So. How 'bout that weather?

I promise I'm not just making vapid small talk because I think our date is going poorly.

The climate and weather is probably what Antarctica is most known for in the public consciousness. We see videos of penguins huddled together is a snowstorm, no sky to be seen, and can only imagine what they're feeling. Well I have been that penguin, so let me tell you.

Yes, Antarctica is cold. (I've already done the joke ending an article after the obvious answer, so we're moving along.) When I arrived here, that first day was negative fifty degrees. That's basically been the baseline for the first few weeks. And this wasn't even a particularly unique temperature. That level of cold is pretty common for this time of year, and just a fact of life. Even now, where we've entered above zero degrees by a few points, it feels like the temperature could plummet at any moment.

Part of what causes that feeling is the wind. Unsurprisingly, Antarctica is below the southern treeline. No trees grow here, so your most common windbreak is nonexistent. Outside of a few mountains off in the distance and the local buildings, there's nothing to stop the wind from hitting you like a runaway train. Even with the clothes we talked about last week, the wind slices through you and erases even the memory of being warm. While it might be four degrees right now, the wind-chill can make it feel like that first day off the plane.

But cold and wind are the easy ones. What you might not know is just how dry the air is here. This was not something I expected when I came to the Ice. It's actually astonishing. My roommate was telling me when I first arrived that he couldn't sleep because he kept waking up feeling like his lungs were drying out (we found a humidifier, so we're all doing better). I brought some hand cream along on a lark and now I'm really glad I did because of the way my skin is desiccating at work.

But the real thing that drives it home is the static. We've all sparked friends before, but not like this. With my room key in hand I become Thor, son of Odin, master of lightning. The static here is unlike anything I've experienced. This is not the "Tee hee, I shuffled on the carpet in my socks and shocked my mom" kind of static. I can see it arc from my key to the lock half an inch away. If I'm not wearing my rubber work shoes, every time I touch a door handle or metal table, it zaps me.

One last thing I want to touch on is the station Conditions. I only learned about this recently because it's apparently rarer then I would have thought. All inhabited stations are subject to three Conditions that reflect what's going on outside and in turn what can be done at the base. The Condition we are in is effected by things like temperature, wind, precipitation, and visibility. 

As is the governments way, the Conditions defy all logic and count down from three. Condition 3 is "Situation normal." We have decent visibility, wind isn't too strong, and the temperature is above negative 75 (perfectly warm). This is the condition we usually stay in, and it allows for all activity. Those with outdoor jobs are able to make their shifts, the ski and hiking trails are open, and daily life operates as usual.

Now Condition 2 is when things start to get a little hairy. We have visibility under a quarter of a mile, strong winds, or the temperature is lower than negative 75. While travel around the station is still allowed, all the activities outside the base boundaries are closed; no hiking or skiing, and any vehicle's need to be in constant communication with the Central Communications department. Often Condition 2 is a transition to Condition 1, though we have stayed in Condition 2 for a few days before.

Condition 1 is the big one. This is apparently such a rarity that the few Condition 1 events that the winter crew had were mostly in the wee hours of the morning and only lasted for maybe a half hour. So the fact that we've had two since I got here, during normal operating hours, seems to suggest I have some amazing luck (good or bad is yet to be determined). As you might expect, Condition 1 has some major extremes: visibility is less than 100 feet, high winds, and temperatures below negative 100. Not only are all outdoor recreations canceled, but all personnel are confined to the building they are in--no one is allowed outside. So if you were in the aerobics gym when Condition 1 hit, I hope you like sleeping on a treadmill (also the bathroom is out of order, so good luck). This Condition hits hard, because that outdoor ban also means that anyone who works outside just can't. One of my roommates is a plumber and when Condition 1 hit, it was basically a free paid day off for him. Alas, the kitchen isn't so lucky.

Weather is really the name of the game here. Everything that goes on in Antarctica orbits the weather condition, and if things go bad, the whole place shuts down. It's fascinating to watch, and despite being used to Midwest winters, the visibility and the howling wind are such new phenomenon for me, that I understand why H.P. Lovecraft wrote At The Mountains of Madness. It can really feel like everything you know about the world no longer applies.

(Condition 1. There's supposed to be more buildings in this picture.)

ECW in Christchurch

Last week we only touched on my time at Christchurch, so this time I figured I'd give you a bit of a run-down on what happened on the thirteen or so days that we were delayed in New Zealand. And to start with, let's talk about the International Antarctic Centre.

