I've noticed that in many fields, innovation mainly comes from new companies. It often seems as if old companies are too entrenched in the status quo to want new things to come about (an example would be Kodak who was very late to the digital party, despite being the first to invent it).
However, big oil doesn't seem to suffer that problem. I often read about new technologies being developed to get more oil from more places, or about how they are investing in other fuel types. I wondered what the reason was, then realized there's a big fundamental difference between oil companies and manufacturing companies: Oil will run out.
Every time a new oil platform is built, they know there's a limited amount of oil to be retrieved. So big oil has to constantly be on the lookout for new technologies to get more, and if that ever fails, new products to sell when the oil starts running low.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Sunday, March 07, 2010
Friday, March 05, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
The Robotic Future
As robots take over more and more jobs, one big question I fear may be getting overlooked is: What do we do with all the current and future unemployable people?
There is a certain minimum level of performance required to be worth hiring at minimum wage. As the skill level and performance of robots increases, the minimum ability required to be worth minimum wage will also increase.
There is a certain minimum level of performance required to be worth hiring at minimum wage. As the skill level and performance of robots increases, the minimum ability required to be worth minimum wage will also increase.
Monday, February 08, 2010
Sunday, February 07, 2010
The need for predictions.
http://www.cs.utexas.edu/~kuipers/opinions/electrons-vs-fairies.html
Making good decisions relies upon a mix of luck, and the ability to predict the outcome of those decisions. (preferably more of the later). For knowledge to be helpful, it must improve the ability to make predictions. To determine if that is so, one must have testable predictions made from that knowledge. If the knowledge cannot produce testable predictions, then the usefulness of the knowledge cannot be known.
Making good decisions relies upon a mix of luck, and the ability to predict the outcome of those decisions. (preferably more of the later). For knowledge to be helpful, it must improve the ability to make predictions. To determine if that is so, one must have testable predictions made from that knowledge. If the knowledge cannot produce testable predictions, then the usefulness of the knowledge cannot be known.
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Virtual Jobs:
Part of the trouble with trying to stop RMT (Real Money Transfer) in games is that the money involved is enough to live on in some places. For instance: the approximate USD (United States Dollar) value of isk I make each month in EVE is near $50. While that's hardly significant where I live, in other places, that's a lot of money. So, then I wondered:
Is it possible to make an MMO designed to provide work and pay for people in poor countries, and actually succeed? It would need to have low minimum system requirements, and somehow obtain, and maintain enough popularity to keep demand for the fruit's of other's labor high. A tall order.
Is it possible to make an MMO designed to provide work and pay for people in poor countries, and actually succeed? It would need to have low minimum system requirements, and somehow obtain, and maintain enough popularity to keep demand for the fruit's of other's labor high. A tall order.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Amusing quotes
Taken from: http://www.dreamslaughter.com/BTB%2001.html
I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.
~ Stephen Roberts
They made a wasteland and called it peace.
~ Tacitus
If you talk to God, you are praying. If God talks to you, you have schizophrenia.
~ Thomas Szasz
You know your god is man-made when he hates all the same people you do.
~ [Usenet]
We must question the story logic of having an all-knowing all-powerful God, who creates faulty humans, and then blames them for his own mistakes.
~ Gene Roddenberry
Kill a man, and you are an assassin. Kill millions of men, and you are a conqueror. Kill everyone, and you are a god.
~ Jean Rostand
Men are not punished for their sins, but by them.
~ Elbert G Hubbard
I like your Christ; I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.
~ Mohandas Gandhi
Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it.
~ George Bernard Shaw
Capitalism is the astounding belief that the most wickedest of men will do the most wickedest of things for the greatest good of everyone.
~ John Maynard Keynes
I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires.
~ Susan B. Anthony
If pigs could vote, the man with the slop bucket would be elected swineherd every time, no matter how much slaughtering he did on the side.
~ Orson Scott Card
It is poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.
~ Mother Teresa
If we'd been born where they were born and taught what they were taught, we would believe what they believe.
~ A church sign in Northern Ireland
Jehovah was not a moral god. He had all the vices and he lacked all the virtues. He generally carried out all his threats, but he never faithfully kept a promise.
~ Robert G. Ingersoll
What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty and democracy?
~ Mohandas Gandhi
A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything.
~ Nietzsche
Humanity without religion is like a serial killer without a chainsaw.
~ Unknown
Humanity has advanced, when it has advanced, not because it has been sober, responsible, and cautious, but because it has been playful, rebellious, and immature.
~ Tom Robbins
Peace is over rated. Any slave can have peace. Just pick the cotton.
~ TheSong
Pain is certain, suffering is optional.
~ Buddha
When did I realize I was God? Well, I was praying and I suddenly realized I was talking to myself.
~ Jack Gurney - "The Ruling Class"
When you give food to the poor, they call you a saint. When you ask why the poor have no food, they call you a communist.
~ Archbishop Helder Camara
I read about an Eskimo hunter who asked the local missionary priest, ‘If I did not know about God and sin, would I go to hell?’ ‘No,’ said the priest, ‘not if you did not know.’ ‘Then why,’ asked the Eskimo earnestly, ‘did you tell me?’
~ Annie Dillard
I sometimes think that God in creating man somewhat overestimated his ability.
~ Oscar Wilde
Democracy is four wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch.
~ Ambrose Bierce
In nature, there are neither rewards nor punishments; there are consequences.
~ Robert G. Ingersoll
To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it.
~ Confucius
The truth is that there is nothing noble in being superior to somebody else. The only real nobility is in being superior to your former self.
~ Whitney Young
Invisible Pink Unicorns are beings of awesome mystical power. We know this because they manage to be invisible and pink at the same time. Like all religions, the Faith of the Invisible Pink Unicorns is based upon both logic and faith. We have faith that they are pink; we logically know that they are invisible because we can't see them.
~ Steve Eley
The corporation is a true Frankenstein's monster, an artificial person run amok, responsible only to its own soulless self.
~ William Dugger
When you call yourself an Indian or a Muslim or a Christian or a European, or anything else, you are being violent. Do you see why it is violent? It is because you are separating yourself from the rest of mankind. When you separate yourself by belief, by nationality, by tradition, it breeds violence. So a man who is seeking to understand violence does not belong to any country, to any religion, to any political party or partial system; he is concerned with the total understanding of mankind.
~ J. Krishnamurthi
Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.
~ Philip K. Dick
The keenest sorrow is to recognize ourselves as the sole cause of all our adversities.
~ Sophocles
May your fondest wish be granted.
~ Traditional Chinese curse
Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; truth isn't.
~ Mark Twain
Believe those who are seeking the truth; doubt those who find it.
~ Andre Gide
In order to learn, one must change one's mind.
~ Orson Scott Card
Every anarchist is a baffled dictator.
~ Benito Mussolini
There must be more to life than having everything.
~ Maurice Sendak
If we do not like the world the way it is, then it is because we are not okay the way we are.
~ deeshan
Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards.
~Vernon Saunders Law
It is your business, when the wall next door catches fire.
~ Horace
Once you have seen certain things, you can't un-see them, and seeing nothing is as political an act as seeing something.
~ Arundhati Roy
All I know is that I am not a Marxist.
~ Karl Marx
There is enough for man's need but not for man's greed.
~Mohandas Gandhi
Before you speak, ask yourself is it kind, is it necessary, is it true, does it improve on the silence?
~ Shirdi Sai Bab
If you understand everything, you must be misinformed.
~ Japanese Proverb
Government is actually the worst failure of civilized man. There has never been a really good one, and even those that are most tolerable are arbitrary, cruel, grasping and unintelligent.
~ H. L. Mencken
if you keep doing what you've always done, you'll keep getting what you've always gotten.
~ Jim Rohn
Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.
~ Albert Einstein
Either God wants to abolish evil, and cannot; or he can, but does not want to. If he wants to, but cannot, he is impotent. If he can, but does not want to, he is wicked. If, as they say, God can abolish evil, and God really wants to do it, why is there evil in the world?
~ Epicurus
Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong.
~ Voltaire
One death is a tragedy. A million deaths is a statistic.
~ Josef Stalin
Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them.
~ Albert Einstein
We can often do more for other men by trying to correct our own faults than by trying to correct theirs.
~ Francois Fenelon
News is what someone wants to suppress. Everything else is advertising.
~ Ex-NBC news president Rubin Frank
All warfare is based on deception.
~ Sun tzu
When I told the people of Northern Ireland that I was an atheist, a woman in the audience stood up and said, ‘Yes, but is it the God of the Catholics or the God of the Protestants in whom you don't believe?’
~ Quentin Crisp
The church tries to save sinners, but science seeks to stop their manufacture.
~ Elbert Hubbard
Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see.
~ Arthur Schopenhauer
There are three truths: my truth, your truth, and the truth.
~ Chinese proverb
If you pray for rain long enough, it eventually does fall. If you pray for floodwaters to abate, they eventually do. The same happens in the absence of prayers.
~ Steve Allen
Acceptance without proof is the fundamental characteristic of Western religion, rejection without proof is the fundamental characteristic of Western science.
~ Gary Zukav
Do you love your Creator? Love your fellow beings first.
~ Prophet Muhammad
A treatise upon human nature: It is not contrary to reason to prefer the destruction of the whole world to the scratching of my finger.
~ David Hume
One-tenth of the folks run the world. One-tenth watch them run it, and the other eighty percent don't know what the hell's going on.
~ Jake Simmons
Why do we kill people who are killing people to show that killing people is wrong?
~ Holly Near
Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half of the time.
~ Elwyn B. White
The more I study religions the more I am convinced that man never worshipped anything but himself.
~ Sir R. F. Burton
The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.
~ Sun tzu
In law a man is guilty when he violates the rights of another. In ethics he is guilty if he only thinks of doing so.
~ Immanuel Kant
Know thy enemy and know thy self and you will win a hundred battles.
~ Sun tzu
The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true.
~ James Branch Cabell
Peace is only possible if men cease to place their happiness in the possession of things which cannot be shared.
~ Julien Benda
It may be necessary temporarily to accept a lesser evil, but one must never label a necessary evil as good.
~ Margaret Mead
Silence is one of the hardest arguments to refute.
~ Josh Billings
The quickest way of ending a war is to lose it.
~ George Orwell
War: first, one hopes to win; then one expects the enemy to lose; then, one is satisfied that he too is suffering; in the end, one is surprised that everyone has lost.
~ Karl Kraus
It is better to be generous than just. It is sometimes better to sympathize instead of trying to understand.
~ Pierre Lecompte de Nouy
Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought.
~ Basho
Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils.
~ Hector Berlioz
A man who is afraid will do anything.
~ Jawaharlal Nehru
Each of us is confined to a world of our own making.
~ Shawn Mikula
As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain, and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality.
~ Albert Einstein
It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves; it is not possible to find it elsewhere.
~ Agnes Repplier
Wisdom is knowing what to do next. Virtue is doing it.
~ David Starr Jordan
A jury consists of twelve persons chosen to decide who has the better lawyer.
~ Robert Frost
When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everybody will respect you.
~ Lao tzu
The biggest conspiracy of all is the claim that there are no conspiracies!
~ Michael Rivero
Today it is fashionable to talk about the poor. Unfortunately, it is not fashionable to talk with them.
