Take it like a man or perhaps ...?

With recent reactions over an article over at Rock Paper Shotgun concerning Moebius, I've fallen into my thoughts again, wondering where does criticism and personal views on the matter stop being useful and instead form or affect a general view that's inaccurate, subjective and hurtful to a product and the people affiliated in any way with it?

There's more to videogames than just playing

Sometimes we find ourselves enjoying the way we construct a sentence or reference our personal interests in subtle ways, and we convert people's reactions to our particular way of writing to a graphical/comical idea of it. Slowly, gradually moving towards that direction, hoping subconsciously to re-trigger the same reactions, we've grown addicted to. At the same time, we fail to grasp the concept of a joke being overused, and we see the newcomers reaction as acceptance. In the end, a failure to realize the importance of providing your opinion/thoughts in such ways that it's helpful to others is ever-present.

Of course someone should not butcher his thoughts censoring them in such way that they reflect political correctness, but he should definitely understand the importance of his work. And let's take what I did into account as an example.



Some days ago I stated that I found PISS lacking a hook, and that very issue, had been troubling me from finishing the game. The fact that I was deemed unable to run a complete playthrough of that game, also made me decide to avoid writing a review about it - I just felt the need to explain the reasons behind my slacking. Haven't we all tried something and found it hard to get into, then actually do a proper effort to grasp the concept, ultimately wondering how we felt unable to see the genius at first?Personally I strive to give everything a proper chance to win me, and my thoughts on PISS are ONLY focusing on what was troubling me to get there.

Videogames as a form of entertainment, also occasionally attributed artistic values, is haunted by the subjective rule. What is that you ask? Well, simply put, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It's imperative therefore to allow everyone to appreciate what we cannot, overcoming the obstacles that we faced - obstacles that rendered the product unpleasant for us, and ideal for those who appreciate differently.

By the rivers of (Techno)babylon

So, why is this AGS game keep appearing on your rss feed lately? Why is it referenced so much lately?

Because, besides missing the 4th part of the series for quite a while now, it appears, according to a gamasutra interview of Dave Gilbert, the game is still being worked on. I'm quite unfamiliar with the factors affecting its current production and the goal in terms of game design and polish value currently set by the developer and the parties affiliated (which I'm also mostly unaware of).

But Ben Chandler is providing artwork, yet not sure if he's drawing over or completely re-designing materials for the game. Perhaps both. I find myself accepting Dearden's choice (the developer) to enrich and re-introduce the saga. Technobabylon  is getting remaked, but I'm not sure in what way. However, since it's going commercial under Wadjet Eye Games, I'm definitely quite certain, the game will combine part one and two, perhaps even three, though the trilogy's end, wasn't really well received. 

Can you say pretty labs?

Technobabylon revolves around the premise that people choose to accept the false sense of achievement presented in multiplayer videogames, over their actual control on their lives, slowly deteriorating physically and mentally, getting addicted equally to the phenom of drug use. Such is the protagonist of the game, but as life problems pop up, it will be impossible to get a last dose of the virtual world. The second game of the series, creates one of the most wonderfully revealed ties between two games seemingly so different in almost every aspect, that literally the rembrance of it, still takes my breath away.

I do hope, the great content will be kept if not intact, at least in the same or better spirit, maintaining the consistency and surprise factor present in the freeware release of the three episodes so far. Even though, I feel this should have been out faster, I still got overly excited over the release of Technobabylon. Count one pre-order from me.

Trying hard and failing decently

Well, I've been trying to get the mindset to actually bother with PISS beyond the first 20 minutes of gameplay, but it seems impossible. Perhaps it's the wall of texts that keep appearing in my face that prevent me from fullfilling aforementioned task. And since I've promised a weekly post, I'll have to deliver one.

So the topic of this post, if you haven't giving up already, is story hooks. A hook is a plot device that interests a person in the continuation of the story or the grand reveal if such exists, by simply grasping the attention/curiosity of the reader. The same applies to videogames, some use gameplay mechanics to attract the player and keep him interested, others use more story driven mechanisms. Adventure games as a genre, usually create a hook via an introductory scene to either attach the player sentimentally with the protagonist or create an element of curiosity or some other thing I'm oblivious about.

Perhaps the setting works as well. I believe my favorite hook in a medium can be attributed to Kurosawa's Rashomon. Though the delivery completely failed to satisfy my expectations, I was "chained" till the reveal/explanation. Admittedly paranormal elements rub me off horribly. I find the explanation to paranormal reasons to be the cheapest way to explain situations. It's really dangerous to create a sense of mystery and then use the oldest trick in the book, trying to fool a mature audience, only ending up fooling A-graders, if that.

Blade Runner: A hook based mostly on the setting.

Other entertaining examples would be Blade Runner, practically missing a hook, eventually getting to it. Several sequences, even though proven to be cult classics later, initially are viewed with prejudice. I mean showcasing technological gadjets, doesn't get the story going much anywhere. But it's fancy.
I think Blade Runner works the same way that Beneath A Steel Sky does, the setting and the world are terribly interesting in their own diverse ways, spawning that explorer child into the viewer/player.

