Hey all--just a short note to complain about Facebook and its multitude of mediocre games. And to praise emulators.
I only gave in and tried Farmville because I kept receiving gifts and it seemed like a waste. And then it didn't do anything. What kind of game do you spend 2 minutes on once a day to little or no gain but accumulating things on a big square? I don't feel like "levelling-up" gets me anywhere. And that, friends, sums up most of my experience with Facebook and its games. True, I gave a few of them a week or so before I gave up, but for the vast majority I did give up. And there are a couple more that I still log in here and there to make myself feel better.
Like Ponzi, Inc. Ponzi is probably one of the more original pieces on Facebook. It's a game where you own a business and benefit from your friends' hard work. Sounds good, right? Really what it boils down to is that effort gets you somewhere. In Farmville? Not so much.
And then I started to play some classics on Project 64. Nooooo comparison.
23 March 2010
05 September 2009
Beta-testing the Idiot Factor
To start, let me add another webcomic to the table for consideration:
http://imaginethiscomic.com/?p=1023
Unfortunately, this is one of those that does not have a "latest" button, so you have to re-bookmark it every time you read it. It's an argument for reading it less frequently, actually. When will webcomic artists learn? (*cough* Alphasim)
Let's talk about beta testing for a moment. As you know from his blog (you do read his blog, don't you?), Alphasim recently did some beta testing for Champions Online. He got to try out the gameplay and now plays for real. I think he may have done some beta-ing on one of the WoW expansions, but who can keep track? (him probably, lol)
Unexpectedly, I'm also now a beta tester on a casual gaming site. It's a new experience for me. I hadn't heard for several weeks, so I thought they hadn't picked me. So, when they sent me the confirmation email, the following train of thought ran through my head (rumbled down the tracks in my head--toot tooot!): 1. Yay! I've never beta-tested before! 2. Well, of course they picked me. How many serious gamers do they get on that site? 3. Wait...how many gamers do they get on that site?
So my thought for the day is to wonder if the folks who pick beta testers think to include slightly less...adept...players in their testing rounds. In the case of this casual gaming site, probably they have because the majority of their players don't know a frag from a ding (and yes I'm mixing genres).
What about Champions, for example? They're aren't likely to have casual gamers, but not everyone's a top-notch player. Do they include a handful of gaming idiots just to see what the idiots of the world are going to do? Inevitably an idiot is going to play their game. Why not beta test the idiot factor?
http://imaginethiscomic.com/?p=1023
Unfortunately, this is one of those that does not have a "latest" button, so you have to re-bookmark it every time you read it. It's an argument for reading it less frequently, actually. When will webcomic artists learn? (*cough* Alphasim)
Let's talk about beta testing for a moment. As you know from his blog (you do read his blog, don't you?), Alphasim recently did some beta testing for Champions Online. He got to try out the gameplay and now plays for real. I think he may have done some beta-ing on one of the WoW expansions, but who can keep track? (him probably, lol)
Unexpectedly, I'm also now a beta tester on a casual gaming site. It's a new experience for me. I hadn't heard for several weeks, so I thought they hadn't picked me. So, when they sent me the confirmation email, the following train of thought ran through my head (rumbled down the tracks in my head--toot tooot!): 1. Yay! I've never beta-tested before! 2. Well, of course they picked me. How many serious gamers do they get on that site? 3. Wait...how many gamers do they get on that site?
So my thought for the day is to wonder if the folks who pick beta testers think to include slightly less...adept...players in their testing rounds. In the case of this casual gaming site, probably they have because the majority of their players don't know a frag from a ding (and yes I'm mixing genres).
What about Champions, for example? They're aren't likely to have casual gamers, but not everyone's a top-notch player. Do they include a handful of gaming idiots just to see what the idiots of the world are going to do? Inevitably an idiot is going to play their game. Why not beta test the idiot factor?
20 February 2009
Digital Comics?
Hey all--long time no post.
I wanted to pass on that I was browsing my normal strips and Scott Kurtz (of PvP) had the following link on his blog (his comes with a comic strip :) ).
http://balak01.deviantart.com/art/about-DIGITAL-COMICS-111966969
It's a new perspective on comics--digital webcomics that aren't videos. It's clever, so pop on over and check it out.
Also, for any girl geeks out there, I recently discovered Girls with Slingshots by Danielle Corsetto. If you're a guy geek, stay away--some of it won't appeal, I promise. But then again, if you're adventurous, maybe it'll give you insight into us females? *shrug* I doubt it, but maybe.
http://www.daniellecorsetto.com/gws.html
I wanted to pass on that I was browsing my normal strips and Scott Kurtz (of PvP) had the following link on his blog (his comes with a comic strip :) ).
http://balak01.deviantart.com/art/about-DIGITAL-COMICS-111966969
It's a new perspective on comics--digital webcomics that aren't videos. It's clever, so pop on over and check it out.
Also, for any girl geeks out there, I recently discovered Girls with Slingshots by Danielle Corsetto. If you're a guy geek, stay away--some of it won't appeal, I promise. But then again, if you're adventurous, maybe it'll give you insight into us females? *shrug* I doubt it, but maybe.
http://www.daniellecorsetto.com/gws.html
06 February 2009
God's Sandbox
Two short notes--
1. I recommend that everyone go and look at this strip from xkcd. If you've EVER had to do any statistical analysis, it'll totally make sense.
http://xkcd.com/539/
2. I'd also like to recommend a free game to all of you called God's Sandbox. Hope over to http://www.vertigogaming.net/index.php and download it. You get a set of miracles/plagues to cast upon the earth in each of several eras and the order you pick changes the results. You can make volcanoes or rabbit-men or nuclear war. You decide.
It's a simple game, but the idea is you keep going back and trying again (on different planets? Lol.) to accumulate all of the possible outcomes on your checklist. 7 rounds later, I've got about half of them.
1. I recommend that everyone go and look at this strip from xkcd. If you've EVER had to do any statistical analysis, it'll totally make sense.
http://xkcd.com/539/
2. I'd also like to recommend a free game to all of you called God's Sandbox. Hope over to http://www.vertigogaming.net/index.php and download it. You get a set of miracles/plagues to cast upon the earth in each of several eras and the order you pick changes the results. You can make volcanoes or rabbit-men or nuclear war. You decide.
It's a simple game, but the idea is you keep going back and trying again (on different planets? Lol.) to accumulate all of the possible outcomes on your checklist. 7 rounds later, I've got about half of them.
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