I disagree. When 'stories', or cutscenes, are introduced in video games, they are just attaching two different things together. They have no influence on each other -- the game part has no influence on the story, and the story part has no influence on the game.
In other words, there is no interaction with the story. Your input will not change the story in any way. There is a pre-defined story line, or set of alternative story lines. You will get no other story than the one(s) that the programmers put into the game.
You said it yourself: Not all games have 100% linear stories, and the reason for that is decisions that are made during the gameplay process which will affect which cutscenes play out. I'm not aware of any games where you can really truly interact with a cutscene and actually alter it's course (beyond, perhaps, a dialog option), so in that respect you're correct, but it doesn't change the fact that the player can influence the story in a very real way, through the gameplay. This is a level of interaction with the story -- and one that no other medium presents, with the possible exception of "Choose Your Own Adventure" style novels.
thered be a single place to go where they are weakest that youd need to fight first, then youd need to go somewhere else second as they are second weakest, all the way up to strongest. what you are suggesting would make the game EXTREMELY linear and pre planned. you wouldnt be able to start anywhere or do things in the order you wish
That's only true in games with no scope. In a game-world the size of Oblivion's, there can still be hundreds of places to go at level 1. In Morrowind, there's a ton of places to go when your level is 5, but there's also a lot of places you can't. Still, there's enough places at level 3 to go that I won't care that there's a place I can't go yet, and on top of that, it gives me something to strive for.
In all reality, Oblivion's system gives a false sense of freedom -- With how everything is scaled to your level, once you've seen the whole world map, you're done. That's it: The End.
Why?
In Morrowind, at level 5, there might be 8 dungeons I can go into, each of them will present a different challenge or environment. In Oblivion, I have 500 doors that all lead to WHAT IS ESSENTIALLY THE SAME DUNGEON.
This is not freedom, it's a copout.
"PlayStation Network Platform (not the final name). It's going to focus on Content, Communication, Community, and Commerce."... So, Sony is relying on C4 to blow away the competition?
That attitude says it all, doesn't it? That's such a common thing to hear from you Microsofties. Well, then, you go right ahead and be stupid! The rest of us will go ahead and get smart. We promise to remember you.
You sit there and equate Windows with stupid people, and Linux with smart types. How is your attitude any different? Obviously anyone who disagrees with your opinion must be inherently stupid. (rolls eyes) Assinine behavior will never change the world, no matter how noble your intentions. By the way, ever heard of hobbyists? Lots of people do shit as a hobby and give it away free. And most of them aren't trying, nor expecting, to change the world with those hobbies. But you can't change the world when 90+% of the world doesn't think the a problem exists to begin with.
And for the record, I did read that post. And it still doesn't mean shit. You got by without Windows. That's great. My best friend survived a car accident that killed 3 people, and he wasn't even wearing a seatbelt. Here's a reality check: Nothing can be broken down into absolutes. You're in a minority, and most people have absolutely NO interest in the computers themselves or the operating systems running on them -- But when those PCs break and the user can't access his/her email/blog/whatever, they get REALLY pissy. I've worked tech support, this is just how people are.
Point number two in your journal only undermines your own argument. You have a personal vested interest in actually learning to fix things. Most people, and that includes your average teenager, don't give a shit.
Nobody taught my kids a damn thing about Linux, they just watched and played and learned.
And who are these poor people watching? Watching is a form of self-learning that involves a second party who knows what they are doing.
What are you afraid of, huh? That that ghetto denizen might free up some of his/her copious time to read a book, take his time, learn something, and someday know more than you? Terrifying when the peasants get culture, isn't it, your Highness? It isn't long after that that they roll out the guillotine. Hmmm, yes, that pretty much explains it.
"Something is happening here but you don't know what it is, do you, Mr. Jones?"
I'm not afraid of anything. You're the one who's getting incredulously defensive over a dissenting opinion in a debate about something that doesn't even truthfully affect you one way or the other. What exactly is YOUR problem?
Man alive, what is that sweat breaking out on the brows of you Microsoft Shillboys whenever we dare to suggest that we bring Linux and a poor person together?
There's nothing inherently wrong with "bringing Linux and a poor person together" -- If you're willing to be available for support when the shit hits the fan. When you're working on a scale where you've got possibly 100 people, if not more, who are getting these machines, that's not really feasible -- especially in a non-profit environment. People, in general, are stupid and like to play with things until they break. When those users need help, it's just plain easier to find someone who knows how to fix Windows related issues.
