(thanks to Alan Richey for the killer banner above)

Welcome to Untitled Gaming, repository for unfiltered, uncensored opinions on all things related to games, and best of it all, it comes from two adults that don't live in their mothers' basements. Additionally, we do not think it's the coolest thing in the world to scream racist and homophobic slurs, all in the name of drawing attention to our sad, little lives. We do other less obnoxious things to draw attention to our sad, little lives.

Oh, and we've been accused of podcasting from time to time. You can check out the most recent one just to the right of the blog.

We're here to have discussions, so please enjoy and engage us in the comments!

thanks to Laurance Honkoski for the book banner!

Blaine's Other Blogs

20140227

The Weekend Warrior and Videogame Shows

A lot of my fellow developers in my shop are also avid gamers themselves, and we often will have daily chats about what we've been playing. Aside from the mega-releases, we're rarely playing the same thing at the same time, but have often played the same games, regardless.

In talking to one of my buddies here, who is finally in the process of busting his Mass Effect cherry, it's been interesting to a) keep track of his experience in the game, and what he thinks of it, as well as b) to understand how he games.

Like a lot of us here, he has young children, so his gaming time is usually 4AM-5AM, and then maybe a little at night. He finds that if he plays the same game for more than two hours, he starts to fatigue of that game.



I found this very interesting. I have a very difficult time gaming during the week now, so I might squeeze in an hour each day, if I really try to make it happen, but I'll binge like mad on the weekends. I have a hard time really getting into a game unless I play it for a couple hours or more at a time. It takes a while for me to 'immerse.'

I think this spreads out more once summer hits, since I like to be outside on the weekends, and my wife and I watch fewer shows in the evenings during the summer, so I'll get in some game time instead.

Also, there are some games she likes to watch me play, ie Uncharted. I think I may try that with the Walking Dead show. We'll see.

The Videogame Show
I miss the old X-Play and I miss the 1UP Show. I've written about this before, but I finally found something that comes somewhat close (closer to X-Play, not the excellent 1UP Show.)

GameSpot now has a show every Tuesday called The Lobby.



I watched the première episode this week, and really liked it. It reminded me of a blend of X-Play and GameSpot's E3 coverage. It's usually two editors talking, and then they'll bring in other editors to talk about new releases or other topics. It's good stuff. This past week, they talked about GDC 2014, Thief, and a range of other topics. I like the direction that GameSpot is going with their video content.

That being said, I still miss the 1UP Show, and would love to find something that approximates that format. Does anyone out there have a game-centric show that they absolutely love?

Weekend Gaming ... Almost Here
Tomorrow at noon start both the latest ESO beta, AND, more importantly, the first Cardinals Spring Training game of the preseason. It's gonna be some good times tomorrow.

I'd also like to spend some quality time with Thief and find out if I just suck at the game, or if its controls are as wonky as I think they might be.

I also still have some story content I want to wrap up in SWTOR before I cancel it in August, so I may jump in on that if I get fatigued at all in ESO. We'll see.

And of course, there's always Morrowind, which I'm loving in more now that I've got the MGSO mod in there. One thing I'm going to do in ESO this weekend is see if I can get to Morrowind, and do some comparison. Otherwise, I'll just tromp around Skyrim and Cyrodil, and do some comparisons there. Yeah, I'm a nerd, but I'm a happy nerd.

Oh, and this is interesting. An explanation on ESO's 'M' rating.

So. What are you playing this weekend?

Either way, enjoy yourself, and thanks for reading!

-Blaine

20140226

Thief, Video Game Shows, ESO, Failbetter Games, and Other Obviously Connected Topics

I fucking love buffets. It's like a human feeding trough, but with better-tasting preservatives and a total disregard for respect of one's body. But it's all (one hopes) great-tasting, and it's a great chance to actually try something new.

And while buffets are great for food, it's also my favorite way to approach blogging. I don't have much of an attention span, and collies make great pets.

More Premature Reactions to Thief
I think the implementation of Thief's mechanics and the level design, in regards to these mechanics, are all under-baked. They don't quite mesh together in a totally silky-smooth way. People keep citing Dishonored as the game that this should've been, but I don't think that's right. I think the game works fine, once you reach the level of control refinement that Titanfall hit. In Titanfall, I can traverse the environment with great ease and it all feels smooth and natural. There's something that's not right about the 'oh shit' moments in this game, in which fleeing doesn't feel right. I kept running smack into things that I should've been able to traverse, but I couldn't.



Granted, this could all be from a lack of familiarity with this game, and it could be that I'm just bitching about it being hard, and maybe I'm a 'newb,' and I'm 'doing it wrong,' but it just doesn't feel right.

I'll keep plugging away at it, but I've already deemphasized the game, especially since ...

Mo Beta, Mo ESO
I'm back in the ESO beta this weekend! And Cardinals spring training games start!

AND WE'RE GETTING MORE FUCKING SNOW this weekend?!?! As a side note, fuck this winter in its stupid fucking ass.

In any case, I'm back in ESO this weekend, which is awesome. As I've said before, I'm super-hyped for the game, and I'm curious to see what changes have been made. Yeah, I could look at the changelog, but why do so when I can find a bunch of condescending pricks to do it for me, and then yell at me for daring to ask what's new.



Actually, I will look at the changelog, now that I think about it.

What's cool is that I'll have some buddies in there with me this weekend, so I'll finally get to, once again, combine cyberspace and meatspace. I hate grouping in most games, since most people, when online, slip into their 'Captain Fuckface' persona, but when I got a real buddy or two in there with me, it's a much improved experience. So long as Joel isn't rushing through like he left his car running by the quest giver.

I don't expect any huge changes in the game, mostly bug fixes, since we're probably pretty close to 'gold,' or whatever the MMO equivalent is, but I haven't really needed much in the game besides some bug fixes, anyway.

I do wish I could lose the subtitles in conversations, though. I can't stand subtitles unless the spoken language is one I don't speak.

Failbetter + BioWare = ?!
So, this came completely out of left field for me.

To put this into clearer context, Failbetter makes some amazing interactive fiction, such as Fallen London, which if you haven't played, I urge you to correct this mistake NOW.

In any case, I'm not sure what the project is, but I know David Gaider, he of the Dragon Age, is a big fan of interactive fiction, so one has to wonder if this is a Dragon Age project ... I would love love love love love love that. I'm a big IF fan myself, so this could be fantastic.

Risen 3: This Time It'll Be Good, We Mean It
Piranha Bytes is a studio that has produced a lot of games I should love, but have not. Games from the Gothic and Risen series are specifically to what I am referring.

Much like I used to say about the Bethesda RPGs, on paper, I should love these games, but I don't. At the same time, Piranha Bytes has a fierce and loyal following, so I'll probably give this series another look this summer, before Risen 3 hits this August.

Wasteland 2
By the way, I failed to mention it before, but I did get some time with the game this past weekend, and I enjoyed it, even if I was taken aback by how old school it really is. That's not a bad thing at all, but it really has been a while for me. I'm really excited to play more and not suck ass at the game. Here's a new trailer!



 
 
South Park: The Stick of Truth
Obsidian's new game, South Park: The Stick of Truth, hits next week, and I'm pretty excited. Obsidian is among my favorite developers, even if their games often require some additional *ahem* refinement after release.
 
Even with some decent gaming sneaking out right now during the 'dumping' release window for publishers, I'm still chomping at the bit for the big RPGs later this year. Ya know, The Witcher 3, Dragon Age Inquisition, Pillars of Eternity, etc.
 
