Getting Into Gaming

[Triscuitable]

Wow, I am behind in my gamer knowledge, I had no idea Valve was headquartered so close.

Nintendo of America and DigiPen are in Redmond.

[Logic]

Nintendo of America and DigiPen are in Redmond.

Nintendo I knew about. DigiPen you say? Hmmm.... must google.....Nope, never heard of them (though I am familiar with Narbacular Drop.)

[RagingKrikkit]

I find that a bit hard to believe. Considering the vast majority of players themselves are, simply statistically speaking, probably Christians, I don't think that explains the reactions to her. And I know for a fact that not all atheist players had an adverse reaction to her religiosity, as I am one myself. Heck, she only even mentions her religious beliefs once, in the first game, and doesn't really say anything more than that she has them. Before she makes that remark and reveals that being religious is much less common in the ME time period than it is now, in fact, nothing has been said about human religion in the setting, so most people would probably have assumed by default that it resembled current human religion, with most people believing in one or another to some degree.

I think the impression of racism people got from her was by far more responsible for it. That's a matter that would be far more likely to trigger such reactions in a large chunk of people than her barely-mentioned religious belief.

Zevox

No, she didn't state that she was Christian, she admitted to believing in God. "God" is a very ambiguous term in English, and really just means something that had some sort of hand in the making of existance. The statement "I beleive in God" does not make onself a Christain, it means that they think that there is something/someone out there who make the universe. After that, just about any belief is fair game under the belief in God statement. Also, I think the majority of gamers, strictly speaking, call themselves Christains because they said a prayer fifteen years ago or were baptised as a child, and then never act like one.

Also: Yay for ignoring the references rule!

[Triaxx]

Interesting. I live within a couple hundred miles of Volition.

[SHeRUBI]

Left 4 Dead 2 is a game about surviving a zombie apocalypse across Southern America (New Orleans, to start, and the group moves North). You work in a team of 4 to fight against the hordes of infected that break like twigs to your mighty shotguns and rifles. The infected do have two big advantages: the special infected, which work to seperate your group, and their numbers. You're only ever alone if you decide to run off on your own, but that's going to spell your end. You need to work as a team to stay alive, and if you do, you'll be fine.

I have to say that this post together with the intro have me sold. In fact, as I type this, Koury is in the process of taking advantage of the Steam Summer Sale~75% off baby. While it seems that there are bound to be some bumps in the night er cutscenes , it's the characters' interactions and team mentality that have me intrigued.

Each survivor you play as isn't just a model, either. They're flawed characters with backgrounds, names, and constant banter mid-game. You'll learn about their pasts just by playing alongside them.

Should there be such an apocalypse, it's probably the average Joes who will dictate the survival of the human race.

[off topic]Wow, somebody actually went with Ashley? I swear, just about everybody nukes her.[/off topic]

You do have to understand that through the entirety of the game I had fought alongside Ashley~originally it was team Shepard, Ashley and Tali, but upon Liara's arrival, Tali was put on the sidelines. At the same time, I was pursuing the romance-based achievement with Kaidan, as Koury said. But when it came down to it, I wasn't about to let my pursuit of an achievement get in the way of WWSD, what would Shepard do. From the perspective of a sole survivor, it's about relationships. And in this case, the loyalty and longevity of my girl power fight group trumped after-mission flirtations.

Personality wise, while Ashley's nationalist focus is understandable given where it is that she came from, it is annoying nonetheless. Had she not been by my side battle after battle, I could see listening to my heart and living happily ever after with the dark haired Sentinel.

Religion? Not a factor in my decision. It was her tirade against the Other, the different that caused the slightest of reservations.

So, I have to ask and it's not for the stereotypical reasons, but how do you feel about Sims? Do you enjoy it, but feel there's in sufficient pain and suffering involved? Or perhaps wish to generate ever greater works of art? If so, try out Dwarf Fortress. It's Fun. Usually...

Never played.

[SHeRUBI]

As far as this whole thing goes, I've narrowed down the entry point to either X or XII (with an outside shot at XIII).

I bring you the final decision! Having read descriptions off of gamefaqs and YouTube-ed intros, both have caught my attention. Add in the fact that XII is readily available, and XII it is! Final answer.

[Koury]

Add in the fact that XII is readily available, and XII it is! Final answer.

Readily available meaning I currently own it.

[Mando Knight]

Never played.

