Ramble: Erosion and Minecraft

Aside:  I think I might finally buy Minecraft.  I don't know.  I haven't bought a full-priced game in years.  Minecraft is $27.  I know, what a cheapskate.  

The thing that makes me hesitate most is time.  I have gotten the impression that Minecraft takes a lot of time.  One brick at a time, as a matter of fact.  That bugs me.  There's got to be a better way.  I've seen some incredible things people have done in Minecraft, but how much time?  Oh how much time.  Anyhow, on to what I was actually thinking, but may never end up doing.  

 I saw a beautiful picture today --wait-- I can show you here:

 
Isn't that beautiful?  It's like, a waterfall, flowing into a pool, but the pool is sunken in from the forest floor, and it's surrounded by dense green foliage.  It's amazing!  And I'd love to recreate this in a video game, and the obvious video game is Minecraft.

Except, then I came up with another idea, and I don't know if Minecraft can do this.   How did this pool get to be sunken?  Maybe it's because the soil around it is not very dense, and thus is eroded more easily.  That seems reasonable.  It's what happened to the grand canyon, right?   Well then - in Minecraft, can you do something like this?  Can you set up a river, surrounded by a not-dense landscape, that will slowly erode away?

Wouldn't that be sweet?!!

I've always loved it when games and stories feature a developing landscape over a period of years and centuries.  It's the best!   I would love, love, love to have a game or simulator where I could start out with one design, and let time work its influence over a period of virtual years.  And then, maybe get to go futz around in the landscape, just for giggles.

It's all a matter of setting a series of timers, right?  Water flow, density of earth, wind, rain, tides.  Weee!  More water leads to more life, but cut off the water source, and things will dry.  Plants will die, different plants and animals will thrive.  You can craft stories around this and let them play out in real time.  

Anyway, that's my idea.  I'll let you know if I make any progress whatsoever on it.

-D

MIDI Week Singles: "Downstream" - Braid (PC/XBLA/PS3)

Hokay, take a listen to this little diddy.

"Downstream" from Braid on PC

Braid Original Soundtrack

Record Label: Megatunes

Composer: Shira Kammen

Developer: Number None, Inc.

You know, it's not too often that I have this kind of a reaction the first time I hear a track from a video game soundtrack.  By now I'm sure that most people know of my love of video game music both in and out of the game environment, but I will be the first to freely admit that there is some music that I enjoy because of the nostalgic effect it has on me.  When you hear a track from The Legend of Zelda, you know that it's music from a video game because it's being performed with MIDI instruments.  We are currently at a moment in time when that is no longer the case, depending on what the game is trying to achieve with the sound and music in the game.

I had a very strong reaction to "Downstream" while listening to it the first time.  I had it on in the background while typing up another article and at first thought that it was a softer interlude from Eluveitie or some other folk rock/metal band.  But no, it was from the Braid soundtrack.  I admit that I was not immediately impressed.  I have heard tracks from the soundtrack, but I've never honestly listened intently.  But this song, once that drum (frame drum?) kicked in, my ears perked up and I had to check with what I was listening to.

Had I the capacity to dance, I most definitely would have been dancing.  

It is interesting that the composer of this track, Shira Kammen primarily plays and composes traditional medieval era music and that she has found her way into Braid, as this music might be something more akin to The Elder Scrolls series, the just released A Game of Thrones: A Tell Tale Games Series, or some other game with a high fantasy setting.  Regardless of why it is in Braid, I am very happy that the song exists.

I guess this also points out that I've barely played the Braid to not have reached this song, or perhaps I had, but was too intent on figuring out how to play the game and fully understand the jumping and time manipulation mechanic.

Anyway, THIS, is a beautiful song that I am sorry that I came around to six years late.

~JWfW/JDub/Jaconian

Instrumental

First Impressions: Deadlight (PC)

Deadlight is a game that I bought last December during Steam's Winter non-denomination-take-all-my-money-Sale partly because it was on sale but mainly because I liked what the trailer was promising.  True, I am a sucker for a good zombie/post-apocalyptic video game and even though the title conjures up images of spiders attacking elementary school kids, but what is contained within is something far more enjoyable and beautiful.

