The Dark Side Is Strong

October is going to be a rough month in my opinion, mostly because of the fact that there are quite a few games I'd like to get. The question is which? RPGs concerned, there are some good ones that will be released (I still hate you Alpha Protocol) and I am looking forward to those too.

First one on my list is Dragon Age Origins, which I did not know was made by Bioware (makers of Mass Effect). Yes, technically this game won't be released until the beginning of November, but after reading into this more I just had to make a mention of it here.

There were actually a couple of things that caught my eye about this game and the top of the list is the promise that the game will be double the size of Mass Effect. That is cool and all, but I am hoping that there is a bit more variety in the environments, especially since this is in a fantasy setting.

The other thing that catches my attention is the promise that you'll have to face moral issues and the game apparently won't be telling you if you've chosen right or wrong. You just gotta go.

After Mass Effect, evil seems like my path...

Second game is Borderlands, which I mentioned in my previous writing. I still have not read all that much into what the game is about, other then it being another post-apocalyptic world in which you have to survive. What makes this game stand out to me is because I noticed it being called a FPS meets RPG. I am interested indeed!

Third game I am keeping my eye on during this coming month is Way of the Samurai 3. Now any game that allows me to play a Samurai, earns points in my book straight away. This one, unlike the others I've wrote about, will be one I'll be waiting to see how it gets reviewed. That will help me decide if this will be worth picking up...

Last game on my list is WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2010. As I've said before and I will state here again, I am a sucker for these games just on the sheer fact that it allows a lot of room for creation. Despite that, I honestly thought 2009 would have been the last Smackdown game I'd get, but this year resparked my interests because of this year's game theme.

Unlike 2009, which was based more around tag teams, this year it is all about creation. They (THQ) has expanded the create-a-wrestler mode, plus they've opened up much more room to customize all sorts of things. I could write it all down, but I've seen a lot of this stuff popping up at IGN lately, so I won't. I will just say this: Looks like I will be hooked into this series for yet another year.

So that is a small list of some of the games that I am looking at this month. One other thing I feel like adding is I am actually looking towards getting more PS3 games. The main reason for this is because my XBox 360 is starting to act up again (heating up) and if memory serves me right, that was the prelude to it getting those goddamn red rings of death. So unlike before, I'm going to try and spread my games out and not just horde everything over to my XBox.

I love that system and then I hate it. I am looking at it on the bright side though, at least I haven't had to send it in 4-5 times...

Life in General

It has been a little while since I posted anything outside of video games and I guess I'm just having one of those days today. You know, where your mind begins to think and then over think? That is the kind of day I am having today.

The one thing I am hating is the feeling like I've gone and "miss the boat," so to speak. I feel like I've already hit the point in life where I'll be a failure forever. Perhaps that is a little over dramatic for a guy only 25 years old?

The thing that gets me is how the people I went to school with, everyone is either married or getting married. And a lot of them have kids! I know this is the way of things, I get that part. Maybe it is just a part of my mind that doesn't believe the world is actually moving forward, that time had not stopped and we are all, in fact, getting older.

Of all the things I felt in life, older has not been one that ranked all that high on the list. But oh man, how that has changed for me lately.

The other feeling I'm having is the need to formulate a plan. A plan to get me on the right track in life and at the very least, find a way where I wouldn't have to worry about being so broke all the time. And the games aren't all that much a factor these days! I've been trading or just avoiding games, rather then trying to buy anything and everything that looks interesting. Believe me, I've not gotten a number of those already!

I just felt like writing some of that out, just to maybe help me clear my mind some. Maybe this call all be attributed to being a little stir crazy. Using up two weeks of vacation and doing nothing but sitting at home is a little nuts, as I am finding out.

I think I gotta get the heck out of here!

350

Yesterday I finished off Halo 3 ODST's campaign in co-op with my girlfriend. Just feel like saying she has gotten a lot better since the first few FPS games we co-oped together. She actually kills more enemies, more often, then she does me

So anyhow, the fight is over. Again. And that begs the question: What next? As far as Halo is concerned, there seems to be their next game "Halo: Reach." I kind of have an idea of what that is and if I'm right, it sounds like it'll be a prequel to the original Halo game.

