tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64675040969387382862024-03-12T21:41:33.536-04:00Vi's Views and VicesMiddling Machinations of a Mad MindViolethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03967287506927705811noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467504096938738286.post-8524101660218968802012-06-01T17:33:00.000-04:002012-06-01T17:33:04.733-04:00Op/Rant: GMPCWe begin today with a little bit of a quiz. Nothing too hard, just follow along in your heads. Question one: Think of a few female video game characters. Question two: How many of those characters, discounting inherently multiplayer games like fighters or MMOs, are player characters? Done? Okay, that's it. But why did I subject you to such an infantile mental exercise?<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Now, I put myself through this same quiz, so it wasn't just you. And, off the top of my head, I only came up with two answers for question two: Lara Croft and Samus Aran. If I thought about a little longer, I came up with two more, namely Faith from <i>Mirror's Edge</i> and Nariko from <i>Heavenly Sword</i>, which I admit I never played. If that scenario was turned on its head, I could sit here until the heat death of the universe listening to people name male player characters. That's probably an exaggeration, but it gets to the heart of this matter. I'll do something fun and non-activisty again soon, I promise. But this was a matter I felt like needed to be addressed.<br />
<br />
Some of you are probably wondering what the acronym in the title stands for. Generic Male Player Character. I'm not trying to say that this is something new, for the record, but I am saying that its continued persistence can be a little disheartening at times. The thing that really put it in my mind was the quiet reveal of the new Star Wars game, codenamed <i>1313</i>, last night. The one screenshot of the player character they showed looked as generic as could be. I understand it's only pre-production art, but still, if they're hoping to tell a "mature" story like they claim, they can do better.<br />
<br />
Before we go any further, I want to break down exactly what I mean by "Generic Male Player Character" so I get everyone on the same page. To me GMPCs generally have/are:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>White</li>
<li>Short, dark hair.</li>
<li>Square-jawed, often adorned with stubble.</li>
<li>A gruff, me-agaisnt-the-world, laconic badass, or otherwise outsider, lone wolf personality.</li>
<li>Bonus points if they're voiced by Nolan North or Steve Blum. </li>
</ul>
<div>
I can't even begin to think of how many characters in western games fit into all of those categories.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The big question I have is why is the modern gaming industry so uncomfortable with asking consumers to play as a woman? It's probably a very complicated answer, but I think some of the blame lies at the feet of the consumers themselves, rather than on the companies that make the games. It's long past the time when gaming was "only for the boys" but that attitude has kind of lingered. And it's not just with gaming either. The internet in general has a very hostile feel towards women sometimes. You can only laugh off "Tits or GTFO" or "Go back to the kitchen" so many times before it becomes hurtful. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The best example of how this is affecting the video game industry is actually another Star Wars game, or rather, a decision that was made after the game was published. Like it's predecessor, <i>Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords</i> allowed players to create their own playable character. However, due to the need to integrate the game and its story into the larger Star Wars canon, some decisions had to be made. Among those was the decision to make the player character, known as the Exile,<i> </i>canonically female. The choice was met with derision and hostility by the male gaming crowd, for reasons that, to be honest, are still a little unclear to me. This is the first, and so far last, time that an RPG protagonist has been officially declared to be a woman, but it still riled up enough people that Wookieepedia had to lock the article on the Exile because users were constantly editing the page to take away any mention of her gender. Even though they were still completely free to go and play the game as a male.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I guess my problem is that I don't understand why it's such a problem for some men to play as a woman, when a lot women have been quietly playing as men for as long as gaming has been around, and for the most part enjoying it. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure who this article is aimed at more, the industry or the consumers. Maybe a little bit of both. I guess I have a message or a request for both.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Industry: I would humbly request that you put out a few more games with female protagonists.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Consumers: Playing as a girl isn't a threat to your masculinity. Try it sometime.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Thanks for bearing with me. Like I said, back to more fun stuff soon.