Right next door to the airport we arrived at and the Sudima hotel most of us were staying at is the hub for Antarctic deployment and research. It's hard to miss with the giant penguins on the sign and tracked vehicles sitting out front. We were sent over after our first night for a morning briefing and to get fitted for our ECW gear.

Before any of you wrestling fans get excited, ECW in this context has nothing to do with barbed wire and flaming tables. I know, I was disappointed too. It stands for Extreme Cold Weather clothing. These clothes are the standard for Antarctic travel, and the big red jacket--while also exceedingly comfortable--is a sort of uniform for all involved.

This might come as a surprise to some of you, but Antarctica is rather chilly; more so than the average Midwest winter (polar vortex notwithstanding). So dedicated layers and equipment are a Godsend. We were given a pack of everything we'd need. The first are the boots. Affectionately known as Bunny Boots, these moon boots will make the entire 80s feel inadequate. They're made of some kind of rubber and plastic, and feel massive no matter what size your feet. For some reason, they have a pressure valve built into them that needs to be open when flying or else your feet explode (I guess‽) and otherwise stays closed to keep heat in. Next is pants and along with the snow pants you, a pair of sweatpants in the most obnoxious blue color is also included for underneath. Working our way up is a black zip sweatshirt, a neck gaiter, a balaclava (an item colloquially known as a ski mask, but that's not nearly official enough for government work), and what are essentially ski goggles. The goggles were great as the balaclava covers my mouth and that usually fogs my glasses, but the goggles keep them clean. For my hands, they gave a set of heavy yellow gloves and an inner glove liner. All of that gets wrapped in the aforementioned giant red jacket with fuzzy hood.

While it was a bit too warm in Christchurch, when I stepped off the plane in Antarctica I was glad to have every single piece. It might not be the most fashionable look, but function triumphs over form here, and I can live with that.

Also we got tested for covid after the gear issue, but that's way less interesting.

To keep this from being just a diatribe about my ECW fashion disaster, I want to cover just a bit more about Christchurch from being a tourist. Sadly, after my arrival I came down with a cold and was mostly holed up in my dorm for the next week. I didn't get to explore nearly as much as I would have liked. But I did get to try a number of the restaurants in Spitfire Square right next to the hotel. Shoutout to BurgerFuel for being a solid 3 out of 5 and further proof that the US does burgers better.

Christchurch is such a pretty city. Once I had recovered, I made a point to go out more often. On one of my walks into the city, I walked along Memorial Avenue and it seems like everyone had decided to plant flowers along their sidewalk walls. The whole way down there were hanging plants and blooms growing out of bushes. The walk alone was worth it to see all the flora. Included with the domestic plant life, Christchurch seems to have a lot of public parks. While there was one giant park where I assume lots of community life happens, there were a number of others that I passed through that couldn't be more than a few hundred feet long, but made such a nice impact on the area.

I had a few times to walk that street and enjoy the outdoors, as on Sunday I made it to a local church for their service. I slipped into the ARISE service being held at a high school, and keeping with my luck of never doing the conventional thing, I apparently was there for their big announcement service where they talked about what all the satellite campuses were doing and the new endeavors the church would be undertaking. I wish them the best of luck.

Lastly, it turns out Christchurch has a fantastic bus system. It was a little nerve-wracking to finally figure out the schedule and get on the thing, but for a four dollar (NZ) ticket, you can get all the way into downtown and have your fill of exploring the city. In my test run (and unfortunately my only bus trip) I made my way down to The Wizards Retreat to pick up some cards and dice. Nice folks there, highly reccomend. But it let me see just how easy it would be to explore the city. I already walk a lot, so having the bus depot serve as a central hub would have been a great way to explore the museums and shops. If I've got some time when I finally return home and can spend a few extra days in Christchurch, I'll make an effort to do so.

But all good things must come to an end, and while I enjoyed the extra days in Christchurch, I did have to leave and start actually working down here in Antarctica. Next week we'll actually get to talk about what life on the Ice has been like.

Until then, stay cool.

To the Edge of the World

Can I just say that the fact I can share this live from the literal end of the planet is amazing? What a world we live in. But yes, I am in fact on the continent of Antarctica. I realize this is something that not many people will be able to say, and I think it appropriate, if not necessary, for me to share my experience and let those of you who can't make it down here know what life is like.

And the first question I want to address is: how the heck do you even get here?

I flew.

Thanks for coming, see you next week.

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Okay, obviously it's more than that. My initial destination was New Zealand. That was a standard enough trip. I flew from Albany to O'Hare to San Francisco. And from there it was a thirteen-hour international flight to Auckland, New Zealand. I stop our tale here to talk a little bit about getting through customs.

