Reading: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Last movie watched: Atonement
Listening to: Epica
Playing: Perimeter
Mood: Nostalgic

I NEED to play a RTS. I really need to play one! After playing God of War III I'm in need of a serious, old-school, build-farm-and-castles-and-walls-and-little-soldiers-in-order-to-destroy-the-enemies-fortress-game. I tried to install Empire Earth II, Stronghold II and Empires II - Dawn of the Modern World but I can't install them! Empire Earth II has a problem in the end of the install process, Stronghold II doesn't recognize the disc and Empires II has the same problem. I even installed the Settlers: Heritage of Kings but I died of boredom. Then I installed Perimeter, the most difficult RTS I've ever played (and I've played a LOT of RTS) and I'm stuck at level 11 :|

I really needed a new, good RTS. A kind of Rise of Nations II or Age of Empires IV. I'm just waiting for the next two Starcraft games but what I really needed now was an old-school medieval RTS. I'm sad that nowadays the gaming companies aren't investing as much in RTS, there are a lot of fans that need to play their old games.

Hugs!

Mariana

Since the proliferation of the videogaming industry throughout the world, many psychologists, researchers and scientists have evaluated the benefits and disadvantages of applying a videogaming experience to our day-to-day life. Videogames, however, can be looked down upon by parents, who consider them time-wasters and inducers of violence, aggression and revengeful behaviours, as well as promoters of wrong values and promiscuity.

My message is the following: don't worry if you spent hours of your life playing "Age of Empires", "RollerCoaster Tycoon", "Black and White", "Rise of Nations", "Civilization" or even "World of Warcraft". Perhaps your rear got incredibly sore but your brain and career might thank you in the future for it.

"'We're finding that the younger people coming into the teams who have had experience playing online games are the highest-level performers because they are constantly motivated to seek out the next challenge and grab on to performance metrics,' says John Hagel III, co-chairman of a tech-oriented strategy center for Deloitte. Hagel has been studying the effect that playing videogames has on the performance of young professionals in the workplace."

In CBC news

Rise of Nations

Civilization

Black and White

RTS and Business Strategy games can edify high order thinking skills such as problem solving, multitasking (In strategy games, for instance, while developing a city, an unexpected surprise like an enemy might emerge. This forces the player to be flexible and quickly change tactics.), resource management (the player learn to manage resources that are limited, and decide the best use of resources, the same way as in real life), plan formulation and execution (games simulating stressful events such as those found in battle or action games could be a training tool for real-world situations), interpretive analysis and strategic thinking (gamers must deal with immediate problems while keeping their long-term goals on their horizon).

There was a study which included adults who were randomly assigned to either the video game group or a comparison group that received no training in the game. Over 1 month, the gamer group spent about 23 hours training in "Rise of Nations", an off-the-shelf video game where players seek world domination. Ruling the world, the game group learned, requires a complex set of tasks, including military strategy, building cities, managing economies and feeding people. Study participants who trained in the game ended up improving their scores in several areas of a battery of cognitive tests.

Action-oriented games like First Person Shooters are also good for your career and day-to-day life, as they improve your reactions and prime the brain to make quick decisions.

Another study pitted two groups of against each other in a problem-solving exercise: those who had played fast-paced action games versus those who had played slower strategy games such as "The Sims 2." The results: those who had played the action games "made decisions 25 percent faster than the strategy group, while answering the same number of questions correctly."

The scientist who lead the research team says: "Action game players make more correct decisions per unit time. If you are a surgeon or you are in the middle of a battlefield, that can make all the difference."

So now you know:

Parents, don't prohibit your children from playing videogames. If the time is well managed they will gather essential skills for their future career and dealing with problems with their day-to-day life, as well as managing better their time, money and resources.

Videogamers, don't think that you waste your time everytime you sit on the couch playing your games. If you schedule your time, you may gain abillities that will help you with your career and improve your leadership and management skills.

Reading: The Court of the Air
Last movie watched: Avatar
Listening to: Sims 1 soundtrack
Playing: Assassin's Creed
Mood: Cheerful

Hello my friends!

I am doing a project in my Philosophy cla$$ in which I have to give my opinion - as well as the general opinion - about the legalization of drugs. I have to explain the pros and cons and give an overall point of view about the subject.

I would really love to hear your opinion on this: do you think drugs should be legal? Why so? And I am talking about every kind of drug, including heroine, cocaine, methamphetamines, ecstasy, opium, etc.

Thank you for your help! :)

Hugs!