"Fun" in the Dwarf Fortress parlance is "raise a small colony of dwarves, then watch them die horribly in various ways." Boatmurdered is probably one of the most well-known Let's Plays of the game, and will show you how incredibly ridiculous the game can get.

[SHeRUBI]

"Fun" in the Dwarf Fortress parlance is "raise a small colony of dwarves, then watch them die horribly in various ways." Boatmurdered is probably one of the most well-known Let's Plays of the game, and will show you how incredibly ridiculous the game can get.

Meant I haven't played Sims .

[Terraoblivion]

I bring you the final decision! Having read descriptions off of gamefaqs and YouTube-ed intros, both have caught my attention. Add in the fact that XII is readily available, and XII it is! Final answer.

I hope you'll enjoy it. It's one of the three games in the series I really like and few games get me more in the mood for adventuring than it. The world really just feels grand and full of stuff to find, without being disjointed the way older games in the series tended to be. Also, Ashe and Balthier really are that awesome characters.

[TheLaughingMan]

I bring you the final decision! Having read descriptions off of gamefaqs and YouTube-ed intros, both have caught my attention. Add in the fact that XII is readily available, and XII it is! Final answer.

Good choice! Be warned though, it's probably gonna take you a while to get settled into the gameplay, and the middle third of the game is very lax on tension. Also, if over the course of the game you find in yourself a burning desire to punch Vaan in his pretty-boy face, don't worry. We've all been there.

Other than that, I hope you enjoy the ride. It's certainly one of my favorites the series has to offer.

I have to say that this post together with the intro have me sold. In fact, as I type this, Koury is in the process of taking advantage of the Steam Summer Sale~75% off baby. While it seems that there are bound to be some bumps in the night er cutscenes , it's the characters' interactions and team mentality that have me intrigued.

Over the course of my time with it, I've generally found that the horror setting of Left 4 Dead is really more of a mask for the black comedy/slight drama of the main cast. It really makes for a unique experience in zombie-survival. I definitely recommend it.

[Terraoblivion]

Actually I never was. The game mocks him enough early on and ignores him enough later on for me to avoid getting angry. Besides it's only a couple of hours until Balthier shows up and steals the show.

[Triscuitable]

I have to say that this post together with the intro have me sold. In fact, as I type this, Koury is in the process of taking advantage of the Steam Summer Sale~75% off baby. While it seems that there are bound to be some bumps in the night er cutscenes , it's the characters' interactions and team mentality that have me intrigued.

You'll love the fact that there are no cutscenes in the game. And most of the campaigns in L4D2 take place during the day rather than the night (the first campaign taking place in the afternoon, and the game ending at dawn). The story is told through graffiti in safe houses and banter between survivors.

Should there be such an apocalypse, it's probably the average Joes who will dictate the survival of the human race.

There are four survivors in Left 4 Dead 2, and four in Left 4 Dead (playable, not NPCs). From L4D to L4D2, there's Bill the 'Nam vet, Zoey the college student, Francis the biker, and Louis the office worker. Bill is the team dad, Zoey is the hopeful member of the team, Francis hates everything, and Louis is the office worker.

In L4D2, Nick is a former con-man who grows into a decent person, Ellis is a redneck whose best friend kicks too much ass to be true (you learn about the guy during banter), Coach is the team dad and reason Nick sticks with the team, and nobody likes Rochelle. Might be because she has a Depeche Mode tee-shirt.

I bring you the final decision! Having read descriptions off of gamefaqs and YouTube-ed intros, both have caught my attention. Add in the fact that XII is readily available, and XII it is! Final answer.

I might still have my copy of the special edition laying about. If I can find it, you guys can pick it up. Or I can mail it to you.

[Logic]

There are four survivors in Left 4 Dead 2, and four in Left 4 Dead (playable, not NPCs). From L4D to L4D2, there's Bill the 'Nam vet, Zoey the college student, Francis the biker, and Louis the office worker. Bill is the team dad, Zoey is the hopeful member of the team, Francis hates everything, and Louis is the office worker.

Louis always seemed to be the positive thinking one, and Zoey is the kill-thief. (Seriously, AI Zoey kills all the special infected.)

In L4D2, Nick is a former con-man who grows into a decent person, Ellis is a redneck whose best friend kicks too much ass to be true (you learn about the guy during banter), Coach is the team dad and reason Nick sticks with the team, and nobody likes Rochelle. Might be because she has a Depeche Mode tee-shirt.

I liked Rochelle MORE when I found out her T-Shirt featured Depeche Mode.

