I'm On A Boat, Motherf*****

In the absence of more interesting news, here's a music video. I'm on a boat, bitch!

I'm a Street Fighter; Ken Wins!

More articles published at Pixel Hunt

Issue 6 of Pixel Hunt was released a couple of days ago, and I've got more of my work published within. Please do go and check it out. It's a good magazine with plenty of fantastic material. Especially mine (no points for false modesty).

My works:

1. Empire Total War Q&A with The Creative Assembly, pages 17-18
2. My Top 5 Games of 2008, page 21
3. Overcoming Challenges: Combat and Progression in Videogames, pages 27-29 (I'm most proud of this one)

Just another day on the Werribee train

The 8.09am express train from Werribee to the City forgot to make a stop at one of its primary stations this morning. Instead, we drove straight on through.

Take your pick on which was the funniest:
1) The look on the faces of passengers waiting at the station as we sped past.
2) The 3 minutes we stopped after while the driver contemplated reversing the train back.
3) His embarrassed apology as he realised it would be far too difficult to go back. "Yea... That was my bad," he said.

Getting an arcade stick

I'm totally pumped for the Street Fighter IV launch, and I want to complete the experience by procuring an arcade stick. Having one is quintessential to the Street Fighter experience, and it's just not right I don't have one yet. It's just not right.

There's a pretty sweet new line of arcade sticks coming from Mad Catz. This baby here, for example, costs US$150:

But finding the damn thing has been frustrating. The shops I've contacted and visited either have no idea, or do not plan on bringing it at all. I've been to EB Games and all other retailers in the city, but I've been drawing blanks the whole way. It's disappointing to be sure. I'm hoping I'll be able to pick one up while I'm back in Singapore. Hopefully.

Diablo 3 is going to be so sweeeeet...

Oh snap! That new Unicorn class in Diablo 3 is going to be so killer!

Diablo 3 too colourful
Diablo 3 developers strike back
Diablo 3 screenshots: Unicorns, rainbows and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man

My Secret Santa Gift: Warriors of God

I've taken part in BoardgameGeek's Secret Santa program for a few years now, and it's always a great deal of fun. I surprise someone with an awesome gift and I receive one in return. This year was no exception though I had to be extra patient. My Secret Santa gift just arrived two days ago having traveled many miles from the far north.

And inside was Warriors of God.

Warriors of God focuses primarily on the Hundred Years' War from 1337 - 1453. The game is beautifully produced with excellent components. The rulebook read very easily, and suggests that while the rules are simple, there is a great deal of depth in the game play. I'm looking forward to getting this on the table soon.

Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix

I love Street Fighter. I am a huge fan. I love the game, the mythos, the characters. But I'm not very good at the game.

I played the single-player campaign, and several online multi-player matches last night. I still have a long way to go before I am even close to competition level. I lose way more than I win against other players. Even my track record against the computer is horrendous.

Ken is my primary character, because I like that we share a name; we share little else in common though. And through the brief play session yesterday, I've noticed many gaps in my game.

Jumping Around

I have difficulty closing distance with the opponent, and unable to use ground movement effectively. As such I resort to jumping in and out far more than I need to. This has led to predictable movement for my opponent who can counter easily with a upward attack.

Blocking
Blocking has always been a weakness of mine, especially when it comes in a combination of high and low attacks. I'll need to learn to read the opponent's movement better

Reliance on the Same Moves
I'm always using the Hurricane Kick, because it's easy to pull off, closes distance with the opponent and fairly damaging if it connects. But this plays into my weakness of predictability again.

Dragon Punch
And because the Dragon Punch is harder to pull off, I don't use it as often or as effectively. This is a great counter move against jumping attacks and can be extremely damaging if used as such.

Medium Punch and Kicks
Medium attacks are excellent tools in a Street Fighter's arsenal. It balances damage, range and recovery time excellently. It is also a good start to begin combos with. I rely too much on the heavy attacks, which leaves me open to counter attacks.

Xbox Live Points are Region Specific

At least, they are if they were bought through a retail store. Imagine my surprise when I picked up a Xbox Live Points card from EB Games yesterday and wasn't able to redeem the points through my Xbox Live account.

Apparently Xbox Live accounts are region-locked, and my account was set-up when I still lived in Singapore. Which means I can only access the Singaporean Xbox Live Marketplace, and points bought through a retail store here are not valid. Points bought here are only usable on the Australian marketplace using an Australian Live account.

This is annoying on two fronts. Firstly, I now have a Points card at home which I cannot redeem. I can't return it to the store because I've already opened the package and scratched off to reveal the redemption code. Which probably means I also won't be able to sell it off second-hand, at least not at a comparable value at which I bought it.

Secondly, if I do want to use the points, I could set up an Australian Live account and gamertag. This would give me access to the Australian marketplace, but this would mean I'd have to start everything from scratch again. My gamer points, in-game achievements... even my Xbox Live Gold membership, which is tied to my original account.