~ Mother Teresa
No man's knowledge here can go beyond his experience.
~ John A. Locke
It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare.
~ Mark Twain
Pray: To ask the laws of the universe to be annulled on behalf of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy.
~ Ambrose Bierce
Every man is guilty of all the good he didn't do.
~ Voltaire
When a man says he approves of something in principle, it means he hasn’t the slightest intention of carrying it out in practice.
~ Otto von Bismarck
Quarrels would not last long if only one side was wrong.
~ Francois Duc de la Rochefoucauld
Philosophers have merely interpreted the world. The point is to change it.
~ Karl Marx
Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.
~ Napoleon
It is not what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable.
~ Moliere
Religion is excellent stuff for keeping common people quiet.
~ Napoleon
Living is change; Growth is optional.
~ Juan Wa Chang
Everything has been figured out, except how to live.
~ Jean Paul Sartre
Kindness is a mark of faith, and whoever has not kindness has not faith.
~ Prophet Muhammad
Always remember you are a totally unique individual; just like everyone else.
~ Unknown
The only thing we never get enough of is love; and the only thing we never give enough of is love.
~ Henry Miller
Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.
~ Lao Tzu
I complained that I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.
~ Persian proverb
I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.
~ Stephen Roberts
They made a wasteland and called it peace.
~ Tacitus
If you talk to God, you are praying. If God talks to you, you have schizophrenia.
~ Thomas Szasz
You know your god is man-made when he hates all the same people you do.
~ [Usenet]
We must question the story logic of having an all-knowing all-powerful God, who creates faulty humans, and then blames them for his own mistakes.
~ Gene Roddenberry
Kill a man, and you are an assassin. Kill millions of men, and you are a conqueror. Kill everyone, and you are a god.
~ Jean Rostand
Men are not punished for their sins, but by them.
~ Elbert G Hubbard
I like your Christ; I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.
~ Mohandas Gandhi
Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it.
~ George Bernard Shaw
Capitalism is the astounding belief that the most wickedest of men will do the most wickedest of things for the greatest good of everyone.
~ John Maynard Keynes
I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires.
~ Susan B. Anthony
If pigs could vote, the man with the slop bucket would be elected swineherd every time, no matter how much slaughtering he did on the side.
~ Orson Scott Card
It is poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.
~ Mother Teresa
If we'd been born where they were born and taught what they were taught, we would believe what they believe.
~ A church sign in Northern Ireland
Jehovah was not a moral god. He had all the vices and he lacked all the virtues. He generally carried out all his threats, but he never faithfully kept a promise.
~ Robert G. Ingersoll
What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty and democracy?
~ Mohandas Gandhi
A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything.
~ Nietzsche
Humanity without religion is like a serial killer without a chainsaw.
~ Unknown
Humanity has advanced, when it has advanced, not because it has been sober, responsible, and cautious, but because it has been playful, rebellious, and immature.
~ Tom Robbins
Peace is over rated. Any slave can have peace. Just pick the cotton.
~ TheSong
Pain is certain, suffering is optional.
~ Buddha
When did I realize I was God? Well, I was praying and I suddenly realized I was talking to myself.
~ Jack Gurney - "The Ruling Class"
When you give food to the poor, they call you a saint. When you ask why the poor have no food, they call you a communist.
~ Archbishop Helder Camara
I read about an Eskimo hunter who asked the local missionary priest, ‘If I did not know about God and sin, would I go to hell?’ ‘No,’ said the priest, ‘not if you did not know.’ ‘Then why,’ asked the Eskimo earnestly, ‘did you tell me?’
~ Annie Dillard
I sometimes think that God in creating man somewhat overestimated his ability.
~ Oscar Wilde
Democracy is four wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch.
~ Ambrose Bierce
In nature, there are neither rewards nor punishments; there are consequences.
~ Robert G. Ingersoll
To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it.
~ Confucius
The truth is that there is nothing noble in being superior to somebody else. The only real nobility is in being superior to your former self.
~ Whitney Young
Invisible Pink Unicorns are beings of awesome mystical power. We know this because they manage to be invisible and pink at the same time. Like all religions, the Faith of the Invisible Pink Unicorns is based upon both logic and faith. We have faith that they are pink; we logically know that they are invisible because we can't see them.
~ Steve Eley
The corporation is a true Frankenstein's monster, an artificial person run amok, responsible only to its own soulless self.
~ William Dugger
When you call yourself an Indian or a Muslim or a Christian or a European, or anything else, you are being violent. Do you see why it is violent? It is because you are separating yourself from the rest of mankind. When you separate yourself by belief, by nationality, by tradition, it breeds violence. So a man who is seeking to understand violence does not belong to any country, to any religion, to any political party or partial system; he is concerned with the total understanding of mankind.
~ J. Krishnamurthi
Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.
~ Philip K. Dick
The keenest sorrow is to recognize ourselves as the sole cause of all our adversities.
~ Sophocles
May your fondest wish be granted.
~ Traditional Chinese curse
Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; truth isn't.
~ Mark Twain
Believe those who are seeking the truth; doubt those who find it.
~ Andre Gide
In order to learn, one must change one's mind.
~ Orson Scott Card
Every anarchist is a baffled dictator.
~ Benito Mussolini
There must be more to life than having everything.
~ Maurice Sendak
If we do not like the world the way it is, then it is because we are not okay the way we are.
~ deeshan
Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards.
~Vernon Saunders Law
It is your business, when the wall next door catches fire.
~ Horace
Once you have seen certain things, you can't un-see them, and seeing nothing is as political an act as seeing something.
~ Arundhati Roy
All I know is that I am not a Marxist.
~ Karl Marx
There is enough for man's need but not for man's greed.
~Mohandas Gandhi
Before you speak, ask yourself is it kind, is it necessary, is it true, does it improve on the silence?
~ Shirdi Sai Bab
If you understand everything, you must be misinformed.
~ Japanese Proverb
Government is actually the worst failure of civilized man. There has never been a really good one, and even those that are most tolerable are arbitrary, cruel, grasping and unintelligent.
~ H. L. Mencken
if you keep doing what you've always done, you'll keep getting what you've always gotten.
~ Jim Rohn
Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.
~ Albert Einstein
Either God wants to abolish evil, and cannot; or he can, but does not want to. If he wants to, but cannot, he is impotent. If he can, but does not want to, he is wicked. If, as they say, God can abolish evil, and God really wants to do it, why is there evil in the world?
~ Epicurus
Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong.
~ Voltaire
One death is a tragedy. A million deaths is a statistic.
~ Josef Stalin
Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them.
~ Albert Einstein
We can often do more for other men by trying to correct our own faults than by trying to correct theirs.
~ Francois Fenelon
News is what someone wants to suppress. Everything else is advertising.
~ Ex-NBC news president Rubin Frank
All warfare is based on deception.
~ Sun tzu
When I told the people of Northern Ireland that I was an atheist, a woman in the audience stood up and said, ‘Yes, but is it the God of the Catholics or the God of the Protestants in whom you don't believe?’
~ Quentin Crisp
The church tries to save sinners, but science seeks to stop their manufacture.
~ Elbert Hubbard
Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see.
~ Arthur Schopenhauer
There are three truths: my truth, your truth, and the truth.
~ Chinese proverb
If you pray for rain long enough, it eventually does fall. If you pray for floodwaters to abate, they eventually do. The same happens in the absence of prayers.
~ Steve Allen
Acceptance without proof is the fundamental characteristic of Western religion, rejection without proof is the fundamental characteristic of Western science.
~ Gary Zukav
Do you love your Creator? Love your fellow beings first.
~ Prophet Muhammad
A treatise upon human nature: It is not contrary to reason to prefer the destruction of the whole world to the scratching of my finger.
~ David Hume
One-tenth of the folks run the world. One-tenth watch them run it, and the other eighty percent don't know what the hell's going on.
~ Jake Simmons
Why do we kill people who are killing people to show that killing people is wrong?
~ Holly Near
Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half of the time.
~ Elwyn B. White
The more I study religions the more I am convinced that man never worshipped anything but himself.
~ Sir R. F. Burton
The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.
~ Sun tzu
In law a man is guilty when he violates the rights of another. In ethics he is guilty if he only thinks of doing so.
~ Immanuel Kant
Know thy enemy and know thy self and you will win a hundred battles.
~ Sun tzu
The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true.
~ James Branch Cabell
Peace is only possible if men cease to place their happiness in the possession of things which cannot be shared.
~ Julien Benda
It may be necessary temporarily to accept a lesser evil, but one must never label a necessary evil as good.
~ Margaret Mead
Silence is one of the hardest arguments to refute.
~ Josh Billings
The quickest way of ending a war is to lose it.
~ George Orwell
War: first, one hopes to win; then one expects the enemy to lose; then, one is satisfied that he too is suffering; in the end, one is surprised that everyone has lost.
~ Karl Kraus
It is better to be generous than just. It is sometimes better to sympathize instead of trying to understand.
~ Pierre Lecompte de Nouy
Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought.
~ Basho
Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils.
~ Hector Berlioz
A man who is afraid will do anything.
~ Jawaharlal Nehru
Each of us is confined to a world of our own making.
~ Shawn Mikula
As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain, and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality.
~ Albert Einstein
It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves; it is not possible to find it elsewhere.
~ Agnes Repplier
Wisdom is knowing what to do next. Virtue is doing it.
~ David Starr Jordan
A jury consists of twelve persons chosen to decide who has the better lawyer.
~ Robert Frost
When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everybody will respect you.
~ Lao tzu
The biggest conspiracy of all is the claim that there are no conspiracies!
~ Michael Rivero
Today it is fashionable to talk about the poor. Unfortunately, it is not fashionable to talk with them.
~ Mother Teresa
No man's knowledge here can go beyond his experience.
~ John A. Locke
It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare.
~ Mark Twain
Pray: To ask the laws of the universe to be annulled on behalf of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy.
~ Ambrose Bierce
Every man is guilty of all the good he didn't do.
~ Voltaire
When a man says he approves of something in principle, it means he hasn’t the slightest intention of carrying it out in practice.
~ Otto von Bismarck
Quarrels would not last long if only one side was wrong.
~ Francois Duc de la Rochefoucauld
Philosophers have merely interpreted the world. The point is to change it.
~ Karl Marx
Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.
~ Napoleon
It is not what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable.
~ Moliere
Religion is excellent stuff for keeping common people quiet.
~ Napoleon
Living is change; Growth is optional.
~ Juan Wa Chang
Everything has been figured out, except how to live.
~ Jean Paul Sartre
Kindness is a mark of faith, and whoever has not kindness has not faith.
~ Prophet Muhammad
Always remember you are a totally unique individual; just like everyone else.
~ Unknown
The only thing we never get enough of is love; and the only thing we never give enough of is love.
~ Henry Miller
Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.
~ Lao Tzu
I complained that I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.
~ Persian proverb
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
PvP PvE? PvE PvP?
