I'm not going to lie, Duskers holds its own. It's very easy to look at a game through a lens which underscores the shelf life of a new title. When something is released, it's fantastic. Two months later it's forgotten faster than lines on a stage.
Duskers is an exception. It's frustrating as all get out, and I've had to restart more times than I'm comfortable in admitting. But all that said, the title is strong and the gameplay is entertaining.
Just got cast in Spamalot and am at Starbucks going over lines before heading over for rehearsal. WOOT!
Showing posts with label games. Show all posts
Showing posts with label games. Show all posts
Thursday, January 5, 2017
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
Set in Stone
Nothing is better than the blog. Other social media platforms may be the rage of the day, but it doesn't take to long before they become cluttered garages of marketing and memes. How can something so large feel so empty?
New deck of cards is in the work just as long as Duskers gives me a moment away from the monitor. I swear that game is more addictive than crack. The graphics are simple and the entire game clocks in well under a gig. Still, it's an amazing concept professionally delivered and I'm enjoying it immensely.
New deck of cards is in the work just as long as Duskers gives me a moment away from the monitor. I swear that game is more addictive than crack. The graphics are simple and the entire game clocks in well under a gig. Still, it's an amazing concept professionally delivered and I'm enjoying it immensely.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Quick Year End Update
Well, where to begin? Lots of good things happening here but nothing that comes to a quick and tidy conclusion, which makes documenting them a messy chore. I love to type into the blog to give a sense of permanence to fleeting events and thoughts but when they are ongoing affiairs they don't lend themselves to the format without a little work.
First off, we had a house catch fire in the neighborhood. This is the house which is behind the house I'm living in and it went up around midnight. I was in bed reading a very good book and heard what I took to be the sound of plastic garbage can lids being slammed. Since this is a good neighborhood with some sketchy elements I didn't think anything of the sound. I figured it was someone going up and down the street getting cans before they could be recycled. True, they were going about the activity in a more obnixious way than usual, but still it wasn't enough to insite my interest. Still, the sound went on for about 10 minutes and I could tell there was something bad going on. It turns out the bangs were the sounds of the neighbor's windows being blown out by the heat from the fire.
Now of course there isn't enough information to make sure one way or the other what started the fire. No one was hurt, thankfully, and everyone got out of the house safely including the family dog. The house is still standing right now, but blackened on one side and looking miserable in the winter chill. I don't blame it in the slightest.
In a few days I'll be going to Ontario for the Episcopal Church convention, and I'll be going as a vendor. I've got the Squaresoft register device adapted to the phone so I'll be able to take sales for the game St. Benedict RULEZ! Yes, I'm being realistic about the chances of sales. I doubt we will make enough to retire on, but it would be nice if we could fill the coffers of the Benedictine Study group a bit. They have gone out of their way to make sure I have everything I need to design and create the game, and it would be wonderful if we could make some sales to justify their faith in the project.
Caiaphas Cain is a wonderful series of books to get into, the Lucha VaVoom cards are still an ongoing project, getting an online-only bank account set up and Scrat is still 90% feral despite having spent 90% of her life indoors with people. And now the roundup of events is complete!
First off, we had a house catch fire in the neighborhood. This is the house which is behind the house I'm living in and it went up around midnight. I was in bed reading a very good book and heard what I took to be the sound of plastic garbage can lids being slammed. Since this is a good neighborhood with some sketchy elements I didn't think anything of the sound. I figured it was someone going up and down the street getting cans before they could be recycled. True, they were going about the activity in a more obnixious way than usual, but still it wasn't enough to insite my interest. Still, the sound went on for about 10 minutes and I could tell there was something bad going on. It turns out the bangs were the sounds of the neighbor's windows being blown out by the heat from the fire.
Now of course there isn't enough information to make sure one way or the other what started the fire. No one was hurt, thankfully, and everyone got out of the house safely including the family dog. The house is still standing right now, but blackened on one side and looking miserable in the winter chill. I don't blame it in the slightest.
In a few days I'll be going to Ontario for the Episcopal Church convention, and I'll be going as a vendor. I've got the Squaresoft register device adapted to the phone so I'll be able to take sales for the game St. Benedict RULEZ! Yes, I'm being realistic about the chances of sales. I doubt we will make enough to retire on, but it would be nice if we could fill the coffers of the Benedictine Study group a bit. They have gone out of their way to make sure I have everything I need to design and create the game, and it would be wonderful if we could make some sales to justify their faith in the project.
Caiaphas Cain is a wonderful series of books to get into, the Lucha VaVoom cards are still an ongoing project, getting an online-only bank account set up and Scrat is still 90% feral despite having spent 90% of her life indoors with people. And now the roundup of events is complete!
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Doc Savage and Guys and Dolls
Not one. Not a single deck of cards. I knew it!
