It's something that players of modern single-player video games like "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim" and "Batman: Arkham City" might take for granted, but an effect that die-hard fans of sprawling online role-playing games such as "World of Warcraft" and "Aion" will surely appreciate: The characters in "Star Wars: The Old Republic" can actually speak.
With more than 320 actors portraying more than 4,000 characters with 260,000 lines of dialogue, BioWare's "The Old Republic" is poised to feature more voice acting than any other massively multiplayer online game in the galaxy when it launches Tuesday, and that's not even counting the thousands of beeps and boops sputtered by droids predating R2-D2.
BioWare, the Electronic Arts Inc. developer behind the "Mass Effect" and "Dragon Age" single-player franchises, has become synonymous with conversational gameplay that allows players to chat with other characters in the hope of unlocking missions, learning more about the plot, demonstrating morality and even forming virtual bonds _ romantic or otherwise.
The developer is taking that virtual chatter online with "Old Republic," which is set thousands of years before Luke Skywalker battled Darth Vader in a galaxy far, far away. Unlike most other persistent multiplayer games, "Old Republic" is relying more on voices than written words to push its narrative forward with an unprecedented amount of spoken dialogue.
The highly anticipated "Old Republic" has already drawn comparisons to "World of Warcraft," the behemoth online fantasy game from Blizzard Entertainment that boasts more than 10 million subscribers but little voice work. ("Star Wars Galaxies," a "Star Wars" online game from Sony Online Entertainment, ended last week after eight years in operation.)
At the start of "Old Republic," players pledge allegiance to either the Republic or Empire and pick from eight character types: a bounty hunter like Boba Fett, a smuggler like Han Solo, a Jedi consular like Yoda, a Sith inquisitor like Darth Maul, a Jedi knight like Obi-Wan Kenobi, a Sith warrior like Darth Vader, an Imperial agent like Grand Moff Tarkin or a trooper.
The possibility of 16 different, highly customizable protagonists _ eight men, eight women _ hyper-speeding through a virtual universe populated with thousands of talkative characters, as well as millions of other players online, presented "The Old Republic" developers at BioWare in Austin, Texas, and LucasArts in San Francisco with several new challenges.
"When you're doing a game like `The Old Republic,' the acting is like cubism," said LucasArts voice director Will Beckman. "You have to see these characters from every angle and be able to pull it apart and put it back together. It's definitely a challenge for our voice actors. It's a unique type of acting that takes a tremendous amount of imagination."
Unlike an animated film, the nonlinear nature of "The Old Republic" requires the voice actors to record several different versions of dialogue, depending on whether players are moving along the light or dark sides of the Force, and because the game is ongoing, the developers are creating updates that will feature new content, including voiceovers.
"We tried to prepare the talent that this isn't a normal voiceover gig," said LucasArts voice producer Orion Kellogg. "Normally, actors come into the studio once or twice to record their audio. We've got 16 player characters alone doing tons of dialogue. They know they're coming back. I think they like it because they've been able to grow into their role."
"Party of Five" actress Lacey Chabert is among the hundreds of voices within "The Old Republic" universe. Chabert plays a spunky slicer named Mako, who serves as a companion to players who choose to become a bounty hunter. Chabert, who has voiced dozens of animated characters, said the most challenging part of this role was tackling the sci-fi vocabulary.
"The language within the `Star Wars' universe is filled with words that I did not know how to pronounce," said Chabert. "Luckily, the producers have an audio library of planet names and everything `Star Wars' and how it should actually be pronounced. I always had to listen to a reference, and I'd almost always get it wrong the first time."
Besides the English, German or French spoken in the game, "Old Republic" features 21 different alien languages. While the sounds of species like the furry Wookiees came directly from the LucasArts archives, Beckman said he crafted several new alien languages, finding inspiration from existing and dead real-world languages, as well as audio effects.
"It's a combination of having some idea of where you w-ant to go with it, creating a base language from existing or dead languages, then creating a personality or style for that language and executing it with sound design," said Beckman, who also speaks Huttese as blubbery gang leader Nem'ro the Hutt _ among other alien creatures _ in "The Old Republic."
The daunting amount of dialogue also technically tested "The Old Republic" developers. They built a new system for organizing the audio, which was recorded in 17 different studios spanning from Los Angeles to London, and created a method of compressing the audio so that it can be easily downloaded by players when they install and update the game.