I guess ESO will be here before we know it. Methinks that will do most of the tiding over until my big boy games.
 
As always, thanks for reading!
 
-Blaine


20140225

Premature Thief Impressions

I was wrong. Thief unlocked some time this morning. Yesterday, the countdown on Steam indicated a 1PM central unlock time.

I've been able to squeeze in almost a couple hours today, and here's what we got so far. Bear in mind, these impressions are drawn from the best version available, the PC version.



First things first, this is a fairly good-looking game. I've maxed all the settings, but turned the anti-aliasing off, and performance is good. Thief is one of the few games out there that actually relies on crisp visuals, since much of the game is contingent on concealment, and things like line of sight, as well as light, dark, and shadows inform that. This game does a very good job of making you aware of the environment, even with the first-person perspective, which, absent peripheral vision, makes it much harder.

The movement through the game is a lot of fun, but I'm trying to decide if I'm still getting used to it, or if it could use just a tiny bit of improvement. It's almost silky smooth, but not quite there, especially where the context-sensitive jump/climb is used. Like I said, I could accept either one as the case.

Part of the problem there is that I've also just recently completed the Titanfall beta, which had AMAZING control. I almost want to merge the two.

Aaahhh. Parkour wall-running in Thief. Sooo wonderful to think about.

Anywho, I'm still early in the game, so it's impossible to say what skills I haven't discovered yet, and how much I settle into the rhythm of the movement.

As for the story, I like it thus far. We start out with Garrett and a protégé of his, and then shit goes sideways. I'm a little confused about the transition from the prologue to the first chapter, but I believe that's intentional. Overall, Garrett, thus far, is a solid sympathetic protagonist, and while I think I may have most of the rest of the plot figured out, if it's told well, then this could be a fun tale.

The best thing about the game so far is the problem-solving. Nearly every situation is Portal-like, in terms of applying your knowledge of the game's mechanics. I love that kinda shit. Even better, everywhere I've gone so far has had tantalizing optional areas that have beckoned to me, and I've been unable to resist the siren call of impossible-to-pull-off thefts. Thanks to the generous auto-save in the game, I've been able to combine reason with trial-and-error (heavy on the 'error,' thus far.) That aspect of the game, which is the bulk of the game so far, is a blast.

Tonight, I'm looking forward to some more Thief, as well as 3D Thor: The Dark World on Blu-Ray. Good times.

How are you enjoying Thief thus far? If you're not playing it, why not?

-Blaine

20140224

Morrowind Your Skyrim into Oblivion

I think anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 of my 'gaming' time is actually spent NOT gaming, but experimenting with gaming technologies. Yes, it's a mad party up in my rig. Or some such thing.

Lately, it's been perfecting my stream-to-TV setup using the Steam Streaming beta, and modding some older Bethesda titles.

On the streaming front, things are going very well. I was pleased to discover that it streams non-Steam games, as well, which is a HUGE win for my newer BioWare titles. Also, I've been having a lot of fun impressing my son with how good I can get some of these games to look on PC. Skyrim, for example, despite being almost three years old, can still achieve an insane level of graphical fidelity, once the right mods are introduced.

Right now, I'm just sliding the Alienware laptop under the TV, jacking into the secondary HDMI, then connecting an old wireless mouse and keyboard I had the foresight to hold onto.



Problems: power and wireless keyboard and mouse. My power situation behind my TV is a bit ... unstable, and I have no desire to introduce anything else into it. This means I'm running my power cable across the room, into a 3-2 converter, then into an extension cord. Also, the range on the wireless keyboard and mouse kinda sucks, so I have to run the access point halfway to the recliner, which means that people and dogs are free to accidentally knock it down right and left.

Both of these are easily resolved via minor expenditures. What's great is that the proof-of-concept is increasingly successful. I'm now curious to see how low I can go in terms of specs for the streaming machine. I'd guess proc is the key component there, as well as having an HDMI out. I plan to rummage around the house soon, and see what I can throw together.

As stated before, I'd like to just set up a dock at each TV for a super-powerful gaming laptop, and have that act as my streaming machine, that I can also take on the road, much like my existing Alienware.

Modding Mods
On the modding side, I've been looking a lot at Morrowind and Fallout 3.

The number of mods for Morrowind is staggering. On one hand, you have the official add-ons, about which I knew nothing, and then you have super-mega-huge overhaul mods, like MGSO, which transform the game entirely, into something almost modern.


 

I'd installed MGSO a while ago, started tweaking some shit under the hood, broke it, and then also got frustrated, because I tend to game on three different PCs, depending on what's going on, and keeping the install and tweaks across three different devices was a huge headache.

This time around, I knocked it down to two devices, and did the install one after another, keeping the settings very simple. The game still came out absolutely beautiful, especially once you hit the wilderness. It's not just visuals, mind you, it's also the ambience of the environment. Everything from insects to little splashes of water to rustles of leaves makes the world, finally, feel totally alive.

I wish I'd reinstalled this mod from the beginning of this journey, but now I'm glad I did it at all.

Speaking of Elder Scrolls, it was fascinating turning my older boy loose on Skyrim, and observing a) how he reacted to various scripted events (for example, he just wanted to watch the sky for the dragon, rather than act on its impending arrival), and b) how he approached the actual 'game.' He decided he was fine with letting his NPC handle most of the combat, since he was busy picking locks and looting corpses. Then, he wanted to move in straight lines across terrain to an end point, rather than sticking to the roads. Watching it, I was marveling at how many of those tendencies are tendencies that we share. We also share a tendency to be a backseat player, and drive each other crazy in the process.

The next Elder Scrolls Online beta can't get here soon enough.

I've almost been making some minor tweaks to Fallout 3. Mainly, the game struggles a bit with multi-core procs and can even crash sometimes because of that. A few minor edits to the game's config file nipped that right in the bud, and it runs rather nicely now. I'm also looking at a handful of graphical mods. The game looks a bit long-in-the-tooth now, and it'd be nice to up the textures on some of the faces and environments.



Oh, and randomly, I grabbed a total conversion mod for Oblivion called Nehrim. I'm curious to try this one out at some point. It's a whole new world, totally separate from the Elder Scrolls, and I love shit like that. I'd love to something like that someday.

Yes, but you will be talking about actual games at some point in this gaming blog, yes?
Morrowind. Yup. Been playing more Morrowind.

As I've talked about before in here, I find that with Morrowind, more so than any other game I've ever played, I have to be very conscientious about keeping myself in the right frame of mind when I play it, otherwise I'll never come back. I fight, sometimes, to keep myself from being obsessive about making progress. Morrowind is antithetical to this concept, in both its structure and its themes. Morrowind asks, or rather insists, that you chill the fuck out and just immerse yourself in the world. I'm now trying to bust a green librarian out of a floating sky prison above Vivec. This shit is just awesome.

Meanwhile, I'm also all set for Thief tomorrow. I've got my preloads done, one on the main desktop, the other on the laptop.

Interesting. I just noted that Thief is unlocking tomorrow at 1PM central. Looks like it'll be a late lunch tomorrow, and I'll be lugging the Alienware to work. Which is fine.

I anticipate that I'll play quite a bit on Tuesday, barring any technical launch issues, and have some impressions on Wednesday. I may even get all crazy and put up a Tuesday night post, as well.

