Legend of Grimrock

There's one thing very particular with the Elder Scrolls series and that's its perspective.  The series is, to my knowledge, the only RPG that is specifically designed to be played in first-person.  Yes, I know other games can also do first-person like Aralon: Sword and Shadow for the iPad, the Two Worlds and Gothic series but it's obvious that the developers had first-person more as an afterthought just like 3rd-person is for the Elder Scrolls series.

It CAN work, but is it ideal?  I just saw gameplay footage of Two Worlds II and it has a very odd camera for first-person view.  So much so that it feels like a 3rd-person camera with an invisible character.

When Oblivion came out, I immediately connected to the game.  Let me back up a little: At the time, my experience with RPGs was with the Bioware formula such as Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights, games with Fallout, as well as the seemingly indefinite yet painful collection of Final Fantasy games.  None of which I've EVER come close to completing with the exception of the first Neverwinter Nights game.  Why?  Well, quite simply, there were two problems:

1) I know it's all based off table-top D20 games like Dungeons & Dragons and I can't really blame the games either for this because RPGs were known to be very limited in their presentation but I had a VERY hard time playing these games because they were all in third person view.  I just can't connect.

Oddly enough, I never had a problem with Diablo...  I haven't really figured out why but I guess it was the geometry-wars aspect of it that made it more like an arcade game.  Although, I do distinctively remember thinking how cool it would be to play Diablo in first-person back then.

2) They all had characters I didn't care about.  Party of six, managing inventories, etc.  I don't like playing nanny.  I know that's what a lot of folks care for, to min-max each character to be miniature gods but that isn't my cup of tea.

RPGs weren't my thing but Oblivion caught my attention.  There's a lot of things that the Elder Scrolls series did right in my book and the first-person perspective is one of them.  They're the closest thing to what I believe are true RPGs.   I mention Oblivion specifically because that's the game that made me fall in love with the series.

When I first started doing my Lets Play of Morrowind, I noticed a problem: combat didn't feel right.  Oblivion (and even Skyrim) have a feel that most people would associate with the shooter genre.  Now, I'm not here to debate whenever or not it made them less of an RPG because of it but I will agree that the combat is more akin to a first-person shooter.  It's not so much the camera but the responsiveness of the actions.  Skyrim feels very close to Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, essentially a FPS with swords and sorcery.  I'm fine with that.

So what was "wrong" with Morrowind's combat?  Well, to put it bluntly, it's archaic.  I didn't see it at first because the presentation was misleading; it looked too much like Oblivion.  I realized something, though: "I've played games like this before...  I just didn't have mouse-look then".  It was then that I made the connection to dungeon-crawler games like Wizardry and Ultima: Underworld.

The Elder Scrolls is an evolution of those games; it just has more RPG elements thrown in.  The resemblance is even more blatant with Daggerfall.  With games like Legend of Grimrock, it's funny how we've gone full circle.

If you didn't know already, I love dungeon crawlers.  Legend of Grimrock was on my radar pretty fast. I never really played much of Wizardry and I never saw a copy of Ultima: Undeworld in my life but I know that Legend of Grimrock is the same kind of beast.  My dungeon crawlers were games like Rogue, Nethack and Diablo which share similar concepts but are executed completely differently.  When I saw Grimrock's trailer, I knew I had to get it despite having some concerns.

"Wait," you might ask "having party members in RPGs isn't okay but it's okay in dungeon crawlers?"  Well no, that was my main concern.  To my pleasure, this game keeps the management to a minimum.  You have dudes, they need weapons, you feed them, that's it!  I would've preferred to be a single character but I found that there wasn't anything in the game that made it a chore... like most RPGs do (hell, I spent HOURS setting up the AI in Dragon Age: Origins so that I wouldn't have to be bothered controlling them in combat).

I am truly loving this game because it brings back the dread of encountering monsters.  I've always considered Diablo II a lesser game than the original Diablo due to it's focus on killing rather than survival.  Hell (get it?  it's a pun!), even the original Diablo is weak in this regard compared to other dungeon crawlers.  I'm kinda over it now and I'm still insanely excited for Diablo III because the monsters so far in the beta are really fun to kill... some are genuinely challenging.  It's got cool characters with unique abilities from one another and an awesome story to boot.  Basically, I play Diablo for different reasons now.

Nonetheless, as much as I'll most likely forget about this game once Diablo III finally comes out, it's REALLY good to see a modern game with old-school ideals.

No.  Dark Souls doesn't count.  The controls are horrible and the invisible barriers once you start fighting bosses is really cheap.  I want to fight monsters, not control schemes.  I know there's a PC version on the way so I might try it again then.  I believe that's where it belongs; not that there's anything wrong with people who enjoy the console version.