As for my thoughts of ODST, the game is pretty good and I wouldn't dare say the price wasn't justified. I mean I've read how some people complain about seeing the same enemies and using the same weapons, etc. But seriously, what should be entirely different about a game that takes place during the Halo trilogy? In a lot of ways, this reminds me of the days when Final Fantasy X-2 was released and people complained about how everything looks the same.

It is a funny thing to me, to read how people can complain and cut a game down so easily. Change too little and that will strike a nerve. Change too much and you're ramming this stuff down the "fan's throats." At the end of the day I suppose it really is impossible to please everyone, especially when it comes to video games.

Like I think I've said before, what drew me to the game was the difference in not the game play, but just the overall tone. Sounds a little stupid to be a key reason for picking up a game huh? But I enjoy playing games that are different and I will say this about ODST: It is different then any of the previous Halo games and yet it strikes a pretty good balance with that and yet still managing to feel familiar. Does that make sense?

Going back, again, to a previous point, another area that is different to me is the music. God, I can't believe how much I actually liked the music for this game. I don't think I've ever really enjoyed the music from a FPS game, but today that idea has an exception. In my opinion, it was perfect for the game and it managed to fit pretty much every step of the day.

In the end, the game is worth the price in my opinion because while it is familiar, there is enough content in there to the point where it feels new again. Hell, even with the campaign being over, there is always the Firefight to keep busy with.

Case in point, two nights ago my girlfriend and I decided to try the mode out on easy, just to see how far it goes. Well, two and a half hours later, we had fought through four sets (consisting of three rounds per set, five waves of enemies per round). To our horror, the enemies kept dropping in until we were finally bested. What made it worse, we were 5,000 points shy of reaching one of the achievements that require racking up 200,000 points to unlock. Will we attempt another run at it? Most likely, yes! The fights were fast and frantic and it lets up for short periods of time but let me tell you... you ain't going to go bored there.

Anyway, one last thing before I keep rattling and rambling... can you imagine? 350 posts and counting. I look back at the archives and I can't believe I'm still writing for this blog of mine even after all of these years. I think I said that before too! Deja vu?! I wonder what games I'll be hooked into by this time next year? Hopefully all of these long awaited Final Fantasy games are released by then...

Alpha FAIL

I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed in the slightest at the apparent delay of Alpha Protocol, from the makers of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2. How or why would I be disappointed by the delay of a game that was set for release on October 6th, which is now set for sometime in the summer of 2010? Because it surely appears as though everyone is running away to 2010 (rumor has it, it is all because of Modern Warfare 2), which isn't all that entirely bad considering how these games will be a little more spaced apart.

But why this one? Why an RPG? I suppose I should reserve any judgment until maybe there is a reason or something to explain this. But in all likelihood, the game is delayed and I guess I just have to pull my reservation off of this and put it elsewhere. Perhaps Borderlands (which I have absolutely no idea what the game is about) or maybe even the big, bad Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2? The only game I am certain to try and pick up is Assassin's Creed 2...

Either way, it looks like my RPG playing fun is all but over for this year. After playing through and finishing Infinite Undiscovery and Mass Effect, I was hopeful to continue onto Alpha Protocol. So much for that one! Meh.

XIV

Despite my feelings about Final Fantasy XI, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested in FFXIV. The starting races all do seem practically identical to those in FFXI, but there seems to have been at least some changes besides their names. And, just like with Halo 3 ODST, this video has helped raise my interests some. I have to be honest, it certainly looks interesting to my eyes.

I am wondering though... there is a particualr scene in the video where there seems to be a few characters on a boat, fighting off an army of jellyfish looking creatures. My wonder is if the battles will be like that? That would mean the combat would have to be much faster then it was in FFXI. Now that is cool, should that be true.

I'd dodge this game if the battles are like in FFXI. That many monsters? Good lord, you'd be fighting for a full day just to hack those bastards all apart!

Dropped Into Hell

So after picking up Halo 3 ODST yesterday and after playing through a part of the campaign and running through a few rounds of Firefight, I have reached a conclusion. A little surprising to reach that point so quickly huh?

My overall impressions of the game is this: It isn't a bad game and despite the differences between a Spartan and a ODST, I can't really see the what is all that different about them. Then again, perhaps because I have not played a Halo game in quite a while, the differences would be harder to see.