Here's some Thief reviews, by the way.
EGM
Game Informer
GameSpot
PC Gamer
Polygon
Rock Paper Shotgun




Take from those reviews what you will. In there is some sort of aggregate, but I always wonder how much things like predisposition based on rumors, wanting to fit in with other reviewers, and consideration of being able to make a living because ad revenues are still flowing in inform some of these guys. Historically, I find that there are some reviewers that I tend to match up with, while others seem to be existing in a world that is in total dissonance from my own. And that's okay. I tend to find more use for reviews after I've played the game to completion, as I often enjoy engaging some of these guys afterward to compare notes.

Anyway, if you had a mad Thief boner, don't get upset by other people not loving something you've already decided was the game to ever come out tomorrow. Unless you love it and want them to make another one ever again, it doesn't matter what other people think.

I still plan on seeing what's what, and I'm looking forward to it.

Thanks for reading, and lemme know what you think of Thief!

-Blaine

20140220

And Thus Begins a Whole Buncha Side Quests

Sorry for the no-post yesterday. Between meetings, a busy development schedule, a lunch date, and then some bizarre health issues, it just didn't happen. But, I'm back today!

Words can't describe how much I despise winter. I don't like cold, I hate driving in snow, I hate driving on ice even more, and the shortened sunlight hours slowly make me crazy. I'm no fun to be around, and my mind slowly caves in on itself as the outlook becomes bleaker and bleaker.

I think it's fair to say that this winter has been the worst I've experienced in my adult life. The lower-than-average temperatures, the incessant snow fall, and the never-ending clouds have made the usually mild and not-that-bad St. Louis winter an absolute daily horror.

Even now, we're experiencing a brief respite, with temperatures in the 60s, only to plunge back into the near-arctic 20s next week.

I hate this shit.

There are, however, two things that help staunch the emotional bleeding. 1) the big one, the beginning of Cardinals Spring Training, and 2) the resumption of decent releases in the gaming scene.

My Cardinals are looking good, as they usually do, and I'm beyond thrilled to see the pictures from Jupiter, Florida of my boys in action.

And, next week signals the kick-off of the spring releases, which usually runs March to May.

Of immediate notice is that next week, we get Thief, the following week, South Park: The Stick of Truth, and the week after that, Titanfall (it's not an RPG, but I'm still very excited for it after playing quite a bit of the beta.)

Thief has gone through an interesting obstacle course since its announcement. It's from Eidos Montreal, they of the fantastic Deus Ex revival that yielded Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Those that have played through it, including myself, generally thought that, overall, it was lovely and worth missing a few meals and sexual opportunities.

So, when Thief was announced, most of us said, 'yay.' Eidos Montreal was the right studio to handle this.

Then, things started to get a little murky.

The game faced multiple delays after being announced in 2009.

Last July, studio GM Stephane D'Astous resigned, citing differences with the parent company, the increasingly notorious Squenix.

After that, over the winter, various press outlets started expressing concern over preview builds of the game.

Lately, though, more positive impressions have been trickling in, and we've gotten to see the entire first mission, in handy web video form.


 

I had a lot of internal back and forth on Thief, but ultimately, I decided to pull the trigger on the Steam preorder. The game certainly looks like a Thief game, and I love that there seems to be a lot of choice in terms of how to approach missions.

Thief hits Steam on Tuesday, 2/25.

Now, when games hit in this window, I'm typically of two minds about them. One thing about which I'm certain is that market analysis told the publisher this is when the game needs to release.

Bear in mind, release dates dictate development schedules, not vice versa. Yes, development problems can cause release dates to shift, but there is still going to be a ton of analysis done to determine what date maximizes the number of units shipped, and then sold.

So, knowing that, publishers position certain games in this early spring window for a reason. In the summer, games tend to sell poorly. In the fall, everyone pushes out their mega-huge releases. Late November is the grand-high HUGE release (Call of Duty), and then December and right after is typically the 'we fucked up, but if you still wanna buy it, here it is' window.

That early-spring window is what yields two possibilities, at least to me. 1) this is a solid title in which the publisher believes, but it just couldn't get out the door in time for Black Friday, for whatever reason, and this positions it far enough from Christmas for marketing to have breathing room to do its thing, plus it gives our Q1 financials a nice little boost. 2) this game kind of sucks, but it has a popular branding attached to it, and not much competition on that date, so we're just gonna hunker down, squeeze it out, and it is what it is. YAY PREORDERS!

Sometimes, you can use the review embargo as a metric. If it's heavily embargoed, that's usually not a good sign. That generally means the publisher has asked, 'how's the review? Oh, that bad? Okay, it stays embargoed until release day.' Typically, they'll lift the embargo for good reviews, so if you don't see any early reviews, that typically shows a lack of faith on the part of the publisher of the title in question.

As far as Thief goes, I'm feeling a lot better about it now than I was. I imagine I'll play quite a bit next Tuesday, then have some impressions to share on Wednesday.

Side Quests
 - looks like you get a free copy of Wolfenstein with the preorder of a Doom beta key. I'm actually very excited for that.
 - looks like we're on the homestretch for Wasteland 2's development.
 - here's the Thief launch trailer:


 

So, are you picking up Thief next week? Why or why not?

Thanks for reading, as always!

-Blaine

20140218

Here Are the Games That Should Be Made

Dear Game Developers and Publishers,

First, let me thank you for all the great releases. Sure, it's been a bit of a dry spell for the last year or so, but leading up to that, you were doing great, and then the console refresh caused some fundamental changes to your approach, so you needed some time to figure out what's what before the big releases start up again over the next few weeks. We've got Thief, South Park: The Stick of Truth, and Titanfall, all hitting in successive weeks, so I should be good for a bit.

Second, though some of you are doing some great things, like Pillars of Eternity, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, and the sequels for Witcher and Dragon Age, I feel like there are some easy sequel opportunities that are being missed. I'd like to bring these to your attention, explain what needs to happen, and then you're free to make the right decision, and act on my precise instructions.

Let's get the easy stuff out of the way first.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic III
I mean, COME ON. Yeah, I enjoyed SWTOR quite a bit, and for a couple years, but my interest has wained, and I'm flashing back more and more to the great times I had in KotOR. What a spectacularly wonderful game. Even Obsidian's rushed KotOR II, once it's had the restored content mod installed, is really great.

EA, which owns BioWare, has the Star Wars license. BioWare made KotOR. It's a slam dunk, right?

Well, sort of.

A lot's changed since those halcyon KotOR days. BioWare has become a bigger presence in the gaming space, and has thus worked to make their games more accessible to the masses. Having the Star Wars license attached only increases the need to make it appeal to a broader audience. Those of us that have loved a niche property, then seen it explode in popularity, know the pain of what happens when something is 'broadened in appeal.' You end up with things like 'Star Trek: Into Darkness,' the lack of under-the-hood options in Mass Effect 2, PC games receiving console ports instead of vice versa (why is the scroll wheel so fucking hard to implement, anyway?), and Final Fantasy being stripped of its turn-based mechanics. No bueno, my friends.

 



Really, I'm not that worried, though. This would not be BioWare's first rodeo, and if there is any developer out there that can make the greatest Star Wars game since the greatest Star Wars game, it's these fine folks.

Most of the underpinnings of KotOR could stay intact. I loved the lightsaber customization, so keep that. I loved being able to stack actions in combat, so keep that. Go ahead and throw in the dialogue wheel from every release since Mass Effect, and I'm good with that. Let's make it big, and amazing, and set it some time after SWTOR. Let's get back into Revan's story, post-SWTOR, which means there will need to be a 'canon' ending for Revan in SWTOR, and we're off to the races. Then, let's wrap up Revan's story in this game, as well as set things up for a new protagonist for the next several games.

