Blogging the experience of gameplayhttps://www.gamelog.cl/gamers/GamerPage.php?idgamer=1751https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=5953One of a man's first jobs has always been to survive, at least until the last century when we have become so comfortable that we forget what is is like to have to fight and scavenge for survival. We are so comfortable that a child is traumatized by actually being subject to the baser conditions of war and grows up to make a game about how traumatic war and survival and scavenging and having to work together is. Yes, war and death and terror absolutely is traumatic, but is that a function of how weak our lifestyles have made us, or is it just life? This War of Mine reminds us that survival is personal. War is personal. War puts a fire under the civilization that has grown used to comforts and conveniences, the way losing your cell phone for a day drives you nuts until you get used to it, except war has blood and bombs, and the limb we call a cell phone only has batteries. What is it really like to subsist? To scavenge, to make the best of what we have. That This War of Mine is presented as a traumatic and depressing event for the people in this world might suggest just how far we've come and how much we have lost as a civilization of life in becoming civilized. War does us a favor. It returns us to our mortal roots and teaches us how to live again. In this sense, war is like camping while leaving our cell phones at home. It is like hunting without a gun, maybe just a knife. It is about being on equal footing with nature instead of lifted up into our own worlds. I’m not saying I am in a hurry for more war, but is there a price for peace that goes on a little too long? As a soldier in Iraq, I lived in a palace complex with no running water because we were afraid turning on electricity would cause electrical fires. We had gold plated toilet seats but had to carry bucket loads of water from the lake in order to flush. We didn’t have cell phones. Sometimes we legitimately worried about the mortars that were fired blindly over the palace walls. The book and film The Book Thief explores the idea that the idea of war is actually far scarier than war itself. Once a bomb lands in your back yard and you survive, you learn to live with the bombs, until one day the war ends or your personal war ends. I’m not saying the game overhypes anything. I do think we might find ourselves more afraid to look in the mirror and see who we are without our guns and our technology than we might be startled by bombs if war ever comes home to us.Thu, 07 May 2015 22:15:00 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=5953&iddiary=10488https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6002“10 Minute War” I looked up the longest wars in world history on Google. One source claims the Hundred Years War was the longest, between Britain and France, technically lasting 116 years. Other sites claim the longest was 335 years, though little if any blood was shed in the 335 Year War (or state of war) between the Netherlands and Isles of Sicily. Contrast this with the reality of DEFCON, which is that the longest the war that ends all wars is likely to go on is ten minutes. I read a book by the editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post this week called Thrive that says the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the incident at Three Mile Island, and the Challenger explosion all had at least something to do with questionable decisions made when someone had too little sleep. Thankfully today we have layers of diplomacy and lots of people between the play call and the trigger button, that collectively or individually could help prevent such a war and allow us all to sleep a little better. Perhaps the ultimate price required by modern war has done something to discourage it. With the exception of mad men, we all have an interest in loving each other enough to live another day. I am still trying to decide what message the game creators were trying to communicate. Are we supposed to come to the logical conclusion that the computer in Wargames did, that no one wins at war, or do the "Player 3 Wins!" state screens suggest someone can win? Is there a moral point to this game or is the message that all war is immoral because everybody dies? Or are we just supposed to use the game to remember the horror of nuclear war and the emotions associated with having to make world desolating decisions? The central rule of thermonuclear war is mutually assured destruction, a rule that helps ensure nobody plays the ultimate game.Wed, 08 Apr 2015 14:41:06 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6002&iddiary=10478https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6002“Player 3 Victory!” At the top middle of the screen, there is a scoreboard tracking the exploits of up to six players, human and AI. This is another of those absurdities… Nobody wins in nuclear war. Even if we win, we spend the rest of our lives with regrets. Nuclear war only is won when not engaged in, when nations ironically trust each other with each other’s lives. I compare this to the news that Obama is in nuclear talks with Iran, not to prevent them from getting them, but to withdraw sanctions and allow the program to proceed. Is that really wise? As a kid I was taught nuclear drills in school, and even entered a bunker once when at my grandparents’ house in Imatra, Finland. Helsinki is just over 1,000 kilometers from Chernobyl, and everyone in Europe was in a panic, watching the weather patterns when the nuclear plant blew in 1986. I’ve also been to war, though our main concerns in Iraq and Kuwait