The absolute worst thing is that I can't really blame anyone but me. I should have clarified with the store clerk before I bought the redemption card. I should have read the small print on the back of the package. I should have consulted the FAQ on the Xbox website.

Sins of a Solar Empire

Building a space empire sure is a tough task. One must concurrently maintain an efficient economy, develop industries and living standards, build a awe-inspiring space fleet whilst fending off enemies and pirates. The resources on each planet system are barely sufficient and offers only a small amount of developmental space. So venturing forward and the need for expansion quickly becomes a prerogative. Scouting for fertile colonies is often a challenge because the enemy will also be seeking the same interests. But conflict often occurs in this struggle for new colonies and new and more powerful fleets of spaceships are needed to fend them off. This brings the conundrum back full circle as new technologies cannot be developed without first expanding. This is the mainstay of any 4x game (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit & eXterminate), and Sins of a Solar Empire packages it together very nicely, offering an accessible entry into the genre.

What I did like about the game is its accessibility. The developmental cap on your home planet quickly points you in the direction you need to go; to expand and develop colonies to support an ever-growing economic and military machine. Exploration, colonising and developing has been simplified/abstracted to enable the player to manage to multi-frontal expansion. Building new planetary and orbital structures, and new military units is also a simple process as each item will highlight which resources and technologies are needed. And researching upgrades and new technology is also a simplified/abstracted process. Combat has also been simplified, as it only occurs on a 2D plane; one assumes that maneuvering and tactics have already been taken into account in the game engine.

As many of the game's mechanics have been abstracted, it offers a high level of automation. Automatic placement of new structures can be turned on. Planetary defenses operate by themselves. Military units engage enemy fleets automatically as well, based on parameters set by the player. Individual units join the most suitable fleets and use their special abilities on the optimal targets without prompting.

There were a couple of things that I did find frustrating. Firstly, the research and logistical requirements for units can be very convoluted. For example, building a Hoshiko Robotics Cruiser requires research in the Hoshiko Prototype, which in turn requires research in Superior Repair Bots, which requires research in the Repair Platform, which requires a Military Lab to be built first. And the ship is only a mid-level unit, and does not include any other general upgrades such as hull reinforcements (which can again be further upgraded).

Secondly, the pirate element in the game is extremely annoying. Pirates will attack periodically, which begin as small annoyances but quickly become credible threats. Repelling them either requires a commitment of troops or offering escalating bounties on enemies. Either way, it's a drain on precious resources.

What I haven't seen is the ability to win the game peacefully through diplomatic or cultural means. It seems that the game has a predilection towards military victory, and I can't yet tell if any other means of victory is possible. There are structures in the game that increases cultural imprints, but I'm not sure exactly what this does. It will become apparent as I explore the game further.

While I do have my gripes, I believe I can overcome them as I become more familiar with the game. Knowledge of the research tree is a key to mastering the game, and it's knowledge that I haven't yet acquired. The other problem I have just requires careful management of time and resources. Overall, I like the game very much. It offers a lot of depth in a very accessible manner. Coupled together with an intriguing storyline and an easy to use interface, Sins of a Solar Empire easily gets a recommendation from me.

Published: Board & Videogames

I wrote a couple of posts some months back on board & videogames (Part 1 & 2), and the relationship between the digital and analog formats. I've been working on that piece since then to have it featured in issue 5 of Pixel Hunt, a local (aussie) videogames e-zine.

I'm pretty excited about it, and I'm really happy the way it turned out. I never written for anyone other than myself here so please do go check it out. My feature is on pages 11 to 14.

Singapore as the indie-game hub?

The Media Development Authority of Singapore announced today that they'll be offering grants to games developers in Singapore to make games for the Xbox Live Community Games initiative. They'll be offering up to S$50,000.00 to each successful applicant, which is extremely enticing.

What's surprising is that not too long ago, Singapore was on the fore-front of banning games, with titles like Mass Effect, Saints Row and The Darkness feeling the brunt of it.

I'm sure this will help to promote more small developers in Singapore, and I think it'll also spur higher quality as I'm assuming that application for these grants will be quite competitive.

Personally, I've been looking into learning how to make simple Flash games, from sites like Kongregate. It'll be a while before I think I'll be able to compete with other games out there. But I've got a few ideas that I think will translate very well to the digital format.

Channel NewsAsia: MDA offers grants to develop games for Xbox Live

Chinese Sandwiches

A colleague and I were chatting yesterday about the food that's available on campus. She casually mentions how surprising that at the sandwich bar, those excellent sandwiches were made by Chinese people.

I'm sure she meant nothing by it, but it made me think, "What? So Chinese people should be doing stir-fry instead?"

Left behind for dead; You'd be better off

If Left 4 Dead is any indication, I have a very low probability of survival in the face of a zombie apocalypse. You know those guys that are killed in the most horrible way at the start of any zombie movie to illustrate the severity of the situation? Yea, that'd be me.

And for good riddance too; You'd probably wouldn't want me in your team anyway. Things I'd do wrong include:

• Shooting you in the back.
• Shooting you in the front.
• Attracting zombie hordes
• Requiring you to save me every other minute from being overwhelmed by the zombie hordes.

