A Pirate's Life For Me

Yes, I've been gone for a while, but I'm back. I know you think that I'll probably be writing about something that is deep and spiritual for me. And you would be right...just not now. Instead, I'm going to take a look at the internet, media, and profit. Basically I'm just avoiding writing about what I've been thinking about. On to the subject.

I believe we are thinking about piracy wrong.

While I wish I was talking about the high seas and raiding local villages for plunder, I'm taking about the ideas of digital property. Interestingly enough, a recent survey suggested that the ones who pirate music illegally are also the ones who buy the most legally. Honestly, I can understand. I feel that those who really like music always want to expand their libraries of music. They may pirate music to sample it, then purchase the one's they like. I can understand not wanting to invest in something you don't know if they're any good. I appreciate this because it shows that "pirates" are not just cheap, greedy music grabbers who don't support the artists.

The thing is, however, digital property is something we don't understand. It is created material, and some ownership of that is true, but that falls more under copyright laws than protection. See, I don't believe in plagiarism as acceptable. It should never be okay to take someone's work and use it for your own gains. I should not be able to copy the direct idea from a Stephen King novel and try to sell it. That is intruding on an artist's work.

But acquiring the work is another thing entirely. The thing about digital media is that it is not a physical thing. Taking a book from Barnes and Nobel is depriving someone else of a physical, limited material. Meaning, there are only so many physical copies, and you have denied someone access to one of them. However, with digital media, there is only the information file. It costs nothing to copy the material and send it to someone. In that regards, you are not depriving anyone of anything.

I do think that there needs to be some kind of protection for this material. If all material is free, then there will be no profits for anyone. I can see this causing a lot of trouble in the videogame world. There is so much capital poured into them that there needs to be some kind of return. On the flip side, so much media is so expensive, that it is hard to come by it in a legal way that is also personally responsible. What we need, I believe, is not laws that demonize the individual, but one's that help the company. It is such a hard thing to regulate, but there should be ways to legally obtain this kind of information. We need to take time and think about how to best regulate and not to punish.

I do think it should be a crime to listen to Justin Bieber, however.

Just something to chew on.

From Concentrate

Guy's aren't good at multitasking, it's a fact that we should all have accepted by now. I know for me, that when I am doing more than one thing, they tend to suffer in quality, if only slightly. If I take it one task at a time, I tend to do better and stay more organized. Things require focus and concentration, for video games, to writing, to any kind of work.

The same is true of our relationship with God.

Talking to God is easy, right? Just start talking and to Him and He'll listen, despite how we ramble. God listens and we have a healthy, happy relationship. No problem. Except that's not usually how it works. I have a watch that has a few alarms that go off through the day reminding me to pray. Do it do it as every time? No, sadly. I keep myself busy, and it seems like I've built up a reaction to just hit the off button and move on. More often than not, I don't pray.

For me, talking to God requires a lot of focus. When I really need to talk to him, I have to go off on my own, find somewhere where I can think quietly, and literally talk out loud to Him. Whatever my problems are, whatever I need to deal with, I say it to the air, knowing He will hear me. The thing is, I need that silence. I get so easily distracted by whatever is going on around me that I don't focus on God like I need to.

Quiet time is important in the Christian walk. That's not new. I think, however, that we need to do more than just take time to be quiet. We need to practice focus. We need to start in our quiet time, learning how to concentrate on God, then be able to take that concentration with us into our busy lives. That's one of my goals for the summer. In the heat of the kitchen, during the rush of meal preparations, I want to be able to take a few seconds and focus on God. It'll take effort, but that's what I'm hoping for.

And girls, I still doubt how good you all are at multitasking.

Just something to chew on.

Fermenting Games

I’ve never drank wine, but I understand a little bit about it as a concoction. Wine ferments and needs to age to reach a peak of flavor. Typically, the older the better.  As we know, this process doesn’t work for everything. Try fermenting milk and you’ll just have a disgusting pile of curd. Some things don’t age well, including my topic for today.

Some games age well, others not so much.