were avoiding scud missiles, RPG’s, and chemical weapons, which the New York Times recently admitted did exist in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. When our plane landed, we were told to immediately run to shelter if we heard the word “Lightning!” repeated three times. All of this adds to my impression that what is represented on screen as little flashes of neon color and light is actually real. It was a predominant fear among school children during the Cold War, and maybe will be again if Iran and Obama get their way.Wed, 08 Apr 2015 14:34:21 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6002&iddiary=10477https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6002“Santiago Hit! 1.8M Dead.” The first time I play Introversion’s DEFCON, I am pretty confused by the interface. It is a beautiful game, with a soundtrack that is a blend of alien and angelic. The game looks a lot like the computer images in 1983’s Wargames the movie, but is far more colorful. The rainbow colors and sounds create a strange dissonance when contrasted with what is actually happening, the extinction of the human race. As the subtitle says, “Everybody Dies.” The game begins with a 1.5 to 5 minute countdown between DEFCON 5, where ships are beginning to move into offensive and defensive positions, to DEFCON 1, at which point nukes are flying, radars are destroyed, and civilizations begin to fall. “New York Hit, 17.5M Dead.” “Tokyo Hit, 2.0M Dead.” “Seoul Hit, 3.7M Dead.” “Launches Detected.” Everywhere.Wed, 08 Apr 2015 14:34:01 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6002&iddiary=10476https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=5980Not satisfied with the number of people who die in Episode 2, I decide to replay Episode 2 before moving on to Episode 3. I fail to save Matthew on the bridge and the cook from the new party, even though I choose the courageous option of going out to find Luke this time. In fact, I get Alvin killed by encouraging my old friend to shoot Carver. At first it appears that it is a direct hit and Alvin is saved, but Carver gets back up and executes Alvin. This decision starts to make a difference in the dialog of Episode 3, as the group uses Alvin's death as secondary proof that Carver cannot be trusted. I am still finishing Episode 3, so I won't go into too much detail yet on my decisions, but I have noticed that since I started playing this game I start to look at real life through some of the same lenses that the game provides. I spoke to a friend last night and was going to compliment them and invite them to something, but I spent too long deciding how to ask, and lost the opportunity, at least for a week. I've also started to wonder if there might be several choices about what i could say to people, when usually I say what naturally comes to mind. What if some of these other word choices might be more positive or life changing for them than my first choice of words? What place do courageous and timely acts have in real life? I actually really like that some of the choices in the game are very time sensitive, mimicking real life. Too many games will wait forever for you to make a choice. In the real world, moral and ethical choices happen in real time, often under pressure. It reminds me of battlefield conditions. Sometimes you really do have to choose now and think or deal with the consequences later, especially to save a life. But those same consequences can backfire, as in the shooting on the bridge in Episode 2. What else can a game like Walking Dead Season 2 teach us about how to live better in real life? I look forward to exploring this further.Wed, 25 Feb 2015 14:51:25 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=5980&iddiary=10437https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=5980Episode 2 was more challenging to decide, since lives were often at the mercy of a word. I chose to take the blame for Sarah's photo. What does a real friend do? And what could they do to me? I sat with Luke at dinner. His invitation seemed warmer and I thought I could reassure them about the new people. Two thirds of players apparently sit with the new people to catch up. Surprisingly, choosing between people is harder than making a moral decision for me, maybe because I am aware of people's emotions and don't like to disappoint anyone. I told Walter the truth about Matthew. Sometimes the truth stings but people rarely forgive lies, even if told to protect them. I figured his rage would be strong either way, but the truth is a voice of reason. I convinced Walter to forgive Nick. I believe forgiveness is one of the highest virtues. If our two groups were to live together long, we should found that relationship on the truth. Five out of six players made the same choice. I stayed to save Carlos, since it seemed like leaving would take too much time and several of my friends might die in the meantime. Slightly less than half of players chose this course. I noticed that whenever two groups of people whose goal is to survive collide or come together, there is at first a mismatch of values and trust. I think this may have played into my desire to tell the truth and use my (our) name(s) as often as possible, to build or rebuild trust and remind people of their humanity.Wed, 25 Feb 2015 14:42:27 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=5980&iddiary=10436https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=5980After starting the game on a PC and experiencing slow down, I play through Episode 1 on my iPhone 6 Plus. The game is full of moral and ethical dilemmas, six of which have meaningful consequences to the ongoing story. The game tells me I made the six