Daily Archives: March 6, 2017

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I took a look at the map and estimated I was a short Nomad drive away from my objective in Mass Effect: Andromeda maybe 30 or 40 seconds. I ran over some enemies, passed small settlements inside of icy caves, and saw the mysterious Remnant fighting wildlife, then double checked my position. I had only gone a short distance and was still at least a dozen discoveries away from my target. The map for this one of several explorable planets was so large I actually laughed.

You say you dont want to spend tons of time exploring each planet? Dont. You want to know everything about the Ryder family secrets? Hunt away. You want Ryder to act like the beloved Commander Shepard? Make it so. Members of developer BioWare told me that player freedom is more important than ever in Andromeda, and it showed in every facet of the game I experienced during my nearly 10 hours of playtime.

New Kids on the Block

After 600 years of travel, the human colony ship Arc Hyperion arrives in the Andromeda galaxy in search of a new home. Playing as either Sara or Scott Ryder, the player embarks on an adventure to find a Golden World, or habitable planet, after their original destination turns out to be a bust. Chaos ensues.

Regardless of which Ryder twin you choose, the difference between them and the original Mass Effect trilogys Shepard is immediately noticeable. While they have combat training, they dont command the same leadership as Shepard. If Andromeda is going to be your first Mass Effect, I think youll be in good hands with the new protagonist. Ryder feels more relatable thanks to the new dialogue system that allows you to better dictate Ryders personality.

Mass Effect: Andromeda does away with the black and white Paragon and Renegade options in favor of four other response types that arent colored by morality. Instead I chose between emotional, logical, casual, and professional lines that shape Ryders character. In one playthrough Ryder was somewhat shy and sometimes struggled for confidence when talking to crew members, but in another I made Ryder stern with little care for the feelings of others.

And the others? Theyre great. From the new squadmates to random people I encountered on the Nexus, everyone had something to say. Its obvious that a lot of care was put into writing even the most minor engineers and colonists. Among the main cast, S.A.M. seems to have the highest potential for causing galactic controversy. In Andromeda, Ryder is always accompanied by an integrated AI that acts a little like The Legend of Zeldas Navi, but instead of being talkative like the squadmates he occasionally chimes in to offer analysis and advice for objectives. He doesnt seem to have as much personality as the original trilogys EDI, but S.A.M.s mysterious relationship with the Ryder family makes his side quests intriguing. Having true AI is taboo in Mass Effect, so itll be interesting to see how issues with S.A.M. pan out in the Andromeda galaxy.

In one mid-game save I had Sara Ryder run around the Tempest and flirt with as many crew mates as I could.

Like S.A.M., a lot of the squadmates have unique backgrounds that directly tie them to some of the biggest conflicts in Andromeda. As one of the native Andromeda races, the angara Jaal offered unique insight to exploration and drama. Pairing him with the inquisitive Peebee made for a fun drive in the Nomad. When I geared up for a mission I considered their personalities and interests as much as their combat capabilities. Since Andromeda doesnt lock Ryder into one class, I felt like I could be flexible with the squadmates I brought along to each mission. Interactions with the squadmates seem more robust during downtime, too. I got to jump to a mid-game save at one point during my two days at BioWare, and thankfully didnt find anyone calibrating a weapon endlessly.

Better interactions leads to better flirting. In one mid-game save I had Sara Ryder run around the Tempest and flirt with as many crew mates as I could. It was hilarious. She stumbled over her words when flirting with some of the dashing characters, and was silly with others. Though I didnt play enough to experience a full romance, I liked both the beginnings and the end yup, BioWare let me skip to one of the sexier scenes. Without spoiling it, I was delighted by how much choice I got even in that moment. It was intimate and respectful of the kind of relationship I wanted to create between the two characters.

Tell Me Another Story

Andromeda draws out many feelings I got from the first Mass Effect without treading too familiar ground. Exploring a galaxy filled with alien life and a mysterious threat is delightful. The danger from the oppressive kett seems to be more direct than the Reapers secretive existence, but there are plenty of supplemental stories that bolster the main mission. For one, exploring potential homes for humanity is a pretty big deal, and Ryders personal journey to learn family affairs refreshes the adventure as well.