Visually, when players are gabbing away, a glowing conversation cartoon bubble appears over their avatar's head. When they team up with fellow Republic or Empire devotees and engage in conversations, each player elects a response, but what's actually uttered is randomly selected, and players who win the chance to speak earn extra points.
"It is a big game, and it's going to feel like that when players are installing it," said BioWare audio producer Sandee Valle. "More importantly, it's going to feel like that when you get out there and start exploring the world. Hopefully, we're going to be adding to the game regularly with new content and voice work for many, many years to come."
2011年12月21日星期三
2011年12月20日星期二
The Old Republic' Speaks for Itself
It's something that players of modern single-player video games like "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim" and "Batman: Arkham City" might take for granted, but an effect that die-hard fans of sprawling online role-playing games such as "World of Warcraft" and "Aion" will surely appreciate: The characters in "Star Wars: The Old Republic" can actually speak.
With more than 320 actors portraying more than 4,000 characters with 260,000 lines of dialogue, BioWare's "The Old Republic" is poised to feature more voice acting than any other massively multiplayer online game in the galaxy when it launches Tuesday, and that's not even counting the thousands of beeps and boops sputtered by droids predating R2-D2.
BioWare, the Electronic Arts Inc. developer behind the "Mass Effect" and "Dragon Age" single-player franchises, has become synonymous with conversational gameplay that allows players to chat with other characters in the hope of unlocking missions, learning more about the plot, demonstrating morality and even forming virtual bonds — romantic or otherwise.
The developer is taking that virtual chatter online with "Old Republic," which is set thousands of years before Luke Skywalker battled Darth Vader in a galaxy far, far away. Unlike most other persistent multiplayer games, "Old Republic" is relying more on voices than written words to push its narrative forward with an unprecedented amount of spoken dialogue.
The highly anticipated "Old Republic" has already drawn comparisons to "World of Warcraft," the behemoth online fantasy game from Blizzard Entertainment that boasts more than 10 million subscribers but little voice work. ("Star Wars Galaxies," a "Star Wars" online game from Sony Online Entertainment, ended last week after eight years in operation.)
At the start of "Old Republic," players pledge allegiance to either the Republic or Empire and pick from eight character types: a bounty hunter like Boba Fett, a smuggler like Han Solo, a Jedi consular like Yoda, a Sith inquisitor like Darth Maul, a Jedi knight like Obi-Wan Kenobi, a Sith warrior like Darth Vader, an Imperial agent like Grand Moff Tarkin or a trooper.
The possibility of 16 different, highly customizable protagonists — eight men, eight women — hyper-speeding through a virtual universe populated with thousands of talkative characters, as well as millions of other players online, presented "The Old Republic" developers at BioWare in Austin, Texas, and LucasArts in San Francisco with several new challenges.
"When you're doing a game like 'The Old Republic,' the acting is like cubism," said LucasArts voice director Will Beckman. "You have to see these characters from every angle and be able to pull it apart and put it back together. It's definitely a challenge for our voice actors. It's a unique type of acting that takes a tremendous amount of imagination."
Unlike an animated film, the nonlinear nature of "The Old Republic" requires the voice actors to record several different versions of dialogue, depending on whether players are moving along the light or dark sides of the Force, and because the game is ongoing, the developers are creating updates that will feature new content, including voiceovers.
With more than 320 actors portraying more than 4,000 characters with 260,000 lines of dialogue, BioWare's "The Old Republic" is poised to feature more voice acting than any other massively multiplayer online game in the galaxy when it launches Tuesday, and that's not even counting the thousands of beeps and boops sputtered by droids predating R2-D2.
BioWare, the Electronic Arts Inc. developer behind the "Mass Effect" and "Dragon Age" single-player franchises, has become synonymous with conversational gameplay that allows players to chat with other characters in the hope of unlocking missions, learning more about the plot, demonstrating morality and even forming virtual bonds — romantic or otherwise.
The developer is taking that virtual chatter online with "Old Republic," which is set thousands of years before Luke Skywalker battled Darth Vader in a galaxy far, far away. Unlike most other persistent multiplayer games, "Old Republic" is relying more on voices than written words to push its narrative forward with an unprecedented amount of spoken dialogue.
