Blogging the experience of gameplayhttps://www.gamelog.cl/gamers/GamerPage.php?idgamer=512https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2997Gamelog entry #2 Gameplay I especially liked the storyline that the game possesses. The game possesses a campaign mode, where the player experiences the continuation of the previous storylines of the Warcraft world. The story was rather exciting and engaging, ranging from night elves hunting a demon bent on destroying a large portion of the world to a story of mistrust and betrayal. Being a fan of the Warcraft world’s story, I especially loved the campaign feature that the game offered. I enjoyed the social interaction that I had while playing this game. I had a small LAN party with two to three other friends, and we basically played melee maps (default setting where you pit against each other or computer allies and enemies) and a number of custom games (games with maps modified by a fan of the game). The social interaction created through us playing with each made the game even more enjoyable. My experience while playing the game flowed due to the campaign and difficulty structure that the game provides. Initially, the campaign maps are rather easy. However, the difficulties of the maps are constantly on the rise. This allowed me to essentially “adapt” to the campaign’s increasing difficulty. For example, on one of the early maps in the campaign, the player, along with the enemy, is only given access to a number of limited upgrades and units. This ultimately simplifies gameplay as strong tiers of units are not accessible by either the player or the enemy. The storyline of the campaign also flows. One event followed another, and I was able to absorb and understand the storyline that the game possesses as I played through the campaign. Design The hero system that the game possesses is quite innovative. Unlike other RTS games out there that I know of, the heroes in the game are not simply stronger versions of a particular unit. They are unique in almost every way. Heroes in the game possess their own unique type of armor and attack, and on top of that, every hero has the ability to level up through experience points that one obtains from defeating enemies from combat. The hero has unique base stat attributes, and when a hero levels up, their stats increases, and the hero will be able to learn a new ability, or make a previously learned ability stronger. There are also items that heroes can purchase, equip, and sell with a number of effects, ranging from boosting the hero’s armor to a staff that allows the hero to use abilities that are ordinarily unavailable to them. The level designs are extremely varied. The scenario maps often possess unique objectives. One map might tell the player to destroy an enemy base while another map might tell the player to assault and close demonic gates. The only common objective that maps possess is the destruction of enemies. However, even in that sense, the ultimate goal of the maps is almost always varied. (This entry has been edited1 time. It was last edited on Wed, 05 Mar 2008 18:31:45.)Wed, 05 Mar 2008 03:41:15 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2997&iddiary=5645https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2997Gamelog entry #1 Summary Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne is a real time strategy game where players control one of the four playable races, utilizing resources and managing a number of gameplay elements such as the organization and control of troops, in an effort to overcome challenges presented to them, which mainly exists in the form of defeating computer opponents in a default setting. Gameplay I especially liked the simplicity of the game and the additional artificial intelligence of units along with additional controls that players get in the game. Unlike a number of RTS games out there, such as the Age of Empire series, Warcraft III is extremely simple to play. The tech structure that the game possesses is extremely clear; you can tell exactly what you need in order to create or upgrade something. Units and buildings are also quite limited in numbers, which contributes to the game’s low learning curve. Warcraft III’s units are programmed to be rather “smart”, which in essence gives a player more control of the game. You can “queue” up your worker’s tasks and his overall actions. You can tell a peasant to initially walk in a zig-zag line to a patch of tree, harvest the tree once he arrives there, and create a farm building after he has successfully finished harvesting wood. Units in the game have a large “vision”, which allows them to notice enemy units around them from quite a far distance and react accordingly. A large number of abilities in the game can also be set to “auto-cast”, a function where units will use abilities by themselves appropriately. If you were to set a priest to auto-cast his inner fire spell, which boosts a friendly unit’s armor and gives additional attack power, then the ability will automatically be used by the priest when the player is actively fighting an opponent.Wed, 05 Mar 2008 01:21:51 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2997&iddiary=5635https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2867Gamelog #2 GAMEPLAY After playing Wii Sports some more, I was still very interested in it. The game isn’t merely a simple simulation of real life sports – there are a number of additional modes that players can partake in, such as a fitness test ( where you play a series of games in order to have your fitness age calculated by a number of factors such as performance, speed, and balance), a challenge mode ( where players strive to beat a particularly hard goal), a single player mode with increasing difficulty, a basic training