Im a twin myself, so I had an especially deep connection with the Ryder family. Unlike in past Mass Effect games, family is an important (or, if you really dont care, an unimportant) part of Ryders identity, which opens a whole new kind of emotional vein. The Ryder family had a lot to do with the development of the Andromeda Initiative and have the weight of humanitys future on their shoulders, so there seems to be some good drama waiting to be discovered there.

Though Andromeda departs from Shepards Milky Way adventure, some story beats that were massively important to the original trilogy do come into play in the new galaxy the genophage wasnt magically cured during the trip, after all. If youre new to the series or simply forgot some of the finer details, Andromeda does supply players with enough information about these issues. Like in past games you almost always have the option to ask about a subject, or you can look it up in the robust Codex.

In addition to the main story and family drama there are a plethora of paths to follow; residual Milky Way drama, rebellions against oppressors, squadmate loyalty missions, Remnant secrets, and tons of side missions. Andromeda is packed with stories. Thankfully, like the Codex, the Journal tracks who I add to my crew, what missions Ive completed, what optional objectives I may have missed, and most importantly, minor and major choices like who shot first when meeting new species.

I was impressed with how even the smallest actions have nuanced consequences. At one point I talked with my human squadmate Cora about dragons, and not long after Ryder saw a huge beast flying in the sky. Ryder then brought up conversation they had with Cora to their other human companion, Liam. Had I not taken the time to talk to Cora previously I wouldnt have experienced that. Sure, its not revolutionary or even remotely important to the story, but it gives capability of caring about things other than what I dictate they have agency.

Other actions like saving crew members or disagreeing with someone higher in command have rippling effects too. Rumors spread about my choices in an argument and I once saw a soldier I failed to help laying in a medical bed. And of course there are the bigger, game-changing decisions youll have to make. Im already planning on having a pre-choice save to retreat to based on the one big decision I played through.

Shoot, Craft, Explore

Each Mass Effect game has its own take on cover-based combat, and Andromedas has a great redesign. The jump jet helps modernize Andromedas movement to be faster and give players better verticality without sacrificing what makes Mass Effects combat special. I could jump, hover and shoot, then pummel one or two enemies, but I still had to take cover when my team was swarmed. The automatic cover system took some time to get used to, but once I did I had fun obliterating enemies with my chosen loadout.

Andromeda doesnt lock players into one weapon or ability class. I experimented with all sorts of combinations and felt more powerful because of the ability freedom. The number of powers and their skill trees is a little overwhelming, but Id much prefer them over a simpler RPG system that limits customization, especially since Ryders combat versatility allowed me to pick squadmates based in their personality or interest in the mission.

The weapon variety, customization, and crafting were also a tad intimidating. I didnt have enough time to explore the systems fully with access to Milky Way, Remnant, and Andromeda weapons youve got a lot to choose from. While I enjoyed trying the new kinds of beam-based guns, my favorite were the new melee weapons. The Asari sword is awesome. I opted to stick with weapons I picked up through the campaign, but if you use your scanner to research enough technology in the environment you can develop all sorts of things. Schematics require certain resources for construction, so if youre especially interested in crafting, youll need to do some exploring.

Even if you dont care about crafting, youll want to wander. As mentioned previously, the planets I got to explore are huge and have a lot to offer. I was surprised at how many objectives popped up on my map as I drove around in the Nomad. There were plenty of random kett waiting to be fought and strange Remnant structures that beckoned me to fight their guards then snoop around.

Remnant technology is fascinating and its architecture is beautiful.

Though I didnt get to fully explore a Remnant vault, I loved the small part I got to see. The Remnant technology is fascinating and its architecture is beautiful. I know Im going to obsess over their mysteries once I get to play more.

The rest of the places I visited were well-designed too. Theres a surprising variety of planets and people youll meet. One of my favorite parts of being in this galaxy was how it felt like it lived without me. I came across random enemy scuffles and plenty of fun conversations between random people on the Nexus Ill always wonder if that salarian engineer ever got his Galactic Girl Scout cookies. Squadmates react to the environment more too. All this is great, but it was a little disappointing when I accidentally cut someone off because I triggered a new scripted line. Still, too much good writing seems like a decent problem to have.

If you dont want to wait around to eavesdrop on NPCs or get in an intimate interspecies relationship, you dont have to. But the beauty is that BioWare gives you that choice. Mass Effect Andromeda is filled with secrets and options, and I cant wait to uncover them all.

