Joe Hart

So you’ve probably heard the announcement list from E3, sequels all of them. Now I personally don’t mind sequels, I know many people would argue that it shows lack of original thinking and blah blah blah, but I like sequels. Some of my favourite games ever were sequels; Half Life 2, UT2004 and TF2. Though the main difference I’ve noticed with all of these games that made them so good when they first game out is just how long it took them to come out. The shortest was UT99 to UT2004, which I hope you can tell that it was a 5 year gap between them. Whereas Modern Warfare 2 it’s only been 2 years since CoD4 and one year since CoD5. And of course look at L4D2, they’ve only just released the SDK for L4D and they’re releasing a second one, and what we’ve seen is very similar.

The main thing that’s changed I think is the pressure from publishers and investors on video games. Since, unfortunately, as the industry expands it will become less and less about good games, but more and more about selling games. Look at Half Life 2 for example, Valve made Half Life 1 and released in 1998, it got critical acclaim, winning dozens of Game of The Year awards, but the sequel didn’t come out until 6 years later. That just wouldn’t happen today, because publishers are being able to put greater pressure on developers to make more games. I think this is a bad thing since, look at just how phenomenal Half Life 2 was. It surpassed all expectations, revolutionized many parts of gaming, and the engine it was based on was used by games for years to come. Whereas today, we get things like CoD5.

I guess Call of Duty is the prime example of gaming is becoming more about selling copies. Let’s have a look at the series. Call of Duty 1, the graphics weren’t that amazing, but the gameplay was insanely fun. Then two years later came Call of Duty 2, I don’t know about you but that game blew me away. It was the first WW2 shooter that achieved that true WW2 atmosphere, it didn’t feel like I was playing a game, it felt like I was in WW2. There were great improvements, in gameplay, multiplayer and most of all Graphics.

Then infinity wanted to try and do something great, they had an idea that they wanted to pour their time and passion into, but Activision didn’t like this because it was drawing out the development cycle. So Activision’s “solution” to this was to put Treyarch on the case, and we got the extremely mediocre Call of Duty 3, which for me at least, almost destroyed my faith in the franchise. Though finally Infinity Ward’s dream was finished and they released Call of Duty 4, and it was awesome. I think it’s only when a developer has enough time to let creativity flourish that get truly amazing games.

This is why my confidence in games like Left 4 Dead 2 and Modern Warfare is wavering, because I don’t want more of the same game. I can play it again, or mod it, or DLC, but i don’t just want another game which has different content. Which is why I don’t like CoD5 as much as I did CoD4, because CoD5 was just a WW2 mod for Modern Warfare, it was totally uninspired.

Sequels are great, but there comes a stage when it’s just publisher trying to exploit the consumer.

Kinda worrying this thing could replace me...

So as i described in my last post i described how I am mining in EVE though I have begun to diversify into some mission running. And while I do not, there are many people out there in EVE who use bots to mine. As I’ve been cautiously exploring the EVE forums I’ve noticed more and more the sheer enmity some players have for bot miners. This has always been a thing that has intrigued me.

Can you even tell that a miner is a bot?

Since many people in the community believe bot mining to be cheating, and indeed similar problems appear in other games with macros being used for crafting. In almost every case the majority of the players consider this villanous behaviour, but is it really?

Especially in games asside from EVE I don’t see how it could possibly affect other players. Since in games like WoW it’s not a persistent economy, theres no gain to be had at someones expense, since it’s essentially money generation. Yet many players protest that macroers are making the game worse and cheating.

This is where I can almost understand the hatred bot miners get in games like EVE which rely heavily on realistic economies, since if someone can make money quickly and easily, then they can put the competition out of business.

Of course whenever bot mining in EVE is mentioned someone has to bring up gold farming, or in this case asteroid farming. This is perhaps the only legitimate reason to gripe about bot miners, though not for using a bot. Since the main problem with gold farmers is they give people with real world money a disproportionate advantage over others.

It was pretty much expected for entertainers to be macroing in SWG.