The campaign itself is okay too, but I have to agree with what some other gamers have said in that the story itself is kind of all over the place. Factor in the point that there really isn't all that much to build up the other ODST and you've got a group of characters that is a little hard to give a damn about.

Gameplay wise, like I said before, I don't really see any real significant differences and so to me it plays like I remembered Halo to play. The visor mode is a nice touch though, it certainly helps out since this story takes place at night.

Another plus and I can't believe I'm saying this about a FPS, but the music in this game is actually pretty damn good. I was surprised at how well it meshes with the game, especially considering I heard a few jazz pieces in there. I will surely be keeping an eye out for the soundtrack.

And after finishing a few sections of it and watching the scenes with what the other ODST did during the few hours after their drop was disrupted, I still don't quite understand the whole purpose of it all. From the start, it appeared as though there was something more then just dropping in and fighting back the Covenant. Anyhow, I don't mind a good mystery to be truthful. But I am hoping the pieces come together by the time the campaign ends.

I hate cliffhangers.

Lastly, I agree that Firefight is similar to Gears of War 2's Horde mode. They are similar in that there are a waves of enemies rushing up to shoot, smash and otherwise rip your f*cking head off. The big difference to me is that this mode doesn't just send certain types of enemies at you. Oh no, they throw the whole goddamn shabang at you and you'd better have a plan or it'll be a fast game.

Then again, how much planning can a person do when you see a giant ape with a hammer that is taller then it, running full speed in your direction? Yes you can fire your weapon to your heart's content, but they don't go down quite that easily. And yes, I have met the business end of said hammer and I can still see my character's dead body sailing through the air.

On side note, it sure was graceful...

Halo 3 ODST

Truth be told, I wasn't sure what to make of Halo 3 ODST and it had been something I have been pondering about for a while now. To play? Or not to play? That has certainly been the question on my mind these past few months. But thanks to this video...



And having to hear radio commercials and reading about it all over the place, I think I've caved in at last. Try and try as I might, I guess I just couldn't withhold against the hype machine behind this one. Heh, so much for the fight being finished after all...

A major factor at my caving in actually has a bit more to it then just a video and a few radio ads. What intrigues me about this is the change in game play. Yes, you still shoot the hell out of damn near everything that moves. BUT. The difference now is you do not play a Spartan and so the challenge already is ramped up a bit there. Slower movement, no shields, no regenerating health, no duel weapons and a few other cut offs.

Challenge? Sure sounds like it to me.

What also catches my interest is the Firefight mode, which sounds similar to Gears of War 2's Horde mode. This place explains it better then I ever can.

Anyway, looks like tomorrow I'll be running down to good old GameStop to reserve this sucker at the last minute. Same goes for Kingdom Hearts 358/2. Damn it! What happened to my restraint?! Damn you game hyping people! Damn you all!!

Memory Lane...

Double post on my part, I know. But this couldn't be helped! I just felt so very compelled to get this up into this blog. And if for nothing else, it just reminds me of the adventures from yesteryear. Doesn't that just make you feel a little old (I know it makes me feel the age a little bit).

Anyway, I just went through YouTube a bit and came across a number of videos for some of the old Final Fantasy ending songs. I'm posting here the links to the ending songs from Final Fantasy VIII and Final Fantasy XII. Good, good stuff. To say that these bring back some memories is an understatement.

The first video here is of Faye Wong, the original singer for Eyes on Me from Final Fantasy VIII. I am amazed that through all of the videos I watched of her singing this song, she sings it damn near the same every time. Usually singers seem to have different tones, I guess depending on how they feel? I can't say, but anyway classic stuff here.



Second video is Angela Aki with her version of Eyes on Me (I wonder why they didn't get Faye Wong? Hmm). It isn't bad, but like a number of people have said, she does sing the song a bit faster then Faye Wong. But alas, to each their own. It is still good in my opinion, it just might take a little getting used to.



Lastly is Angela Aki again with Kiss Me Good-Bye from Final Fantasy XII. Now I am a little embarrassed to say that I didn't even realize it was her singing the song up until only recently.

Everlasting Love

I was listening to the remix to a little song called Everlasting Love from the latest Katamari game, Katamari Forever, and it got me looking around for the original. I wanted to hear the original! While the video itself is rather small, that is just because of the fact that it is basically only audio.

