The Discipline of Gaming

Tutorial, hint, walk though, cheat sheet, spoiler.

“Wax on wax off, the discipline of gaming Grasshopper.” Okay that was a reference from two different movies/shows but it seemed to fit. In my gaming entertainment over the years I have often found myself hitting the proverbial “brick wall”, especially if it was a puzzle based game. “Where is the damn key located to unlock this step?”

Struggling with clues or the strategy within a game can be frustrating. Not being able to advance means we play that scene or sequence over multiple times. I can see the Game character that we are playing, finally stop and stare at us through our monitor and scream “THE KEY IS OVER THERE DUMMY!”

This of course would creep me out so, as not to a ire the little person I am moving around in game I would look for, “Dun..dun..Duh!” the Spoiler. This of course would give me the answers I needed to advance to the next section of game-play, but was very anti-climatic. In my early days of gaming spoilers were hard to come by and I was actually glad. Now we have an abundant of spoilers for almost every game. It is too easy to cheat. A disciplined gamer will achieve their gaming goals without the need of “Spoilers”, and I have found that to be very rewarding.

Keisuke Miyagi (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 I am not the Mr Miyagi of gaming, not even close but I have learned a valuable lesson. Patience is the key. When we accomplish the hurdles that most games set for us, it means that we have fully savored and enjoyed what it had to offer.

I have spent literally weeks at a dead end trying to figure out what I needed to do and when I finally figured it out, I woke the whole house up with “Eureka, I have found it!” . ..okay, I never say eureka, but it was a scream of excitement. Several deep breaths later and as my heart settled back into my chest, all I could think of was “Damn, what a rush.” This game lasted longer than any game I had played. I felt like I truly experienced the game as it was meant to be instead of fast forwarding to the end.

Our entertainment purchase is wasted if we fast forward to their conclusions. It is like buying a movie to just fast forward to the good parts. That moment of entertainment becomes just that, a moment.

I Was There...

Creativity is intelligence having fun. (Photo credit: symphony of love)

Being creative is an ability we all have. How that “creativity” presents itself, how it may be expressed or shown varies. For some it is a passing thought, to others it develops. Books, movies, paintings, drawings are the outlets used to share what develops.

It's winter here, stepping out my back door there are several inches of snow. It's breezy and very cold. I noticed one lone dried leaf slowly travel along the bottom of my chain link fence. The night sky, the cold and the contrast of the dried leaf against the snow was the beginning of a story or an ominous scene from a movie. My imagination placed me in a different time and place.

I love those moments because for a brief instant all of my senses are in a story. I am sure this is how it all begins. When they find themselves immersed in a moment that floods their senses, they begin to write, draw, create. I can create my own world, even if it's a passing thought but I love to visit others who have truly developed theirs.

I love the books/movies/art. For me its a view from the outside, a spectator enjoying what is getting presented. Gaming entertainment allows me to participate, to move through and interact with the world that has been created. What a dismal life would it be without an imagination or the chance to be creative.

A Perfect game is like the perfect pie, and I like pie.

I have heard it called Minecraft on steroids.

EverQuest Next Landmark is SOE's  next chapter in the Everquest Franchise. EverQuest Next and EverQuest Next Landmark's game play is described as an Adventuring/crafting/harvesting/building sandbox as seen here. SOE being a major contributor to the MMO market, has once again taken the spotlight in touting “Pioneer” or “ Time for some new ideas in the genre and if someone is going to do it, it should be EverQuest.”

Ingredients are very important as with any recipe. Mom's homemade chocolate pie (which is to die for) is not only about ingredients but proportions and how the ingredients are added. Landmark's main ingredients are destructibility and a procedurally generated world. What we are uncertain of, are proportions and application.

We have a general idea though videos and interviews but without tasting it for ourselves, we don't know what is too much or what is too little. If all or most of the landscape is destructible, in a world which traveling is essential, it may be a challenge to find your way back without road signs or points of interest. “I turned left at the big tree or hill but its gone now.” We know the world heals itself but will it reset back to its original state. In a sense this does add flavor to adventuring but if there is an ever changing landscape it may be frustrating. Landmark is an ever changing world and being in pre-alpha development also means, its an ever changing world.

SOE's desire to include the masses (with a cover charge for entry)in an early alpha state is also something new. A chance for the player base to help in development, ideas and testing is exciting and even more so for SOE fans. It does seem that a new direction is wanted, warranted or needed in this genre of game play. Old EverQuest fans are hoping to re-capture their first love. New and old gamers are looking for something different than what they have been experiencing. Is this the “Holy Grail?” 

Iconogrial (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When Landmark is released and we set our eyes on EverQuest Next, will the true replay-ability without the grind finally exist? Will we actually find ourselves in a world that is truly ever changing? It will be the Holy Grail if all the ingredients and proportions are properly applied.

Following SOE and the EverQuest Franchise for over 14 years has yielded more good times than bad, and I have complete confidence in their development team. I know what a perfect chocolate pie tastes like and I like pie. I don't know how a perfect game feels like but maybe I will get a chance to find out.

What is EverQuest Next Landmark?

EQN Landmark Teaser Trailer 1: World Of Imagination

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Time is not free..

Trying to set time aside to for a relaxing round of whatever game you enjoy can be challenging.

The early years seemed much kinder. I remember long hours on the weekend.

Eating was a quick fix or ordered out, and unless the house was on fire, interruptions were dealt with harshly.

It didn't help, or may have contributed to the madness of gaming, that my wife loved to game as well. Six hours of sleep was all we wanted through our gaming weekends, six hours for the whole weekend. We were younger then and time seemed to be free. With (gaming) Family and friends who had the same weekend ritual, we all had a lot of fun and some great memories.

Time Bandits (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

These days time isn't free. There is always something that tries to use the time you set aside for a bit of “game on”. There are many desperate attempts to slide into your fav computer chair, but usually foiled at the last minute.

Stealing is the only way. Learn to be a Time Bandit

I know I should be cleaning out the garage this Saturday but it can wait until next week. See what I did there? Yep, I just stole some time and it's relatively legal, depending on your relationship with your soul mate. It's not a bad thing having a somewhat busy lifestyle as long as your "Thief" skills are adequate.

We all need “our” time and if it comes down to being "Time Bandits" (that movie sure was a lot more funny the first time I saw it) then its a just cause. Sometimes no matter how bad you want to relax and game, there is some “time” that is more important.

I need to excuse myself, I have 2 things that are patiently waiting for my time.

  

HIATUS

1: a break in or as if in a material object - Nope not that one

2: a gap or passage in an anatomical part or organ – Holy smoke, not that one

3: an interruption in time or continuity: break; especially: a period when something (as a program or activity) is suspended or interrupted – yep, that's the one

4: the occurrence of two vowel sounds without pause or intervening consonantal sound – huh?

Hiatus is a cool word that taps your tongue when it leaves your mouth, and its a word that I use often, because time keeps getting interrupted. Hiatus is also a cool word because backwards it spells Sutaih,which is a Sanskrit word that means “by the sons”. Which you can look up for further clarification if the notion hits you or taps your tongue.

Hopefully, going forward I wont have “the occurrence of two vowel sounds without pause or intervening consonantal sound”