One of the benefits of a MMO is that gamers don't have to suffer that lull that comes every summer - the two to three month vortex when few great games see release. If you think about it, almost everything is planned for Q3 or, every publisher's favourite, Q4, to try to cash in on the Christmas. Every system comes out in quarter three, Halo 3 is quarter four, Final Fantasy XII is quarter three, and the list goes on.
But in the bleak doldrums of quarter one and two, World of Warcraft will still be going strong with new content in every patch (I can only assume other MMOs do the same). It does make me wonder though: if the movie business releases their blockbusters in the summer months, when kids are all off from school, can't game publishers also capitalize on these, our most precious resources?
2006/07/15
2006/07/10
Ported games: Are they worth playing?
This has been an issue in the industry quite some time, but after trying Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone from Atari, this humble blogger has to step up and verbally bitch slap somebody. Now, I will say up front that I am a D&D whore. I will play almost anything that has slapped the Wizards of the Coast trademarked franchise on it. I've played, and still own the Gold box games. I was ecstatic and absolutely giddy when I first played Baldur's Gate. I think Neverwinter Nights is one of the best games I've ever played. And I am enjoying Demon Stone, but it is so painfully a port of a console game, it practically shoves a console down your pants and forces its joystick in your mouth.
Now, I'm not sure how it is for the rest of the game-playing universe, but I really enjoy tweaking graphics options. I enjoy finding which secret combination of resolutions, shaders, and detail quality will maximize my experience. But I do not enjoy having to quit to tweak them. Since consoles have none of these options, the graphics menu is a simple menu in the launcher. That's right. With none of the video options being available in-game, you have to restart the game to tweak every little detail. Also, what is the first key you hit when you try to skip the intro splash screens of various developers and publishers (it's the ESC key, right? If it's not, pretend it is)? That's right, the ESC key. However, because the enter button is the port of whatever joypad button skips these screens, that is the key you have to use. The controls are a bit clunky as well, but bearable so far. The graphics are really nice, but while they upped pretty much everything important, the little life bar section for your party looks like it just came out of a sewer. The contrast is so disgusting it's bothersome. They spent how long enhancing the 3D models and they couldn't improve this simple sprite map? I really can't imagine what gamers have done to deserve this half-assed effort.
There are a couple of other annoyances (such as not being able to quit right to the desktop from most parts of the game), but all in all it is pretty much a D&D version of the Lord of the Rings: the Two Towers game. Defeat monsters, buy new special moves and combos, buy new equipment, etc. The characters seem different enough to be interesting but I've only played two levels so far (a full review to come later).
Who do I blame for this? Atari. The whole job of a publisher is to ensure that the game is a polished product. They should make sure that gamers have what they need to fully enjoy the game. They are in charge of quality control and should not take their reputation lightly. Because Hasbro could really take their Neverwinter Nights franchise elsewhere, and Hasbro should threaten to do so if they keep seeing ports like this. I would like to say that we as gaming consumers should not buy the products, but that would probably just mean we'll get no ports at all. They'll never correlate the drop in sales to poor product quality.
Now, I'm not sure how it is for the rest of the game-playing universe, but I really enjoy tweaking graphics options. I enjoy finding which secret combination of resolutions, shaders, and detail quality will maximize my experience. But I do not enjoy having to quit to tweak them. Since consoles have none of these options, the graphics menu is a simple menu in the launcher. That's right. With none of the video options being available in-game, you have to restart the game to tweak every little detail. Also, what is the first key you hit when you try to skip the intro splash screens of various developers and publishers (it's the ESC key, right? If it's not, pretend it is)? That's right, the ESC key. However, because the enter button is the port of whatever joypad button skips these screens, that is the key you have to use. The controls are a bit clunky as well, but bearable so far. The graphics are really nice, but while they upped pretty much everything important, the little life bar section for your party looks like it just came out of a sewer. The contrast is so disgusting it's bothersome. They spent how long enhancing the 3D models and they couldn't improve this simple sprite map? I really can't imagine what gamers have done to deserve this half-assed effort.
There are a couple of other annoyances (such as not being able to quit right to the desktop from most parts of the game), but all in all it is pretty much a D&D version of the Lord of the Rings: the Two Towers game. Defeat monsters, buy new special moves and combos, buy new equipment, etc. The characters seem different enough to be interesting but I've only played two levels so far (a full review to come later).
Who do I blame for this? Atari. The whole job of a publisher is to ensure that the game is a polished product. They should make sure that gamers have what they need to fully enjoy the game. They are in charge of quality control and should not take their reputation lightly. Because Hasbro could really take their Neverwinter Nights franchise elsewhere, and Hasbro should threaten to do so if they keep seeing ports like this. I would like to say that we as gaming consumers should not buy the products, but that would probably just mean we'll get no ports at all. They'll never correlate the drop in sales to poor product quality.