~Mariana

Reading: Kushiel's Chosen by Jacqueline Carey
Last movie watched: Avatar
Listening to: Sims 1 Soundtrack (So damn good, my friends... so damn good)
Playing: God of War III
Mood: Cheerful

I missed my GS anniversary! :( It was on March 18 (my boyfriend's birthday :P)

Well, if it were today, I would take the chance to thank all my friends here on GS. You've been very supportive of my problems,my day-to-day life. You've always been here for me, no matter what!

I will now post an excerpt from my other blog (which wasa tribute for my GS friends) because I think that it resumes everything I feel about virtual friends :)

"I think that one of the purposes of Internet is too make every user anonymous. While we search and wander through the Internet we stop being "us" and are just another user, with no backstory or "past". However, I believe that when someone becomes so involved with other internet users (as I am with my dear Gamespot friends) I find that learning more about others becomes essential. Even if this is incredibly bizarre, the truth is that you all have been present in every moment of my life since I started blogging here. I believe that's the power of writing: people get involved in our history, wanting it or not."

I've shared so many ideas with all of you. Some of you even showed me new things, things that I've never thought about! Virtual friendship is truly amazing. It brings culture from other places to your day-to-day life. And it isn't just information that you absorb, it's something practical that you apply to your life.

Thank you my friends! :D I hope everything's great with all of you! :)

Cheers!

Mariana

Reading: Kushiel's Chosen by Jacqueline Carey
Last movie watched: Ratatouille
Listening to: Wicked Game
Playing: God of War III
Mood: Tired

I don't know what to think guys. If any of you have one or know someone who has one please tell me: is it worth the money?

I've always been fascinated by portable gaming platforms. I had my first GBA when I was five years old. Of course this 3DS catch my attention - if not for the 3D option at least for the better graphics. I am not planning on buying it for the next two years - Nintendo will eventually cut on the price and produce a better model: a 3DS light or a 3DS slim or something like that. But even if the price is cut on 100$, do you think it will be worth the money?

Other bad thing is that we can't test the 3D with our own eyes without owning a 3DS. So I don't know what I'll be expecting if I ever end up purchasing on.

What's your opinion guys? :)

Hugs!

Mariana

I'm so mad! How come I haven't been here for months?!
And I even promised you all, my friends, that I would be more active on Gamespot!
I am so pissed of right now! I hate to break my promises, I feel awful!

I haven't played in a while, too. It's bad. Please someone do something so I can regain my passion for videogames! :x

And I even received PM's asking if I was ok... I cannot believe I disappointed my virtual friends. They are real friends just like all the others in real life.

Please, please forgive me! I will not promise again I will be more active because I am now afraid of breaking my promises... but at least I will swear I will try!

Reading: The Name of the Wind by Peter Rothfuss
Last movie watched: The last Samurai
Listening to: Metallica
Playing: Resonance of Fate
Mood: Optimistic

Hello guys! :D How have you been? I'm feeling better and I'm glad all of you were concerned about my illness.

I also have to thank you for the support on my last blog's subject. Since I've read your comments I've been much more patient towards my friend and try to see her perspective from HER point of view and not mine. After all, we should respect other's opinions and perspectives about life even if they don't match our own, isn't it right?

Last week I've bought two new games from amazon: God of War III and Bayonetta. Actually, not having these two games is quite embarrassing, since they received such good reviews. I hadn't the time to play them yet but as soon as I do I will let you know about my experience :)

My blog will be quite short since I have maths test tomorrow and just arrived home (it's 8 p.m. here in Portugal right now). So I will have to say good-bye for now my friends :)

I hope you're all fine!

Hugs,
~Mariana

Reading: Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey
Last movie watched: POC
Listening to: Nirvana
Playing: Resonance of Fate
Mood: Sick :(

Hello guys, how are you today? Actually I am feeling sick. My head hurts a lot and when in school during the day I couldn't concentrate. My drawings at Art Cla$$ turned out like crap!

I wanted to talk to you about one of my friends today. I have been her friend for the last 10 years but there's something about her that I can't understand. She's so spoiled! Her family is rich and they spoil her so much that it really annoys me. And I am not talking about spoiling a daughter with presents and money. I am talking about morale.

We are in the same Art cla$$ and I'm constantly hearing her complain about the cla$$. She hates the teacher, she says he never helps her out, she says he doesn't explain the various drawing techniques and he rates her work pretty bad.
Here in Portugal the rating system is from 0-20. A 20 corresponds to an A. My friend has marks of 9-11 in her Art cla$$

I swear you that I don't get. She complains so much about the cla$$es but she's so damn lazy! She doesn't work for anything. Her school work is effortless. She doesn't fight for a mark, she doesn't study for tests. I think that she doesn't even care about entering a public college because she knows her parents will pay the private.