Also there are places where you have to draw the line on macros, for example its ok to use my G15 to activate my missile launchers at the same time, that saves me a few miliseconds. But when a miner takes a mining bot that does the exact same as him but a tiny bit quicker that’s wrong. What constitutes macroing too much? That becomes an even more difficult question to answer when some games build in macros to the game play. For example Star Wars Galaxies back in the day allowed more extremely in depth macroing, which could be used for resource harvesting, entertaining and even camping an NPC spawn and leveling up.

Ultimately I just can’t understand how people can consider bot mining as unfair or cheating, since it isn’t doing anything faster or quicker.(Ok so maybe by a few micro seconds) All it’s doing is the same thing the player would be doing, it simply enables the player to go off and do something else. Let’s face it, if a bot can play the game, surely it can’t require enough human interaction to make any difference. The ultimate difference between a bot miner and a human miner is negligable, so i say let them bot if they want.

Mining. Thrilling isn't it.

So I’ve often rambled on about how I need MMOs to have actually fun game mechanics, that i need my fun in the game at that moment right there. Which to be honest, could just be down to my generations general attitude.

Though recently I’ve been playing EVE online, with my co hosts from Free Play Podcast. We’ve started our own corp and are actually rather confused about what we’re trying to do, but having loads of fun none the less.

I had dabbled in EVE previously, playing trials, occasionally even wading into subscribing, but often finding my self dragged back and giving up. I guess this was because i never had anyone to play with when i tried EVE out at first.

Whereas now I’m playing with Riknas and Andras, this has allowed me to have a great time with the game, even though I’m playing a proffession many would consider mind numbingly boring. Mining. I chose it because I was intrigued by the whole economy of the games,a nd I saw mining as a good initial foothold into making me some major iskies.

Theres something strangely serene about mining. it’s the kind of activity that’s great to do after a long day at school while watching tv, listening to music or to a podcast. The required attention is relatively low, in high sec that is, which means i can just sort of switch my brain off.

Pew. Pew. Kaboom.

Also here I should just mention that I love, and always have loved, the skill training system in EVE. Since I am currently in a position at school where I am getting a lot of work, i need to do revision and then other activities that all occupy my time, so I really dont have enough time to sit down and grind out some levels. But the fact I can train without even playing the game allows me to make progress even when I am absolutely swamped with coursework.

While I say I’m a miner, I’m starting to branch off into running a few missions with a Breacher with a missile set up. Especially since that keeps Riknas happy, since he wants us at some point to jump into PvP, and Mining Laser don’t do much to enemy ships…

Thats me. JoeHart.

So Just to let you know my in-game name is JoeHart, so add me if your interested in chatting, mission running or perhaps even joining up to our four man corp.

I’m writing this after getting off my third automatch on Red Alert 3 when i face one of those guys. It used to be ok on red alert 3 since there were still moderate players like myself playing for a bit of a laugh having fun, and those guys were sparse in numbers, or hiding behind some spectrum tower somewhere.

So in these last three matches while I’m attempting my traditional strategies for allies, air turtle, troop rush and a total amazing fortress build with lots of spectrum towers. I get rushed by 3 dogs, two of them stand on my spaces for my refineries, and one stands guard by my barracks. Thus the game is over, thus no fun.

I didn’t used to mind people that did that sort of thing, sicne it only happened every once in awhile. But Red Alert 3 is old enough now for the regular players like myself to have all moved on, and the people left are the ones who are really passionate about palying the game well and as if it were a sport. Whereas I prefer to play it as though it as a game.

While i would like to solely blame these hardcore gamers I can’t, the fault falls to the developers. Since their matchmaking system should be able to show I haven’t played for 3 weeks plus when i did play I didn’t exactly win much, and that I shouldn’t be placed against someone who’s been playing every other day since release and has a micro worthy of Jesus himself.

My TPB collection

So I’ve sort of been floating around comics for the last few years, buying a few comic here and there. Amassing a small collection of trade paper backs (TPBs) and at one point subscribing to Astonishing Xmen and Iron Man. But truly I’ve only been reading Marvel. Since their Saturday morning cartoon adaptations of their comics were what I grew up on, anyone else who was a kid in the nineties will know what I mean. Spiderman, X-men and Iron Man were personal favorites.