I think most of us who have gone international agree that customs might be the most daunting part of any trip, even more so than the many hours of flight time. The thought that you might get turned away because you didn't understand all the ins and outs of paperwork is a normal human's nightmare, and probably a professional bureaucrat's Christmas wish. Coming into Auckland at around 2 a.m. and needing to go through a bunch of government paperwork and inspections is not my idea of a good time. As is to be expected, a lot of it was waiting in lines and slowly shuffling forward to the eventual goal of one of the kiosks. I had the good fortune of seeing some other people with paperwork similar to mine, so I kept an eye on them and when the option arose, I went to the same customs officer that they did. Luckily she was a very friendly sort and understood when I showed her the letter and said "Just like those guys. Help." And can we just agree that customs declarations is a psyop? I had to declare one bottle of hot sauce and my hiking shoes. And to do so required that I go through an hour and a half long line to get told, "Yeah it's fine," and shoved on through in like thirty seconds.

But whatever. One more flight over to Christchurch, New Zealand, and finally I'm staring down the barrel of the Antarctic flight. While walking over to the hotel I'd be posted up in for a few days (more on that later), I saw sitting on the runway a cargo plane. It was like an ominous sign saying, "This is where you'll be soon. And there's no turning back when you get inside." I may be dramatizing a touch.

Either way, I was given my room key in the Sudima hotel and instructions to be at the Antarctica Center at 8 a.m. the next day for on boarding (again, more on that next week). And so we were ready to go. Kinda.

See, here's the fun part about traveling to Antarctica: the weather is not your friend. Wind, snow storms, freezing cold, they're all to be expected down here, but more than that, they make flying down to the Ice an incredibly challenging feat. When we first arrived in Christchurch, and even when I was interviewing for the job, we were all told that there could, and likely would, be delays to the flight. They would keep us up to date on what was going on, but just be prepared to chill in Christchurch for a bit if things weren't going our way. I arrived in Christchurch on August 13. I took my first steps onto the Ice on August 26. So yeah, you could say there were some delays.

Though in fairness, Christchurch is a lovely city. I wouldn't have minded some more time hanging out there.

Delays aside, yes, I did get here. We flew out of Christchurch in a C-17 cargo plane, with a cadre of US Air Force running the flight. Despite most of the passengers sitting along the sides and big pallets of whatever strapped down to the middle, it was a surprisingly normal flight. But Uncle Sam, listen to me, can we get more than one bathroom on the plane? I get that you're all about efficiency and whatever, but when some of the passengers had to be cut off as we began our decent--an hour before touching down--because the line up was too long, I think some improvements could be made.

And so we landed in Antarctica. While this whole post is mostly about the travel, I would be remiss to not share what it was like to step off that plane. The air field is in the middle of nowhere. All around was just a flat white field and mountains way off in the distance. I was filled with a tug of war between "There's no way this is real" and "Hell's bells, it's real and I'm here." Like it was hard to accept my reality, but the cold and wind and the sights meant that I had no choice but to face the truth.

There you have it, a few flights, a long delay, and one cargo plane later, and you too can get to Antarctica (mountain of paperwork before and during not withstanding). My world here is pretty small, mostly consisting of my dorm room and the kitchen, but every time I look out the window, I still get that feeling. "I can't believe this is real."

Stay tuned for more details about life here. Gonna talk a bit about my time in Christchurch next time.

Just something to chew on. (Man I missed that catchphrase.)

Done With 16-Bit

The year was 1987. Nintendo and Sega would soon be locked in an epic rivalry. Each would bring their weapon, the SNES and the Sega Genesis. Both systems would armed with the highest graphics available, 16-bit. This style would define the generation and open up new doors for designers and artists to tell their digital stories. Indie developers have been taking pages from history and applying this style to their own modern games to rousing success.

And I wish they would move on already.

I'm tired of so many games using the old 16-bit or 32-bit art style for their games. I understand how nostalgic it feels and some of the excellent art that can be made with it. It has its place, I know that, but indie games now seem to all be just grabbing at the old styles instead of trying something new. Often, the excellent art that came out of that era was because the hardware was restricted and there was only so much they could do with their tools. They had to make what they had do more than they thought it could. These days, developers aren't developing their own signature styles for art and design. They cling to old ideas without adding to it with their own innovations.

