I’ve been playing Guild Wars since the 27th of April. I was able to get a pre order box so I could play starting at 12:01 am on the 27th. I’ve had my eye on this game since around this time last year. Guild Wars comes at an opportune time as my adventures in the World of Warcraft are being made very un-fun with the inclusion of the so called “honor” system and a contest to encourage this so called honor system of Blizzard’s.

Guild Wars at this moment in time feels like a fun game. The biggest selling points right now are no monthly fees to play and the fact that just about everything is a private instance means I don’t have to worry about getting ganked (farmed for honor) as I try to level. I can’t stress how antisocial I am at this time because of this bullshit going on in WoW. So it’s nice to be able to be all alone in an area in Guild Wars if I want to be.

Another huge selling point as it turns out is that I can play the game from work. There is only one port number that needs to be open for the game to work and that port number happens to be open on this isp the hotel uses. The ability to play at work is really amazing seeing how just about every other port number on the internet is closed here at work.

The ability to play at work has many downsides as the these six screen shots above can show. The Intel Extreme Graphics Technology powered 82845G Graphics Controller in the work computer just doesn’t have the muscle to run a game like Guild Wars. The horrible graphics really isn’t the problem. The problem is that about 20 minutes into playing the computer crashes to a bsod that points to one of the driver files for the onboard vid card.

Which is really frustrating. I’ve updated to the latest drivers provided by Intel. I’ve lowered every setting in the game that I can. The damn thing still keeps crashing. Granted this pitiful video card is not supported by the game. I was just hoping to have some luck and make it work via tweaks. And I’m contemplating buying a cheap ass pci video card to put into the work pc I use. It all depends on how things go at the hotel in the coming weeks.

So Fileplanet has a sign up for the Dungeon Siege II multiplayer beta (Fileplanet subscribers only), which you can sign up for right here. Below are some screen shots to make you want to be a subscriber to that damn Fileplanet:

Dungeon Siege II brings some new features to the this version of the game. Duel Wielding being one of the things I noticed first. They also have in place a Diablo 2 like skill tree that you can invest character points as you level. Spending points in the different paths gives you special abilities that you can use as they charge up as you fight monsters. And of course the graphics have been tweaked a little, as it does look better than the first game. Also the ability to save your game in the multiplayer game has been added. They also have a few different game types such as the ability to play just one character or the option to be able to play the multi portion with a limited party.

If you don’t browse my forums you may have missed this post. What follows is the breakdown of the meat of it followed with my responses.

I found out about this website from a colleague at work. Seems you’ve gained some fans at work. I obviously cannot reveal anything about who I am or what I do at MSI – but I can say I am still employed there, and likely will be for some time.

Any time there is talk of people being fans of mine my head inflates a size or two. With him being with MSI it’s just extra cool seeing how their software is what we use at the hotel.

I used to be a night auditor/front desk clerk in Phoenix, AZ. (This is where MSI is based out of.) We all know how it goes – my REAL job was Night audit / Front Desk Clerk / Controller / Sales Rep / housekeeping / maintenance man. As fate would have it, I’ve moved on to Multi-systems. (A very wise move.)

Your a lucky guy then for getting a gig there. I’ve often thought about sending in some kind of resume to you guys. But then I remember how much I hate resumes and say fuck it.

Your stories remind me of the “good old days”. I could pass along some interesting ones of night audit encounters. I once started a tech-support hell website, but shut it down at the request of management. (someone narc’d me out.) Perhaps I’ll return to that endeavor at a later date – a yang to your ying.

I of course would encourage you to restart your tech-support hell website. But then that’s me. No names, locations, or brands is my motto. Other than of course when I break that rule talking about you guys.

Anyway, I just wanted to stop in and say, “hey”. Your website is quite an enjoyment.

Hey right back at you. Thanks for the kind words.

I swear to god – I want them to change that @#$%^&* hold music just as much as you do.

You know I regret writing about that now. I feel some how responsible (unlikely as it may be) for the change to your hold music/system. I want KYOT back! The new stuff has no personality.

Flip side – I’ve had auditors act indignant with me as well. I’m going to be less willing to get them back to business if they are a prick to me. Quid pro quo.

Well theres a good chance that was me being the prick. My thing when I’m on the line with you guys is that I don’t want to have to sit on the phone with you guys for thirty minutes while you guys try to fix my problem. I want my shit taken care of and thats it. Call me back, put me on hold, do whatever you need to do to get the job done. But please for the love of god don’t try to engage in small talk. I’m horrible at small talk. I do often come off as a prick because of this. And I don’t think breaking the ice by asking if they’ve ever been to Hotelblues.com will work.

The impossible has happened. Something that never entered my head as a possibility. I’m still in a state of disbelief with a side of paranoia. It’s just all kind of funny. After years of working at the hotel they finally ask me (no applying, no resume) to be front desk manager. And I’m still in that whoa phase.

Of course in defense of my big talking in the past I would like to point out I did laugh in the temp gm’s face when he said it. It was just a very weird moment. The gm comes up to the desk and starts his usual banter and he shakes my fucking hand. Which I would like to point out I’m not a big fan of shaking hands.