You’d think that newer games are going to be better than the old, right? Better hardware offers better graphics, new developing methods help create innovative gameplay, and general growth in the medium allows for more mature storytelling. This is not always the case. Ask any Silent Hill fan and they’ll probably tell you the series stopped being good after Silent Hill 2. Castlevania 2: Simon’s Quest is generally regarded as being worse than the original Castlevania. And I back the claim that there hasn’t been a good sonic game since the Sega Genesis. I’m going to look into two games that I picked up again recently, and explain a bit about how well, or poorly they’ve aged.

We’ll start with the well-aged game, Dark Cloud 2. This is a Japanese RPG developed by Level-5 studios. I’ve had it for a long time (though I still haven’t beaten it) and I really enjoy it. Coming back to it, I am surprised that it is still a fun game. Even after playing many other RPGs and JRPGs, I still like Dark Cloud 2. And there are a few good reasons, I think; the first being the gameplay. DK2 is a sort of hack and slash dungeon crawler. That’s a poor description, but it gives you a basic look. The two characters each have their own signature weapons and secondary fighting styles, but each one has a wide variety of their main weapons, and there are numerous branches to take each weapon upgrade. The controls are easy and streamlined. The randomized map generator works very well in the dungeon system, and makes each play through of a level unique. Oddly enough, the damage system is also a plus. The characters cannot tank damage like many other games, and can only take a few hits before either passing out, or being dangerously close. All this combines into gameplay that stays fresh. The same mechanics work in each level, but still requires the appropriate amount of strategy and forethought to continue.

A second reason for this is the game world. This game world is easy to understand while maintaining a complexity and a liveliness that many other, bigger games, fail to grasp. There is so much you can do in the world. One of the main mechanics is the camera, and the ability to take pictures and find special photos that can help create ideas to invent new items. The creating system is a great blend of that camera, searching for recipes in every town, and good old trial and error. This is available outside and inside the dungeons. Each dungeon has their own sub-goals. Each has a time attack goal that rewards you for defeating all the monsters in a given time. After they’re gone, there is the option to play Spheda, a golfing mini game. This game is frustrating, but still enjoyable, and combining it with the randomized levels, the game is never dull. Fishing is also a big deal. Some levels have bonus rewards for fish caught in the dungeon, while the main city hosts two events, a fishing competition and a fish race. These options are fun and offer different challenges and goals than the standard hit-back-guy-get-xp formula. Catching fish and training them become entertaining distractions, and the fishing mechanic itself is fun. On a final note, another option is the Georama gameplay, which let you edit and add to selected areas of the outer map. This kind of SimCity management system is much like Legos, letting you how you want, while still meeting certain requirements. There is a great deal of freedom that stays smartly restrained by individual desires and an overarching goal for the build. All of these help the game world to feel vast, keeping the player from getting bored, all while working within the limitations of a relatively small overworld.

Finally, Dark Cloud 2 is good because of its character. Not just the player characters and people, but character of the game as a whole. This is in two parts, the people and the places. The characters you play as and meet are incredibly memorable. Max and Monica are the two main characters, and you can change between them on the fly, but each is unique in how they react and interpret the world and its happenings. They make a great team because their similarities are highlighted by their differences. Neither one is a standard, two dimensional, hero. They are full of life and personality. And they weren’t the only ones. The villains, the supporting characters, even the towns folk all had variety and nuance. The towns felt alive and real, not just hallow places with static characters that the player visits whenever they have to unload some loot for cash. This is the other part, the world is full of variety. The main town is this nice city with a homely feel, but the player goes on to see a lush forest, an enchanting ocean, a powerful volcano, and more, in the present, and the future. Dark Cloud 2’s world is believable, not relying on the same old tropes as most other fiction or fantasy, and instead making each setting its own unique take. The story is memorable, and even after having not played it for something like four years, I still remember much of the plot and characters. The personality attributed to the game wraps up the first two points and helps this game be like a fine wine, still good after all this time.