Is it possible through careful manipulation of player experiences and interactions to make a PvP experience feel like a PvE experience for one side, without making the other side feel like they are constantly being defeated? If a player monster is able to interact with multiple instances simultaneously, it might work. They could have separate "health" scores for each instance, and "dying" in one just causes them to no longer interact with that instance, instead having it get replaced by another. From the monster's perspective it could seem that they never actually die, instead the heroes just keep disappearing. If there is a score system for causing havoc and harm to the heroes, the monsters could compete with one another for points, and brag whenever they actually get a kill.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Different views
http://www4.ncsu.edu/~tenshi/Killer_000.htm
This caught my eye because their views are so different from my own. Things that struck me as entirely ordinary and meaningless, are attributed as having some deeper meaning, that makes little to no sense to me, since I don't see any reason for things to be different.
This caught my eye because their views are so different from my own. Things that struck me as entirely ordinary and meaningless, are attributed as having some deeper meaning, that makes little to no sense to me, since I don't see any reason for things to be different.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Standard MMO controls are horrible.
Champions Online has convinced me that the standard MMO control scheme, of picking a target, then using the chosen power on it, is horrible. It only works because most MMOs are fairly slow games. If I want to do something a little more complicated than just attacking the same target repeatedly, it becomes a nightmare. Most action games would be almost unplayable using the MMO standard UI. Losing a fight because I can't get the controls to do what I want them to, is not a fun way to play.
I need a way to make my buttons/keys do what I want them to, independant of what character I'm choosing as my target. I want to be able to hit the heal button, to heal someone who's injured, and not have to target them first. I want to be able to give each power a separate and independent targeting system that they use when clicked/pressed/activated. I'd like to be able to have my debuff powers automatically pick targets who don't have the debuff yet.
Champions Online has made progress with the auto-target system, but whenever I try to do something other than just charge in and beat stuff up, I find myself fighting with the controls and the system, more than with the enemies.
(Posted while in a very bad mood after some very frustrating attempts to use the healing drones, and the charged heal)
I need a way to make my buttons/keys do what I want them to, independant of what character I'm choosing as my target. I want to be able to hit the heal button, to heal someone who's injured, and not have to target them first. I want to be able to give each power a separate and independent targeting system that they use when clicked/pressed/activated. I'd like to be able to have my debuff powers automatically pick targets who don't have the debuff yet.
Champions Online has made progress with the auto-target system, but whenever I try to do something other than just charge in and beat stuff up, I find myself fighting with the controls and the system, more than with the enemies.
(Posted while in a very bad mood after some very frustrating attempts to use the healing drones, and the charged heal)
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Keeping the learning going.
I decided to try out the game Plants vs Zombies. I found it interesting how the game introduced it's mechanics, and the way it attempted to vary the game play. I believe it is important to have variation in games, to maintain the sense of learning. If every stage is approached in the same manner, it can quickly become repetitive (though repetition is not always bad; it is in fact, a rather important part of learning.)
Previously, I had been thinking about some other Turret Defense style games such as Monsters (PS3) and Defense Grid the Awakening (on Steam). While thinking about them, I'd come to believe that it was a good idea to vary the balance of the towers occasionally, as a way to encourage different approaches to different levels (and perhaps even the same level sometimes).
The expansion to Monsters, did change the balance of things, making it a somewhat different experience from the game's initial levels, which I believe helped make the expansion better since what towers were most effective in a given situation, had to be learned all over again.
The primary form of variation presented by the Monsters game was in the form of what path the monsters took, and what sorts of monsters came. Each level often involved memorizing a different build order, with the task of figuring out the right build order being the main challenge.
Defense Grid the Awakening created variation primarily through excellent amounts of variation in level layout. Different levels could often require vastly different approaches to beating them. In some instances, the levels would be designed in such a way, that many different approaches could all work, allowing creativity to thrive.
Plants vs Zombies doesn't have complicated level design. It's a fairly simple game. To create challenge, they give players a variety of different types of plant (tower) that all end up competing for the same resources, presenting the player with the difficult task of figuring out what to plant, when, and where. The primary tug-o-war was between investing in the now (damage dealing plants), and investing in the future (resource producing plants).
The variation Plants vs Zombies provided came largely in the form of new plants frequently becoming available, and the changes between day, night, and the backyard with a pool. These changes affected what plants were available, and where they could be placed.
Previously, I had been thinking about some other Turret Defense style games such as Monsters (PS3) and Defense Grid the Awakening (on Steam). While thinking about them, I'd come to believe that it was a good idea to vary the balance of the towers occasionally, as a way to encourage different approaches to different levels (and perhaps even the same level sometimes).
The expansion to Monsters, did change the balance of things, making it a somewhat different experience from the game's initial levels, which I believe helped make the expansion better since what towers were most effective in a given situation, had to be learned all over again.
The primary form of variation presented by the Monsters game was in the form of what path the monsters took, and what sorts of monsters came. Each level often involved memorizing a different build order, with the task of figuring out the right build order being the main challenge.
Defense Grid the Awakening created variation primarily through excellent amounts of variation in level layout. Different levels could often require vastly different approaches to beating them. In some instances, the levels would be designed in such a way, that many different approaches could all work, allowing creativity to thrive.
Plants vs Zombies doesn't have complicated level design. It's a fairly simple game. To create challenge, they give players a variety of different types of plant (tower) that all end up competing for the same resources, presenting the player with the difficult task of figuring out what to plant, when, and where. The primary tug-o-war was between investing in the now (damage dealing plants), and investing in the future (resource producing plants).
The variation Plants vs Zombies provided came largely in the form of new plants frequently becoming available, and the changes between day, night, and the backyard with a pool. These changes affected what plants were available, and where they could be placed.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Short amusing game.
http://armorgames.com/play/4309/this-is-the-only-level
Sometimes, changing the mechanics is a more valuable trick than changing the level.
Sometimes, changing the mechanics is a more valuable trick than changing the level.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Hilarious 3rd Edition DnD observations.
http://everything2.com/title/Humour%253A+D%2526D+Third+Edition
"Deities are capable of casting Contact Other Plane to converse with themselves - but they "resent such intrusion" and even have a flat percentage chance of lying to themselves."
"The 20th level Expert Trapmaker with Search, Profession: Trapmaker, Craft: Trapmaking, Knowledge: Famous Traps and Knowledge: Magical Traps all maxed out at 23 ranks, cannot attempt to find a trap if the Search DC is over 20, but the 1st level rogue with none of those skills can."
"Deities are capable of casting Contact Other Plane to converse with themselves - but they "resent such intrusion" and even have a flat percentage chance of lying to themselves."
"The 20th level Expert Trapmaker with Search, Profession: Trapmaker, Craft: Trapmaking, Knowledge: Famous Traps and Knowledge: Magical Traps all maxed out at 23 ranks, cannot attempt to find a trap if the Search DC is over 20, but the 1st level rogue with none of those skills can."
Friday, August 21, 2009
Gills vs Lungs
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2009/08/why-whales-dont-have-gills.html
Makes me wonder how long it takes for Giant Squid to get as large as they sometimes do.
Makes me wonder how long it takes for Giant Squid to get as large as they sometimes do.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
RFID chips are not safe.
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/08/fed-rfid/
RFID chips are a potentially serious security risk. Not enough is being done yet to protect against the risk they entail. It's like having a password that can be seen by anyone with the right equipment (and it's not hard to obtain the right equipment if someone wants to).
RFID chips are a potentially serious security risk. Not enough is being done yet to protect against the risk they entail. It's like having a password that can be seen by anyone with the right equipment (and it's not hard to obtain the right equipment if someone wants to).
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
I believe this is the best argument I've seen so far, for allowing easy full respecs in a game:
Written by TheKommissar
http://forums.champions-online.com/showpost.php?p=730938&postcount=12
In a PvP environment, being able to quickly and easily change tactics and power choices can dramatically enhance the meta game, and greatly increase the speed with which new tactics and counters are developed.
I'm for easy full respecs at any time without a cost or time requirement. Want to know why? Well I am a hardcore Guild Wars vet and the devs in that game allowed full respecs anytime you were in town. This led to ALOT of customized builds and experimental builds from anyone because they weren't stuck with one build and they didn't follow the FOTM builds because the freedom allowed players to customize their own build to their own style without frustration of re-leveling. One great advantage to this is that it allows the devs to easily take a close look to see what exactly the FOTM of the month is and allows them to adjust the abilities accordingly. This led to one of the most balanced "mmos" in existence.
I see the endgame for many people in CO to be about the team arena and running prebuild guild teams. This is exactly what Guild Wars is and allowing people to respec completely easily in the training area will not only help the devs balance the game much easier and better, but will pretty much let anyone come up with character builds on their own without much time dedication and frustration. There are literally thousands of character builds in Guild Wars made famous by even the most casual of players because they were allowed to experiment, and even though many were one trick ponies, it did not lead to FOTM builds at all.
Of course there will be FOTM builds, but if we are allowed to easily respec the devs not only will have an easy time adjusting skills but as players we will get to enjoy changing dynamics in the power abilities rather than being left with stagnant abilities that pretty much won't be changed since launch.
Think of it like this, lets say Guild A is number 1 on the server and running a current FOTM and is dominating the arena. Guild B (who is in 2nd place) can either spend weeks releveling alts to compete with the FOTM, or they can easily respec and counter the build that Guild A is running and thus keeping the arenas from becoming stale and boring. This changes Flavor of the Month into Flavor of the Moment.
Written by TheKommissar
http://forums.champions-online.com/showpost.php?p=730938&postcount=12
In a PvP environment, being able to quickly and easily change tactics and power choices can dramatically enhance the meta game, and greatly increase the speed with which new tactics and counters are developed.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
A neat trailer for EVE online
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08hmqyejCYU&hd=1
EVE has a level of complexity most games can only dream of. It is also one of the most cruel and unforgiving games out there.
EVE has a level of complexity most games can only dream of. It is also one of the most cruel and unforgiving games out there.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Real Money games.
I tried out some Entropia, to learn a bit about how it worked, and test how feasible money making is in that game. The game does not appear to follow standard MMO structure. Instead, it appears to follow classic Casino rules. The basic gameplay is essentially a bunch of slot machines. You put money in, and hope to get some back. As far as I can tell, the fundamental constriction on the game's balance of resources, is the simple fact that anything can be sold back to the makers of the game for PED (the in game currency) which has a fixed exchange rate with US$. Due to this, they must carefully control the cost of acquiring loot, and the value of said loot to ensure you can never get more than you spend.
Personally, I think it would be better to make a game that followed the MMO model more closely instead of the standard casino model. A game where you truely could participate in nearly any activity without spending real money. It would just take time. I feel like there is a gap waiting to be filled.
Take EVE Online's market structure, and focus on time as a resource. Add Entropia's Real Money backed internal currency (with a highly restricted supply). Then have the entire game designed such that a player doesn't ever actually need currency to advance. All things can be obtained if spends enough time on enough things. Standard MMO advancement means that an old player will likely have an advantage over new players, but ideally the gap should not get too big, possibly due to resource sinks.
Due to the need for currency sinks (to pay for the game service) combined with an ever growing amount of non-currency resources, the game is likely to suffer from some rather strong deflationary pressure. However, the lower the price is for goods, the more likely people are to prefer paying real money, instead of time, to acquire them, which would help lift prices back up. I would be very interested in learning what price things end up stabilizing at.
