Blogging the experience of gameplayhttps://www.gamelog.cl/gamers/GamerPage.php?idgamer=248https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=990Oh, also, thank goddess for skipframes.Wed, 31 Jan 2007 00:06:58 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=990&iddiary=2135https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=990Alright, this game is silly. But for some reason I really like it. It's strange, out of all the squaresoft RPG's I find the final fantasies are the ones I play the least. I just like the simplicity of FFMQ. It's just the raw final fantasy style RPG game dynamic with nothing else. The plot is only there enough to hold things together...the spells are straightforward, the characters are generic. I mean, there's nothing special about it except its just fun. Oh, I really like the music though. In RPGmaker I totally ganked the FFMQ battle music.Wed, 31 Jan 2007 00:06:14 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=990&iddiary=2134https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=893Yeah, the cutscenes in this game are sort of over the top silly. Obviously not taking it very seriously, but I guess that works. It can be entertaining. Man seriously wasted the first boss with a perfect bomb. Nice.Wed, 24 Jan 2007 00:17:58 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=893&iddiary=1976https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=893Oh, damn. So Llama gave me a TV so Scarab brought down his dreamcast and this little game with "YAAAAAAY" faced anime pip-squeaks on the cover with a giant robot and the name BANDAI-O!!!! So I'm thinkin wtf? but the game really tackled the risk-reward thing really nicely. You've got these bombs, and the more enemy firepower is flyin at ya when you hit bomb the more business gets tottally wasted. So its incredibly addictive but incredibly simple in that smash-tv sort of way. good times. Well, I've been wanting to remage SGD for quite a while. I made one in '98 in qbasic to kill time, made another one '00 and '01 in vb and c++, then made another in '05. So this time I want multiplayer support and I'm TOTTALY stealing the threat based nuke action. Oh oh, and the radiant silvergun sword. That was five kinds of sexy. Tasty, shiny, curvy, flashy, and fiiine. I think I know how to do it, too. I just hope little Alessa is up for the task. Gimme a month.Wed, 24 Jan 2007 00:16:40 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=893&iddiary=1975https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=492Oh man, ok. If I were going to make a megaman game... First off it would be 3d, and faster paced. The swapping dynamic would be an on the fly thing. You know what? How about I patch in one of those voice recognition things, so you could just say "Awesoman" or "Pwnageman" into a mic and he would just morphout in mid air. That would be all kinds of sweet. Tricky for sure, but I remember from the class I took in AI that recognition of a specific set of words by microphone isn't all that hard to do. And of course you could also hit F2 or something as a player if you were one of those LAME players. I think I'd have to cop out with elements. Like a Fireman and Iceman and Earthman or something. I know it's obvious, but its not like megaman games are strangers to dumb named bosses. I mean, Woodman? Seriosly. Yeah. Seriously. But the dynamics would be so fun to put together. I'm thinking freezing enemies and shattering them liquid nitrogen style. I mean, just have some frozen toggle, and if you hit them when it's on throw in a glass shatter .wav and a thousand double sided triangle polys flailing every which way in some sort of particle engine. So Megaman bursts into Wily's palace and the player yells "Chainsawman" into the mic and Megaman tears apart an army of those little annoying yellow things. Yeah. That could be cool.Sun, 21 Jan 2007 21:15:38 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=492&iddiary=1935https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=528Visit #14: K, hit a by accident. It occurs to me that this log is exactly in the style that I've sort-of been telling the students not to do. Not to mention since this map takes place in the DS universe, none of you have a clue what I'm saying. Good thing I'm not being graded on this. MYA! So...Iron armor is still expensive in case you were wondering. Just got the torched wp, but I don't feel like triggering the numbskull cinematic quite yet because I have the late night munchies like a stoner. Please hold a moment. mmm...triscuits and nutella. Such 3am food. food for the jeved soul. WTF? Scarab tripped the "Imbecile and Numbskull" cinematic but they were both dead. In the 5 years i've been making this map, that has never...ever happened before. Oh my fail, that is annoying. Talk about an intermittent bug. Once/half decade. *kills more horde* Town Visit #17: The golem boss STILL ISNT DEAD! Oh wait, I think I heard him die on Scarab's computer. Anyway though, he just wiped out about half the town gaurds and he's been a problem sort of since the beginning. I remember a friend of mine commented that regaurdless of the game, Kobolds are always irritating little bastards. She had a point. Town "Visit" #19: Level 10 Arc (chain lightning) FTW! 200 damage to 12 targets is fun. Cast & fuggetaboutit. Damn, my triscuit just shattered. Ok, still can't touch battle mechs, but kobolds and golems go down like 3 kinds of fail. Cursed moutain waypoint is mine! And warriors armor. Sweetness. B15 CRYSTALED! Man. Freaking Kail. Just denied my health like a UC Berkley undergra applicant. Town