The highly anticipated "Old Republic" has already drawn comparisons to "World of Warcraft," the behemoth online fantasy game from Blizzard Entertainment that boasts more than 10 million subscribers but little voice work. ("Star Wars Galaxies," a "Star Wars" online game from Sony Online Entertainment, ended last week after eight years in operation.)
At the start of "Old Republic," players pledge allegiance to either the Republic or Empire and pick from eight character types: a bounty hunter like Boba Fett, a smuggler like Han Solo, a Jedi consular like Yoda, a Sith inquisitor like Darth Maul, a Jedi knight like Obi-Wan Kenobi, a Sith warrior like Darth Vader, an Imperial agent like Grand Moff Tarkin or a trooper.
The possibility of 16 different, highly customizable protagonists — eight men, eight women — hyper-speeding through a virtual universe populated with thousands of talkative characters, as well as millions of other players online, presented "The Old Republic" developers at BioWare in Austin, Texas, and LucasArts in San Francisco with several new challenges.
"When you're doing a game like 'The Old Republic,' the acting is like cubism," said LucasArts voice director Will Beckman. "You have to see these characters from every angle and be able to pull it apart and put it back together. It's definitely a challenge for our voice actors. It's a unique type of acting that takes a tremendous amount of imagination."
Unlike an animated film, the nonlinear nature of "The Old Republic" requires the voice actors to record several different versions of dialogue, depending on whether players are moving along the light or dark sides of the Force, and because the game is ongoing, the developers are creating updates that will feature new content, including voiceovers.
2011年12月19日星期一
Wings Over Atreia: Free 2 pain
For the second time in less than a month, NCsoft has shown wanton disregard for my already-prepared comments for the week, derailing the scheduled Wings Over Atreia with some out-of-the-blue announcement. And not just any announcement, but one that can have a profound effect on Aion in the coming months. What is this announcement, you say? Shall I help you out from that rock you've been slumbering under? Why, last Wednesday's bold free-to-play announcement, of course!
Now, before hyperventilation sets in -- either from glee or disgust -- note that there are set parameters to this specific conversion, including first and foremost that it is for the European market only. And while details aren't exactly pouring forth, there are a few tidbits to pass along, just enough to whet the appetite of future F2P Daevas or enrage current ones.
Breathe into the paper bag and join me past the break for a look at the details that have been revealed and some thoughts on those that have not!
Given such a major announcement but few details, I am sure readers have some questions. Never fear, MJ is here! I shall guide you through what information is currently out there and offer some basic translation/personal commentary/wild speculation. Using my elite powers of information-gathering (no, I really don't have a captured developer locked down in my basement, but that's a good idea...), I bring you The Word.
So here's the scoop: Come February 2012, Aion will convert to a free-to-play subscription model in the European market. What does this mean for folks on that side of the pond? According to the PR machine, it means little will change except opening the market up to a wider audience. In fact, NCsoft expects that there will soon be plenty more Deavas flocking to Atreia for grouping and PvP goodness. Well, ignoring the likelihood of a launch-day fiasco, who can argue against more compatriots and more enemies filling out the server? Other than that, NCsoft's devs were quick to say that little would change for current players.
Surely there is more to it than that, you say. But of course, I reply! Though stop calling me Shirley. Of the details revealed, the outline of the payment models captured my interest most. There will be three distinct levels: Starters (the free group), Veteran, and Gold Pack. The free group is -- drum roll -- free! There will be no cost to sign up, install, or start playing. Starters will have access to every class, level, quest, region, and all equipment in the game. Sounds like a far cry from what many other free-to-play models offer, right? The Veteran group will be comprised of all those who have ever bought and subscribed to Aion in the past, whether the subscription is active or not. This group will enjoy privileges similar to the Gold Pack. The Gold Pack will be a temporary purchase that gives Daevas "full functionality" as well as bonuses like higher AP payouts and (see below) shorter instance cooldown timers.
Now, before hyperventilation sets in -- either from glee or disgust -- note that there are set parameters to this specific conversion, including first and foremost that it is for the European market only. And while details aren't exactly pouring forth, there are a few tidbits to pass along, just enough to whet the appetite of future F2P Daevas or enrage current ones.
Breathe into the paper bag and join me past the break for a look at the details that have been revealed and some thoughts on those that have not!