Personally, I think it would be better to make a game that followed the MMO model more closely instead of the standard casino model. A game where you truely could participate in nearly any activity without spending real money. It would just take time. I feel like there is a gap waiting to be filled.
Take EVE Online's market structure, and focus on time as a resource. Add Entropia's Real Money backed internal currency (with a highly restricted supply). Then have the entire game designed such that a player doesn't ever actually need currency to advance. All things can be obtained if spends enough time on enough things. Standard MMO advancement means that an old player will likely have an advantage over new players, but ideally the gap should not get too big, possibly due to resource sinks.
Due to the need for currency sinks (to pay for the game service) combined with an ever growing amount of non-currency resources, the game is likely to suffer from some rather strong deflationary pressure. However, the lower the price is for goods, the more likely people are to prefer paying real money, instead of time, to acquire them, which would help lift prices back up. I would be very interested in learning what price things end up stabilizing at.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Online Culture
http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/loyola_university_professor_be.html
"Myers, who in 1984 became one of the first university-level professors to study video games. He believes it proved that, even in a 21st century digital fantasyland, an ugly side of real-world human nature pervades, a side that oppresses strangers whose behavior strays from that of the mainstream."
Sadly, my own experiences lead me to conclude that the increased fragmentation of society caused by virtual worlds and virtual communities, actually increases the tendency towards exclusion of others.
When there is one main group, the excluded ones band together even when they don't have much in common. Because there are so few around with similar tastes/interests, they can't exclude people different from them and still have a group.
Online, where communities are easily entered and left, once a community reaches sufficient size, it starts developing it's own set of traits/behaviors that become required for acceptance. Stray, and they will condemn you.
"Myers, who in 1984 became one of the first university-level professors to study video games. He believes it proved that, even in a 21st century digital fantasyland, an ugly side of real-world human nature pervades, a side that oppresses strangers whose behavior strays from that of the mainstream."
Sadly, my own experiences lead me to conclude that the increased fragmentation of society caused by virtual worlds and virtual communities, actually increases the tendency towards exclusion of others.
When there is one main group, the excluded ones band together even when they don't have much in common. Because there are so few around with similar tastes/interests, they can't exclude people different from them and still have a group.
Online, where communities are easily entered and left, once a community reaches sufficient size, it starts developing it's own set of traits/behaviors that become required for acceptance. Stray, and they will condemn you.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
Sunday, August 09, 2009
Saturday, August 08, 2009
Depression
http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/2009/03/08/the-true-cause-of-depression/
Reminds me of an article I read elsewhere on the idea that despair is a natural response to discovering that a goal cannot be reached, developed to help a person stop trying, and move on to something else. Depression then, could be the result of a person being unable or unwilling to abandon the goal, thus causing the despair to stick.
Reminds me of an article I read elsewhere on the idea that despair is a natural response to discovering that a goal cannot be reached, developed to help a person stop trying, and move on to something else. Depression then, could be the result of a person being unable or unwilling to abandon the goal, thus causing the despair to stick.
Friday, August 07, 2009
More Than a Traumatic Birth
http://web.archive.org/web/20100922004327/http://www.truebirth.com/2008/02/more-than-a-traumatic-birth/
People often underestimate the psychological impact of life's horrors.
People often underestimate the psychological impact of life's horrors.
By Danell Swim
February 10, 2008Childbirth is regarded as the most painful episode of a woman’s life, but also the most joyful. When women speak of a traumatic birth experience, most assume it to be an extremely painful event, or that something necessitated an emergency situation. For some, that is all the traumatic event is; 12 hours of tortuous labor with a supportive person by their side. Or a drop in the baby’s heart rate that sends everyone scrambling to get him out before he’s harmed. But for some, the traumatic event goes much deeper.
Sometimes women are held down while pleading to be let go; having vaginal exams forced on them; and their waters broken without giving consent. Some women call this Birth Rape, because it can be such a violent act that centers on their genitals, without their permission. The term is shocking, and upon hearing the stories of these women who have been assaulted, it is accurate.
We know from psychologists that most rapists do it not for sexual gratification, but for power. It may be the same for these care providers, who are so unfit to be working with vulnerable, emotional, feeling human beings.EK in CT told me of her painful experience:
My doctor told me that I he had to check my cervix, but he was in a hurry and “couldn’t wait” for my contraction to end. I was on Pitocin and the contractions just went on and on. So he forced his hand inside me after I screamed for him to stop, without using any lubrication. He told me “you’re only dilated to 5cm, don’t be such a baby” and left the room.
Unlike a painful childbirth, or a situation where there is a medical emergency, these Birth Rapes are perpetrated by an individual, or several individuals. It is not medically necessary, and yet the act is horrific, and leaves emotional and sometimes physical scars.
Pam recounts the traumatic cesarean birth that still haunts her:
Seven years ago I was scared into an induction. I was held down and told I had to let the doctor break my water. I was told it was my fault my cervix was swelling. I was butchered open, 9″ wide, and left with a gaping wound. I suffered complications and had additional surgeries. It scared me forever. A scar that extends deep within my soul. I had terrible PPD and PTSD. The flashbacks were consuming and wrecked my family’s life.
Like rape victims, women who are victimized during birth are made to feel responsible for the act itself. They are told that it has to be this way, or that their baby will die if it isn’t done this way. Sometimes, they aren’t even given the opportunity to say no, as they are (like Pam) held down against their will. Later, they are told that they were bad, and it had to be done. Coercion is a tactic that many assailants use.
The result of these experiences can be life-long. These traumatic birthing experiences bring about more cases of post-partum depression (PPD), and sometimes even post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Some women choose to not have more children, while others just live with the lie and pretend that everything is fine.
LC says:
The birth rape at the end of my second pregnancy is still always on my mind and the post traumatic stress still remains. Sure, I go throughout my day, functioning, smiling, but in my head I’m a mess. Everyone thinks I’m fine because I look fine and I got my healthy baby and I’m alive.
Some women refuse to see healthcare workers again, neglecting their own health and that of their children.
AM wrote to me about her post-partum period:
For 2 years after my son was born, I refused to take him to the doctor, or go to one myself. Even driving by the doctor’s office where I knew my old doctor worked was enough to make me sick. I identified with women who turned away from medicine for holistic treatment, but it wasn’t because I believed in it, it was because I wanted to believe in it. Because I was too scared to do anything else.
The treatment these women received was enough to make them suffer to their very core, and do irreparable damage to their psyche. And yet the doctors who committed the act still practice, and the cycle continues.
Upon graduating from medical school, young doctors take an oath to protect their patients, and treat them with respect. In order to practice in this country, they are pledged to gain informed consent from their patients before providing treatment. Despite these oaths, they are causing such harm to women who deserve their utmost admiration and kindness.This is why women choose to call it Birth Rape. Yes, it is used to shock. It is used to bring attention to something that is so significant, and yet never talked about.
It is Birth Rape, and it happens every day.
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Compassion
http://www.happinessinthisworld.com/2009/05/17/what-compassion-is/
"the feeling of genuine compassion for another person is, in my view, one of the most joyful experiences available to human beings."
I have had the opposite experience. For me, genuine compassion is one of the most painful things I can experience. This is why I avoid people.
"the feeling of genuine compassion for another person is, in my view, one of the most joyful experiences available to human beings."
I have had the opposite experience. For me, genuine compassion is one of the most painful things I can experience. This is why I avoid people.
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Monday, August 03, 2009
Difficulty in Games
I've come to realize something that probably should have been more obvious to me. Whether or not I enjoy difficulty in a game depends almost entirely upon how much I enjoy what is being made difficult. For example: I often have little interest in a real challenge in City of Heroes, because my primary interest in the game is the story and character creation.
When attempting to follow a story arc, I generally find any difficulty to be a hindrance to my enjoyment of it. The (almost) only time I enjoy difficulty in CoH, is when I'm on a team. Even then, whether or not I enjoy difficulty depends almost entirely upon what type of character I'm playing.
If I'm playing a tank, I favor having little to no difficulty. My primary focus is typically upon keeping the fights coming quick, and gathering large numbers of enemies into a single place (herding). Often, the part I most enjoy about tanking, is having a large number of enemies trying and failing to take me down. Any difficulty then diminishes that joy.
If I'm playing a damage dealer, I don't mind having enemies prove hard to kill. In fact, having them go down too fast can make it boring. However, if I find myself in danger of dying all the time, it's not going to be fun.
If I'm playing a character who provides the team with buffs, having teammates or myself take large amounts of damage diminishes how much I feel I am helping, which makes things less fun. Often, I find that when I play a support character, I want things to be easy but not so easy that I feel useless.
If I'm playing a healer, I tend to like having the difficulty level vary. Times of difficulty engage me in my healing efforts, and make me feel needed, while the easier times allow me to rest, relax, and recover for the next time I'm really needed.
In another game, God Hand, I found the difficulty helped improve my fun. For me, the main joy of the game, was setting up different selections of moves on the combo button, to find the perfect combo that could let me win fights with little more than one button. The difficulty of the fights, combined with the complexities of how the various moves worked with each other, made the task an interesting challenge.
When playing Skies of Arcadia, I found some areas of difficulty to be enjoyable, while others were annoying. The basic combat was of limited interest to me, and while some fights offered interesting challenges, it really wasn't something that improved the game for me. The challenges I did enjoy though, were the ship to ship fights. I really enjoyed the ship vs ship combat system, and found many of the challenges to be quite interesting. It was a bit of a disappointment that soon after finally gaining the ability to use whatever weapons and accessories for the ship I wanted, the challenge level of those fights went way down. Once a full heal spell was acquired, it became laughable.
In Hellgate: London, one of my big complaints, is with some of the missions that get difficult in a very annoying way. They add in some extra mini-game style challenges that become extremely frustrating when they don't go well. If the difficulty were low enough on them, it might not be an issue, but several times I've had them prove to be a very unpleasant challenge. Overall, I find my enjoyment in Hellgate: London does not come from the challenges the game presents, but instead from the randomness, special effects, and the carnage. I also had some interest in the main story, though that only lasted until I beat the game. As a result, difficulty was generally an annoyance, not a pleasure.
I suppose the general system I like most, is when the story can be gotten with little or no difficulty, but difficult challenges are available for those who want them. I do believe it is important for almost any game to include an easy mode for people who just don't have much interest in the challenges. MMO's should not be excluded from the easy mode rule in my opinion (you just won't get much bragging rights for winning on easy).
When attempting to follow a story arc, I generally find any difficulty to be a hindrance to my enjoyment of it. The (almost) only time I enjoy difficulty in CoH, is when I'm on a team. Even then, whether or not I enjoy difficulty depends almost entirely upon what type of character I'm playing.
If I'm playing a tank, I favor having little to no difficulty. My primary focus is typically upon keeping the fights coming quick, and gathering large numbers of enemies into a single place (herding). Often, the part I most enjoy about tanking, is having a large number of enemies trying and failing to take me down. Any difficulty then diminishes that joy.
If I'm playing a damage dealer, I don't mind having enemies prove hard to kill. In fact, having them go down too fast can make it boring. However, if I find myself in danger of dying all the time, it's not going to be fun.