Visit #19+n So we got the extravagent machine parts back to denmir no thanks to Teresa and her no-way-to-counter-magic-immune's business. Iron armor still expensive. Town Visit #19+n+2 Scarab and I just took the angel cave so now Aki (the same character from the seminar for anyone who remembers it) is dead, and I came out with blarban ore, 5 units of gems and the "phat lewt" which I now have converted into the bling. My Iron Armor and Mage Attack are both maxed. Muaha! Town Visit #something Just took a short nap. Tired. Pwned up the SiV, go a martian hireling with all the upgrades dumped into it. Gotta stop now.Tue, 16 Jan 2007 08:36:48 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=528&iddiary=1509https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=528So its 1:46 and I have lab at 8 and i'm != tired. So, Scarab and I are tottally playing more 5th blue conquest. I'm going to post a log every time I have to return to town. Ok, so Scarab decided to play Carshain (The big beefy he-man hero) which unlocks the secret character Teresa, so I decided to play her. Teresa is a sort of scout mage, with lower level offensive magic, evasion, and a movement aura. Town Visit #1: Ok, just pwned up "The Marsh" and got some moneys for which to start upgrading the painfully expensive Iron armor. We got horded by The Horde. Go figure. Oops, Scarab just died. I should get back to the game. Town Visit #3: We just charged the Golem Hollow waypoint. They decided to attack the town. Bloody AI. I'm pretty sure I know what it is though. It sends an attack command that initializes before you warp and is popped off of the even stack after you're in town. The result is golems migrating through the gnoll forest to assault mars. I did the EXP spiral thing and jumped to level 8. Good times. My troll hireling got shafted. Iron armor is expensive as hell. Town "Visit" #4: I just had my ass handed to me by the golems. I wish I could make this map bigger. If I ever make it in a separate engine I need to allot out more space so there are more low-level areas. Hmm, 150 gold for beer? That might be a bit much. I should drop it to like 40. Can't afford to upgrade Iron Armor. Town Visit #7: K, tried goin through the golem hollow but the boss is magic immune. Lured him back to town. He killed Scarab. Scarab got Irritated. I tried going to the Ares Mountains but I lured back a few battle mechs. They killed the gaurds. Scarab got irritated. Went into the spider cave and Scarab's character has a NASTY multiplier against arachnids so everything died really fast. Currently on sales run to pay for more Iron Armor. Iron armor is expensive as hell. It's a bit of a problem that the items don't dissapear. They really start to clog up the map after a while. Town Visit #9: Alright, in Terra now, after finishing the spider bizniss. Got my chain lightning up now so I can pwn bitches Esme Valentine style. Got a cache of spider venom in case we need it. Scarab just found the rangers helm. Grr...dunno if I can talk him into giving that up. Iron Armor is expensive. I think I should add more health fountains. Or if it werent such a pain more waypoints. Walking back to town sucks. Town Visit #10: We've finally made our way to Jupiter and I totally ganked the Warrior's helm. Made some bank off of selling off a truckload of meat. Iron armor is expensive. Freaking 2 GOLD SHORT? Oh, COME ON! Where's a freaking gnoll. Bitch goin down. Scarab accused me of murdering a sheep. Maybe he has a point. He just gave me the troll forest viXen heart. That should help my B15 a bit. Town Visit #11: Freaking Junior just chased me back to the waypoint. So much for heading down that road. Jeved magic immunes. I need to hire a martian. Iron armor still too expensive. And Scarab keeps finding all the beer.Tue, 16 Jan 2007 05:21:24 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=528&iddiary=1508https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=653Oh...snap. I just labeled this a gameboy game didn't I. Well...if some friendly admin spirits here my cry feel free to change it to SNES or super famicom if you like. I love Donkey Kong Country. It's got personality. DKC2 has a lot of personality too, but it's a lot harder. And...I'm too lazy right now. DKC3...we sort of pretend that never happened...like the 80s... I just think this game is all kinds of fun. So. What is fun? Well...if there was a simple answer for that I'd probably be a billionare by now, but if anyone has their mind wrapped around the problem I'd say it's nintendo. The Irony is that for it's time DKC was actually pretty cutting edge on the graphics front which has never been Nintendo's strong point. I guess character selection and personality is always a factor. I mean, running around as a lumbering gorilla and his little shrimp monkey brother...thats the sort of thing kids come up with. FACT: When it comes to games, kid's know their shit better we do. I'm sorry, deal with it. If you ever need inspiration for game dyanmics...go to a park and watch a bunch of kids. I can pretty much tell you what will happen. You'll sit down and watch them a bit and think: "ok...cute...inventive...ug, YOU MORONS! WHAT KIND OF RULES ARE THOSE???? MAN IF YOU GUYS TOOK THE TIME TO AGREE ON ANYTHING YOUR GAME MIGHT NOT SUCK!" And then you sit down and write out all the stuff they did wrong and how you'de do it all differently and voila, you've suddenly got this list of ideas...and it's all because of those kids. And on some level, they get it in a way that all our life experience blinds us from. Remember, you're making your product for little Jimmy. The Jimmy in highschool, the Jimmy hiding in middle-aged parents, the repressed little Jimmy in your soul. Jimmy is the one that likes video games. and I am SOOOOO off topic. Ok, so lets just say Jimmy likes Donkey Kong Country. And...Jade likes Donkey Kong Country as well. The level design is wonderfully crafted. The graphics are pleasing and the 3d rendered sprites are always a nice clean touch. The music is catchy...