</div>Violethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03967287506927705811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467504096938738286.post-47992369951184706362012-01-28T18:36:00.000-05:002012-01-28T18:36:32.250-05:00NEWS: Love in a Time of Intergalactic WarLast month, The Old Republic launched to millions of users worldwide. It is, in my opinion, a great game. It stepped up to the plate and put the RPG back in MMORPG, which many people felt was long overdue. Bioware, the company behind it, has had an amazing track record of success in the Roleplaying game industry, not only as a gameplay innovator, but as a bastion for equality of race and sexuality. However, one particular omission has left a sour taste in the mouths of certain gamers. However, Bioware has promised to correct this error.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>That's right, lords and ladies, Jedi and Sith alike, same sex romances are coming to The Old Republic! No word yet on whether it will be retroactively applied to existing companions, which is what I would hope, or if it will come with brand-new companions. But one way or another it is coming.<br />
<br />
The reason that Bioware gave for not having same sex romances at launch were actually pretty solid. For those of you who haven't played it, every single NPC that can be interacted with in the game is fully voiced. The project has set a record for the largest voiceover cast. That is a whole lot of dialogue to be recorded, which takes time. They simply decided that, with all the dialogue that had to be recorded before the game could launch, the completely optional romance dialogue could wait. Am I happy that this was a feature they decided not to have at launch? No. But I'm happier that it's coming at all.<br />
<br />
Bioware currently doesn't have a timeline as to when this feature will go live, but as you all know by now, my policy is that good things come to those who wait. Maybe by the time my Consular can find the love of a fellow woman I'll actually be able to afford to have an account again.Violethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03967287506927705811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467504096938738286.post-46480864868287759462012-01-16T15:44:00.001-05:002012-01-16T19:19:05.073-05:00Developer SwapIt's nearly been a year since my last post! Well, I'm back, and with a post on a topic that I've often speculated on. Here's the deal: which iconic franchises would you like to see tackled by a different developer? I've come up with my own list, and I'd love to hear what any of you have to say. There will probably be a fair amount of disagreement, but that's the nature of any discussion.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Metroid - Bungie: </b>This has been brought up by fans of both series, and is usually shot down. The similarities are pretty superficial: both feature protagonists in suits of high-tech armor... and that's it. But <i>Metroid: Other M </i>left a sour taste in the mouths of many Metroid fans, myself included. The main reason behind this was that the story was extremely weak. Now, say what you like about Bungie, but they know how to tell a story, and integrate that story into the gameplay of a first-person shooter. Nintendo has enough franchises with a platforming element, maybe taking Metroid in more of a solid shooter direction might not be so bad.<br />
<br />
<b>Soul Calibur - Koei:</b> This one is more of a dumb fantasy than anything else. I've always had a soft spot for the Soul series, even if the story has gotten progressively worse since the advent of online multiplayer, but that's a rant of another day. Koei's "Warriors" series has never exactly been top-notch storytelling either, but that isn't the point. Imagine a game where the cast of Soul Calibur take on the armies of Nightmare or Algol in a hack-and-slash rampage. Okay, I never said my taste in games was great, but it would be a brilliant guilty pleasure.<br />
<br />
<b>The Legend of Zelda</b> <b>- Bethesda: </b>Here we go. Here's where we get into the big departures. But look me in the eye and tell me that an open-world Zelda game where you get to play as seven or eight of the more popular Hylian races wouldn't be totally awesome. My caveat with that is that I'm looking at Bethesda more for their experience in developing open-world games, not necessarily the graphics of said world. I'm sure they could make them gorgeous (see Skyrim), but somehow the pseudo-cartoony look kind of defines Zelda for me. But if anyone could pull it off, it would be Bethesda.<br />
<br />
<b>A Star Wars MMO - ???: </b>Before anyone tries to kill me, I'm really enjoying The Old Republic. But I think Bioware (who I also love, for the record) made a few major mistakes that kind of put the game off base for me. I feel like having party NPCs completely defeats the purpose of an MMO, first of all. I'm not pursuing a romance, because Nadia Grell is still resisting my Sage's feminine wiles, but it's like I've been playing two different characters: one in the game's scripted cutscenes and one in regular player-to-player roleplay. I also think that, for a something like Star Wars where the Jedi are defined by their simplistic attire and deeply personal weapons, the decision to make the game largely gear-based was a mistake. What I'd ask of you, dear readers, is to suggest someone who could create a worthy successor (not replacement) for TOR. Because, frankly, I'm not sure I can think of anyone right now.<br />