Legend of Grimrock even has a mode that forces you to draw your own map!  I'm not crazy, I play with the automated map but it's a cool option to have.  I think my biggest disappointment with the game is the lack of randomization.  I love randomized content, especially in my dungeon crawlers.  Oh sure, the puzzles are intricate and you couldn't do that with randomized content, but I would've loved to have a second dungeon to select at the start of the game that was entirely random even if it was void of puzzles.

That would've been perfect!

There's a few things I don't like in Legend of Grimrock, though. mainly the timing puzzles where you're required to flip a switch and manoeuvre quickly to get by a door; it just doesn't work in a grid-based game.... oh!  and those god-damned spiders!

I'm playing with a bear-handed minotaur up front with a duel-wielding assassin that is practically untouchable.  Behind, I got a earth/fire insectoid mage next to a deadly marksman woman.  I'm pretty happy with my crew.

Oh, and if you were wondering how I can manage to not loot everything when my play the Elder Scrolls.  Play Legend of Grimrock for a while and you'll know exactly how the games I used to play got me into the habit of only looting what I needed.

Gix - Skyrim

I was waiting for a video to upload and I started doodling on my iPad.

Lots of mistakes but at 1:30am; what do I care?

On Valentine's Day.

Like a lot of folks, I really don't enjoy Valentine's Day although the day itself is never to blame.  The first thing you can think of as to "why that is" is most likely spot on.  I've come to accept the fact that I may never find that particular someone and, more importantly, I realize that I'm not the type to be constantly looking to try to fill some gap.  I just didn't grow up that way.  With that said, Valentine's Days continues to sting; there's a nagging sense of loneliness and sometimes regret.  Much to my mother's chagrin, she has two very similar sons.

While I don't really know how my older brother copes with it.  In times like these, I always think about how odd romance within video games are as a distraction.  Dating Sims, multiple love interests in RPGs, being able to marry characters (Fable and now Skyrim, I've heard), etc.

Dating Sims, I really don't get.  From the ones that I've seen, they essentially play like simultaneous Tamagotchis.  I say "simultaneous" because most games feature multiple girls to courtship (or boys, depending on if the game is tailored for girls or if… you know… whatever…).  Try to interact with a few and then go for the one you like.  I heard that a lot have interesting stories, however, and some aren't even focused strictly on a romantic plot.

The first time I've seen the concept of multiple love interests within RPGs is with Final Fantasy 7 (or was it 8?  Blah!  I can't tell them apart).  Granted, as far as RPGs goes, I'm hardly the expert.  Here, there's a decent amount of NPCs to join your crew and a fairly good portion of them are female.  What I find interesting here is that most of them are infatuated and/or in love with the main character and the player has some freedom to be able to chose one.  Maybe it's the way most Anime and Manga are written, but that kind of scenario annoys me.  Does it ever affect the outcome of the game later on?  Hell, I wouldn't know.  I doubt it, but the choice (or the tease) is there.

It probably works the same way as Mass Effect and Dragon Age does.  Relationships with various characters will unlock side-quests and rewards.  In my Dragon Age: Origins game (which I have yet to finish, by the way), a lot of the choices that I would make throughout the game pleased Morrigan to the point where she started being flirty with me.

"Whoa, lady!  I like when you burn Alistair with your witty remarks, and you're a very useful ma-I mean, apostate but you kind of creep me out when you're flirty."

At least it wasn't that crazy I'm-following-you-because-I-had-a-vision Leliana.  If I remember correctly, Isabela outright suggests to sleep with her when I wanted to be a Duelist.  Damn!  Thanks but no thanks!  You've surely been around!

*Does a quick google search*  Holy crap!  There's a way for a foursome!  You guys are DOGS!

You know, I'm one to care a lot about the characters in my games even when they're not designed to be cared for.  However, the ONLY female character that I've been close to caring for in ANY game has been Tali from Mass Effect 2.  Not that I've played much of it, mind you.  I don't even know if there's a love interest involved with that character but if there was (and given the chance through natural course), I would probably go for it.  That's messed up because she's an alien (and you can't even see her face).  Does that say anything about me?  Maybe it's her soft voice, I don't know.  When she was charged of treason (which is pretty much as far as I got into the game.  Man, I need to play this some more), I genuinely wanted to help her out.

