The evils of facebook...games!

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.

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?

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

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.

A comment on Mother 3

I've been away from Mother 3 for a while because I was stuck on a level boss (New Fassad or whatever his name is. Techno Banana Man, let's call him).

So, long story short I picked it up earlier this week and got through him finally. No profound reasoning--I just used shields instead of Defense up Omega.

What I want to share with those of you who don't play much of the Mother series is a little taste of what comes after. For reasons I won't explain, your character is trying to get to an island south of the main village and your ride has a faulty jaw. So you land on the beach and a local tells you to talk to the sea. ...I'm like, um ok?

Thus the underwater level begins. The first thing you see is a pair of pig soldiers (bad guys) with a merman (as opposed to a mermaid) and the merman kisses one of them. "Air supply replenished" it says, and the soldier comments about how much he doesn't like this particular contraption. The other pig is like, "Oh really? I kinda like it." Oh pigs.

Ergo, what I want you all to envision is this: your character doesn't breathe underwater naturally either. In fact, none of your four characters do. So, every minute or so of going through the level you have to stop at an air machine and fill up. It kisses your main character (who I've named Eddie) before it cuts away to a blank screen and you hear three more kissing sounds. When the game cuts back to them, everyone but the superspy guy is blushing. Ah Mother. I didn't even know dogs could blush.

And of COURSE it's mermen. Of course.

Explosives and Chinese Assault Rifles

Most of you have tried Oblivion. Some of you have trapsed into the Capital Wasteland. So, what's the hype all about, right?

I think the most valuable part of Fallout in comparison with Oblivion is that Fallout out is plausible on some level. (Y'know. Aside from the fact that the wanton destruction was supposed to have started in the 50's. Devil's in the details and all that.) The weapons all (could) exist, and the places used to be real for the most part.

Let's be honest--I love the fantasy genre, especially in the open-ended form it takes in Oblivion. I mean fireballs? Who doesn't love casting fireballs? And I'm not the Grey Fox for no reason either.

But I also love sci-fi, and Fallout is just enough of a deviation of reality to satisfy my sci-fi tastes. (I would/could take more, but I'm not feeling greedy.)

But let's talk about gameplay. One of the biggest differences that I've found is the levelling-up systems. For example, in Oblivion and Morrowind before the levelling-up came from dedicating time to your main skills. In Fallout it comes as part of gaining experience and flat-out killing things. I like that I don't have to use a lame skill to improve it.

However, if I'm already using a good skill (sneak for example...oh the joy of being the Grey Fox) I don't automatically gain experience in it. I still have to spend my skill points on it in Fallout. Truthfully, this doesn't entirely make sense. When is my character improving her explosives skill when she earns all of her XP with a Chinese Assault Rifle?

I guess it doesn't have to make sense, though, does it?

Post Christmas Debriefing; or VATS for the common man

Christmas time for most is candy canes and christmas trees and family.

Christmas time for me is also those things...plus access to Alpha's gaming resources. It's good to go home right? Lol.

That also makes me too busy to post. Funny, when I have the most to talk about, I'm too busy doing it to talk.

Anyway.

I hope you all have been spending quality time with Fallout 3 this break. If you haven't found your dad, lost your dad, and killed a computer yet, you better get cracking. Games don't play themselves, you know. :) ...don't you wish your boss (parent?) would tell you something like that. I must be in the wrong industry.

So what are the improvements of Fallout 3 over Oblivion? For those who are not in the loop (and I suspect that number is small) Bethesda makes both games. Since Oblivion won game of the year and awards and all that, the next release for Bethesda after it (which happens to be Fallout 3) is a big deal. Where can you go from Oblivion?

The other question is less commonly asked. What improvements from Fallout 2 are there? Now, my knowledge of Fallout 2 is limited to what other people have told me, but from what I understand although the player could previously shoot particular parts of their targets for different effect (a la Goldeneye) the VATS thing is new.

So, VATS (Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System) is a gameplay feature in which (by pressing V) the game essentially pauses, lets you pick your target body part on your target person, gives you probability of making contact, and lets you set up several of these shots in a row. For example, if you're packing frag grenades, you could throw one at someone to your left (for an 85% chance of hitting) and at someone to your right (for a 75% chance) and efficiently wipe out a rather large group. The attacks, once selected, also occur in slow-mo (with them still shooting at you) such that if you shoot someone in the head...you're likely going to see every last detail of the blood flying everywhere.