On the other hand, we have Dynasty Warriors 4. This will be shorter, so just stay with me. Dynasty Warriors 4 is a forgettable game for basically all the reasons above. The gameplay is static. It has remained the same since its first incarnation, and hasn’t changed at all, even though it is well into its seventh official game (not counting the various expansions and off shoot games). While hacking through thousands of harmless mindless grunts and a few more interesting generals is fun, it doesn’t have a lastability. The game world is just as dry. The meta-game consists of menus and an annoyingly repetitive theme song. In-game, the landscapes are bland, the camera makes it hard to see, and there is little variety. There is no way to really immerse yourself in the world. Finally, there are the characters. We’ve covered that the world lacks character, but so do the cast. Dynasty Warriors 4 has something over sixty characters, with maybe only 5 that are really interesting. Most others just lack personality and anything that could make them relatable. Its off shoot, Samurai Warriors does a better job in these cases, having fewer characters that are more interesting, allowing for uniqueness in the maps, and at least trying a few new ideas in the gameplay. I still play Dynasty Warriors 4, but it just isn’t like it was when I was younger. It might be better to let it die quietly in my closet.

These games deserve at least one play through. Dynasty Warriors is like a bag of chips, simple and unrefined, but a good way to kill time. Dark Cloud 2, however, is like a multi-course meal. Each level requires time to taste and savor, appreciating the subtleties and looking forward to what comes next. Enjoy them both, but make sure you see just what makes each game what it is.

For a reference, I have over 100 hours in Dark Cloud 2.

Just something to chew on.

Shadow Theory

I recently started playing through Ico and Shadow of the Colossus by Team Ico, again. They were great games for the PS2, though for some reason I hadn't finished Ico before. Shadow of the Colossus is probably one of my favorite games of all time, however, and I still enjoy playing through it. I've also started reading some analyses of both games. I'm impressed at the depth and thought that went into those games. I would, however, like to add one thought that I have on the games. We;re going into this with the idea that you know these games, so if you don't go play them. NOW!

I believe that Shadow of the Colossus is the prequel to Ico.

There is really no support for this. As far as I know, the developers claimed that they were independent games. The in-game stories are not connected it seems, no self-referencing material or real mention of the other. There is an unlockable that puts the Ico symbol on your horse if have an Ico saved file, but that might just be a fun extra. In theory, these two games are not related.

I, however, think that there is a connection between the two. This comes in a few points. The first being the art style. This is definitely brought on by the system limitations, but there is more to it than that. The main temple, as well as the castle in Ico has a similar style to it, with intricate carvings and statues, all built from a sandstone like material. Each is also connected by a ridiculous bridge, thought that might be for atmosphere. There is also a similar style in the dark magic. Most of it in Shadow of the Colossus is black and teal, much like it was in Ico. In the little elements, we see similarities.

A second part comes in the language. Shadow of the Colossus translates what each character says into English (in the few lines actually spoken). Ico never did these, offering only Ico's words, while Yorda's were a jumble of hieroglyphs. To the ear, however, the cryptic language of both the Demon and Yorda sound very similar. In some way, there might be a connection in how language was passed down.

A third instance is in the Shadows. Ico's main bad guys were these shadowy creatures with various deforms that would try and steal Yorda away. In Shadow of the Colossus, the shadow creatures are still present, though in a much reduced degree. After the Wanderer defeats a colossus, he returns to the temple, unconscious, and another shadow form gathers around him. In theory, these are the souls of the various colossi, who might have been human at some point. The ending of Ico also has Ico facing down various shadow demons, which appear to be the horned people that came before him. I believe that the magic that created these shadow creatures in Colossus is carried over into Ico.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the ending of Shadow of the Colossus shows a baby with two points on the side of its head. I took these has horns that would start to grow in. This could mean that the Wanderer is the first instance of the horned children, the fore runner to Ico. Mono, the girl he wanted to rescue, could very well have made it back to the village and raised the child. Maybe the spirit of the wanderer was reborn in the next generation, maybe it became some kind of family curse. Who knows.

This is all speculation. Team Ico has their own thought process behind the games. I respect them immensely for their work, and still enjoy the games regardless. For me, however, the thought that these two are connected creates a richer experience for me. I find a different way to connect with the work and it shapes my experience with it.

Now if they could only finish the Last Guardian, then we'll see.

Game Balance

Some of the games that I like most are multiplayer. They let me and my friends get on together and play together. I've covered before how I like teamwork in games, when done well. There is a lot to offer in games where two or more real players interact. RPGs and other such games can focus more on the story and let the game play slide a little if needed. Team based games aren't so luck. How players play and the levels of skill required are essential to note in design. This leads me to the main point.

