A little delayed, but we have another game! We get launched in the bigger arc, with so much going on that it took me a while to realise we have no mission!
Which isn't to say that there's nothing going on. Big events are happening, and big players are getting involved. Like, head of everything big.
Still, there's always time for fisticuffs...
Behold, Game 8.
[END]
Sunday, 28 February 2010
Of Steam, Steel and Murder
Literal Music Videos
I'm sure I've posted before on the start of this, but events have moved on as the meme has taken off.
The basic idea: take a music video, and have the song instead describe what's going on, on screen.
It was kicked off with Take On Me and Head Over Heels. Classic stuff!
Other people have taken it up. Look up "literal music video" on YouTube and waste many, many hours (as often happens on YouTube... sometimes due to waiting for the video to download! Zing!).
As with anything, some are good, some are... not. Ones to check out: Total Eclipse of the Heart. White Wedding. Anything for Love. Sweet Dreams. Safety Dance. Even Madonna: Like A Prayer (at least, it got good ratings. I don't speak... um, not even sure of the language, so can't give my own comment on it).
Many, many more, with a lot I haven't seen. Report ones you like in the comments!
[END]
Thursday, 25 February 2010
What I Do Play
So I've said I don't play RPG style computer games, but I do play some games. The basic version is that I like me some puzzle games. The sort of thing where I can think about it, try a few different combinations, and, more importantly, don't get adversely penalised for getting it wrong, that's what I go for.
A good example is Electric Box. In the vein of The Incredible Machine, you have to put the puzzle pieces in the right place in order for the whole to work. Note that there is a range of games like this. Something like Fantastic Contraption may seem the same, but the answer is vague and can depend on putting the thing in exactly the right place and getting all angles right and... argh! Too finicky! I don't care!
But this also demonstrates a general style of game I like to play: Flash Games! Some say they aren't real games, but for me the casual aspect and not huge gameplay is a plus. Which isn't to say that some Flash Games can get really long and involved. I like Kongregate (which has badges!) and Armor Games as sites to get games. The Escapist's Alt-Escape highlights a casual game each week, so is also good to monitor.
Larger scale, I need to get back to playing Machinarium. I did have to look up one thing (I had gotten close, but hadn't quite got it), but otherwise am going entirely on thought... and some times I've had to have a really long think to get past certain puzzles (getting the dog was very tricky, can't remember the answer now). The main thing: it has puzzles, and you can't screw things up so badly you can't continue the game. Yep, that works for me.
Another game I have somewhere is Pandora's Box, the big thing about that is that it was developed by Alexey Pajitnov (I dare you to name what he's famous for without looking him up). That had some fun games, but also really tough ones. In that, there were definite bonuses for completing quickly, otherwise you had to do more puzzles. The Slices game (I think), where you had slices of a picture that you had to put back together (like it had been shredded) could get really bogged down as you tried to find exactly where the piece goes...
Anyway, that's the style of game I go for. Any games in this genre stand out for you?
[END]
Wednesday, 24 February 2010
War on Scales 5
After getting to Overlook, we find out that the Orcs from the other side of the mountain (in an area called 'Orc Country'... could be something in that name, but I'm not quite sure) are getting through. However, they aren't going through the main pass, so the mountain is leaky! We get assigned a Dwarven monastery to investigate.
When we get there, the first clue that we are on the right track is the orcish chanting we hear while approaching the courtyard. Yep. There be orcs. Bah, what problem to us? We head in and start smacking... except we don't target the main baddies which come up and gank me! I try to get away, then the other orcs surround me and gank me harder! Cleric, heal thyself! I'm in trouble! Fortunately, I am able to get us some resistance, but that's not something I can do often. (About, say, once a day.) If we need that ability later well... we'd better not. Although there is some issue, we do clear the area.
Inside is a large room, some form of church area, where there are pews, an orc witch and lots of newly dead dwarven bodies. We move in, snipers appear, then the assassin one-shot kills the witch. Hah! Orcs spill in from down below, and I steal-kill nearly everyone else left in the room. That's just funny!
Down below, there's a large Dwarf statue, and more orcs and orcish type creatures. They give the Warforged a run for his money, and task me with my healing abilities (I'm tapped by the end). It's amazing just how random these fights end out.