Given such a major announcement but few details, I am sure readers have some questions. Never fear, MJ is here! I shall guide you through what information is currently out there and offer some basic translation/personal commentary/wild speculation. Using my elite powers of information-gathering (no, I really don't have a captured developer locked down in my basement, but that's a good idea...), I bring you The Word.
So here's the scoop: Come February 2012, Aion will convert to a free-to-play subscription model in the European market. What does this mean for folks on that side of the pond? According to the PR machine, it means little will change except opening the market up to a wider audience. In fact, NCsoft expects that there will soon be plenty more Deavas flocking to Atreia for grouping and PvP goodness. Well, ignoring the likelihood of a launch-day fiasco, who can argue against more compatriots and more enemies filling out the server? Other than that, NCsoft's devs were quick to say that little would change for current players.
Surely there is more to it than that, you say. But of course, I reply! Though stop calling me Shirley. Of the details revealed, the outline of the payment models captured my interest most. There will be three distinct levels: Starters (the free group), Veteran, and Gold Pack. The free group is -- drum roll -- free! There will be no cost to sign up, install, or start playing. Starters will have access to every class, level, quest, region, and all equipment in the game. Sounds like a far cry from what many other free-to-play models offer, right? The Veteran group will be comprised of all those who have ever bought and subscribed to Aion in the past, whether the subscription is active or not. This group will enjoy privileges similar to the Gold Pack. The Gold Pack will be a temporary purchase that gives Daevas "full functionality" as well as bonuses like higher AP payouts and (see below) shorter instance cooldown timers.
2011年12月18日星期日
MMORPG Aion: Details zum Free to Play-Modell
Erst vor wenigen Tagen wurde bekannt gegeben, dass das MMORPG Aion auf das Free to Play-Modell umgestellt und im Vertrieb von Gameforge in Europa übernommen wird. Nun gibt es neue Informationen, wie das Free to Play-Modell aussehen wird.
Dabei gibt es auch Details dazu, was passiert, wenn man sein Abo auf das neue System umstellt und was es mit den Gold Packs auf sich hat, die ihr im Item Shop kaufen k?nnt.
Jeder, der sich einen neuen Account für Aion erstellt, beginnt im Starter-Modus. Damit hat man Zugriff auf alle kostenlosen Inhalte des MMOs und ist nur etwa im Chat oder bei der Nutzung des Auktionshauses eingeschr?nkt, als Schutz vor Bots und dem Handel mit Echtgeld.
Wer bereits ein Abo besitzt, kann seinen Account auf Gameforge transferieren und bekommt damit Zugang zu allen Inhalten mit Ausnahme von Boni wie verringerte Cooldown-Zeiten für Instanzen sowie erh?hte PvP-Münz-Rewards.
Jeder Spieler wird den Item-Shop nutzen k?nnen, in dem er einzigartige Kleidungs-Skins, seltene Haustiere oder neue Frisuren kaufen kann. Daneben wird es hier auch die Gold Packs geben. Diese heben die Einschr?nkungen eures Accounts tempor?r auf und bringen euch Boni wie Zugewinn bei Erfahrungspunkten oder kürzere Cooldownzeiten bei Instanzen ein.
?Wir freuen uns, mit Aion eines der beliebtesten MMOGs ab Februar kostenlos anbieten zu k?nnen und somit diese fantastische Spielwelt vielen neuen Spielern zug?nglich zu machen“, sagt Volker Boenigk, Executive Product Director für Aion bei Gameforge. Und erg?nzt: ?Wir haben unser Modell sehr sorgf?ltig ausgew?hlt, um sicherzustellen, dass s?mtliche spielerisch wertvollen Inhalte allen Nutzern kostenfrei zur Verfügung stehen. Wir sind davon überzeugt, mit diesem Ansatz sowohl bestehenden Spielern als auch Neueinsteigern ein faires Modell zu pr?sentieren, und sind sehr gespannt auf die Reaktionen der Community.“
Dabei gibt es auch Details dazu, was passiert, wenn man sein Abo auf das neue System umstellt und was es mit den Gold Packs auf sich hat, die ihr im Item Shop kaufen k?nnt.
Jeder, der sich einen neuen Account für Aion erstellt, beginnt im Starter-Modus. Damit hat man Zugriff auf alle kostenlosen Inhalte des MMOs und ist nur etwa im Chat oder bei der Nutzung des Auktionshauses eingeschr?nkt, als Schutz vor Bots und dem Handel mit Echtgeld.