I actually wish you could pick a "slightly less gory" option in the menu. Less realistic I suppose, but I wouldn't have to only shoot them in the chest when sensitive folk were in the room if you follow me.

Next time in the capital wasteland will be Oblivion vs. Fallout: Fallout is Oblivion with guns or Oblivion is Fallout with swords? So keep listening, chilllldren, this is (not) Three Dog. Aooooooooo!

Betasim "heart"s Fable 2

Lol, I actually can hardly stand it when people (generally other girls) turn heart into a verb instead of just saying that they love whatever it is.

So, Fable 2 is utterly amazing. It's more or less what I'd hoped the first Fable would be (because Oblivion is what I was really hoping for--now I have both). I have to say, Lionhead puts out some pretty groovy stuff. I also love Black and White. But I digress.

The biggest problems with the original Fable was that the world was constricted and I felt that the fighting style was awkward. Fable 2 has remedied both of these--the world is larger and richer, and the fighting is a lot more intuitive.

Oh, and I doubt that it was a good idea to put the spell button where the cancel button would be. I kept hitting it at the wrong moment and scaring/harming townspeople. And I broke a window at one point, which caused a constable to come lecture me and charge me a fine. I came back later and the window wasn't fixed, which was kind of cool.

And last but not least, there's co-op play. One person loads up their game, and a second player can join in. If player 2 has a saved game, they can pick their profile and whatever alignment's avatar that they prefer and their abilities transfer over. And you can get experience. Everyone wins!

Oh, and you can play as a girl. That's a nice bonus. ...too many years of being forced to marry women in Harvest Moon.

Rumors...

Alpha sent me this link from Xbox fanboy about a rumor involving the Lego_____ (Lego Star Wars, Lego Indiana Jones, Lego Batman) series.  Lego Potter?  Something about blocky Hogwarts is amusing to me.

http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2008/12/01/rumor-lego-harry-potter-in-construction/

The real question is how to incorporate 5 (6 as of this summer and 7 eventually) movies.  I can't speak to Batman, but Lego SW and Lego IJ were broken up by movies.  There were 2 Lego SW for Pete's sake (and oh how I adored them).  I'm sure they would figure it out...providing that the rumor pans out.

Also, over Thanksgiving weekend I tried Spore, Sims2 Apartment Life, and Fable 2?  I'd give them all a thumbs-up (I happen to like creature phase and tribal phase so far in Spore.  The civilization phase is turning a little RTS for me).  Spore is creative but not quite what I had envisioned.  Apartment Life is more Sims, which is always appealing to me.  And Fable?  Ahhh Fable.

I'll leave my Fable 2 opinions for the upcoming post.

Too scientifically rigorous?

If you've not read Friday's xkcd, do so. I want to know what happens when she sees a half dozen of the non-control group.

This week Haley's been stabbed and Belkar uncursed (Oots), we've discovered the root of Cole's dislike for Max and made a discovery about Max in the process (Pvp), and I learned what a bank alt is (Flintlocke versus the Horde). Rather a productive week in the webcomic world.

Also this week Alpha's reviewed Fallout 3--http://e-aagh.net/fo3_review_pc.htm--so stop over and check that out. I learned a thing or two. And I also think that the building construction is quite a bit Morrowind-like. It's been given an overall 9.0, so it's worth a peek.

The Christmas shopping conundrum

Since we're approaching Thanksgiving, let's have a short chat about all the games that have either just come out or will by Christmas.

If you are a gamer that in fact has another gamer in the family, you may face the following conundrum.  Do you buy that person a game that you know they want but you would never play?  Say, for example, that you have a 10 year old kid sister or brother who happens to be a fan of Animal Crossing while you'd much prefer to play Need for Speed or Call of Duty.  Do you buy that kid sibling their Animal Crossing game for Christmas or compromise and buy a pg-13 FPS and tell your mom that it's to play together.

This of course assumes that you're not rich and haven't bought all of these before Christmas rolls around.

I can tell you for a fact that this situation plays a role in my Christmas shopping.  Generally I go for the first solution--give 'em what they really wanted, that's why it's a gift--but wonder how often people do end up with the compromise game.  I mean, being able to play with more people is a sure bonus but only if the game itself is decent.

I guess it also depends on how much you like your sibling, lol.

Pickle Death Attack!

