Tho you probably already know that if you found the site again.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Player Actions, Good vs Evil.
in which i ramble a bit about some games.
I was listening to Anthony Burch's GDC talk, which discussed many issues, including player agency, and immersion.
I started thinking about the times I play myself in games, and the times I play a character.
This made me think about how I played Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2/Fable II.
Whenever I am faced with a GOOD or an EVIL option, I tend to choose the GOOD. Even if I really want to be bad.
When I play me, I am good. I think I am a good person, even if I tend to threaten violence as a joke.
Anthony discussed how in a game like Uncharted 2, you play/help out Nathan Drake. And if you have a problem with snapping a guy's neck, and cracking a joke, you will be uncomfortable. It was fun. It was fun to kill guys and crack jokes, and run around like the hero. I wouldn't do that if it were actually me. I wouldn't kill dudes and crack jokes, even if I would fantasize about it in my head. Which is why playing Nathan Drake, playing the dude from Prototype is important to games. Sometimes established characters help the player PLAY. I really enjoy karate kicking planes and slicing people to bits in Prototype. Because Alex (that's his name, I remember it now!) would do those things, and is in a position to do those things. He has been pushed far passed the breaking point, and this is his life, not mine.
Back to the good or bad thing. I think, if in Mass Effect 2, I knew a renegade action would be non-lethal, I would use it. I shied away from using these actions after accidentally (?) killing a guy. I felt really bad about it, and almost reloaded, but then thought No. Shepard needs to learn this lesson. And I did. I didn't use renegade actions again after that, because that isn't what *I* would do. I would however, punch him, sabotage him, delay him in some way - but I didn't like the killing.
It would have been more fun to take some of those renegade actions. But I am not that character. Shepard-me wouldn't do that.
I think both ideas are important to gaming, the taking on of another persona and putting yourself in the situation. I don't think the pinnacle of gaming is the Star Trek holodeck. I want to be Nathan Drake. I want to be me. I want to be Shepard.
I was listening to Anthony Burch's GDC talk, which discussed many issues, including player agency, and immersion.
I started thinking about the times I play myself in games, and the times I play a character.
This made me think about how I played Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2/Fable II.
Whenever I am faced with a GOOD or an EVIL option, I tend to choose the GOOD. Even if I really want to be bad.
When I play me, I am good. I think I am a good person, even if I tend to threaten violence as a joke.
Anthony discussed how in a game like Uncharted 2, you play/help out Nathan Drake. And if you have a problem with snapping a guy's neck, and cracking a joke, you will be uncomfortable. It was fun. It was fun to kill guys and crack jokes, and run around like the hero. I wouldn't do that if it were actually me. I wouldn't kill dudes and crack jokes, even if I would fantasize about it in my head. Which is why playing Nathan Drake, playing the dude from Prototype is important to games. Sometimes established characters help the player PLAY. I really enjoy karate kicking planes and slicing people to bits in Prototype. Because Alex (that's his name, I remember it now!) would do those things, and is in a position to do those things. He has been pushed far passed the breaking point, and this is his life, not mine.
Back to the good or bad thing. I think, if in Mass Effect 2, I knew a renegade action would be non-lethal, I would use it. I shied away from using these actions after accidentally (?) killing a guy. I felt really bad about it, and almost reloaded, but then thought No. Shepard needs to learn this lesson. And I did. I didn't use renegade actions again after that, because that isn't what *I* would do. I would however, punch him, sabotage him, delay him in some way - but I didn't like the killing.
It would have been more fun to take some of those renegade actions. But I am not that character. Shepard-me wouldn't do that.
I think both ideas are important to gaming, the taking on of another persona and putting yourself in the situation. I don't think the pinnacle of gaming is the Star Trek holodeck. I want to be Nathan Drake. I want to be me. I want to be Shepard.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
For @PaulTobin
I asked: do you have to like star wars to like KOTOR 1 and 2? i say no.
Replies:
pkollar @Twyst Definitely not!
pkollar @Twyst (That's also what will likely put The Old Republic above Star Trek Online.)
fyreball13 @Twyst No, it just really helps, but since they happen before the movies, no knowledge is required either.
@Twyst @fyreball13 @PaulTobin and Kreia! Revan! Awesome story!
fyreball13 @Twyst @PaulTobin That is two games! We are trying to sell him on the first right now, save Kreia talk for later!
R_Glass @Twyst I liked KOTOR 1 way more than I liked most of the films. But you DO have to like lightsabers.
kateri_t @Twyst Hell no, I can't really be doing with Star Wars, had to be dragged to KOTOR by word of mouth, but I love both games.
JKeverne @Twyst Nope. I'm not entirely sure @chrisavellone liked Star Wars going by some parts of KoTOR 2.
no_oneimportant @Twyst I liked KOTOR and I've never even SEEN Star Wars.
(as of 7:26pm)
Replies:
pkollar @Twyst Definitely not!
pkollar @Twyst (That's also what will likely put The Old Republic above Star Trek Online.)
fyreball13 @Twyst No, it just really helps, but since they happen before the movies, no knowledge is required either.
@Twyst @fyreball13 @PaulTobin and Kreia! Revan! Awesome story!
fyreball13 @Twyst @PaulTobin That is two games! We are trying to sell him on the first right now, save Kreia talk for later!