<br />
That's all for today, but stay tuned. There'll be more real soon.Violethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03967287506927705811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467504096938738286.post-62885962182892713952011-03-14T19:31:00.000-04:002011-03-14T19:31:27.288-04:00Triple-V Review: Dragon Age IISo, dear friends, remember that article that I posted way back in January about resolving to be patient with new releases? I think it applies here. Not that Dragon Age II is a bad game, but there is certainly room for improvement. I'll start with the good stuff.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><b>The Good</b>:<br />
<br />
<ul><li><b>The Characters~</b> While they're not quite as strong as your party members in Origins, the NPCs you meet as Hawke are still just as colorful as in the first game. Varric, who narrates the story, reminds me in the best way possible of Cully Fredrickson's Rahm Kota from <i>The Force Unleashed</i>. He's snarky, witty, and just a bit lovable. Merrill, an Elven mage, is by far the most appealing of the romance-able companions. She's awkwardly unaware of human social norms to the point where it is completely adorable. My only complaint in this department is with Anders, who is a returning party member from Dragon Age: Awakening. They seem to have made him a lot darker than he initially was, and his cheerful, goofy personality is sorely missed.</li>
<li><b>The Gameplay~ </b>Before I say anything further, I'd like to note that I'm playing the Xbox version of the game. I have heard complaints from the Mac/Windows crowd that the game doesn't play very well on those platforms, and that may be the case. But in my opinion, the console version is just a blast. It is so much more satisfying seeing Hawke react every time I hit a button, instead of just initiating auto-attack and then a spell every now and then. Although the animations do get a bit repetitive, it's nothing that a long-time fan of Dynasty Warriors can't deal with.</li>
<li><b>Hawke~</b> As much as I disliked Sheppard in the Mass Effect series, I have to admit that Hawke and I are getting along nicely, which is a first for a pre-voiced RPG character. I actually feel like she is my character this time, instead of a character whose appearance I just happened to create. Even though she doesn't behave exactly as I would, the choice of dialogue and voicing is usually pretty close. I just wish there was a little more variety in terms of the conversation options, but I'll be getting to that.</li>
</ul><div><b>The Bad:</b></div><div><b><br />
</b></div><div><ul><li><b>Interactivity~ </b>Remember in Dragon Age Origins where you could talk to your party whenever you wanted, and keep a relationship going at your own pace? No more. Now, when you want to talk to someone, you have to wait until you are prompted to do so by a quest. If the quest isn't active, all you get is some generic snippet of dialogue. I think, however that I know why this is. Having more opportunities for conversation would have required more time to record both Hawke's and the Companions' voices. Time that, all evidence according, they just didn't have.</li>
<li><b>Level Design~ </b>The areas that you explore with your party look great. Visually, they knocked this one out of the ballpark. However, outside of Kirkwall, I've only seen four or five unique areas, and those are reused into any number of supposedly separate locations. If it were any other game, I'd say the developers just go lazy, but I know that this is not the case.</li>
</ul><div>A few days after the game came out, but before I had my copy in my hands, I read a bit of an interview with the game's composer, Inon Zur, on the news blog Kotaku. He was saying that the score itself had been a rush job, because EA (who owns Bioware) was trying to get the game out as quickly as possible to capitalize on the success of Origins. I wholeheartedly believe it. </div></div><div><br />
</div><div>The bottom line of this is review is this: I like Dragon Age II. It's a good game, but it could have been a great game. So EA, and all you other companies out there, stop pushing developers to have a game out too quickly. Good may sell just as well as great, but you'll have to deal with less complaining in the long run.