Is excited for Two Worlds.
Regardless, I watched Game Trailers' shitty video review of BioShock today - nothing made much of an impression on me. Not to say that the game looks bad, only that those reviews usually leave me indifferent.
The claim of open-endedness does have me suckered into running out to buy it now - but I've always had a nagging, pessimistic issue with this sort of feature.
I'm not sure who it was that critiqued my Morrowind review a long while back, but I stated my beef in there.
Too many games allow the freedom of multiple choices in a number of different categories. This wouldn't be such a bad thing, if there were particular and specific risks, rewards and consequences at the end of it. As it stands, this is a qaulity that a better amount of freedom based titles lack.
It's hard to play a distinctive role in a game, when the only encouragement is "you can do it like this, if you want to".
Your options are certainly broad in most cases, but remain fun diversions rather than immersive and innovative nuances.
Example:
In TES3: Morrowind, what point is there to being anything other than a warrior? It wouldn't be such a damage dealing blow, if Bethesda hadn't boasted so much - but here, it takes a heavy hit. Mages are screwed over before long by having inadequate amounts of Magicka to support their constantly improving spells and generally not having the endurance to take much damage, or the strength to carry armor.
Thieves have a situation nearly as bad. I cannot think of a single common example (other than the predefined Thieves' Guild and a few Morag Tong mission) where any sort of stealth based skill comes in handy. You'll be able to loot random treasure and the like from homes and similarly "friendly" populated areas, but there's no such happening in the game's numerous caves, dungeons, towers, ruins and other types of confined quarters.
Moreover, missions essential to the main storyline (including the ones made available on Soltheim and Mournhold) hardly ever call upon the need to steal, sneak, or generally be far enough away to shoot an arrow at something.
This same detriment plagued Oblivion, but I thought I'd be gentler on my (self-confused) reasoning behind paying attention to it. Most people are satisfied, I think - so why shouldn't I be?
Well it nags at me, without fail, at every opporunity.
There should be imposed definition. There should be guidelines. Developers make the mistake of saying that you can be "any" character you want, or complete a task in "any" way. Though they didn't anticipate gamers trying to become "everything" and do it "every way", that's exactly what they've gotten themselves into.
There's little point in playing a role, if open ended RPGs make being a jack-of-all-trades leaps and bounds more beneficial than sticking to one trade and being the best that there is.
Until they can fix it, I'll be left with a half-frown on my face after all is said and done. BioShock - the best game evAR - or not. Though I am skeptical of investing my time into BioShock because of this pessimistic outlook, I can't help but want to try it out. If it really is the spiritial successor to System Shock 2, then all the more.
On a different note: I can't wait until my birthday (Sept4). Apart from turning 18, having a modest amount of cash thrust upon me by family and having to NOT have sex with the young girls I date (ha, when was my last date? See: NevAR), I'll be getting the first of four settlement payments from when a dog attacked me when I was only five years old.
Coming to a total of $2,700 on its own, this can only mean one thing:
42+ inch Plasma TV.
After reading up on the pros and cons of Plasma vs LCD, I think I'll end up going the route of the former. While it seems safer for the product itself to go with an LCD, the Plasma seems to have the better picture - and that's what I'm concerned about most.
Then in a few weeks, I start my job at the Vesta call center near my apartment complex and hopefully, keep the work going steady. My stint at Target threatened to eat my soul, especially so after I got put up for a promotion, but denied because of my age. Then what? They promote the guy from Turkey who, no offense to anyone else from Turkey, can barely speak English and knows nearly batshit about electronics.
Answering phones and typing shouldn't be so bad, considering:
1. I get to redirect complaints and issues other than change of information.
2. The qualification for the job is - get this - 30 words a minute. What? I thought that that was a joke at first.
3. It pays a dollar more and I won't have to put up with 4 douchebag bosses at once or the gossip and highschool drama bullshit that went on at the big red.
Then in October, it's moveout time. That way, if I manage to be blessed enough to rid myself of the eternal virgin status, being too noisy isn't an obstacle. The neighbors can go fuck themselves. Haha. But that ever happening, is a very, very long shot into the dark.
It will be nice to have my own apartment, though. A certain sense of duty and responsiblity.
Then hopefully during the first stretches of 2008, I'll be ready to start either the criminal justice course at Everest, or the health and fitness classes at Portland Community College.
I'd either like to get my foot in the door with private investigation, work on the police force, or be a fitness trainer. I'll probably end up going with the last one, because it's the one I love the most.
Why am I telling everyone?
I have no idea.
I'm going to be around here for a LONG time, so I thought it'd be nice to let a little of my personality show through and give all you other regulars a fair chance to get to know me.
That's all.
CRUSH
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honestgamer - August 23, 2007 (05:02 PM) Call center work is nice because when you're talking to a customer on the phone that you can't stand, you can make obscene gestures and they won't know it but you will. I worked in a call center for almost two years, so I know what I'm talking about. :-D |
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carcinogen_crush - August 23, 2007 (05:13 PM) Nice! Definitely a perk, by any standards. |
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pup - August 23, 2007 (09:30 PM) 1. I am INTERESTED in Two Worlds. It's definitely a clone of The Elder Scrolls, and they don't hide that. The trouble, clones usually miss the point. Just look at True Crime, Killzone, and any other number of games that try to walk in others' footsteps. I have to say though, I am definitely intrigued by the multiplayer options, and some of the quests sound downright ingenious. 2. As for BioShock, it seems absolutely amazing. The open-ended aspect is definitely being overplayed by some people though. Although you have a good deal of freedom to move about, BioShock is absolutely not as expansive as the Elder Scrolls. As for replay value, that comes from the ability to master certain Plasmids, as well as the ramifications that some of your choices entail. 3. Good luck with whichever course of study you choose. Just be sure to do some independent research regarding the job market. Using the school's placement ratings could be a big mistake. I work with a fellow who just graduated with a degree in Digital Entertainment Media, and according to the school, working at Gamestop is a successful placement. As for Criminal Justice, I suggest choosing a path early. There are numerous fields to go into with such a degree, and some are harder to enter than others. |
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Genj - August 23, 2007 (10:05 PM) Be very careful choosing what you want truly want to do. I seriously considered paying $42,000 (actually more like $3000 - thanks Financial Aid!) a year to become an English teacher. That was a close one. Now I major in Occupation Therapy to do awesome shit to help the physically and mentally disabled. And get paid really high hourly wages to do it. |
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carcinogen_crush - August 24, 2007 (09:08 AM) Genj, I had no idea you were so moral and caring. : ) Yeah, I'll probably just work a shit-tastic job for the next few years, anyway. That sounds like me. |
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pup - August 24, 2007 (06:44 PM) Oh, and start saving for internships. For the love of god, start saving! |
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