[Triscuitable]

I liked Rochelle MORE when I found out her T-Shirt featured Depeche Mode.

I don't care for them, but my mom's a big fan.

[Maxios]

I don't really know much about Rochelle but now I know enough to like her .

[Logic]

I don't care for them, but my mom's a big fan.

I never knew who they were until I played Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Which is another game that you can add to the list of great games to play. Though, I personally found Grand Theft Auto: Vice City to be have a better story.

And @Triscuitable: If you don't mind my asking, how old are you, and how old is your mom?

[Triscuitable]

I don't really know much about Rochelle but now I know enough to like her .

Let's compare Rochelle and a piece of cardboard.

Rochelle is...

• Sentient
• Dull unless you wrap her in something nice
• Convenient and helpful
• Won't stop using the goddamn medkits

Cardboard is...

• Nonsentient
• Dull unless you wrap her in something nice
• Convenient and helpful
• Won't use medkits on you when you're not about to die with black and white vision

That's two points in favor of cardboard!

[Tono]

Since you're playing XII, I recommend (if you can) you find a way to either patch, acquire, or buy the International Version with the english patch and play that. It was, in my opinion much more fun, and much harder to break.

Either way something to keep in mind, the game is much much better if you remember Mr Fake Abs is not the Main Character.

[Triscuitable]

Either way something to keep in mind, the game is much much better if you remember Mr Fake Abs is not the Main Character.

That title goes to Basch, but the dev team thought (I'm not joking here) that the fans wouldn't like a main character that wasn't a whiny little bitch with ridiculous hair, physical age under 18, and had emo tendencies. Oh, and a love interest. Because that's what Final Fantasy is all about, right? Right? Thus, Vaan was created, and nobody liked him.

[Zevox]

That title goes to Basch,

Basch? He's only about the third most important member of your team in that game, and really that's mostly because the kids are pointless after you pick up everyone else and Fran doesn't do that much more than them. The actual main characters are Ashe and Balthier, in that order.

Zevox

[Triscuitable]

Basch was the MC before that decision to include Vaan was made.

[Zevox]

Basch was the MC before that decision to include Vaan was made.

...but he's only a little more relevant to the plot than Vaan. After the early portion of the game he pretty much becomes Ashe's bodyguard and not much else.

Then again, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. FF 10 and 13 were awfully confused as to who their main character was too, so I suppose 12's being off even before executive meddling set in isn't that odd.

Zevox

[Triscuitable]

An excerpt from TvTropes, since I'm too lazy to look up the interviews, and this is much faster:

Spoiler

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Final Fantasy XII was supposed to originally have Basch as the main character, as well as a more familiar relationship between Vaan and Ashe (ie like siblings) which would have given him more of a reason for joining The Party. Penelo's brothers were supposed to be in the resistance, and there would be interactive airship battles ala Star Wars. When all of these ideas were turned down, several developers left Square Enix in the middle of development in protest.
Game director Yasumi Matsuno purportedly suffered a nervous breakdown during development of the game, and left both the project as well as Square Enix. The reins of the game were given to Akitoshi Kawazu.
In a recent interview, Yasumi Matsuno said that it was Balthier who was originally the protagonist, then Basch, and then finally Vaan. This is supported by the fact that Balthier and Fran were the first playable characters to be revealed. It also makes Balthier's meta-references to himself as the "leading man" even more hilarious.

Link

[Zevox]

Balthier as the intended main character makes a lot more sense, given the final product. Though the story really still centers around Ashe, not any of the men, so I'd still have to say that she's the proper main character as far as that goes.

Zevox

[SHeRUBI]

Loyal subscribers! My latest installment will be out Friday/Saturday *crosses fingers*. Stay tuned for rants/raves re: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and Civilization IV. Sneak peek: war, what is it good for and reaching Hammurabi status.

[RagingKrikkit]

Can't wait to see what your reaction was to "Shock and Awe".

Actually, I noticed something evil in that level. SEAL team 6 killed Osama bin Laden on May 2, 2011. In what appears to be mid-late 2011, SEAL team 6 gets a "cameo" reference in CoD 4.

[Puppychowguy]

Old but good http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHFIX-E5k7w

[SHeRUBI]

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

A few levels into Mass Effect, Koury suggested we switch between the RPG and Modern Warfare. Now I can’t say that I was the most receptive to the suggestion, as I had seen enough multiplayer rounds to pass judgment: first-person shooter, not for me. And what could the fourth installment offer me that Mass Effect couldn’t? Graphics? Check. Story? Check. Characters? Yup. In my mind, there wasn’t anything missing.

