Blogging the experience of gameplayhttps://www.gamelog.cl/gamers/GamerPage.php?idgamer=1786https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6142Game log 3: Wow, this game is strange and intriguing. Getting more into the combat, I'm describing it as "empathy puzzles." What I mean by that is every combat situation seems to be figuring out how to relate to the character you're fighting; you have to learn what they care about and then play to that to get them into the mercy state where you can spare them. Even when the solution is actually to exploit that thing they care about (ignore the Icecap's hat, for instance), it's still an empathy puzzle because you have to learn what the creature cares about in order to progress in the game. Undertale makes an interesting and compelling case for non-combat JRPG-style games. The point seems to be that if all we're doing is selecting stuff from a menu to get a result, why do the choices have to be different attacks? You can achieve just as interesting results--if not more so--by using those menus to select different kinds of interactions other than attacks. The way Undertale's "combat" is set up, every first encounter with a new enemy type is suspenseful and interesting because the options and solutions are always different, there's no spamming your strong attack or super spell in this game (if you play passive--I can't speak to how it plays if you actually fight). I'm sad I'm so busy and can't play more of this game right now. It's so weird, but so new and different.Wed, 06 Apr 2016 10:00:54 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6142&iddiary=10711https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6142Game log 2: This game seems almost determined to have you not play it. Or, at least, not play it like any other game. So far--and I've made past Toriel's basement--mercy has always been the answer, even when the game wasn't telling you it was an option. Flowey's little speech about what will happen if you find someone bound to fight you was well taken--how committed am I to this mercy path? Will I quit the game for it? The obvious answer should be no, right? I want to experience the content created. But, presumably, the question is, is that content worth it if it's against my ethics? Games love being an ethical void--a playground where ethics don't apply--but Undertale rather obviously asks you how much you really believe that, and, at least so far, provides a truly, real-world ethical path that calls into question almost every other game. What if games aren't an ethical void? What if they just haven't recognized themselves as truly ethically important--what would happen if one did? It seems that this is Undertale. And it kind of kills me that I've only barely started this game.Wed, 06 Apr 2016 10:00:32 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6142&iddiary=10710https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6142Game Log 1: In my first outing with Undertale I almost literally did nothing. Not that I was cheating the assignment, I felt like I was truly playing that game in one of the ways it was meant to be played. Toriel gives me a cellphone and asks me to wait. So that's what I did. About 40 minutes later I have seen several messages onscreen of "puppy-dials" from Toriel's phone with Toriel saying a bunch of stuff to try and convince the puppy to come back. However, she also said something about what she was fetching was flour, which makes it sound like she's going to cook me, to be honest. However, in my mostly just waiting around, I had to ask myself if this was abusive game design. Obviously, the intent is for the player to ignore instructions and just move on from the room. But there's also deliberately placed content for those who stay in the room. But that content in unavoidably spaced out over 5-ish minute intervals. To get the content, you literally have to stay in an empty room. It seemed like you could walk around and still get the calls, but I'm pretty sure that if you leave the room you don't get the rest of the calls. Also, the content I received for waiting told me very little, but it did intrigue me in the world further. I was not entertained while waiting around, and to be honest, I did it because this seems like the artsy kind of game that would bother with putting in something for waiting around (I was right, PS). But as I result, I did next to nothing in "playing" this game for the better part of an hour. What's the point? "Realism"? This game throws that out the window in two seconds. "Experience"? Maybe. There's something strangely magical about a videogame giving you a reason to do nothing. Poetic, maybe. Or just pretentious. I feel like the game stole my time, yet I freely gave it. I might be angry at you, Toby Fox. I guess we'll see.Wed, 06 Apr 2016 10:00:15 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6142&iddiary=10709https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6113Wow, this game just keeps getting deeper and deeper. I got into scheduling programs today--things like AA meetings and drug treatment--both of which the CEO advocated, making me think the CEO isn't actually evil, even though he looks like a typical evil CEO. Still seems like there's no limit to my budget, so I'm still giving the prisoners absolutely everything I can. I finally got my new cell block finished, but I keep getting new prisoners faster than I can complete cells, so I constantly have people who can't be assigned cells. Frustrating. I like this game. I like the subtlety of its ethical questions. The effects of your style of prison are relatively slow to take effect, and the game doesn't scream at you as either a "good" prison or "bad" prison. Plus, I forgot how much I get into Sim-type games when I bother to take the time to play them. I quickly grew very concerned about the minutiae of getting pipes to toilets and every room fully wired and having enough janitors and so on. I really didn't like this game after my first session, but I'm really glad I played it now.Mon, 29 Feb 2016 09:38:18 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6113&iddiary=10661https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6113I got pretty into it tonight. I was kind of rushed and set a timer for myself to play for exactly half an hour so I could get to bed super early, but I ended up playing at least double that, maybe more. I still haven't really noticed a strain on my money in this game, so I see absolutely no reason to not give the prisoners everything they need. So I'm still stuck in chapter 2 of the campaign as I do absolutely every optional thing to make the prisoners lives better: recreation, food (I kind of can't believe that one was "optional"), laundry, etc. I even started building new cells, which I feel is way more complicated than it should be--there should be like a standard cell stamp or something that does the walls, bed, toilet, and door all in one. I guess this game is showing me that my view of prisoners is that they should be treated as humanely as possible. I know many people would disagree with me--but I honestly don't understand why I would try and just make their lives hell. I don't get how that helps them not commit crimes again in the future. I feel like most (if not all) criminals are victims of circumstance. Maybe I'm naïve? In any case, I still have well over a million dollars in my account--they're getting their