Regardless, this is easily my favorite song out of all of the Katamari games I've ever played. Didn't matter what level, this was my song of choice whenever I was out and about and rolling up schools and eldery folk alike.

Strange thing is this: All I could ever find out about this song is it's title and it is performed by a singer named Alisa. I would like to listen to more of her music (if there is anything else), but anything further has been elusive at best. I'm thinking I don't have her full name (or maybe she's in a band?)

Hmm...

Patrick Swayze

Wow, just read about the passing of Patrick Swayze late last night and I gotta say it is a little shocking I suppose. I read that he was sick, but always saw articles about how he hated people saying he was going to die soon and how he was responding well to treatment. I guess things weren't going as well as hoped.

For those who somehow don't know who Patrick Swayze is, hopefully you at least know the movie Dirty Dancing. How could you not know this?! Wow, just thinking about these last few lines I've written here makes me feel a little old...

Personally, I can say I remember the movie quite fondly, because it was a part of my growing up. No, I wasn't alive when this movie was released, but back when I was a kid (back in the early 90's), I remember my mom being all giddy like a little school girl when she found this movie on VHS back in the day. At the time, for obvious reasons, a dance movie wasn't something I was all that interested in watching. I would rather be watching some Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or something, you know?

Anyway, needless to say I got to watch this movie quite a few times that year. And what can I say? It grew on me.

I think it was because of this movie that I picked up that hopeless romantic bug? I really don't love stories that don't have a happy ending to it. If the guy doesn't get the girl, how can everything be right in the world?! But that's another story for another time.

This could be a sad thing, but I guess people should really get too down about his passing. Surely he was still fairly young, but I look at it this way; at least the man isn't suffering anymore.

R.I.P.

I B Scribbling Madness

So I haven't exactly been blogging as normally as I have in the past few months, just because there has been so much going on in my life lately. I wouldn't know where to start and where to finish. Then again, there has been so much going and yet nothing at all really. Does that make sense? I suspect not. Anywho...

Tried to buy Scribblenauts today.

Tried.

Failed.

One thing I hate about a little store called Toys n Joys is they do not keep a very updated website. It surely says nothing about the game being sold out and everything just looks so fine and dandy that I wouldn't even throw a doubt of suspicion their way. I mean why would I? They are a small store and I wouldn't think it'd be that hard to write in "SOLD OUT," could it?

Well damn it all, apparently it is and I wasted a trip up there for nothing. Blah.

So after having to turn down their little offer of placing a "special order" for it (which will come in on either Monday or Tuesday, WOW unhelpful that is), I just bought it for in-store pick up at Best Buy. You think they'd find it funny if I ask them about those $10 TVs?

Probably not...

But back to the scribbles! I am intrigued by this game, I am just agog by the promise of it all. And how could I not be? It practically gives the player the freedom to throw damn near a lot of things to complete the tasks before you. Laser gun? Check. Tank? Most likely. Coffee shop? So I've heard!

And get this: I may actually pass up games like Halo 3 ODST just to get a hold of this one. I can't believe I typed that! Give up a console game for a handheld one?! Madness! Blasphemy!

Speaking of handheld games, I kind of fell off the boat with Dissida Final Fantasy. I bought it, I played it for a little while and...

Why did I buy this game again?

Truthfully, I don't really even like the selection of characters in the game (or at least the folks sided with Cosmos). They are so irritating to me! I wish you could actually choose to play as the forces of Chaos from the start, just to be able to smash those whiney sons of you-know-what into the ground!

I think I would rather see something like this in on a larger scale, just to give a better variety in characters. Hell, it might even help make the game a lot more playable. Overall I just didn't and couldn't really give a care about this all that much. Huh, another PSP game that I lost interest in in under a week...

Jumping to the big consoles, I played the demo for Katamari Forever the other day and I am a little interested. Perhaps a little less then I might have originally been. Don't get me wrong, the game looks pretty nice visually and it plays just like it did in the original game. But to me it feels like it has finally fully lost the charm the original games had. It doesn't seem all that insane, the tone of it just feels... like a game?

Maybe the full game will show the weird and craziness I grew to love about the series. I actually played the game more because of the weird music it had, which was much more enjoyable for me then the game itself sometimes.