I don't understand. Even if we have many possessions and money, it doesn't mean we should stop fighting for our dreams and our passions. You will never be a good artist if you don't pay for it. Like Michelangelo said, "If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful at all". It's true. There's no artist without pain, sweat, blood and tears. Does my friend really want to be an artist? Without effort, will she be able to?

What I wanted to tell you all, my friends, is: FIGHT! Fight for your dreams! Fight for your passions! Fight for your ambitions and for your purposes. You only have one life so fight to achieve what you want to achieve and fight to be what you want to be. At the end, all the effort will be worth it :)

So my friends, are you all fine? :)

Hugs!

~Mariana

I had many, many people asking me for my deviantart account. I created a new one, so here it is:

http://hundredhighlights.deviantart.com/

I started working on photoshop for the past few weeks so I warn you that what I do is still very poor. In my past accounts I used to work with pencil on paper but this is the account for my digital art and manipulations.

If you want to read my blog, it's the last entry.

Cheers!

~Mariana

Reading: Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey
Last movie watched: Madagascar
Listening to: Sting
Playing: Resonance of Fate
Mood: Optimistic

First of all I want to wish all my Gamespot friends a great 2011. May all your wishes come true and may all your plans for this year to be accomplished :)

Secondly Iwill apologise to those that PM'd me only to wish my a great christmas and that I didn't reply back. I am very, very sorry and I appreciate your concern!

ThirdlyI will talk about the topic of my blog entry. Reader, it is unknown if I am the only one that makes 100 New Year's resolutions and only manages to accomplish five until the end of the year but about one thing I am sure: I lacked no honesty when I promised myself that I would be more active in Gamespot in 2011.

I think I have been overwhelmed with school: They ask too much of us, specially in an arts course.

I also have to explain to those that do not live in Portugal: After we reach Highschool, we don't chose specific subjects to study - we chose an area of subjects. There are four: Economy, Sciences, Literature and Arts.

As a student of theArts I havethese subjects: Arts, Philosophy, Portuguese (as first tongue), English (as second tongue), Philosophy, Geometry, Physical Education and Mathematics B (which are an easier and more compact version of Mathematics A). As you cansee almost none of my cla$$es are theorical. I don't study Geography, History or Economy. Arts and Geometry, which are my main subjects force me to "study" all the time. In Arts I have to draw and paint, and draw and paint, and once again DRAW and PAINT in order to have good grades. Yes, you may think it'seasy and a very good time but I assure you - it's not. Because when you have to study for a theorical cla$$, like History, you open the book and study it for the rest of the evening, and, if you study the right way,I promise you are going to have a good grade in your test. In the subject of Arts you don't even have tests. You are being constantly evaluated. It's a very big pressure.

So, enough with this! You're probably tired of hearing my babbling (this is, if you had the courage to read everything on the top)

With all this speech, I just wanted to say that I promise I will be more active this year. You don't have to PM me anymore asking: Mariana, where are you? I promise I will be here for you, at your disposal :)

On with the game news:

I am offering Resonance of Fate a little break and I jumped into Uncharted 2 - and finished it in one day. Jesus,I love that game! It has a simplegameplay system, an Indiana Jones story, those cliched relationships and dialogues that we all love. The cinematiques are amazing, the variety of the gameplay is extraordinary and since the first minute of playing it's all pure fun. It doesn't even has those frustrating moments that make you jump to Gamefaqs. Go to the options menu and play on very easy (I did that when those monsters first appeared on the scene).

Which brings us to Demon's Souls. God. The most frustrating game I ever played. Friends, I have tried! And I tried it hard! But I can't. I searched the four corners of the internet in search of a better and easier way to play the game. Everyone told me to chose the Royal cla$$ at the beginning of the game, which I did. But guess what? There I was, patrolling the corridors of the Boletaria castle when a dragon just bruned the heck out of me!

I will admit: I am a pampered gamer. I love save points and those comfortable checkpoints. I love to chose the option of playing a game in a very embarassing very easy mode. I even love those games where you never die (like Fable II or Prince of Persia). Which is a shame really: Demon's Souls looks like a very good game and has very impressive dark thematics. But I can't handle it. To do the same all over again and not even earning some experience points.

Well my friends I really hope to hear news from you :) I miss you all my friends!

Hugs!

~Mariana