Beta Test is Over: ULA Isn't

I'm still under contract with a ULA for the third round of beta testing for the new MMORPG RIFT, so I'm going to hold back on my comments for a week or so, then post my impressions of the game online. I will say that it was entertaining and enlightening to participate in the beta testing for the game, and I look forward to the opportunity to do more in the future.

They do demand that you submit lots of feedback on your game experiences and impressions, which only makes sense because I'm sure they aren't letting people create characters and log into servers just to get some excitement built up about a coming release. The computer designers for the system want to make damn sure most of the bugs are worked out before the official reviewers try their hand at their product.

Notice that I said "most" of the bugs, not all of them. I really do think that aiming for complete bug elimination is just one way to guarantee heartburn and a slew of ulcers. Fortunately, that wasn't my job in this case. I was just there to try out a new gaming world, and point whenever something broke. Or (blush), when I broke something. Heh! Not to much stuff broke while I was online, and let me tell ya, I was trying!

This does remind me of Elemental : War of Magic. I was closely involved with the beta testing forums for that launch, and much was made of the fact that the developers worked so closely with the beta testing crowd. There were some exceptions, of course. Some thought that their ideas and observations of the game weren't fully appreciated by those who were in a position to enact their suggestions, and therefore the game which was released didn't meet their hopes. But for the most part, the forums were filled with positive comments. I did see one instance where the developers should have listened to their target audience more closely. Almost all of the people eagerly awaiting the release of the game mentioned that all the proposed races looked very similar to each other. In fact, spotting differences between the different factions in the game was difficult. The qualities and physical characteristics between races was almost identical. The developers kept saying that it was their intention to have 8 options of a 'vanilla' race to choose from.
I was less than impressed.
I don't ask for extreme varieties, but I still don't see the point of giving the player an option of choosing between 8 indistinguishable races when starting a game. Ah well.

Goodbye 2010!

You know what? 2010 wasn't that bad at all. Would I say that it was kick-ass? Well... yes. Yes I would..

Stealing Syberia

So what did I get for my latest travel into Syberia?

I got some artwork. Good stuff too.

OK, I've been meaning to get back to the painting for awhile because I've had some ideas burning in my mind for a bit, and the only thing needed was some time. While Christmas brings many things, and this year it also allowed me to get some projects done, which means that it's time to dust off the old canvas and see what damage I can do.

For such a fantastic graphical adventure, there were only two images which struck me as being good paintings, at least ones that would fit for my style. I'm grabbing a bar poster from the second chapter in the Syberia saga, as well as some native sketches that are found in the bone ark. The sketches are ideal for a small canvas which I have floating around looking for a home, and the poster... well, if you've seen any of my other paintings than you'll know that I like the posters. This one has horses. Not my favorite animal to tell the truth, but I don't have a problem with them.

I was tempted to go for the logo on the side of the clockwork train, but after some consideration have decided to give it a miss. The logo is interesting, but to make in with a fitting background, I'd be using a lot of gray. Gray is a good color, don't get me wrong. But it can be a little... well... boring. I'm happy with my choices, but if I get a stirring to go back to Syberia, the train will be at the top of my list.

Syberia 1 and 2

Games = Syberia 1 and 2
Ted Puffer's Reviews = 4 stars

Game genres come and go, but there is no disguising the fact that the 'adventure game' has been on a decline for a number of years now. Most of this is likely due to the fact that to make an adventure game, you don't need 3d modeling, multiplayer or any other design scheme that jumps off the screen. What you need is a good story, and that is something that just doesn't happen because a deadline has been set. Great stories only come about through imagination, and I don't think imagination is something budgeted in the Blizzard process flow.

But Syberia has it in spades. These two games are the products of the same studio that came out with one of my favorite games "Amerizone", which is old and grey now but still one hell of a ride for anyone who gives it a shot. The setting is similar, in fact this story builds on the same world as Amerizone. Parts of the dialog indicate that the two games are united in location, as some of the species found in the alternate-relity Amazon jungle find their way into the frozen wastes of Syberia.

Most entertaining about the first chapter is the steampunk setting. Steampunk games get overlooked for the most part when people think of the style, and that's really a shame. Syberia has truckloads of atomatons, gears, steam and general victorian style to satisfy the most hard-core enthusiast of the genre.