Maybe even use something akin to Dragon Age Keep for people to enter their choices from KotOR 1&2, as well as SWTOR? Maybe have it access a SWTOR toon, as well? Maybe allow for some interplay between KotOR 3 and SWTOR?

Could be great.

Also, I kinda think this might be BioWare's secret project, but it doesn't jive with 'unannounced new IP,' does it? It's not a new IP, but I can't believe EA/BioWare would pass this up.

Final Fantasy VII-2 and/or Final Fantasy XVI
Squenix, this is an intervention. It's time to make a Nomura-free Final Fantasy. Don't fire the guy, don't send any hate his way, but his style-over-substance approach has slowly driven this once-proud franchise into the ground. Final Fantasy XV is looking like an especially low point.

Here's the deal. For nine games, Final Fantasy 1-9, you did it right. Roughly around the time you showed Sakaguchi the door was about the time things started to come off the rails. Final Fantasy X was mildly embarrassing, and the only core entry in the series since then that's really been great has been the Matsuno-driven XII. And then you let him get away, too.

Here's how to fix it. Stick with all the slick visuals, but please, for the love of god, make it a Final Fantasy game again. Turn-based. ATB. A great story. A world map. Stop making it twitchy. Make it thoughtful.

If you want practice, make Final Fantasy VII-2. Don't get cute with it. Bring in most of the mechanics of FFVII, make it pretty, but make it a core Final Fantasy title, with all the basics of FF1-9 intact.



After that, get back to bringing the franchise out of the twitchy, flashy mess it's become. It's just dumb now, and I'm embarrassed for you. Hell, I'm embarrassed for me.

I love Final Fantasy, and I want to love the new games.

Lost Odyssey 2
I'd almost prefer this to the above, but only if Sakaguchi is running things. You don't need to change much. Just more of the last game. I'm easy. Do it.

Fallout 4
This is another one I'm pretty sure is already in early development, because Zenimax likes money. And the guy that plays Three-Dog said it is. And Todd Howard didn't deny it. E3 2014? PLEASE?

Take your lessons learned from Skyrim, and apply them to the Fallout universe. Bethesda hit a massive homerun with Skyrim, and I think there's a lot in there that would be great in Fallout.

Personally, I'd love to see this set in a different setting. Maybe international? Maybe Midwest? Florida? Mutant gators would be interesting.



Refine VATS. I came to appreciate the system a little more over time, but I think there's some refinement there that could make it great. Or, maybe, just ditch it altogether.

This is a really wide-open universe that I feel like both Bethesda and Obsidian, with their respective releases, just nailed.

Please, just give us something this year. You have nothing else announced, and Skyrim DLC has ceased.

Fallout Online
This one is ripe for the game-changer in the MMO space. ESO is doing some interesting stuff, and I'm eager to get into the full release for that, but ESO still does the same thing that bugs the shit out of me in all MMOs.

YOU are the MOST important man/woman in the land ... just like all these other people running around.

What Fallout could do, and it would work beautifully in this setting, is that you're just some dude/dudette in this crazy wasteland, trying to get by. Strip out the insane tentpole mega-moments, and make it a sandbox MMO. Yeah, you'll still have big moments, but make them all about cooperative play, which would very accurately reflect what life would be like in that situation.



For example, we've got Intel that our guild fort is going to be hit by raiders in a couple days. Have a phone app that shoots that out to all the guildies, so that they know to be logged in and ready to rock that night.

Or maybe they are low on supplies, and might want to raid another guild fort. Have a system in which there's some declaration about that, so that the other guild is notified, and is ready for a knock-down drag-out fight. Or maybe add a siege aspect to it.

Obviously, there would be some kind of single-player 'story' running through the game, but keep it light, and make the game focused on a blended PvP/PvE system.

Add in a fort-construction aspect, wrap some customization and maintenance to it, and you could have the greatest MMO ever.

You're welcome.

Mass Effect: SPECTRE
A Mass Effect game in which you play as a SPECTRE, alone. No companions, play any race, and missions can be completed in numerous ways, whether they be violent, sneaky, peaceful, or technology-based.

Maybe I'm describing what Alpha Protocol was supposed to be, except based in the Mass Effect universe.

Keep it RPG-based, so you have customizable stats, armor, weapons, etc, and you'll still have NPCs you'll talk with quite a bit, and lots of decisions, but make the game more about being a bad-ass SPECTRE, rather than saving the universe from 'thing x.' Maybe you're just saving the Council, or the Citadel, or some planet or something.

The First Taste is Free
So there ya go. That's just a smattering of the games I've been wanting.

What say you? Would any of these appeal to you? What would you add/remove to these ideas? What game sequel ideas do you wanna see?

Side Quests
 - here is the latest on Fallout 4. Or not.
 - 1 week til Thief!

As always, thanks for reading!

-Blaine

20140217

Warning: This Post is NOT About an RPG

Titanfall. I never expected you to even blip on my radar. Really, I figured I was done with multiplayer shooters. Call of Duty had long since stopped being something that commanded my attention, and Battlefield, despite multiple attempts on my part, just didn't hook me in any sustainable fashion.

But, Titanfall, despite my attempts to dismiss you, something about you kept beckoning to me to glance at previews and videos of you. I don't know if it's your OG ex-Infinity Ward pedigree, or your science-fiction setting, or your use of mechs, or the fact that you were clearly doing something different from the other Wal-Mart-esque generic shooters, I kept tabs on you.

And holy cow, am I glad I did.



On a whim, I went ahead and registered for beta codes for both PC and XB1. I received them both this past weekend, and quickly hopped into the action.

Titanfall, via its excellent mechanics is, *GASP*, inclusive and accessible in its play. I have never felt so ready to compete, and the fact that I was actually competitive so quickly surprised me.

Granted, a lot of this action is new to most players, so we'll see how that holds up when I only play 5 hours a week, while the rest of the players make it a full-time job.

What was most impressive, though, was that my 8yr old got in there and really tore shit up.

A quick note on that - it's an M-rated game, yes, I know. But I played a fair amount of it before turning him loose on it, and I felt like most of the action was absent any real grotesquerie. I winced a bit at the neck-breaking mêlée attack, but that was it. The rest of it is so out-of-this-world, that it doesn't smack of realism. Please save your holier-than-thou parenting for your own family.

The best moment of the weekend, though, was when he figured out, for both of us, that you could, as a pilot, jump on top of an enemy Titan, rip open its hull, then start drilling it with your gun. He kept insisting that it was doable, and I said, 'fine, it's your life,' and he blew that enemy Titan to pieces. We high-fived and had a great laugh about it.

The lesson: families that play Titanfall together stay together.



So, most of his action was on the Xbox One. I played mostly on PC, and LOVED it.

Visually, both were stunning, and I was surprised at how well they both play. Yeah, PC is a little more accurate with the WASD + mouse, but the XB1 version played beautifully. I rarely found myself getting frustrated with the control.

I ran my PC version at max settings @ 1920x1080 and had no issues. It was silky-smooth.

I'm not sure what resolution the XB1 version is running, but I'm certain a PS4 fanboy could tell you. The correct answer is, 'it's a console game, and I don't care; if I cared about visuals, I'd play it on PC.' It still looks goddam great for a console game.

Both versions played great, both looked great, and I'm really considering getting the game for both, since the boy prefers the console, while I prefer the PC (also, most of my friends are mouth-breathing console players, so I might as well join them.)

