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Apr 23rd, 2009 at 22:21:30 - Mass Effect (360) |
Mass Effect is an RPG released by Bioware. Non of the following thoughts are original, though many of them were written by myself. I also consulted http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_effect and http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/xbox360/file/930279/53251 to fill in information I did not know.
==Basic Story==
Mass Effect takes place in the distant future. Mankind has discovered alien technology which enables them to explore the galaxy. They come into contact with other alien races who have formed a galactic community. Mankind joins these other races...
You play the part of Commander Shepard, a human military officer. You enter the story just after another ancient alien artifact has been discovered on a human colony named Eden Prime. Your mission is to retrieve the artifact. The galactic council, the galaxy's government, has sent a Nihulus, a Spectre, along. The Spectres are the galactic council's secret police. He reveals you are being considered for induction into the Spectres. The result of this mission will determine if you are qualified.
While approaching Eden Prime, you receive a distress call. The colony has been attacked by the geth, a race of machine beings. The mission takes a new turn, now you must battle the geth to retrieve the artifact. And thus your adventure begins...
==Basic character system==
The game allows you to play as either a male or a female. Your name is Commander Shepherd, whichever gender you choose. Aside from affecting a few NPC interactions, there is no significant difference in the genders.
You can customize the facial appearance of your character. This is a very interesting feature which allows a huge number of possible appearances. Some facial attributes, such as eye color, are customizable by selecting one of a set of pre-selected values(eg. brown, blue...). Other facial attributes, such as chin width, allow a range of possible values.
You can select one of nine possible backgrounds, which affect possible side missions available in the game. I only came across this once during my play.
You can play as one of six classes. There are three basic classes: the Soldier, the Engineer, and the Adept. The Soldier is skilled with weapons. The Engineer has use of the glowing-orange omi-tool, which provides technological abilities such as draining enemy shields, and overheating their weapons. The Adept has various “biotic” powers. These powers are similar to “magic” in other games. The other three classes are combinations of the basic classes. The Infiltrator is a Soldier/Engineer. The Sentinel is a Engineer/Adept. The Vanguard is a Soldier/Adept.
==Team==
The game allows you to have two companions. These two companions are selectable from a set of six characters you will meet in the course of the game. There is one character per basic character class. This allows you to specialize your team according to your class/skills and your present needs for classes/skills. Interestingly enough, each of the basic classes are female and the each of the combination classes are male.
These characters form your squad in combat. You can give your squad basic orders. My favorite order was, “go out front and take all the fire away from me.”
Each of the characters has their own back story. You can interact with them during down time between missions. This interaction will allow you to discover their background, gain side missions, and even pursue romance.
==Equipment==
Every character on your team, including yourself, has equipment that you can modify and upgrade. The equipment system has a relatively small number of items, which can be exchanged for better ones but never removed. The basic equipment, carried by each character consists of and armor. Some character types have extra equipment. Engineering types have an “omni-tool.” Biotic users have a “biotic amplifier.” Your character has a grenade launcher.
As mentioned before, basic equipment cannot be removed. It can only be swapped for an equivalent item. Equipment upgrades can be purchased with credits, or found on the battlefield. Excess equipment can be sold for credits.
Basic equipment can be enhanced with upgrades, another type of equipment. Depending on the type of basic equipment, it may have zero, one, or two upgrade slots. Equipment upgrades, like basic equipment, can be found, bought, and sold.
Each piece of equipment is made by a different manufacturer. There are different stories behind each manufacturer, which boil down to, some equipment is higher quality and thus more expensive. Most pieces of equipment also have a level. I believe the levels range from 1 to 7. Higher level equipment more effective and more expensive than its lower level counterparts.
Extra equipment can be reduced to omni-gel, which is used for other purposes. The inventory is limited to 150 items, a limit most players should never reach if they clean out their inventory relatively regularly and don't try to keep everything they've found.
==Weapons==
There are four weapons in the game: . Although you can use any of them, the weapons will only fire accurately if you have the corresponding weapon skill.