Also, I might accidentally light you on fire with a poorly thrown molotov cocktail; I have a bad track record with throwing explosive devices.

In other gamey news, I've concurrently playing Mirror's Edge. It's been exhilarating and frustrating at the same time.

Those damn bananas aren't working!

MARIO KART (REMI GAILLARD)
by nqtv

A Deadly Space...

...So deadly that my Xbox 360 nearly gave up the ghost. Again. With three flashing red lights. A quick reboot resolved the problem, but I'm now filled with trepidation that it may croak at any time.

The game that caused my console to shy away in fear is Dead Space. And having played about 3/4 through, I can't blame the poor thing. Playing the game was terrifying enough. Having to ingest and process it must have elicited some form of defensive response.

Terrifying as it may be, I am completely enjoying the game. And I'm glad to say that I'm near the end, which is great. I don't often complete the games I own because I do get bored with them fairly quickly. But Dead Space has really hit a sweet spot for me, with regards to compelling gameplay and game length. I think it'll probably clock in about 10-12 hours in total, and that's great. It means that I'm done in about a week if I play a little everyday.

The game has had it's scary moments, but the thing it does the best is building an atmosphere, a high tension environment, a mood.

The story has been really intriguing up til now. While one might argue that it is generic sci-fi fare, it has been wonderfully presented. I just hope that the ending holds up and keeps the momentum going. I guess I'll find out once I play till the end.

The Chanel Cake

When does culinary skill become art? When you make cakes like these. This was an entry into the cake competition at the Royal Melbourne Show a month back. Can the thing even be eaten?

Fallout 3 Mid-Mortem

I've been devoting a lot of time to Fallout 3 over the past two weekends, but it has been a little tough getting into the game. As a huge fan of the original Fallout, I guess I was fully expecting this game to shoulder the reputation of its predecessors. I guess that harboring such expectations is entirely unfair. This excellent game stands on its own, and carries the series in an entirely different direction. Admittedly, it may be hard for someone like me to reconcile the new game with the ones that came before, but I can see a game that has been lovingly crafted, and it deserves our full attention.

One thing the game really nails is how utterly bleak and desolate the Fallout world is, and how immersive it is. It is not a pleasant place to be in, much less explore. And yet I feel attracted to it all, driven to return to it constantly, and to witness how much more horrible the world can get. The pockets of surviving humans, the run-down tin-shacks, the horrendous living standards and the disgusting food really helps to paint a picture of hopelessness. And juxtaposed to all this despair are people who are so willing to hang on to any shred of hope. There is a real, living world that has been created here.

This has made my gameplay experience especially compelling. Between the despair, and the people, there is a continuing burning need to push forward. And within that space, I have grown to identify and emphatise with my character, and to play the game as she would have lived.

That immersiveness was nerely broken when I murdered two NPCs just so that I can steal a gun off them. But my instant rationalisation that this action was taken by me, the human gamer, speaks volumes of my emotional investment into my character. I felt strongly that she needed to be absolved of any guilt, because the action was taken by an external third-party who had tried to game the system.

The things that I didn't like about the game were mostly technical. Managing the inventory can be troublesome sometimes, especially when buying/selling with in-game characters. There aren't many facial variations between NPCs, so many characters look the same. The voice-acting is a mixed bag (a character named Butcher from Reiley's Rangers has a oddly deep booming voice for someone so diminutive in size). Game-wise, many things have not been useful regularly as mechanics are geared towards combat; But combat remains uncomfortably straddled between an FPS and a turn-based strategy.

The one thing that I really didn't like about the game is the lack of memorable characters. The points I made above were more reflective of the relationship that I had built with my own character. Having played about 10 hours, I still haven't been able to form a similar link with any of the in-game NPCs. Perhaps this may change as I delve deeper in the core quest, but the side quests haven't produced any memorable moments for me as yet.

A Very Gamey Weekend

It's been a very gamey weekend, which is excellent. I've got so many things to play on my plate right now, it's absolutely glorious. I played a couple of boardgames on Friday evening (Manoeuvre & Roma), played Fallout 3 for most of Saturday and Sunday. I received Dead Space and Fable 2 in the mail, and tried the Mirror's Edge demo which was brilliant. I also picked up Wii Fit on Friday, which has quickly become the bane of my gaming life; Yoga, aerobics, and calisthenics? You've gotta be flippin' mad!

Impressions of these games to follow.

My New Laptop

This here is the laptop that I got myself yesterday. I managed to get a pretty sweet deal from JB Hi-Fi: A substantial discount, plus a portable HDD thrown in as a freebie. So overall I'm very happy with my purchase.

HP Pavilion DV5-1007TX
Intel Core 2 Duo T9400 (2.53 Ghz)
4Gb DDR2 800Mhz RAM
320Gb 5400RPM SATA HDD
Nvidia 9600M GT 512Mb VRAM
DVDRW Combo Drive
Bluetooth/WiFi/Ethernet
15.4" Display