And for the record, I'm not a Microsoft shillboy, but I'm not a blind Linux follower either.
But your daughter also has a parent knowledgable about Linux that can help her out when something new comes along. While these kids could certainly be taught to use Linux, I don't think any such charity wants to get dragged into "Tech Support" when no one ELSE knows how to fix problems that crop up, especially on a scale where potentially hundreds of people might be getting these PCs. On Windows, there may be more problems, but the number of people able to potentially assist in fixing a problem sky-rockets astronomically.
Like the ridiculousness and hypocracy of yelling FUCK when you drop a hammer on your foot? Using a word to express your feelings, regardless of it's actual definition, is still effective if those around you understand the context of the sentiment.
Great. Why post the first page, and not the next three?
The Escapist isn't THAT hard to navigate, is it? The next page button is in the lower right corner.
About the closest resemblance Ragnarok Online's graphics have to those of Final Fantasy Tactics is perspective and style. The designs aren't the same at all. I believe one of the Ogre Battle games was actually using that graphical style first, but I could be mistaken.
"The right to produce derivatives based on the characters and story of 'Steamboat Willie' and only 'Steamboat Willie.'"
This is my biggest issue with copyright law. While I'm not familiar enough with Japanese law to say one way or the other about the legality of it, "Ragnarok Battle Offline" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragnarok_Battle_Offli ne would never have been made in the US due to copyright issues. When creativity like this is being stifled, there's a problem with copyright.
The internet is a vast information resource available to a large portion of the civilized world, but I don't think kids today are interested in learning anything. As parents (and people in general, I think) have become more selfish as time goes by, this is the only behavior our children see, leading them to behavior that isn't interested in learning. All they really want is to be entertained. In this regard, the electronic age might be our worst enemy. Instead of using computers and the internet as a tool to expand thier world, they use them as a crutch -- for entertainment when needed, and to do the thinking for them when presented with things like math problems, spelling and grammar.
If being smart is no longer 'cool', what's the incentive to learning anything? Money in the form of 'future income' is not enough of an incentive for many kids -- Future income means future work, and many of these kids will settle for a job at a fast food restaurant (despite those jobs being incredibly stressful and low-wage) because they don't want to put forth the effort to learn anything and/or find another job.
Depends on the person posting and the seriousness of the post. Not that you can really generalize well on suicides, as they are all a fairly unique case, but if someone who was a long-time member of a community isn't known for tasteless jokes, then you'd better believe I'd take it seriously! When people are ready to kill themselves, they often go to the places they feel most secure and 'say goodbye' -- Of course, these places are often internet forums or other outlets where the recipients can't interfere with their real life (or stop them from killing themselves).
I don't know what kind of gamers you hang out with, but none of the places I hang out treat suicide or death as a joke. Even the lowest of pranksters will usually turn around when this sort of thing happens -- and believe me, NONE of them make fun of it when it DOES happen and it's been proven. I don't think ANY gamer (who maintains any sense of sanity) would laugh in the face of proof that a fellow gamer was killing himself, as the original article would have us believe.
This isn't entirely true -- More recent sattelite based ISPs no longer need the land-based line because the unit CAN communicate back to the sattelite. I'm not too sure on the details of how it all works, but seeing as I recently dropped my sattelite service (which used such a system) for a Cable line, I can assure you it's done somehow.
For some reason I've been unable to comprehend, people seem to insist that Xenosaga and Xenogears are part of the same canon, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
Personally, I hated Xenogears and love Xenosaga, but that puts me in a minority, I think.
And on the topic of Xenosaga II and sequels, it's an example of a sequel that I really wanted to see, until I actually played it.
Perhaps it's partially a matter of not buying into senseless hype? I'd like to think that at least somewhere on Earth people have the intelligence to see the difference between graphics and gameplay. Not to mention the cost of the console...
In any case, some Japanese development firms are working on X360 software, and will probably push sales more than the current games available, both in Japan and the USA
So you just want another generic FPS? Cause that's about all it would amount to.