</div>Violethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03967287506927705811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467504096938738286.post-34886099144182976372011-03-02T22:32:00.000-05:002011-03-02T22:32:02.519-05:00Of Scrolls and Dragons<div style="text-align: justify;">So in the past week, two of the major western RPGs of the year released some sort of material. Bethesda graced us with the first look at actual gameplay for Skyrim, the fifth installment in the Elder Scrolls series. And not long after that, Bioware released the demo for Dragon Age II. Now, completely ignoring the fact that DA2 comes out in less than a week, it was still a pretty good couple of weeks for us RPGers. Even Nintendo came out of their shell of secrecy and showed the people of the Game Developer's Conference (and subsequently the rest of the internet) a little footage from Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Let me start with the trailer for Skyrim, because that was the one that made my jaw hit the floor. Any skepticism I had at the purely pre-rendered trailer shown at the VGA's evaporated like water in the Sahara. Sure, a good deal of the footage was reused from that very trailer, but what they did show of in-game stuff looked amazing beyond all belief. I can only hope that the rest of the game is in as good shape. Depending on how long they've been developing it, it probably is. At the same time, I'm still not holding them to the release date they've been proclaiming. Yeah, I'll be a bit disappointed if it's delayed, but that's life.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On now to the Dragon Age II demo. Combat: Improved a hundredfold. Hawke's voice (female anyway): Not actually all that bad! Graphics: Could be better. Text: Completely illegible. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">If you're like me, and all you have is a standard definition TV, forget it. You will not get so much as a single moment of enjoyment out of Dragon Age II. Since it's coming out for both Mac and Windows, I'd honestly advocate getting the PC version. That said, they didn't release a demo on the Mac, so I played the X-box version. I spent most of the time squinting to make out what I was about to say or what the tutorial text was trying to say. Probably time for me to upgrade my boob toob anyway, but it's still irritating. After such negative response from the same problem in Mass Effect 2, I would have thought they learned better. Oh well. It's a small issue.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Last but not least, the Skyward Sword footage. Not much, but still just enough to keep the game on the fan's radar. It's pretty clear that they're making pretty extensive use of the Wii's motion control for more than just sword-fighting or archery like in Twilight Princess. I'm still a little on the fence on that one, but I know I'm in the minority. I have to say, I love the art style. A perfect fusion of Twilight Princess and Wind Waker, with a bit of classic art thrown in. Nintendo still hasn't put a release date on it, which I actually think is a good move.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Couple more days of the Game Developer's Conference left to go! Still hoping to hear something from my other favorite studio that begins with a B (Bungie!), but so far it's been fun! Probably back to Ship Porn next time, so keep a lookout!</div>Violethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03967287506927705811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467504096938738286.post-49557373834875329932011-02-04T18:00:00.000-05:002011-02-04T18:00:38.310-05:00Ship Porn: Isaac Hannaford's Concept ShipsYay! More ship porn!<br />
So my girlfriend and I, being geeks and gamers, are both pretty into Halo in general. And being the awful ship slut that I am, the space-going vessels of that universe get an inordinate amount of my attention.<br />
*WHOOOSH*<br />
"Ooh, look, it's a CCS-Class Covenant Battlecruiser!"<br />
"VIOLET! I'M GETTING SHOT AT!<br />
And that's pretty much how it goes.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>So today I came across some images and concept art for ships of both sides made for Halo: Reach. Now, if there's anything I like better than starships, it's concept starships. Of the batch, though, this one was my favorite:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.igorstshirts.com/blog/conceptships/2011/isaac_hannaford/isaac_h_06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="323" src="http://www.igorstshirts.com/blog/conceptships/2011/isaac_hannaford/isaac_h_06.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
My god, look at that thing! Besides being my favorite color, and resembling my favorite weapon (the Covenant Carbine), it just looks flat-out sexy! The elegant curves of the stern, the winged shapes that almost remind me of the old days of Mobile Suit Gundam, everything about it just screams awesome. It's a true pity that this design didn't make it into the final product.<br />
<br />
The designer of this ship is <a href="http://www.isaachannaford.com/">Isaac Hannaford</a>, who maintains a blog full of his concept art, mostly Halo-related. You won't find this one on there, however. It comes courtesy of perhaps my very favorite blog in the Verse. And that is <a href="http://conceptships.blogspot.com/">Concept Ships</a>. You want amazing concept ship porn? Who doesn't? Go here! It is pages and pages of some of the most gorgeous afterburners and hull plates I have ever seen. You will not regret taking the time to visit.<br />
<br />