Last thing here... I finally finished Mass Effect and I just don't know what to think about it. The ending was okay, certainly not the best one I've ever seen. Kind of lame really. But then they were/are setting up for the sequel, so I suppose it is to be expected. I am hoping that the levels will be better designed. I felt like I was in the twilight zone, running through the same place over and over and over...

I guess the best I can hope for is that playing through this will make the second game more interesting. I am curious to see how the choices made in the first game will actually impact the second. Will it end up being that big of a deal?

Half Confirmed!

So after weeks and months of maybes and a lot of speculation, Square Enix has finally announced the release date for Final Fantasy XIII! I couldn't believe that the date has finally been confirmed!

Well, it is only confirmed if you live in Japan and/or plan on importing the game...

Now it has been said that FFXIII will be released in Japan on December 16th, 2009. What about the US and the rest of the world? Apparently they are still "aiming" for Spring 2010. So really, nothing is confirmed at all. Hardly a solid answer, but I suppose that this has to be considered the best answer out of SE thus far.

What I am hoping is the years of development it has taken to get this game together will result to something phenomenal. I mean the last numbered Final Fantasy game was FFXII back in 2006 after all. And maybe I am hoping the series does not sell out what made it great: great story and great characters.

But at the end of the day, I suppose all I can do (unless a demo happens to see the light of day here) is sit back and await the game's release. Whenever that might be...

Not Going to the Asylum!

Despite what I've read online and even with a number of my co-workers getting the game, I have not gone out and picked up Batman: Arkham Asylum. Perhaps I'm just jaded over a game like this. I mean I remember falling for the hype around last year's Prince of Persia. And how did that work out? In the end, I did not enjoy playing that at all.

And I know that this game is something like the highest rated Superhero game ever. Congratulations there, I suppose. Considering how many times Batman (amongst other superheros) have had games made based on them, which failed is just insane in my mind.

Or maybe it is just not my type of game? I mean I've played Grand Theft Auto 4 and I didn't care for that all that much either.

Ultimately, however, my decision to stay away fell onto the fact that I did not come away from the demo of this game feeling all that impressed. I didn't feel like I was playing something so incredibly awesome or anything in that sense. Maybe I need to play the game with all of Batman's gadgets and nick nacks to really get the full sense of the game. But then that would be a little sad wouldn't it? If the gadgets made the game, rather then enhancing it.

But don't get me wrong though. I did think this game did look interesting from the get go. It is much darker and certainly much more serious. It looks like it might even be packing a decent story in there, which is a huge selling point in my view. But like I said, coming away from the demo I surely wasn't feeling all that impressed over what I played through.

In any event, unlike the madness that I got to experience last year, I have to say that I'm definitely going to be much, much more skeptical about the games being released this holiday season. I am surely not going to be spending like a madman on everything that just looks interesting or cool to me. And, as things are going right now, it looks to me like Batman: Arkham Asylum is the first to fall to the wayside as far as I'm concerned.

Hell, truth be told I am actually more interested in Scribblenauts then anything. Now that sounds interesting...

Bad Movies

Generally speaking, I tend to try and keep an open mind while watching movies. I'd like to enjoy any movie I watch, rather then pick them all apart for what they did and didn't do well. However, these past few weeks have brought upon me a number of terrible movies. The kind that made me wonder what in the hell could I have thought in buying/renting them?!

Let's begin.

First up is a movie called "Cool Dimension." Now the description of the movie sounded good enough to me: A trio of female assassins kill whomever their master commands them to, without a second thought or even a question. Then one day, one of these assassins suddenly starts to regain some lost memories and all hell breaks loose. Sounds good, right?

That is exactly what I thought about it until I started to watch it. About 15 minutes in and I began to have that feeling like I had just made a mistake.

These "assassins" don't really kill much of anyone and their fights surely doesn't make them come across as real bad asses either. Granted, it appears as though this was a Japanese indy movie and so it wouldn't be the best of the best, but come on.

The story itself is scatter brained at best, most times things are just hopping here, there and everywhere. Best of luck in keeping up with everything, because there are elements in the movie that are in there just for no apparent reason. For example, just out of randomness I suppose, there was a sex scene thrown in and it had to do with the boss of the master of the three assassin girls. What did the scene have to do with the assassins, the overall movie or anything? Not a damn thing.

