Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Game Design: Too Powerful Option? A simple Analysis

As i played Forza 3 some of my friends seem not as satisfied with the rewind function in the game. He could undo all his mistake when he is racing against AI opponent just by pressing the select button and there is no limit of rewind function in the game. The only thing that Turn 10 (Forza 3 Developer) will punish you is that your ranking in leaderboard will be less than other that dont used that features. He said that this is a terrible game because it made player have too many power and not to be able to become a better racer like most of the sim racer available.

Fun?

Which his statement is just riddiculous. Game are meant for people to have fun. What i said is if you think that feature is bugging you then just dont use it. if there is some option that will make the gameplay imbalance or not enjoyable to you then dont use it. If you think that the sniper rifle is really imbalance in wolfenstein then just dont use it...try play metal gear solid 3 just by using microphone not with the radar and you will be much more immersed.

The power of choice that given by developer may or may not abused by the player they made it available so that player can have their choice of playing which in turn made it suitable based on what kind of fun each gamer has(hard? or just for relaxing).

Default
The art of enforcing user/gamer to feel the right feature is to configure the default difficultyso it caters to their target audience. It is posible to make your game to cater to a wide target audience but you have to make sure you have the core target audience then you started implementing helpfull feature and determine what kind of default difficulty are you going to implement. A dynamic difficulty like in Max Payne 2 is also good for this job.
What forza 3 does is they made the player gone through a series of question and test race to make sure that player are playing in their right configuration. They also made effort in designing their game and their marketing strategy to make sure that all the option/feature available in the game does not make their game dumb down for hardcore racing gamer but it is to make user/gamer/target audience to have more option so if they are comfortable on their current difficulty they could make it harder. this is a sort of learning you will hope for the next game because as a game it meant to provide entertainment.

as a puncline to this post i guess there should be further investigation on how do game designer design their game...

CHAO

Friday, July 17, 2009

What i Hear, What I Listen, and What I see about our world:Terrorism

What i heard today is about another bomb in Jakarta. All this meaningless terrorism leads into another lost of death,cry,sense of desperation and meaningless hatred.

I heard it. I Saw it. People kill each other, kill women and innocent children and even desecrate grave for something we called faith. I believe in this kinda things then ill do anything as long my purpose/believe is fulfilled.

 

Does that justified killing?

Is this the world god envisioned to us?

 

I realized the savage nature of human being. I believe in humanity. I believe that one day we will see through it all. And believe that one day everyone will believe on the greater good. Instead of being selfish.

 

This is what i do if i want to do something evil someone else.

If you want to hit someone, imagine you hit the person you love the most such as your family? Do you dare to hit them?To desecrate their grave? To bomb them?

The Joy of living in this unique world where everyone is different from each other is to understand that differences and made peace about it. Not to fight with each other to determine who is right. Loving is about accepting flaws, not about perfection.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Brothers in Arms:Hell’s Highway

Welcome To Hell

I never can find a tag line better than this. Welcome to hell. this is hell indeed.

There was a time where the world of gaming filled by clones of generic world war 2 shooter. Even the Medal Of Honor series born in this dark age and turn out to be almost the same with anyone else. Nothing impress me in the tiresome world of war 2 fps except for Call Of Duty. That one blew my mind away.

Then along came Brothers in arms. The first game in the series is actually heart touching story of a group of men(band of brothers you might say because of the resemblance to that miniseries) surviving the farmland of Holland. The Story is not particularly mind blowing, you have to admit that it is clichéd but no one touch this territory story wise. Who ever think that to bring the brutality and emptiness of World War 2 can be as successful as mowing down waves of no #25 Nazis. Welcome To Hell

Welcome To Hell

Hells10

Every man has his own weaknesses.

Add a lite “strategic” gameplay into it and you get a simple but engaging shooter that also filled with repetitiveness. you can control a team of few men but the command you can give to them is limited but you can argue that by adding context sensitive to it rather than a myriad of option like rainbow six series do give this series it own charm and accessibility. Unfortunately the AI both your allies and enemies are not that bright. The enemies will tend to shoot you while moving around the corner make it easy target to flank. The only real devil in this part is usually the map layout not the Nazis themselves. And your teammate sometime hide in the WRONG side of the wall make them an easy target. combine with this the strangely cursor to command them make this “commanding your group” part of the gameplay a bit annoying but nevertheless the main attraction of this game.

Hells7

No one Fights alone

There are a bit of new addition to the gameplay three of them make this installment even more accessible compared to the previous one. First the cover system works marvelously but lately i found sometime you cannot attach to the wall you want. Both the destructible cover and the bazooka team does make this game even more fun than before but you have to note that not all cover can be destroyed..only a miniscule of them but once you hit it right you will be giggling in excitement while accompanied by the brutal action cam showing the massacre you cause while limbs are torn away. No this is not the same visceral amount of gore as God Of War 3 might be. But nevertheless i think this describe the brutality of war beautifully.