The biggest thing, though, was that it was accessible without feeling dumbed-down. That is quite a feat and I tip my hat to Respawn.



What was especially fun was getting to know the game a bit, then deciding on an approach, and then seeing that approach succeed. I decided I want to be a quiet, stealthy dealer of death. I use the Smart Pistol (wow, what a great weapon), which doesn't demand that you be all that accurate, but it does insist that if your target requires more than one hit, you keep the target in a wide bracket of view until the number of hits it needs for a kill all line up. This is fantastic for stealth kills. Additionally, I have a cloak that I can use for a brief time, which is more effective on Titans than pilots. This allows me to actually stealthily approach the Titan until I can jet up to its head, and begin to bring it down.

It's fantastic getting into a game like this, finding your niche, and then using it in concert with the team to bring the other team to its knees. Man, I haven't had that feeling in years.

Also, this is the first game I've ever played whose tutorial is really fun. It was almost like Portal

As I said, I'd sworn off multiplayer shooters, but I am buying this game, and I can't wait to play the hell out of it.

Bringing it full-circle, though, I guess I am describing the most literal terms of 'role-playing.' Maybe this is the multiplayer shooter role-players have been waiting for? I don't know, but I'm amped as hell for this game, and can't wait to play more tonight!

I believe users can directly access the beta from their Xbox One now. Get in there!

-Blaine

20140213

My Summer Build Project

Every summer, I build a new PC. I alternate between a desktop and a laptop each year. In some cases, I actually build them, but as I've gotten older, I more frequently 'build' them (order them, with some heavy customizations, off a website.)

This summer, I'm due for a new laptop, but I may actually hold off. Yeah, my Alienware laptop has some aspects that I don't like, and I really would like to move into a new one, and their new 'trade-up' program has me tempted, but ...

The Steam streaming beta has really given me a lot to think about. Using the streaming feature, I really could, finally, have the big-ass TV gaming experience I deserve. Yeah, my Xbox One is great, but I only buy games for it if I can't get them on PC (Titanfall, because all my friends are luddite mouthbreathers that are primarily console players, may be the exception). Why? Visual fidelity. Control schemes. Modding. Every game on PC is portable. No disc. Infinite backwards compatibility. You get the idea, right?

I keep going back and forth on this, and I actually really would like some feedback from you.

I've got a minimum of two TVs up to a maximum of 4 TVs that I'd like to which I'd like to be able to stream. You'll understand that range in a moment.

No matter the implementation, I want the following: wireless keyboard/mouse w/ 10-20ft range), wireless 360 controller (same range as k/m), and HDMI out.

My two nicest setups are in the basement and the front room. In both cases, I have a big-ass TV and 5.1 surround. I have two lesser setups in the sun room and the bedroom.

The streaming feature requires a computer with either Windows, Mac (lulz), or Linux.

I've narrowed myself to two options:
 - build two cheap SteamOS boxes that will permanently park themselves under the two big TVs, but ONLY be used for games
 - customize and order a really nice gaming laptop that can dock at any TV easily into a setup that already has the wireless control options and HDMI out set to go; if I got the Alienware route  again, I can shave about $500 off the cost, AND get an upgraded mobile gaming experience, too; additionally, since I'll be rocking Windows 8.1 on it, I can also use this for any other media need I have, as well

While I'm heavily leaning toward #2, the size of the laptop is something I'm concerned about being able to mitigate. I need a minimum of a 1920x1080 display on it, and I HATE not having the numpad on my current Alienware, so we're probably looking at around 17inches.

Also, gaming laptops tend to be pretty thick, and I'd really like to have a low profile on this thing. And they can be pretty heavy.

What's nice, though, is that since local resources aren't being used in the streaming (yeah, a handful of games will be local), heat will not be an issue.

The other choice is the cheap SteamOS boxes. I probably have the ability to implement these at a very low cost. I hold onto hardware forever, JUST IN CASE, and that may pay off here.

Another thing, too, is that the Steam streaming isn't perfect yet. It doesn't work if the host computer is locked, and if it's Win8+, it better not be at the start screen. Also, if it's a non-Steam game that you've added to the Steam menu, it'll puke if it has a launch menu prior to the actual game (commonly seen in MMOs).

Which means that I'd want some games to be able to run locally (ESO, any BioWare games for which I use Origin cloud saves, SWTOR), which nukes the cheap SteamOS box idea, almost.

There's also a wild card in all this. My old gaming desktop, which was replaced last year, is now a Windows Server 2012 R2 box, which is running a Hyper-V instance, and acting as a file share. It's still got that NVIDIA 260GT in it, which will still run a lot of modern games, so local instances of games is possible, and I'm sure I can get the Steam streaming running on it. I could, theoretically, move that out to one of the TVs.

So, I dunno. I'm mulling this over until E3 week, which is my target for pulling the trigger one way or the other. That's usually my build week, since I always take the whole week off from work.

I'm not going to rush this decision, and I want to have time to plan out the infrastructure for it, so feel free to comment away with your thoughts. When it comes to design, never operate in a vacuum. Unless you're a space-bound alien.

SPRAY YOUR THOUGHTS ALL OVER ME, PLEASE!!!

-Blaine

20140212

RPGs & Achievement Whoring

Back in the Day
I remember, in the days of yore, when Microsoft first showed off the Achievement system for Xbox 360 and Xbox Live, I was curious, but not overtly excited. I wasn't opposed to the idea, but I was interested in seeing how it was implemented, and what effect it would have on the way we game. As it turned out, some of my good buddies instantly became what's now affectionately known as 'achievement whores,' and as I watched their Gamerscore tick up and up, almost minute by minute, I became concerned about their overall Xbox/life balance. This became a very real concern as I started seeing games like King Kong and Kameo pop up on their games list.



I wasn't into Elder Scrolls when Oblivion came out, which resulted in this weird period in time in which I never had anyone to play PDZ with. It was very isolating. I felt so alone.

Therefore, the first RPG that I really sunk my teeth into that had achievements was my beloved Lost Odyssey. Man, I loved that game. I think I said at the time that it was like reconnecting with an old flame, falling in love all over again, only to have it come to its inevitable end, one last time. Once the game was over, my heart was shattered again, but I didn't regret the time we shared. Not one bit. That was the last JRPG I really loved. It was that one last hurrah from Sakaguchi-san, the final Final Fantasy, and it was a showcaseof everything that was great about his games.



But then, it had DLC and achievements.

I remember, as I played through it, whenever I'd get that nice little Achievement pop-up, I got a nice warm feeling of artificial validation, but it was really neat, because it was for a game that was one of 'my' games. It was kinda cool seeing 'their' system applied to 'my' game. Sure, I'd racked up a few Achievements in other games prior to this, but it had rarely mattered much to me.

Shortly after Xbox Achievements became a big thing, both Steam and Sony scrambled to implement their versions of the Achievement system. I remember being really bothered that I'd beaten Uncharted before Sony had implemented Achievements, er, Trophies, and actually going back and playing through the game AGAIN after they were put in place, just so motherfuckers would know I could beat a game on easy.

Now
Through the years, I've found that I actually care more about Achievements in non-RPG games, like Uncharted and Dead Space than I do my usual BioWare/CDPR stable of games. I remember very distinctly, while playing each game in both series, I'd always pop into my Trophies on PSN to see how awesome I was, and to get a rough idea of my overall progress through the game. Oh, and you had to do that, since it was impossible for Sony to have that automatically sync otherwise (/facepalm. I sure hope that's fixed on PS4.)