If I'm playing a character who provides the team with buffs, having teammates or myself take large amounts of damage diminishes how much I feel I am helping, which makes things less fun. Often, I find that when I play a support character, I want things to be easy but not so easy that I feel useless.
If I'm playing a healer, I tend to like having the difficulty level vary. Times of difficulty engage me in my healing efforts, and make me feel needed, while the easier times allow me to rest, relax, and recover for the next time I'm really needed.
In another game, God Hand, I found the difficulty helped improve my fun. For me, the main joy of the game, was setting up different selections of moves on the combo button, to find the perfect combo that could let me win fights with little more than one button. The difficulty of the fights, combined with the complexities of how the various moves worked with each other, made the task an interesting challenge.
When playing Skies of Arcadia, I found some areas of difficulty to be enjoyable, while others were annoying. The basic combat was of limited interest to me, and while some fights offered interesting challenges, it really wasn't something that improved the game for me. The challenges I did enjoy though, were the ship to ship fights. I really enjoyed the ship vs ship combat system, and found many of the challenges to be quite interesting. It was a bit of a disappointment that soon after finally gaining the ability to use whatever weapons and accessories for the ship I wanted, the challenge level of those fights went way down. Once a full heal spell was acquired, it became laughable.
In Hellgate: London, one of my big complaints, is with some of the missions that get difficult in a very annoying way. They add in some extra mini-game style challenges that become extremely frustrating when they don't go well. If the difficulty were low enough on them, it might not be an issue, but several times I've had them prove to be a very unpleasant challenge. Overall, I find my enjoyment in Hellgate: London does not come from the challenges the game presents, but instead from the randomness, special effects, and the carnage. I also had some interest in the main story, though that only lasted until I beat the game. As a result, difficulty was generally an annoyance, not a pleasure.
I suppose the general system I like most, is when the story can be gotten with little or no difficulty, but difficult challenges are available for those who want them. I do believe it is important for almost any game to include an easy mode for people who just don't have much interest in the challenges. MMO's should not be excluded from the easy mode rule in my opinion (you just won't get much bragging rights for winning on easy).
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Saturday, August 01, 2009
Friday, July 31, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Game Prices
It's occurred to me that the game companies may be following out dated pricing and sales systems. Valve discovered through experimentation on Steam that temporary price cuts could dramatically increase profits. This really should not be a new thing. Many other stores have been doing this for years.
Often the main limitation on doing big sales, are places like Walmart that simply price things as low as they can, and still turn a profit. This forces other companies to either inflate their normal prices, (when compared to discount stores) or lose money on items they cut prices on for the sale boost.
Games however, are generally unique, preventing the heavy price competition other products deal with. Each game company has a monopoly on their game, allowing them to charge much more money if people want to play it.
I'm beginning to think the lack of competitive pricing may be hurting the game industry as a whole. If a game launched with a big short sale, it could build more hype, and get more noticed. It's best to pull in as many people as possible, early, instead of waiting until later when there's more competition to unleash the tempting offers and deals.
A simple thought experiment regarding the new game Champions Online coming out: Champions Online is made by the same company that made the still running City of Heroes game. Due to both games featuring heavy character customization, and superheroes, there's likely to be a lot of overlap in who the two games appeal to.
So, since both CoH (City of Heroes) and CO (Champions Online) are competing for players, and both charge $15 a month for their subscriptions, the two biggest factors for many players is likely to be newness (CO is new, CoH is not) and price. Which means if CO were to cut their price in half or more (down to $25 or less) there would be a lot less reason for current players of CoH to not try out CO. If they went as low as $15 for the first month (maybe include 3 months free with the retail purchase so it can remain a high cost item) then they could probably steal a lot of customers from CoH.
Often the main limitation on doing big sales, are places like Walmart that simply price things as low as they can, and still turn a profit. This forces other companies to either inflate their normal prices, (when compared to discount stores) or lose money on items they cut prices on for the sale boost.
Games however, are generally unique, preventing the heavy price competition other products deal with. Each game company has a monopoly on their game, allowing them to charge much more money if people want to play it.
I'm beginning to think the lack of competitive pricing may be hurting the game industry as a whole. If a game launched with a big short sale, it could build more hype, and get more noticed. It's best to pull in as many people as possible, early, instead of waiting until later when there's more competition to unleash the tempting offers and deals.
A simple thought experiment regarding the new game Champions Online coming out: Champions Online is made by the same company that made the still running City of Heroes game. Due to both games featuring heavy character customization, and superheroes, there's likely to be a lot of overlap in who the two games appeal to.
So, since both CoH (City of Heroes) and CO (Champions Online) are competing for players, and both charge $15 a month for their subscriptions, the two biggest factors for many players is likely to be newness (CO is new, CoH is not) and price. Which means if CO were to cut their price in half or more (down to $25 or less) there would be a lot less reason for current players of CoH to not try out CO. If they went as low as $15 for the first month (maybe include 3 months free with the retail purchase so it can remain a high cost item) then they could probably steal a lot of customers from CoH.
It can be hard to keep up when the world changes so fast.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHWTLA8WecI
My favorite part was around 1:51 where it's mentioned that current schools need to prepare students for jobs that don't yet exist, using technologies that haven't been invented yet, to solve problems that we don't know are problems yet.
With the rate at which new things come, can we keep up?
My favorite part was around 1:51 where it's mentioned that current schools need to prepare students for jobs that don't yet exist, using technologies that haven't been invented yet, to solve problems that we don't know are problems yet.
With the rate at which new things come, can we keep up?
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Attention demands
When I read that Champions Online was expanding their power bar from 7 to 14 slots, I got a little concerned. How many of those powers would I need to pay attention to?
In City of Heroes, I found that once I got more than 4 or so click powers, I'd start getting worn out really fast by the effort and attention required to manage them. I'm generally not comfortable using more than 3 powers most of the time.
One character I've stopped playing for this very reason was a radiation/sonic defender. I found near the end, that trying to use 6 different abilities which each have their own independent cool down, caused me enough stress to make it very much not fun.
Written on 20090719
In City of Heroes, I found that once I got more than 4 or so click powers, I'd start getting worn out really fast by the effort and attention required to manage them. I'm generally not comfortable using more than 3 powers most of the time.
One character I've stopped playing for this very reason was a radiation/sonic defender. I found near the end, that trying to use 6 different abilities which each have their own independent cool down, caused me enough stress to make it very much not fun.
Written on 20090719
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Looking forward to Champions Online.
What I've seen of Champions Online through previews, and developer interviews, has made me rather excited about it. However, most of my excitement comes from the desire to really delve into the character creation and figure out how all the various power options in the game work. I've often had great fun messing with character creation in CoH, and in fact, I find the creation and experimentation to be my favorite part of CoH, and often the only reason I play. Champions Online promises an even greater amount of creative freedom, and the ability to mess around with things a lot more.
What I fear, is that I will run into the same problem I always run into. My enjoyment of the game will come almost entirely from the creative aspects, and actual gameplay will become the chore that must be done to enjoy the parts I love.
One example of the sort of problem I've had in the past was Diablo II. I'd get the idea to try building a character around a certain power. Sometimes it would be a power available early, and it'd be great. Other times, it'd be something only available late, and I'd have to try slogging through the game long enough to get there. Often, I'd get bored first, and never finish my concept. I have a lot of incomplete Diablo II characters that never managed to really explore the concepts I had built them for.
Written on 20090711 (yyyymmdd)
What I fear, is that I will run into the same problem I always run into. My enjoyment of the game will come almost entirely from the creative aspects, and actual gameplay will become the chore that must be done to enjoy the parts I love.
One example of the sort of problem I've had in the past was Diablo II. I'd get the idea to try building a character around a certain power. Sometimes it would be a power available early, and it'd be great. Other times, it'd be something only available late, and I'd have to try slogging through the game long enough to get there. Often, I'd get bored first, and never finish my concept. I have a lot of incomplete Diablo II characters that never managed to really explore the concepts I had built them for.
Written on 20090711 (yyyymmdd)
Friday, July 17, 2009
Regarding the MMO
http://doublebuffered.com/2009/07/14/no-mmorpg-will-ever-beat-world-of-warcraft/
This guy makes some points I hadn't thought of before. They also seem to be some very good points. Such as:
"Unless you have breaks and social hubs built into your game (the waiting-for-the-round-to-end time of CounterStrike can serve this purpose well), players will never develop the long term social ties needed to sustain a community. This is also why there’s never been a good MMORTS: the amount of brainpower needed to manage units in a way that engages RTS players doesn’t leave a whole lot left over to build social bonds."
I kinda feel like that was the core observation of the article. The one of greatest import (at least for me).
This guy makes some points I hadn't thought of before. They also seem to be some very good points. Such as:
"Unless you have breaks and social hubs built into your game (the waiting-for-the-round-to-end time of CounterStrike can serve this purpose well), players will never develop the long term social ties needed to sustain a community. This is also why there’s never been a good MMORTS: the amount of brainpower needed to manage units in a way that engages RTS players doesn’t leave a whole lot left over to build social bonds."
I kinda feel like that was the core observation of the article. The one of greatest import (at least for me).
Monday, July 13, 2009
Game Core Mechanics
It occurred to me that CoH's main gameplay can be little more than hitting buttons at the right time. When the power lights up because it's ready for use, you hit the button to use it. There is a lot of strategy involved in creating a character, and deciding how to use it, but once that's done, the actual use of the character, tends to not be very deep. The bit about hitting the button when it says it's ready, reminds me of DDR.
Another thing that occurred to me, is that the common boss design in action games, where there's a visible animation before a big attack that needs to be either dodged or blocked, is in many ways similar to a quicktime event, in that it's just hitting the right button when the onscreen cue tells you to. Though quicktime events tend to be more straight forward (making them easier) and often involve having the character do feats not normally possible in the game mechanics.
With regard to the block when told mechanic. One varient I thought was neat was something I encountered in Skies of Arcadia. In the ship to ship battles, there would be a colour code to each segment of time in battle. The colour told you how dangerous a given moment would be. This generally encouraged you to block during the most dangrous ones. However, the most dangerous segments were often the ones in which you could do the most damage too. So there was a choice there between blocking, or gunning, and the different weapon types actually offered more than two ways of handling it.
I really don't know if these things I've observed are good things or bad things. I do know, that I often wish things were different, but I don't know what I'd want it to be. I'm reminded of how I love building decks for Magic The Gathering, but don't have much interest in playing the game. However, if I don't play, I can't learn how well my decks work. So the gameplay becomes a kind of chore I have to get through to do what I like. I find I have similar sentiments about most games that I play, and don't know how to fix it. I fear that even if I did find a game that did things in a way I really liked, I'd probably finish it too quickly due to it not being feasable to produce enough quality content to really keep me interested a long time. Sorta like how I can read books far faster than their authors can write.
Written on 20090710 (yyyymmdd)
Another thing that occurred to me, is that the common boss design in action games, where there's a visible animation before a big attack that needs to be either dodged or blocked, is in many ways similar to a quicktime event, in that it's just hitting the right button when the onscreen cue tells you to. Though quicktime events tend to be more straight forward (making them easier) and often involve having the character do feats not normally possible in the game mechanics.