pool tables and TVs.Sun, 28 Feb 2016 23:03:15 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6113&iddiary=10660https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6113Okay, so my question in class has been answered: this game definitely has a story. From my first session, it looks like I'm still mostly in tutorial mode, with the CEO telling me exactly what to do at every moment, but the story so far is quite interesting. My favorite moment is how Chapter 1 linked directly to Chapter 2 in a surprise twist. As far as ethics go, we've definitely already seen discussion on the death penalty--a classic ethical question as old as civilization itself. And the game has told me that I can care or not care about prisoners and give things like a bookshelf or not, but I haven't seen yet what the actual impact of this is--and I haven't been limited in resources at all to see any reason not to do it. But I'm definitely intrigued.Sun, 28 Feb 2016 00:19:22 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6113&iddiary=10659https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6086Day 9. That's when it finally happened. That's when I caved and stole something. And it was from a hospital. But Bruno escalated to "lethally wounded" and I couldn't find bandages anywhere and all the traders are hacks who take way too much for anything useful. I talked to all the nurses, I couldn't find the doctor to trade with, and no one would help me unless my actually wounded and sick character was the one there, so I opened a private property cabinet and found food and bandages and took it. I even left a bunch of stuff there in its place as a sort of trade to make myself feel better, but it wasn't a fair trade and I knew it. The worst part, though, was the next day getting back and having people show up to say that someone stole from the humanitarian center and they asked if my guy did it. I said no, but they didn't leave. Then I had to stop playing and I didn't finish the day so I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to face them again when I get back. I still have a lethally wounded dude who's also depressed now, as well as a severely sick guy who's beyond the help of herbal medicines and needs real medication. And keeping up with food is just impossible. I had a miracle of a new reporter girl show up and join my group who has "bargaining skills" but I haven't had the chance to use her skills yet and see how good they really are. I really don't think my group is going to make it much longer.Sun, 24 Jan 2016 13:11:29 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6086&iddiary=10619https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6086After my second session with the game I'm feeling pretty proud of myself - day 7 and I still haven't stolen any private property or hurt anyone! Well, I've been raided a couple times and one of my dudes is "severely wounded", which is probably my fault, but I haven't been an aggressor yet. I have had a couple of pretty rewarding moments along the way, too. I went into a school that was labeled as "huge amount of materials," but then said materials were nowhere to be found and every path was blocked by rubble and I had no shovel. I took a big risk and picked a pile of rubble to clear. It took like half the night, but it was the best pile of rubble to clear because it provided a round-about path to nearly every room in the school, going around all the other piles, and I had a full haul of wood and components by the end of the night. The other experience was at the super market. There was already a group of at least 3 looters there and I was trying to sneak by them when one with a VERY intimidating gun saw me. He said, "Hey, you!" and I instantly ran the other direction. I almost ran all the way home but then I saw him say, "There should be enough for all of us." I didn't trust him at all, but he did let me walk by him and I got a full haul and then just booked it out of there before giving them time to turn on me. I have a nice rotation going of two guys sleeping at night and working during the day while my "Good at scavenging" guy sleeps so he's ready to scavenge again at night. The only problem is at least 2 people are still always hungry, and one guy is severely wounded and I just barely got some bandages for him. Sometimes it says "recovering" but then that goes away and he's still severely wounded. I'm scared for him. And not entirely sure what to do beyond bandages and rest. Plus he's the best cook so I need him. I knew this game would challenge my ethics, but what I wasn't expecting was the rewarding side of that--the sense of accomplishment of getting by this far without giving up my morals. I'm still worried the storm is coming, but at least so far, I can feel proud of myself. And I am strangely satisfied in a way I've never been in a game. Not satisfaction of skill or creativity, but of morals.Sat, 23 Jan 2016 11:15:13 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6086&iddiary=10618https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6086There's a lot to talk about with this game, but for some reason I find myself focusing on how much the game seems dedicated to breaking through to become something more than a game. Right from the initial main menu, where the only button is "Survive" rather than "Play." There's also a complete lack of tutorial, which trades comfort of play for more complete immersion--a risky but totally appropriate choice for this particular game's goals. At the same time, though, unlike so many other "ethical test" type games, there's absolutely no mistaking this for a game--goals, obstacles, rules, resource management--it's all there. It's amazing how they achieve both at the same time. Having no tutorial, though, I definitely screwed some stuff right out of the gate. For some reason, I assumed it was turn based and each person had some certain amount of "action points" per day, so I kept having one guy do everything waiting for him to run out of actions and the game to automatically switch to the next guy, and then all of a sudden the day was over and I'd done basically nothing. As soon as I realized it wasn't turn-based, I suddenly got really stressed out in the same way I do in an RTS game--everyone must be doing something all the time. I felt like this was quite effective at immersing me in the struggle of my three characters--like every other resource, time is scarce, and the best defense against the crippling fear of imminent death is working so furiously to avoid it that you don't even have time to think about what would happen if you stopped. Before I started this game I actually wondered if I would just give up and let everyone die--just beat the game by not playing. Now that I'm not playing I'm thinking I should just do that again--that death would almost be better for these characters than the life they're given. But the second I'm playing again, I know I'll be gripped instantly with the survival instinct and be right back to working furiously. In this first play session I avoided attacking anyone and even willingly passed up a cache labeled as "private property" because I felt I could make it out just fine with my morals intact. But I can already feel the pressure, and I know my ethics will be tested very soon--I'm a little scared what I'll find out.Fri, 22 Jan 2016 22:12:41 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6086&iddiary=10615