Good morning...at 11:15am.  That's still morning, right?

Order of the Stick this morning was humorous again--Rich Burlew must be having a good week.  "Try the inside bottom (of the pickle barrel).  That's where they traditionally put the stats."  Ha.  My favorite part is the panel where the thief chick--that's not Haley--is pleased with herself after throwing pickles at Haley.

Oh, and make a point to stop over at www.e-aagh.net to check out the PREVIEW of the new Xbox console (Microsoft Miis and all) and the review of the controversial Wii Music.

Oh the hype hype hype

If the title makes no sense, the sound effect of a small dog barking (especially the pug, Oso, in Sheldon) has been compared to the word "hype".  Just go with it.

Anyway, for those of you who play WoW, y'all must be super excited that Wrath of the Lich King.  Especially those of you of high enough level to make use of the over-lvl-60 content.

If you've not seen it already, check the stuff that Scott Kurtz's been putting out on his two webcomics.  First, on pvponline we're reminded of the origin of Ding this week when Francis gets into a fight while waiting in line for Wrath of the Lich King.  He announces that he's the best undead warlock on his server and a rival paladin happens to be present.  "You're Kissybear?"

Also, Ding is being updated more frequently than it has been in months.  Kissybear, as a matter of fact, is doing a mock survival guide to the expansion pack.  I found yesterday's strip

http://www.crispygamer.com/comics/ding/Ding-2008-11-12.aspx

to be particularly enlightening.  Oh, people can't resist shiny new classes can they?  This strip actually reminds me of a scene from Life of Brian, "Yes, we're all individuals!"  Go watch it if you have no idea what I'm referring to.

No love for Wii Music

As Alphasim's commented on www.e-aagh.net there's been a disapproving buzz lately for Wii Music.  Okay, so it's not Guitar Hero, and it's most certainly not Rock Band.  It's just something else.  Can you record your own versions of songs on Guitar Hero or Rock Band?  I think not.  Are there 50 instruments on Guitar Hero or Rock Band?  Definitely not.  What I'm saying is, let Wii Music pick up the slack.  Miyamoto's come up with something original, yet again, so we owe it the decency to treat as an original entity.  If it'd come out before the era of guitar-shaped controllers, it's reception would've been totally different.

I mean, heck, people played Jungle Beat, right?

Also, Bethesda's Fallout 3 is out.  If you like guns and rpgs, go pick this title up.  There's an unprecedented amount of character development, especially for something with ammunition, lol.  If you're totally unfamiliar with this title, it's a semi-post-apocalyptic future where the first town you meet worships a big nuke.  For example, do you disarm it or do you let it go off?  Your game world will forever change depending on choices like that.

Alpha tells me it's got a little bit of Fable to it plus Bethesda's open rpg style because there's a Karma system that opens different quests.  No white hair results, though.

On the webcomics front, may I recommend that you stop over and see today's Order of the Stick?  The visuals are worth it.  Belkar's dreaming about Shojo giving him advice:

Shojo: 'The point is, if you laugh and spit in their faces enough times, they'll kick you out of the house--Which in this extended metaphor means killing you."

The power of metaphor, lol.

All is forgiven

Oh my gosh.  I don't have time to write you a full-blown post, but you simply must read the end of the hat-guy-for-internet-secretary saga (part 5) on www.xkcd.com

I...just...I love hat guy.

Time to draw the line.

Hey e-aaghers!

Like superheros?  Check out Evil, Inc.  www.evil-comic.com

Anything that goes under the webaddress evil-comic.com has to be good, right?  Or bad...whatever.

Also, the hat guy is being appointed to a fictional cabinet post.  I especially love Wednesday's strip where they're going through all the times he's been arrested.  Amazing.  (sorry, hat guy on xkcd if you didn't figure that out)

And then there's today's strip--just posted--Tron Paul!

I like how the hover-over-the-strip comment is simply, "It's time to draw the line"

Mr. Saturn lives

(...but you wouldn't want me to tell you where or when and ruin it now, would you?)

Today a comment on music in gaming.  While classic anthems like Mario's eternally reinterpreted theme (like this, 

Greg Patillo on the beatboxing flute) and Zelda's many themes are cornerstones to the gaming world, I find that rpgs continually supply notable original music.

