Captain's Log Supplemental

What have you tried in life that you just weren’t very good at?

Live Journals Writer’s Block

You name it and if I’ve tried it, I probably wasn’t very good at it.

Games ? Well actually I was quite good when I was in diapers lool but after that not so good. I was never quite talented at any of them but look at the road.

I hold the “ultimate victory” score of over 100 wins in Soul Blade, me and my brother actually used to sit and play that much of it, then play some Tekken 3 :-). Although he did get me back by countering my tactics in later years. But in the move to Soul Calibur II and Tekken IV I was back on top in the end. He’s always been more skilled at fighting games then me though.

Since Motal Kombat I, Street Fighter II, Killer Instinct, Tekken 2, Soul Blade, and countless others. I never was really that skilled at it but I remember my hay day in Soul Blade. If I ever would have had the opportunity for it that is one game I would really have wanted to get into a tournament or some thing for so I could see how I would’ve racked up against others.

First Person shooters ? I’m not even going to go there haha. Although with the many I’ve played, in the end it’s usually been creamy.

Flight Sims? Heck the first time out I think I probably crashed like 40 or 60 times but then it was natural. I love the dog fighting, gun to gun but I’ve never found AI that was much skilled at actually flying. I remember one time when my brother saw me at work he was like “you lethal bastard” or some thing <_<. I remember Ace Combat 3, nice game but a little to arcade like — the boss fights however. I remember the Raven and the Aurora, so fast, so agile that they are worth a fight… even if you can take them down in like 3 minutes blind folded or some thing I forget what the max time was for an A-Rank. They were still some of the best evasive pilots I’ve seen in Fighter AI!

MechWarrior ? I was horrid at first, I remember when I first played online I don’t think I even scored one kill, if I did probably with like 5-8 deaths in the process. I had my ‘favorite’ setup, a 45 Ton Shadow Cat with lots of speed, armour, but few weapons — just enough to count ‘legally’ as damage. The other MechWarrior used a heavier 70-75 Ton ‘Mech like a Timerberwolf or Cauldron Born full of ER Large Lasers and blew my ‘Mech to pieces.

I was always proud of my piloting ability, I was even complimented on it at times. But I was always some what disappointed during my MechWarrior gaming career, to little battle tech and much to little engineering involved. Still I trained with my best wings, 2 on 1 and I was the 1 while my friends were the two. Eventually I could hold my own in ‘Mech combat. Our last year together in the Vengeance League playing MW4:Mercs, we all placed in the upper half of the leagues top 100, like the three musketeers we were. I think Cyborg might’ve almost made it to the top 10 one year.

I was a specialized in Snipeing and Light ‘Mech ops. Ever heard of some one getting jealous over your supposed relationship with your ‘Mech? Haha… Mage & Cyb might still remember that one more funny’ly then I do (touchy subject) but it was nuts. Ah it was some fun days back in the ‘days, wild and crazy across the field. I also remember when I finally scored the bragging rights hehe. Me and Cyb used to dual a lot, often in Nova Cat (sniping) and he usually would win. One day I took him on in a 20 Ton light ‘Mech and owned his 70 Ton Nova Cat with my Fire Moth — Now that was gratifying lool. Sadly the next patch crippled the Fire Moth and it became useless :-(. We used to do great in 2on2’s because of how often we did 1on1’s lol.

I don’t really miss MW4 a lot, I do miss hanging with my friends and rackign up wins in the leagues together though but it was probably good that we retired. The community really got pretty bad by the time I left it, now it’s probably totally gone as we knew it.

Raven Shield ? Hahahahahah !!!! I think I was up to the bar as good as any one else by my side as a Trp. I don’t consider myself better or worse then my fellow members in [SAS] but when I first started playing Raven Shield…. I’d be lucky if I could get past the first tango ! And look at me today, not a great run but compared to day one it’s an Olympian metal.