When I created the Guys and Dolls deck of cards for the Snowline Players production of the play I knew the key to selling them was to have them available for purchase right from the start and right in the lobby. But because of events surrounding decision making (read: not my fault) the decision as to whether to place an order for the decks didn't come until much to late. Typically, I'll be lucky if an order gets shipped within two weeks of being placed. Considering all that is involved in the manufacturing of these things, that doesn't surprise me. If anything, I'm happy that they can complete the order in the time frame specified anyway.
But I knew that if I told people during the play that if they wanted a deck they could order it online and then wait two weeks for it to arrive, that proposition would be a nonstarter. I mean, the whole point of a souvenier deck of cards is that it's bought the way you normally buy impulse items. You buy them right then and there without any planning.
So while lots of people did come to the play and expressed interest in ordering a deck for themselves, no one actually did it. And that's ok. But it is still a missed opportunity that makes me feel bad. We could have raised additional funds for the little production company. Guess I'll have to hope I can get them onboard more quickly next time.
Doc Savage on the other hand is something that I don't have to go through anyone's approval process. This is something that I'm doing for my own enjoyment and that's the sort of project that I love the most. If you haven't had a chance to read any Doc Savage before, I encourage you to do so. They are great, if brief, stories of high adventure and daring. However, the author really needed to have a good editor go over the work before publishing. Yes, the author was under constant demands from a grueling publication schedule but the stories would have been greatly improved with a little more polish. I'm going to apply the polish to a few random stories over the next few days, and I'll post the results here.
When I created the Guys and Dolls deck of cards for the Snowline Players production of the play I knew the key to selling them was to have them available for purchase right from the start and right in the lobby. But because of events surrounding decision making (read: not my fault) the decision as to whether to place an order for the decks didn't come until much to late. Typically, I'll be lucky if an order gets shipped within two weeks of being placed. Considering all that is involved in the manufacturing of these things, that doesn't surprise me. If anything, I'm happy that they can complete the order in the time frame specified anyway.
But I knew that if I told people during the play that if they wanted a deck they could order it online and then wait two weeks for it to arrive, that proposition would be a nonstarter. I mean, the whole point of a souvenier deck of cards is that it's bought the way you normally buy impulse items. You buy them right then and there without any planning.
So while lots of people did come to the play and expressed interest in ordering a deck for themselves, no one actually did it. And that's ok. But it is still a missed opportunity that makes me feel bad. We could have raised additional funds for the little production company. Guess I'll have to hope I can get them onboard more quickly next time.
Doc Savage on the other hand is something that I don't have to go through anyone's approval process. This is something that I'm doing for my own enjoyment and that's the sort of project that I love the most. If you haven't had a chance to read any Doc Savage before, I encourage you to do so. They are great, if brief, stories of high adventure and daring. However, the author really needed to have a good editor go over the work before publishing. Yes, the author was under constant demands from a grueling publication schedule but the stories would have been greatly improved with a little more polish. I'm going to apply the polish to a few random stories over the next few days, and I'll post the results here.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Larger board for old eyes
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| New 18"X18" board |
However, it was pointed out to me that the people who are going to be playing this board game might be of the... ahem... elderly variety. And as such, they might have eyesight issues which will make them appreciate a larger board more easily visible.
So this is for a quad fold 18x18 board. It's more expensive than the previous one, but the purpose of the game is to be fun and informative. And if people aren't playing the game because it's hard to see than it defeats the whole purpose.
On another good note, this will give the board more room in the center for four decks of cards. The question cards will be placed on the C, S, P, and B circles. It would have been a tight fit with the other board, but now that's no longer an issue. I'm not saying that the game is done just yet, but it is one step closer to being out the door and on it's way to the monastery.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
St. Benedict RULEZ!
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| Rule of St. Benedict Game Board |
This is the board design I came up with for "St. Benedict RULEZ!" Pieces follow a track around the circumference of the cross and answer questions about the Order of St. Benedict. So far I've got the board done, which as anyone will tell you is the fun and easy part. Now comes the typing up and creation of about 100 questions for the game. Oh man...
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Friday, June 1, 2012
Ordering The "Baraja del Papa" Loteria Deck
This project of recreating the images in the "Baraja del Papa" deck requires a pretty heavy investment in time and money. Time is something that I'm more than willing to put in. The images are unique and startling. I'd gladly invest the money as well, but that's one thing I have considerably less of than time.
So I'm approaching the problem in a 'Kickstarter' fashion.
I'm selling the original painting that I'm creating for this project. To anyone who buys a painting, you will be receiving a free deck of loteria cards once this project is finished! How nice is that?! Two things to keep in mind.