For example, I've played so many hours of Oblivion, that when I finally started listening to the soundtrack (courtesy of Alpha) it made me feel like I was home.  It was a great feeling.  Maybe it has to do with emotional intensity.  *shrug*

So, when I say that the music in Mother plays a big role, it's partially this and partially an interesting facet of Mother itself.  Obviously the music from Earthbound--often reproduced in both Mother and Mother 3--is quirky and gives character to the series.  However, I've discovered that this third in the trilogy pulls a stunt that echoes the Mario RPG series:  there are timed attacks.

But they're not JUST timed attacks.  They're in time with the underlying rhythm of the battle (which you can hear if you put the baddie to sleep).  What's more, I'm told you can achieve up to a dozen or more attacks in the row if you take the rhythm into account.  I've still only managed three, but the damage stacks like this: if your original attack was 80, with an extra hit (two total) you could deal out 95 or 100 damage.  Just IMAGINE if you could rack up 10 hits.  You would own the enemies.  No questions asked.

But...I'm not sure how feasible it is.  I'm a musician and I'm having a hard time doing more than two.  I've done three, like, once or twice.

webcomics.com

Just as I've been taking a break from blogging about Mother 3, I've been taking a break from playing it.  This is partially due to being in a fire level that's handing my ass to me, and partially due to being busy in real life.  Oh presentations and critiques....

Anyway, on the webcomics front the halfpixel guys have started up webcomics.com (no www before it) as a center for articles about webcomics.  It's interesting--there's a bit of talk about making webcomics, specific webcomics, etc.  Apparently (according to Scott Kurtz) the Penny Arcade guys bought it and gave it halfpixel in the spirit of brotherhood or something.  How awesome is that?  It is, however, in it's infant stages as far as articles goes because it went up this week.  So, if you enjoy being among the first to enjoy a good thing, stop over there.

Their podcast, Webcomics Weekly, however is not new and you can now listen to it on the top of their homepage.  Good planning, methinks.

Furthermore, I've recently picked back up Fchords.  It's Kris Straub's other (3rd) strip besides chainsawsuit and Starslip Crisis.  I've read comments of his about it saying that it's kind of the strip he's always sort of wanted to make.  No surprise then that the main character, Ash, looks like him.  Quite a bit like him, lol.  Apparently he's a musician, too.  Explains a lot, that does.

Anyway, Fchords ( http://fchords.com/ ) is relatively new:  as of this summer or something.  It's about a couple of guys who record music for commercials but dream of making the big time.  Relatable, obviously.  (Ash:  "Please don't tell me I stole from Dido...I have a new idea!  Let's pretend this never happened.")

It's a Pig's Life in the Modern Army

(my personal homage to Monty Python.  If you get the reference, good for you.)

As you will discover by even starting Mother 3 (or watching the trailer on their website or youtube) there's a pig theme going for the bad guys.  *I* haven't even figured out why yet as I'm nearing the end of chapter 5.  In my brain they're all Pokey hiding under those masks.

And as a continuation to the animal theme, you save your game with frogs, and two of the playable characters are animals.

One of those animals is a monkey.  I feel that the monkey's chapter is something of an interesting directorial choice (if this were a movie) because for reasons I won't tell you, his story takes us behind enemy lines.  Unfortunately, the monkey isn't exceptionally strong himself, but they give you a non-controllable companion who keeps you from being a monkey pancake.  This also means that in the short spurts that you separate from this companion (such as running a *cough* errand) be extra, extra careful not to pick any fights.  Your little monkey friend doesn't deal out enough damage to be more than marginally effective by himself.

Now, if only your companion weren't scum....

Thieves and Ghosts

My favorite part of Mother 3 thus far is Chapter 2.  You get to play as a thief who's getting his first chance at doing real thieving.  His array of skill moves is pretty snazzy.

So where does this thief go to steal something?  An old, haunted castle.  Brilliant!  Some of the ghosts are actually friendly and I enjoyed talking to them.

I've gotta say, again, that there's a departure in feel from Earthbound in this area, but that there's some justification in the long term.  What this part does remind me of is Legend of Zelda when you're first sneaking into the castle at the beginning of the game.  Or maybe a little bit of Spike McFang.

This chapter also introduces the traditional Mother game zombies:  there were zombies south of the first city in Mother, north of Threed in Earthbound, and now north of the main city in Mother 3.  Ironically, there's a sign in front of the graveyard talking about how zombies are not allowed inside.  Oops!

Next time:  Monkeys and Frogs and Pigs, oh my!