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.
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.
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.
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?”
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.
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.
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.
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”
If you you have spent the last 10 years gaming, or if you follow the MMORPG universe (Massively Multiplayer On-line role playing games) then I am sure you have heard the name. If you haven't, well let me enlighten you.
Brad McQuaid is a video game designer who was the key designer of Everquest, a very successful MMORPG released in 1999, that set the standard for many games that followed. Everquest was a hate/love smorgasbord of adventure.
Talk to any Everquest veteran and you will probably hear about corpse runs, spawn camping, how huge the world felt, how immersed they would feel, the trains and did I mention the corpse runs, for several it was a true adventure.
For many Everquest fans, Brad McQuaid was a “Superstar”, but even a superstar can have a bad day.
The creativity that is Brad McQuaid can not be denied. There is another story that he wants to tell, another adventure that he wants to share, another game. I for one am wishing Brad the best in this next chapter of his career.
Every MMO I have played there has always been that memorable BOSS MOB. Not because of how difficult or the way a group would have to defeat it, but it's presence. Yeah I know that's weak at best, but I am always impressed by presence.
Its all about the presence.
I could write about all the boss mobs I have witnessed in all of their grandeur but that's not the direction I am going....(sound of tires screeching to a stop, usually the stupid noise we make that sounds like Eerrt!)
With my passion for gaming and love for music I was curious of who would have made great Boss Mobs..
...just to name a few but most artists can fulfill any role in an MMO. It would be interesting to see how a gaming world could be filled with artists of today.
Justin Bieber would most definitely be a minion or trash mob to kill repeatedly for quest progression, I'm just saying.
Undoubtedly an emotional song that crossed boundaries and reached a level that in my opinion, has yet had an equal. "Hurt" by Trent Reznor and the cover by Johnny Cash took our breath away.
Yeah it's been quiet and I hate it. I sure miss working with the various projects I was involved in over the summer.
I really don't see a light at the end of the tunnel. Working the night shift has really messed things up but I still hope to settle in, and get back in the mix.
Until then I'll let someone else keep the blog alive..
Take it away Grastoke, Ozark Mountain Daredevils cover...enjoy.
Image by kirainet via FlickrHope the Holidays are going well with everyone, time with family, friends and a little R&R. Life has been busy here, along with the Holidays I am the proud owner of new work hours. Naturally being thankful for being employed, but trying to adjust to the “Rabbit Hole”, I was hoping for the “Blue Pill”.
It's the overnight shift that I am trying to get used to and it's turned my world upside down. I have no doubt that I can adjust, millions of people have, it's just getting there. I miss my pod-casts and time on air and hope to be up and running again soon after all, new is just around the corner.
We are creeping up to the New Year and very soon the busy season will be behind us. I like new stuff because it's...well...it's new. The New Year is like a blank piece of paper, empty, unexplored newness to create whatever we are able to create.
The old piece of paper is marked with mistakes and corrections, our finest moments, accomplishments and the occasional “Oops”. The old paper is wrinkled from use and completely covered, no room for anything else, it's now old andused. It's what we do with the old that determines how we take care of the new.
Some will just toss the old paper away because after all, it's old. Others will smooth out the wrinkles, frame and hang it where they can use it for reference. I don't think there is a right or wrong way, only your way. Some are very confident on how the old piece of paper was used and shred it with the other unneeded documents on life. I fall into the paper hoarder crowd.
My file cabinet looks like someone eating with their mouth full, it's a small 2 door file cabinet with 3 decades of old paper. For me it has nothing to do with confidence, I just enjoy seeing where I have been. I can't wait for the New stuff, I cant wait to get used to the Rabbit Hole and I can't wait to see what my hobby, “Massive Multiplayer Online Games”, have coming in the new year.
Whatever your hobby, your get away, your R&R may be, I hope it's always fresh and new.
Due to Scheduling issues with work, we are needing to put the Live shows with GNET Radio and Blade Radio on hold. Holidays are a busy time anyway but with the new work schedule it makes it difficult to produce a live show.
When the dust settles we will be back in full flavor, sugar and spice, salt and vinegar, Rum and Coke. As time permits I will continue with the usual blurbage here at the blogspot.
Tonights scheduled show on GNET Radio will be MIA due to unforeseen circumstances. Unfortunately, Fridays scheduled show(12/10) at Blade Radio will be as well.
..my apologies, but next week all shows should be as scheduled.
We are back this week with another live show and as always, a couple of "Topic Teasers" until then...