This is one of the reasons that I am really interested in the game A Hat In Time. This game is a fun, cartoony came styled after games like Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie. This game seems to have its own styles and originality, while still holding to an older style of design. It looks fun and charming, but more than anything, it has a design philosophy that I appreciate. I liked those collect-a-thon games of old, and I'm glad to see them coming back. And it is coming back in a way that isn't just aping everything about the classic. It is possible to take what we have learned from old games and apply older design theories to new games.

As a basic rule, I think that we need to stop looking at the small aspects of the games we loved and look at the bigger picture. There is a deeper theme in the old games that is oft overlooked when designers start a  project, and it suffers for it. Understanding how all the parts work together to influence the final project should be the main purpose in game design.

And can we stop ripping off Final Fantasy for every RPG story line, please?

Just something to chew on.

Non-Combative

The first game that I bought for my 3DS was Monster Hunter 3. For a long while there, I was the epic adventurer. I scoured forests and deserts, fought giant beasts, and crafted devilish weapons. Still, I find that there is more to my hunt, stronger beasts that I have yet to vanquish. And how have I been spending my time? I fish, and am the mayor of the small town of Sindane. I have been playing way too much Animal Crossing: New Leaf.

There is a lot to be said for non-combative gaming.

For those of you who don't know, Animal Crossing is a game unlike many others. It is a life sim, with anthropomorphic animals as your neighbors (figure that one out). It's about living day to day, making money, making friends, and customizing your home and character. You can fish, hunt for insects, dig up fossils, and interact with friends in town, as well as visitors. The most "intense" moments are when you're trying to real in a rare fish, or when those bloody tarantulas start chasing you down. It has none of the adrenaline pumping flash and spectacle that a lot of games have, but I still find myself engrossed in it.

This is something that I believe a lot of game publishers need to start figuring out. The market is saturated with hyper-violent and combat intensive games. Try to think of the games that don't have you slicing, punching, shooting, or otherwise ending someone's life prematurely. We've got a pretty small list. Harvest Moon, the Sims, maybe a few others, but the pool is pretty small. Yet, Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing have been very popular, at least in Japan. While I am not saying violence in a game is inherently bad, an excellent game can be made without serious and bloody combat.

Violence is often one of the biggest complaints that this industry gets. How often have we heard games like Call of Duty being associated with school shootings and violence. They've been called terrorist simulators even. Rough criticism, (and mostly stupid) but they point at the violent trend that we have in this medium. So, I think it is time for developers to look at some non-violent methods of design.

I have had in mind a project that I want to work on with simple tools like the RPG Maker. RPGs, in the old Final Fantasy styles, are pretty easy to adapt to some non-combat elements. It isn't hard to image switching attacks and spells to arguments and word choice. What I want to design is an RPG where every attack and spell is named for some element of speech. While the mechanics function the same, the theming will make all interactions like a conversation. The overall goal will be to convince someone of a higher social standing than you to think your way. It is a small step toward making a game that is not focused on the violence. Let's be honest, arguments can be just as heated and adrenaline pumping as combat.

Maybe I'll add the option to pull a gun on someone if things get hard...probably not.

Just something to chew on.

The Creeping Curse of Nintendo

E3 has come and gone. Big console news was announced, games were revealed, fanboys have been baited, and the dust is settling. With arguments back and forth about who won, Microsoft or Sony (Sony), the power of Nintendo has crept by, seemingly unnoticed. I'm here to tell you a truth, however. Despite all the fan fare and chest pounding of some of the big names out there, we all recognize one absolute truth.

Nintendo gets to us all.

The first system I owned was an N64 that my parents bought us one summer. One Christmas, my grandparents sent the money that got Kyle and I GameBoys. Some years later, my brother and I bought a PS2 a little after it came out. I then saved up and bought myself a Gamecube. When the Nintendo Wii was released, it was my Christmas present one year. I would go on to buy DS. This last semester, I bought the 3DS. Nintendo has been a part of my gaming log book for years, and that won't soon change.

My story isn't unique. Look at some of the big YouTubers out there who play games and a lot of them can tell you about their times with Nintendo. That is Nintendo's biggest strength. They become a part of your life. The characters in their games are as much a part of your childhood as Snow White and the Trix Rabbit. For many of us, Nintendo has always been there.

And they always will. This last E3 showing, and their 3DS focused Nintendo Direct, has shown how much fight is still in this company. So often we see others who want to write them off as a casual company, pronouncing casual with the same tone they might describe dog vomit. Yet despite that, the Wii was a massive seller, the 3DS is the most prominent handheld system, and fans across the globe still rally to them. For some reason, Nintendo has always been slow of the gate with their releases. The Wii U's launch line up was pretty paltry, as was the 3DS's. The same can be said of the Wii, and the Gamecube. But we've seen what Nintendo has up its sleeves and what they can do with their IPs.

