Freedom!
I have a month off work, and precious little to fill my time with. Suggestions?
( Jimbuktu See? Right here, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:01, 63 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

Do you like computer games.

(PsychoChomp, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:03, Reply)

I'm not averse
but not really got into anything for years now. I need a new x-com.
( Jimbuktu See? Right here, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:05, Reply)

Dawn of war II has got a bit of an xcom feel to it.
Only a bit mind.

The UFO games are very xcom like. If a little tough.
www.play.com/Games/PC/4-/3388807/UFO-Trilogy/Product.html?ptsl=1&ob=Price&fb=0#
(PsychoChomp, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:18, Reply)

There is some kind of fan project
I think it might be this: ufoai.sourceforge.net/

Anyway it's free and not too bad. Could be worth a blast. I'm a big fan of strategy games though and waste too much time on the Total War series and recently Supreme Commander.
( whenanimalsattackhumans clad in global hypercolour, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:23, Reply)

Have you played the sup com 2 demo?
SQUID WITH LASERS ON THEIR TENTACLES?!?!?!??
(PsychoChomp, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:25, Reply)

Haha - no.
However I have seen some footage on youtube and it does look bleeding tremendous. I only installed SC yesterday after a couple of years off, and I've found out that I'm terrible at it. (still).
( whenanimalsattackhumans clad in global hypercolour, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:29, Reply)

The second one's out on friday, it looks a bit simplified.
I can't wait.
(PsychoChomp, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:30, Reply)

Have you played the demo for Heavy Rain?
It looks quite fun, I couldn't quite get my head around the controls though!
(Flim-Flam the Magnificent "You is talking loco and I like it!", Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:34, Reply)

I haven't yet, I didn't want to turn on the ps3 yesterday
I might give it a bash tonight.
(PsychoChomp, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:37, Reply)

Well apparently its only a date issue with the PS3, it thought it was a leap year or something!?
You can just change it manually... according to one of the doods at my work... although I'm not sure whether to believe him!!
(Flim-Flam the Magnificent "You is talking loco and I like it!", Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:40, Reply)

The problem only affected it yesterday,
it was an error in the leap year calculations. But it doesn't have a problem today. Stupid sony.
(PsychoChomp, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:43, Reply)

Ah I seeee
Stupid Sony indeed. Still makes a change from it being stupid Microsoft I suppose... I say that, I'll go home tonight and the xbox will burst into flames!
(Flim-Flam the Magnificent "You is talking loco and I like it!", Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:44, Reply)

All companies are stupid.
I think I should run every company in the world, then it'll all be sorted.
(PsychoChomp, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:51, Reply)

This is clearly the answer,
I’ll vote for you Chompy, so long as I get copious amounts of freebies
(Flim-Flam the Magnificent "You is talking loco and I like it!", Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:55, Reply)

Heavy Rain
if you've played Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy (same game), the controls will be simple(r).

It's from the same people, using the same system. Does take a while to get used to though.
(bamboozled Can hear you getting fatter, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 14:06, Reply)

Ah I seeee
I was struggling a bit with the demo, I have small hands so I was struggling to hold down buttons whilst stretching to hold down more buttons! :(

I need great big banana hands!
(Flim-Flam the Magnificent "You is talking loco and I like it!", Tue 2 Mar 2010, 14:12, Reply)

That's good,
just bought a new graphics card to go with the triple core Athlon II, so hopefully should run alright on low/mid graphics settings.
( whenanimalsattackhumans clad in global hypercolour, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:36, Reply)

The demo runs faster on my pc than the first one did.
Still looks great too.
(PsychoChomp, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:38, Reply)

Now you're teasing me

( whenanimalsattackhumans clad in global hypercolour, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:42, Reply)

Nope, they've dropped the polygon count so you can have more units on screen at once without it slowing down.

(PsychoChomp, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:44, Reply)

Ooh sounds like a treat!

( whenanimalsattackhumans clad in global hypercolour, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 14:39, Reply)

Sweet
Thanks. :) That said, if the sun stays out I might spend a month in the real world investigating things...
( Jimbuktu See? Right here, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:29, Reply)

ha, yeah the sun's going to last.

(PsychoChomp, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:38, Reply)

It will it will it will
not
( Jimbuktu See? Right here, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:54, Reply)

Cure cancer

( Peej, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:08, Reply)

Good call!

(Flim-Flam the Magnificent "You is talking loco and I like it!", Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:09, Reply)

Indeed
If only it would happen. Kezas mum has just been told she probably has Colon cancer but they won't know for sure till after the scan next week. Its a scary time for her.
( Peej, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:11, Reply)

Crumbs
That is scary! :(
(Flim-Flam the Magnificent "You is talking loco and I like it!", Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:12, Reply)

She's only 46 too

( Peej, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 14:54, Reply)

That's horrible,
but was it colon cancer they are trialling a drug for at the moment? I'm pretty sure it is.
( Jimbuktu See? Right here, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:13, Reply)

Probably, they're trialing dozens of cancer drugs all the time.

(PsychoChomp, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:29, Reply)

shave your cat

( Lisette von Falcon, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:21, Reply)

I don't have a cat.
Maybe I should buy one just for that. On a semi related note, my mum used to use our old dogs' hair to make a jumper for me once. It was horrible and itchy, and rather unfetching.
( Jimbuktu See? Right here, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:31, Reply)

you're fucking with me

( Lisette von Falcon, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:52, Reply)

Wow,
is this what they call online sex?

Unfortunately not. I got a scarf once too. It was only a phase luckily
( Jimbuktu See? Right here, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 14:11, Reply)

Why don't you go out of your house and see the world?

( girlinthehole, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:37, Reply)

Don't be daft, I'm sure he's got Google Earth for that...

