I Survived the Rapture!

WHEW!  THAT was a close one! Now that it's May 22 and I watched at midnight at work this morning [night shift] and with not a peep of trouble...I can sigh in relief! Now that THAT is out of the way, I can get back to blogging and working and spending time with my family.  It's a good thing I didn't sell off my dear home or liquidate all my savings! Oh there was that earthquake.....so....yeah...I guess we felt the wrath...! ..yeah..That's what that was...the world ending. Oh wait no, just the crust rising and breaking apart, as it does some 7000 times a year in New Zealand.

So I just noticed, perhaps Amazon got a little scared, because they just slashed the price of a fairly decent add-on to a swell game called Dragon Age: Origins Awakening. It's only about 13 bucks [oooo...13!] with shipping and that's not too bad for a add-on! Just thought I'd share that with you all.  It'd be a good primer for Dragon Age 2, if you haven't picked that one up already.  Amazon is a strange beast indeed.

So how did everyone else fair after the [lack] of catastrophic apocalypse of yesterday? What did you, my humble blog readers, feel about all that? Any comments about Mr. Harold Camping? Where is he anyways, has he responded yet? Anyone religious/non- religious can comment, I always promote a respectful commenting forum here, so speaketh to your hearts desire!

And oh yeah, R.I. P. Macho Man Randy Savage....   :( 

You seemed like you were a cool guy in real life.

Dragon Age: Origins - Where has all the A.I. in PC Games gone?

I finally started my character in Dragon Age: Origins and I have to say I haven't played a game whose story has so quickly sucked me in for a long while...perhaps even since the original Sierra's Homeworld.

Within an hour of playing, I had to make a crucial decision between loyalty to a friend in need, or my duty toward my Elf Mage's 'Headmaster'... twists and turns are already abound, and I truly feel like I am changing the script of the game on the fly, with every decision [one of 5 if I remember] that I choose during conversations in the well-done cinematic moments. While all this is great, and the game itself is very polished and beautiful, (and I am picky) I am missing the elements of deciding strategy in the combat portion of the game. Being not an expert at all of the D&D affiliated Neverwinter Nights/Baldur’s Gate vein, I am guessing that the 'rule book' that seems to be equally a part of this style of play/franchise is the reason.

Yes, you can select when to use that heal, when to use that type of magic, when to use your sacred whatchamacallit at the crucial time…it is still formulaic and ultimately, the odds are still based on mathematical calculations. Up until the recent excellent (and personal fav) Left4dead series by Valve, I’ve seen little evolvement or incorporation of any meaningful A.I. into a PC game as of late. For those that haven’t played those games, the A.I., [Valve call’s the “Director”] constantly monitors many aspects of the in-game human players actions, skill and whereabouts to adjust the gameplay on the fly. This creates a more dynamic, unpredictable, and engaging solution to the game that might otherwise bore players after multiple play-through’s of the same levels.

 

Nothing whatsoever against Dragon Age in of itself -I'm just going to rant about the 'random-stat' result in games in general. Nothing is worse than when I feel like any strategy that I am learning, or have gained in all my warmongering years on the pc, is completely undermined by a simple, mathematical formula of odds. It changes from an actual strategic decision, to something akin to a digital slot machine.

Quick thought- remember Black & White (1&2)? I couldn’t WAIT to play that game, and found it mostly to my expectations. Randomness worked in that one, in the form of an elegantly complex A.I. that would allow your creature some truly surprising, interesting and sometimes hilarious results. I remember the devs stating how their creature A.I. behavior had actually surprised them with actions they never expected! That was totally groundbreaking territory, and I wish we got more of that in pc games.

All too often, games are released with simple paper-rock-scissor type logic. While some are still extremely fun to play (another favorite-Company of Heroes comes to mind), these are among hundreds I have learned ‘how’ to play. Usually this is against real logic, which is fine when in a fantasy environment, but I feel even these style of games could benefit from allowing the player to use real strategy and logic to out-smart the enemy, not merely play by a very finite limit of game ‘A.I.’

Doesn't matter that I outflanked those troops with the appropriate weapons, setup defenses that prevented that spy from taking out that town [EMPIRE I’m lookin’ at you], ESPECIALLY with most games ‘diplomacy’ options…once you press the conflict button, it’s still a crap-shoot. This is why I am in endless search for a game that allows true freedom to discover, and use your own brain's strategy. Those lend the best reward and enjoyment I have found…

I'm not saying EVERY game needs to have a mandatory awesome A.I. code injected -Despite these wants, I will play Dragon Age feverishly, to simply see the story unfold, for despite any [or lack thereof] dynamic A.I. incorporated, it is still a fun-as-hell and intriguing game in its own right.

 

Mass Effect 2 : Sci-Fi Game of the Year?

I'm feeling the need to catch up with my severe lack of Bioware games, which up until my recent x-mas present of Dragon Age, only consisted of the awesome classic, Knights of the Old Republic. Mass Effect 2 seems to be the next obvious choice here. This sequel apparently out-does the first, but I am a man of continuity, therefore I will HAVE to scan some deals to see if I can score a cheap Mass Effect 1 game. Then come back to this around the time it falls around 20 dollars. That's right, all part of my master plan.

Don't think I didn't notice the ever-more-frequent console-to-pc quick port that occurs even in Bioware's quality handywork. It seems to be hard-coded into all of the new game publisher grad students M.O.-an alarming trend that seems to be sapping the quality and sophistication out of our pc games. But Alas, we get what we get.

 As far as a quick buzz review: check out what some of my favorite sites had to say-->

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AtomicGamer-Mass Effect 2 delivers a story that's deeper than what many novelists are capable of, and its action is better than what most Hollywood directors are creating nowadays. It's an addictive, engrossing experience that many gamers will replay over and over while they hold their breath waiting for the third game.

Game Informer-The loss of RPG elements may hit some people hard, and the repetition in minigames may lead to yawns and tired eyes, but none of these faults hold Mass Effect 2 back from being a work of bold ambition, and one of gaming’s most exciting sequels.

Games Radar-Mass Effect 2 strikes a perfect balance between intense shooter action and gut-wrenching drama, set in a richly textured world on the brink of destruction. It's a must-own for science fiction fans, who will love exploring the depths of the galaxy and fighting to save humanity.

IGN-It's incredibly personal while still retaining a sense of epic sweeping scale. The combat and mission design are outstanding. The visuals, voice acting, soundtrack, and direction are miles ahead of the competition. Perhaps most impressively, Mass Effect 2 manages to fulfill its incredible ambition while only suffering from very few technical hiccups.

Game Revolution-Despite all my gripes, Mass Effect 2 does more than enough to live up to its predecessor. You won’t give much attention to the unintuitive HUD, and the low level cap won’t stop most from playing the game again with added difficulty or for multiple story options. You'll get frustrated, you'll ask yourself why, but you'll still love it. Facing the dark reality of Mass Effect 2 has its stumbles and slips, but it’s a trip worth taking, no matter the destination.

-----------------------SAVE $10 Dollars on MASS EFFECT 2------------------

I just noticed at Amazon there is a $10 Dollar Video Game Credit that you will automatically get when you purchase Mass Effect 2 there! That's like having an instant rebate! Just thought i'd let you all know that.