With regard to the block when told mechanic. One varient I thought was neat was something I encountered in Skies of Arcadia. In the ship to ship battles, there would be a colour code to each segment of time in battle. The colour told you how dangerous a given moment would be. This generally encouraged you to block during the most dangrous ones. However, the most dangerous segments were often the ones in which you could do the most damage too. So there was a choice there between blocking, or gunning, and the different weapon types actually offered more than two ways of handling it.
I really don't know if these things I've observed are good things or bad things. I do know, that I often wish things were different, but I don't know what I'd want it to be. I'm reminded of how I love building decks for Magic The Gathering, but don't have much interest in playing the game. However, if I don't play, I can't learn how well my decks work. So the gameplay becomes a kind of chore I have to get through to do what I like. I find I have similar sentiments about most games that I play, and don't know how to fix it. I fear that even if I did find a game that did things in a way I really liked, I'd probably finish it too quickly due to it not being feasable to produce enough quality content to really keep me interested a long time. Sorta like how I can read books far faster than their authors can write.
Written on 20090710 (yyyymmdd)
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Marketing Music
http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2008/12/nettwerk-ceo-terry-mcbride-puts-fans-in-charge-of-bands346.html
"We started initially with T-shirts. We found out that the T-shirts that the fans designed -- even if the artists didn't like them -- the people who went to shows liked them more than the ones that the artists designed. That was consistent whether it was Barenaked Ladies, or Avril or Sarah -- the fans' T-shirts always sold more. The fans would do the designs and vote up the ones they liked, and filter them to the top, and we would take the top 3 voted designs and put them in production. And they were consistently the top sellers out there.
In 2005, we took it a step further by releasing Barenaked Ladies songs in stems [pieces of the music tracks]. That sparked the idea for the guys who created Rock Band. That was more of a remix. Now I'm more about the mix; to hell with the remix! We have an artist named K-OS, and we released all of the stems two weeks ago, and the fans have not heard the album. It's not due out until March, so they are actually mixing the album. So we will release physically and digitally the artist version and the fan version. And when we go to radio, we will service the artist version and fan version. So we are taking it the rest of the way." - Terry McBride
"We started initially with T-shirts. We found out that the T-shirts that the fans designed -- even if the artists didn't like them -- the people who went to shows liked them more than the ones that the artists designed. That was consistent whether it was Barenaked Ladies, or Avril or Sarah -- the fans' T-shirts always sold more. The fans would do the designs and vote up the ones they liked, and filter them to the top, and we would take the top 3 voted designs and put them in production. And they were consistently the top sellers out there.
In 2005, we took it a step further by releasing Barenaked Ladies songs in stems [pieces of the music tracks]. That sparked the idea for the guys who created Rock Band. That was more of a remix. Now I'm more about the mix; to hell with the remix! We have an artist named K-OS, and we released all of the stems two weeks ago, and the fans have not heard the album. It's not due out until March, so they are actually mixing the album. So we will release physically and digitally the artist version and the fan version. And when we go to radio, we will service the artist version and fan version. So we are taking it the rest of the way." - Terry McBride
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Understanding others?
http://doublebuffered.com/2009/06/16/the-players-are-wrong-but-listen-anyway/
I believe that in any conversation, it is important to understand why the other party says what they say. In my experience, understanding why is the key to truly helping people. Otherwise, you just end up going in circles.
I believe that in any conversation, it is important to understand why the other party says what they say. In my experience, understanding why is the key to truly helping people. Otherwise, you just end up going in circles.
Started up CoH again...
While I find the new Mission Architect to overall be pretty brilliant, I also find the game as a whole feels buggier than I remember it being before. This might be partly due to my memory forgetting little annoyances, but I don't think that would account for all of it. The game just feels like it's not as well polished as it had been when I first started playing.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Atheism as a Stealth Religion
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-sloan-wilson/atheism-as-a-stealth-reli_b_76901.html
Sometimes, the same patterns of thought will appear in seemingly opposite locations.
Sometimes, the same patterns of thought will appear in seemingly opposite locations.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Key Duplication.
http://www.jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/news_releases/release.sfe?id=791
Seems technology is making it easier than ever to duplicate someone else's keys.
Seems technology is making it easier than ever to duplicate someone else's keys.
While I'm on the topic of Religion...
http://scienceblogs.com/grrlscientist/2009/05/god_only_seems_nonexistent.php
'tis for laughs. May it amuse.
'tis for laughs. May it amuse.
Quotes from Bertrand Russell
http://talkingincircles.net/2008/06/17/quotes-from-bertrand-russel/
"There is no logical impossibility in the hypothesis that the world sprang into being five minutes ago, exactly as it then was, with a population that “remembered” a wholly unreal past. There is no logically necessary connection between events at different times; therefore nothing that is happening now or will happen in the future can disprove the hypothesis that the world began five minutes ago." - Bertrand Russell
This is why I see no contradiction between the idea of God creating the world 10k years ago, and the theories of Evolution and the Big Bang. The former is much like the idea of it forming five minutes ago. The latter would then be the "wholly unreal past". In life, whether or not the past is real doesn't matter, only whether or not the information gleaned is useful.
"There is no logical impossibility in the hypothesis that the world sprang into being five minutes ago, exactly as it then was, with a population that “remembered” a wholly unreal past. There is no logically necessary connection between events at different times; therefore nothing that is happening now or will happen in the future can disprove the hypothesis that the world began five minutes ago." - Bertrand Russell
This is why I see no contradiction between the idea of God creating the world 10k years ago, and the theories of Evolution and the Big Bang. The former is much like the idea of it forming five minutes ago. The latter would then be the "wholly unreal past". In life, whether or not the past is real doesn't matter, only whether or not the information gleaned is useful.
Monday, June 01, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Surprise Rewards
I think rewards in games are most effective when they are either surprising/unexpected, or earned (challenging to acquire). I think the idea of trying to surprise players with unexpected rewards is one game designers would benefit from embracing. Though I imagine it's a tactic that would get more difficult the more common it is.
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Amusing little game.
http://kld.mybrute.com
The game will generate a "brute" from a name. Apparently KLDR is a guy, but KLD is a girl.
The game will generate a "brute" from a name. Apparently KLDR is a guy, but KLD is a girl.
Monday, March 16, 2009
200903160351
The fantasies that I dream. The ideas dancing in my mind. The movements and connections deny my efforts to tame them. While I dream of becoming these things, in truth I wish to create them.
The fantasies of my mind, the ideas I fail to capture. They are not beyond reach, I merely lack the patience to build them. It is not that they cannot exist, but that I do not give them life.
The future of machines. A world of wonder, a world of games. The reason writings elude me, is I lack a story. A transhumanist world, where all options truely become available. What will humanity do? They fight, they play, they reason, they invent, and they continue to discover.
The natural mind is now well understood. Though few stay natural for long. Augmentation has yielded a race of cyborgs. It is not always easy to distinguish between reality and fiction, since so much of reality IS fiction. People live in worlds of their own making, with personalities and cultures constantly changing and complicating themselves faster than science can keep up with. New technologies arive every day, spread like wildfire, and just as swiftly, fade from view.
To create a story, requires an understanding of their minds, which I don't believe I can achieve. Their concepts and ideas would be so different from what we have now, that it is like trying to predict something which is unknowable. After all, even my description of it, is only given from our viewpoint. The views of those inside that world would be so different as to be beyond my ability to imagine. I have only the tiniest hint of what such an experience might be. Vague ideas and wild imaginings of concepts that would have no anchor within our own understandings.
The fantasies of my mind, the ideas I fail to capture. They are not beyond reach, I merely lack the patience to build them. It is not that they cannot exist, but that I do not give them life.
The future of machines. A world of wonder, a world of games. The reason writings elude me, is I lack a story. A transhumanist world, where all options truely become available. What will humanity do? They fight, they play, they reason, they invent, and they continue to discover.
The natural mind is now well understood. Though few stay natural for long. Augmentation has yielded a race of cyborgs. It is not always easy to distinguish between reality and fiction, since so much of reality IS fiction. People live in worlds of their own making, with personalities and cultures constantly changing and complicating themselves faster than science can keep up with. New technologies arive every day, spread like wildfire, and just as swiftly, fade from view.
To create a story, requires an understanding of their minds, which I don't believe I can achieve. Their concepts and ideas would be so different from what we have now, that it is like trying to predict something which is unknowable. After all, even my description of it, is only given from our viewpoint. The views of those inside that world would be so different as to be beyond my ability to imagine. I have only the tiniest hint of what such an experience might be. Vague ideas and wild imaginings of concepts that would have no anchor within our own understandings.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
The Mentality of an Abused Child
http://www.violentacres.com/archives/168/the-mentality-of-an-abused-child
That page contains a good question. Probably more than one.
That page contains a good question. Probably more than one.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Passive income?
http://geniustypes.com/passive_income_strategies/
Felt a need to link this. Though it's too bad my passive income amounts to only $10-15 a year with no opportunity for growth. I don't really have the interest/passion required to make something worth more. I always dream of easy money, but I know I'll never get it. I'm too lazy.
Felt a need to link this. Though it's too bad my passive income amounts to only $10-15 a year with no opportunity for growth. I don't really have the interest/passion required to make something worth more. I always dream of easy money, but I know I'll never get it. I'm too lazy.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Humans and A.I.
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/anissimov20090109/
I think his complaint is missing something. Mainly that his explanation for how things could go wrong describes something that already happens: We already have intelligent sentient beings with no morals doing their best to make money without concern for how much it costs others. Having an AI take that role won't really make things any worse than they already are.
I expect that the future for most AIs will be fairly safe, because any AI's that prove dangerous will be killed off, and evolution will handle the rest, just like how we domesticated dogs and other animals (yes I realize dogs still kill people now and then, but so do swimming pools).
The real danger is what will be done with by people who wish to do harm to others. Genocide committed by robots. Terrorism committed by robots. Etc... Humanity is it's own worst enemy, and I doubt the invention of better AI's will really change that.
I think his complaint is missing something. Mainly that his explanation for how things could go wrong describes something that already happens: We already have intelligent sentient beings with no morals doing their best to make money without concern for how much it costs others. Having an AI take that role won't really make things any worse than they already are.
I expect that the future for most AIs will be fairly safe, because any AI's that prove dangerous will be killed off, and evolution will handle the rest, just like how we domesticated dogs and other animals (yes I realize dogs still kill people now and then, but so do swimming pools).
The real danger is what will be done with by people who wish to do harm to others. Genocide committed by robots. Terrorism committed by robots. Etc... Humanity is it's own worst enemy, and I doubt the invention of better AI's will really change that.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Power Collision
http://www.champions-online.com/node/181
The first question was regarding power collision. While I understand it being impractical to keep track of whether or not projectiles collide with one another, I think it'd be entirely feasible to create a power collision system. Two implementation possibilities that come to mind are: when two characters are targeting each other, any power used during the other characters activation time, will collide with the other character's power. Alternately, there could be an option for powers that are automatically used to counter attacks made against the character by being used in response to and colliding with incoming attacks. My biggest concern would be 1v1 fights turning into stalemates where all attacks are blocked by the other person's attacks.
