Thursday, December 30, 2010

Geekyness Galore


If any of you hadn't already noticed... I'm a geek. Yes sir, I am one of those people who can sit in front of my computer, or game console, for hours on end to try to plow through the latest game I have acquired. And I love it! Especially Roleplaying Games. Those are my absolute favorites.

Almost all my life I have been around computers and games. My father and my brother have always been good at that sort of thing and I grew up with at least two computers always at hand. I used to play simple Children's games like uhm... Well, they were all Swedish so I'm not sure any of you will ever have heard of them. Anyway, I played Bygg Bilar med Mulle Meck, and later on also Bygg Flygplan, and the game version of Mysteriet på Greveholm. Those were my favorites, I think. So yeah, I played them a lot. And when I was not playing on my own, I used to sit and watch my brother play various games on his computer. One game in particular I remember watching him play was Diablo II. I did not understand much of it, of course, but he would do his best to explain everything to me. Back then, he always did that. I also remember sitting in the livingroom watching as he and his friends played Dungeons and Dragons. I was fascinated with the dice, in particular, they had such funny shapes, but I really liked to listen as their plots unfolded as well. I even used to sit there and come up with more ideas. Granted, I had no real grasp on anything they were doing but it was fun and my brother allowed me to stay.

He kept introducing me to more and more games. To be quite honest, he's entirely to blame for my love of RPGs.

IThe big break came when I was about... 12, I think. My whole family was visiting relatives in the mountains close to the Norwegian border. The main focus on the trip was skiing (because it's fun!), but in the evening we sat in my cousin's house and really had nothing to do. That is when my brother asked my father to bring out his laptop and they spent quite a while installing some game. I wasn't really interested at that point, mostly because it was taking so much time! There were no DvDs back then so any really good game had at least 4 discs that had to be installed. And, of course, there were plenty of things going wrong so it took even longer. However, after several hours, my brother called me back into the kitchen. He said he had a game he thought I would like.

That was the first time I played Neverwinter Nights.

That game kept me busy for so long! A lot of time was spent asking my brother to help and guide me through things, of course, but after a while I started to do pretty well on my own. I guess it runs in the family or something. My English improved drastically as I played and I read every single dialog word for word. If you haven't played NwN, there is a LOT of dialog in it. Plenty of reading for a 12 or 13 year old girl. But I didn't mind. I absolutely loved to see the whole story unfold and I was, in lack of a better word, addicted. I played and played and played, for about a year or so, I think, and then one day I had finished the whole thing. I had finished Neverwinter Nights, the original, as well as the two expansion packs Shadows of the Undrentide and Hordes of the Underdark. That is no mean feat at thirteen.

After that I was hooked.

Now, I am 20 years old, will turn 21 in February, and I have played through pretty much every single Roleplaying game I could get my hands on. Neverwinter Night is still my absolute favorite for one simple reason: the storyline was better than anything I have ever seen in another game. It was just so long and so detailed and... I can't even describe it. But it felt as if I really knew each and every one of the characters. The graphics are not as good as modern day games, but the story more than makes up for it. It was just a completely wonderful experience.

There are, of course, more modern games that I really like as well...

Knights of the Old Republic really played on both my love of RP and my love of Star Wars. It was an epic combination. Although it wasn't quite as long and detailed as NwN it was still a really captivating game. The new influence system was to die for and the characters were just so... alive. I could really relate to a lot of them and I even grieved when they died.

After KotoR, both I and II, I was introduced to Mass Effect by a friend of mine. I had told her of Knights of the Old Republic and she retaliated with ME. It was fair of her, I suppose. It took me a while to really grasp the concept of it, mostly because I was too busy struggling with the controls of her Xbox, and eventually I gave up. Console games just... really aren't my thing, not really. I only play them if they are on available for the PC. However, several months after my first introduction to ME... it was in the middle of summer and I was bored. I needed some new game to keep my mind occupied so I went into town and finally bought the game for my computer. Once it was installed and ready... Really, I had no chance at all. The story, the graphics, the voice actors, the soundtrack... All of it. It was too good. Needless to say, I sat there for two days straight until finally I had finished it all. I only left the computer to eat and sleep. Barely even that.

Mass Effect II was also finished within a couple of days of purchase and it was pretty much the same thing when Dragon Age: Origins had showed up. I got it, I loved it, and I wouldn't leave it until I had finished it. For some reason, it was a little trickier than ME but I still played through it in no time at all.

