Q's Random Journal
May 09, 2008
Düsseldorf 2005 photos
Added photos from Düsseldorf to my Picasa Web Albums. Düsseldorf is located at the west of Germany on the River Rhine. I went there back in Feburary 2005 for roughly a week or so, including one afternoon in Cologne. The World Cup qualifying match between Germany and Argentina surely was awesome; I think I still have the flag somewhere back home.
Unfortunately there was no Kaiserwetter; the weather went progressively worse over the week, and there even was a mild snow storm the day I left! On the other hand (and ironically) England was enjoying one of the best weather I've ever experienced that day.
Link to Düsseldorf photos:
http://picasaweb.google.com/senorquentinos/DSseldorf2005
Unfortunately there was no Kaiserwetter; the weather went progressively worse over the week, and there even was a mild snow storm the day I left! On the other hand (and ironically) England was enjoying one of the best weather I've ever experienced that day.
Link to Düsseldorf photos:
http://picasaweb.google.com/senorquentinos/DSseldorf2005
Labels: Düsseldorf, photos
¶ Friday, May 09, 2008 0 comments
May 02, 2008
Battlegroup42 1.4 released
Being a betatester of a Battlefield 1942 mod called Battlegroup42, I'm happy to announce that the mod team's latest version 1.4 has finally been released after more than half a year's effort. Battlegroup42 focuses on adding new weapons, vehicles, and maps to the original game. Let's have a look at some of their new toys:
That's only a small portion of what they have to offer for this new version of the mod. Check out their website for more content and the forum.
If you do have a copy of Battlefield 1942 (and is updated to version 1.61) you can download the client files on this page. Be sure to download the EA community map pack as well. A lot of the maps are bot-supported, so you won't have to worry about not being able to play offline.
Website: http://www.battlegroup42.de
That's only a small portion of what they have to offer for this new version of the mod. Check out their website for more content and the forum.
If you do have a copy of Battlefield 1942 (and is updated to version 1.61) you can download the client files on this page. Be sure to download the EA community map pack as well. A lot of the maps are bot-supported, so you won't have to worry about not being able to play offline.
Website: http://www.battlegroup42.de
Labels: battlefield 1942, battlegroup42, mod, PC games
¶ Friday, May 02, 2008 0 comments
April 17, 2008
Code Geass footage leaked
According to Random Curiosity's article, a footage of the third episode of Code Geass R2 has been leaked to the public via Bandai Channel on 15th April. There were speculations that this episode, which is to be aired this Sunday, may have to be delayed or edited because of the leakage. Later on it is confirmed on the official website that it will air as scheduled.
The announcement has explained that the leak was caused by accidental upload of the footage on Bandai Channel during a system test against illegal video posts. Although the footage has already been removed from the official channel, the video has been distributed over the Internet like an epidemic.
Website: http://www.geass.jp
According to Random Curiosity's article, a footage of the third episode of Code Geass R2 has been leaked to the public via Bandai Channel on 15th April. There were speculations that this episode, which is to be aired this Sunday, may have to be delayed or edited because of the leakage. Later on it is confirmed on the official website that it will air as scheduled.The announcement has explained that the leak was caused by accidental upload of the footage on Bandai Channel during a system test against illegal video posts. Although the footage has already been removed from the official channel, the video has been distributed over the Internet like an epidemic.
Website: http://www.geass.jp
Labels: anime, code geass
¶ Thursday, April 17, 2008 0 comments
April 06, 2008
Gundam 00
The first season of Mobile Suit Gundam 00 is over for more than a week now. Directed by Seiji Mizushima (well known for Full Metal Alchemist and Shaman King) and with over 300 staff members, how does this new Gundam series fare?