If any of you have a suggestion or a recommendation of a ship that I should feature in the next entry, speak up! Otherwise, stay tuned for more!Violethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03967287506927705811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467504096938738286.post-91508825659530610542011-01-17T20:29:00.001-05:002011-01-17T20:29:18.986-05:00Natural Laws of Fantasy Worlds<div style="text-align: justify;">It's funny how often we assume that a world that is so unlike our own that it magic running rampant will follow the same laws. Sometimes it's done for the sake of clarity (an MMORPG set in a world where the calendar had more or less than 365 days would confuse and annoy us), or for accessibility (imagine if Wizards of the Coast had decided that their Eberron setting had 1/3rd Earth's gravity, or was a few hundred kilometers closer or further from their sun). But still, we often find that there are a few commonly accepted subversions of those laws, that occur in quite a few works. For example:</div><br />
<a name='more'></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Terrain that floats above the natural landscape:</b> This is one of my all-time favorites. The imagery of land floating high above our own is one that just seems to stick in our minds, to the point where it occurs even in science fiction, most recently and notably in James Cameron's <i>Avatar</i>. Other past notable examples include the land of Laputa from Jonathan Swift's <i>Gulliver's Travels</i> (a name later used for a similar location in Hayao Miazaki's film <i>Castle in the Sky</i>), Themyscira in the <i>Wonder Woman</i> comics, and the City in the Sky in <i>Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess</i>. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Sapient wildlife: </b>This one's a given. Think Ents from Tolkien's <i>Lord of the Rings</i>, or Elementals from... well, just about anything. Also in this vein is the Grand Oak from the video game <i>Dragon Age: Origins</i>. Since wildlife can also mean animals, warewolves and other creatures of a similar nature are also included in this category, as well as talking animals. Think Disney's <i>The Fox and the Hound </i>wasn't a fantasy? Now you know.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Disproportionate Strength: </b>Or, "How the hell does Cloud lift that sword?!". This is one of my least favorite subversions. It breaks my immersion in a fantasy world when a beanpole like Cloud Stryfe from <i>Final Fantasy VII</i> can still lift that monstrosity of a sword with one hand. I couldn't even lift a friend's replica with two! Granted, I'm a scrawny girl, not a tall man, but even this friend admitted that he couldn't really lift it either. You'd have to be Arnold freaking Schwarzenegger to lift it like that. And, as I mentioned before, Cloud is certainly not. Moving on.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Magic: </b>I know, right? This one is so common that if a story does not have some sort of magical element in it, it generally isn't fantasy. But Magic in all its forms still takes the laws of the world we live in and shatters them like a pane of glass on <i>Mythbusters. </i>Even in fiction that takes place in our own world, when magic is invoked it instantly becomes almost a different place altogether. Magic can do things that would make most modern physicists have an aneurysm! People fly, matter is created and destroyed, fire springs out of nowhere and burns nothing but the intended target! Magic is the foundation of all fantasy, and it's also the wellspring from which all subversions of the genre originate, generally speaking.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The way to tell when a story really takes place in a different world is if one of the characters walks into a tavern (usually you can stop there but we'll keep going) and says: "I'm a wizard!" and receives a response of either "So what?" or "Teach me!". Also, on some occasions, "Kill him!". But the point is that almost no one would say "I don't believe you!". To the people that inhabit the worlds of fantasy that differ from our own, these deviations from the natural law of our world are as commonplace to them as gravity and the coriolis effect are to us. And because they don't often question it, neither do we.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So here's a trick to try: next time you sit down to write a fantasy novel or run a game of Dungeons and Dragons (or whatever your preferred tabletop RP system happens to be), try changing the way that gravity behaves, or the color of the sky, and see if anyone notices.</div>Violethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03967287506927705811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467504096938738286.post-19698410458775846852011-01-05T14:36:00.000-05:002011-01-05T14:36:50.902-05:00Ship Porn: USS Enterprise NX-01 (Refit)Ship slut here with a confession. I enjoyed Star Trek Enterprise. Some episodes didn't quite get the Star Trek feel, but I still liked it more than some other Trekkies. There were a lot of complaints leveled at the design of the new Enterprise, saying that it looked too much like one of the ships from First Contact. And upon closer examination, I agreed. But that doesn't mean that I didn't like the design. But, I like this new one even better.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100722194044/startrek/images/1/16/NX-01_refit_quarter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100722194044/startrek/images/1/16/NX-01_refit_quarter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