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[SAS] and CQB Tactics and things? Dead as a doornail at first but years later… I’m an RSM, one of the most senior NCO positions on the team. As an NCO? I think I was probably one of the greatest failures as a LCpl… That’s my feelings on the matter but as an SSM? Much better at teaching I think and defintally much more productive either way. I some what regret though, that I’ve never been a Drill Instructor. Maybe in the future I’ll get the chance.

Accuracy in First Person Shooters ? When I played Medal of Honor on the PS1 my average scores were in the 25-39% range with a lot of arm shots. In [SAS] in Rvs my average accuracy is more of 45-65% and occasionally on good days 70-90%, not bad when you consider in _most_ games people would be spraying and praying like a moron hitting a tenth of the time lool. Give me a sniper rifle, a good mark to shoot at, and a good secure firing position and I’ll rack’em up — I don’t like missing. Last time I played one of the MoH games my accuracy was much higher like 54-77% and mostly torso and headshots, that is what 2 years in the 22nd SAS Elite Virtual Regiment will do for ya.

Programming ? Well I wouldn’t call my self skilled but I’ve come millions of miles since I started. When I first started even the syntax for the control flows were tough to figure out, now… Many languages later, many lines later, and still no formal education I’m actually able to do some thing! I knew no one was going to teach me, so I looked for source to read, being able to read other peoples code (shit or gold) is a big part of it. Writing, well… I am the only one that has an opinion of it and I rather like that I could define rules for operating on my C code lol.

Much of my style and ways of doing things revolve around the concept that I’ve got to read it, I’ve got to edit it, I ain’t gonna remember it all two months from now, and some one else could have to to; s’one reason I try to be consistent. I don’t have much to say about other peoples code unless there is a problem. But with what I write, I try to get it working, then I try to make it the best I can, because it’s my work.

Exercise and Physical actives? Never been much for it but able to do plenty.. I remember with the drills, oy I hate exercise lool. It’s comforting though to know what your body can do though, and to work towards improving it.

Computers? When I first started I was limited to loading programs off of floppies and even then I needed to know what program to run off them (I’d never heard of the ‘dir’ command). Now, *cough* over 16 or 17 years later I’m the most computer literate person I know in the real world who isn’t *paid* to know more then I do.

Online and in Life, I’ve met more then a few superiors whom I respect… but no equals. One thing that saddens me some what about this neck of t’woods, mostly fools and even worse in my age group… lol.

School? I did very poor at first, I also hated it and I still do actually… I remember when I was in kindergarten when I first learned how to write a ‘5’, practically had me torn apart in the process… Kind of what happens when your home schooled and teachers your mother <_<. In retrospect, the majority of my grades over the years have always been As, maybe an average of low to mid 90s. Before high school (read no one over my shoulder) it was a case of do it perfect or you ain’t leaving the table.

Reading? I failed like the 2nd or 3rd grade because I couldn’t read; which ever one it was required to know how by then. My family put me through that hooked on phonics crap — did me for me nothing but piss me off royally. I wanted to read a boot myself that one of my good friends had introduced me to, so I put more effort in. The lady that was doing my evaluations was shocked “He’s reading!” and I passed.

Going into like the 7th grade or some thing when I was tested, my reading skills were all noted as N months into collage. I inhale books, as long as interest and time holds I read like 50-150 pages a day when I dig into a book. I *love* to read, they couldn’t get me to read as a kid until I wanted to. Then they couldn’t stop me from reading haha, my mother threated to steal the book lights >_>

Pool, miserable at first but back in the ol’days I used to be a threat 🙂 Same thing in checkers, although I must admit even today I probably enjoy Chess more then I have skill at it 0.o

The list could go on and on, most stuff I’ve ever gotten into I wasn’t excellent at until I got into it further. To be honest, I don’t think there are many things we are just naturally good at, most people I’ve seen are not any way and those few people that are naturally good at the stuff they do are lucky.

Hmm, you know maybe there is some thing I was good at without being horrible first… but that’s not for public announcement haha.