Arwen's RPG Journals

This section contains information on and links (click on each section's title) to my Role Playing Game Journals, my Avatar page, and my Girl Gamer page.  The images for my journals are all in-game screenshots.  Currently includes my Skyrim Journal, my Fallout New Vegas Journal, my Fallout 3 Journal, my Oblivion Journal, and my Morrowind Journal.  Also includes my Avatar and my Girl Gamer pages.

 Skyrim Journal (updated 05/14/12)

Skyrim was released on 11/11/11 (when my own copy arrived), but I was pretty unhappy with it. In my opinion, the best part of a RPG is being able to customize your character, which includes the stats that give your character her strengths and weaknesses.  This was pretty much gutted from Skyrim, as Attributes were for the most part eliminated (as part of the decision to remove limitations from your character . . . to mainstream the game).  This pretty much ruined Skyrim for me.  I've also had a bunch of computer issues since early December, so I haven't even played the game all that much yet. 

Eventually my Skyrim Journal will likely include a modding section, but I no longer have any plans for anything beyond that.

 Fallout New Vegas Journal (updated 12/15/11)

Fallout New Vegas is a RPG and is basically a continuation of Fallout 3 (I'm using virtually the same character that I created in FO3, and used a face importer utility so that she even looks the same.)  Fallout New Vegas was developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Bethesda Softworks: "While New Vegas is not a direct sequel, it will use the same engine and be in the same style as Fallout 3, and is being developed by some of the people who worked on previous Fallout games at Black Isle Studios. It is set in and around post-apocalyptic Las Vegas (New Vegas)."

My New Vegas Fantasy story is called "Trials of a New Vegas Girl," but it still doesn't include much at all (and I'm probably going to discontinue it altogether, as I just have too many other things that I need to be focusing on). [This is currently on hold, indefinitely.]

I expanded my modding to include Fallout New Vegas and created my second overhaul mod . . . my NV Realism Tweaks (which was a bit crazy, since I was still releasing updates for my FO3 overhaul ).

 Fallout 3 Journal (updated 05/14/12)

I am currently focusing mostly on Fallout 3, as this is the game that I am now playing (I began a new game on May 10, 2012), and have been updating my "Trials of a Wasteland Wanderer" as I play the game.  So expect new chapters to be posted in the very near future (I'm in the process of updating my first 5 chapters, to match my current game).

My Fallout 3 character, right after escaping from Vault 101

Fallout is a RPG that takes place in the future . . . 200 years after civilization was nearly destroyed by a nuclear war. My journal has only been online since March 2, 2009, but until I graduated from my university in the end of May, my journal was mostly just my Mod Section and my Fallout Tips Section.  After returning home, I began writing the Trials of a Wasteland Wanderer, which is the name of my Fallout 3 fantasy story.  This time my character won't be a Wood Elf . . . but I'm sure she'll be as quirky as ever (since she'll be based on me again . . . since I am the one actually playing the game, and making all the decisions).

A large part of my Fallout 3 Journal will always be my mod list/review.  So at the end of each chapter is my Gaming Comments and Tips section - where I explain how specific mods have added to my gaming experience for the gameplay that was covered in that chapter.  There is also a section on role-playing, where I explain some of my role-playing techniques that have made the game more immersive for me.  My primary goal in writing this journal is to help other players make Fallout 3 into a better gaming experience.

Fallout 3 was the first game that I really modded . . . and I went a bit overboard by creating an overhaul mod . . . my Realism Tweaks (which is NOT something that I would recommend doing on your own . . . especially if you are just learning how to mod).

 Oblivion Journal (updated 08/30/11)

This was my second RPG journal, which went online in March of 2006, and includes an extensive Mod List / Review for the game. 

It also contains my Oblivion fantasy story, which is titled "Trials of a Semi-Clueless Wood Elf."  It is the direct sequel to my Morrowind Journal, so it follows the adventures of my same little blue-eyed Wood Elf character . . . yes, the one  with the wild pinkish-purple hair (based on my little avatar elf).   

This is Elder Scrolls IV, and is a RPG.  The story takes place in Cyrodiil, which is the capital province of Tamriel.  Even though this is obviously a fantasy story, it will be built upon my actual game play. So I don't really know how this adventure will turn out, any more than the rest of you.

  Morrowind Journal (updated February 8, 2010)

Now completely reformatted to match the rest of my site (along with a new final chapter). This was my first RPG journal, which went online in May 2002, shortly after the game was released.  Morrowind is a computer role-playing game, and is also known as Elder Scrolls III.  My fantasy story is called "Trials of a Clueless Wood Elf" and it is based on my experiences while I was playing my first RPG.  There are 33 chapters, plus a tips page and a MOD page.  My fantasy story continues in my Oblivion Journal.

 My Avatar Page (updated 07/29/11)

My little elf avatar, with her pink candy-flossed hair, has become so popular that she has her own fan page.  The character in all of my RPGs is always based on my avatar.

 Girl Gamer Page (updated 05/14/12)

The next Tomb Raider game - a Survivor is Born [2013]

A bit about being a girl gamer and some of my favorite games.  As a real life survivor (see my Bio Section), my favorite games are ones where you have to battle against the odds to survive . . . which is why the new Tomb Raider game has really caught my attention (its game trailer is now in the video section).  Most of my own mods are extreme realism mods, that make survival much move challenging.