The first catch is that I'm not sure exactly when this project will be completed. But considering that one suit is complete (clubs) and I have a headstart on the remaining three suits, things are looking good for this to be done in a few months. When you buy a painting, I'll get an email address for you so I can let you know when the images are all painted and the cards back from the printer.
The second catch is that there is only one copy of each card, so if there is a paticular loteria symbol that you want, move quickly before someone else grabs it from you.
So I'm approaching the problem in a 'Kickstarter' fashion.
I'm selling the original painting that I'm creating for this project. To anyone who buys a painting, you will be receiving a free deck of loteria cards once this project is finished! How nice is that?! Two things to keep in mind.
The first catch is that I'm not sure exactly when this project will be completed. But considering that one suit is complete (clubs) and I have a headstart on the remaining three suits, things are looking good for this to be done in a few months. When you buy a painting, I'll get an email address for you so I can let you know when the images are all painted and the cards back from the printer.
The second catch is that there is only one copy of each card, so if there is a paticular loteria symbol that you want, move quickly before someone else grabs it from you.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Neverwinter Long Winter
I'm officially placing Neverwinter Nights on hold until I can get some writing done and over with. The game is amazingly addictive and unfortunately has the capability of taking up all my free time and then some. Fantastic story and characters, but the bottom line is that I've got more writing that time this week and so I'm putting my game on hold until I can justify some serious gaming time in the evenings.
The current project is from Moffet, which is always a treat for me. The artist is amazing and has a way of setting scenes which keep the story moving along at a good clip. I think that he's discovered that comics need to flow at a healthy pace to be interesting. I try to write in a way which captures that sense of the story being told efficiently and entertainingly, and his hallmark brand of artworks meshes well to this.
Speaking of meshing well, I finished a painting for Faith's wedding. The reviews so far are mixed. Personally, this is a piece which has some serious emotional attachment for me. However, some people don't think that this would be a fitting gift because the acrylic and canvas piece was created from an idea which was started with Ray. I don't care. I think it looks terrific.
The current project is from Moffet, which is always a treat for me. The artist is amazing and has a way of setting scenes which keep the story moving along at a good clip. I think that he's discovered that comics need to flow at a healthy pace to be interesting. I try to write in a way which captures that sense of the story being told efficiently and entertainingly, and his hallmark brand of artworks meshes well to this.
Speaking of meshing well, I finished a painting for Faith's wedding. The reviews so far are mixed. Personally, this is a piece which has some serious emotional attachment for me. However, some people don't think that this would be a fitting gift because the acrylic and canvas piece was created from an idea which was started with Ray. I don't care. I think it looks terrific.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Neverwinter Redux
Ever had one of those titles which you just can't get out your system? Neverwinter Nights is mine. At least one of them.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
To The Moon
Game Review: To The Moon
Ted Puffer review: 5 Stars
I really can't recommend this game strongly enough. It will make a fan out of anyone who doesn't think that a solidly constructed computer game can hold its own against any work of literature. This extends even to Roger Ebert.
Ted Puffer review: 5 Stars
I really can't recommend this game strongly enough. It will make a fan out of anyone who doesn't think that a solidly constructed computer game can hold its own against any work of literature. This extends even to Roger Ebert.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
The Longest Journey
Although it probably doesn't mean anything in the cosmic sense, there was little doubt that I'd be playing the 2000 adventure game "The Longest Journey". That title has been coming up in my life over the past few months. First off, I'd finished the game 'Grey Matter', and if you are so inclined for that sort of thing, feel free to read my feelings on the subject below. Long story short, it rocks. Secondly, I'd been contracted to translate/edit a story with was later to be titled "The Longest Journey" as well. This was just a happy coincidence, but still interesting. And I'm all about patterns and pattern recognition, so I thought this might be a good time to pick up the class game and give it a whirl.
Now I've had this game floating around my collection for the better part of a decade, but hadn't played it. Part of the problem was the title, I'm ashamed to say. Yes, it's never a good idea to judge a book by its cover, and yet the title filled me with concern. Longest Journey? For those of you who have played adventure games (particularly the point and click variety) you'll know that there are brick walls that the player encounters that can make the game VERY long indeed. Using a walkthru to breeze through the game defeats the purpose, and I like to give myself every chance to solve the game 'straight' before utilizing a third-party resource to solve any hurdles (cheating).
But when the game out and tells you that it's The Longest Journey, well I take notice. And so the game has sat on my shelf for years. Until now.
The game is awesome. But what really strikes me is how much the actual language of more recent gaming titles has become dumbed down and politically correct. Right off the bat, The Longest Journey tells you that many of the characters speak "blue", and aren't ashamed to use extremely crude and graphic language to give their opinions on various matters. GTA has become the national benchmark for violence and for lack of a better word "adult themed material" in a game. But my jaw dropped as I was playing TLJ. This game mingles vulgarity with high-concept metaphysics and philosophy. And I don't mean any of that garbage armchair "Can't we all just get along" philosophy. Or "We're all connected by universal energy" stuff. I mean real, nuts and bolts pondering of the deeper meanings of what it means to be alive. Very good stuff.