R_Glass @Twyst I liked KOTOR 1 way more than I liked most of the films. But you DO have to like lightsabers.
kateri_t @Twyst Hell no, I can't really be doing with Star Wars, had to be dragged to KOTOR by word of mouth, but I love both games.
JKeverne @Twyst Nope. I'm not entirely sure @chrisavellone liked Star Wars going by some parts of KoTOR 2.
no_oneimportant @Twyst I liked KOTOR and I've never even SEEN Star Wars.
(as of 7:26pm)
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
draft: Competence.
The term was first brought to my attention by a link to the blog of one of the writers of Leverage. (additional link to tv tropes, discussion regarding comics and competence from box in the box)
Arent we all tired of the fake drama? Knowing what the characters in the show dont know, and agonizing over whether or not they are going to tell one another?
This is so very overdone. So very tiresome.
All of the people i have talked to dont want to deal with it anymore.
We want to actually enjoy what we are watching, not have manufactured tension because the characters dont talk to one another.
@McKelvie stated on twitter that he really liked FlashForward because the characters actually tell eachother important information.
I really liked this too, it was such a relief to get down to what was actually happening, instead of suffering through "An American Tale" type situations.
(Do Not Want)You know what i am talking about -- we all watched that little mouse miss his family by looking the other way, being just around a corner, my little six year old heart ached as i yelled at the tv FIEVEL! YOUR PARENTS ARE JUST OVER THERE!
This is not drama. This is not good storytelling. This is aggrivation. This is killing time.
I dont want to watch a show where characters are obtuse and cant put one and one together. I want to see people who are proficient at something BE proficient. Detectives should solves cases, superheroes should be super. Scientists should solve problems, etc. THAT is what i want.
(this post is a draft, i will clean it up later, but anyone that reads is welcome to comment)
Saturday, August 29, 2009
@Marvel Booth
@Marvel Booth
@Marvel Booth
@Marvel Booth
@Marvel 70th Ann. badge, f. Alpha Flight!
no one cares about you, Madden
zuda books before
zuda books, fwoosh!
Joe Q at the @Marvel booth
Friday, August 28, 2009
The Tools I Use for LiveBlogging.
So, FanExpo does not have free internet for con-goers. Because i have been doing the liveblogs for Marvel, i had to come up with a solution. That solution is below!
1 - HTC Dream on Rogers - Rogers (for now) allows tethering if you have a 1Gig data plan. I called an upgraded. I am assuming they are going to launch something new in December, which is when the tethering expires (according to their site).
Last year at FanExpo i used a Samsung M610 on Bell. For Bell, i had to use a special service they offered for tethering. (For those unfamiliar, tethering is to use your phone as a modem for your laptop, this uses your phone's dataplan, so you have to be careful, i paid through the nose using Bell). It was offered through Bell Business Solutions.
3 - USB cord that attaches your phone to your lappy. Mine looks like this:
4 - a laptop - Spider-Woman optional. My laptop is a Lenovo S10 netbook. It is small, lightweight and has a decent battery.
5 -PDANet - This is a program that you install on your computer, during the installation process it will install the program on your phone:
Booyah, you are done. You enable the connection through the phone, and the laptop, and you are on the interwebs.
NOTE: PDANet is a trail version for (apparently) 7 days. you DO NOT need your phone rooted.
1 - HTC Dream on Rogers - Rogers (for now) allows tethering if you have a 1Gig data plan. I called an upgraded. I am assuming they are going to launch something new in December, which is when the tethering expires (according to their site).
Last year at FanExpo i used a Samsung M610 on Bell. For Bell, i had to use a special service they offered for tethering. (For those unfamiliar, tethering is to use your phone as a modem for your laptop, this uses your phone's dataplan, so you have to be careful, i paid through the nose using Bell). It was offered through Bell Business Solutions.3 - USB cord that attaches your phone to your lappy. Mine looks like this:
4 - a laptop - Spider-Woman optional. My laptop is a Lenovo S10 netbook. It is small, lightweight and has a decent battery.
5 -PDANet - This is a program that you install on your computer, during the installation process it will install the program on your phone:
Booyah, you are done. You enable the connection through the phone, and the laptop, and you are on the interwebs.
NOTE: PDANet is a trail version for (apparently) 7 days. you DO NOT need your phone rooted.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
spidey + @wildisthewind + carl
@jimmccann + spidey
jim is so nice! <3
@acomicbookgirl + spidey!
@davidgallaher + spidey
david is super nice and funny! just like on twitter :)
spidey + riley brown
@cbcebulski, spidey, maple syrup + my finger
om nom nom.
chirashi from the outdoor mall thingie, gread food and company! (thanks Udon Crew!)
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
wait
and wait
passport time!
coffeeeee
spidey, timmy's and syrup
gift for @acomicbookgirl! she should dm @twyst with her info <3
spidey at the gate
our plane!
on the plane!
always wear your seatbelt.
cabbie!
toronto - chicago
the flight attendant told Spidey we will be catching the San Diego flight from Terminal 1.
good flight to O'Hare
Spidey had a fine time on his way to O'Hare
landing in O'Hare!
Spidey looks on as we land.
dave and spidey at O'Hare
dave is a vendor (I think), he was with a group of people that were also going to SDCC, so I followed them!
gate C27! to San Diego!
licorice!
om nom nom. the man sitting beside us shared some candy!
om nom nom
caaaandy!
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