Hells8

Annoying Mission Tanks. But beautiful Scenery indeed

The solo player part of the game is not the best but also not as annoying as some other people told me. It is mediocre at best. And the new tank mission also does the same. it feels empty. I can understands why they create this level but the previous installment does give you the same feeling of power by make tanks as part of your team. Not to mention sometimes that the addition of tanks seems a little bit of forced story wise.

 

Hells3

Introspective Story

The story continue the same story from previous two games but the serviceable “preciously on” segment does the best it can do. But i argue that people who played the first one(Hill 30) have easier time to respect this installment. The story is heart touching but i found that the minimalistic music element in cut scene segment is disappointing. I see a lot of potential here but alas you don't buy a game for potential you actually want to experience them. The dialogues actually are lively. But it turns down by a ridiculous script that try to be gritty but fails. But still iam a fan of the first game so  can appreciate what they have done here but somehow i cannot feel the brutality and sacrifice in this war as Gearbox promised me.

 

Hells1

Here Comes The Rain

The Presentation is fantastic but the usual unreal 3 engine bugginess like the texture pop up thing is apparent. Sometime clipping does also happen occasionally. But other than that the vista and the environment effect like Rain,Farm and fire are fantastic.

*note i bought this game only for 12.5 aus dollar so i think that this game worth all the penny.

85/100

Saturday, May 23, 2009

The Return of the blind AI

A funny flaw in Brother in arms Hell’s Highway spotted by Me

So i went like this…. i was sort of tried to reorganize thought by killing Nazis in brother in arms Hell’s Highway(which is i bought only for AU$12.5..cheap as hell). Then the most surprising unpleasant nostalgia struck me.

thought that this is 2008…man do we stll have pathfindng trouble?…man… but by no means this is almost unforgivable considering that this is a squad base tactics game… where every single mistakes count….unfortunately this problem is very sparse…path1-call1 10 minutes later

path2-call1

btw he is almost as stupid as these guys(the bot one)

Thursday, April 16, 2009

A journey to Dreamworld’s Gold Coast: A travelogue Part 1-Leaving house-

To quote this is my first time ever write a journey of mine that filled with many excitement. The reason why im writing this is not because this is the most interesting part of my life(duh) but because im too bored now and rather than doing things that decrease my imagination and creative mind by being a slave to video games(ahem Crysis) and rather than being too productive(look far ahead by doing homework and group project), i decide to write down this memories into words.

It began like last Sunday…11 April 2009. The day when… well i dont remember it crystal clear but i do remember both me and Falah like laying down while waiting for Fadhil and Fanov. Then Fadhil knocked on our room and said.

Fadhil:“Tomorrow we will go to Gold Coast. Anyone want to come?”

Danar:”?Since when we will go there on monday?”

Fadhil:”Well Jingga want to go with her sister there with or without us so i think why not?”

okay that is vague…..

but i still haven't had my share of fun because i decline every chances to have fun with my friend in Brisbane for a while because of my Assignments or even Exam. Time For Revenge.(ost:Generic _evil_laugh.mp3)

Okay i said in my heart.

I slept.

I woke up like 7 or 8 in the morning while Fadhil knocking desperately on Fanov’s room and my(oh yeah and falah) room tried to wake us (falah already woke up and i believe at that time he is cooking something)up.

unfortunately his obvious good intention turned out blue and he gave up and slept again. While fanov try to call our house to wake me up. Unfortunately Falah answered it.

Desperately he tried to call me again now directly to my cell phone. What kind of a weirdo want to call a man that sleep like 5 steps from his own room. Weird. Anyway after deciding if no one want to took a bath and i rather take  a bath than to be trapped in an endless cycle of waiting and be in a deadlocked state. I heroically take my own towell and enter the great bathroom. Handsomely went out of there in style!!!

okay enough of it.

After all of us take a bath –falah is in the bathroom at that time-

Fadhil scream like a banshee(well not perse…. but what the hell this is funny) while he still sleeping in his bed.

Fadhil:“M****y, take a bath wont you?”

Fanov:”Now why dont you take one?”

well in bahasa it went like this

Fadhil:”Nyet  ga mandi?”

Fanov:”Nyet u ga mandi?”

 

ironically speaking considering he is the one who havent took a bath that morning. after all things cleared up we went to Guyatt Park city cat stop joining the others.

to be continued…

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Is it really that many temptation in this country

i know.. i know….

im in Brisbane for studying.

but come on…

is it really my fantasy or is it that many temptation in here?

1. Original Games

2. faster internet than Indonesia-although they do have some limits

3. Cute girls everywhere

4. Beautiful river

5. many extra activities

 

but dude better whack that idea of studying into my head or else…. 

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Alan Wake Where Are You?

What is Alan Wake?

What is alanwake

How Good Is Alan Wake Graphics?

Looks Real Time To me. Notice all the details in the Bookstore/ This is Remedy Stuff boys. High Quality…

Dead Eye Effect Is Not Impressive

How Does it Play?

I Dunno but what i know is…

Creepy but without Zombie. Will Include Moody Surrealistic thriller story and heavy emphasize on light.

When It Will Be Released?

all of the picture is trademark of Remedy Entertainment

And it is taken from Alan Wake Official Website

http://www.alanwake.com/