[rehab.is.for.retards]

So the game at www.vilecity.com – one of a host of games from Final Motive, is a text based click multiplayer online. The whole game takes place in your browser and you can play “maintenence style,” just logging in for a few minutes at a time a couple times a day, or less while still having some reasonable amount of fun. The game is free, with real-money micro-payment benefits available.

Of course, if you clicked into this post, you probably already know that.

Let’s talk about the lag. If you have been playing Vile City lately, you probably noticed a heavy and at times debilitating lag in the play. If you are also new to VC, then you probably don’t know that this happened a little while back, as well. If you notice the player count, at the bottom of the screen, it hovers around 600 active players, especially when there are slow game play times. The first time, the amount was around 240. They responded with server upgrades, and things went swimmingly, until now.

So the good news is this: Vice City is becoming more popular. Why is that good news? For one, you get to keep playing, ‘cuz they keep getting more money (so they won’t go out of business!). For another – there are just so many more little innocent n00bs out there to pluck millions from, as they learn that Vile City is not such a nice place to be a n00b.

There have been some rocky times lately in VC as the server lags led to a brew of glitches that completely screwed over some players and seemingly harmlessly benefited others (not always as one at the cost of the other). These included:

• Vault Item Glitch – which caused problems with items going into and out of Gang Lending Vaults
• Blank Name Glitch – which allowed users to go around attacking others without any identification

There were other bugs, not disclosed by the GMs so as to avoid further misuse and abuse. On that note, the GMs take cheating very seriously and ban cheaters with little or no remorse. Even if you have paid for one of the month long bonus packs, they will not think twice of a ban, if you are positively identified as a cheater/scammer.

Finally, a note of the benefits of being an active player of Vile City: They recently announced that there would be a prize given out to the most active member, within a given period of time. Actually, the top 10 most active players, from that period, were placed in a raffle, and the winner was chosen randomly. You can view the raffle here, in Youtube, where the game operators placed the video of the drawing, for the sake of fairness.

What was the prize? A Playstation 3 and a bluray disc. W00t!

So, back to the first point of this post: will the lag stick around in Vile City? I say give it a little while, and they will address the issues, even if it means upgrading servers. They are faithful overseers of the city, as always.

If you want to join the game, you can create an account from the home page http://www.vilecity.com/ or you can be a chum and use my referral link: http://www.vilecity.com/index.php?r=17206 , which gives me some in game benefits.

Maddo

Please, check out this section of mp3 downloads of all your favorite classic tv shows from Slacker Up! at this page: http://www.slackerup.com/TVThemes/index.html.

Here’s a short list of their offerings:

• The X-Files
• Knight Rider
• Night Court
• The Kids in the Hall
• Married with Children
• Animaniacs
• The A-Team!

If you’re phone can take mp3’s for ring tones, you are set to impress your retro-minded friends.

I had to give this wizened woman her due with a link to this video of her singing and playing guitar on stage. As her voice croons out the raspy lyrics of the old tune “Freight Train” her yet nimble fingers pluck out the tinny melody on an acoustic guitar which sits on her lap like a slightly too old but loved grandchild.

Amazing to see, a gift to the sentimental and jazz lovers alike.

And if that isn’t doing it for you, enjoy the razor wit of a commenter who asked the apt if not sarcastic question: ” Was this by any chance the first blues song ever written?”.

This video parody pretty much speaks for itself, and ties in nicely with the Youtube and Star Wars themes which have developed on this blog.

By the way, if you still haven’t seen the funniest Star Wars parody video ever made – check check out the Star Wars special from the guys of Robot Chicken (Seth Green and Matt Senreich)

Enjoy : )

Myth War really delivered for me 6 months ago. After a frenzied search of the “top games” sites, I walked away with a link to the client download for Mythwar by IGG (Internet Gaming Gate http://www.igg.com/ ).

I gave them many long nights and Saturday afternoons, until my schedule demanded that I give it a break. After a hard drive melt-down, a new laptop and a change in my free-time, I decided to give them another try.

Getting back into the game is tough, since like most role playing games the beginning can be slow. However, I already see how I was drawn into the game so deeply the first time: the parallel quests and quick party formation functions keep you wanting to play, even if you are a weaker character.

The graphics are not exactly WOW – this game uses an isometric third person view, but they still manage to dazzle from the game splash screen to the meandering and sometimes dark levels.

I still don’t know what the higher level play is like, and I want to see if later in the game is affected by items which are purchasable with real money, since I want a completely free experience.

If you are in the market, time-wise, for a new MMO and don’t want to pay anything, check out Myth War.

http://mw.igg.com/modules/download/index.php