35. Deformable environments
Here's a classic game absurdity: a huge explosion destroys a tank, but does nothing to the walls and windows nearby. Deformable environments correct this and let you literally change the world. This feature poses a risk to a game's level design because you may be able to get into places the designer didn't expect you to; but it makes the world much more realistic and lets you solve problems in your own way. Possible first use: Magic Carpet, 1994.
X-COM came out in 1993. A key factor in its gameplay was deformable environments. For example, blowing holes in walls with rockets to get a line of fire to shoot aliens. I would have thought it was a popular enough game to have been known by the author.
I rate video games like so (which happens to be a modified version of how I rate music.)
5 stars = Nearly everyone will enjoy this game, regardless of genre/topic preference
4 stars = Game is at the top of its class in genre/topic
3 stars = A decent game, if you like the genre/topic you'll like this game
2 stars = Don't get this game unless you are a fan boy of the genre/topic, even then, buyer beware
1 star = Do not get this game under any circumstances
Under this system 5 star ratings would be rare because games that cross all genre/topic preferences are rare, but they should be given out when deserved.
I use the genre/topic modifier because there are some people who will play any rpg they can get their hands on. There are also some people who are fanboys of certain topics (example, myself with Star Wars), and will buy pretty much any game in the series.
I also like the idea the parent had of a "buy it/rent it/skip it" rating system. It reminds me of Rotten Tomatoes in its simplicity. Of course, reviewing a game is more than just ratings, but good coverage in well-written language that informs me and helps me decide if I would like the game beyond the rating the game received. But the rating is like a "Cliff Notes" version or conclusion of the entire review and helpful to decide at a glance if the game interests me.
I would agree with him that technology breeds crime. But I would add that technology also breeds capture. With so much technology at their fingertips today's law enforcement has a much higher rate of capture.
Of course, the question remains unanswered if the crime that is bred outpaces the crime that is captured and/or deterred.
Some parents and church leaders will decide to not allow M rated games. Others will look at the descriptors and prohibit certain games based on that. But this shows that the system, properly understood as a tool that informs parents and responsible adults, is not flawed. Precisely. This is the same reason why many people who regularly go to church went to see Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ (rated R), but would not see most typical R rated movies. It works the same way for both movies and games. (See also the large amount of "hip" churches that used the first Matrix movie in sermons and youth groups, but passed on the second.)
It's the very definition of evil when people who are providing you with an incredibly large amount of free resources seek a little remittance for it now and then. I would agree with that, except one of the most requested features (as gp said) is to add a simple "sort by file size" button. Then we easily do our part and delete large attachments.
ACLU's Barry Steinhardt quoted press reports of 500,000 to 750,000 people on the watch list (of which the no-fly list is a subset). 'If there are that many terrorists in the US, we'd all be dead.' So 500,000 to 750,000 determined people (read: terrorists) are all it would take to kill an entire nation of 300 million? That's just 0.2% of the nation. I'm not sure whether I should be shocked or call BS.
The problem stems from the fact that Apple purposefully locked themselves into AT&T. If they had allowed their phone to be used on any network (unlocked from the start), this wouldn't be an issue.
At my school I found that the best teachers used class time to teach students how to interact with the information from required reading and with each other. Rote memorization was done (for the most part) on our own time, usually from books, because after the time spent in class we could determine what was most important and then study that for use in the future.
Exactly. The best professors are those who capture my attention and in doing so I find myself thinking through (both absorbing and analyzing) the information they are presenting. It doesn't matter if they have high tech or low tech presentations, but what is important is they get the information to the students so that they can both remember and use it in the future.
I retain more by handwriting notes as well, but I find that if I need to go back and study those notes (which I usually do), I've taken more copious notes on a laptop than by hand. In the long run, using a laptop to take notes benefits me more than paper and pencil. (Obvious exception being when formulas, equations, charts, graphs, etc. are needing to be copied down.)
fire up a web browser and try to find out what you need to do to do a software update for your OS (After all, that's the first thing a "normal" user does, right?)
No. That is the first thing a "normal" computer savvy user does. The first thing a "normal" user does is fire up a browser to check their email or google something... and probably then looks at porn.
Ahem... thanks for the explanation... but I got it and was laughing uproariously. I was playing off the name with an acronym. Sadly, it seems my sense of humor is broken tonight. But seriously, thanks for the laugh.:)
I'm not sure if this is common, but I was assistant manager in a bookstore that sold CDs for a few years. Our regular price for them was usually in the $16-$18 range, but most of the CDs we sold were on sale in the $14 range, sometimes as low as $10. However, when we purchased the CDs from the distributor, we paid about $8 for most of them.
I can't say how the percentage works out for the recording label/artist/distributor, but at my retail store we took up to 50% (not 8.33%) of that $16, leaving only $8 to split between everyone else. Of course, take this for what it's worth, as it is just one piece of anecdotal evidence.
Ahh... I see. I suppose I was speaking from ignorance. My bad. (I'd mod you informative if I could.)
That makes sense though. I would rather my money go to valid medical research than to the government... but even so... I'd rather have the money in my pocket so that I could personally choose to donate it to the cause.