Deadlight is currently the only game developed by Tequila Works and was originally available over the Xbox Live Arcade back in 2012 and, surprise-surprise, I had not heard about it until I saw it on Steam during their aforementioned December Sale.  So one night last week, I decided that I wanted to play a game that contained zombies since I had just watched Zombieland earlier in the evening.

Okay, so Deadlight is, in it's purest form a platformer.  There are puzzle elements, such as how to get from point A to point B with a mass of writhing live wires separating you from point C.  And there are zombies, called "Shadows" here, frequently chasing after you or lurking in the background and approaching the foreground.  The game is presented in 2D, with elements in the distance that you cannot interact with, but frequently you will see Shadows "wake up" and walk towards you and then become interactable once they reach your position in the foreground.  How is that description not confusing?

With the game being a platformer, I would recommend using a controller to play.  The game is set up for both controller or keyboard, but I do not think that keyboards are the best especially when it comes to running, jumping and semi-precise movements in a 2D side scrolling level.  To note, I have not tried using the keyboard so I am just making the assumption that the game would be rather difficult and frustrating, but that's just my unscientific opinion.

The setting for the game is something else that piqued my interest.  First, it takes place in Seattle, WA, which I am able to relate to regionally.  Secondly, the game takes place in 1986.  That's right, 28 years ago.  I have yet to find out if the year is an integral part to the storyline or if it was simply chosen because it is an unconventional thing for a zombie apocalypse game created in the two-aught-tens.  During the first chapter, there is nothing that screams Reaganomics in the same way that Gone Home screamed TGIF, The X-Files and jr. high for me.

The voice acting is pretty decent in that some lines are delivered well while others sound like they are being read straight off of the page.  The music is pretty atmospheric and provides the perfect amount of creepiness while not trying to overpower the player with themes, at least that I have noticed.  There are times when the music becomes more dramatic, but to me that is just good composing as it is appropriate for what is happening in the game.

Lastly, I really like the different art styles used througout game.  For in-game, you have beautiful scenes of desolation as you run horizontally through the ruins of Seattle.  Occasionally you are treated to a flashback where the bleak "present" is contrasted with the colorful green and living world of the past.  Then for the interspersed cut scenes, you are treated to still images that look like they could have been taken out of a minimally colored issue of The Walking Dead.

After playing Deadlight for roughly two hours, I am really enjoying everything about the game.  The platforming action is just enough that while I sometimes die, I can usually figure out what it is that I am supposed to do.  In one section I had to look up what to do on youtube because I was an idiot and forgot that I could jump over traps (yes, there are traps, but their existence in the game world makes sense).  The challenge is the perfect level that the game remains to be a lot of fun while not being so easy that I feel that there is no challenge.

I do not see this game lasting more than 10 hours, even with copious amounts of dying and restarting from checkpoints and that would be the perfect amount of time that I would want to spend in this world.  Of course I say that now, but come the end of the game, I may just want to return for a second round to collect slips of paper, trinkets from the past and other story elements that I may have missed the first time through.

~JWfW/JDub/Jaconian

Screams of Fear, Dismembering the Wind

Full Review: The Plan (PC)

The Plan, a "game" of sorts developed by Krillbite Studio, the same people who are developing the first person survival horroresque game where you play as a two year old, probably does not require it's own full article, but you know what, it's going to happen because I enjoyed it that much.  I've played through three times and I think I enjoyed it more the second and third times around.

Krillbite describes the game as an "atmospheric videogame, exploring the issues of death and meaning."  I feel that The Plan, while it does allow the player to explore those issues, I feel that they happen after the game has finished.  And by finished, I mean that it will take you between 5 - 10 minutes to complete.  And believe it or not, the game comes with it's own achievement that is really more of an Easter egg than anything else.

So what exactly then is The Plan?  You begin the game as a fly with the camera very close up on you, almost uncomfortably close, especially if you are not personally fond of flies.  You then progress through the game/stage and slowly the camera pulls back and back, all the while the music in the background (from 19th century Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg) becomes more-and-more pronounced and powerful, but not obnoxiously so.