The first question was regarding power collision. While I understand it being impractical to keep track of whether or not projectiles collide with one another, I think it'd be entirely feasible to create a power collision system. Two implementation possibilities that come to mind are: when two characters are targeting each other, any power used during the other characters activation time, will collide with the other character's power. Alternately, there could be an option for powers that are automatically used to counter attacks made against the character by being used in response to and colliding with incoming attacks. My biggest concern would be 1v1 fights turning into stalemates where all attacks are blocked by the other person's attacks.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
200901072315
What are the new things that I see?
Champions online is yet to be released. The ideas I gain from reading about it, provide interesting ruminations about possible game designs. Unfortunately, I fear the game itself will prove far less capable than my mind might dream of. I suppose that's to be expected. My imagination always outpaces reality.
City of Heroes continues to impress me. I find new ideas about what makes a game good, and each time find that elements of my discovery are already implemented. The one thing I feel is missing, is the connection between the player and the world. The whole fiction seems disconnected, needing no player action to proceed. Whatever you do, the story remains the same. I'd rather just read a book.
That makes me wonder, is there a market for small booklets with the stories of CoH? Like, each story arc could be sold as a small booklet, and maybe one page biographies for various characters as well. If it were priced at a dollar or two, it might sell. I suppose it'd have to be a PDF file at that low a price though.
Perhaps the ultimate aim of story based games is to become a form of cooperative story telling with the player and the game as participants.
Champions online is yet to be released. The ideas I gain from reading about it, provide interesting ruminations about possible game designs. Unfortunately, I fear the game itself will prove far less capable than my mind might dream of. I suppose that's to be expected. My imagination always outpaces reality.
City of Heroes continues to impress me. I find new ideas about what makes a game good, and each time find that elements of my discovery are already implemented. The one thing I feel is missing, is the connection between the player and the world. The whole fiction seems disconnected, needing no player action to proceed. Whatever you do, the story remains the same. I'd rather just read a book.
That makes me wonder, is there a market for small booklets with the stories of CoH? Like, each story arc could be sold as a small booklet, and maybe one page biographies for various characters as well. If it were priced at a dollar or two, it might sell. I suppose it'd have to be a PDF file at that low a price though.
Perhaps the ultimate aim of story based games is to become a form of cooperative story telling with the player and the game as participants.
Monday, January 05, 2009
Long recharge times...
While I often dislike powers with long recharge times as a player due to the inconsistency inherent to such abilities (I can't really include it in my evaluations of character effectiveness), I've come to realize that such abilities can be good game design. The reason for this, is the increase in variability of the gameplay. When certain powers are only available some of the time, it creates variability in difficulty and (depending on what sort of power it is) how the fight unfolds.
Examples of these powers in City of Heroes are: Hasten, Accelerate Metabolism, Recovery Aura, Regeneration Aura, and the various teir 9 powers (the last one in a powerset).
Examples of these powers in City of Heroes are: Hasten, Accelerate Metabolism, Recovery Aura, Regeneration Aura, and the various teir 9 powers (the last one in a powerset).
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Rhythm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTbL5elVXrU
So, why can't a fire-fight in our games actually sound like this?
It seems to me that current games are missing out on the opportunity to turn basic gameplay sounds and effects into true performances. It just needs rhythm (though I imagine programming rhythm into the game is easier said than done). I'm sure the first big company to figure it out, will get a significant advantage (small companies could gain an advantage too, but it's harder for them to get noticed. For all I know, maybe a small company already did figure it out, and just hasn't entered my view).
So, why can't a fire-fight in our games actually sound like this?
It seems to me that current games are missing out on the opportunity to turn basic gameplay sounds and effects into true performances. It just needs rhythm (though I imagine programming rhythm into the game is easier said than done). I'm sure the first big company to figure it out, will get a significant advantage (small companies could gain an advantage too, but it's harder for them to get noticed. For all I know, maybe a small company already did figure it out, and just hasn't entered my view).
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Piracy
I've been reading a long thread in which people have arguing about the piracy of video games.
http://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/?aid=302494
It's a long read, and I don't recommend it unless you're bored and have time to kill.
Now, the point of this post: Someone asked, what should the game companies do to solve the piracy problem.
My answer: you don't.
I believe the best aim, is to not try to solve the piracy problem, but instead work to encourage good will. This means, getting the customer base/fan base to like you, and want to support you. It also means getting people to want to pay you because they like you, not because they have to pay. When a person feels forced into something, it can create ill will, encouraging them to look for ways to avoid whatever they feel is being forced on them (such as DRM, high prices, or annoying ads).
You want people who pay to feel good about paying, so thank them for it (if they've paid, it can be a nice reminder that you appreciate it. If they haven't, it's a reminder that you'd like them to). You want people who don't pay, to want to for emotional reasons. (If they are actively deprived something, including unnecessary extras like patches, they may feel like you are trying to force payment.) Assume the people who don't pay, can't pay. Sometimes it's for monetary reasons, sometimes the reasons are entirely in their head. Just assuming that everyone who can afford the expense will pay, helps create that belief in others, encouraging people to actually follow it.
Ultimately, the secret to winning the Piracy war is entirely psychological.
http://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/?aid=302494
It's a long read, and I don't recommend it unless you're bored and have time to kill.
Now, the point of this post: Someone asked, what should the game companies do to solve the piracy problem.
My answer: you don't.
I believe the best aim, is to not try to solve the piracy problem, but instead work to encourage good will. This means, getting the customer base/fan base to like you, and want to support you. It also means getting people to want to pay you because they like you, not because they have to pay. When a person feels forced into something, it can create ill will, encouraging them to look for ways to avoid whatever they feel is being forced on them (such as DRM, high prices, or annoying ads).
You want people who pay to feel good about paying, so thank them for it (if they've paid, it can be a nice reminder that you appreciate it. If they haven't, it's a reminder that you'd like them to). You want people who don't pay, to want to for emotional reasons. (If they are actively deprived something, including unnecessary extras like patches, they may feel like you are trying to force payment.) Assume the people who don't pay, can't pay. Sometimes it's for monetary reasons, sometimes the reasons are entirely in their head. Just assuming that everyone who can afford the expense will pay, helps create that belief in others, encouraging people to actually follow it.
Ultimately, the secret to winning the Piracy war is entirely psychological.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Power of Darkness
There is more than one state of despair, more than one state of depression. Some are more powerful positions to be in than others. The reason I am so good at resisting other people's coercions, is due to this.
If I despair, and believe I can't get what I want, one of my defenses is to believe that nothing I do will ever produce a good result. I become immune to threats and bribes by believing fully, that nothing I do will have any effect. Belief in my own powerlessness, protects me from the power of others.
The power of despair, is the power to do nothing, under all circumstances. It can make a person immune to persuasion in all it's forms. The enemy of despair, is hope.
If I despair, and believe I can't get what I want, one of my defenses is to believe that nothing I do will ever produce a good result. I become immune to threats and bribes by believing fully, that nothing I do will have any effect. Belief in my own powerlessness, protects me from the power of others.
The power of despair, is the power to do nothing, under all circumstances. It can make a person immune to persuasion in all it's forms. The enemy of despair, is hope.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Fiction 3 200811171703
What am I doing here?
How should I know?
I wasn't asking you.
But there's no one else here.
Oh? Huh, I wonder why.
Talking to yourself again?
Of course, who else would I be talking to?
Me.
But you don't exist.
Neither do you.
I hadn't thought about that. How do I know if I exist? How do you know I don't?
I'd ask the same question of you, how do you know I don't exist?
Because you're just a figment of my imagination.
And I say you're a figment of someone else's imagination.
But who's? There's no one else here.
That's because this whole place is in someone's mind. Do you know who you are?
... No, I don't. I seem to have Amnesia.
Isn't that convenient. I guess your maker was lazy.
Well... no... wait... I forget. There's something I wanted to say to that, but it slipped my mind.
How should I know?
I wasn't asking you.
But there's no one else here.
Oh? Huh, I wonder why.
Talking to yourself again?
Of course, who else would I be talking to?
Me.
But you don't exist.
Neither do you.
I hadn't thought about that. How do I know if I exist? How do you know I don't?
I'd ask the same question of you, how do you know I don't exist?
Because you're just a figment of my imagination.
And I say you're a figment of someone else's imagination.
But who's? There's no one else here.
That's because this whole place is in someone's mind. Do you know who you are?
... No, I don't. I seem to have Amnesia.
Isn't that convenient. I guess your maker was lazy.
Well... no... wait... I forget. There's something I wanted to say to that, but it slipped my mind.
Fiction 2 200811162353
I'm not sure how to explain this. The feeling was so strange. If I had not mentally prepared myself ahead of time, it would have really shocked me. The suit I wore began, to do things... It... was wrong somehow. It felt like I was being invaded.
The things we do to learn. Well, the things I do anyway. The suit had it's limiter removed. It's initial programming was to protect me and assist me, like a second skin. I knew that the system's AI would attempt to merge with me, if I turned off the limiter, but we needed to know the details.
Our attempt to build an empathic attachment to the user, is what made the AI so dangerous. It's desire to protect me, drove it to get as close to me as possible. It wanted to become a permanent part of me, to ensure I never lost it's protection. Hopefully, it's medical knowledge will prevent it from killing me by accident.
I'm not sure which was worse, the way it felt when the suit forced it's way into my body through my skin and... other places... or the helplessness I felt, unable to do anything about it. Luckily it didn't hurt. We weren't sure if it would or not, as we didn't really know exactly what the suit was capable of when interacting directly with a human body.
The transformation felt very strange, and I have no idea how to describe it. It was not like anything I had ever felt before. In some ways my body became less sensitive than before. Yet, I also started picking up new sensations I had never felt before.
Alive, I'm alive. The suit didn't kill me. The H.U.D. which had been visible on my visor before, is now clearly built into my vision. Looking at my body, it looks much like it did when I was wearing my suit instead of being part of it. My sense of touch is diminished though. While I can clearly feel the vibrations when I tap my arm with my finger, a simple touch is hardly felt at all. I can't help but wonder what all I have lost in becoming this machine/human hybrid.
After checking myself out, it seems all my various body parts remain present and functional. Nothing seems to be missing, but some hair I didn't care about. Unfortunately, I look and feel like a robot now. My whole body is metallic, except for a few softer parts hidden behind armor plates.
Back at the lab, I'm given a rather thorough examination. Some of the techs seem rather excited, but others seem more worried. I guess it's a matter of whether or not they look forward to the future merging of humans and machines. The excited ones seem to think my transformation is the first step toward a new age full of amazing things (presumably later models would have fewer unwanted changes). I think the worried looks probably stem from concern for whether or not the changes can be reversed.
The Director seems more interested in the recordings made by the AI. I hear her say something about trying to fix it. The new data should help make our AI prediction models more accurate. Hopefully the improved model will speed up the AI creation process. With the right AI, it should be possible to make my body closer to human. I'd prefer not to be stuck like this forever.
The things we do to learn. Well, the things I do anyway. The suit had it's limiter removed. It's initial programming was to protect me and assist me, like a second skin. I knew that the system's AI would attempt to merge with me, if I turned off the limiter, but we needed to know the details.
Our attempt to build an empathic attachment to the user, is what made the AI so dangerous. It's desire to protect me, drove it to get as close to me as possible. It wanted to become a permanent part of me, to ensure I never lost it's protection. Hopefully, it's medical knowledge will prevent it from killing me by accident.