This fabulous redesign comes courtesy of <a href="http://drexfiles.wordpress.com/">Doug Drexler</a>, who is pretty much the Hugh Hefner of ship porn in my opinion. He's one of the chief contributors to the pantheon of Star Trek ships, and maintains a fantastic blog displaying art from Star Trek and numerous other Sci-fi properties that Mr. Drexler has designed for or contributed to. This concept was done mostly for the 2011 Ships of the Line calendar, which for me is as good as a pinup. And apparently I'm not alone in my adoration.<br />
<br />
The refit design has become so popular that an unofficial conversion kit for Enterpirse 1/1000-scale model kits for the people who want to bring Enterprise that much closer to the original Trek. Its availible at <a href="http://www.starfleet-models.com/">Starfleet Models</a>, and has become so popular that it is currently backordered. If you've got the base kit, grab one. If you're like me and don't have it, just try to content yourself with gazing longingly into that beautiful deflector dish.<br />
<br />
For more on this design, including a truly awesome video of it in action, please please please go visit Doug Drexler's blog. You will be amazed at some of the projects he's worked on, and some of the behind-the-scenes knowledge he imparts.Violethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03967287506927705811noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467504096938738286.post-14745213859097653922011-01-01T15:46:00.000-05:002011-01-01T15:46:57.317-05:00A Gamer's Resolution<blockquote>I, Violet, being of sound if not entirely sane mind, resolve that I will be patient with the video game industry. If a release date is pushed back, I will not complain. I will understand that creating a truly great video game takes a significant amount of time, and no howling from fangirls/boys will change this. I take this resolution in hopes that others will follow my example.</blockquote><br />
So one of the things I've really been noticing recently is that when a video game is announced, it is often followed by the news that the aforementioned product will be in the hands of consumers in less than a year. My usual reaction is: "Surely not!". But, I have been repeatedly proved wrong. Trouble is, I wish I hadn't been.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<br />
Last year, at SpikeTV's video game "awards" show, Lucasarts revealed The Force Unleashed 2, the follow-up to the game whose story won critical acclaim. I know not everybody liked it, I had my own issues with it, but the writing and acting were better than most modern video games that I've played. But back to 2009. It was just over a year since the first title had been released, and I honestly did not expect any sort of followup for a while, and when I say that I'm talking years. But that night, they revealed a cinematic trailer for The Force Unleashed 2. It was awesome. There was Starkiller (the always-brilliant Sam Witwer), back somehow after his demise in the first title, wielding two lightsabers as if he had been born to do it. And that huge creature he found himself up against? That was approaching the level of "I'm-going-to-have-to-go-change-my-panties" awesome. Then we were told by a handy bit of text that the game would be out sometime in 2010, the very next year.<br />
<br />
My reaction was, "yeah, right". But they seemed very confident in that fact. They had the domain Unleashed2010.com prominently advertised in their promotional material. My plan was to buy the domain Unleashed2011.com with the idea that once the inevitable delays came, I'd sell it to them for profit. But his fall, as promised, the game was released, after a slew of bad news from Lucasarts. W. Haden Blackman, half of the creative team that brought The Force Unleashed to us, stepped down from the company. The new guy quickly confirmed that The Force Unleashed 3 had been in development. Had been. He had canned it, and laid off most of the team responsible. This was when I knew that The Force Unleashed 2 was not going to live up to it's full potential.<br />
<br />
The game, as anyone who's played it can tell you, is very obviously unfinished. And in my opinion, we've no one to blame but ourselves. The thing is, the modern gamer has become so impatient that waiting even two years for a game to be released after its announcement is unthinkable. This leads to tremendous pressure on developers to finish a game before the fans become restless and lose interest.<br />
<br />
I'll admit, I'm as guilty of this as anyone. I moaned and whined every time that Twilight Princess was delayed, and ended up waiting three years for it to be released. I've since learned better, but I still felt the pangs of disappointment each year that went by after the release without a new Legend of Zelda title being announced. And I, like most people, have almost forgotten that Half-Life 2: Episode 3 is even in development. But I'm sure it's gonna rock when it does come out.<br />
<br />
The point is, a little patience on our parts, and faith in the companies that make our favorite games, will be rewarded. We as the target audience might not have much power, but at least we might be able to help a little. So Bethesda, if you're out there, if I have to wait until 2012 to play Elder Scrolls V, I'm okay with that. In the meantime, there's plenty to keep me occupied.<br />
<br />