"Bigger is Better"
“On the evening of November 21st, 2010, online gaming scenes were suddenly shown on the sky screen of The Place, which's located in Beijing and themed by "Everyone in Beijing Looks up". At 8:40 p.m. on that day, a man drove his car under Asia's currently largest LED screen that's placed above The Place in Beijing, opened his notebook PC with an access to the wireless network, and played the online game lying in a prepared lounging chair.” - MMOsite
"Game Addictions"
"Panorama reporter Raphael Rowe meets a mother who cut off her internet connection at home because she was worried about the amount of time her 19-year-old son was spending playing computer games." - BBC News (hit link for Video)
AC/DC our Artist Spotlight: Bon Scott or Brian Johnson "AC/DC’s Brian Johnson joined the Greg Billings Band last month at the Irish Rover Pub in Sarasota, Florida to perform a few AC/DC classics." - hennemusic
It was good to be back on air. Tonight we covered our normal chatter, weather, how fast this year is ending and we had a special surprise guest from my brother Steve.
...and the following.
Merchandising in and out of our games.
Giving in game gifts during the holiday season and the gift giving from our favorite MMO's
15. Did I mishear the lyrics of "Bad Moon Rising"? "Bathroom on theright?" I wasn't drunk.People usually misheard the chorus "there's a bad moon on the rise"as "there's a bathroom on the right". Today, Fogerty makes fun of itand purposely slips the "wrong" lyrics into the end of the song.
Remember the game Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising? A game originally developed by Perpetual Entertainment? Yes, yes the same company that started to develop Star Trek Online, put Gods and Heroes on hold and then went bust. It's like an artist painting an emotionally beautiful landscape never to be seen or an author spinning tales that could capture your heart and soul but is never read.
Well in case you have not heard, Heatwave Interactive, a game development studio and online publisher located in Austin, Texas has obtained the rights to develop and release the property earlier this year.
I spent some time in the early beta under Perpetual and was excited where they were heading. My first impressions of the combat dynamics were 3 letters “OMG”. At the time of development, combat in our MMO verse was anti-climatic. We had decent enough combat animations which ranged from a particle flash to limited physics, the head bob, you know....Newtons Law or laws (To every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction) there are actually three laws but I digress, this isn’t a physics lesson. Gods and Heroes had taken this to the next level for MMO's.
I had always thought that combat animations should be similar to the days of Tekken or Street Fighter, more excitement for the encounter. For me Gods and Heroes somewhat delivered that adrenaline rush.
See below for an early development example, courtesy of IGN
I realize there is more to any MMO than just combat animation or physics but I hope that Heatwave is adding and not subtracting as they continue to work on this property. I had the opportunity to participate in the “Gods and Heroes Dev Chats”
...below is the result
I will most definitely be keeping an eye on this as well as trying to participate in the Beta. Plus I will be covering this on Wednesday nights Show on GNET as well as my Friday show with Blade Radio
Art's Closet on Blade Radio aired live Nov 19th 2010
-Emily Diehl-
ArenaNet's Community and Content Manager Emily Diehl is leaving ArenaNet to go to Undead Labs. (Undead Labs, the studio founded by a few ex-ArenaNet employees,)
She started at the studio in 2006 as a member of the systems design team.
Since I’ve worked closely with many of you on this site, I wanted to let you know that my last day at ArenaNet will be this Friday, November 19. Starting next week, I’ll be heading over to join my friends at Undead Labs, working on their unnamed zombie game.
For folks that know me, it’s no secret how much I love horror stuff. The first movie I ever remember seeing was Night of the Living Dead (when I was four), and I’ve been obsessed with horror ever since. I love Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2 with a passion, but in this case, having the privilege to work on a zombie title is fulfilling a lifelong dream of mine.
Izzy is Game Designer on GW2 but was already part of the team on the first episode. Yeah, remember. He was the one who got most of the players raging about class balancing in GW.
Hearts of the North is the next installment of Guild Wars Beyond, an ongoing campaign that expands upon the Guild Wars storyline and lays the foundation for the upcoming Guild Wars 2. It began yesterday! Hearts of the North, the next phase in Guild Wars Beyond, tells the story of the union of Gwen and Keiran Thackeray. You'll reunite these legendary heroes and help prepare for their wedding through a series of all-new quests and missions. You can even dress for the occasion in one of our elegant new wedding costumes! http://www.guildwars.com/heartsofthenorth/
-ZAM-
ZAM is proud to announce the launch of our new Guild Wars 2 community site! Check it out for forums, news, information and more!
My name is Jeahr, though some older members of the Guild Wars community may also know me as JR. I've been involved with the fansite business for many years, and I'm pleased to have the opportunity to work with ZAM on opening this site. Guild Wars 2 is a game I'm incredibly excited for, and we're hoping to provide the best experience for every community member here.
-Star Trek Online News-
Enterprise Bundle in the C-Store
Buy all four Enterprise-themed extras and save 20 percent! This pack includes theFederation NX Class Starship Replica, Federation Costume Pack: Enterprise, Federation Costume Pack: Enterprise Mirror Uniforms - Circa 2160, and the Federation Costume Pack: T'Pol.