In conclusion, PISS is missing a hook, and I really want to review it. I've lost my line of thought.

AGS Podcast: They call it something else, but I forget

Yay, wow, another episode, damn, those are coming a bit too fast than I care to bother, I haven't listened to anything but the first two minutes of this, and this is out for 7 minutes, by the time I'm writing this. Thing is this whole post, will be rendered senseless, because I'm going to program it to appear two days letter (or later suit yourself).

It's the same recipe again and again, so here's episode 39.

LINK GOES TO AUDIO

AGS Podcast: 38

Another one of those, what number is it now?

Episode Work environment! 38

AGS Podcast 37

Vince Twelve is there, they talk for a while, about games.

Episode 37

Better late than...

Blackwell series last and latest addition has been provided a teaser. I've always wanted to say that the art in this episode looks absolutely stunning, one of the best in an AGS release. Get teased a click below.

Like the legend of the Phoenix...

...our ends were 34th podcast.

Episode 34

DANE KRAMS! 

Whatever/whoever dane krams is. I'm clueless.

YOLO SWAG AGS PODCAST #33

Grundislav and Ben304 give it another go. They bubble about stuff.

PODCAST HERE

On why this blog was a bit silent, well, I've been working on too many things myself these days, frankly. I have bought Conspirocracy, and I am somewhat planning on streaming it. I'll announce date and time, if so. Otherwise I'll play it on my own time and write a review. 

We'll see. Have a great week.

Dat podcast 32

This time, appearing to be some sort of a trend, Grundislav and Ben304, bring Dave Gilbert to the podcast table. Again. This time, his wife comes along.

http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_32.mp3

Clicky clicky

Dat AGS Podcast, 31

This time, they had the guts to interview the Dave Gilbert. So, a podcast with a twist it is. Interesting dare I say. Give it a listen.

Episode 31

Last day of the year

I'm going to refrain from new years resolutions and all that boring stuff. And happy new year and bla bla.
However, I'm going to post a boring podcast by some Australian and a New Yorker. You may want to listen to it.

PODCAST BY BEN304 & GRUNDISLAV #30

Better late than ..

So there I was, at the wonderful irc channel of the AGS Archives, chit-chatting. Then, qptain Nemo, a wonderful russian bimbo, suggested I play his recent games. Twas only a glimpse that I decided to do as he pleased. And I came across one of the funniest and most bizarrely wonderful creations attributed to the AGS community.

It won the OROW8, it won my heart, it's amazing. A game created by qptain Nemo and Pablo, I have to say this is a wonderful collaboration, reminding me of Calin and Ben304, only with a twisted sense of humour.

Educating Adventures of Girl and Rabbit
DOWNLOAD HERE!

by qptain Nemo and Pablo 

It contains bitchslap. What more do you want from a game?

More podcast

Mr Ben and Mr Grund have more podcast

Vince sweeps the floor

No, he hasn't given up game making to become the AGS janitor, but instead he has won everything at the AGS Awards, including host bicilotti's hand in marriage (this may be made up)! Resonance swept pretty much every category it was in for, except best player character. You can see the full IRC Award log here. A few people got dressed up for the Awards too with special forum avatars.

Grundislav managed to grab both player and NPC awards, Ben304 got the short game gong and Lifetime Achievement, CaptainD won best demo (and thinks it means doom for his game), Ghost got best non-adventure, and JJS won the Innovation award for his awesome platform porting abilities. And of course, Resonance was helped by its awesome team including Nikolas Sideris, Shane Stevens, Dave and Janet and many others.

NB Winning 12 awards in one ceremony is a new record: well done Mr W!

Releases, Reviews and something else beginning with R

• Adventuregamers review Anna's Quest
• Ben and Grundi release Spaceman in Space
• Cosmos Quest 4 is out
• Radiant (Crystal Shard, ATOTK, etc) releases Errand
• Ghostlady releases her latest, Haunting of Cliff Richard

Wow, busy times!

Podcast again

Mr Ben 304 and Mr Ben Jordan have come up with another episode of their fabulicious podcast. Listen or read about other people who did listen.

Blue Cup Tools

Not sure if myself or Jim posted about the son-of-podquest here, but we're already up to episode 8 of the BlueCupTools podcast. Download, enjoy, and then play at max volume on your stereo so your neighbours also learn about AGS.

Benedict Summerbatch

What do you get if you cross Mark Lovegrove with Sherlock Holmes, apart from some hot steamy videotape? Summerbatch! 5 new games on a pay-what-you-want basis and  hours of good, meaty AGS fun.

Toolcast

Mr Grundislav and Mr 304 have got together and made a baby. A beautiful audio baby about making animations and other exciting stuff. And the autodoc that delivers this squidlike proto-alien is a NEW POSDCAT! There's also a forum thread on this exciting topic! Now, go and enjoy the sexy fusion of floridian and australian accents.