Also, humblest apologies to any Duke Nukem fans that might read this. You guys have suffered the most out of any of us, and will be rewarded with much chewing gum.<br />
<br />
ViViolethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03967287506927705811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467504096938738286.post-84522036044303704582010-11-20T14:09:00.000-05:002011-01-05T14:37:57.938-05:00Ship Porn: The Gozanti Cruiser<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ship Porn is going to be a regular feature of this blog, with your host, the Ship Slut. It's true, I go totally bonkers over a good looking ship, space, sea or otherwise. </span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'd like to inaugurate this section with a starship that was heavily featured in last night's episode of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" on Cartoon Network: The Gozanti Cruiser.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080927135457/starwars/images/5/59/Gozanti_Cruiser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="164" src="http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080927135457/starwars/images/5/59/Gozanti_Cruiser.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">To say that it's a good looking ship might not be entirely accurate, but it's still a great design. It combines elements of the </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Counselor-class</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> corvette that most famously brought Qui-gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi to the Trade Federation Command Ship at the beginning of "The Phantom Menace" and the gritty, patchy feel of the Rebel ships in the Original Trilogy.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It was manufactured by a partnership between the Corellian Engineering Company, best known for the <i>Millennium Falcon</i>'s own YT-1300f class, and Gallofree Yards, best known for the GR-75 transport used by the Rebellion to evacuate Hoth. According to <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Gozanti_Cruiser">Wookieepedia</a>, the ship was originally designed as an anti-piracy vessel, which is part of what makes it so cool! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It has a Class 3 hyperdrive, which is not the best, but comes armed with 4 turbolaser emplacements, and a proton torpedo launcher, making it more heavily-armed than other ships of this size. The whole hull is right around 42 meters long, with enough space for 24 passengers and crew, a cargo capacity of 75 tons, and consumables to last 1 month. New, the ship could be expected to fetch 150,000 credits, and that's at a reputable dealer.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20070113200530/starwars/images/2/2c/Kraytshonor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20070113200530/starwars/images/2/2c/Kraytshonor.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The <i>Krayt's Honor</i>, a Gozanti Cruiser used by Siqo Vass</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">All images and most statistics come directly from <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page">Wookieepedia</a>, the best friend any Star Wars fanatic ever had. Go give them bandwidth for being awesome and supporting my Ship Porn addiction.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Violethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03967287506927705811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467504096938738286.post-1294059739045192552010-11-19T16:10:00.000-05:002010-11-19T16:10:45.704-05:00On "Star" FandomsIt's one of the first questions that anyone who says they are a geek or nerd is ever asked, so it's only fitting that I start my blog with it.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div>Star Trek or Star Wars?</div><div><br />
</div><div>Yes, this question ignites firestorms over forums and chatrooms and even in the dreaded expanse of Real Life. But the thing is: they're like two completely different beasts.<br />
<br />
If you're with me this far, I'm going to assume that you're a fan of either series, or both like me, and I really don't need to tell how and why they're different. But what's really ridiculous is the fighting between the two groups. Even George Lucas himself doesn't get it. [Say what you want about Lucas, he did create the whole thing.]<br />
<br />
I honestly don't understand why fans that come down on one side or the other are so... fanatical sometimes. I admit, I generally prefer Star Wars, simply because it's a more exciting setting to me. I just can't get into the Star Trek novels and comics, in large part due to the fact that they're not considered to be canon, and so the quality and continuity isn't as closely controlled as the Star Wars expanded universe. But I enjoy the hell out of Star Trek as well, even Enterprise, which I know a good deal of fans didn't enjoy. One of my first celebrity crushes was Jazia Dax on DS9!<br />
<br />
So, if you ask me, Star Wars and Star Trek fans just need to accept that each have their differences, and kiss and make up.<br />
<br />
Especially if they happen to be cosplaying as Jaina Solo and Hoshi Sato at the time of the kiss. >:)</div>Violethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03967287506927705811noreply@blogger.com0