(You catch yourself drumming the "bum bana bum bana bum banabummmm babum" with your toes). The game is long enough to be detailed...not too drawn out. The bosses are detailed enough. But...you know, Jimmy doesn't really think about those things. I do, after I play. Jimmy is to bust screaming "PWNED BITCHES" to bother analysing the elegant color balance of the levels. But he notices. And thats the key. Have the technology, but market the fun. Case and point: ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q93PvyKUa2I ...arguably not work-safe). The thing is...Jimmy has a very short attention span. He may not sit there and think..."I like how the smooth gradient across the sunset offers an interesting contrast to the solid colored trees," but had you not taken the time, Jimmy does have a knack for knowing when "Things look dumb." Or when "This is too hard," or "I have to read too much," or of course when games pull the overly cinematic card and Jimmy starts to say "Yeah, cool, can I play yet?" Now this poses a massive problem. We're game developers, we are artists. Now maybe the rest of the artistic community drags their feet accepting game design as high class art, but...you know, that's their problem. We're artists...and we aren't interested in keeping Jimmy from getting bored. We have a vision, a dream! A world to craft! People to design, cultures to birth, aliens to exterminate and complicated royal lines with doublecrossing advisors scheming to... Jimmy: "Yeah, cool, can I play yet?" And...and this little squirt is our market? Well, he has a point. Why make a game if it's not fun. So, I guess we really should listen to Jimmy. Even if we want to stab him.Mon, 15 Jan 2007 09:37:12 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=653&iddiary=1498https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=492In light of what I just said...I have to add that the second time you fight Metal Man, in Wily's little transport room. And you just 1-hit KO the bitch with his own blade. That's...that's choice. That's personal. That is the straight up bitch-slap you've been waiting for after all those tedious Wily stages. The final boss? eh... No, the satisfaction comes from the Metal-man moment. Hehe, and I'm sure I'm not the only person ever to figure this out, but the final level with the lame red drops falling from the cieling. Just hold the right button and ignore everything. You get through just fine as long as you don't stop. Only then do you have to start paying attention to the timing.Mon, 15 Jan 2007 09:13:04 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=492&iddiary=1497https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=492You know, some of these bosses are just a little...lame. I mean, I consider myself depressingly good at this game, and for about half the bosses my strategy generally involves mash the jump and shoot buttons, or hit him up close with the weapon he's weak to. I guess thats good and fun...but I don't really feel like I'm fighting with them. They are just more part of the background. Fighting someone is supposed to be a very personal thing. You know that old phrase...you never know a person until you fight them? To be honest in real life it's often a little left field but in video game design I think there really is a lesson to be learned there. The whole point of a boss is that it's supposed to be the living manifestation of the level you are playing through, right? I mean the word "Boss" sort of implies ownership rather than physical embodiment, but they aren't supposed to be land owners. I mean, do you get to the end of a complex platform game and find a guy behind a desk with a briefcase that goes: "Oh...Mario...hey...Uh...fancy meeting you here...yeah, about that princess business..." No. nonononono, you get a big beefy green killer dinosaur breathing fire halfway across his lair dancing across a bridge over a pit of firey lava. See my point? Now, I think it's important though. I always go on about this whole "crescendo effect" which I should at some point learn to spell right. It's a basic idea that as you go through a level or game, the environment gradually gets more and more intense (hopefully at a rate which mirrors the player's skill or interest) and then it all culminates at a climax where you fight the anthropomorphizes representation of the proximal world in the form of a fire breathing dinosaur or pig snouted desert lord or evil grand vizer or something. I think it's important to make that climax personal. Strong example: the robotnic bosses in Sonic The Hedgehog 1, 2 and 3. Each boss is somehow unique, and there is a pattern or strategy or something. You get to it and you feel, "oh yeah, this guy" or "aaaalmost out of this freaking casino bizniss." With Megaman 2, the bosses seemed too forced. It was just an excuse to memorize an order to beat the levels. If nothing else they died to fast, and their attacks were a little too hard to avoid. Never gave you a chance to really play with them, dance with them. And thats why I like action games. I like dancing with devils.Mon, 15 Jan 2007 09:09:03 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=492&iddiary=1496