choices most people make, the last one by only a 2% margin. One of the toughest decisions is who do I side with? For the most part, I try not to take sides in order to avoid offending anyone. When necessary, I help people end arguments, and rarely say anything inflammatory, with the exception of blackmailing the pregnant black woman in the cottage into being nice to me. At the end of the chapter, I have to choose between saving the older man and the son. I choose the older man since I think the younger one can take care of himself, since the older one has been bitten. When asked who to call on for help when six people are arguing over whether to kill me, I choose Luke, who knows me best and seems kind. My first thought was to ask the pregnant woman for help, thinking she might have a maternal instinct, but I’m glad I didn’t, as she turns out not to like me much. While sneaking around the house, I have to steal bandages, a needle, and rubbing alcohol to survive. After I find the last item, I check one more shelf and find a watch. Do I take the watch even though I already have everything I need? I decide not to, and am curious what happens if I do? Do they believe me when I say I’m sorry I stole from them? My choice ends up between stealing what I need to survive and what I want, and I choose need. The most poignant moment is probably when I have to decide to feed or not feed a dog, sharing my limited food. I feed it, and it bites me! In fighting it off, Sam the dog ends up impaled on sharp objects, and I get to choose to end its life quickly or let it suffer. I kill the dog, worrying that it might bite me again in the process. There is a similar situation at the end of the chapter. A person on the verge of becoming a zombie asks for water from my backback. Will it bite me if I get close enough to let it (or is it still a him?) drink? Thankfully, it doesn’t. Finally, there is an innocent girl in the house who asks me to pinky swear that I will be her friend for life. I agree, even though we’ve just met. I feel a bit like I am lying to her to get her to help me get the supplies I need to survive, and then I wonder if I am lying to her father when I apologize for talking to her and say I won’t do it again. Am I just pleasing people to survive and stay in their good graces? Is that ethical? Would I do such a thing in real life?Wed, 25 Feb 2015 14:38:09 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=5980&iddiary=10434https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=5953Second and Third Plays. 01/27/2015 and 01/28/2015. My second time through I ran into more ethical dilemmas. Apparently these are based on real life (and death) situations in war. Do I open the door to do business with people? Do I help an old woman board up her place so people don’t get in and kill her overnight, endangering my own (character’s) life in the process? Tough questions, made easier by this being a game where I can experiment. The first time I die reminds me of the ending of The Book Thief, but more final feeling. The real cost of war is life. It costs everyone a piece of their lives, and it haunts what we have left. From some it exhausts the ultimate price. I am grateful it did not cost me the ultimate price. (This entry has been edited1 time. It was last edited on Wed, 28 Jan 2015 14:59:16.)Wed, 28 Jan 2015 14:56:10 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=5953&iddiary=10392https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=5953This War of Mine Jed Merrill First play. 01/23/2015 I played This War of Mine for the first time today. The graphics were stylized and nice to look at, and it took me a while to realize I could play with any or all of the characters simultaneously. Once I did, the game became more meaningful. I have been to war as a soldier. I spent a year in Iraq, Qatar, and Kuwait as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. I am not as experienced as a civilian in a war zone, though I have had one experience similar to what is depicted in the game. I was teaching English in Russia with ILP, first in Moscow, then Ufa, Russia’s oil capitol. We were on a one week trip to St. Petersburg when we were told about the Yugoslavia bombing. The embassy told the program I was there with, along with everyone else with a visa that came from America, that we should stay indoors for a few days, as the Russian Orthodox church had been preaching in services that the Americans were attacking their Slavic brothers and that meant we were at war. No one knew if we were going to be in World War III, and I’m sure the US news was not reporting what we were experiencing on the ground. As volunteer teachers/tourists, we were locked for three days in an elementary school, and only left once or twice for food and supplies, nervous that we would be found out for being Americans and killed by Russian “patriots.” We used our best English-Russian accents to order food from kiosks and only said a few words the one or two times that we did go out. My first time in This War of Mine venturing out for supplies, I was similarly nervous. Was it worth risking my life to go into a burning building to dig for the kind of buried treasures that sustain life? I also think there is a kind of bonding or brotherhood that comes from going through an experience like that. People who were not family before become family through the fires and fears and tremors of war. I am looking forward to playing more. I am not looking forward to being in a war zone again. (This entry has been edited1 time. It was last edited on Wed, 28 Jan 2015 14:58:38.)Wed, 28 Jan 2015 14:55:48 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=5953&iddiary=10391