I think I care less about it in my 'core' games, but then, I've always wished that my PC Mass Effect and Dragon Age achievements were tied to a bigger system than the BioWare Social Network (yes, it still exists, and could've been a cool thing), so that people could celebrate my love for playing through those games. EA, you have a big opportunity here with Origin.

Hell, the one thing I loved about the hated Games for Windows Live was that it tied PC games into my Xbox Achievements, so people could see my awesomeness in games like Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War 2 and Fallout 3.

Throughout the years, one thing has never happened. I've never Achievement-whored a game, and I wonder why. Lost Odyssey is the EXACT kind of game I'd do it on, too. There are Achievements for optional bosses, max-leveling, and all the great stuff we all used to do 'back in the day.' I know for a fact that Tony and I both still have saves on old PS1 memory cards that we treasure because they're so bad-ass (mine have since been transferred to my PS3, many moons ago. That fucker better never die. And it's one of the original models, that still has the ability to play PS2 games.)

I wonder, at times, if the nature of RPGs discourages Achievement-whoring, since they tend to be big, huge semi-linear games, and aside from save-reloads, it's generally very difficult to get every Achievement on the first play-through.

Additionally, at least for me, RPGs provide repeated moments of immense payoff, whether it be taking down a difficult boss, getting to a great cut-scene, or just getting immersed in the world. Achievements are inherently immersion-breaking, so maybe I pay less attention to them while I'm playing a big, bad-ass RPG. I'm not sure.



Actually, there is one game in which I really pay attention to the Achievements, and I think it's because I've exhausted so much of the content. SWTOR. However, MMORPGs are an entirely different beast, and a bigger topic than I wanna get into right now.

I like Achievements in games. I think they provide a cool meta-game for the social scene that surrounds gaming culture. They can provide instant points of reference for a discussion between two people that both like a particular game, and there is something that's very cool about looking at my own Achievements, and comparing them with someone else's. I can get idea of how they approached the game, and maybe that's something about which we have a great discussion, or I use that data to refine my own approach the next time I play the game. Or, even better, I see they did something nigh impossible in the game, and I wanna hear all about it.

I do think, though, that Achievements in RPGs, perhaps moreso than any other genre, can evolve. Because RPGs tend to be so insanely detailed and stat-based, a developer could really have some fun when setting up the Achievements for the game. There are some rich opportunities for Achievements that are tied to leveling single attributes, crafting, or even wacky choice-based Achievements (or wackier than what's already in play in some of the choice-driven RPGs.)

I also like shame-based Achievements, as well, in which you're granted an Achievement for doing something stupid or being a weak player. I've seen a few of those. I wanna say Dead Space and Fallout 3 both have them.

In any case, I may try to finally 100% a game for the first time this year. We'll see. I'm curious to see how Achievements continue to evolve. I look forward to racking up more this year in the avalanche of RPGs that will start raining down on us next month.

An Idea
Something's been rattling around in my brain for a bit, and since I like to just give away good ideas before I have a chance to implement them myself, it would be interesting if an entity like Raptr started implementing a 'Retro Achievement' system, in which PC games that lack Achievements were set up with a Raptr-based system that analyzed game progress in saves and granted Achievements for titles like KotOR, or The Witcher, or even older games, like Baldur's Gate. That would be something I'd enjoy, and could build quite a community, since there's so much passion for those old RPGs right now.

Just sayin'.

In Conclusion
Achievements are here to stay, whether you like it or not. I've seen interesting arguments both for and against them, and I see the merit in both stances. I like them, and hate to admit, but I've occasionally been more inclined to play one game than another because it has Achievements.

But, Achievements that aren't easily and very visibly displayed to other community members are nearly worthless. If you're gonna go to the trouble of implementing an Achievement system, give the user some control over displaying them. It'd be cool to pick a few really rare Achievements, and have them displayed on my profile, or my forum sig. Make them visible outside of the game, if the user wants that. It provides more community and user engagement, and really maximizes the value of the system.

Side Quests
 - I mentioned the reviews for this game yesterday, but Lightning Returns is looking more and more divisive. I may need to see for myself sooner than I thought.
 - Pillars of Eternity is now set for a 'winter 2014' release. In my mind, at least, I'm now moving this to 2015. And I'm fine with that, if that's what the game needs. I have some high hopes riding on this one.

How do you feel about Achievements? How do you feel about them, as relates to RPGs?

As always, thanks for reading!

-Blaine

20140211

Prepping For Dragon Age: Inquisition

I'm a HUGE BioWare geek. HUGE. Ginormous, even.

Quick note - this piece is written from the perspective of someone that has gloriously bathed in the awesomeness that is the PC versions of Dragon Age, not whatever the console versions turned out to be. Why one would subject themselves to such a vile taint is beyond me.

Dragon Age: Origins Origins
Dragon Age: Origins was the first game since the original KotOR to have me totally seduced, and I easily sunk 60-70 hours into my first play-through of it. I loved the origin stories for each type of character, and I loved the NPC party members, and I loved the world, and I loved the art style, and I loved the music, and on and on and on.



Since that game, we've seen two further releases that were still great, even if they featured design aspects that had me scratching my head. In Awakening, I was disappointed that even if my Warden sacrificed himself in DAO, he was still inexplicably the main character in Awakening. I wished for a save import that accounted for this, in which my world was imported, but a new character was at the forefront in Awakening, as would befit a save that a featured a man that was dead. As I understand it, the development for Awakening was done by a team other than the main DAO team, and was in development prior to the release of DAO. I don't know why this issue was either overlooked or ignored, but it always bugged me, and very much broke the point of having a save import feature.

This same issue stands for all subsequent DAO DLC.

Still, I was able to grit my teeth, and somehow find a way to enjoy the hell out of the expansion and DLC (unlike the many motherless trolls that would have us believe that this issue caused them to fall on their mage staffs [ouch.])

DA2 had no such overt save import issues, even if there were some minor details that bugged out.



Still, I have two saves that feature every game, expansion, and DLC from DAO-DA2. I have my original warrior human dude (DAO) & whatever I chose for DA2, as well as a female city elf (DAO) & whatever I chose for DA2 (I think it was a mage.) My DA2 characters are one male and one female.

But I still don't have saves that account for some choices, such as letting Angry Dad (Tim Curry's character in DAO) live, so I'm wanting to prep some new saves, as well as see what that content looks like.

The Mass Effect Effect
As I stated above, I'm a geek. Because Mass Effect tends to operate off of a more binary approach to its choices, I actually have a spreadsheet I maintain that tracks these choices, so that I can track my saves and see what I chose where, and in what combination. Make fun of me, if it pleases you, but know that my ME shit is ORGANIZED.

I think I may want to crack open my Dragon Age saves, and do something similar.

Dragon Age Keep
I received some potentially terrible news a few months back.

The way that reads, it sounds like we have to manually enter the choices we made in the previous DA entries, rather than directly importing. I greatly dislike this for a number of reasons, but I'll distill it to two reasons.

1) I can't remember shit. I can't tell you how many times I've run into someone in either Kirkwall or the Citadel, have them start talking at me, and I'm like, 'oh, yeah, I do remember you now. Did we sleep together?' These are great moments, and I like the surprise of it.

2) I'm assuming that the number of choices I made in Dragon Age exceeds the number that BioWare is going to ask for. In the FAQ for Keep, it does point out that we can get as detailed as we want, so it may be alright, but if it does give me a metric fuckton of choices, I'll just point you back at #1.

However, rather than be your run of the mill BioWare Hater, I have a potential solution.