mode, and a multiplayer mode. The different types of modes made the game even more fun. You don’t have to simply play a normal, standard simulated sport match against your opponents, but you can also alter fundamental aspects of the game itself to create a new, interesting situation. Another aspect of Wii Sports that I very much enjoyed are the characters that you can model after yourself. In the game, the characters engaged in sports can be modeled to represent you. You can alter almost everything – hair, eye, lines on the face, height, body weight, skin tone, and basically almost everything you can think of to make a character that looks almost just look you in real life. This gives you a “personal” attachment with the character because, well, it’s you out there in the baseball field or the bowling lane! Design Space within the game is extremely limited, despite a large sense of your surroundings. In a tennis match, the player can see the whole tennis court along with a number of spectators. However, the player only has one actual method of action to interact with the game – swinging the tennis racket. The player cannot actually move; movement in a Wii Sports tennis match is handled by the system itself, and not the player. In a bowling match, the player can see his bowling lane along with a few surrounding lanes. However, the player also can never physically move his or her location in the game; the player is confined to simply throwing the bowling ball. The game awards rewards in a number of ways, most of forms that I did like. As the player increases his or her points earned, the size of the crowd cheering for the player increases, when applicable. As a beginner tennis player, you might only have one or two people cheering for you from the stands. When a player eventually becomes a “pro” through gaining a large amount of points, the size of the crowd increases tremendously – a player might have over twenty people cheering for them on the stands. If a player demonstrates mastery of sports when playing the fitness test, the game will reward the player by giving them a low fitness age, somewhere in the range of the 20s. If a player plays poorly on the fitness tests, the game might give them an old fitness age, perhaps 50 years old. (This entry has been edited2 times. It was last edited on Thu, 21 Feb 2008 03:25:02.)Thu, 21 Feb 2008 02:18:24 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2867&iddiary=5398https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2867Gamelog entry #1 Summary Wii Sports is composed of a collection of five sport simulations, which are bowling, golf, boxing, tennis, and baseball. The Wii remote is used by the players to imitate real life key movements in the five sports, such as the act of swinging a tennis racket, or the act of swinging a baseball bat against an incoming ball. Gameplay The game was quite fun and refreshing particularly due to its extremely low learning curve and the possible social structures that can be composed as a result of playing the game. I have never personally bowled in my whole life, which means that I don’t have an idea as to how you’re supposed to properly “bowl” a bowling ball, other than the act of simply swinging your arm from watching bowling events in a number of media or publications. When I played the bowling games in Wii Sports, I was partially successful – I even managed to get a couple of strikes! From the perspective of someone who couldn’t even be considered a beginner in bowling, due to my absolute lack of knowledge in regards to the sport itself, I was quite thrilled by this, particularly if I landed a couple of strikes in a row. I have imagined myself failing miserably on my first attempt at bowling in real life, but that problem does not exist at all in the game of Wii Sports. The act, or at least an imitation, of the bowling sport, without the knowledge needed to play it. What a spectacular concept! I also particularly liked the social interactions that resulted from the game. I played this game with a couple of my friends, and I really enjoyed how we interacted with each other. Challenges were made in form of the highest possible points accumulated in a particular set of game, or we would play against each other in teams in a game of simulated tennis. The game essentially possesses elements of games in real life not only in regards to the simulation of the sport itself, but also in the interaction and enjoyment that one can derive from a friendly match or competition.Thu, 21 Feb 2008 01:47:34 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2867&iddiary=5355https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2445Gamelog #2 GAMEPLAY After playing Monster Hunter Freedom some more, I was still very much compelled by it. The challenges that the game provides ramps up constantly, which makes for an extremely challenging and difficult gameplay. New tactics and strategies are always necessary in order to overcome challenges later presented in the game. Monster Hunter Freedom is also not merely a challenging hack-and-slash game. Some missions promote a different style of play : retrieving items and capturing creatures. Players have to be able to effectively know when a creature is sufficiently wounded, a state that will give a player the highest chance of successfully capturing a creature. Not only that, but players will also have to be able to effectively track down fleeing creatures, as most creatures will flee in order to regenerate their health when they are near death. Quests that require players to retrieve items force the player to not be physically touched by any creature in fear of dropping the items that the player is carrying. This forces players to learn about other creatures’ attack sequence ( in order to allow them to