It was irritating, as it was stupid and I regretfully wastes $15 in getting this "movie." Lesson learned right? Hardly...

Now this one I thought there could be no wrong done on it's part. And considering I never played through the end of the third and final volume, this would help piece together the rest of the story for me.

What was impressive of this movie was the look of it all. The backgrounds, the characters, everything was just beautifully done here. I thought they had just rehashed the cut scenes from the game, but I was wrong. The job done here was awesome!

And that is where my praise ends for this movie. Now maybe if you never touched any of the games in the G.U. series, the movie wouldn't be all that bad. However, if you were like me and went in expecting to see the whole story retold in the form of a movie, you will be disappointed.

Basically, without ranting about this for the next three months, the story was butchered to the point where the only characters to appear was Haseo, Ovan, Aina (Ovan's little sister), Yata, Azure Kite, Atoli, Shino, Pi, Kuhn and Sakaki.

As for all the other supporting characters and the like, NO ONE ELSE APPEARS. The Canard guild is a no show, same goes for the Moon Tree guild as well. That alone takes a large portion of the story away. Overall, this basically leaves behind a story without meaning, because of how the story was originally structured, the absense of these characters bascially destroys any reason to really give a shit about Haseo.

Needless to say, the movie left a bitter taste in my mouth and furthered my regret in not finishing the game myself. I could go on and on about this one, but I just won't do that. I will just say again... if you've played the games through and expect to see something similar to the game's story, you'll end up very disappointed because the results is nothing even close to it.

Lastly, is a movie I just endured last night and it was just too much for me to handle. It is called "An Empress and The Warriors."

For me, my only real interest in seeing this movie was because of Donnie Yen. The last movie I had seen of his was Flash Point and he was a pretty damn good action guy.

This, however, didn't leave me wanting to watch it over again. I am actually surprised I watched it through to the end in the first place.

I was going to write out a long, drawn out bitch fest about this, but I thought I shouldn't. I will simply say that this, according to the director, is suppose to be a more action oriented movie. What it came out to be (in my eyes) was a romance movie with a little bit of fighting here and there.

What is worse is the romance parts are cheesy and so badly timed that it just ruins the flow of the story. It surely killed any care I had for the characters, that's for certain.

So at the end of the day, I spent most of the month of August watching so bad movies. While there were some exceptions, the vast majority that I saw during the month was just plain ugly bad. I guess you can only watch so many movies before you run into a few that you outright dislike.

A Little Catching Up To Do

I've been meaning to write sooner, but I have actually been hooked into playing Mass Effect lately. Funny how I didn't really like the game during my first time playing through and now its like a game I can't imagine on passing up.

The story itself seems pretty good, though it is taking quite a while for all of the pieces to come together. Still, I am intrigued to see and find out how this story ends. But then that will leave the question on what happens in the next game? Hmmm...

Now jumping to a different RPG, my favorite one that hasn't even been released yet! Final Fantasy XIII!

So let me get this straight: So maybe they (Square Enix) will announce the US release date and maybe they'll release a demo that might be all new, rather then rehashing the Japanese demo. And now maybe they'll even have DLC?

WOW.

And maybe you could win a brand new car!

And maybe... I really am getting a little sick of all of these maybes. How about some confirmations? A release date would be very nice, I'd think. I'll even throw in a few maybes of my own in here! Maybe I'm falling off of the hype wagon here, because FFXIII is looking less appealing to me by the day.

Maybe I won't even pick up Final Fantasy XIII.

Maybe I'll just wait for Final Fantasy Versus XIII.

Hell, maybe I'll just wait for Final Fantasy XIV instead.

Pardon me...maybe I'm just a grouchy old fart who would rather be playing a game, rather then being played like a game. Perhaps I'm just a little annoyed? Maybe!

Now one last little thought here...

This past Friday (Tuesday in reality) was former WWE Champion Jeff Hardy's final match. As it always goes in pro wrestling, however, no one ever really retires and rumor has it that he is just in need of some time off.

I do have to agree with other fans have said: He did have a hell of a run and he didn't half ass anything here. Because of him and his feud with CM Punk, it surely helped get Punk over as the new top bad guy on Smackdown.

Anyhow, below is Jeff Hardy's farewell speech. Here's hoping he'll take a year off like others, then come back and carry on his main eventing ways!