What about a means to extract our choices from our save into a file that can be fed into Keep? That would be perfect for me, and a decent compromise.

Of course, this could also be a chance to undo my accidental sex with Zevran, as well. I really didn't mean to do that. I really didn't. I just hope Leliana never finds out ...

Prepping For Dragon Age: Inquisition
When I play a roleplaying game, whether it be a classic single-player experience, or an MMO, I really roleplay the game. I create a character in my head, and really try to make choices as they would.

I have a current play-through of Dragon Age: Origins in which I'm roleplaying a very pro-Chantry mage, and that's been really interesting. I'm also planning on trying to kill Alistair at the end, or if I have to, that other Warden, but I've told Morrigan to fuck off, so I might be doomed.

I also installed Angry Daughter on the throne, which I've never done before, so I'm curious to see what ripples that creates.

I have some ideas about what I want to do in Awakening, but in DA2, I plan to continue my pro-Chantry crusade with a massacre of mages, since I've never done that before.

After that, I'll have three complete saves to import, so I plan to spend quite a bit of time with DAI later this year.



Side Quests
 - I finally spent some time with the Steam streaming beta, and I'll probably post a walk-through and some thoughts up here
 - the Lightning Returns reviews are coming in; about what I expected; yes, I picked it up and I don't want to talk about it
 - here's a couple cool videos for Thief and Kingdom Come: Deliverance:





I leave you with some questions, as always ...

How do you feel about Dragon Age Keep?

Did you pick up Lightning Returns? Either way, what are your thoughts on it, and the general health of the Final Fantasy series?

As always, thanks for reading, and I'll see ya tomorrow!

-Blaine

20140210

This MMO Would Be Great if it Weren't For All the Other Players

WARNING: BEGIN RANT

So, I spent a big chunk of the last weekend in a certain MMO beta, and really enjoyed a lot of it. Much of this established single player series' tropes were in place, which I enjoyed, and while it took a bit to wrap my head around some of the MMO concessions, I eventually started to 'get' the game once I started putting my preconceptions to the side.

However, because of the way I'm wired, no matter how hard I try, if someone's whining in general chat, I can't help but look.

And lemme tell ya, for a beta, I was blown away by the amount of bitching going on. It was as if the average mouthbreather doesn't understand what a beta is, nor do they understand that they're not playing the latest internal build of the game.



Part of the problem, I think, is that I tend to solo anything I can in an MMO. I like having huge worlds and tons of quests, and I love having new content added to this huge world over time, and I only group when a) I know the person or b) I absolutely must.

Yes, that is somewhat antithetical to playing a lot of MMOs, but really, I don't like most of you. Most of you can't communicate in a coherent fashion, AND, and this is my big irritation, just wanna click through and race through an instance as fast as possible.

I'm super-chill in MMOs. I like to take my time, explore, talk to folks, and really, zone out and absorb the world and the story through which I'm playing. Most MMO players are the second-worst human beings on earth, second only to the cesspool known as Xbox Live.

Actually, the average game article commenter is the worst. So, we'll say MMO players are a distant third-worst.

In any case, and yes, I could close gchat, but I like being helpful to new players, and sometimes, there are worthwhile discussions, especially back in pre-F2P SWTOR, but IN ANY CASE, nothing induces eyerolls like seeing a political discussion while you're tromping through the wastes of Korriban, or just trying to chill for a bit in Daggerfall, when someone starts ranting about the proliferation of gays in pro sports or some either equally dim-witted perspective.



Of course, nothing makes me lose hope for the future of humanity like the 'armchair developer.' These motherfuckers, because they know a guy that reads Gamasutra sometimes, know all about what it takes to develop a game, and the asshats that make THIS GAME are LAZY and GREEDY and WON'T LISTEN TO ME and I KNOW WHAT EVERYONE WANTS and FUCK THIS GAME and I'M STILL PLAYING THIS GAME BUT FUCK THIS GAME.

Yeah, criticism is fine, but damn, man, find a way to express yourself in a more constructive manner.

END RANT

So, anyway, I really enjoyed a lot of the beta I was on, and can't wait to test more, as well as play the production version.

I generally am not an MMO player, but have made exceptions for MMOs that make story a big part of the game, like Guild Wars, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and, I assume, Elder Scrolls Online.

When beta testing a game I assume I'm going to play the shit out of, I always try to pick the character build that I'm least-likely to enjoy, since I want to save as much of the 'real' game as possible for when I first start really playing. I try to hold all the awesomeness back for the game I really wanna play.

Again, I did that with this beta, but because of the awesome flexibility of the character leveling, I accidentally put together a character I really like, and I'll probably borrow a lot from this when I finally build my real 'main' when the game comes out.

I did a similar thing back on the SWTOR beta, when I built a super-awesome Sith Sorcerer, a build I never thought I'd want in the real game. I had so much fun with it, that I re-rolled that character last year.

I can't wait for the NDA to lift, because I wanna gush about this game. Until then, just know that your past weekend was far inferior to mine.

Side Quests
 - the South Park: Stick of Truth achievements are as horrifying as I imagined, and then some. This should be a very interesting game. I have it preordered on Steam.
 - PCGamer has a cool preview of Pillars of Eternity up

That's all, folks! Thanks for reading!

-Blaine

20140206

Bethesda vs ZeniMax Online

The more I play through Bethesda RPGs, to which, as I've established, I'm very much a late-comer, the more I'm eager to get into Elder Scrolls Online, and see how much that experience translates. From the little I know, ESO seems to come very close to the 'authentic' Elder Scrolls experience.

I'm not talking just about the interface and control, either. I'm talking about the feel of the world and the nature of the quests. At first glance, one would think that Bethesda's approach would translate perfectly to the MMO style. Many of the quests in their games are 'go here, do this one thing, then report back,' which very much echoes the style found in MMOs. However, there are often times in their games in which there are multiple approaches and outcomes that can fulfill that quest. I'm curious to see if that versatility is something that is featured in the game.

Something, though, that MMOs do that Elder Scrolls doesn't, is non-linear progression. In most MMOs, leveling dictates whether or not you can survive in a designated area. Most MMOs subtly section areas off by implying 'this area is for 30-35,' 'this area is for 36-40,' etc. I've heard the original SWTOR design tried to eschew this approach, and put the standard non-linear BioWare approach in place, but that they brought in some experts that changed it to more closely resemble the WoW approach. I'm eager to see what ESO does here. I won't be upset if they have to make some compromises, but a lot of what I'm learning about the game seems to eschew some MMO standards.

For example, this explains their approach to character-building:


The 'M' Rating
So, word on the street is that Bethesda was surprised to see ESO get an M rating. In the current MMO market, this can understandably present some constraints to their potential market, since it narrows their audience a bit.

However, I'd like to point out that both Oblivion and Skyrim were 'M' rated titles, so it's possible the game will be more in line with what we've seen in the last two titles, and the 'M' rating potentially frees them up to skew more adult than perhaps they were planning initially. It would be refreshing to see content that caters to a more mature crowd in an MMO.

And it's not like, in the past, we've walked into a bar in Ebonheart, and seen a topless bar wench on a table screaming, 'Fuck you all!' while she gouges a man's eyes out. But, perhaps a bit more realism and some colorful languages, so long as it's lore-consistent, would not be something to which I'd object.