But evoking our three-time rule, Koury won out over me doth protesting. First impressions: gone was the decision-making/destiny-determining, and in its place, pure action. I could get behind that somewhat, but I thought Soap and company were poor substitutes for my space friends.

And then Shock and Awe. Suddenly, I, as Vasquez, was no more. After the sepia mushroom cloud came yellow, white light. Fade out. My first stage of grieving for the character: anger. You bet I wasn’t too fond of Ms. Thing who required my self-sacrificing help . Koury had kept assuring me that yes, narrative weaves the missions together, and this really picked up with the detonation.

My hero, it comes as no surprise, is the experienced Captain Price. While belly crawling after the Chernobyl disaster, with heart in mouth and weariness of murderous mutts, I saw a leader. Our experiences shape who we are, and the inclusion of the backstory resulted in my, SHeRUBI’s respect for Price once back in Soap’s present day.

I’m curious to see reactions to Modern Warfare as a story. In either this thread or the previous one I noticed a comment poo-pooing that aspect of the first-person shooter, but I think there’s something to be said for Infinity Ward’s use of backstory and the consequences of nukes—among other things . In fact, I’ve even come to Modern Warfare’s defense with non-gamers, arguing that the story makes war real in much the same way a movie does.

I also could use some help making sense of how war is re-presented. For instance, I found comments on the beauty and the niceness of a kill rather disturbing—my sensitive nature I suppose? Sure, there is such a thing as precision brining about a clean end of life. But does that not trivialize the act? It is the taking of life, after all. And for all its strivings to make real the consequences of modern tactics, when the story is skipped over, what is learned? Does anything really need to be learned, though?

End ramblings

[Triscuitable]

I’m curious to see reactions to Modern Warfare as a story. In either this thread or the previous one I noticed a comment poo-pooing that aspect of the first-person shooter, but I think there’s something to be said for Infinity Ward’s use of backstory and the consequences of nukes—among other things . In fact, I’ve even come to Modern Warfare’s defense with non-gamers, arguing that the story makes war real in much the same way a movie does.

I also could use some help making sense of how war is re-presented. For instance, I found comments on the beauty and the niceness of a kill rather disturbing—my sensitive nature I suppose? Sure, there is such a thing as precision brining about a clean end of life. But does that not trivialize the act? It is the taking of life, after all. And for all its strivings to make real the consequences of modern tactics, when the story is skipped over, what is learned? Does anything really need to be learned, though?

End ramblings

The first game had a damn fine tale to tell, with a well written plot, good, likable, memorable characters, and a very clear and defined villain with obvious motives (The Four Horsemen, I am referring to). What most people have an issue with is not the first game, which most Call of Duty haters still love (because it's a fantastic game that hadn't been mercilessly duplicated four more times at that point). No, most people hate the second one, which underneath that incredibly intense atmosphere, fun level gimmicks, and exciting mission variety was a story chock-full of plot holes (which I will list in their spoiler-y glory in a moment), ridiculously unrealistic events (let's jump a chasm in a snowmobile!), and a downright stupid plot twist that defied the logic of the game (as in, you're shot five times, get in cover, wait for the jam to fall off, proceed with killing).

And Modern Warfare 3? Ugh, that game was just plain stupid, predictable, etc. None of the flaws of MW2 were solved. They were just worse. This isn't to say MW2 isn't fun (it's a hell of a good time), it's just really bad in terms of a plot.

Okay, plot holes. These are spoilers to MW2.

Spoiler

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[LIST][*]How did Makarov just trudge around the airport without a mask? How did the Russian military not notice him on a security camera? He's a terrorist the country knows quite a bit about![*]How did the SAS identify the bullet apparently fired by Rojas that lead them to Favela? It was a bullet obtained from the aftermath of the airport attack, which means the Russians obtained it, and supplied the SAS with the casing. Of all the casings in the world, this one points to a specific favela the target may have supplied the terrorists with, and may still be there![*]Soap and Price were evac'ed by Russian loyalists at the end of CoD4. So why in the hell was Soap left to prance about in the UK while Price was chucked in the Gulag?[*]Shepard just happened to know where Makarov's last two hiding spots were. How did anyone think he wasn't a traitor when he pulled this stuff out of his ass? It just comes out of nowhere, nobody questions it, and two major characters die. Whoopee.