Where the games really shine however is in the story, and the way the puzzles encountered on the adventure resolve themselves in logical ways. It's not the case where the main character is running around doing certain tasks for no other reason than they need to be done. Right from the start, Sybera presents the player with a main goal, and every puzzle naturally falls into the story as a way to get from point A to B. The setting and backstory are worthy of being expanded upon, and although it looks unlikely that a Syberia 3 will be coming out any time soon, I for one would be eager to step back into that world. Great game!

Closed Beta : RIFT

I wasn't expecting it, but I had a Christmas gift come early this year for me. I was invited to participate in the closed beta testing of RIFT : Planes of Telara!

The catch came when I had to make some space on the computer to allow for a massive 8 GB download of the game. I was just in the process of finishing up Syria 2, so I quickly ran through the last remaining puzzles in that title and then cleaned off my drive. I'll write more about those games (Syria 1 and 2) later because I really do want to do justice to the titles. Excellent Adventuring!

RIFT looks fantastic. Sure, some of the mobs look a little rough around the edges, and the character classes and specialties are one's that I'm not familiar enough with to decide on a favorite. But this is going to be fun to test out, and I'll be sure to write a ton of feedback to the developers about the play experience.

I did have to sign a NDA to get into the beta, so the blog will be mum about it from here on out. But once the NDA is lifted, I'll post my beta testing experiences here.

Yee-HA! A Merry Christmas to Ya!

Just passing on my wishes for everyone to have a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year!

Over 200!

I noticed that I broke the 200 post barrier. I know this is significant somehow, but the nature of its importance has slipped my mind. Humm. Still, 200 posts...

Christmas Music Show

I just shared a stage with about 20 other guitarists in the High Desert Christmas Music show. OK, it's a huge name for what was essentially a small performance, but there's no denying the fact that it was a heck of a lot of fun to do.
For this show I took my chrome monster of a guitar. It doesn't have the greatest sound, but at the same time it rests very comfortably in my lap while I play it, and I wasn't concerned about being able to pick my notes out of the wall of sounds coming from the people playing around me. If the chrome beast has anything going for it, it's tone. A unique tone. Sometimes it howls like a wildcat, and other times it growls like a badger. This time I got lucky. It was content to make a throaty purr as I played.
The concert was accompanied by three singers who took turns with the music. All were good, and one in particular was exceptional. I didn't catch her name, otherwise I'd have put it here. She was excellent, and everyone tried to play up to the standard she was setting.

True Grit : Movie Review

Movie : True Grit (2010)
Ted Puffer's Rating : 4 stars

I was able to catch an advanced screening of the Coen brothers' "True Grit" in Palm Springs yesterday, and I've got to admit that it's one heck of a good movie. Now I love the Coen brothers movies. They are mostly known for off-beat characters and ironic humor, but what really draws me to their films are the complex plots. Each movie they create is centered around a plot that can't be summed up in one or two sentences. That's not easy to do. After awhile most movies fall into genres and can be trapped by them. Romantic comedies must have a break up scene, horror films need to have shadowy chases, etc. And that's fine, there really isn't anything wrong with sticking with what works. But Coen movies use these devices sparingly if at all, and try to tell larger stories then the genre usually sees.
True Grit is a Western. Now I hate westerns, horses and the desert in general. So the fact that I actually liked this movie and would see it again should speak volumes. One reviewer mentioned that there are no cut away shots where the camera lingers on a rolling horizon. I agree with this. Westerns can be counted on for throwing the breaks on the plot while the camera wanders the countryside. True Grit avoids this trope.
Today I watched the original, which I hadn't seen before. I was struck with how much of the dialog matched word for word between the two films, but they are completely different movies. It's actually worth seeing just for this, because it allows the viewer to see how two different directors (and actors) can start out with the same script but end up miles away from each other. John Wayne is good, no doubt. But darn it, I like the updated version better. I'm not completely sure why the first doesn't strike me as a 'landmark' film, and I hate to think that I'm only able to enjoy movies shot in a modern style with massive budgets. However, the fact remains that while I liked the first movie, I have no desire to see it again. The updated version blew my socks off.

Wet Hen

There comes a time in your relationship with a feline where you have to admit that the tongue just isn't doing the job anymore. Usually a cat can go years without a serious analysis of the effectiveness of the tongue-bath. But when the winter hits, it's pretty obvious that mother nature is going to have to take the back seat to soap and water this once.
Debbie is angry, and having to fend off her brother who is VERY interested in what happened to sis!