And there's some of that "universal energy" talk thrown in for good measure. I'm glad. I'd have missed it had it not been there.
But Ted Puffer, I hear you say. What about the game itself? Does it live up to it's title?
Ummmm. Yeah. I'd say it does. It does start out at a gentle pace, and the game is broken up into a series of days, of which the story arc crossed about two weeks. The first few days are long, but the other ones only contain a handful of puzzles each and can be whipped through very easily. If anything, the only 'padding' in the game is in the form of dialog. For everyone's sake, the dialog is excellent and the voice work above par. So this is one journey that's a joy to take.
Now I've had this game floating around my collection for the better part of a decade, but hadn't played it. Part of the problem was the title, I'm ashamed to say. Yes, it's never a good idea to judge a book by its cover, and yet the title filled me with concern. Longest Journey? For those of you who have played adventure games (particularly the point and click variety) you'll know that there are brick walls that the player encounters that can make the game VERY long indeed. Using a walkthru to breeze through the game defeats the purpose, and I like to give myself every chance to solve the game 'straight' before utilizing a third-party resource to solve any hurdles (cheating).
But when the game out and tells you that it's The Longest Journey, well I take notice. And so the game has sat on my shelf for years. Until now.
The game is awesome. But what really strikes me is how much the actual language of more recent gaming titles has become dumbed down and politically correct. Right off the bat, The Longest Journey tells you that many of the characters speak "blue", and aren't ashamed to use extremely crude and graphic language to give their opinions on various matters. GTA has become the national benchmark for violence and for lack of a better word "adult themed material" in a game. But my jaw dropped as I was playing TLJ. This game mingles vulgarity with high-concept metaphysics and philosophy. And I don't mean any of that garbage armchair "Can't we all just get along" philosophy. Or "We're all connected by universal energy" stuff. I mean real, nuts and bolts pondering of the deeper meanings of what it means to be alive. Very good stuff.
And there's some of that "universal energy" talk thrown in for good measure. I'm glad. I'd have missed it had it not been there.
But Ted Puffer, I hear you say. What about the game itself? Does it live up to it's title?
Ummmm. Yeah. I'd say it does. It does start out at a gentle pace, and the game is broken up into a series of days, of which the story arc crossed about two weeks. The first few days are long, but the other ones only contain a handful of puzzles each and can be whipped through very easily. If anything, the only 'padding' in the game is in the form of dialog. For everyone's sake, the dialog is excellent and the voice work above par. So this is one journey that's a joy to take.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Grey Matter Review
The Game: Grey Matter
Ted Puffer's Review: Let's just put down 5 stars, eh?
Without a question, this game is a gem and had me barely breathing between gaming sessions. This is a point and click style adventure in the same vein as Gabriel Knight, which isn't too surprising when you consider that both games were designed, written, scored, etc. by the same person. The story is fantastic. Deep, moving and everything that a completely engrossing game should be.
There are cons, but they are strange. Usually when a game has flaws they fall into categories that are shared by many titles throughout the gaming world. I think that Grey Matter managed to invent a few. Character pathing is an issue.... sometimes. Sometimes it's not. Certain tasks need to be performed before the story advances, and there were only a few which really didn't seem to fit. More often than not, the story doesn't handle itself well if the plot elements are completed in a different order than the designers had planned. In this case the game still works, but your character will say nonsensical things, or mention looking forward to events which have already happened. It's odd, but not a game killer.
There was only one puzzle which had me screaming 'unfair'! All other puzzles and twists are believable and a joy to work on. But this one... I dunno. I almost felt like it was created by someone else entirely.
It's a fantastic mark of success that I love this game even when one of the chapters delves deeply into Alice in Wonderland. I hate that book, don't care for the author, and find the whole mythos around AIW to be a sad testimony on humanity. In 80 years, I'm sure that there will be similar devotees of Harry Potter, which does make me want to drink. Heavily.
Speaking of, there are a few Harry Potter references in this game as well. And I STILL love it! Wow. I really didn't see that coming. Including any Harry Potter references in a book or computer game is usually producer/developer/author shorthand for "my abilities are feeble, please enjoy this reference to something I think you'll like better..." But in a bizarre way, the Harry Potter shout-outs in Grey Matter actually fit with the story.
Ted Puffer's Review: Let's just put down 5 stars, eh?
Without a question, this game is a gem and had me barely breathing between gaming sessions. This is a point and click style adventure in the same vein as Gabriel Knight, which isn't too surprising when you consider that both games were designed, written, scored, etc. by the same person. The story is fantastic. Deep, moving and everything that a completely engrossing game should be.