Nintendo really is a creeping curse, a shadow that slips past all the hustle and bustle that comes with much of the gaming industry. And they do it in the most ethical way possible, by creating great games and being a company that is endearing. Though they tend to hash out their same franchises over and over, you can always expect real quality out of them. Reggie Fils-Aime, head of Nintendo of America, is a well known face in gaming and is often very vocal about the company. There are countless interviews with him talking about the passion he has for games. He was recently quoted as saying that if developers wanted to cut down on used game sales issues, then they needed to make better games. A ballsy statement, but one that Nintendo often backs up.

The reason I'm talking about this is two-fold. The first being, I was skeptical about the Wii U. In all honesty, it seemed gimiky and with little value. But like always, I'm seeing what Nintendo is putting out of it, the development and games going into it, and I have to say I am interested. In time, I will probably end up buying one. Take this as a recommendation from me to look into the system at a later date. Second, I look at this as an amazing trend in the industry and indicative of who we are as consumers. We walk a fine line. Companies like Nintendo don't venture into new IPs very often, and we don't fault them too greatly for it, but others send out similar games and they become the villains. As consumers, our dollar has a lot of power, unfortunately, I don't know where to tell you to use it. While it is true that we shouldn't buy up every shoddy sequel that comes out, how can we tell what makes a Good sequel? Do we wish that companies would only make one of any title? Who knows? But what I can say is this. There are some companies that we can turst and some that we know will turn out good products. No matter what and fanboys, haters, or PC master race says, Nintendo is here to stay and will continue to influence gaming for years to come.

Now I just want a new iteration in the Mischief Makers franchise.

Just something to chew on.

What's In A Second?

Well, thanks to my friend Patrick, I've found myself digging deeper into the gaming world. I have bit the bullet and began playing League of Legends. With it, I have begun to recognize some important components of game design. Comparing it against some other games that I have played, I have noticed something interesting.

A lot can happen in one second.

League of Legends is packed with spells and actions that last only one second. Some of the unique spells can last as long as 3.5 seconds. Now this doesn't seem like a long time to those outside the game, but in League, 3.5 seconds can be an eternity. What we see in this game is how much can be packed into a few seconds.

One of my first, and still favorite champions, is a girl named Annie. She builds a stun that lasts 1.75 seconds. In that time, games can be won or lost. Her spells allow for plenty of damage in a short time, and in a team fight, if you catch a few champions with it, an entire team can be wiped out. But look again, that's not even two seconds. What this illustrates is how important managing the flow of a fight can be. Riot, the company that develops League, makes its players capitalize on the short bit of time that is given to them.

In gaming, the flow of the game is crucial. The players need to feel in control at all times. In Annie's case, her stun takes away that control and can change up how the game plays. Many other champions have similar abilities. Another champion of mine, Morgana, has a spell that holds opponents in place, though they can still attack. The two are used in different ways to change the game. To players, time is essential.

As a facet of game design, understanding how players use the time and the breaks you give them is necessary to getting to the heart of how your game is played. If there is wasted time, or time that is used unfairly, the player feels cheated. Look at Donkey Kong Country Returns for the Nintendo Wii and 3DS. This game shows how time can be used incorrectly. In some levels, platforms fall from the sky. When I was playing, I noticed that there were times I had to wait for the platform to fall because I had made it to the section faster than the developers had anticipated. Because of this, I had to wait for one or two seconds for the next to fall. For me, this broke my flow in those levels and sometimes ended up causing me to fail. Instead of rewarding the player for reaching an area faster, he or she is punished with either wasted time, or if they tried to continue early, failure. The developers did not understand how time influenced their players.

While there is a major difference between MOBAs like League and Platformers like Donkey Kong, the same principle holds to each. Time is a resource for the player and when they can't use it like they want, there is an issue. This isn't to say that the player should always be allowed to do as they please when they please, it is important to note that they should never feel like their investment is being ignored. In League, when a stun or other spell influences their play, they know that the developers knew how long it would take and thus they can relax a little. It wasn't the game just wasting time, there was a reason. Donkey Kong could take some notes.

I'm sure that I could spin this idea into some life lessons, but we'll leave that for another day.

Just something to chew on.

PS. I've started another blog called Pipes and Poetry as a place to just throw around some new writing. It is mostly just emotion and whatever I happen to be feeling, so don't give it too much credence as I write. It's more for me than anything else.