Also, and this is probably hopeless, but between the subscription fee and the 'M' rating, might we see a more mature audience than is typically found in MMOs? Between F2P and 'please everyone by pleasing no one' approaches in most MMOs, the communities tend to turn toxic over time. I feel that a subscription and the 'M' rating MIGHT filter the community to a point that it's people that are genuinely enthusiastic about the product, and have an active interest in providing feedback that is actually useful.

It sure would be nice, after some of my past experiences.

You Are the Only Hero, One of Several Hundred Thousand
This is something I'm not sure is going to be solved by any MMO any time soon. The player's avatar is the One, the One that will do that One thing. And the same goes for all these other avatars.

I sometimes wish that MMOs would abandon this very notion. Why not let the player just be 'one of many' instead of the One, in addition to all these other Ones?

In any case, it'll be interesting to see if ESO tries to do something new here. Again, if they don't, I'm not sweating it, but I hope they try to put their own stamp on it, at least.

I had to bang this out real quick between work items, so sorry for the abbreviated post.

Like I said yesterday, if you're in the ESO beta this weekend, PM me. I wouldn't mind playing with some folks.

-Blaine

20140205

RAWR! Consoles Hate Freedom! RAWR!

So, I was perusing the comments (WHY do I that?! WHY?!) of some article on GameSpot, when I came across an unexpected explosion of the anti-PC vitriol that has only intensified with the release of the 'next-gen' consoles.

I think the subject in question may have been the re-release of Tomb Raider for XB1 and PS4, with visuals that are closer to PC-quality than the PS360 release. I believe some trolling PC player may have made the mistake of disclosing poorly-timed truth and pointing out that all the new Tomb Raider release is a better-looking version that PC players have been able to enjoy since its actual release.



What followed was your predictable flame war, in which each child involved assigned some kind of emotional value to what a total stranger on the internet enjoys. I was tempted to jump into one of my alts and fan the flames a bit, but decided I was too out of practice, and that I had an actual life to go enjoy.



The Future
What both sides don't realize, I believe, is that we're marching toward a hybrid future, in which there won't be two disparate sides, but more of a spectrum. Ideas like the SteamBox offer a potential glimpse into what I'm talking about, in which you have a box that is built to a prescribed minimum standard, with a prescribed OS, like a console, but with the option of upgrading, similar to a PC (side note - I heard someone say, and I'm not kidding, 'simUlar;' I wanted to smack them. I don't even know how you arrive at that pronunciation.)



PC gamers, by necessity, are more tech-savvy than console-only gamers, and by and large recognize this fact. I think a lot of us PC-heavy players look at it, shrug, quietly hope it doesn't destroy the wide-open world of PC gaming, and then move on with our lives (or MMOs, in some cases.)

I'm concerned about the console-only gamers, though. Many have been reduced to parroting whatever the branding behind their console of choice is currently pushing ("M$ is MORE WORSER AND GAY!" "SONY IS FOR FAGS! RAWR"), and both Microsoft and Sony want NO infiltration into their space by Valve and its cadre of Steam Box manufacturers. The console-only kids, if Steam Box makes in-roads, are gonna be blindsided.

The Present
What's crazy, though, is that if you compare the Xbox One, PS4, and SteamBox, the SteamBox reflects precisely what is in play already among every single other device type. Blu-Ray players play all Blu-Ray movies, so long as you can pull firmware updates, no matter who the manufacturer is. Digital receivers all output HDMI, no matter the manufacturer.

In MS and Sony's worlds, many Blu-Ray titles would play on both platforms, but certain titles would only play on one or the other's platform, necessitating that all consumers buy two Blu-Ray players if they want to watch all movies.

This is stupid, folks, and we've all been endorsing it.

While I don't think the SteamBox is for me, since I already own multiple gaming PCs, and I have an Alienware laptop that I frequently and easily connect to the TV, I do hope it heralds an end to this console nonsense.

Don't get me wrong, I think consoles are great, but in their current form, they're a relic. Their closed platform model doesn't make sense anymore. In order to play all modern console games, you need an Xbox One, an Xbox 360, a PlayStation 4, and a PlayStation 3. That is four goddam machines. Yeah, it'll be down to two in the next couple years, but that's still two devices to play a single user's library of desired titles.



I don't need more than one optical movie device to watch my Blu-Rays, and I shouldn't need more than one console.

I'm not sure what the console player's argument against this is.

And don't even get me started on how stupid it is, in this day and age, to have a device that does only one thing. All devices can easily be multi-purpose now, without diminishing functionality on any one function.

Hope For Change
Frankly, I'd love to see the SteamBox come in and burn the whole thing down, but then see MS and Sony get back in the game, and offer a competing SteamBox-like platform. I think the Metro interface is ripe for it, and MS has the chops, if they ever give a fuck about PC gaming ever again, and not through their walled-off store. Maintain the current open PC gaming standard, so that you can play all titles via any box, and let the race be decided by better UI, ease of service, price, and who can be the first company to make a good mouse/keyboard combo for the couch.



At the same time, I hope Valve is careful in preserving what it is that makes PC gaming so great, and that's the openness of it. Anyone can release anything for PC. Period. There's no gatekeeper. It's truly open, and SteamBox inherently curbs some of that, since you have to get all your games through Steam. That means no Dragon Age: Inquisition or Titanfall or Diablo III or StarCraft II on SteamBox. That, right there, is the second-biggest reason I won't do Steam Box, but instead, my own solution. I love BioWare way too much to invest in a specialty device that automatically excludes them. Activision, though, I can easily live without.

The best part about PC gaming, besides the face-meltingly amazing visuals and bleeding-edge technology and the amazingly precise control schemes, is the proliferation of ideas. Because there's no platform-holder that can block your ideas, you are free to put them out there, and try to get to them to the masses any number of ways.

On the console side, there is no such freedom, and you better be prepared to play ball in the manner of the platform holder's choosing, should you choose to try and publish on their platform.

Also ...
I own an Xbox One and really like it. Forza 5 and Dead Rising 3 are a blast, and I love that the box is the perfect family entertainment hub. It handles anything from TV to movies to audio to games to fitness without batting an eyelash. I just wish it did 3D. And I wish I could at least stream my PC games through it.

This post was originally going to be about how restrictive it is to swear allegiance to just one platform, and then that kinda morphed into this. I guess where I kinda arrived with that was that there should only be one platform, which is an open platform.

I dunno. Maybe PC gaming is 'too open' for some folks, and they need their entertainment purchases spoon-fed to them. These must be the people watching 'Dancing With the Stars' and shit like that. Or maybe they're part of that massive conspiracy that insists that there has, in fact, been a REALLY good entry in the Killzone series, even if they can't name which one it was.

Side Quests
 - beta invites went out for this weekend's Elder Scrolls Online beta test. I don't know if you can still get in or not, but you can apply here. If you're playing the beta this weekend, PM me.

 - the next BioShock: Infinite episode arrives 3/25. I've finished the core game, but haven't tried to the first episode. I was gonna wait til they're both out.

 - I've gotten way back into Morrowind, and am loving it again. I've been kicking it Legion-style up on the northern coast, and am really digging being a ninja-thief-impCult-impLegion-dude.

In Closing ...
I love gaming, and I want it to be as accessible as possible to as many people as possible. I know that the platform and 'couch vs office chair' experience can be a deal breaker for some folks. I was a straight-up console gamer until I had children. I was not at all into PC gaming until a bit after my first child was born, and then multiple factors pushed me into PC gaming.

The key thing is that you don't one of those miserable fucks that uses your lack of income as a the basis for an elaborate fiction in which the only platform and games you can afford are the only viable gaming experiences to be had.

*HUGGLES*

-Blaine