Keep it on IGN for more reveals and features Mass Effect: Andromeda. Take a look at the IGN First hub to see all of our Andromeda coverage.

Miranda Sanchez is an Editor at IGN. You can talk with her about space dates, AI ethics, anime, and video games on Twitter.

Original post:

Mass Effect: Andromeda Offers Awesome Player Freedom - IGN

The Affordable Care Act Allows Workers to Have More Freedom and Flexibility Common Dreams Dean Baker, co-author of the report, states that It seems nonsensical that policymakers would ignore the benefits of the increased worker freedom the ACA has provided. Presumably, if the ACA were repealed without some comparable system of insurance ... and more »

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The Affordable Care Act Allows Workers to Have More Freedom and Flexibility - Common Dreams

If youve got an idea of how to use the Lalonde Ranch property, speak up. Its available.

Thats because the members of the last group to do so, Missoulas Freedom Gardens, grew so fed up with the county that they walked out of their last meeting, leaving a years worth of work behind.

Susan Estep, one of the gardens board members, doesnt think it was standard public process that stymied their attempt to lease the site.

Clearly, the intention was to stall us through another growing season and so we gave up. Were done, Estep said.

Freedom Gardens, which grows on a back lot on the fairgrounds, donates hundreds of pounds of food to the Missoula Food Bank and focuses on technology and education in year-round farming techniques.

The group wanted to lease the Lalonde Ranch, a seven-acre homestead site in the county-run industrial park west of town, to expand their garden to include a community education center complete with greenhouse, aquaponics system and kitchen.

But faced with murky and time-consuming government processes, along with a Board of County Commissioners they never felt was on their side, the group quit negotiations partway through the process in early February.

According to Commissioner Jean Curtiss, theres enough work required to make the site usable that the county wanted to slow down before handing off to the gardens.

The barns arent up to code for people, she said, and the houses electrical system is extremely out of date.

If it was just going to be used and someone was going to plant an orchard and park their tractor in the barn, it wouldnt need to be fixed, Curtiss said. If were going to put money in it, we have to give others a chance. Thats what the law requires.

The county asked for public proposals back in 2014 and drew zero requests. That effort, put forth as a request for ideas, offered the site as-is.

Since their inception, the gardens have been located on a back lot of the Missoula County Fairgrounds, a spot obtained with a handshake deal with then-director Steve Earle in 2013.

Freedom Gardens obtained a 3,200-square-foot greenhouse and a 4,800-gallon aquaponics system a little over a year ago, Estep said.

The aquaponics system grows produce in water thats recycled from fish tanks, which raise edible fish. The gardens website boasts that the system would allow them to grow on a commercial scale using significantly less water than usual farming methods and would also take up less space.

The greenhouse and aquaponics system have yet to see the light of day: Both remain in storage while the gardens' future sits in limbo, Estep said.

Its not just the gardens expansion thats stalled, either according to a Feb. 16 Facebook post by Freedom Gardens Board Chair Heath Carey, the gardens didnt produce any crops over the last year due to shifting conditions at the fairgrounds and their gardens fate.

Missoula is home to a handful of community gardens grow spaces defined by their volunteer-led planting and harvesting, and their commitment to local, sustainable food production including ones run by the Associated Students of the University of Montana and four farms and six gardens run by Garden City Harvest.

Freedom Gardens was committed to the idea of a public partnership, after the 2014 request for ideas from the county on ways to use the Lalonde Ranch site went unanswered for over a year.

Estep and her group figured the ranch would be the perfect spot for them to put down roots, with enough land to actually use their greenhouse and aquaponics system. So they put in their suggested use in early 2016.

The park was overseen by former commissioner Stacy Rye who, Estep said, along with commissioner Cola Rowley, liked the gardens idea to move onto the property.

The project inched along during 2016 and a deal seemed to be ready in early 2017; a meeting was set to sew up the last details and draft a lease for approval at a commissioners public meeting.

County Chief Operating Officer Chris Lounsbury said the county knew the ranch wasnt in perfect shape the 2014 request for ideas specified the site was as-is" but hadnt quite realized the extent of repairs, legal research and work that needed to be done at the ranch to facilitate a long-term lease for Freedom Gardens.