Turbine Point Cards are prepaid cards that you can purchase at your local Target, Best Buy or GameStop retailers. WHAT?? WAIT PAID GAME CARDS FOR FTP??
Get your cards at GameStop, Best Buy or Target today and receive FREE Turbine Points with every purchase. The $10 card gives you 120 FREE points, for a total of 750 Turbine Points. The $25 card gives you 450 FREE points, for a total of 2,000 Turbine Points. These offers are valid only while supplies last at participating GameStop, Best Buy and Target retailers, so don't wait!
Last year, an investor named Erik Novak broke the record for the largest single expenditure in a virtual world, paying $330,000 for a space station in Project Entropia, an online science fiction world where the economy for laser rifles and body armor ultimately comes down to U.S. dollars. But now a group of investors has set a new record, operating in the same game, paying $635,000 for Entropia mogul Jon Jacobs' "Club Neverdie." More than half of that, $335,000, came from a single investor.
The club's previous owner was earning $200,000 a year by taxing every virtual transaction that occurs within the confines of the game space. Panasjuk and the other investors hope to be able to start turning a profit with similar numbers.
-Die2Nite- Game review English-language beta of free to play zombie apocalypse survival game
« A little after midnight, a deathly silence fell all around you, as if all life had suddenly come to a halt. The night was icy cold... Then you saw them, dozens of them... hundreds even, meandering towards you... Their hands grasp you, grab you, pull and claw at you... Then they drag you with them throughout the night, to be devoured in the small hours. »
Yes...Dead, dead and eaten ...
BETA
A Real-time multiplayer browser game – It's the kind where you log in throughout the day to check your status and perform actions – Reminds me of Zynga games, Facebook games.
Originally a French game that was praised by said press.
I spent hours searching for salvage out in the desert, and when I finally came back I came back empty handed and the gate was closed.
..yep and in order to get in ..you have to frantically post on your communities forum to get in.
You get dropped into a village with a randomized name with several other players from your time zone, and the goal is to survive. Every night the village gets assaulted by zombies, and every day you head out into the desert to scavenge for items. Items them to build anything from walls to guard towers to workshops.
Your village has a wall around it and can only be entered through a main gate, which in turn can only be opened or closed from the inside. If somebody closes the gate too early, the stragglers have no choice but to leave a frenzied posts on your town’s forum to try and save themselves from becoming a late-night snack. If nobody remembers to close the gate, Your town ends up a drive thru.
You can die.The whole town can die.
This is why the size of the player base is so perfect. When there’s only 40 of you, you’re all important. For one thing, new players aren’t added after your village is created, and for another thing any dead players become more zombies. Also, in a group that small it’s easy for anybody to rise up and become leaders by giving advice and issuing orders on your town’s messageboard, and anyone trying to be a lone wolf and look after themselves (taking items from the town’s supply dump, say, or stealing) will not only make a noticeable impact, but it’s a relatively easy process to turn enough of the town against them to get them banished, or even hung.
COLONY OF NIGHTS WITHOUT END (2)
No news from our 7 courageous citizens who ventured into the World Beyond yesterday. If in doubt, pillage their house...
It should be noted that last night, some citizens report having seen EvilG opening the gates just before the attack. There are also some who say that it wasn't entirely accidental... Result: 7 deaths.
- The Crow
“What am I playing”
Priston Tale II the 2nd Enigma
Unreal Engine
April 12 2010 Game Bridger unveiled today the name of its new free-to-play games portal, GamerKraft
Due to the Holiday, We will not have a live show or a Podcast for this week but will return in pure Wardrobe fashion the following week.
We have been busy in our 4X4 world, and I want to take this opportunity to share the news. Along with a live show and recorded Podcast with our friends at GNET Radio, we have added more Closet time with another project.
Over the last few weeks Art's Closet has also been found at Blade Radio. Blade Radio has been the Internet Radio Station for Guild Wars over the last several years and are beginning to branch out into other games. Currently, Blade Radio has entered into Star Trek Online and of course will be catering to Guild Wars 2 upon release.
At Blade Radio, our format is just little different. We host a three hour show with weekly segments: Every Friday at 12pCST
“Gaming News” - Commentary on random news topics from the gaming world.
“It's a Gamers Life” - A lighthearted look at the life of Gamers, in and out of the game.
“Twin Journey's” - 2 Halfling brothers who just don't know what game they’re in (Halfling Skits)
“Closet Mail Bag” - Listener e-mail
“Closet Rock Block” - This segment varies from playing music to talking about it.
The management at Blade Radio are working on an area to host “Art's Closet” with a Blog and per-recorded shows. When everything is finalized all links will be found here.
This Blog will continue as well our relationship with GNET Radio, we are just branching out.
I want to wish everyone a happy holiday filled with good times, good food and family fellowship.
