...Kldr thoughts...: 2014-07

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Reddit, tell me your "glitch in the Matrix" stories

http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/oeo0h/reddit_tell_me_your_glitch_in_the_matrix_stories/

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Circadian Rhythm and Blues: The Interface of Depression with Sleep and Dreams

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mindful-sleep-mindful-dreams/201103/circadian-rhythm-and-blues-the-interface-depression-sleep-a

Monday, July 28, 2014

Divinity: Original Sin

I recently played Divinity: Original Sin. It proved to be a better game than I had expected.

One of the simple mechanics introduced in the game very early on, is something I've realized is missing in most games. I can spill oil on the ground, then light it on fire. The green ooze/poison stuff is explosive if burned. If I hit an enemy that is on fire with poison, it will explode causing extra fire damage. A spell available in the first town, that can be cast (theoretically) by someone at level 1, makes it rain. The rain makes characters wet. Wet characters are harder to burn. These are all really simple concepts that make a much richer game mechanically.

Objects can be moved around. I beat a boss by abusing this. Arranging the vases in the room, messed with the Boss' AI so that instead of starting the fight by blasting me with a big spell, they ran around all the vases and swung a sword. Another time I managed to place a bunch of oil barrels around a room, before starting the fight by attacking them with fire. The fight was basically over as soon as it began.

The game certainly isn't perfect (it seems to reward save-scumming rather heavily) yet it seems very much like a big forward leap for it's genre. It isn't simply more of the old stuff, like so many other indie RPGs have been. Divinity: Original Sin has raised the bar, providing new mechanics and ideas for everyone to (hopefully) raid and pillage for their new games.

Saturday, July 26, 2014

The Gervais Principle, Or The Office According to “The Office”

http://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/10/07/the-gervais-principle-or-the-office-according-to-the-office/

Friday, July 25, 2014

My problem with Hearthstone

If I try to just enjoy playing ranked, I end up running into a wall I can't pass, because I don't have enough good cards. To get better cards I need gold. To get gold at a reasonable rate, I need quests. To do quests I must log in and play a short while on whatever hero it tells me to play every day or two. So, either I get annoyed by the task I'm given, or I get annoyed when the task ends. Either way, I lose interest after a short while and stop playing.

It's frustrating to not be able to make progress when I just do what I want, and frustrating to not be able to do what I want when I try to make progress.