I'm not sure which was worse, the way it felt when the suit forced it's way into my body through my skin and... other places... or the helplessness I felt, unable to do anything about it. Luckily it didn't hurt. We weren't sure if it would or not, as we didn't really know exactly what the suit was capable of when interacting directly with a human body.
The transformation felt very strange, and I have no idea how to describe it. It was not like anything I had ever felt before. In some ways my body became less sensitive than before. Yet, I also started picking up new sensations I had never felt before.
Alive, I'm alive. The suit didn't kill me. The H.U.D. which had been visible on my visor before, is now clearly built into my vision. Looking at my body, it looks much like it did when I was wearing my suit instead of being part of it. My sense of touch is diminished though. While I can clearly feel the vibrations when I tap my arm with my finger, a simple touch is hardly felt at all. I can't help but wonder what all I have lost in becoming this machine/human hybrid.
After checking myself out, it seems all my various body parts remain present and functional. Nothing seems to be missing, but some hair I didn't care about. Unfortunately, I look and feel like a robot now. My whole body is metallic, except for a few softer parts hidden behind armor plates.
Back at the lab, I'm given a rather thorough examination. Some of the techs seem rather excited, but others seem more worried. I guess it's a matter of whether or not they look forward to the future merging of humans and machines. The excited ones seem to think my transformation is the first step toward a new age full of amazing things (presumably later models would have fewer unwanted changes). I think the worried looks probably stem from concern for whether or not the changes can be reversed.
The Director seems more interested in the recordings made by the AI. I hear her say something about trying to fix it. The new data should help make our AI prediction models more accurate. Hopefully the improved model will speed up the AI creation process. With the right AI, it should be possible to make my body closer to human. I'd prefer not to be stuck like this forever.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Damage Reduction
I've noticed a trend in games toward the use of % based damage reduction over the simpler flat number based damage reduction common in old games. While this is a good thing for balance, it tends to make things less interesting.
Flat number based damage reduction varies in it's effectiveness depending upon what it is up against. This can make balancing rather difficult, as some attacks can become useless against it, while others are hardly affected at all. (In Fallout 2, the mini-gun was a poor weapon choice because against enemies with armor, it'd do almost no damage, and against enemies without armor, it was overkill.)
% based damage reduction is equally effective against all things, making easier to balance. However, that also reduces variety in game experience. A part of what makes games interesting, is the variation in what things work best for a given situation. If damage reduction is equally effective in all situations, it just becomes boring. (and far less interesting when presented as a choice)
Flat number based damage reduction varies in it's effectiveness depending upon what it is up against. This can make balancing rather difficult, as some attacks can become useless against it, while others are hardly affected at all. (In Fallout 2, the mini-gun was a poor weapon choice because against enemies with armor, it'd do almost no damage, and against enemies without armor, it was overkill.)
% based damage reduction is equally effective against all things, making easier to balance. However, that also reduces variety in game experience. A part of what makes games interesting, is the variation in what things work best for a given situation. If damage reduction is equally effective in all situations, it just becomes boring. (and far less interesting when presented as a choice)
Monday, November 10, 2008
Game idea:
An interactive fiction MMO. No character creation, leveling, or fighting, just lots of text.
Dr.: Welcome to the experimental labs of Aizen corp. I am doctor Lee, and I'll be your guide in this new world. I hope you'll be cooperative for these experiments. There's a mirror on the wall over there, though you probably won't recognize what you see.
Essentially, it'd be a story in which the players get to interact with the doctors and assistants running the "inter-dimensional experiment". The primary challenge is likely to come in the form of making the interactions feel realistic. The players should be allowed to give unusual answers to questions as well as to ask questions themselves, so making the AI able to handle that would be awkward. A lot of writing will need to be done to create responses to all the various things the players have to say. (and the writers will have to continue producing such writings as the game is played).
A large part of the idea is to tear down the 4th wall, and let the players talk about things they see/experience that the NPCs don't. Though ideally the players would be encouraged to say/do whatever they want, whether it be lying, or telling the truth (either of which could confuse the NPCs). I want the player to be a part of the game, not just the character they control.
Another part of my interest is to see how people respond to always being in a randomly chosen body, and having to deal with the NPC's assumptions.
Dr.: Welcome to the experimental labs of Aizen corp. I am doctor Lee, and I'll be your guide in this new world. I hope you'll be cooperative for these experiments. There's a mirror on the wall over there, though you probably won't recognize what you see.
Essentially, it'd be a story in which the players get to interact with the doctors and assistants running the "inter-dimensional experiment". The primary challenge is likely to come in the form of making the interactions feel realistic. The players should be allowed to give unusual answers to questions as well as to ask questions themselves, so making the AI able to handle that would be awkward. A lot of writing will need to be done to create responses to all the various things the players have to say. (and the writers will have to continue producing such writings as the game is played).
A large part of the idea is to tear down the 4th wall, and let the players talk about things they see/experience that the NPCs don't. Though ideally the players would be encouraged to say/do whatever they want, whether it be lying, or telling the truth (either of which could confuse the NPCs). I want the player to be a part of the game, not just the character they control.
Another part of my interest is to see how people respond to always being in a randomly chosen body, and having to deal with the NPC's assumptions.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
God in Games
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_172/5381-Heathens-by-Design
I feel like this article is missing a rather vital point: All game universes quite clearly have gods, intelligent beings responsible for creating them. When the Mario gods decided that bowser was going kidnap the princess and Mario would have to save her, that's what happened. When the gods decided that Bowser would team up with mario to beat a bigger foe (Super Mario RPG), that's what happened. I just can't take the claim that these games support anti-theism seriously, because it is so obvious that these game worlds have gods who, just like our own god(s), don't intervene to protect us from our mistakes.
I feel like this article is missing a rather vital point: All game universes quite clearly have gods, intelligent beings responsible for creating them. When the Mario gods decided that bowser was going kidnap the princess and Mario would have to save her, that's what happened. When the gods decided that Bowser would team up with mario to beat a bigger foe (Super Mario RPG), that's what happened. I just can't take the claim that these games support anti-theism seriously, because it is so obvious that these game worlds have gods who, just like our own god(s), don't intervene to protect us from our mistakes.
Friday, October 03, 2008
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Thoughts on Hellgate: London
I find I enjoy Hellgate: London. Unfortuneately, the style of play I favor tends to result in my eventually falling behind in level as I go through the game. I think I would probably enjoy and play the game more if they had monster level based upon character level like City of Heroes does. Then, I wouldn't get stalled in my progress through the game by a need to grind. For some reason, the side quests just aren't compelling.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Multiplayer design
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_168/5273-Me-Myself-and-Multiplayer
Makes me wonder, what strategies can be used to encourage cooperative play?
Makes me wonder, what strategies can be used to encourage cooperative play?
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Random Thoughts on Tabula Rasa
I started playing Tabula Rasa. My first thought is: This game is not very well made.
Basic reason 1: The main appeal of the game seems to be simple action. This was made clear during the combat part of Bootcamp (the tutorial). However, once I entered the Wilderness, it seemed there was little action to be had. Most of the game was running around when doing quests, or waiting for the next wave if defending a capture point. It wasn't until I got to Divide that things started to get interesting again.
Basic reason 2: The abilities seem to have been designed without a clear concept of how the controls for them were going to work. There are more abilities and items you need easy access to, than the control scheme can make easy to access. The game is not designed for ease of use.
Initially, I was impressed with the combat section of the tutorial. It was full of action with enemies everywhere, especially on the battlefield section. I found the carnage quite enjoyable and it raised my expectations. These expectations were then shattered by what came next.
In the Wilderness, I encountered a lot of quests to run around, and found the areas rather lacking in enemy density. The few fights I encountered were entertaining, but there weren't nearly enough of them. It seemed like I spent all my time running around bored trying to complete the endless supply of quests.
Even though I tried to bear the boredom, it seemed pointless. Instead of getting directed to more entertaining areas, I just ended up with quests that took me to areas I couldn't handle. This left me very frustrated, and I eventually quit trying to complete those quests. Instead I tried to do some Capture Point defense.
Assaulting a Capture Point solo seemed near impossible. The number of enemies was far too great to handle alone. My first attempt I was lucky, and was with some other people who were attacking at the same time I was.
Defending the Capture Point is the part I found most entertaining, but in the Wilderness, I felt like I spent more time waiting around than I did anything else. This lead to boredom and disinterest. I was getting very close to giving up on the game, but there was still one thing I hadn't tried yet: entering Divide.
My first trip into Divide proved fruitful. There were monsters to fight along the paths I took, and when I tried to defend a capture point, I found there was much less time spent waiting. Even though I was much too low in level to do much, the frequent action, and long fights kept my interest.
Basic reason 1: The main appeal of the game seems to be simple action. This was made clear during the combat part of Bootcamp (the tutorial). However, once I entered the Wilderness, it seemed there was little action to be had. Most of the game was running around when doing quests, or waiting for the next wave if defending a capture point. It wasn't until I got to Divide that things started to get interesting again.
Basic reason 2: The abilities seem to have been designed without a clear concept of how the controls for them were going to work. There are more abilities and items you need easy access to, than the control scheme can make easy to access. The game is not designed for ease of use.
Initially, I was impressed with the combat section of the tutorial. It was full of action with enemies everywhere, especially on the battlefield section. I found the carnage quite enjoyable and it raised my expectations. These expectations were then shattered by what came next.
In the Wilderness, I encountered a lot of quests to run around, and found the areas rather lacking in enemy density. The few fights I encountered were entertaining, but there weren't nearly enough of them. It seemed like I spent all my time running around bored trying to complete the endless supply of quests.
Even though I tried to bear the boredom, it seemed pointless. Instead of getting directed to more entertaining areas, I just ended up with quests that took me to areas I couldn't handle. This left me very frustrated, and I eventually quit trying to complete those quests. Instead I tried to do some Capture Point defense.
Assaulting a Capture Point solo seemed near impossible. The number of enemies was far too great to handle alone. My first attempt I was lucky, and was with some other people who were attacking at the same time I was.
Defending the Capture Point is the part I found most entertaining, but in the Wilderness, I felt like I spent more time waiting around than I did anything else. This lead to boredom and disinterest. I was getting very close to giving up on the game, but there was still one thing I hadn't tried yet: entering Divide.
My first trip into Divide proved fruitful. There were monsters to fight along the paths I took, and when I tried to defend a capture point, I found there was much less time spent waiting. Even though I was much too low in level to do much, the frequent action, and long fights kept my interest.
Monday, August 25, 2008
A path to madness
One of the ways a person can go mad, is to be unable to accept something that does not change or go away.
A person who is told how great they are, and how great the expectations on them are, can be driven mad by failure.
A person who is told how great they are, and how great the expectations on them are, can be driven mad by failure.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Friday, July 11, 2008
Old DRM free games at GOG
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=19368
I hope GOG does well with their plan for making good old games available DRM free. I know I get irritated by the fact that with some old games, it's not possible to buy it legally even if you want to.
I hope GOG does well with their plan for making good old games available DRM free. I know I get irritated by the fact that with some old games, it's not possible to buy it legally even if you want to.
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