2006/07/09
Ra
Ra is a fun, fast, and accessible board game. It fits nicely in under an hour (perfect for some lunch-time gaming), and can accomodate three to five players. The rules are easy to learn, but the strategy is deceptively deep.
I have friends who know a whole lot about board games. They claim Reiner Knizia is a genius in game design. I don't know much about him, but just from playing Ra, I would have to agree. The game is simple to explain: You are trying to get the highest point total. You score at the end of each of the three rounds (called epochs). You get points during scoring by winning tiles through auctions. There are some tiles that go away at the end of the epoch, some tiles that only score at the end of the third epoch, and the mechanics of scoring are different for different types of tiles (for example, you only get points for pharoahs if you have the most of them). Not having some tiles by the end of an epoch can be detrimental. Depending on how many players are in the game, you get a certain number of auction tiles, each with a unique number on them, to bid with. When you win an auction, you get the last auction tile that someone else won an auction with for the next epoch, and you place your winning tile in the middle (so essentially, every auction also includes an auction tile). On your turn, you're down to three simple options: Add a tile to the auction track, call an auction, or use a special tile. An auction can also start if you try a "Ra" tile, and when the Ra track fills up or when everyone has used all their auction tiles, the epoch ends.
This will take you 15 minutes to learn. However, the evaluation of how much each tile is worth to you and your opponents takes in so many factors that the strategy is not immediately obvious. When should you call an auction? Since you have to take an auction if you called it, and no one else wants it, it becomes a risky proposition. How much should you bid on an auction? Are your opponents going to outbid you for the same auction? Does your opponent want the auction badly enough that you can force him to use a higher tile? You have to consider these things and more when you're playing this game that involves only fourteen tile types.
If you've never tried a board game outside of Sorry!, Monopoly, or Risk, you really need to try this game.
Powergame
The Powergame section is only recommended for readers who have tried the game, and are looking for some tips. Any comments on the strategy of this game are welcome.
I've played quite a few 3, 4, and 5 player games. The winning point total for 5 player games is usually around 40-45, for 4 player games it is around 45-50, and for 3 player games, you will likely need 50+. Three player games are generally more erratic as there tend to be rounds that are abhorrently short, but since you have four auction tiles, it's not terrible to be aggressive early in the epoch.
In general, if you and your opponent are the only ones left in an epoch, it is not a good idea to let them run it by exiting the round too early. It is generally safe to do so if there are only two empty Ra spaces left on the track. In fact, you should try to get your opponent out of the way so that you can run it as early as possible. It's a tricky balancing act like everything else in the game.
Controlling pharaohs is key in a 3 or 4 player game. You need to develop either pharoahs or go heavy in monuments if you want to win. I find the key in most games, no matter how many players, is to have a huge last epoch. Many game that I've won included 30 points in the last epoch, and monuments are excellent for this. If you are going for the monument strategy, then you will likely want high auction tiles going into the last epoch.
I generally dislike rivers because floods can get sniped or stolen very easily. However, if you can build them up in the first or second epoch, you can score big. If you are banking on a flood then you need to acquire yourself a God tile and then try to get in a 1 on 1 situation.
Don't bet on civilizations too early, unless the price is right. Since the second civilization isn't worth any immediate points, you can probably steal one cheaply later in the round.
I have friends who know a whole lot about board games. They claim Reiner Knizia is a genius in game design. I don't know much about him, but just from playing Ra, I would have to agree. The game is simple to explain: You are trying to get the highest point total. You score at the end of each of the three rounds (called epochs). You get points during scoring by winning tiles through auctions. There are some tiles that go away at the end of the epoch, some tiles that only score at the end of the third epoch, and the mechanics of scoring are different for different types of tiles (for example, you only get points for pharoahs if you have the most of them). Not having some tiles by the end of an epoch can be detrimental. Depending on how many players are in the game, you get a certain number of auction tiles, each with a unique number on them, to bid with. When you win an auction, you get the last auction tile that someone else won an auction with for the next epoch, and you place your winning tile in the middle (so essentially, every auction also includes an auction tile). On your turn, you're down to three simple options: Add a tile to the auction track, call an auction, or use a special tile. An auction can also start if you try a "Ra" tile, and when the Ra track fills up or when everyone has used all their auction tiles, the epoch ends.