Gundam 00, pronounced "Gundam Double O", sets the story in AD 2307, which is the first time a Gundam series is set on a non-fictional era. By that time fossil fuels are depleted, and humanity now relies on solar power generation systems supported by orbital elevators, each owned by one of the three major factions on Earth: the Union of Solar Energy and Free Nations, the Human Reform League, and the Advanced European Union. However, not all countries are able to enjoy the benefits of this system, and military conflicts emerge in various places for energy and power. Arising out of the conflict, a mysterious military organization known as Celestial Being appears, with an ambitious goal to eradicate warfare using mobile suits called Gundam.
The brand new gundam series has been quite an excitement for me, even though most of the staff (along with the director himself) are new to Gundam. Shown in HD (High Definition), the animation and graphics are above standard, especially during fight scenes. Combined with the music by Kenji Kawai, battles shown in the series are breathtaking with fluent animation and speed,
especially with the one-on-one duels and the fights towards the end. The politcal settings and backgrounds introduced early in the series are interesting and convincing, but they are soon forgotten near midway through the series. One interesting thing to note is that there are no real "good" and "evil" (with a few exceptions); the Celestial Being isn't necessarily the good side, nor the three factions are depicted as either extremes, which has brought the story away from being one-sided.
One concern I do have with the Gundam 00 is the lack of character development. The series tend to jump around a lot as it shifts from one character to another; some scenes or dialogs trying to show more about the character may become slightly forced to me. The protagonist Setsuna F Seiei doesn't seem too much like a main character (perhaps it's just me), and my impression of him has simply ended up as "I am the Gundam guy".
The series is divided into two seasons of 25 episodes, with the second season airing on this October. The first season ended up a little rushed and with some stuff left short, which is a bit of a pity for its potential. However, the epilogue has shown us new stuff to anticipate for the next season. Overall, this has been an interesting Gundam series to watch, and I really am looking forward to the next season. Until then, "my wishes over their airspace"~
Website: http://www.gundam00.net/
(Screenshots from http://randomc.animeblogger.net/) ¶ Sunday, April 06, 2008 0 comments
The first season of Mobile Suit Gundam 00 is over for more than a week now. Directed by Seiji Mizushima (well known for Full Metal Alchemist and Shaman King) and with over 300 staff members, how does this new Gundam series fare?
Gundam 00, pronounced "Gundam Double O", sets the story in AD 2307, which is the first time a Gundam series is set on a non-fictional era. By that time fossil fuels are depleted, and humanity now relies on solar power generation systems supported by orbital elevators, each owned by one of the three major factions on Earth: the Union of Solar Energy and Free Nations, the Human Reform League, and the Advanced European Union. However, not all countries are able to enjoy the benefits of this system, and military conflicts emerge in various places for energy and power. Arising out of the conflict, a mysterious military organization known as Celestial Being appears, with an ambitious goal to eradicate warfare using mobile suits called Gundam.The brand new gundam series has been quite an excitement for me, even though most of the staff (along with the director himself) are new to Gundam. Shown in HD (High Definition), the animation and graphics are above standard, especially during fight scenes. Combined with the music by Kenji Kawai, battles shown in the series are breathtaking with fluent animation and speed, especially with the one-on-one duels and the fights towards the end. The politcal settings and backgrounds introduced early in the series are interesting and convincing, but they are soon forgotten near midway through the series. One interesting thing to note is that there are no real "good" and "evil" (with a few exceptions); the Celestial Being isn't necessarily the good side, nor the three factions are depicted as either extremes, which has brought the story away from being one-sided.One concern I do have with the Gundam 00 is the lack of character development. The series tend to jump around a lot as it shifts from one character to another; some scenes or dialogs trying to show more about the character may become slightly forced to me. The protagonist Setsuna F Seiei doesn't seem too much like a main character (perhaps it's just me), and my impression of him has simply ended up as "I am the Gundam guy".The series is divided into two seasons of 25 episodes, with the second season airing on this October. The first season ended up a little rushed and with some stuff left short, which is a bit of a pity for its potential. However, the epilogue has shown us new stuff to anticipate for the next season. Overall, this has been an interesting Gundam series to watch, and I really am looking forward to the next season. Until then, "my wishes over their airspace"~
Website: http://www.gundam00.net/
(Screenshots from http://randomc.animeblogger.net/) ¶ Sunday, April 06, 2008 0 comments
March 26, 2008
Back from Taipei
I'm back from Taipei. As promised I will post some pictures I have taken. Too bad the sky's grey and dull for all the time I've been there, but the intense atmosphere of the presidential election have brought the city to a different level of experience.
