December, 10, 2004 archives

world of warcraft is the new evercrack, and it is pretty nifty. the movement between zones is pretty seamless, and the game in general has that excellent blizzard polish. i’m not sure it is something i’m going to be willing to pay $15 per month to play, though.

i got the unwelcome surprise that my system is actually below the required specs, but it turns out to be playable with the graphic details turned down.

the quest system is quite nicely implemented, and there are lots and lots of them. since i’m just starting out, i’ve mostly been running around killing lots of forest creatures, but i can feel the difficulty start to ramp up. i’m getting into areas now where many of the creatures aren’t just waiting around for you to bop them on the head, but actually come after you (sometimes at inopportune times).

according to the latest los angeles downtown news, the opening of the downtown los angeles ralphs location is delayed until at least summer 2006. that has to hurt the folks who have been touting it as a big draw for residents. personally, i see it as an opportunity for smaller retailers to fill the niche, which i think would be much better for downtown in the long run.

also: the giant penny building to be converted to condominiums.

if (when?) the bottom drops out of this downtown development boom, it’s not going to be pretty.