Messages

Why are tou defending the ass hole prodders. You all need to start playing some GOOD games and stop making these homosexual, gay, poofer style lame games.

ps. stop trying to defend yourselves you are all stupid ass intruders

Number of GOOD games written by DGMacphee: 3

Number of GOOD games written by J L0kins: 0 (unless you count the cow raping game, which I don't)

I = WINAR!!!

Both of you shut it, or I'll beat you both with this large lumpy stick:

It's not really limiting though.

For a start, there's no alternative because all progression in the game happens under the player's responsibility anyway (As stated, the advancement of the story depends upon player interaction).

Thus, there is no game without player responsibility.

And further, Las's theory fits the same criteria as any aspect of an adventure game.

Therefore, you can't really consider empathy in a game as limited when it merely fits the same universe as narrative, character development, etc.

PATIENT: Doctor, doctor, I keep thinking I'm Tom Jones.

DOCTOR: (singing) It's not unusual...

Bah!

That joke was shithouse!

Need some more fart, bum, dick and tit jokes around here!

* DGMacphee cues Benny Hill chase music and runs around in fast motion!

What about a war comedy?

There are various war comedies around, like Richard Hooker's MASH, Joseph Heller's Catch-22, The film Three Kings, Larry Beinhart's American Hero, Blackadder Goes Forth, etc, etc

1) It's like reading a good book -- It leaves you always wondering "What happens next?"

2) I like the first one. I never played the second one, but I felt the first one had a better story than the third one. Despite that, they're both great games in a great series.

3) Can't really tell you cause I haven't played GK2.

4) I liked playing both characters -- It really constasted the thoughts of the two characters. I always think the best thing to happen in any drama is when characters have something to say but they just can't say it, and I felt this is what made the relationship between Gabe and Grace so special. And that ending! Whew!

5) I liked all of the above

6) I liked that huge-arse laptop puzzle in GK3! That was tops!

7) Loved the atmosphere.

8 ) I dig Mosley. Always need a shifty/oddball/bumbling sidekick in detective games. I also liked Wolfgang from GK1.

Barcik, I don't know if I should speak for Las, but from what I ascertain, you've got the right idea.

I think Las's text tries to explain the function of the Uber-Protagonist as a conduit between the gaming world and player's emotions, and specifically how the actions of the player determine such emotional impact.

Then again, it's Narangas' text and he could say it's something completely different, but that's the jist I got.

Whenever I get depressed, I go back over my life and think about all the times that made me happy.

Like the time during my parents' divorce.

Although it may seem like a depressing time (and despite all the typical angst through my teenage years, especially against my parents), there were shining moments.

I remember the year I first duxed drama - On speech night, I got an award for my efforts and it still remains one of the happiest moments of my life.

This year, I moved the award (plus another I won the following year) on to my desk, as a special reminder of that time.

You see, it was such a happy moment that night and not just because of the award, but because everyone thought I was going to succeed in maths of computers.

And instead, I surprised everyone -- Even my Dad, and even myself.

My Dad said to me on the night of the award that he was proud of me and surprised that I'd won in drama, instead of maths or computers or some brainy subject.

I think the award also reminds me that people develop in ways they never even consider.

And, at times, you can still surprise yourself.

There are other numerous moments of happiness during this time that I can remember -- most are more personal and I prefer to keep them to myself.

But, I do reveal this about me -- there were times I fell in love with many women, and a lot of the time was rejected (probably due to the fact that I was falling for women a few years older than I was).

But I'm glad I'm the sort of person who can feel such a strong emotion such as love.

And I know that no matter has depressing it may feel to go unnoticed by a lover, the sensation is always so great that it makes you feel more human.

I felt vulnerable so many times, and yet it's my vulnerabilities that makes me stronger.

And you look at the world like an innocent child again.

I don't regret a single moment I dwelled on love at any time in my life.

I've learnt so much, and my self-loathing no longer imprisions me.

Waitaminute -- two spamming rejects from kikme's ass call everyone "Dick stroking poofter fuck", and you two write sweet FA about it.

Then I call one of them a "gay cowboy" and suddenly you both get on your sanctimonious high-horse.

Smell the shit your shovelling, guys.

Besides, I meant "happy cowboy"!  

Mitar, cool it -- you don't need to post two replies in the space of two minutes.

You are all a bunch of penis licking, pussy pussy eaters

GET A LIFE and play some GOOD games made by REAL
programmers who know how to make a GOOD game.

OKAY but only IF you stop writing RANDOM words in CAPITAL because it HURTS my EYES and I can't PLAY the GOOD GAMES by real PROGRAMMERS.

Are you also a gay cowboy like your friend Chis?

Why should we?

You don't have "Retarded Incest Rape Victim" in your signature.

[What is a Photoshop Phriday?]

What is a Photoshop Phriday?

See this link:
http://www.somethingawful.com/photoshop/

And for other examples, see here:
http://www.worth1000.com/

The two above websites should give a fair idea of what is involved.