(LongJohnBaldry, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:38, Reply)

I like to use lonely planet
to experience the world.
( whenanimalsattackhumans clad in global hypercolour, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:43, Reply)

I like to use lonely moments
to experience myself.
(LongJohnBaldry, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:45, Reply)

pfft.

( Jimbuktu See? Right here, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:45, Reply)

This is what I am thinking.
I have Winchester and Bournemouth lined up, though might visit Manchester cos I've never been there. I also hope to visit Stafford for coffee tasting reasons, which is my geekout of choice. Suggestions elsewhere?
( Jimbuktu See? Right here, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:45, Reply)

If, like the average /offtopic male, you like to imbibe quantities of diverse and high-quality real ale
Have a warm-up pub crawl in Winchester. It's quite good for that. Then head to Manchester with a Good Beer Guide, on the proviso that I shall accept no responsibility if you return with liver cirrhosis.
(LongJohnBaldry, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:48, Reply)

Really? Interesting.
I've been loving Flying Dogs' Doggie Style recently, though tried some Brew Dogs' Trashy Blonde the other day which is pretty similar. Any pubs in particular or is there a good choice?
( Jimbuktu See? Right here, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:51, Reply)

My experience of Manchester
was probably a little biased as I was taken there on a pub crawl by some friends who live up there. But all the same, I got the impression they could have just blindfolded me in the town centre and let me scoot off in a random direction and even then I'd have stood a good chance of ending up in a friendly boozer with a fine selection of grown-up beer on the bar.

Edit: Should also add the disclaimer that I was particularly impressed as a fan of darker beers (milds/stouts/porters) which are much easier to get hold of in the North than they are for Southern Fairies like myself.
Edit edit: I think the most striking difference about Manchester, for me, compared to London, was that in the city centre, there's much less of a distinction betwee "bars for trendy young arseholes" and "pubs for old men." They seem to have a lot of straightforward "pubs," and in most of the good ones you actually see a very good balance of young and old and the atmosphere is so much less cuntish then any London equivalent.
(LongJohnBaldry, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 14:12, Reply)

I like different beers in their own season, it is spring now so that means lighter beers. Belgian beers are my real fave though.
( Jimbuktu See? Right here, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 14:19, Reply)

I'm sure we went to a couple of places that stocked a lot of Belgian stuff
But I was on local stuff for the whole day so I wouldn't be able to remember where they were.

Still, if you're in London, have you checked out the Dovetail (Farringdon) or that place in Camden whose name I can't remember?
(LongJohnBaldry, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 14:23, Reply)

I am far from London
Though it is easy to get to. I'll look out as I may pop up to see the tate again. Thanks!
( Jimbuktu See? Right here, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 14:48, Reply)

I'm from Winchester.
Hope this helps.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 13:55, Reply)

Immensley
Actually, I'm looking at moving there. How shit is it?
( Jimbuktu See? Right here, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 14:00, Reply)

It depends how old you are.
For the under 25s and over 40s it's great - but somewhat dull for those inbetween. There are millions of pubs - but they are either for the young'uns or the older types.

It used to be a mecca for alternative types but no more - the teenagers are just mini-adults from what I could tell.


EDIT it is a beautiful town (if you like history it is simply incredible) surrounded by beautiful countryside, but by my late teens I was desperate to leave due to its goldfish-bowl style social scene. If you haven't grown up there it might be better.

I once won a calligraphy prize for an illuminated manuscript I drew: it may still be on view in the Great Hall. This should swing it, I would think.

EDIT 2
Bournemouth is rammed to the gills with pensioners and is the most CCTV-covered town in the land. AVOID.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 14:07, Reply)

ooooooooh winchester, is Goodfella's still open? I'd quite like to see big mike

( Lisette von Falcon, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 14:11, Reply)

I'm afraid I simply haven't the foggiest
what you are on about Kristine.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 14:13, Reply)

yeah, the next town over from us is Winchester
but...over here...not over there
( Lisette von Falcon, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 14:26, Reply)

Hmm, I'm in between,
but as I plan on going there shortly I'll look out the script...

Reply 2: I have friends in Bournemouth/Boscombe, so just visiting them.

Edit: Just read your question of the week story about Bungle. Classic!
( Jimbuktu See? Right here, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 14:13, Reply)

come round
and make me some spicy soup.
(Purpledoris I've got afeckin' job, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 14:39, Reply)

I've got a bunch of interior painting that needs to get done.
See the world on your time off. Come to beautiful Vermont and paint my kitchen and other rooms.
(MichaelS wasn't picked again, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 14:44, Reply)

Love to
but as I've just finished painting my mum's new flat, I might leave it a week or two?
( Jimbuktu See? Right here, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 14:47, Reply)

That's fine, you have a whole month off. Waiting a bit will let you get a cheaper flight.

(MichaelS wasn't picked again, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 14:57, Reply)

Hahaha,
true! Do I get free tea and biscuits?
( Jimbuktu See? Right here, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 14:59, Reply)

Both American and English biscuts
(While you're here, I've also got quite a few limbs from a pine tree that came down in a recent snow storm. You could clean those up as part of my Get Fit program). Also free of charge for all b3ta members.
(MichaelS wasn't picked again, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 15:12, Reply)

I love making soup,
and actually just made a large batch of stock. Chicken, coriander and chilli. I'll pop it in the post.. :)
( Jimbuktu See? Right here, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 14:46, Reply)

Thank you
very kind sir!
(Purpledoris I've got afeckin' job, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 16:12, Reply)

You could vote for my image challenge suggestion :P
www.b3ta.com/questions/imagechallenge/post650112
( Peej, Tue 2 Mar 2010, 15:52, Reply)