Heroes of might magic 5 (game)

To begin with: To be a bit crude: This is basically HOMM3 remade in 3D. Then again it is more.

First of: I don’t think HOMM4 is a bad game at all. It is different. When they created HOMM4 they listened to a lot of the community. Mostly the wrong people(?) The people that didn’t find HOMM3 challenging anymore. They had played other games like Age Of Wonders (I) and wanted a different game. They wanted an updated game, hence HOMM4 plays very differently than the other games in the Heroes of Might and Magic universe.

This makes HOMM4 a very different challenge. Ok – yes it had bugs and yes you can easily exploit them. But if you don’t – it is still a quite capable game. Only things I really mind are that the gfx is such 14 year girlish...

But of course HOMM4 flopped. As when all the people had theirs say in what they wanted: They basically wanted something that didn’t feel like Heroes anymore – and so – a winning formula was lost..

Or was it?

In the development of HOMM5 (by the same people that gave us the challenging Etherlords II) they tried to get back to the original formula that is so addictive from HOMM1-3. But yet make it a game that is up to today’s standards.

Believe me: transferring a 2D game like this into something that is playable in 3D is not an easy task. And except for a few times when its really hard to see some things on the map. It has been done flawlessly and beautiful.

Will the new 3D graphic demand too much from you PC? Well yes and no. If I put everything on low including resolution. I can play it on my laptop with a Radeon 9600 mobile. Of course it will put off a few lowest end systems – that can not play it. And that is always a bit dangerous as 2D games like this always has a lot of players on low end systems.

The music is updated of course and beautiful. Some inspiration from HOMM4 we still se here. But overall a much more complete music experience.

No more to the game. Even if the game play is a lot like HOMM3 there is actually plenty of new stuff going on under the hood. In fact almost everything had been reinvented. And this requires us to slowly interpret a new way of playing and new strategies.

Somehow everything that is new, is so carefully implemented that it feels like: this is how its always been and meant to be. In fact its like the magician that tells you that you have never seen before but assures you that he has been waiting for you: and asks you ”Why took you so long?”

The gfx engine is beautiful. Not top notch. But it gives you several smiles seeing your opponents getting it big time: Being crushed by your forces.

There is of course much more to say about it. But I think time will show if HOMM5 can become as popular as HOMM3. I think it is a superior game – but times have changed. When it comes to strategies and of course the AI’s new aggressive level: it will make this into an interesting journey. In fact I think the brilliant balancing of this new Heroes just might attract new players to the field.

Oh and... sleepless nights.. here I come...

The Norwegian Military Tattoo

Oh well, as many of my pervious colleagues as well as superiors can verify: I am not a parade kind of guy. But hey – I had heard nice things about Norwegian Military Tattoo for a long time (again we are talking about years) and so when Svein asked me to join I knew it was time.

The Norwegian Military Tattoo is a fresh (??) entertainment mix of parades, weapon drill, music and other (fitting) entertainment from all over the globe.
And yes. It works. It entertains us. Amazes us. And keeps us thrilled.

And in the end.. The HM the Kings Guards Band and Drill Team comes out and puts everything we’ve seen so far all to shame. And these soldiers are conscripts! That’s really amazing. And it makes us feel a bit proud of being Norwegians, and we can almost shed a tear of patriotism – almost.

(I would really hate to be that soldier that dropped that rifle)

All in all a great night and possible I will do it again. Depends on how keen I will be on parades (huh huh) for all of you that missed it – it is possible to get the DVD (extended version).

Summer

Since my friends at administration failed to transfer my vacation when I moved back to Norway and I am left with the amount of one (1) week of vacation I decided to post a picture from Spain last year.

Not a very sharp one, but its from my farewell party and last Nato exercise (so far). It was a great night with awesome steaks at the steak house and more booze as wells as kindersurprise eggs than most of you can handle.

This summer seems to become a great one… also for the ones that chooses to work. Mohahaha

Oh and since I am at it - I have added a spocked up picture from Latina 2004 as well.

Who's that burka?

Dum Dum Boys (concert)

I have waited a long time for this. Many years. In fact all my life… and not in vain. Dum Dum Boys live is a pleasure, it’s a party it’s a feast.

Its all the good songs played even better than ever. Rocking you up. Leaving you with a taste for more. Teasing you.

Its when you hear Dum DUm Boys live – you understand what a magnificant band they are. And when they finish the 2nd extra number with a cover from Knutsen and Ludvigsen and the awesome “Idyll” then it’s a perfect consert.

Cant wait a long time to see them again.

Free Jimmy (Movie)

The world is a strange place. The honor to make the most expensive Norwegian movie goes to Christopher Nielsen, the brother of Joachim “Jokke” Nielsen – who was one of the 4 big ones in Norwegian Rock – the creator of the song “To fulle menn” – voted as the best Norwegian song ever made – Who became a victim of price dumping of Heroin in Oslo and instead of serving us with more years of happy drinking songs – died away from us in the grip of The White Lady as well as so many others.

Christopher did make the wild cartoon on Jokke’s albums as well as he made underground cartoons. And he has also made an animated feature before with “To trøtte typer”

Free Jimmy is the first full length feature movie from Christopher and includes all or at least most of his cartoon characters. The name Free Jimmy parodies the name “Free Willy” except that Jimmy is an animated drug addicted elephant and unlike Willy (who swam back to Norway) he only exists in a computer frame and can be set free.

It has taken an age to make this movie. It features some of the best animated tech there is – and uses it to create beautiful scenery over Christopher’s brutal universe. Where he takes the dark sides of Norwegian life and turns it into brutal comedy but at the same time – puts the finger on several important issues.

It’s a long time since I have enjoyed a movie like this. I just had a laugh all the way though. And in a way this is heritage to the great Flåklypa even with its much darker humor.

There are several references to other movies. The strongest and clearest one is probably the “Bambi” scenes with the Elk trying to help a shacking elephant on its feet.

The most funny scene is when they steal a car and it crashe - more I will not say about it - to spoil the fun.

I am looking forward to see it again with English voices. And again and again. This is the movie you go and see even you don’t want to see any movies. A must for everyone!

Second Flower

Well as I said. I went for another flower. But to be honest two is enough as I already have a hard time keeping them alive. I need some more gardening skills I suppose…

He he