There are cons, but they are strange. Usually when a game has flaws they fall into categories that are shared by many titles throughout the gaming world. I think that Grey Matter managed to invent a few. Character pathing is an issue.... sometimes. Sometimes it's not. Certain tasks need to be performed before the story advances, and there were only a few which really didn't seem to fit. More often than not, the story doesn't handle itself well if the plot elements are completed in a different order than the designers had planned. In this case the game still works, but your character will say nonsensical things, or mention looking forward to events which have already happened. It's odd, but not a game killer.
There was only one puzzle which had me screaming 'unfair'! All other puzzles and twists are believable and a joy to work on. But this one... I dunno. I almost felt like it was created by someone else entirely.
It's a fantastic mark of success that I love this game even when one of the chapters delves deeply into Alice in Wonderland. I hate that book, don't care for the author, and find the whole mythos around AIW to be a sad testimony on humanity. In 80 years, I'm sure that there will be similar devotees of Harry Potter, which does make me want to drink. Heavily.
Speaking of, there are a few Harry Potter references in this game as well. And I STILL love it! Wow. I really didn't see that coming. Including any Harry Potter references in a book or computer game is usually producer/developer/author shorthand for "my abilities are feeble, please enjoy this reference to something I think you'll like better..." But in a bizarre way, the Harry Potter shout-outs in Grey Matter actually fit with the story.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
RIFT No more...
I'm hanging up my RIFT hat for good.
I got into the second round of the beta testing for RIFT, which means that I'm under a second round of the EULA and shouldn't discuss my experiences until it's lifted sometime in the next few weeks. But that doesn't mean that I don't get to write about why I'm leaving the green fields and stony castles behind.
RIFT O.D. Plain and simple.
RIFT is fantastic, no question about it. I've written about it before and the new beta just shows what I'd imagined would be created in the vast game world before the official release. The game is stellar, and is a complete remake of WoW with some innovative twists. But at the end of the day, it's WoW all over again.
And while that might be a good thing for people who haven't played WoW before, it's going to be lots of the same and then some for players who have already gotten their fill.
My moment of truth was when I was accepting a quest while standing in front of a field of wild boars to kill. The quest said something like "Kill 10 wild boars", and then it hit me. Beyond the fantastic graphics, surround sound and special effects, the basic premise of the WoW fetch-quests just leaves me cold. Here you are outside a field of pigs waiting to be killed. You're there to kill pigs, and the pigs are there to be killed. When you've killed them, they'll come back for the next person who is there to kill pigs.
It's not a bad formula, and works to provide a framework of the environment. But it's also a situation which would exist without the player's involvement, or even if the player is there at all. For something to really grab me, really get me interested in the storyline, plot and characters of a digital world there has to be much more of a connection than just that.
Perpetuum struggles mightily, but does move in the right direction. So until that threshold is broken completely and a new way of engagement between player and world is fashioned, I'll be out on the rocky hills of Perpetuum, harvesting robot kernels and increasing my tech database.
I got into the second round of the beta testing for RIFT, which means that I'm under a second round of the EULA and shouldn't discuss my experiences until it's lifted sometime in the next few weeks. But that doesn't mean that I don't get to write about why I'm leaving the green fields and stony castles behind.
RIFT O.D. Plain and simple.
RIFT is fantastic, no question about it. I've written about it before and the new beta just shows what I'd imagined would be created in the vast game world before the official release. The game is stellar, and is a complete remake of WoW with some innovative twists. But at the end of the day, it's WoW all over again.
And while that might be a good thing for people who haven't played WoW before, it's going to be lots of the same and then some for players who have already gotten their fill.
My moment of truth was when I was accepting a quest while standing in front of a field of wild boars to kill. The quest said something like "Kill 10 wild boars", and then it hit me. Beyond the fantastic graphics, surround sound and special effects, the basic premise of the WoW fetch-quests just leaves me cold. Here you are outside a field of pigs waiting to be killed. You're there to kill pigs, and the pigs are there to be killed. When you've killed them, they'll come back for the next person who is there to kill pigs.
It's not a bad formula, and works to provide a framework of the environment. But it's also a situation which would exist without the player's involvement, or even if the player is there at all. For something to really grab me, really get me interested in the storyline, plot and characters of a digital world there has to be much more of a connection than just that.
Perpetuum struggles mightily, but does move in the right direction. So until that threshold is broken completely and a new way of engagement between player and world is fashioned, I'll be out on the rocky hills of Perpetuum, harvesting robot kernels and increasing my tech database.
Monday, January 3, 2011
RIFT : Preview
The Game : RIFT
Ted Puffer's Review : 2 stars
While I'm waiting to hear about the ULA from the beta testing, I'll just go ahead and post this up here. RIFT. The game.