Heading on, we come across a set of stairways leading down with orcs heading up. We set an ambush, hit them hard, and the assassin still goes down, almost but not quite permanently. Fortunately, I'm good at what I do, and what I do is get my compatriots back on their feet. We lay the smack down (and the Warforged gets smacked himself a fair bit), and the last opponent makes good friends with the ground.
We head down and find a large cavern with lots of orcs, one large one who is beating up on a dwarf. We get ready to head in... (and may suddenly find ourselves with reinforcements, we shall see...)
[END]
Tuesday, 23 February 2010
Electronic Pen and Paper
It has been pointed out that I do a few RPG games, D&D, Shadowrun, FUDGE... but what of the electronic versions? What of Baldur's Gate? Morrowind? Dragon Age? World of Warcraft? (And there is a really good reason to join WoW.)
The short answer is... No. But since that makes for a short post, here's the longer answer. There are a number of factors...
Time Sink. It takes time to play these things. I have a lot of podcasts and other audio, DVDs and another videos, books and another visuals... I don't have time for those! (I am trying to cut back on DVDs just because I have so many, but am still getting more!)
Money Sink. It costs, too! Dragon Age: Origins is... $90. For that I could get two seasons of something. Which links back into time sink, what is a better time/money investment? Two full seasons is... 30 or so hours. Dragon Age... could entirely vary, depending on how well one does goes after the main quest, or tries to complete all the side quests, etc, etc. I've heard time lengths of 100 hours. Looks like Dragon Age would win out there. However...
Combat. Most of these games comes down to 'beat this fight'. Um, yeah, not really interested. Doesn't help that I'm not that good at combat either if it involves "press this combination for SUPER DOOPER MASSIVE KILL THEM ALL combo, although one wrong press means you flail ineffectually". That doesn't excite me (partly because I'm not coordinated enough to be good). Alternatively, it's "press button to attack" and what happens is random aside from having to press the button. And a lot of games are just going from one combat to another (most MMORGs and many, many, many RPG games).
Story. I'm interested in the story, but have no interest in fighting through to find it. Fine, watching a movie, reading a book, etc., is far more passive, but the story unfolds. I'm not stuck trying to get past this boss fight, or trying to find Bob in the village, or whatever before I get to the next section of plot. Yes, I do cheat, but that's because I'm interested in the story, not in fighting the game (as opposed to fighting in the game) to get on with it.
Interaction. A really big factor... social! Bouncing off the wacky things other people come up with is emmensely fun! Even in combat, the weird things that can happen are beyond anything a computer experience could deliver.
DRM. I use a PC, do not have a console of any sort, and the tales I hear of SecuROM, online activation, limited installs, etc., etc., etc., do not inspire me to start installing.
I do have a number of games sitting in my drawer, but haven't played any of them recently. Not sure I can now. When I got them, Vista wasn't an option to be listed, and some games I did like (O.D.T.) wouldn't even play on XP.
Ultimately, I have other things to do.
But do you play?
[END]
Monday, 22 February 2010
Running in Shadows
Nearly didn't make the start of the game. Buses packed and traffic stopped due to people coming back from the Run Around the Bays. No idea what announcements happened, but, hey, got to game.
A nice simple mission: extract someone. But then put them back. Without anyone noticing. Like some kind of extraordinary sleight of hand trick. Oh, and it's the head of a major corporation. Yeah, no problems there.
There are always several ways of doing these missions, and we have the knack of avoiding any combat whatsoever, and this was no different. We spent most of the time planning the mission and only about an hour actually undergoing it. Largely without issue... largely. (Really, the GM is far too nice to us.)
And now I'm one point off Initiation... one point! Ah well...
[END]
NOTICE ME!!!!!
The point of the car alarum is to alert the owner that something is going on with their car. One would think then, that the car owner would actually care if the alarm went of. Especially if it was HALF PAST THREE IN THE FRICKIN' MORNING!!!!
Otherwise, we're rooting for the burglers to get rid of the damn noisy thing...
On the other hand, it seems that only I noticed when it went off then... and also went it frequently went off over the next hours... I need my sleep back!
[END]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