This will take you 15 minutes to learn. However, the evaluation of how much each tile is worth to you and your opponents takes in so many factors that the strategy is not immediately obvious. When should you call an auction? Since you have to take an auction if you called it, and no one else wants it, it becomes a risky proposition. How much should you bid on an auction? Are your opponents going to outbid you for the same auction? Does your opponent want the auction badly enough that you can force him to use a higher tile? You have to consider these things and more when you're playing this game that involves only fourteen tile types.
If you've never tried a board game outside of Sorry!, Monopoly, or Risk, you really need to try this game.
Powergame
The Powergame section is only recommended for readers who have tried the game, and are looking for some tips. Any comments on the strategy of this game are welcome.
I've played quite a few 3, 4, and 5 player games. The winning point total for 5 player games is usually around 40-45, for 4 player games it is around 45-50, and for 3 player games, you will likely need 50+. Three player games are generally more erratic as there tend to be rounds that are abhorrently short, but since you have four auction tiles, it's not terrible to be aggressive early in the epoch.
In general, if you and your opponent are the only ones left in an epoch, it is not a good idea to let them run it by exiting the round too early. It is generally safe to do so if there are only two empty Ra spaces left on the track. In fact, you should try to get your opponent out of the way so that you can run it as early as possible. It's a tricky balancing act like everything else in the game.
Controlling pharaohs is key in a 3 or 4 player game. You need to develop either pharoahs or go heavy in monuments if you want to win. I find the key in most games, no matter how many players, is to have a huge last epoch. Many game that I've won included 30 points in the last epoch, and monuments are excellent for this. If you are going for the monument strategy, then you will likely want high auction tiles going into the last epoch.
I generally dislike rivers because floods can get sniped or stolen very easily. However, if you can build them up in the first or second epoch, you can score big. If you are banking on a flood then you need to acquire yourself a God tile and then try to get in a 1 on 1 situation.
Don't bet on civilizations too early, unless the price is right. Since the second civilization isn't worth any immediate points, you can probably steal one cheaply later in the round.
2006/07/06
Nintendo DS Lite: Not Just the IPod of Gaming
So once again Nintendo has maimed Sony in the arena of innovation. While the PSP is on life support, the Dual Screen is about to reach the height of its popularity with the combo-release of the sleek DS Lite and New Super Mario Bros. Forget that the polar-whiteness of the machine makes it look like a marketing idea stolen from Apple. Whereas the IPod didn't really have that much to offer in terms of innovation for MP3 players, the DS Lite is different from any handheld before it.
I borrowed a PSP for the week and was not convinced I needed one; I played the DS Lite for 5 minutes and I was convinced it was the best handheld ever. The drastic difference in attitude was precipitated by the overwhelming sense of innovation that the DS Lite had to offer. The touch screen simply changed the way you played a game. While Sony was busy sticking with its Playstation paradigm of copying Nintendo's innovations and making it better, Nintendo was busy with its own agenda to evolve the gaming world.
I can just imagine it now: Two perfectly lit board rooms, each with a large oaken table in the middle. One room contains the Sony executives and engineers, and the other houses Nintendo's masterminds. They are both staring the GameBoy Advance SP, wondering how they can improve on it. In both rooms, executives identify that the screen is too small and therefore, too limiting to the experience. A Sony engineer pipes up with a simple idea: "let's make it bigger". Simultaneously, in the other room, the Nintendo engineers respond with: "let's make two of them."
I encourage you to just try a game that uses the touch screen. Something like the mini-games in the New Super Mario Bros., or Meteos (a brilliant puzzle game). Try the wi-fi connectivity with a single cartridge. It will recall the wonder you felt the first time you played a video game.
I borrowed a PSP for the week and was not convinced I needed one; I played the DS Lite for 5 minutes and I was convinced it was the best handheld ever. The drastic difference in attitude was precipitated by the overwhelming sense of innovation that the DS Lite had to offer. The touch screen simply changed the way you played a game. While Sony was busy sticking with its Playstation paradigm of copying Nintendo's innovations and making it better, Nintendo was busy with its own agenda to evolve the gaming world.
I can just imagine it now: Two perfectly lit board rooms, each with a large oaken table in the middle. One room contains the Sony executives and engineers, and the other houses Nintendo's masterminds. They are both staring the GameBoy Advance SP, wondering how they can improve on it. In both rooms, executives identify that the screen is too small and therefore, too limiting to the experience. A Sony engineer pipes up with a simple idea: "let's make it bigger". Simultaneously, in the other room, the Nintendo engineers respond with: "let's make two of them."
I encourage you to just try a game that uses the touch screen. Something like the mini-games in the New Super Mario Bros., or Meteos (a brilliant puzzle game). Try the wi-fi connectivity with a single cartridge. It will recall the wonder you felt the first time you played a video game.
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