The game is very simplistic and very calming for the most part, considering that you are controlling something that most people tend to kill on site and cats for some reason like to eat.  I would say that it would be better to go into this game without any expectations although I did tell The Kid that she would "either like it or think it's absolute shit."  And really, that is all I feel you need to tell people, that the game is a small file (~120MB) that takes less than 10 minutes to play and if you don't like it, then you only lost maybe 20 minutes tops.

I just find that The Plan is a nifty little experiment from a video game studio that, from what I have seen from them, is true to their development philosophy, not to put words in their brains.  I highly recommend downloading this free game if for no other reason than to give your opinion about it and what defines a "video game" in todays market.

~JWfW/JDub/Jaconian

The Concealment of Joyful Laughter

Proteus: Graphics and Exploration

I'd like to start off with a nice video walkthrough/commentary on Proteus.  Just in case my gushing and images aren't enough, this walk-through will give you some idea of what it is like to play Proteus.  That said, this video is basically one big spoiler.  So if you haven't yet played Proteus... maybe just ignore me until it goes on sale (I'll let you know), and then buy it and then play it.  

RockLeeSmile highlights indie games in a series of videos called 'Indie Impressions.'

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I've played Proteus through a couple times now, and I think I've made some basic determinations about this game:  Proteus is an easter-egg hunt.  No one is keeping score - and there is a complete lack of achievements.  The purpose of the game is to play it and enjoy it, the player decides how much they enjoy it.  I am one who has decided to love it.  There are others who decided not to.  That is ok with me.  But if you choose to play, you can spend your time looking around, and you will find some things that may catch your attention and interest, and possibly provide you with some delight.  

Actually, funny thing--  I have been thinking about making a game based on the causeway which connects Sacramento to Davis.   I ride over this causeway on the train all the time, and when I'm looking out the window, I have observed a lot of beauty and subtle differences.  Because I love games and thinking about gaming, I've wanted to depict this environment through gaming.

My initial idea was to make a minecraft of the causeway.  This I still may do if I come into a boatload of time and patience.  The things that I observe from out the train window are mostly:  the weather and the animals.  The causeway is sometimes foggy, sometimes clear, sometimes flooded.  Sometimes I see egrets and ducks floating in the water, sometimes I see geese in the air, and little swarms of tiny birds.  Sometimes I can see the mountains in the distance and snow on top.  Sometimes the fields are full of wheat or squash or some other plants.  The colors can be many shades of brown, or contrasting shades of bright green, blue mountains, stark-white farm buildings and bright blue sky.

As I've observed the world of the causeway through the window of a train, I've wanted to share this form of peaceful joy with the world.  And as I imagine an artistic rendering of this landscape, I've thought of doing so with a video game.  This video game would need to pay special attention to the landscape, animals and weather.  The purpose of the game would be to travel through and observe a world of beautiful sights and sounds.

Proteus has done just that.  My playing experience is akin to looking out the window at the causeway, imagining what it would be like to wander around there and take in the sights, sounds and smells.  It really is amazing to me, to capture such a sublime experience, and I am very glad I found this game. Sorry to gush.  

Two of the most outstanding features of Proteus are: the practiced restraint on the part of programmers, and the synchronization of the sound and visual space.  There are musical cues triggered by the environment in a variety of ways.  Some triggers come from being near something: the hoot of an owl, the croak of a frog.  Some are triggered by looking at something, such as the sun on a hot summer day, or a shooting star.  

Sometimes I think that Proteus is too sparse, and could use more of everything.  More birds, more bugs, more trees, more weather.  But one thing it does wonderfully is to balance what it does have into a consistently interesting gaming experience.  I believe it is through restraint on the part of the game designers, that this balance is achieved.  I would be very sad if there was a sequel or expansion to Proteus that, perhaps with a zeal to improve and expand on the game play, was to disrupt the balance so that the sense of wonder and joy were lost or significantly diminished.    

It is possible that this game can be so much more than it is, but it is also possible that what Proteus is - is the best thing it can be, and that this feeling I've gotten from playing, of so much more, is best for me to hold, and relish and used for inspiration to create something beautiful myself, rather than to demand it from the creators of Proteus or the industry in general.

