Lately, I've put some thought into leveraging this into Project Shock by allowing the player to flit around between "rooms" as though they are nodes of a computer network. Then, they hack their way into individual devices that exist in that sector, and thus make their way from virtual reality into reality.
This is Project Shock, where the players play 20th century cryogenic defrostees who awaken to a future gone horribly wrong. That their brains are separate of their new bodies is really quite convenient when said bodies encounter the horrible impediments to functioning that are inevitable in a post-apocalyptic setting.
However, this has me thinking, why not just tweak the dressing a bit and go for something more like Star Command? Replace this future network with a galaxy. Replace the nodes with sectors of that galaxy. Replace logging into devices with a sector to beaming down from your ships.
But which would be ideal? Choices, choices. I seem to have a hard time making choices when confronted with two equally-good ideas. It's part of the reason why I'm such a blatant alt-a-holic in the MMORPGs I play: the developers have worked very hard to try to make sure every class is equally good.
Life on a death spiral
As of late, my energy level has been through the floor. If I've had a giant dose of caffeine in the morning, thoughts suddenly turn to programming, which is really what I'd rather be doing. More and more, caffeine doesn't work as well as it used to and, without that kind energy, I'm unable to do anything but mope about Internet forums and comment threads all day. It's a worrisome development.
The energy problem is likely related to lack of exercise. It's been completely out of my routine for the past few weeks. Joining a gym is out of the question because my highly introverted nature leaves me feeling vulnerable when exercising among others. Fortunately, I have a nice, once-expensive, cob-web infested but still functional (last I checked) Nordictrack Powertread 2000 out in the garage that would do the trick nicely.
Unfortunately, my family is subtly trying to kill me.
- They dump so much garbage around my treadmill that I'm liable to impale myself on something sharp or toxic were I to use it.
- Mom tends to insist I participate in a dinner rich in fat and cholesterol (she shies away from carbohydrates because she's somewhat diabetic).
- Dad prevents me from exercising in in the living room by being there from morning until late into the night.
It's something I've put off doing because it weighs like, 500 lbs - give or take 200 lbs. Well, no longer - desperate times call for desperate measures. It's 4:09pm. I'm pent up. I'm frustrated. I'm caffeinated. I'm ready to move that treadmill, like, right now. I'll head out into that cluttered garage and tear it apart if that's what it takes.
And yet, it seems my brother is ridiculously oversleeping in the same room I would need to raise a ruckus in moving that device there. Well, that's everybody. Like I said, these people are trying to kill me.