Balance is key, but so hard.

In games where there is competition, you can bet that the players will exploit every bug and function in a game. Many hours get put into finding the best locations, oddest map hazards, and most random rule loop holes. The first thing many gamers try to do is break the games distinct rules. This comes to the forefront in many online games, fighters and shooters usually, where characters and classes with skills that can be abused are often used and dominate the others, making the game not fun.

Designers have to find how to balance a game so that no one class or skill makes all the others useless. If there is, it is basically a win button for the player and the experience suffers for everyone involved. Some games have stun locks that keep the opponent from moving or being able to retaliate, some weapon sets change the nature of a class and allow it to dominate in ways that it shouldn't, and some moves just get spammed repeatedly. With patching and online updates, these exploits can be fixed, but they are still sign of design flaw.

Fighting games are an interesting thing with this. Many players break it down to a science, calculating things like hit boxes, attack range, damage output, speed, frame rate, attack priority, and more. In these games, there is usually a breakdown of the best characters known as tiers. Top tier characters are the best to use in tournaments and competitions, while bottom tier characters shouldn't even be played in practice. With such precision breakdowns, it is a wonder that developers still add over powered characters with ridiculous moves to their games. Some characters dominate if their combinations are put together correctly. This isn't necessarily skill on the players part, it is more exploiting various status effects and not even giving your opponent the chance to fight back. This is just not a good way to play. Even entry level players will often see that certain series are unfair. Developers in this field need to listen to their audience, many of whom have broken the game down more than the developers, and help face down problems in balance.

I appreciate shooters in this regards, as they are sometimes the most well-balanced. Team Fortress 2, one of my favorites, is probably the most well-thought out game I have ever played. Each class is balanced with specific goals and play styles in mind. Even the updates, while sometimes a little off the mark, try to maintain balance while offering variations on the typical play styles. Valve is very good at listening to their community and knowing what kind of variations to offer and when. Some changes the community doesn't like, but is often done for the good of the experience as a whole (I know my favorite gun got an update a while ago, it saddened me). While these games are still huge and still have many chances for players to exploit, more often than not it instead asks the player to think and find a new solution.

What needs to be done is proper play testing. Some exploits and over powered moves should be easy to find. If developers brought in more of the players who were seriously dedicated and could identify these failings, then I believe that the over all product would be that much better. The work in production can save a great deal of effort in patching and updating post production.

Still, we'll always have those dirty hackers to deal with.

Just something to chew on.

Tech and New Friends

One of my favorite video series, Extra Credits (which has been the inspiration for a few articles), recently did two episodes on alternate reality gaming and augmented reality gaming. The idea behind both of these is to make the real world part of the game. At the very basic level, think about it on Facebook games, when you invite friends to help your game. That's a part of it. With that in mind, I am looking forward to the future of gaming where these connect through amazing technology.

Imagine making life a part of your games.

Google has recently announced a prototype for a pair of glasses that project information for the user. These "augmented reality head mounted displays" would sort of function like a computer, letting you chat, use online maps, and access information before your eyes. We've seen these kind of things in movies and such but did we ever think they could be real? Imagine the ways our society would change, how our social lives would change.

Of course, since I love video games, I like to think how this would change gaming. If the technology advanced enough, then we would see games become a literal part of our world. The user would see the game in his or her own town, interact with it in a familiar and personal way. You would finally be the main character, the avatar in the game world. You could reach out and interact with the world that you play in.

I think there would be some interesting benefits to this kind of play. First, oddly enough, would be some health benefits. These would probably require people to go out into their world and interact with it. They would go for walks and explore their towns because the game wouldn't be limited to their personal home. City land marks or public buildings could become important parts of the game. The game would require you to go out and explore, keeping people off their couches and getting them outside.

There might be some academic benefits. Going to a library and getting a book might let you gain strength in certain skills, or you could find treasure in the park at your town center. It might seem odd, using games to teach, but that has been a major movement already in the industry. Lots of different groups are trying to find how to use video games as a medium for teaching. One of the biggest names on the PC, Valve Software, has even been looking into adding their amazing Steam network for schools. These types of games could encourage tangential learning, where the user learns because they want to, not because it is forced on them.