Taipei is an interesting place; it has the atmosphere of Southeast Asia, yet it has
elements of Japan and Hong Kong culture to it. One thing worth noting is that it is a common tourist place for both Japanese and Hongkongers. What people go for in Taipei are usually the local food, books (Taiwan has a lot of publishers and sells books cheaper than Hong Kong), and sightseeing. By the way, some of the Japanese tourists I have encountered happen to be really fluent with Mandarin; I nearly had the thought that they could be Chinese tourists...
Meanwhile, the movie sequel of the swindler Japanese drama Kurosagi is hitting Taiwan this Friday. Promotional posters can be found everywhere in Shi Men district. The drama, originally based on a manga of the same title, was one of the top rated dramas in 2006.
Enough talking, let's bring on some of the photos here:
The rest of the pictures can be found here in Q's Random Photos. Oh yes, don't do drug trafficking in Taiwan. This sign will tell us quite clearly:
Link to Taipei Photos:
http://picasaweb.google.com/senorquentinos/Taipei2008 ¶ Wednesday, March 26, 2008 0 comments
I'm back from Taipei. As promised I will post some pictures I have taken. Too bad the sky's grey and dull for all the time I've been there, but the intense atmosphere of the presidential election have brought the city to a different level of experience.Taipei is an interesting place; it has the atmosphere of Southeast Asia, yet it has
elements of Japan and Hong Kong culture to it. One thing worth noting is that it is a common tourist place for both Japanese and Hongkongers. What people go for in Taipei are usually the local food, books (Taiwan has a lot of publishers and sells books cheaper than Hong Kong), and sightseeing. By the way, some of the Japanese tourists I have encountered happen to be really fluent with Mandarin; I nearly had the thought that they could be Chinese tourists...
Meanwhile, the movie sequel of the swindler Japanese drama Kurosagi is hitting Taiwan this Friday. Promotional posters can be found everywhere in Shi Men district. The drama, originally based on a manga of the same title, was one of the top rated dramas in 2006.Enough talking, let's bring on some of the photos here:
The rest of the pictures can be found here in Q's Random Photos. Oh yes, don't do drug trafficking in Taiwan. This sign will tell us quite clearly:
Link to Taipei Photos:
http://picasaweb.google.com/senorquentinos/Taipei2008 ¶ Wednesday, March 26, 2008 0 comments
March 21, 2008
Off to Taipei
I am off to Taipei for roughly 3 nights. Haven't been to Taiwan before, but I'm sure I'll find it to be an interesting place. Will come back with photos if I have taken any good ones.
¶ Friday, March 21, 2008 0 comments
March 13, 2008
CLANNAD x Ace Combat 6
What happens if you mix CLANNAD (anime adaptation of the visual novel under the same name) with Ace Combat 6 (Flight combat simulation game on Xbox 360)? Apparently you'll get this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoD4YbSBb8U
I personally haven't watched CLANNAD yet, but after comparing with the original opening I chuckled quite a bit. The creator surely have some random thoughts in his head, and it has somehow worked really well (for me at least).
Original opening here (with subtitles)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoD4YbSBb8U
I personally haven't watched CLANNAD yet, but after comparing with the original opening I chuckled quite a bit. The creator surely have some random thoughts in his head, and it has somehow worked really well (for me at least).
Original opening here (with subtitles)
Labels: ace combat 6, anime, clannad, random
¶ Thursday, March 13, 2008 0 comments