My Comic Collection

I jumped into reading Marvel just as Civil War kicked off, which actually rather helped, since it served as an event to re-describe everything, or for me to describe everything. And of course wikipedia could fill any gaps to my knowledge. So I began to discover the sheer depth to the marvel universe, reading everything I could. Though finally settling on the tales of the avengers and X-men. Since I no longer felt my childhood affinity for spiderman, and I really didn’t want to encourage Marvel to give him another title of his own.

Slowly I treaded into a few non super hero titles, such as DMZ and then went into some more DC Vertigo comics. Specifically V for Vendetta and Wacthmen. But now I’m trying something that’s rather a challenge. I’m attempting to get into the DC Universe. My main problem has been that I’ve never really liked the DCU because it always seemed far more detached from reality than Marvel.

Frank Millar

So Instead of jumping into the adventures of the man in blue and red tights. I’m reading up on some essential batman, specifically Frank Millar’s: Batman Year One and The Dark Knight Returns.

But I would like to get in deeper with the DCU, so does anyone have any book suggestions for a DC newbie?

So while surveying through the podcast directory within iTunes, specifically the video games section. I noticed that there are in fact few if not no independent video-cast video games.

I mean many of my favourite podcasts are videos, for example iFanboy. They alternate between video shows and audio shows, and honestly i don’t know why someone doesn’t do a video game one.

Though once upon a time there was such a show as Cognition, with the esteemed Ryan Verniere reviewing games, in a video-cast. And it was good, as I remember it; everyone loved it.

Though I guess the main problem is that a video cast is so much more work to create, and of course it is a whole different thing to reveal your ugly mugg to the world, than simply your ugly voice. Heck maybe one day I’ll be bothered to do one, but I’d rather someone good made one instead.

So Fallout 3 is one of those games that even before I’ve got the game I know I’m going to like it, or at very least I want to like it. And with Fallout 3 I really wanted to like it, since the premise alone is one that describes a dream game. A Free Roaming Post Apocalyptic RPG. For the most part, i do like it, but there are a few little things at the back of my mind.

Somehow... headshots never get old...

I won’t lecture you too much on the good stuff, check any mainstream review and it’ll tell you. Free roaming, dialogue is far better than oblivion and setting is lush. But most reviews have neglected some things that just erode at the gameplay experience as you play.

Firstly Fallout 3 is an Oblivion Clone. Every single aspect of the game screams it. The UI is reminiscent of oblivion, has the same dialogue system, many of the voice actors are similar(though seem to have improved) and the menu system is the same with a different skin.

And the Radiant AI that was in Oblivion is also present in Fallout 3, but honestly it’s not as impressive as it was a few years back, nor are the graphics, nor the dialogue system. Fallout 3 feels like a game brought out a few years behind schedule.

It isn’t really the features that they’ve recycled that annoys me, it’s the ones the haven’t recycled. For example the leveling system in oblivion was perfect. You didn’t get general experience, but skill based experience. If you used a sword, you increased your blades skill. This meant that it felt realistic and just added to the immersion of it all. But in Fallout 3 it’s entirely absent. Why? Instead when I level I get some skill points to allocate as I wish, it’s just something that draws me out of the universe and reminds I’m playing a game.

The only original addition to the gameplay is the VATS system. Which is honestly one of the most entertaining things in the game. While it makes combat relatively trivial, it ramps up the fun factor even more so.

The setting is far more addicting than gameplay.

My major grievance with the game is that I don’t actually like the game. I don’t like the game itself, I’ve seen it all before. The gameplay is nothing new, as I’ve already said. I feel like I’m playing it simply because of the setting. And by that I’m not talking story, so far I find it relatively uninspiring. I feel like I’m only playing it because i like the idea rather than the game itself. Now I’m not saying it’s a bad game, it’s just if you don’t like the setting there will be very little to interest you.

So here is Microsoft’s brand new dashboard system for Xbox 360! Honestly, the best part is the opening movie. It’s downhill from there.

The “New Experience” is essentially a revamp of the Xbox System menus. As well as having a few perks.

The most soulless of these additions is the Avatars. Now any media savvy human being will immediately see the shameless relation to the Mii. I used to think that Microsoft had a shred of moral understanding, but apparently not. You can change the facial features, give it clothes. So basically, the xbox 360 now has Miis.