Finally, I think there could be a great social benefit to these games. Imagine you were supposed to find and defeat a monster that inhabited your local park. While searching, you met up with someone else who was also searching for that monster. Together you could meet and play the game, working together for the final goal. What if the game was tailored to these kinds of chance occurrences? If you met someone and shook hands, maybe both characters would gain experience, or if you combined spells or attacks with your partner and they would deal more damage, maybe you would gain even more loot at the end if you worked with someone. These would make people more inclined to act civilly with others. And after, you might find that you have more in common, games you both like or books you read or places you like to eat. The game would be helping you to meet real people in your area and make real connections.

There is a lot that these games could do, good and bad. I won't go into it now. Smarter and more invested people will continue to expand on these topics as development continues. I just look to the future. These could change how we play and how we see games. There would be great opportunities to change how society views games and how we deal with each other.

On the downside, I just know someone is going to make some creepy games someday.

Just something to chew on.

Time to Upgrade

I've really started getting into comics lately. I think it is because of the both the Kindle and the easy to use comic app, as well as the recent DC universe reboot. However, I would like to outline that I have had a love of super heroes in general for a long time. I would read the old Spider-Man comics from the library and watch all the cartoon shows. One of my favorites, then and now, is the Teen Titans. They have a great cast of characters and an entertaining story line. The comic series is also very well written with a lot of intrigue and drama, not just about super villains, but also about growing up. One character that has had a huge presence in the series has been Cyborg. The half man, half robot young leader of the Titans has been around for a while as a Titan and as a mentor. This reboot and other material have shown a wonderful change in this character's DC career.

Cyborg is finally getting the spotlight he deserves.

In the recent Reboot, Cyborg is not a member of the Titian, he becomes a founding member of the Justice League. The ex-Titan has moved into the "big leagues" now with his introduction into the League. He is becoming more mature and involved in the mainstream DC universe. Cyborg has always had a following, being popular for his abilities and his personality. Finally he is stepping onto the big stage and playing with the big stars. With a character like Superman as an industry figure head, those who are allowed to fight with him gain a lot more for themselves.

This upgrade for Cyborg is a long time in coming. He debuted in October of 1980 and was quickly joined with the Teen Titans. From there he has been an active member and leader various times, including co-leading a team of Titans East for a while there. In a series when characters get knocked off in increasing numbers, his longevity is astonishing. His life span might only be outranked by Robin (whichever variation we're working with). Cyborg may very well be the most influential member of the entire Titans. There's a whole plot point in One Year Later about the younger Titans asking his coma state body for advise and venting their problems to him. He has long since been a leader.

With all his experience, however, he has never really gotten the attention he deserved. Raven had a number of story lines about her and is even getting her own comic series soon. Various Robins do their things, even with Dick Grayson coming out as Nightwing and getting his own series. Cyborg has been a popular character that they never seemed to know what to do with. Even Beast Boy (or Changeling depending on how hipster you are) made his name in the Doom Patrol before going joining the Titans and winning fans with his charm and shape-changing ability. Cyborg hasn't had his time in the light yet.

Now is his time however. He is a founding member of the Justice League and a big name hero in the world. Other plot lines have been leading up to this. In the recent Flashpoint series, in an alternate universe, Cyborg is the world's leading hero, basically what Superman is to us. There he would search for ways to stop warring supers and maintain order. This focus on Cyborg spelled out a bigger future for him.

He even has a staring role in a DC animate film. When so many of the films focus on the main players, usually Bat-man, Superman, or The Green Lantern, in the recent Justice League movie Doom, he is a pivotal character. Helping save Wonder Woman, Superman, and the entire planet. In the film he maintains his strong voice and great gear, while moving smoothly into a more mature and dire situation.

Cyborg is stepping up and getting some real and well deserved focus as a character. He is strong enough to be a hero as well as human enough to sympathize with. In this, DC is growing a character; offering a familiar hero to the old school fans and what could be a new favorite for new fans. Their writing has brought him into his own and allowed his popularity to grow. I hope that DC realizes the potential that they have with this character and use him in the best way possible.

Now I just hope Beast Boy get's his time, but one step at a time.

Just something to chew on.