effectively avoid attacks directed at them), what paths to take while carrying the item ( to ensure the lowest chance of them dropping the item), and to make consumable or equipment combinations that helps them move faster. I particularly like the extra layering of challenge that the game presents. Not only do you have to be an effective fighter, but you have to be a good hunter, tracker, gatherer, and strategist. Ultimately, the game requires the player to be good at almost everything in the game in order to continually progress in the game. DESIGN The game has a reward structure that I did not particularly like. The rewards in the game come in the form of gold, which is obtained after successfully completing a mission, and in the form of animal body parts. You're almost always short on something, especially in regards to gold. If you needed gold to buy or upgrade something expensive, then chances are you have to repeatedly perform a quest that gives you a lot of gold in a short amount of time. I changed my primary weapons a number of times, and as a result, I was forced to do this if I wanted a new weapon that is up to par. Repeating the same quest over and over for gold was particularly boring and mind-numbing, and I would have preferred an abundance of gold, or some other option to allow you to trade or switch primary weapons. Gathering animal body parts was something else that I did not particularly enjoy. Animal body parts are almost always needed when creating or upgrading your weapon or armor. Like gold, you’re often short on animal body parts. When I wanted to upgrade my weapon to a stronger one, I was always short on some form of animal body part. This means that I had to repeat a certain quest with the highest chances of rewarding me with a particular body part over and over again. The animal body parts that you obtain are random, with some constraints, which ultimately means that sometimes you’re not lucky and have to keep doing a particular quest many times until you have exactly what is needed to upgrade or create a new weapon or armor. (This entry has been edited4 times. It was last edited on Fri, 08 Feb 2008 22:53:04.)Fri, 08 Feb 2008 21:56:26 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2445&iddiary=4672https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2445Gamelog entry #1 Summary Monster Hunter Freedom is a game based on a three-dimensional world that incorporates RPG, action, adventure, and hack-and-slash elements where the player takes control of the character from a third person perspective. The goal of the game is to complete quests given by a number of NPCs in order to unlock higher level quests along with a number of hunting ranks. Gameplay The game was quite fun and interesting. As a hunter, you have to defeat a multitude of enemies, almost all of them extremely bigger and stronger than you physically. As a result, the game requires extreme planning, positioning, strategy, knowledge of your opponent, and ultimately skill to beat your opponents. This creates a rather dynamic combat system in the game, which is extremely pleasurable after playing a number of hack-and-slash games with almost nothing but mind-numbing, repetitive actions during combat as you progress through the game. Although the mechanics of the game creates an interesting and dynamic gameplay, it also means that the game was rather difficult; in essence, the game has an extremely steep learning curve. I was required to defeat a strong ( when compared to my character during the early state of the game) monster named Yian Kut ku in order to advance to the next level of quests available, and it took me a number of tries until I was able to accomplish the task. In the process of defeating the monster, I had to perform numerous actions in order to beat it, such as attacking at the monster’s most vital points, strategic retreats, avoiding tail sweep attacks, the use of baits and traps, knowing when the monster’s going to perform a dangerous attack, and making sure that I stand at positions that will prevent the creature from directly attacking me. The game didn't have much in regards to tutorials and help, which is in line with the game's intense learning curve. Aside from five minor quests that teach you the very basics of the game, such as cooking, skinning, gathering, and defeating the easiest monsters, you have to find out everything yourself. Tactics against a particularly strong monster are in essence “created” by the player, and it is rather hard to simply copy another player’s technique. It is also up to the player to properly utilize tools available in the game, such as traps. Not only does the player have to gather or buy materials before they are able to create traps and pitfalls, but the player must properly use the traps in combat in order to successfully trap a monster. Some monsters predictably charge at you in a particular fashion, allowing you to trap them if you successfully drop your trap between you and the monster before they charge at you. However, if you try the same tactic on another creature (dropping the trap between the player and the monster), then there’s a chance that the tactic can fail; the monster might not predictably charge, or the monster might decide to fly and land at another location before resuming his attacks. (This entry has been edited4 times. It was last edited on Fri, 08 Feb 2008 21:56:41.)Fri, 08 Feb 2008 20:39:26 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2445&iddiary=4649https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2095Gamelog entry #2: GAMEPLAY I explored the world and the storyline some more, and everything still flows from one event to another. Even the dungeons, for the most part, are linear-based. The paths are pretty much straight, with the exception