A link

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_84/474-A-Play-within-a-Play

More evidence that character matters.

Random writings...

I wonder at times, what it is that I am doing.
I think, and ponder, and devise, but do nothing.
I dream, and imagine, but create nothing.

I spend all this time, (unable to rhyme)
yet have nothing to show, (except what I know)
There is nothing I've made, (some thoughts begin to fade)
Just a messed up mind,
a messed up body,
a messed up time.


Unable to share,
the dreams of my mind,
I feel alone...

City of Heroes: Fire Control + Kinetics

I see lots of controllers using Fire Control with Kinetics. While theoretically (and in the hands of a skilled player) it is possible to get very high damage out of such a setup, I find that in actual use, most of those controllers I see, end up doing very little.

Kinetics is a powerset that, to use fully, can easily be a full time job. Often, the controllers I see with it, end up not using it much, because they already have their hands full with using Fire Control. Additionally, Speed Boost, which is a very good power, can be a real pain to keep active on a full party.

I've concluded that while Kinetics is a very powerful secondary for controllers, I don't believe it to be a good choice for most. Perhaps, Radiation Emission, or Sonic Resonance would be better choices, as they are often easier to use, and less time consuming.

P.S. I haven't had the opportunity to use Fulcrum Shift, the last power in the Kinetics set. The few times I have seen it used though, it was so powerful, it might be enough to redeem the set all by itself. If you have Kinetics, make sure you get Fulcrum Shift when it becomes available, and use it.

Communication

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_137/2940-Idea-Sex-in-the-Classroom

After reading this, I was reminded of an old question of mine, I hope to someday answer: How can I teach what I've learned to others? The idea of packaging it into a game, is something I'd love to do, but I don't know how to do it. I can't even put it into a story, and I'd expect that to be easier.

I'm not a writer, I'm not a programmer, I'm not an artist. All I do is observe, but what good is observation without communication? It doesn't matter what I know, if I cannot give it to someone else.

Art

After reading an article on the "are games art?" question (http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3536/the_arty_party.php) I've kinda come to the conclusion that too many people are too restrictive in what they consider art.

Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. Art too can be seen anywhere, so long as the viewer perceives it. I could take a picture of the sidewalk, frame it, and put it on a wall as art. There is no true limitation of what can or cannot be art. It lies entirely in one's ability to appreciate the qualities they perceive.

Some stuff.

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3515/the_future_of_the_realtime_.php
Someone's commentary on the state of RTS games.

http://flashofsteel.com/index.php/2008/01/25/the-future-of-the-rts-its-already-here/
Someone else's response.

Personally, I like macro-management better than Micro-management, but most games don't have good macro-management tools. The best you can usually hope for is something like the auto-build feature in Master of Orion II.

I think a good macro-management game would require flexibility in options, so that players can quickly change their strategies in response to their opponents.

A little Fiction

Mad Scientist Enja enjoyed her work. Mixing and matching, tweaking and twiddling, messing with natures creations, to make the best of all that was, and create something new. Her goal: to blend all that was into a super-being. To create a master race.

With each experiment, she got a little closer, learned a little more. Oblivious to the screams, cries, and tears of those she worked on, she continued to progress. She was improving them, making them stronger, better. They'd thank her later she thought, They all would.

P.S. A little fiction about Kldraia Enja, a Villian I created in City of Villians. Many of my other characters in both City of Villians, and City of Heroes have Enja's lab as their origins.