The county has two other long-term leases, both land-only, with the YMCA and Missoula Correctional Services.

Laws allowing government entities to lease land are restrictive, Lounsbury said, as the state thinks local governments should either sell land or use it for a government purpose.

It is a different lease than weve ever looked at, he said. We want to be slow, deliberate and thoughtful.

Its not meant to cause frustration.

But, as Lounsbury acknowledged, it did just that and in spades with the Freedom Gardens representatives.

Estep provided minutes and notes taken by her husband Mark on meetings and interactions with the county. The documents are dotted with vexed asides, noting county staff members who were in a huff, the countys reluctance around a July site visit, and characterizing comments from Jean Curtiss as her tirade.

Group members walked out of their Feb. 7 meeting with the county, fed up with what they saw as constant roadblocks and next steps.

At the meeting, Commissioner Dave Strohmaier suggested doing a request for proposals, essentially seeking more ideas for the site that might cost less money, as well as looking into historical designations. A homestead at the ranch is thought to be the oldest original building in Missoula County.

The day after that meeting, Estep sent out an email blast expressing her disappointment and anger with the county and their process.

Jean and her tag along Dave Strohmaier yesterday proved how little they care about preserving the history of agriculture in the Missoula Valley and the Freedom Gardens has abandoned the hope of bringing the Lalonde Ranch back to life, she wrote.

So at the start of 2017, the Freedom Gardens is officially on the market for a new home; officially done dealing with the Board of County Commissioners, frustrated by what they see as a lack of respect and reliability, stonewalling and government sludgery.

Were just going to go find some other way to make our project happen, Estep said.

Go here to see the original:

The cost of freedom: Missoula County drives local group up the wall - The Missoulian

An audience at Freedom Hall enjoys the action during the 2017 AMSOIL Arenacross Tour. 2/4/17(Photo: Marty Pearl/Special to The C-J)Buy Photo

Investors are expressing a willingness to help pay to bring Freedom Hall up to pro basketballstandards, according toJ. Bruce Miller, a lawyer who has tried for years to bring the NBA to Louisville.

But he isn't disclosing any names.

The odds of Louisville's landing an NBA franchise through either league expansionor the relocation of an existing franchise appear long. And the cost to securean NBA team might approach $1 billion.

On top of that, the cost to renovate Freedom Hall may bearound $150 million, said Jason Rittenberry, president and CEO of Kentucky Venues, the newly rebranded Kentucky State Fair Board.Itoversees the state-owned, 60-year-old Freedom Hall situated in the center of the Kentucky Exposition Center.

The NBA office saysexpansion is not in sight. And no existing clubappears inclined to move.In addition, questions have been raised about the ability of the local demographics to support or sustain an NBA team.

Nonetheless, Miller, who served three terms as the elected Jefferson County attorney, continues his relentless pursuit of a Louisville-based NBA club a passion that has persisted for nigh on a generation.

He maintains that if the NBA does expand, Louisville and Seattle are the two primary candidates. And he said the market here would be all of Kentucky, not just Louisville.

In a recent interview, Miller said he is working with no fewerthan three separate investment groups interested in backing Louisville's effort to secureapro basketball team. Miller said each of the three groups is aware that two other groups share the Louisville NBA ambition but they don't know who the potentially competing investors are.

Lawyer: Police shooting was excessive force 16-year-old youth died in Taylorsville wreck 3 thoughts on the Cards' ACC tournament draw Police: 17 year old shot, killed in Bon Air ID'd Lou. man faces murder in hit-and-run death Tiller is iHeartRadio's best new R&B artist ON THE GO?Download the CJ app for iPhone,Androidand iPad FOLLOW US:Watch the latest featured video on YouTube

Rittenberry said that to bring Freedom Hall up to NBA standards, the arena's interior would essentially have to be gutted and rebuilt. In addition,a third level would need to be added, all the seats would need to be replaced, and walls knocked out to widen the concourses.

Rittenberry said, "Many, many things would have to be done. I'm not even sure you could do it."

Reporter Sheldon S. Shafer can be reached at 502-582-7089, or via email at sshafer@courier-journal.com.

A quick look at whether or not an NBA team could be making its way to Louisville. Wochit

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NBA seekers might pony up to redo Freedom Hall - The Courier-Journal