My latest game section is about Arma 2 - Combined Operations.

When I first started writing my Morrowind Journal, I began to get a lot of email, from all over the world. Many people just wanted to let me know that they loved reading my journal. But I also received plenty of questions, mostly about the game (see my Morrowind Journal), but many people wanted to know more about me. Here are the questions I have been asked the most:

Where do you live?
I live in a small town in Northern New Hampshire, which is a small state in the Northeastern corner of the United States. (see my White Mountains page for more). 

Why did you start a personal Website?
Because I'm a creative person, and one day I just decided to learn how to make my own website. You still won't find a single photo of me here, because this was never intended to be a personal vanity page.  It's not a blog . . . and it was never meant to be about me.  This is a place for me to share my passions.

What do you do besides writing your journals and running this website? Well, I do all sorts of stuff - in fact, I NEVER seem to have enough time to keep up with things (as you should know, if you've been waiting for my update here).  I've also had to deal with a lot of medical problems and several major operations in recent years, but I'm currently doing mostly ok and am physically very fit.  I cross county ski and snowshoe in the winter, and for the last few years, I've been doing a great deal of kayaking in the warmer months (mid April through early November), paddling over several hundred miles each year.  I also love to hike. 

I was finally able to attend college a few years ago . . . and graduated in 2009 from Roger Williams University (RWU) - a private university in Rhode Island, with a BS in Legal Studies (and a double major in Political Science), where  I was on the varsity sailing team (even though I was literally twice the age of all my teammates and had never even set foot in a sailboat before attending RWU).  My team finished my last season ranked as the #3 college sailing team in North America.  I'm on full disability, but am trying my best to find employment (which was of course the main reason for going to college), but it has been extremely difficult to find any one that is willing to give me a chance, since I have like no work experience (and I do have some major issues - which is why I'm on disability).  Oh . . . I'm also writing a book (which has been pretty much on hold since I became a full-time college student). I also graduated in May 2007 from New Hampshire Technical Institute, with an Associate's degree in Paralegal Studies.

How old are you? (Goodness, I get this one a bunch!)
I'm older than most people guess. Ok, so that means that I must not act my age. But that's not entirely true, because I do act my age, I just don't act my biological age. Due to something that happened to me when I was very little (which is not even actually covered in my Bio Pages), my perceived age is quite a bit younger than my chronological age.  Fortunately I also look younger than my biological age (although not as young as my perceived age . . . sigh).  And I'm in GREAT shape (which constantly amazes my doctors), so in reality my age is pretty unclear . . . even to me.  It was not possible for me to attend college until just a few years ago, so even though I'm a college student, I'm a non-tradition one (as in older).  Ok, so I've never been what you would call ordinary. (Yeah, I know . . . I still didn't actually answer the question.

Here are some of my current favorite YouTube videos, that I wanted to share with you:

If I had the resources, I would make a RPG based on "The Hunger Games."

To me, this would make an awesome first-person RPG . . . your character would be one of the tributes from one of the 12 Districts, and there could be totally different arenas . . . for the different years/Hunger Games.  You would then select your character's unique strengths and weaknesses (their Stats).  Ideally, you would begin the game in your selected District, where you could interact with the other characters, before you are picked as a tribute.  The Capital could be the training/tutorial part of the game, and your performance there would determine how much help (gifts) you later receive from any sponsors. Official "Hunger Games" Website.

"Revolution" is a new TV series that I'm actually looking forward to this Fall.

I read James Howard Kunstler's "World Made by Hand" in college, in my environmental political science class, and was so impressed with it that I later used it as my selection in my women's monthly book group.  The series is not based on the novel, but they both deal with a world where technology has been lost, and where you have to revert to the old ways to survive. Official NBC "Revolution" Website.

My Immortal - A tribute to Aragorn from LOTR

Dr. Seuss' The Lorax - Theatrical Trailer
(I needed something to brighten up the place.)

Outdoor Recreation and Conservation Sites:

	Bretton Woods XC - This is the Nordic Center, where I do most of my cross country skiing. It's one of the largest xc centers in the Eastern US, with a 100 kilometer trail system.
	Outback Kayak - A family run kayak store/adventure tours in NH White Mountains - This is where I bought my kayak and took my white water kayak lessons.
	Squam Lake Association - Conservation group for the preservation of my favorite place to kayak.   The two Squam Lakes consist of 65 miles of shoreline, 30 islands, 13 reefs, 20 coves, and 3 bays, so this is a wonderful place to explore in a kayak.
	Appalachian Mountain Club - America's oldest conservation and recreation organization.
	Sierra Club - America's most effective environment advocate organization
	America's Rivers - River Conservation nonprofit organization

College Related Sites:

	NHTI - New Hampshire Technical Institute - Concord, NH.  This is my first college - where I received my Associate's degree in Paralegal Studies in May 2007.
	RWU - Roger Williams University - Bristol, RI.  This is the university that I'm currently enrolled in.
	NH Senate - This is where I did my internship, as a Senate Intern, for the 2007 session (January through June).

Competing in Boston on Nov. 8, 2008
(I'm out there somewhere - in one of the 25 boats, at the start line)

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