The biggest change is the whole aesthetic of the interface. Everything is in 3D panes all stacked up behind each other. When you browse your friends you can see what game they’re playing with cover art, and that’s the kind of thing I like.

But honestly aside from that I can’t see anything worthwhile in this update. There’s no substance, previously they added significant updates. Though with this, all they’ve done is a re design which the 360 really didn’t need.

The fundamental flaw with the whole “New Experience” is that it should be about giving the user a better experience. Unfortunately it’s not. Instead the only thing that has actually changed is there are increased adverts. Overall this is a bad move by Microsoft, but they’re Microsoft. So they’ve made it compulsory and there’s nothing we can do to change it.

Now while the title may be a little strange, it is making a point. I’ve noticed recently that some of the games that I have been most enthralled in, have not attempted to immerse me at all.

These are games like Counter Strike: Source, Unreal Tournament ‘99, Command Conquer 3 and Halo 3. I know the last two may seem in contradiction to the statement, but i’ll explain later.

Essentially I loved these games not because I loved the story, setting nor atmosphere. But for something that was nothing to do with the game itself, but to do with the extended game. With the community of the game, essentially with the multiplayer. Since CS:S and UT’99 were games that were simply that, games.

They proclaimed it to the world, “We don’t need a story! We’re just gonna be fun!”. They were essentially sports, to do with your skill. Nothing to do with how much of your life you can spend playing, like modern shooters are. But simply about how good you are. They offered no true persistent stats, no career. But were so very addictive. I played CS:S every other day for 2 years, not to raise my stats, but because it was fun. Though this wasn’t truly because of the game, but the clan I was in, the community. The extended experience, the part which is made by us not the developer.

This has happened in CnC 3 and Halo 3. Both are games with campaigns and real singleplayer immersion, but that is not why I keep playing them. I play them for the ever continuing gratitude I get for bettering my skills, and the laughs I have by playing with my mates.

For example in CoD4 the best fun I had was me and two of my mates, playing split screen on a ps3. And we decided we would only use R700s, prone with no zooming in. We had laughs at our futile attempts to hit each other, until we resorted to prone knifing.

And this was one of the greatest things I loved about Halo 3, the fact I can make my own maps and gametypes. Some of my favorite moments were me and my mates trying to crush one another with tanks in forge mode.

So i truly hope that developers will stop giving me rank experience for playing matches and force me to be happy by the rewards they give me. I want them to let me and my mates make our own fun.

So today I had a rather surreal moment, when a friend of mine turned to me and said with completely honest and sincere excitement “Oh my god Fallout 3 is coming out!”. Now for those of you who have fairly nerdy friends, this my be a fairly normal occurrence. But this friend is a perfectly normal human being who goes out to parties and has a life, so just imagine my bewilderment when he blurts this out to me in the middle of chemistry. There’s no real point to that story, I just thought it would be an interesting opening.

What this blog is actually about is why I’m hyped for Fallout 3. Now my friend mentioned above played Fallout 1 and 2, and is psyched for Fallout 3. Whereas I myself have never played a Fallout game in my life, and I didn’t care to when they were released.

Now I know that the Fallout fanbase is one of those weird touchy group of people, where if you mess with their idolized IP just a little bit, they kill you and all your relatives. And I’ve read forum post after forum post about how Bethesda is ruining Fallout 3. For the uneducated the original game was developed by Black Isle Studios.

The developer isn’t the only thing different, most obvious is the switch of perspective, from top down RPG, to first person RPG. I should say here that I empathize with the Fallout fans about having their beloved game be twisted to something else entirely. But to be honest, they can fuck off.

This is because Fallout 3 will be an amazing game, simply because it’s essentially a free-roaming post-apocalyptic action-based turn-based first-person but also third-person RPG. Now that contains basically every phrase I love using to describe a video game. Simply Fallout 3, is essentially Oblivion in post-apocalyptic nuclear wasteland, with a better 3rd person camera and shooting. And I loved oblivion. So Fallout fanboys, you can go and play Fallout 1 and 2 over and over, and I’ll play Fallout 3.