I think it may be that the very sparseness of Proteus lends itself to the need for a player to explore.  For example, if I'm feeling aimless while playing, I find a good strategy is to chase a frog until I find something that catches my interest.  Sometimes this leads to finding something unexpected.  

First Impressions: Proteus

Wow.

Attention everyone:  Proteus is my new favorite game.  

You may remember this game as Crazy Atari Graphic Style First Person Game from my little shpiel on the PBS video The Creativity of Indie Games.  For a preview of this game, watch that video, as there are clips of it throughout.  Not to mention a bunch of other games I plan on trying.

Proteus is a game I would like to go on and on about.  But I would rather you play the game, and come talk to me, and then we can both go on and on about it.  For now I'll mention some facts:  It is available here, for $10.  I suggest you buy it.  It plays Mac and PC and Xbox 360 and is available on steam.   

Here's a picture:

The first impression I had was one of relief when I realized nothing in this game is trying to kill me.  

It is a first person game, and Jaconian: You will be happy to hear that you can invert the Y axis.  Generally, the menus are minimalist, so I am glad they included this little option.  The controls can be a little slippery, so I hope it doesn't trigger motion sickness. 

Here's another pic:

If you go to the website for the game, you can download it.  You can also read all sorts of acclaim for Proteus.  It's all true, but I think, rather then spending your time reading that, you should just buy it, play it, get your significant other to play it, if you have one.  

I think you could probably buy this game as a valentines present and get away with it.  More pics:

I've put in about two hours, and I'd like to put in some more. 

I want to also mention that this game does an excellent job of mixing the music, sounds and graphics together.  If I had to sum up the effect in one word it would be: Pleasant.  I think this game might be a really good winter time game, and there's not much winter time left, so download it now.  Thanks.  And you're welcome!

-D

Dear Esther (and the value of patience and follow-through)

Today, I am posting a stream-of consciousness.  

Today, I finally played Dear Esther

Today, I beat Dear Esther (2.4 hrs)

Today, I learned a valuable lesson about patience and follow-through.

Today, when I was playing Dear Esther, I spent the first hour or so struggling with the collision detection.  I wanted to walk to places that the game seemed to not want to let me.  But it wasn't clear.  "This rock seems no larger or more difficult to scale than any other rock. And yet, I cannot pass over it." Alright, fine, I'll swim around.  "Which button is to swim?  Okay seems to be working, but hey, why am I drowning?  Which button was it?  I'm pressing that button.  What the fuck?!  Stop drowning!"

Today, I said, to myself, things such as this:  "fuck this game.  This game is stupid, I hate this game.  I am so pissed off!  Raahhhh!"  

Today, I asked: why was there no sound?  This game is so nice visually, why isn't there any sound?!  This is so dumb.  

Today, I broke with the writing convention I have been employing.  

Okay... I guess I've got it.  I'll just keep going on the sort of path-like spaces.  Path of least resistance.  Just keep moving forward, don't worry about what I'm missing...  Well, shit.  It looks like I'm actually getting somewhere.  That's nice.  Lala la, I think I want to explore over here.  Dammit... fucking rocks.  Oh, hey, maybe I should go over there.  Yeah, that's it.  Okay... la la la.

Oh wow.  That's really pretty.  This is pretty damned cool.  Finally!  This is really working for me.  Okay, I see, it makes sense that I can't run or do anything, really.  If I moved to fast, I'd miss out on this stuff.  Dang, I think this game is kind of like, pretty cool!  Still no sound though, what's the deal?

...oh.  My headphones were plugged in.  ... oops...
...
...
...


Okay, this game is beautiful, I love this game.  I have to play it again now, because I missed out on the sound, so like, half the immersion.  Oh well, I don't think it's long.

What a great game, I'm going to recommend this to everybody.

...
...
...
So, yeah, I pushed through a lot of frustration to get through Dear Esther.  If I had given in to the frustration I felt for the first 30-45 minutes or so, I would have missed out on what turned out to be a great game.  Really great game, truly!   I can only recommend to people that, during the early part of the game-  Don't bother trying to swim.  It will only lead to heartache.  Also: check to see if your headphones are plugged in.