too much lately (H&M is the bad guy!), and that I somehow have to put up some boundaries, I found a green top and a gorgeous necklace I just couldn’t resist…

BUT, I didn’t have to pay for anything myself this time. ^^ Like an angel from above, mami said that she would put them in my Easter egg instead of candy, since I barely touch that anyway. So now I’m sitting here loving Easter, haha.

Or in other words: I love Easter eggs :D

The kind of apple-green color I love and one of those necklace I've been looking for for decades...♥

Storm Brewing

Well, 10 days away and I've just spent the entire morning going through so many of the blogs I've missed whilst sitting at the exhibition.  If I haven't left a comment, I'm still getting there.  So, still no painting yet.  Or maybe I'm just putting it off - no I will definitely be going into my studio this afternoon, or at the latest, tomorrow morning.  This afternoon I may just have to watch cricket and rugby - it is, after all, Saturday!

So now I'm being brave and posting a painting that I did on a course I did in February.  This canvas is BIG (for me) being 40" x 30"!  It was done in acrylics and I find that I don't like acrylics anymore - they dry too fast, especially in the heat.  I did like the size though, but in the end, hated the painting. 

I was the only one who hated it - oh my sister didn't like it either.  Everyone else in the class thought it was amazing, but I don't know whether they were just being kind.

Anyway, because I haven't done a thing for 10 days, I thought I would let you have a look at what I call "A Red Mess" but actually has been titled Storm Brewing.

(What about 'Picnic Time for Red Teddy Bears' ??)

The Cadbury Egg - A Favorite Easter Treat

"Here comes Peter Cottontail...hoppin' down the bunny trail." Bringing Cadbury Eggs, I hope! Or, any kind of rich chocolate.

To my everlasting joy and appreciation, John Cadbury opened his first chocolate shop in Birmingham, England in 1824. Do you think he had a clue what an addicting little product the Cadbury Egg would become? Probably not, but how many of you out there have snuck into your children's or younger siblings Easter baskets to swipe one or ten?

At least our consciences can be clear knowing we're doing something really good for our moods, or bodies and our overall well-being. Chocolate, especially the dark kind, also gives us reasons to woof down dinner to get to dessert. Preferably a Cadbury Egg; a delicious combination of rich chocolate and creamy filling. Now, if they would just make dark chocolate creme eggs, I'd be in Heaven! Those little mini eggs just don't cut it.

So, what's your favorite Easter indulgence? Do you eat chocolate for pure satisfaction, or for medicinal purposes? (Yeah, right!)



Mary Cunningham Books
Amazon
Kindle
Fictionwise
Quake/Echelon Press

Mary Cunningham is the author of the award-winning, 'Tween Fantasy/time-travel series, "Cynthia's Attic," women's humor book, "WOOF: Women Only Over Fifty," and several short stories.

Daily Thoughts 4/2/2010

Reading and Writing Room on the A-Deck aboard Titanic.1912

Daily Thoughts 4/3/2010

I finished reading A Better Pencil today. It is an overview of the different technologies of writing covering pencils, clay tablets, typewriters, blogs, word processing, and other forms of communication across time. I will write some more about it tomorrow.

I took some time to go to the park today to walk around and look at the geese, the pond, the turtles, and the willow trees. It was relaxing sitting on the benches and walking around. Today was a very nice day to relax.

I felt like watching some nonsense today, so I watched Chariots of the Gods on dvd by Erich Von Damiken. It seems utterly silly today. There are better explanations for Easter Island, building the Pyramids, and Troy than they had when Erich von Daniken was writing his book. Jared Diamond's book, Collapse does an excellent job of explaining Easter Island.

Some people claim that Erich Von Daniken created his ideas from the fantastic horror writer H.P. Lovecraft which is rather entertaining. Still it was interesting seeing the various sites which he visited.

We do not get as many requests for books on pseudoscience, cryptozoology, and aliens as we used to. There are also a lot less requests for tea reading, esp, and astrology. People seem to be caught up in technology far more than they are in imaginary places. There are also a lot fewer requests for books on mythology and monsters. It is sad in a way. People have lost their sense of wonder. Science fiction is not as popular as well.

Maybe it has something to do with the loss of interest in the high frontier as well. People seem to be very focused on making money, learning about technology, and surviving. The every day things. It may seem odd that I would link this together. But, there is a turning inward from more abstract goals in the United States. A real loss of a sense of wonder. The United States has pulled way back on its space program while the Russian program keeps on moving ahead.

We are not buying that many books on space as well. There are still requests for books on the Apollo program. I am not seeing many new books being published either. Mainly people are interested in more immediate technologies, especially alternative energy and electronics.