When Peter Molyneux introduced the concept of marriage in his Fable games, I understood where he was going with it but the way he explained it felt like he was going to make us care for something by simply adding a function within the game.  That's not how it works, man!  The dog!  Now, THAT was a good idea.  I don't know if it really worked because I never played any of his games post-Bullfrog.  Whenever someone mentions marriage within a video game, I just roll my eyes.  I mean, it's a cool thing to have; I'm not arguing that.  I just feel like people on the development team could've focused on other elements of a game if they had the time to spend on adding mechanics like these.  In the case of Skyrim, apparently, you can only wear one ring because of it.  Way to go  : \

Some people have wondered if my character in Skyrim will marry.  While I can't say for certain since I'm nowhere near that bridge yet, the chances of that happening are practically non-existant.  As a player, I wouldn't and, as my character, he wouldn't be the kind to settle down.  That could be a nice way to end the LP, though… you know, ten years from now or however how long it takes me to play through the game(s).

Now, why wouldn't I?  Well, simply put: as awesome as The Elder Scrolls games are, none of the characters are written with the depth needed for me to care; at least romantically.  Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised, though.  Most of the time, though, they're written in such a way that is more akin to comic relief…  like Bosmers…

I feel like they're a joke.  It's kind of like saying "Michael Jackson".  "Bosmers!"  There's my punchline!

"Man, I don't like Valentine's Day… BOSMERS!"  Bah-dum-tssh!

Anyways, I've said plenty on the subject.  Happy Valentine's Day!

Top 5 Most Favourite Video Games Per Category

So now to the "interesting?" bit; what question kept me pondering for roughly week, you might ask.  Essentially, it's just a top-5 list but the kicker is that it's a top-5-per-category list; something I've never really considered.  You always think about stuff like "Yeah, this one is one of my favourites!" and then someone mentions another one and you're like "Oh yeah!  I forgot about that one!  Man, that rocked!"  The real challenge is to be fair, honest and being able to remember all the games you've played over the years.

So here's my Top 5 Most Favourite Video Games Per Category:

Remember: if I didn't play it, I can't list it.

- STRATEGY -

Runner Up: Civilizations V.

5) Warcraft III.

- It's a real shame that this game came out just before widescreens became standard.  A game that focuses on small army play; something I've always preferred over Starcraft 1's "build en masse" gameplay.  I never really found many people to play with, though, but that's mostly because someone at Blizzard thought it'd be a good idea to rewrite battle.net for Warcraft III and have players manage their own firewalls.  I always felt that the camera was zoomed in a little bit too close.  This could easily jump as my #3 if naval combat was implemented like it was in Warcraft 2.

4) Age of Mythology.

- It's the best "Age of" in my book and that's mainly due to the fact that each race plays differently.  It's a solid game that plays REALLY well for a non-B developer (Bungie, Blizzard, Bioware, Bethesda) game.  A nice bonus is how the transition to 3D didn't lose the fidelity of AoE2's sprites.  It plays a little slow but that's what I like about the "Age of" games.

3) Starcraft II.

- I wasn't a fan of the original and I'm almost ashamed to admit that I've enjoyed my competitive experience in Starcraft 2 far more than ANY OTHER RTS.  The computer is interesting to play against and it accomplishes that without cheating too.  It's familiar yet completely different than the original.

2) the Majesty series.

- I hardly ever mention this one; not a lot of people like it.  It doesn't matter which version you play: The Mac, the PC, the mobile version, the first one or the sequel.  If you're looking for a serious challenge, Majesty is the way to go.  Gold is your only resource and you're trying to manage NPCs you can't directly control.  It's a game of smarts over reflexes.  Watch your people grow and equip them by building shops, give your people goals by placing bounties and they'll earn the money to buy items.  The Android version of the game was ported to the iOS and it's by far the best RTS experience on the iOS you could ever have, Starfront lagging far behind in second place.  I love these games so much!

1) the Myth series.

- The absolute best, period.  It's the only RTS that I feel the terrain (and where you position your dudes) has any real impact on the game.  Zombies can be hidden underwater.  Formations matter.  The physics is still top notch.  The game speed is just about right.  Limbs can be picked up and be used to stun people when thrown.  Your units can be named and get better over time (notice that 3 of my favourite strategy games involves character growth) which can be brought into your next game/map.  If it wasn't for the fact that Majesty is "almost" strictly single-player (co-op games are near impossible to complete), I'd say that Myth is the only strategy game where I play the campaign.  It is SO GOOD!

- ROLE PLAYING -

Runner Up: Baldur's Gate.

5) Fallout 3.

I don't play RPGs all that much, despite how the Youtube LPing community sees me.  I play so very little that I can't help but list a game I haven't played long and will most likely never play again.  It's not that it's bad (otherwise it wouldn't be here) it just doesn't have that pull to bring me back.  Maybe it's the desolate environment(s), I don't know.  I love the humour, love the idea of scavenging/surviving but it's on the list mainly to thank it for giving me one of the best RPG moments I ever had…  but it was more like playing Left4Dead against the inhabitants of Megaton… so… it's a shooter?