Note: Photoshopping isn't drawing a completely new image -- It's editing images to create a new image, such as editing one image or combining several images.

Also, you don't have to specifically use Photoshop -- Paint Shop Pro, MSPaint, or any other programs can be used.

-------------------------------------

What do I have to do?

This week's Photoshop Phriday is this: "Finding Emo"



This one was suggested by Las Naranjas -- and it sounds like a goodie.

I'm bending the rules a little, as you can do one of two things:

a) Photoshop an Emo pic, as above with my "Finding Emo" pic.

b) Post a pic of yourself dressed Emo, such as the following:



Oh, that is a pretty sight!

If you don't know what Emo is, do some research.

Then again, just take a look at these links:

http://www.sykospark.net/emo/appearance.html
http://www.sykospark.net/emo/idiotic.gif

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Emo

And the wicked Emo game: http://www.emogame.com/

(also, try listening to any Dashboard Confessional songs without sniggering)

Enjoy!

Note: No Emos were harmed during the making of this Photoshop Phriday. Although, a goth committed suicide and a teenybopper tripped and smashed her head after bouncing to some Ja-Rule.

Okay everyone, here an interesting question I thought of:

Do you prefer games where the main character has a seperate personality from the player (Grim Fandango, Monkey Island) or do you prefer the main character to have no personality and thus allows you to inflect your own personality within the game (Myst)?

I prefer the first option -- I like to play along with other characters.

It's like "Indy and I are a team! We're going to find Atlantis together!" or "Manny and I are sure going to smash that DOD corruption ring for good!"

Another thing about the Grim Fandango ending:

I felt sad because Manny was leaving me!

I enjoyed the great adventure with him that when the game reached the end, I thought "Man, that was such a great adventure that I wish it could keep going. But Manny has to go now. He's reached the end and deserved his peace. He's found eternal rest and I have to get on with my dull life now."

It's when you, as the player, have to wave goodbye to all your favourite characters that the game becomes emotionally successful.

I never kid about Fandango.

Aye, it was a great ending and I think Ginny used the word I was going to use.

Perfect.

Ha! MacPhee, are you trying to bargain me down from the musical?  What if I just took a croquet mallet to both knees for the miniseries? Is that a good compromise?

I'm also selling these fine leather jackets...

[Rode:]

Rode:
The thing I liked about Indy was he had one major fault: He was afraid of snakes.

Lara doesn't have any faults, which is why she has the personality of an onion.

Eric:
Sometimes it's possible to have a game without a "villian", just like in some movies.

However, even I'm not that advanced to write such a story because it becomes harder to develop the tension and conflict in a game.

But the way I see it, sometimes the villian doesn't have to be human -- there are hundreds of examples where the villian is an animal, a river, a giant mountain, etc.

And sometimes, the hero's worst villian is himself.

That's a game I'd like to play: where the main character has to face his own destructive faults (like the film Raging Bull).




As for emotion in games:
Anyone remember that final scene in Grim Fandango?

Always brings a tear to my eye.

oh god someone put me to sleep the day they decide to make "Myst the Musical"

How about "Myst the Miniseries" (to be released this year)?

http://us.imdb.com/Title?0315037

And this answers the 'why'. What attracts people to computer games is the interactivity, the ability to do things themselves. Storytelling has no place here, and therefore it is rarely used.

I disagree, and here's why:

Without storytelling, you have no adventure game -- It just becomes a series of unrelated interactions.

Everytime a player completes a puzzle, the action advances the story to the conclusion.

The problem is we need to care about characters and their circumstances (i.e. the story).

For example, one character I care about is Tobias from Hitman.

I care about Tobias because he is a victim of circumstance (And if you've played the game, you'll know why he's the vicitim).

Thus, I play the game because I care about helping Tobias interact with the game world.

Another example: Manny from Grim Fandango -- he's another vicitim of circumstance, because he did something wrong in his "life" and now he's trying to work off his time.

His redemption makes me sympathise with his situation.

Guybrush -- I care about him because he has a great goal: He wants to be a pirate.

Thus, I'll help him, even if we both have to face the Ghost Pirate LeChuck.

Many developers wrote adventure games for the sake of interactivity or graphics.

What developers need to focus upon are the reasons why we should care about the characters and their stories.

If I do not care about the characters or story, I will not care about the interactions (as I stated earlier, interactions drive the story, so why interact if I don't care about story advancement).

It's the same ideas used in any narrative, only adventure games have the ability to combine several narratives (based upon decisions).

It's the same idea as those "Choose-Your-Own-Adventure" books.

The problem, as I see it, is not that computer games are not good at telling stories -- Far from it, as there have been some great stories told in computer games.

I think it's just that people focus too much upon interactivity and not enough upon story.

Both need to be balanced in a game.

Too much story -- You might as well watch a film.

Too much interactivity -- great, but why do I give a shit why I'm completing this game?

Balance.

But this is just my theory, so disagree if you will -- but I stand by it.