After the hand shaking he asks me how things are going (And what the fuck is it with these kinds of people that always got to shake your hand? Do they get off on touching others or something?). I respond the same way I have the last few times he’s asked me this. The place is falling apart. It’s chaos here at the desk. The place needs a manager to give these desk clerks focus. What else can I say? It’s all hunky dory?

And my recollection becomes a blur. Somehow he slips in the question of me becoming front desk manager. Time slowed. I ask him are you offering me the job? I restated my lack of desire to apply for the job. No it’s yours if you want it he says. Which at this point I’m laughing again. Just how desperate have they become that they offer me the job?

In less than five minutes time money is mentioned and something about a certain number of days to get used to it or something. It all flew past me faster than I could digest the information. And I’m left with a number of questions. How much money? How many hours do I work? How long will I last before they fire me? Have they gone completely insane? Those kinds of questions.

I would like to take this time to thank the old lady in sales who has been talking me up to this gm guy. It’s nice that someone in the hotel management believes in me. But it makes me wonder if they really understand what kind of monster they would inviting into their little management circle?

I can honestly say that in my opinion the majority of managers at the hotel are a bunch of goldbricking candy asses who don’t have the slightest idea on how to manage. The majority is made up of a bunch of corporate shills that know how to do nothing other than ass kiss. Am I making my feelings clear here? I get in there I want to only do my job. I don’t want to be friends with the other managers. I don’t want to be friends with the owner. And I will not kiss any ass. I just don’t see how this could possibly end very well.

I swear that one of these days I will write about the new Star Wars movie. Until that day I must burden you with more bullshit from the hotel. When I last wrote I had been given a half assed offer of becoming the front desk manager. Now I guess it was expected that I go running in to see these assholes to accept their so generous offer of which no details were given to me about. If you mistook me for someone who’s going to just jump through hoops because of your obviously desperate need to fill the position?

No you will find that kind of person I’m sure. And that kind of person I’ve talked about before. What kind of person am I referring to? Well lets see. I’m talking about the kind of young foolish inexperienced person that’s going to accept this job they are offering for a salary that is just not worth the 50 hours they demand a manager works. I’m talking about the kind of ambitious fool who just doesn’t have the god damn common sense to know to stay away from this sinking ship.

You also have to honestly look at how they have slowly dropped their expectations of the quality of the person to fill the position. They couldn’t even afford to pay someone who has worked in the hotel business for more than a decade and been the fdm of the hotel before. So what do you honestly think they will pay someone who has next to no experience in this kind of job? The biggest thing to keep in mind about this job offer is this promise of bigger and better in 90 days. I hope you can get that in writing.

I guess what I’m trying to say is I feel sorry for the poor fool they dupe into taking the job. Whomever takes the job has a rough time ahead of them. But I guess sometimes the only way a person can learn is by the hard way. I know they have a hard time ahead of them because they won’t find any help in me. I don’t train the person that is supposed to be my manager. Call it a silly thing. I expect the manager to know what they need to know when they take the job. That’s why they are the manager. And me I’ll continue to just be an auditor.

After hearing of how certain individuals where after the job of front desk manager I decided to once again take the plunge into management. Well I’ve agreed to be one of two names that the gm is going to pitch to the owner. So nothing is concrete yet. But the job is mine if I’m picked. And I don’t know what the hell I’m thinking giving up the easy life of the audit.

Everything will change. I’m going to have to get used to working mornings. Which won’t be the tallest hurdle I’ll face as a front desk manager. Mostly it will be getting along with the other managers. Well and people in general, because honestly I’m not sure I’m a people person. Which makes me wonder what the fuck I’m thinking all the more.

My biggest problem as I see it are the front desk employees. The last time I did this manager thing I tried my best to be that nice manager and in the process failed miserably. So the nice guy shit is out. I don’t really know how I’ll handle it, but I do have some ideas. Well I don’t really have any ideas that won’t get me sued. What I want is for stuff to be done my way. If it’s not being done my way well then it time for the highway.

I also can tell you that there will be no bus and there will be no points. Either do your job or don’t. No need to get on or off of some hypothetical bus. You don’t do your job, your fired. Pretty simple and it seemed to have worked for me in the past. And to me there is no need for any kind of incentive program such as the points system. I’ve always felt that my only incentive was that I got paid for doing my job. Again pretty simple. I don’t see the need to have to bribe someone to do what their supposed to be doing anyway.

Which leads me to the actual front desk clerks. Man I can’t even begin to start to tell you all what I think about the current batch of desk employees. Instead let me tell you about what happened just tonight.

A guy comes in and wants to check in. He says that he has reservations for two rooms that are right next to each other. Now this could just be a guest lying, which happens all the time. But the guy goes on to tell me he even was told what room numbers he was going to have. The way I was taught is that first you never guarantee the guest anything like specific locations of the rooms. And secondly your not supposed to tell them what room number they will have when you make the reservation.

But this guy was told all of that. And this kind of shit happens way to often. So I’ll have my hands full trying to un-train the front desk of the bad habits they have picked up. But for now I’m not going to think about it. This decision of who becomes front desk manager won’t happen till next week. Until then I’m going to enjoy what could be my last week as a night auditor.