Part of the problem is that the moment you've got servers in the hands of everyday people, people are going to start bending the rules. It's one thing to have an individual user cheating his own way through an MMO universe, but something totally different when that same type of person decides to fiddle with the rules on his server, thus affecting people that may not have even realized they were getting illegitimate gaming experience.
In Opera, you can use the slide-out tray on the left and middle-click your bookmarks there for the same effect -- I find it more convenient than using the menus anyway. Put the links in a folder and you can middle-click the folder to open them all at once -- each one in it's own tab.
You can also slide the bar in and out with F4, so it doesn't stay in your way. You can also disable the ability to slide it in and out by clicking on it if you find yourself accidentally doing so.
Slashdot Mirror
"PlayStation Network Platform (not the final name). It's going to focus on Content, Communication, Community, and Commerce." ... So, Sony is relying on C4 to blow away the competition?
That attitude says it all, doesn't it? That's such a common thing to hear from you Microsofties. Well, then, you go right ahead and be stupid! The rest of us will go ahead and get smart. We promise to remember you. You sit there and equate Windows with stupid people, and Linux with smart types. How is your attitude any different? Obviously anyone who disagrees with your opinion must be inherently stupid. (rolls eyes) Assinine behavior will never change the world, no matter how noble your intentions. By the way, ever heard of hobbyists? Lots of people do shit as a hobby and give it away free. And most of them aren't trying, nor expecting, to change the world with those hobbies. But you can't change the world when 90+% of the world doesn't think the a problem exists to begin with. And for the record, I did read that post. And it still doesn't mean shit. You got by without Windows. That's great. My best friend survived a car accident that killed 3 people, and he wasn't even wearing a seatbelt. Here's a reality check: Nothing can be broken down into absolutes. You're in a minority, and most people have absolutely NO interest in the computers themselves or the operating systems running on them -- But when those PCs break and the user can't access his/her email/blog/whatever, they get REALLY pissy. I've worked tech support, this is just how people are.
Point number two in your journal only undermines your own argument. You have a personal vested interest in actually learning to fix things. Most people, and that includes your average teenager, don't give a shit. Nobody taught my kids a damn thing about Linux, they just watched and played and learned. And who are these poor people watching? Watching is a form of self-learning that involves a second party who knows what they are doing. What are you afraid of, huh? That that ghetto denizen might free up some of his/her copious time to read a book, take his time, learn something, and someday know more than you? Terrifying when the peasants get culture, isn't it, your Highness? It isn't long after that that they roll out the guillotine. Hmmm, yes, that pretty much explains it. "Something is happening here but you don't know what it is, do you, Mr. Jones?" I'm not afraid of anything. You're the one who's getting incredulously defensive over a dissenting opinion in a debate about something that doesn't even truthfully affect you one way or the other. What exactly is YOUR problem? Man alive, what is that sweat breaking out on the brows of you Microsoft Shillboys whenever we dare to suggest that we bring Linux and a poor person together? There's nothing inherently wrong with "bringing Linux and a poor person together" -- If you're willing to be available for support when the shit hits the fan. When you're working on a scale where you've got possibly 100 people, if not more, who are getting these machines, that's not really feasible -- especially in a non-profit environment. People, in general, are stupid and like to play with things until they break. When those users need help, it's just plain easier to find someone who knows how to fix Windows related issues. And for the record, I'm not a Microsoft shillboy, but I'm not a blind Linux follower either.
But your daughter also has a parent knowledgable about Linux that can help her out when something new comes along. While these kids could certainly be taught to use Linux, I don't think any such charity wants to get dragged into "Tech Support" when no one ELSE knows how to fix problems that crop up, especially on a scale where potentially hundreds of people might be getting these PCs. On Windows, there may be more problems, but the number of people able to potentially assist in fixing a problem sky-rockets astronomically.
It's the same way in English too, it's just not common use. American Heritage Dictionary: Learn v. 6. Obsolete. To give information to.
Like the ridiculousness and hypocracy of yelling FUCK when you drop a hammer on your foot? Using a word to express your feelings, regardless of it's actual definition, is still effective if those around you understand the context of the sentiment.
Great. Why post the first page, and not the next three? The Escapist isn't THAT hard to navigate, is it? The next page button is in the lower right corner.
About the closest resemblance Ragnarok Online's graphics have to those of Final Fantasy Tactics is perspective and style. The designs aren't the same at all. I believe one of the Ogre Battle games was actually using that graphical style first, but I could be mistaken.