Wer bereits ein Abo besitzt, kann seinen Account auf Gameforge transferieren und bekommt damit Zugang zu allen Inhalten mit Ausnahme von Boni wie verringerte Cooldown-Zeiten für Instanzen sowie erh?hte PvP-Münz-Rewards.
Jeder Spieler wird den Item-Shop nutzen k?nnen, in dem er einzigartige Kleidungs-Skins, seltene Haustiere oder neue Frisuren kaufen kann. Daneben wird es hier auch die Gold Packs geben. Diese heben die Einschr?nkungen eures Accounts tempor?r auf und bringen euch Boni wie Zugewinn bei Erfahrungspunkten oder kürzere Cooldownzeiten bei Instanzen ein.
?Wir freuen uns, mit Aion eines der beliebtesten MMOGs ab Februar kostenlos anbieten zu k?nnen und somit diese fantastische Spielwelt vielen neuen Spielern zug?nglich zu machen“, sagt Volker Boenigk, Executive Product Director für Aion bei Gameforge. Und erg?nzt: ?Wir haben unser Modell sehr sorgf?ltig ausgew?hlt, um sicherzustellen, dass s?mtliche spielerisch wertvollen Inhalte allen Nutzern kostenfrei zur Verfügung stehen. Wir sind davon überzeugt, mit diesem Ansatz sowohl bestehenden Spielern als auch Neueinsteigern ein faires Modell zu pr?sentieren, und sind sehr gespannt auf die Reaktionen der Community.“
2011年12月15日星期四
Restaurant Review: Cafe Aion
On a trip to Southern Spain and Morocco, I was invited into the home of a local Moroccan restaurateur for a casual late-night dinner.
In attendance were about 14 people, all seated closely together at a long wooden table. This physical closeness paired with the abundance of wine fostered quick community, even though most were strangers to me.
The table was laden with vessels of earthenware crockery filled with olives and dried fruit. Placed down the center were ceramic pitchers of rose-scented water, wine bottles and flickering candles. There was beauty in the simplicity of the table setting, a warm, relaxed hospitality felt in its offerings.
Dinner at Cafe Aion on the Hill in Boulder reminded me of that lovely evening in many ways.
The dining room at Cafe Aion is cozy and quaint. Wooden tables, a hand-built bar and a Moroccan blue accent wall adorned with black-and-white photos are really the only design elements you'll notice. A peekaboo window lets you peer directly into the restaurant's soul, the kitchen, where chef Dakota Soifer creates his North African and Spanish tapas-style cuisine.
A snack of succulent house olives with preserved lemon and rosemary ($4) and a perfectly mixed Aion jalapeno margarita ($6) warmed me. The server was engaged and informative, suggesting a Spanish white for my guest when he arrived. We ordered a sampling of 6 small plates, most of which were enthusiastically recommended. Aion fried cauliflower ($7) served with saffron yogurt, cumin and lemon didn't remain on the plate very long. The browned and crisped florets acted as the perfect vehicle for dipping into the luxurious sauce.
James Ranch Belford cheese ($8) arrived with crostini and a Moroccan spiced compote. I'd never tasted this cow's milk cheese before; it hails from Durango and is reminiscent of gouda, though harder and infinitely more tangy. I enjoyed how it mingled with the fruitiness of the compote. This cheese dish is also intelligently offered as a dessert option, and I'd seriously considered the encore.
As the table started to fill up with clay vessels of olives, cheese, dipping sauces, small plates and wine, a slight hint of deja vu seeped into my consciousness. I was basking in the glow of that warm, relaxed Moroccan hospitality again.
I was coaxed out of my reverie by the arrival of quinoa salad with Turkish apricots, almonds and preserved lemon ($7) and house made cotechino sausage with lentils du Puy ($11) The quinoa salad had a nutty crunch of sliced almonds and a hint of balanced sweetness.
It's commendable that Cafe Aion creates its own charcuterie, but I found the cotechino lacking flavor. The monochromatic presentation of brown sausage rounds atop brown lentils was drab and unappealing, though after a brief chat with Soifer about his process, I'm looking forward to trying the house cured Genoa salami on my next visit.
