At the weekend I had a cunning plan. A plan so cunning, you could say “it was as cunning as a fox  who’s just been appointed Professor of Cunning at Oxford University“. Now that’s cunning!

Before I tell my cunning plan, I need to set the scene, or at least explain the events leading up to “The Cunning Plan“.  It all starts on a Saturday morning, not any old Saturday morning but the start of a three day Bank Holiday weekend. It starts with a man with a stupidly long list of things he really needs to do, and no inclination to do any of them. Well I’d been putting off stuff for weeks/months/years. I am spod watch me idle!

So I really needed to make some headway into the growing pile that was the task-list. It was while contemplating this that “The Cunning Plan” was hatched.

You see it came to me as if whispered into my ear by the angel or devil that sits on my shoulder (I always get those two mixed up). I would get myself the game “Red Dead Redemption” that I had read so much about on different peoples Blog’s and which so far had good write-ups.  So I would go get myself this game and place it in a prominent position. And if I completed a load of tasks then I could treat myself to playing the game. I am Male, Watch me get bribed!

The plan was formed, I quickly made a list of the most pressing tasks on my Whiteboard and headed out to the shops. The first shop I tried was sold out, The second did not even have it listed as a released game, The third shop turned out to be a cake shop (so I got myself a cake. I am an Adult, I can buy myself cakes), The fourth was a constitutional right, Luckily the fifth was more promising.  I just had one pitfall to pass.

I entered the shop to be confronted by a series of displays for the iPad, There was box’s of them all looking new and shiny. I know I’m waiting for the none mac tablets to be released but I am a geek, I love new technology. The draw of the shiny almost drew me in, but I rolled a nat 20 on my resist willpower, and was able to pass.  I made it to the game section to spot the “SOLD OUT” sign on the Xbox360 section of the game. Luckily they had one left in the PS3 section, so I was saved, the game was bought, and I returned home.

So there I was, Task list on whiteboard, prize for completion in hand. What could go wrong?

Well, the thing is the game may not have worked, and needed replacing which would annoy me after completing my tasks. So what harm could there be in just throwing it into ps3 and checking its ok. I could just watch the intro and then turn it off when I was sure it worked. I could do that couldn’t I?

And that was the moment “The Cunning Plan” failed. and the weekend vanished. In my defence the game is great. Wide open landscapes to ride over, all the wildlife, random encounters, missions, fun. I don’t think I’ve done any of the plot elements of the game yet. I’ve just wandered the land killing & Skinning animals, shooting the rope on people being hanged, and generally killing people. Oh and I’m on my eighth or ninth horse.  I’ve met several people walking alone in the desert who’ve asked for help, only to pull me off my mount and ride off on it when I’ve gone to help. Which means I then have to shoot my horse dead so it falls on the horse thief while I then walk over and shoot them in the legs and arms, and leave them lying bleeding on the floor.

Oh. I guess I could just shoot the rider dead and leave the horse alive? Hummm I never considered that.

I do recommend the game to anyone. Unless you really have other stuff you need to do first.