Putting out a full review of the game is a bit unfair, because technically the game isn't complete yet. There are still some areas to fill out, and supposedly as a 'beta', the full program is still in the process of coming together before it's ready for full release. But from what I was able to play during the beta, I'm comfortable in coming out with a review.
The term "Beta" can mean a lot of things. Some companies use this time to get close feedback from potential players, so they can add or subtract items from the main design of the program. In this case, the program is being developed in a fluid way. The framework may be in place, but some significant elements can still be modified before it's 1.0 release.
Other companies use 'beta testing' as a way to get some advance publicity on a new game. This is especially true with programs from larger developers who essentially have a finished product that looks great. By having some advanced showings to a few players, it allows the gaming community to start anticipating a game before release. In this instance, the company must be confident that the game looks and plays wonderfully and will be assured of good word-of-mouth.
RIFT falls into this last category.
From what I could tell, the game is done. Complete. Polished. I'm sure there are still some areas being worked on, but in it's current state it would provide hundreds of hours of solid gameplay for anyone signing up for this MMORPG. Let me tell ya, it looks sweet and runs like a dream.
But there's a catch.
It's a WoW clone. In fact, it wouldn't be too much to say that it's better than WoW in many areas. There is more of an emphasis on storyline in RIFT, and individual characters do feel like they are all obligated to help save the planet from interdimensional rifts which constantly tear through the fabric of the world. When a rift even happens, everyone drops what they're doing to help kick out the invading armies, and get some tasty XP and look in the process.
But that being said, it's still WoW with a flashier skin and a few extra bells and whistles. I'd be sorely tempted to join the RIFT community once the game launches, but I just can't shake the "Been there, done that" feeling whenever I encounter a grinding quest or epic-but-boring story arc. It's not a failing of the game at all. Had I not WoW'ed before, this would be an engaging and entertaining world to explore. The classes are different and display lots of potential for user customization. The economy is simple, and it is fun to upgrade your character to take on bigger and badder bosses. But at the end of the day, it's still WoW... you know?
So on one hand, I'm impressed with the developers who made such a complex and beautiful world. It really is like they decided to create WoW from scratch, give it a professional polish over ever aspect of the game, but also not stray too far from the feel of WoW either. Could it be the game that knocks WoW off the top of the MMORPG charts? Perhaps. But something tells me that it's just not different enough to do so. If WoW and RIFT had been released at the same time, RIFT would dominate hands down.
But I can't see it grabbing too many players from the WoW community who are willing to ditch Blizzard and explore the RIFT world for themselves... because... well... why bother? Once you've played one, you've played the other.
Perpetuum is different. It's mean. It kicks players in the teeth and makes you sit through mind-numbing tedium and a sadistic user interface. But heck, it sure is different!
Ted Puffer's Review : 2 stars
While I'm waiting to hear about the ULA from the beta testing, I'll just go ahead and post this up here. RIFT. The game.
Putting out a full review of the game is a bit unfair, because technically the game isn't complete yet. There are still some areas to fill out, and supposedly as a 'beta', the full program is still in the process of coming together before it's ready for full release. But from what I was able to play during the beta, I'm comfortable in coming out with a review.
The term "Beta" can mean a lot of things. Some companies use this time to get close feedback from potential players, so they can add or subtract items from the main design of the program. In this case, the program is being developed in a fluid way. The framework may be in place, but some significant elements can still be modified before it's 1.0 release.
Other companies use 'beta testing' as a way to get some advance publicity on a new game. This is especially true with programs from larger developers who essentially have a finished product that looks great. By having some advanced showings to a few players, it allows the gaming community to start anticipating a game before release. In this instance, the company must be confident that the game looks and plays wonderfully and will be assured of good word-of-mouth.
RIFT falls into this last category.
From what I could tell, the game is done. Complete. Polished. I'm sure there are still some areas being worked on, but in it's current state it would provide hundreds of hours of solid gameplay for anyone signing up for this MMORPG. Let me tell ya, it looks sweet and runs like a dream.
But there's a catch.
It's a WoW clone. In fact, it wouldn't be too much to say that it's better than WoW in many areas. There is more of an emphasis on storyline in RIFT, and individual characters do feel like they are all obligated to help save the planet from interdimensional rifts which constantly tear through the fabric of the world. When a rift even happens, everyone drops what they're doing to help kick out the invading armies, and get some tasty XP and look in the process.
But that being said, it's still WoW with a flashier skin and a few extra bells and whistles. I'd be sorely tempted to join the RIFT community once the game launches, but I just can't shake the "Been there, done that" feeling whenever I encounter a grinding quest or epic-but-boring story arc. It's not a failing of the game at all. Had I not WoW'ed before, this would be an engaging and entertaining world to explore. The classes are different and display lots of potential for user customization. The economy is simple, and it is fun to upgrade your character to take on bigger and badder bosses. But at the end of the day, it's still WoW... you know?