Ragnarok Online is Korean, but RBO was created by a Japanese dojin producer. Both laws are probably applicable.
"The right to produce derivatives based on the characters and story of 'Steamboat Willie' and only 'Steamboat Willie.'" This is my biggest issue with copyright law. While I'm not familiar enough with Japanese law to say one way or the other about the legality of it, "Ragnarok Battle Offline" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragnarok_Battle_Offli ne would never have been made in the US due to copyright issues. When creativity like this is being stifled, there's a problem with copyright.
The internet is a vast information resource available to a large portion of the civilized world, but I don't think kids today are interested in learning anything. As parents (and people in general, I think) have become more selfish as time goes by, this is the only behavior our children see, leading them to behavior that isn't interested in learning. All they really want is to be entertained. In this regard, the electronic age might be our worst enemy. Instead of using computers and the internet as a tool to expand thier world, they use them as a crutch -- for entertainment when needed, and to do the thinking for them when presented with things like math problems, spelling and grammar. If being smart is no longer 'cool', what's the incentive to learning anything? Money in the form of 'future income' is not enough of an incentive for many kids -- Future income means future work, and many of these kids will settle for a job at a fast food restaurant (despite those jobs being incredibly stressful and low-wage) because they don't want to put forth the effort to learn anything and/or find another job.
Depends on the person posting and the seriousness of the post. Not that you can really generalize well on suicides, as they are all a fairly unique case, but if someone who was a long-time member of a community isn't known for tasteless jokes, then you'd better believe I'd take it seriously! When people are ready to kill themselves, they often go to the places they feel most secure and 'say goodbye' -- Of course, these places are often internet forums or other outlets where the recipients can't interfere with their real life (or stop them from killing themselves).
I don't know what kind of gamers you hang out with, but none of the places I hang out treat suicide or death as a joke. Even the lowest of pranksters will usually turn around when this sort of thing happens -- and believe me, NONE of them make fun of it when it DOES happen and it's been proven. I don't think ANY gamer (who maintains any sense of sanity) would laugh in the face of proof that a fellow gamer was killing himself, as the original article would have us believe.
So next we'll have some form of DRM on pictures? No thanks, I'll stick to crayons and paper.
Or, y'know, you could concede that despite Jack Thompson's rabid agenda, there might be some games that actually DO go a bit too far.
This isn't entirely true -- More recent sattelite based ISPs no longer need the land-based line because the unit CAN communicate back to the sattelite. I'm not too sure on the details of how it all works, but seeing as I recently dropped my sattelite service (which used such a system) for a Cable line, I can assure you it's done somehow.
The water moccasin bites! The water moccasin bites! You die. ...
Water IS an adjective roughly similar to 'lethal to noobs' as far as I can make out.
For some reason I've been unable to comprehend, people seem to insist that Xenosaga and Xenogears are part of the same canon, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Personally, I hated Xenogears and love Xenosaga, but that puts me in a minority, I think. And on the topic of Xenosaga II and sequels, it's an example of a sequel that I really wanted to see, until I actually played it.
Perhaps it's partially a matter of not buying into senseless hype? I'd like to think that at least somewhere on Earth people have the intelligence to see the difference between graphics and gameplay. Not to mention the cost of the console... In any case, some Japanese development firms are working on X360 software, and will probably push sales more than the current games available, both in Japan and the USA
So you just want another generic FPS? Cause that's about all it would amount to. Part of the problem is that the moment you've got servers in the hands of everyday people, people are going to start bending the rules. It's one thing to have an individual user cheating his own way through an MMO universe, but something totally different when that same type of person decides to fiddle with the rules on his server, thus affecting people that may not have even realized they were getting illegitimate gaming experience.
In Opera, you can use the slide-out tray on the left and middle-click your bookmarks there for the same effect -- I find it more convenient than using the menus anyway. Put the links in a folder and you can middle-click the folder to open them all at once -- each one in it's own tab. You can also slide the bar in and out with F4, so it doesn't stay in your way. You can also disable the ability to slide it in and out by clicking on it if you find yourself accidentally doing so.
The answer is obvious, isn't it? Mario 63. Jeez, you people and your terrible critical thinking skills ...
Anti-matter propulsion?