You may have noticed that all of the games are from Bioware. Or, actually, you probably haven't noticed. ^^; Not all people are as geeky as I am. Still, Bioware really do make the best games I have ever played. They all were, ARE the creme de la creme of modern Roleplaying games and I love them all dearly. I can play most of them over and over and over again until I have exhausted every single possible outcome and still want more. I suppose that is where they are all lacking. That is why they are still below Neverwinter Nights on my list of Best Roleplaying Games Ever. They are simply too short. The stories are good, but still not quite as long and detailed as those of the slightly older RPgames. I have played through them so many times now, but when I finally get to the end I still get that feeling of "That's it?". I want more. I think most people want more, but lately the companies making the games are too focused on the graphics part of the games that they seem to forget about the story. It really is a shame.

While nice graphics can do wonders for a game, it is still the story that matters the most. It's the story that keeps us hooked, keeps us playing for hours on end. Without it, we would surely grow bored and not finish the game at all. Still... I suppose these short games are good for something. They always leave the players wanting more. So, as long as Bioware, and all the other game-making companies, keep producing more games we will keep wanting to play them. Mass Effect I, for example, was so incredibly good that I could barely wait until they released the second game. And now I am impatiently waiting for the third and final part of the trilogy. So yes, I do believe these short games work in the companies' favor. However, if Mass Effect III will be as short and... lacking, as the previous two games I have to admit that I will surely be disappointed. The whole ME universe, with all its planets and races and characters, deserves a lot more than this. Well, at least that's my opinion. I don't know about you.

Right now, despite my own doubts about the length and depth of modern games, I find myself really looking forward to the sequel to Dragon Age: Origins. A couple of months ago I got my Newsletter from Bioware and it contained the trailer for DA II. I was completely blown away by that trailer alone and I knew then that I just HAD to have it. I mean, these modern games are still really good, despite being so short, and I really want to play them all. So yeah, right after Christmas I asked my father if he would help me preorder the game and he agreed. So in March next year I will, hopefully, be the proud owner of the Bioware Signature Edition of Dragon Age II. *happy squeal* I can't wait!


And uh, yeah... That was the whole point of my ramblings. I just wanted to tell you all that I had pre-ordered the game! Kudos to any of you who managed to read through all of that! *hands out cookies and cupcakes*

I still have stuff for sale, go buy people! Link

That's all for now~
Toodles!

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

FOR SALE~


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Baby, the Stars Shine Bright Floral Print Skirt


I absolutely love this skirt but I don't use it enough :( It it black with a wonderful rose print and it has a lot of wonderful lace and frills down the bottom. It also has a ribbon that can be tied at the back. Worn several times over the years since I bought it in Paris, but I can not find a single thing wrong with it. No stains, no tears, nothing.

Measurements:
Waist: 70cm
Length: 52cm
It has some shirring in the back but it doesn't stretch very far.

Price:
800SEK + Shipping

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Red and Black Corset


Bought second hand from my friend Tea. Worn only a couple of times by me. It is a very pretty corset and I am sad to part with it.
Back: Link
Price: 500 SEK + shipping
Size: 22"

~~~

Baby, the Stars Shine Bright Bustier


As good as new. Bought at Harajuku in Paris... two years ago, I think, and I have only worn it two or three times. Right now the ribbon that is supposed to lace up the back is missing, but I can replace it if you want me to.
Back: Link
Price: 700 SEK + Shipping
Measurements:
Max Bust: 85cm
Max Waist: 80cm

~~~

If you are interested please send me an email:
Imperialfiddlesticks@gmail.com

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Current Favorites - Innocent World

To try to stay on a slightly happier note I started to look around at various Lolita brands to see if they had anything I liked. Innocent World has, for a while, not really produced anything to my liking but now it seems they are back on track and I found a whole bunch of things that I thought were quite pretty. So, now I'm going to share them with you~

They have several new High-waisted skirts that I like, but none of them really look good on their models. This one, however, I think can look good if you just coordinate it right.

This pale blue color is just lovely.

I am a complete sucker for longer dresses nowadays so I would definitely get this dress in the blue color shown above.

Simple and absolutely gorgeous!

I have always loved Innocent World's socks. They are just so pretty!

Black and gold is a winning combination in my mind.

Another long flowery dress. I sense a pattern forming...

Stripes, stripes and more stripes!


I have so many blouses and accessories and socks in just black and white, or any combination of the two, that I long to get some in different colors. Innocent World are especially good at Navy and Bordeaux.