So on one hand, I'm impressed with the developers who made such a complex and beautiful world. It really is like they decided to create WoW from scratch, give it a professional polish over ever aspect of the game, but also not stray too far from the feel of WoW either. Could it be the game that knocks WoW off the top of the MMORPG charts? Perhaps. But something tells me that it's just not different enough to do so. If WoW and RIFT had been released at the same time, RIFT would dominate hands down.
But I can't see it grabbing too many players from the WoW community who are willing to ditch Blizzard and explore the RIFT world for themselves... because... well... why bother? Once you've played one, you've played the other.
Perpetuum is different. It's mean. It kicks players in the teeth and makes you sit through mind-numbing tedium and a sadistic user interface. But heck, it sure is different!
Perpetuum : Full Metal Planet
If there is one thing that you can say about the setting that the developers created for gamers to monkey around in, it's that it has no shortage of metal to mine. In this case, there is a strong similarity to EVE. Mining appears to be a major part of the game.
This is of course a double edged sword. Mining was an easy way to make money in EVE, and still is. But mining isn't exactly the most exciting thing in the world to be spending your time doing, and it's slow. So while this does give anyone with time the ability to save up money to buy things in the market, you can expect to dump a few hours doing nothing but fly in slow circles around a floating rock.
Or in Perpetuums case, standing in front of a hold and shooting it with a mining laser. Yeah, I'm not too impressed, but it really does dovetail with what I was thinking about for the game. The look and feel of EVE is all over this product, so the minding grind isn't blindsiding me.
There is a question I have about the interface however. Mining is very awkward. You'd think that all you would have to do to pull the good stuff out of the ground is point a mining laser at a likely looking hill and then press the trigger. Right? No. What the interface is designed to do is make your mining more efficient. But part of me thinks that the designers are just trying to give players more buttons to press in an effort to make mining feel more involving.
Get this:
First you take your mining scanner, and put in an area charge, the charge specifically configured for one of 10 mineral types. Then shoot the charge. This will tell you if you have a hope in hell of finding the type of material you're looking for. Once you download the area data, you do the same thing, but with a 'tile' charge. Then when the tile scanner results are uploaded, you load the mining lasers with charges specific to the mineral you've found and then blast away.
And wait
And wait....
But it still beats the WoW grind hands-down.
This is of course a double edged sword. Mining was an easy way to make money in EVE, and still is. But mining isn't exactly the most exciting thing in the world to be spending your time doing, and it's slow. So while this does give anyone with time the ability to save up money to buy things in the market, you can expect to dump a few hours doing nothing but fly in slow circles around a floating rock.
Or in Perpetuums case, standing in front of a hold and shooting it with a mining laser. Yeah, I'm not too impressed, but it really does dovetail with what I was thinking about for the game. The look and feel of EVE is all over this product, so the minding grind isn't blindsiding me.
There is a question I have about the interface however. Mining is very awkward. You'd think that all you would have to do to pull the good stuff out of the ground is point a mining laser at a likely looking hill and then press the trigger. Right? No. What the interface is designed to do is make your mining more efficient. But part of me thinks that the designers are just trying to give players more buttons to press in an effort to make mining feel more involving.
Get this:
First you take your mining scanner, and put in an area charge, the charge specifically configured for one of 10 mineral types. Then shoot the charge. This will tell you if you have a hope in hell of finding the type of material you're looking for. Once you download the area data, you do the same thing, but with a 'tile' charge. Then when the tile scanner results are uploaded, you load the mining lasers with charges specific to the mineral you've found and then blast away.
And wait
And wait....
But it still beats the WoW grind hands-down.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Perpetuum - Get Your Rocks Off
I haven't heard word about the ULA for the RIFT beta testing that I took part in, so I'll still hold off on my reviews about that MMORPG for later. But in the meantime, the experience has encouraged me to check out Perpetuum. Give me a shout if you find yourself in game
Perpetuum shares a lot with EVE online. If you like EVE, then you will feel right at home piloting a gigantic robot around the wastes of the Perpetuum universe. If the controls of EVE leave you colder than a space-suit with a malfunctioning fly, and who on Earth could blame you, then Perpetuum won't be your cup of tea. The controls aren't intuitive, and the game play is more of the sandbox style approach than the linear mission-based MMORPGs which are common across the Net. You get to make your own fun, and it is up to the individual player to determine what 'fun' is. Right now, I'm just trying to stay alive. The drones in the beginners level are in constant danger of overcoming my defenses, and since you do have an unlimited amount of lives, but finite number of robots to pilot, staying alive is extremely important.
My handle is either "Suggoth" or "Sandow", depending on my mood.