"University to foot the bill"... By this you mean college students who pay out their collective derrières? (Not meant to be flamebait... but seriously.)
Slashdot Mirror
Here's a classic game absurdity: a huge explosion destroys a tank, but does nothing to the walls and windows nearby. Deformable environments correct this and let you literally change the world. This feature poses a risk to a game's level design because you may be able to get into places the designer didn't expect you to; but it makes the world much more realistic and lets you solve problems in your own way. Possible first use: Magic Carpet, 1994.
X-COM came out in 1993. A key factor in its gameplay was deformable environments. For example, blowing holes in walls with rockets to get a line of fire to shoot aliens. I would have thought it was a popular enough game to have been known by the author.
I rate video games like so (which happens to be a modified version of how I rate music.)
5 stars = Nearly everyone will enjoy this game, regardless of genre/topic preference
4 stars = Game is at the top of its class in genre/topic
3 stars = A decent game, if you like the genre/topic you'll like this game
2 stars = Don't get this game unless you are a fan boy of the genre/topic, even then, buyer beware
1 star = Do not get this game under any circumstances
Under this system 5 star ratings would be rare because games that cross all genre/topic preferences are rare, but they should be given out when deserved.
I use the genre/topic modifier because there are some people who will play any rpg they can get their hands on. There are also some people who are fanboys of certain topics (example, myself with Star Wars), and will buy pretty much any game in the series.
I also like the idea the parent had of a "buy it/rent it/skip it" rating system. It reminds me of Rotten Tomatoes in its simplicity. Of course, reviewing a game is more than just ratings, but good coverage in well-written language that informs me and helps me decide if I would like the game beyond the rating the game received. But the rating is like a "Cliff Notes" version or conclusion of the entire review and helpful to decide at a glance if the game interests me.
I would agree with him that technology breeds crime. But I would add that technology also breeds capture. With so much technology at their fingertips today's law enforcement has a much higher rate of capture.
Of course, the question remains unanswered if the crime that is bred outpaces the crime that is captured and/or deterred.
Agreed. Though I wouldn't mind it thrown on later as an expansion pack in the $10-20 range. Seems fair for the amount of work that would go into it.
#1 on my wish list- X-COM: Enemy Unknown (or X-COM: UFO Defense, depending on location).
You're welcome. Glad you liked it. :)
FWIW, that wasn't the original title I submitted. Maybe mine wasn't catchy enough, as it was simply the title of the PC World article. *shrugs*
Didn't Intel just rebrand dropping "Pentium" and going with "Core"?
The problem stems from the fact that Apple purposefully locked themselves into AT&T. If they had allowed their phone to be used on any network (unlocked from the start), this wouldn't be an issue.
Except in this case they really aren't being gouged.
Where is the -1 Spoiler option?
At my school I found that the best teachers used class time to teach students how to interact with the information from required reading and with each other. Rote memorization was done (for the most part) on our own time, usually from books, because after the time spent in class we could determine what was most important and then study that for use in the future.
Exactly. The best professors are those who capture my attention and in doing so I find myself thinking through (both absorbing and analyzing) the information they are presenting. It doesn't matter if they have high tech or low tech presentations, but what is important is they get the information to the students so that they can both remember and use it in the future.
I retain more by handwriting notes as well, but I find that if I need to go back and study those notes (which I usually do), I've taken more copious notes on a laptop than by hand. In the long run, using a laptop to take notes benefits me more than paper and pencil. (Obvious exception being when formulas, equations, charts, graphs, etc. are needing to be copied down.)
I'm sure I won't miss a few RIAA/MPAA/media Execs/Lawyers...
Though I suppose it depends on your skill with a firearm.
*ducks*
fire up a web browser and try to find out what you need to do to do a software update for your OS (After all, that's the first thing a "normal" user does, right?)
No. That is the first thing a "normal" computer savvy user does. The first thing a "normal" user does is fire up a browser to check their email or google something... and probably then looks at porn.
"8MB RAM and 2MB ROM ought to be enough for anybody."
*ducks*
Ahem... thanks for the explanation... but I got it and was laughing uproariously. I was playing off the name with an acronym. Sadly, it seems my sense of humor is broken tonight. But seriously, thanks for the laugh. :)
Uhhhhh...... WUT?
-$01.33 (8.33% cut for retailer)
I'm not sure if this is common, but I was assistant manager in a bookstore that sold CDs for a few years. Our regular price for them was usually in the $16-$18 range, but most of the CDs we sold were on sale in the $14 range, sometimes as low as $10. However, when we purchased the CDs from the distributor, we paid about $8 for most of them.
I can't say how the percentage works out for the recording label/artist/distributor, but at my retail store we took up to 50% (not 8.33%) of that $16, leaving only $8 to split between everyone else. Of course, take this for what it's worth, as it is just one piece of anecdotal evidence.
Ahh... I see. I suppose I was speaking from ignorance. My bad. (I'd mod you informative if I could.)
That makes sense though. I would rather my money go to valid medical research than to the government... but even so... I'd rather have the money in my pocket so that I could personally choose to donate it to the cause.
"University to foot the bill"... By this you mean college students who pay out their collective derrières? (Not meant to be flamebait... but seriously.)