A sharable portion of Moroccan style braised Long Farm pork with apricots ($13) was graciously and professionally re-fired, when we discovered that our portion hadn't received any apricots. Another heaping serving along with a side of extra Turkish dried apricots arrived and we devoured every tender morsel.
It was a face-off between ordering the duck confit or the Hazel Dell oyster mushroom dish. After remarking about the rampant appearance of both items on seemingly every menu in Boulder, we chose the duck confit served with farro, pomegranates and walnuts ($16). I was disappointed in this selection. The confit leg was small, bony, and overly salty, for the price I didn't think there was real value either. We should have ordered the mushrooms that our server suggested "were like buttuh," as she hadn't steered us wrong on anything else thus far.
We lingered over our wine, enjoying the sense of wellbeing that comes with satiety. We each ordered an ozo coffee ($3) and chose to share the Tcho chocolate torte with Noosa honey yogurt ($7) The pure flavor of quality chocolate was apparent. Our forks dueled over the last remnants of honey yogurt. I felt so at home, I was tempted to lick the plate, but thankfully managed to restrain myself.
Cafe Aion fosters an environment that parallels their mission: providing straightforward, honest presentations of Spanish and North African inspired fare. It stands out among other small plate restaurants by adding its own unique nuance to local Front Range cuisine. Cafe Aion invites you into its hearth for dinner every Tuesday through Saturday night. You should take them up on their gracious invitation, you'll be happy you did.
In attendance were about 14 people, all seated closely together at a long wooden table. This physical closeness paired with the abundance of wine fostered quick community, even though most were strangers to me.
The table was laden with vessels of earthenware crockery filled with olives and dried fruit. Placed down the center were ceramic pitchers of rose-scented water, wine bottles and flickering candles. There was beauty in the simplicity of the table setting, a warm, relaxed hospitality felt in its offerings.
Dinner at Cafe Aion on the Hill in Boulder reminded me of that lovely evening in many ways.
The dining room at Cafe Aion is cozy and quaint. Wooden tables, a hand-built bar and a Moroccan blue accent wall adorned with black-and-white photos are really the only design elements you'll notice. A peekaboo window lets you peer directly into the restaurant's soul, the kitchen, where chef Dakota Soifer creates his North African and Spanish tapas-style cuisine.
A snack of succulent house olives with preserved lemon and rosemary ($4) and a perfectly mixed Aion jalapeno margarita ($6) warmed me. The server was engaged and informative, suggesting a Spanish white for my guest when he arrived. We ordered a sampling of 6 small plates, most of which were enthusiastically recommended. Aion fried cauliflower ($7) served with saffron yogurt, cumin and lemon didn't remain on the plate very long. The browned and crisped florets acted as the perfect vehicle for dipping into the luxurious sauce.
James Ranch Belford cheese ($8) arrived with crostini and a Moroccan spiced compote. I'd never tasted this cow's milk cheese before; it hails from Durango and is reminiscent of gouda, though harder and infinitely more tangy. I enjoyed how it mingled with the fruitiness of the compote. This cheese dish is also intelligently offered as a dessert option, and I'd seriously considered the encore.
As the table started to fill up with clay vessels of olives, cheese, dipping sauces, small plates and wine, a slight hint of deja vu seeped into my consciousness. I was basking in the glow of that warm, relaxed Moroccan hospitality again.
I was coaxed out of my reverie by the arrival of quinoa salad with Turkish apricots, almonds and preserved lemon ($7) and house made cotechino sausage with lentils du Puy ($11) The quinoa salad had a nutty crunch of sliced almonds and a hint of balanced sweetness.
It's commendable that Cafe Aion creates its own charcuterie, but I found the cotechino lacking flavor. The monochromatic presentation of brown sausage rounds atop brown lentils was drab and unappealing, though after a brief chat with Soifer about his process, I'm looking forward to trying the house cured Genoa salami on my next visit.
A sharable portion of Moroccan style braised Long Farm pork with apricots ($13) was graciously and professionally re-fired, when we discovered that our portion hadn't received any apricots. Another heaping serving along with a side of extra Turkish dried apricots arrived and we devoured every tender morsel.
It was a face-off between ordering the duck confit or the Hazel Dell oyster mushroom dish. After remarking about the rampant appearance of both items on seemingly every menu in Boulder, we chose the duck confit served with farro, pomegranates and walnuts ($16). I was disappointed in this selection. The confit leg was small, bony, and overly salty, for the price I didn't think there was real value either. We should have ordered the mushrooms that our server suggested "were like buttuh," as she hadn't steered us wrong on anything else thus far.