4) Neverwinter Nights 1.

- I first played the campaign in co-op with a very close friend of mine; lots of fond memories (it's what it's all about, really).  I bought the expansions because I could join persistent servers and it was essentially my first MMO.  With the Dungeon Master client, this has the potential to match a P&P experience.  I'm always keeping my CDs close by.  Looks ugly as sin up close, though, but it was designed to play like Baldur's Gate.  I should install it and play through the expansions… one day.

3) Dragon Age: Origins.

- It's the traditional RPG formula at its best; with a strong focus on character story.  It's super crazy hard without a healer and each victory is gratifying.  I don't like linear corridors, though, and I know it wants me to play nanny.  What I love about it is that I can set up some tactics for the AI so that I don't have to bother with them once they're programmed.  This is one game you can't play with distractions around, put some headphones and enjoy the dialogue.

2) The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind.

- You saw it coming.  The fact that a game I honestly haven't played for long happens to be in 2nd place speaks volumes to how I feel about this game.  If it wasn't for its archaic RPG-style of doing things and the overall unwelcoming inhabitants, I'd easily consider it being #1.

1) The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

- I can't put Skyrim on the list yet but from what I've seen, I think it'd be a contender for #1.  Oblivion is the first RPG I've played (and the best of) where I can be immersed and not give a fuck about numbers.  I'd apologize for the foul language but number crunching (or the need to crunch those numbers) is a huge pet-peeve of mine in RPGs and I think swearing appropriately describes what I think is bat-shit wrong with the genre as a whole.  Do whatever I want, whenever I want and have the game adjust itself accordingly.

- SHOOTER --

Runner Up: Left4Dead.

5)  Modern Combat 3.

- Say WHAT?  An iOS game?  Seriously?  Yes.  Not only is it the best shooter on the platform, but its multiplayer is actually pretty fun.  Normally I wouldn't be interested in that kind of multiplayer but it fits really well on a mobile device as opposed to a full fledged console (it controls better too).  I mean, it's comparable to a console shooter but, to me, that kind of gameplay makes more sense on the iOS.

4) Battlefield 1942.

- Sure, entering a vehicle was fun but being a medic was the best.  Possibly one of the only shooter's I've played that made me feel like I was in a war.  The best part?  None of it was scripted.

3) Halo: Combat Evolved.

- The other Halo games would probably be on this list (I play a little bit of Reach at work) but they have one major flaw: They're on the wrong platform.  Halo 1, on the other hand, got a Mac release and it's essentially a Marathon reboot.  Don't know what Marathon is?  It's like Halo with Doom 2 graphics; the biggest difference being that your shields didn't regenerate then… which is Halo's most game-defining features next to the inability to carry around more than two weapons.

2) Rainbow Six Vegas 2:

- It would've been #1 but it falls short on two things: I prefer the feeling of managing different TEAMS at once following a customizable plan instead of just having 2 following NPCs.  Terrorist Hunt mode is ruined by how the terrorist spawns.  They should spawn at random locations at the start of the game instead of "on the fly".

1) Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield.

- A Shooter that gives me the time to think?  For a strategy fan, this one is a no brainer.  It's a game where you really rely on your teammates in order to succeed.  I know that a lot of games focus on team play, but to make me feel for an NPC and plan ahead in such a way so that he doesn't get shot is amazing.  *clears room* "Is everyone okay?"  Sweet!

- ACTION & ARCADE --

Runner Up: Street Fighter 2.

5) Dungeon Siege series.

- That includes the 3rd instalment too.  I think the biggest problem with the series is that its biggest strength (the ability to shape your character dynamically as you fight, as opposed to putting points in stats) was never really incorporated in the design very well.  To the point that even the developer suggested that you focused on a single path.  The series could NEVER come close to Diablo's but they still managed to pull off some amazing things.  The potion system, the pack mule, the party system, the boss fights, they're all very good.  Dungeon Siege III even managed to spice up the combat system in a way that I think is originally pleasing…  a shame they had to screw up multiplayer the way they did.

4) Magicka.

- Filled with bugs and performance issues, it's the only game on Steam (besides Skyrim) that is worth playing if you're one of those people that don't like Steam.  I see Magicka as a party game but it's pretty entertaining in single-player as well.  The way the game allows you to mix elements to create various spells is ingenious.  Fix the bugs and performance issues and this game easily goes up to #3 on my list… maybe even #2.

3) Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

- Everything a sequel should be.  I'd include Sonic 4 in there as well.  It's one of these games that I keep coming too.  Sometimes I try to go as fast as I can, other times I just take the time to roam around.  Good thing Sonic 2 and 4 are on the iOS, because I don't have my Sega Genesis anymore.

2) Diablo II.

- Diablo II falls short to being included with Diablo.  Content wise, the game is amazing but just like they change how Starcraft II plays compared to Starcraft, Diablo II doesn't play the same way as Diablo.  It's still very fun and addicting to play but there was this Resident Evil survival feel to the original that the sequel lacks.  It's more epic, less creepy.  Act 2 alone puts this game in my top 5 favourite games of all time.  Everything about it rocks.

1) Diablo.

- You see a demon, you kill it.  Enough said.  It hasn't aged well, but I still consider it my FAVOURITE GAME.  Every year, I load it up for a play through although with Diablo III coming up soon, I don't know if I'll play through it this year.  I find it completely stupid that you can't play in Nightmare of Hell difficulty mode in single player.

-- PUZZLE & ADVENTURE --

Runner Up: Bejeweled.

5) The Humans.

- What a stupid name for a video game!  It's one of those things that's super hard to find via google search.  Fun game, though.  Most of the puzzles are platforming types.  You have a bunch of humans and you have to use tools such as spears and rope to be able to accomplish the various objectives.  It plays a lot like Blizzard's old Lost Vikings game.

4) Lemmings series.

- Who doesn't know about lemmings?  Who doesn't like lemmings?

3) Back to the Future.

- I'm not a huge fan of the adventure type games.  There's something about trial and error that really turns me off.  This game, however, is just the right amount of puzzle and story for me.  It's a little bit farfetched but it still matches the flow of the movies it's based on.  I love it.

2) Portal 2.

- I've only played through the multiplayer campaign.  That alone deserves its place here.

1) Riven: the sequel to Myst.

- This game is too hard for me to finish… but I love it nonetheless.  Makes me feel stupid, but I don't care.  Maybe one day…

Gaming rambling

It's been a while since I've written anything on my blog.  I'd like to keep things gaming related but nothing has crossed my mind as of late.  When I'm not LPing, a lot of my thoughts tend to be focused on my project.  I have been thinking of making this blog about my general thoughts about various subjects but I don't think I'm ready to share THAT much.  While I do believe that my thoughts are worth noting, showcasing them is another matter.

Over the week, I have been putting a lot of thought into formulating an answer to a question someone brought up.  It's gaming related so why not post it here?  Before I delve into it, though, (yeah I'm splitting the blog in two because it's taking me way too long to write this in one sitting) here's some random gaming related rambling (you know, besides The Elder Scrolls):

- Diablo 3 beta is SO GOOD, I managed to get in the beta by meeting a Blizzard rep <3.  The problem is that you can only defeat the Skeleton King so many times… something I've done countless times already in the original Diablo game.  New beta patches keeps me coming back for a few tries but, at this moment, I'm pretty much done with it.  I'm waiting for the real thing now.

- I'm still waiting impatiently for Episode 2 of Sonic: the hedgehog 4.  Unless you dust off your Sega Genesis, Episode 1 is the only Sonic game worth playing in my book.

- Why am I still waiting for GuildWars 2?  GIMMY!

- I've played a little bit of Zelda Skyward Sword on the WII.  Zelda is one of those series I'd love to play but can't because, once upon a time, some jerk designer decided to put a 3D camera.  I played all the way to the boss fight in the first dungeon before I lost my patience.  More entertaining to watch someone play it although lifting off the sword for the first time, THAT is epic enough for you to do it yourself.

- There's this Zelda-inspired game coming out "soon" on the iOS platform called "Oceanhorn".  I'm really interested in that.

- Dark Souls.  Alluring concept but definitely not for me.  The game encourages me to stay in a single zone and grind out souls to level up.  Couldn't improve my campfire because I was missing a humanity that wouldn't drop.  I find the "white doorways" to be really cheap too and the goggles… THEY DO NOTHING!

- Still haven't finished Dragon Age: Origins.  I promised myself I'd finish it.  IT IS good but it's nowhere near Elder Scrolls good.

- Okay, this last one is Elder Scrolls related.  I managed to get Skyrim running "natively" on my Mac via CrossOver Games.  I couldn't be happier!  Before you panic about performance, it runs really well considering.  Playable, yes, but I won't record off it (won't even try it until I get my new computer and even then I'll most likely leave the LP in Bootcamp).  So, while it CAN run, I won't play on it until I finish my LP...