Even more stripes! I love the old feel of these blouses.


*cough* Stripes, highwaist AND a pretty print? How am I supposed to say no?

This one has great Steampunk potential~

This one is just dreamy. And the bustle in the back is something that Innocent World used to have on a lot of skirts and dresses but then just seemed to abandon. Fortunately, it's back! At least on this one skirt.


IW's boleros and jackets are to die for.
Enough said.




This looks so lovely when worn with one of their bonnets.

A bow in one of my favorite colors and a cameo with little birdies. Just lovely.

I can never have enough of their bonnets!


Have you noticed that I am a sucker for the color red yet?

More socks~ Once again in keeping with other colors than just black and white.




I really want a white muff and I loved that they had used faux sheep's fur instead of the normal straight haired fur.

Mmmmmm.... Red~
I love pretty gloves!

A collar in the same kind of fur as the muff.

Cute little chiffon wristcuffs.

And lastly a little navy ribbon brooch. With the same kind of crown as my pearlnecklace!

I am thinking of doing one of these lists with some other brands as well. Like Mary Magdalene, Victorian Maiden, Alice and the Pirates and so on. We'll see if I have the energy though~

Toodles!



Friday, December 24, 2010

Merry f*cking...

Photo by Amanda Light

Manners oblige me to say it, even though I really am not in the mood so here goes...

Merry Christmas! (Swedish Xmas is celebrated on the 24th)



I think today might have been the last straw for me. The season of giving is nothing but a hoax and have decided to give up on this stupid holiday. So yeah. I don't think I'm even going to bother with it next year.

Ow, my legs hurt. I spilled a cup of scalding tea on my lap earlier. Not very nice at all.

See you... some other day that is not Christmas. Mm.

Take care, everyone.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

I had the most horrible nightmare last night. I was actually crying when I woke up and that hasn't happened to me in... years. Now, ten minutes later or so, I still feel on the verge of tears but I have co recollection whatsoever about what my dream was about.

God, I hate my dreams.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Dollsized Treats

As you already know, I got quite inspired yesterday and I pulled out my old Fimo clay and got to work. This is all of the things I made for my own dolls. I figured they needed some nice treats for Christmas too.


The Christmas Treats
Gingerbread cookies, Candycanes and a very Swedish "Lussebulle", a sort of saffron bun with raisins.

Lolipops!

Macarons
I made the three pink ones last and I am the most happy with them, I think.


Chocolates!
I did not actually have any brown clay so I spent a lot of time mixing colors to get the shade I wanted. Now my fingers hurt.



Last of all, a picture of everything with a match so that you can see how big it all is.

Polymer Clay Miniatures


A few weeks ago I decided to be a part of a Secret Santa Gift Swap-thing that was arranged by a Swedish BJD forum. I just love being able to send off little packages and then wait to get some in return so this time I decided it would be nice to allow Yuki and Kaoru to send and recieve gifts for Christmas.

Unfortunately, things did not quite go according to the plan and I began to run out of time. The reasons for this varied, so I'm not going to bother explaining them. Anyway, I had very little time left and, while one of the gifts was done and wrapped, the other I had not even started on. Honestly, I had absolutely no idea of what to make. In the end (read: Yesterday ^^; ), I ransacked my brain for anything, and everything that might be suitable to make for a doll. It had to be fast, I had to have all the materials ready and well... I was stressed out so I didn't want anything too difficult.

I entertained several ideas like sewing something simple, like a cape or a bag or... I don't know. Also I considered buying some dollsized pens and a book, but I felt kind of horrible for even considering that since my other gift was completely homemade.

One thing that really interests me, but I had never done it before, was to make little miniature foods of Fimo clay. I still had some clay laying around from when I was a lot younger and used to play with it so I pulled it out and started experimenting. To get inspiration I looked online and found several pictures that I just found soo awesome.

And that is the whole point of this post. XD I just wanted to share them with you~


This is one of my very favorite pictures~ All made by the talented ChocolateDecadence at DeviantArt

Then, as I continued to look around I found these lovely little Alice in Wonderland themed cakes!

These are made by Sarah Maloney and I found them Here.

And these are by Melanie Navarro and I found them Here.

And finally these, by Betsy Niederer, found Here.


Oh and I'm not telling you what I ended up making for the Secret Santa thing, or what medium I ended up using! You'll have to wait until after Christmas! Besides... I forgot to take pictures of the things anyway... -.-;