We lingered over our wine, enjoying the sense of wellbeing that comes with satiety. We each ordered an ozo coffee ($3) and chose to share the Tcho chocolate torte with Noosa honey yogurt ($7) The pure flavor of quality chocolate was apparent. Our forks dueled over the last remnants of honey yogurt. I felt so at home, I was tempted to lick the plate, but thankfully managed to restrain myself.
Cafe Aion fosters an environment that parallels their mission: providing straightforward, honest presentations of Spanish and North African inspired fare. It stands out among other small plate restaurants by adding its own unique nuance to local Front Range cuisine. Cafe Aion invites you into its hearth for dinner every Tuesday through Saturday night. You should take them up on their gracious invitation, you'll be happy you did.
2011年12月14日星期三
Aion - Free2Play-Umstellung im Februar 2012
Das Online-Rollenspiel Aion stellt sein Bezahlmodell im Februar 2012 auf ein Free2Play-Modell um. Au?erdem wird in Zukunft Gameforge die Verantwortung der europ?ischen Server übernehmen. Der Grund für den Wechsel des Betreibers und die Umstellung auf F2P sei, dass die Spielerzahlen in den letzten Monaten stark zurückgegangen sind.
In einem Q&A erkl?rt der Entwickler au?erdem die speziellen Boni für weiterhin bezahlende Spieler. Diese bekommen zukünftig eine Gold-Mitgliedschaft mit der alle Features des Spiels uneingeschr?nkt genutzt werden k?nnen. Darüber hinaus sollen alle Premium-Mitglieder Boni wie erh?hten Erfahrungspunkte-Gewinn, kürzere Wartezeiten bei Instanzen und h?here Belohnungen erhalten. Der neue Betreiber Gameforge verspricht dennoch, dass alle Ver?nderungen durch neue Mitglieder-Modelle nicht das Balancing des Spiels ver?ndern.
Alle Spieler, die sich vor der Umstellung des Bezahlmodells jemals einen Account erstellt, und diesem Spielzeit hinzugefügt haben, erhalten au?erdem einen ?Veteranen?-Status. Dadurch erhalten Rückkehrer einige Boni wie unlimitierten Handel und die freie Nutzung s?mtlicher Chat-Kan?le.
Der Vorstandsvorsitzende von Gameforge Alexander R?sner freut sich über die Kooperation mit dem Entwickler und sagt: ?Mit Aion haben wir ein Flaggschiff für unseren MMO-Sektor in unser Portfolio aufgenommen, das unser aktuelles Lineup perfekt erg?nzt. Wir haben mit NCsoft hart daran gearbeitet, ein faires Free-to-Play-Modell zu entwickeln, das neue Spieler ebenso anspricht wie die bestehende Community. Natürlich werden wir auch in Zukunft neue Inhalte entwickeln und diese in enger Zusammenarbeit mit den Spielern erweitern?.
In einem Q&A erkl?rt der Entwickler au?erdem die speziellen Boni für weiterhin bezahlende Spieler. Diese bekommen zukünftig eine Gold-Mitgliedschaft mit der alle Features des Spiels uneingeschr?nkt genutzt werden k?nnen. Darüber hinaus sollen alle Premium-Mitglieder Boni wie erh?hten Erfahrungspunkte-Gewinn, kürzere Wartezeiten bei Instanzen und h?here Belohnungen erhalten. Der neue Betreiber Gameforge verspricht dennoch, dass alle Ver?nderungen durch neue Mitglieder-Modelle nicht das Balancing des Spiels ver?ndern.
Alle Spieler, die sich vor der Umstellung des Bezahlmodells jemals einen Account erstellt, und diesem Spielzeit hinzugefügt haben, erhalten au?erdem einen ?Veteranen?-Status. Dadurch erhalten Rückkehrer einige Boni wie unlimitierten Handel und die freie Nutzung s?mtlicher Chat-Kan?le.