By the way, don't get me started on skill 'upgrades', and the method that the designers or Perpetuum have decided to handle points.
Perpetuum shares a lot with EVE online. If you like EVE, then you will feel right at home piloting a gigantic robot around the wastes of the Perpetuum universe. If the controls of EVE leave you colder than a space-suit with a malfunctioning fly, and who on Earth could blame you, then Perpetuum won't be your cup of tea. The controls aren't intuitive, and the game play is more of the sandbox style approach than the linear mission-based MMORPGs which are common across the Net. You get to make your own fun, and it is up to the individual player to determine what 'fun' is. Right now, I'm just trying to stay alive. The drones in the beginners level are in constant danger of overcoming my defenses, and since you do have an unlimited amount of lives, but finite number of robots to pilot, staying alive is extremely important.
My handle is either "Suggoth" or "Sandow", depending on my mood.
By the way, don't get me started on skill 'upgrades', and the method that the designers or Perpetuum have decided to handle points.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Freespace 2 : Review of History
Freespace 2 would first appear to be your standard space sim, but the history behind the game is what makes it a legend. First off, it's known specifically for the sequel (the "2" part of the title), and not for the less well known original story which kicked off the series. Freespace started as a standard sim, although one which was well done.
At the time, finding a simulator which allowed 360 movement within large objects was difficult. I remember that the first game which made the jump was a title called "Descent", which did a very good job of providing a detailed and fluid environment without requiring the player of the game to drop a load of money on a fast processor or video card. The game itself was innovative in that the meat and potatoes of game play revolved around (and sometimes quite literally), multiplayer. Now that seems to be a standard, of course, but at the time there were very few options for creating a LAN party short of having a meeting of people who would bring their own computers and hardware necessary for the connections.
Descent was a good title, but there really wasn't anything that you could call an engaging story behind it. Think of it as a standard shoot-em-up story, but instead of guns, each player was wrapped in a small hovercraft which zipped around a floating maze. It made for some good dogfights.
Freespace took the same game mechanics, but put the players in control of small fighters in large scale space encounters. This meant that they could fly individual craft around larger capital ships, and actually target individual systems and defensive turrets on the opposing forces. It made for a great strategy game, and would add lots of tension to the typical fire-and-forget encounters which most space simulators had.
Anyone still have a copy of "Mantis" lying around? I'd love to see that opening video again. Classic!
Anyway, where was I? Oh yes. Freespace.
Freespace 2 sought to move the story even further, and bring some advances and technical updates to the graphics as well. For some lucky combination of stars and talent, the game more than met players expectations and in fact exceeded them in many areas. The flip side of this was the publishing company who owned the rights to the title. The seemed determined to kill the game, and stopped publishing it after only a year. Copies that were in existence suddenly became collectors items, and could fetch commanding prices on eBay.
I was tempted, but held fast. I'm glad I did as well because the game finally after over a decade, was reissued as a 'lost game' and available free. I did a quick download of the title, and will write up my experiences in a coming post.
At the time, finding a simulator which allowed 360 movement within large objects was difficult. I remember that the first game which made the jump was a title called "Descent", which did a very good job of providing a detailed and fluid environment without requiring the player of the game to drop a load of money on a fast processor or video card. The game itself was innovative in that the meat and potatoes of game play revolved around (and sometimes quite literally), multiplayer. Now that seems to be a standard, of course, but at the time there were very few options for creating a LAN party short of having a meeting of people who would bring their own computers and hardware necessary for the connections.
Descent was a good title, but there really wasn't anything that you could call an engaging story behind it. Think of it as a standard shoot-em-up story, but instead of guns, each player was wrapped in a small hovercraft which zipped around a floating maze. It made for some good dogfights.
Freespace took the same game mechanics, but put the players in control of small fighters in large scale space encounters. This meant that they could fly individual craft around larger capital ships, and actually target individual systems and defensive turrets on the opposing forces. It made for a great strategy game, and would add lots of tension to the typical fire-and-forget encounters which most space simulators had.
Anyone still have a copy of "Mantis" lying around? I'd love to see that opening video again. Classic!
Anyway, where was I? Oh yes. Freespace.
Freespace 2 sought to move the story even further, and bring some advances and technical updates to the graphics as well. For some lucky combination of stars and talent, the game more than met players expectations and in fact exceeded them in many areas. The flip side of this was the publishing company who owned the rights to the title. The seemed determined to kill the game, and stopped publishing it after only a year. Copies that were in existence suddenly became collectors items, and could fetch commanding prices on eBay.
I was tempted, but held fast. I'm glad I did as well because the game finally after over a decade, was reissued as a 'lost game' and available free. I did a quick download of the title, and will write up my experiences in a coming post.
Friday, December 31, 2010
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.
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.
Monday, December 27, 2010
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.
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.
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