of some very minor puzzles put in place. I don't particularly enjoy a game experience where one simply go from one place to another without too much challenges in the way. Puzzles might be frustrating at times, but solving a rather complicated one gives myself a great sense of accomplishment on top of a satisfactory feeling. Puzzles also prolong a game's life and adds another layer of difficulty on it. I have played and beaten other RPGs out there that possesses very little puzzle, and for the most part, I manage to beat most of them extremely quickly. At the end of the game, I am often left with a void, an unhappy and unsatisfactory feeling, as if I did not get my money's worth on the game. Overall, I did not particularly enjoy the gameplay. The graphics are extremely out-dated, and every RPG nowadays possesses Chrono Trigger's concepts, and more. On top of that, there are almost no hints given to player regarding where to go. Most of the time, NPCs simply suggest or tell you to do something, and it is up to you to find out exactly what to do, and where to go. I spent a lot of time before I managed to figure out how to activate the first major event of the game, where Princess Nadia was sucked into a warp hole. Apparently you are supposed to talk to a particular random NPC in a town of more than 30 NPCs. After a great deal of exploration, I finally managed to get the second major event started after basically talking to everyone possible in the beginning state of the game. Design: The world itself looks pretty big. There are mountains, forests, numerous towns, and even oceans and such in the game world. However, the player's movement is extremely limited. You are only able to enter only specific particular areas, and bodies of water serve as simply obstacles. The game itself even prevents players from going to certain places that seem accessible until a particular point in the game's progression. In essence, the player does not have too much in regards to freedom in the game. Almost everything is linear; progression or even entry to certain places are only possible at a certain threshold of the game. One particular innovative concept that this game has is how the game advances the player's character. Instead of learning new skills at a certain level, characters gain "techs" by defeating enemies. Once a player has accumulated enough tech, one of the player's characters will learn a new skill. The combat system in this game is also slightly different than most RPGs out there. Players and enemy NPCs still engage in classical turn-based combat. However, instead of simply "trading" off attacks between the two sides, players, and even enemies, have a "bar" in combat that ticks down from a certain amount to zero. Once the bar reaches zero, that character, and only the character with his or her bar set at zero, is able to attack or use items. On top of that, certain abilities have area of affect properties, where it can hit multiple targets, and other abilities can attack enemies in a straight line. This creates a rather dynamic combat situation where strategy, timing, and positioning are vital. It is a rather impressive feat, especially considering how old Chrono Trigger is. (This entry has been edited1 time. It was last edited on Fri, 25 Jan 2008 23:03:37.)Fri, 25 Jan 2008 22:11:03 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2095&iddiary=4137https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2095Gamelog entry #1 Summary Chrono Trigger is an RPG game based on a two-dimensional world that possesses standard, classical elements and gameplay of an RPG game. In the game, the player takes control of Chrono and his companions as they travel through different time periods in their world with the help of a time machine. The storyline and objectives of the game slowly accumulates as the player advances through the game. Gameplay I enjoy RPG games in general, and as a result, I also enjoyed playing Chrono Trigger. The game possesses the characteristics of the classical RPG : the combat and battle system, the progressive storyline, the party system, how one accumulates experience, gear, and money. I've been playing RPG games for a number of years now, and as a result I got the hang of Chrono Trigger rather quickly. The storyline and how it is delivered to the player is also similar to that of other games of the RPG genre. The story of the game is delivered as the player advances through the game in a progressive manner. One event leads to another, and the player finds out about the storyline and the objectives of the game in this same manner. I wasn't particularly drawn by the storyline. The story delivered to me during my gameplay session did not posses any unique characteristics or any weird twists. There was the classical princess in distress who you have to rescue, and then there's an accidental malfunctioning time portal, a concept that isn't something particularly new or refreshing during this time period. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary in regards to characters and the composition of your party either. The game possesses the basic classes : a warrior, a mage, a healer, and a gunner/bowman. However, I can't really say that I'm disappointed by this game so far. Chrono Trigger came out much, much earlier than any of the RPGs that I have played. In essence, the game is so successful that future RPG games continue to adopt the "classical" RPG style that was incorporated into Chrono Trigger. (This entry has been edited2 times. It was last edited on Fri, 25 Jan 2008 22:10:11.)Fri, 25 Jan 2008 14:11:04 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=2095&iddiary=4042https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1634Second gamelog entry Gameplay As I play the game more, I notice that everything in Oblivion is nicely polished. The quality of the graphics of the environment and how it mimics the real world was stunning. Different characters have different affections for you, and you can perform a number of things to alter how much they like or hate you. You can tell them jokes, you can attempt to charm them, you can buy a big-ticket item from them, or you can even bribe them. Not only that, but characters in the game have their own schedule. A shopkeeper would lock up his shop and sleep late at night, and in the morning he would open up the shop again. You can also find the same shopkeeper chatting with a fellow NPC who happens to be passing by. The game was also quite addicting. I kept getting side-tracked by one side quests after another that I didn't even touch the main quest of the game until I was about thirty hours into the game, and there are still numerous side quests out there that I haven't done or found. Not only are the side quests and adventures fun, but for the most part they do not offer much in terms of rewards. I didn't get a brand new spell, or a chest with a thousand jewels in it, but I did obtain extremely satisfactory feelings from doing the quests. The fun in the quests in Oblivion seems to originate from doing the quests itself, not the reward at the end of the road. Design An innovative aspect of Oblivion is how open-ended it is. There is one main quest in the game, and then there's numerous other side quests and discovering that you can do. By numerous, I really do mean numerous. I have invested roughly around twenty-five hours into the game and I have not even touched the main quest ever since I finished the tutorial/introduction portion of the game. It truly is an amazing concept. In other games, there's basically one huge main quest, and there are almost always only tiny quantities of things that you can do on the side, in regards to mini-games, side quests, discoveries, etc. In Oblivion, you're pretty much free to do anything. Exploring, role playing, doing side quests, become a vampire, become a werewolf, become a criminal, etc. The game is also quite challenging. Aiming, movement, how one swings one's weapon, parries, recovery time, preparation, stealth, and a number of other concepts are central parts to Oblivion's battle mechanics. There is a lot of skill involved in successfully completing a fight. On top of that, the game scales with a player's level. The concept of power leveling is something that frequently occurs in other RPGs. Can't beat a boss or have trouble in a new area or dungeon? No problem! Just hack and slash your way through random enemy fights in order to advance your character. After you do that, you can come back to whatever gave you trouble and beat it down with pure brute force. In Oblivion, power leveling will actually hurt you more than it helps you, due to the mechanics of Oblivion's leveling system and how the whole game ( and by the whole game, I do mean the WHOLE game. Enemies, armor, loot, vendor inventories, difficulty of locks, a merchant's trading skill, everthing) scales as you level. You can't crush enemies by simply out leveling them in Oblivion - you actually need skill and strategy in order to be successful. (This entry has been edited6 times. It was last edited on Tue, 15 Jan 2008 01:53:46.)Sat, 12 Jan 2008 22:13:26 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1634&iddiary=3356https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1634First Gamelog Entry Gameplay #1 Summary In Oblivion, a single player RPG, you are a former prisoner on a quest to stop a Daedric lord's plan to invade the land of Cyrodill. The Daedric lord has opened numerous portals throughout the land, and it is your objective to shut them down permanently. However, Oblivion is an open-ended RPG, which means that there are numerous activities that players can choose to do. Gameplay The game was extremely fun. Characters seem alive, especially in regards to their tones and dialogues. Guards were extremely aggresive and rude when you encounter them, and the emperor with mystical visions of your character in the dream was sympathetic and nice to you. Characters change their facial expression based on dialoges and the events unfolding before them. If you made someone upset, then you will see an "angry" feature appear on the character's face. Likewise, if you did something nice, or if a character likes you, then they might smile or grin for you. This is something nice, as a lot of games out there simply have permanent, fixed features on a character's face. On top of facial expressions, everything that a character has to say was recorded previously, so you're actually able to hear everything that a character has to say, instead of reading text dialogues for the majority of the game. Overall, it makes for a very lively and quite realistic game. Unlike the majority of RPGs out there, the storyline and gameplay at the start was quite good. Most other RPGs out there possess a vast amount of tutorials and the real story often does not "start" until after the tutorial. In Oblivion, however, you get into the action immediately. Ambushes, assassinations, and the main story line occurs right off the bat. Tutorials at the start seems to be something done at the sides. In fact, you don't even complete creating your character until the end of the introduction of the game. This change of pace was extremely nice, since you actually get to play the game immediately, as opposed to going through one hours of worth tutorial before you can actually play, something most RPGs out there seem to do. (This entry has been edited5 times. It was last edited on Tue, 15 Jan 2008 01:02:13.)Sat, 12 Jan 2008 22:10:57 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1634&iddiary=3355