Der Vorstandsvorsitzende von Gameforge Alexander R?sner freut sich über die Kooperation mit dem Entwickler und sagt: ?Mit Aion haben wir ein Flaggschiff für unseren MMO-Sektor in unser Portfolio aufgenommen, das unser aktuelles Lineup perfekt erg?nzt. Wir haben mit NCsoft hart daran gearbeitet, ein faires Free-to-Play-Modell zu entwickeln, das neue Spieler ebenso anspricht wie die bestehende Community. Natürlich werden wir auch in Zukunft neue Inhalte entwickeln und diese in enger Zusammenarbeit mit den Spielern erweitern?.
2011年12月13日星期二
Finland, "the youngest astronaut" p??ssee space in 2013
Vesa Heilala, Finland's second space tourist, is likely to get into space in 2013. He bought 200 $ 000 or EUR 151 000 paid for the mission from the American Virgin Galactic, the company in early 2010.
Heilala delaying their journey in October reached U.S. visit in New Mexico located in the Spaceport America Space Flight field, where the Virgin Galactic had invited persons have booked the trip.
I got to see the airport and close to the time the vessels. I met the Director of the Virgin's Richard Branson and the other astronauts, some of which take a closer look. Most of them are much wealthier than I am, but they still seemed quite ordinary people Heilala describes the distance issue.
Vantaa, P?yry's IT department, who works Heilala says most of the space paid trip to a bank loan, which he paid off every month. It does, however, harmita man, whom the mobile space has been a longtime dream.
- I became interested in space flight as a child, when I saw the color on TV Star Trek series and I read about Space Travel comic books. I'm going to smile broadly when I come back to the flight to the ground, he enthuses.
Space flight lasts about two and a half hours. Special-made aircraft will take the first of two pilots and six passengers 15 miles above the shuttle. After the shuttle ponkaisee own motor and space. Space Tourists spend five minutes of weightlessness at an altitude of one hundred kilometers, after which the shuttle returns to earth.
Finland has reportedly just bought two tickets to the Virgin Galactic space flight. The first buyer of the trip has remained hidden from the public, but according to the information Heilala fifties, he is a man. Therefore, Heilala, 45 years, the jokes to be the youngest astronaut Finnish.
Space flight booking Heilala were waiting to travel in 2012. Rocket motors, however, need further tests, so the first commercial flight is expected until late 2012. Heilala starting number is less than 300, and his flight to be realized about a year after the first flight.
- Some of the passengers already booked their flights in 2005, and their flight was supposed to be in 2008, so little time I had to wait for them in comparison. During the visit, came to know yes, that'd air right now. Swamp the airline, however, the test for peace: ten tests, rather too much than one too few, the future astronaut is reasonably argues.
Heilala delaying their journey in October reached U.S. visit in New Mexico located in the Spaceport America Space Flight field, where the Virgin Galactic had invited persons have booked the trip.
I got to see the airport and close to the time the vessels. I met the Director of the Virgin's Richard Branson and the other astronauts, some of which take a closer look. Most of them are much wealthier than I am, but they still seemed quite ordinary people Heilala describes the distance issue.
Vantaa, P?yry's IT department, who works Heilala says most of the space paid trip to a bank loan, which he paid off every month. It does, however, harmita man, whom the mobile space has been a longtime dream.
- I became interested in space flight as a child, when I saw the color on TV Star Trek series and I read about Space Travel comic books. I'm going to smile broadly when I come back to the flight to the ground, he enthuses.
Space flight lasts about two and a half hours. Special-made aircraft will take the first of two pilots and six passengers 15 miles above the shuttle. After the shuttle ponkaisee own motor and space. Space Tourists spend five minutes of weightlessness at an altitude of one hundred kilometers, after which the shuttle returns to earth.
Finland has reportedly just bought two tickets to the Virgin Galactic space flight. The first buyer of the trip has remained hidden from the public, but according to the information Heilala fifties, he is a man. Therefore, Heilala, 45 years, the jokes to be the youngest astronaut Finnish.
Space flight booking Heilala were waiting to travel in 2012. Rocket motors, however, need further tests, so the first commercial flight is expected until late 2012. Heilala starting number is less than 300, and his flight to be realized about a year after the first flight.
- Some of the passengers already booked their flights in 2005, and their flight was supposed to be in 2008, so little time I had to wait for them in comparison. During the visit, came to know yes, that'd air right now. Swamp the airline, however, the test for peace: ten tests, rather too much than one too few, the future astronaut is reasonably argues.
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