Imagine if both outcomes of a coin toss represented unmitigated tragedy. Then, imagine that we had created a comic about just such a scenario.

When screens began to pour out of SOE for Everquest II, I suggested that they were leveraging a powerful piece of rendering technology, but what was being rendered was devoid of any life or character. Flip through the "art" book for the game next time you're at EB, stuck in line behind the guy with all the Goddamn trade-ins. You won't understand why they went through the trouble of binding a book like that. The images that accompany your standard Harry/Malfoy slashfic resound with more vigor. I neglected to relate to you a comment I received when I made the original remark, but it's pretty awesome, so here you go.

I'm surprised he was able to complete an entire mail to me without accidentally inputting some kind of EQ macro. His assertion was two-fold: one, that I was incapable of making a legitimate statement about Everquest because I hadn't played it for four years like he had. Maybe I am a weirdo, but I don't consider myopia some kind of cardinal virtue. Anyway, he can have that one. I'd hate to see him bring that kind of dedication to bear finding my home address.

The second part was interesting though, because it details the vast cataract he had to develop and maintain in order to keep playing his game. He said that Everquest looked bad on purpose, and that this purpose was explicit: so that unlike WoW, the graphics would not obscure the rich gameplay. Also, he noted, the graphics being bad made it so you could invest the characters you created with your own notions as opposed to some (apparently evil) artist at Blizzard who is trying subconsciously to subvert your imagination.

I have some experience with World of Warcraft, so this is a topic I can speak on. I did not find my character looking fly to hinder my investment in any way. I would submit that it is probably not Blizzard's fault if you are so inert creatively that you can't identify with your little analog on the screen. I loved my avatar in World of Warcraft so much that I actually stopped playing, knowing that they'd just wipe him, no better than the rest of that stale data. I recognize that makes me the worst sort of beta tester, but it was quite real. I knew they would take him away. I couldn't bear to like him any more than I already did.

(CW)TB out.

the corpse you really love

Our friends over at Garrison Titan will be at the Toys 'r' Us in Bellevue collecting toys for Child's Play, from 10am to 4pm here's the address:

103 110TH Ave NE
Bellevue, WA 98004-5805
They'll be in full Imperial regalia, which is really something to see. At any rate, Gabe and I will drop by about noon and stay for a couple hours just to hang out. Hope to see you there. Unless you live in New Zealand, or something.

(CW)TB

I got this letter from a reader named Michael this morning, and I just wanted to share it with you guys. I'm sure you get a lot of worthless thank-you e-mails constantly, but I felt like I needed to let you know how great of a thing you are doing for all those sick kids.

February of this year I was diagnosed with leukemia, and due to my age (I was 19 at the time), they decided to treat me using the children protocol. Well, I've spent a great deal of the last year pissed off more than I ever thought I could be, and not even at the fact that I got sick. It was that all these kids who were barely old enough to ride bikes or write were dealing with life-threatening disease. Every time I went to the hospital for my treatments it broke my heart to see a child in pain.

The kids who stay in these hospitals have absolutely nothing to entertain themselves. At the University of Michigan Hospital where I was treated, there was one N64 with Banjo Kazooie and Mario Tennis, not exactly the most extensive library of games. These sick kids absolutley love playing the games while they are being treated, though. As I watched them play with game boys and smile genuine smiles it hit me just what a great thing the Child's Play Drive you ran last year was. I donated last year, and I've given this year as well. I'm trying to get as many people to help as I can, because what you are organizing and running is undoubtedly what I consider the most important thing that happens all year now.

Just an update on the Michael's condition, he has finished his eight months of intensive chemo and now he's just in maintinence. He says the cancer has been in remission for a while and he'll be going back to school next semester. We wish him the best and we appreciate the letter.

-Gabe out

Gabe just had a great idea - if you're one of the people that "adopted early" and picked up a DS, why don't you go ahead and bring that son of a bitch to Toys 'r' Us on Saturday. You probably have the same problem we do, you think it might be kind of a cool device, but you don't have a bunch of people to dig in and really try out that wireless functionality. We'll rock the Hunters for a while, see how it goes.

He also suggested we could all play Pictochat, but I don't know if he was being serious.

(CW)TB