All weapons carry infinite ammo. However, after a period of continuous firing, the weapon will overheat, forcing the user to allow it to cool down before using it again. This effectively takes the place of “reloading” the weapon.
Pistols:
Pistols are the default weapon. They are relatively rapid firing, and relatively accurate. All character classes have the pistol skill. For some character classes this is the only weapon skill they get. Leveling up the pistol skill will unlock the Marksman ability. The Marksman ability allows extended periods of rapid, accurate, pistol fire.
Assault rifles:
Assault rifles fire more rapidly than the pistol. However, they are less accurate. They make a good weapon to take out large groups of enemies.
Sniper rifles:
Sniper rifles have a very high heat output. This means they overheat quickly, and thus cannot fire rapidly. However, they do a huge amount of damage. They are a long range weapon.
Shotguns:
Shotguns are useful for clearing out groups of enemies at close range. While deadly at close range, their effectiveness drops as the target gets farther away. Shotguns produce a fair amount of heat, requiring the user to allow the weapon to cool off more frequently than the assault rifle, but less frequently than the sniper rifle.
==Leveling System==
Killing enemies gains experience points. When the number of experience points reaches a certain level, your team gains a level. This is different from traditional RPGs where each character levels up individually. All members of you team, including the ones not currently with you, level up at the same time. This system can create an interesting situation. If you gain a new member on your team after you team has leveled up several times, the new member will be at the same level as the rest of the team. However, none of the ability points (discussed subsequently) will have been allocated.
When your team levels up, each member gets a small number of ability points(usually 2 or 3). These ability points can be used to increase skill levels. When skills are leveled up, they will unlock new skills and abilities.
==Game modes==
The game is played in several different modes. Some of the important ones are Exploring, Combat, Conversation, Mako travel, and playing Mini-games.
Exploring:
Exploring is perhaps the most basic mode of game play. Your character and the two team members walk around and interact with the environment. You will end up jogging most places. Jogging is relatively quick, however, it can take a while to travel long distances in the game world.
Combat:
Often in the course of exploring, or following the story, you will encounter enemies. The game automatically transitions into combat mode at certain times, causing your squad to draw their weapons. In combat mode, you can run around, take cover behind objects, and shoot at enemies. You can issue basic orders to the members of your squad. You can control which of the four weapons each member of the squad is currently using. You can also use skills and order your squad to do the same.
Conversation:
The conversation mode is perhaps the most innovative aspect of this game. When you approach a character an initiate a conversation with them, the game switches to this mode. The conversation is carried out in a cut-scene style with the camera switching from character to character as they talk. Every line of conversation is voiced-over, and the game characters are lip-synced to the voice-over.
Your conversation options are listed on a wheel at the bottom of the screen. You may have up to six options. Each option is accompanied by a short fragment of text, describing the conversation option. Selecting a certain conversation option causes the scene to play the conversation. This gives the game the feel of an interactive movie.
This is first mode you experience playing the game. I was hooked the after the first minute. I really enjoyed this mode of the game.
Mako:
Occasionally the distance you need to travel is long, or the terrain difficult, or the enemies difficult. What you need in these situations is a vehicle. Enter the Mako, an all-terrain tank. The Mako really helps in those difficult situations. It is also the default mode of planet exploration.
The Mako is equipped with two weapons, a mini-gun and a cannon. Both of these weapons are (much) more powerful than your handguns. The mini-gun fires rapidly, but deals relatively low damage. The cannon can only fire once every few seconds, but deals a large amount of damage.
The Mako also has the ability to jump though the use of rocket boosters. The rockets must be recharged in between uses, limiting the frequency of use.
Mini-games:
At certain times in the game, you will be presented with a mini-game to play or puzzle to solve. These have varying consequences from rewards to advancing the story. For example, equipment crates are often locked requiring the player to play the decryption mini-game. The decryption mini-game consists of pressing the correct button at the correct time for a certain period of time. If the player wins, the crate is unlocked and the equipment taken. If the player looses, the crate remains locked, and the player is unable to unlock it without spending resources.
Cardinality:
The game world is 3-dimensional. However, you are limited to movement in 2 dimensions. You cannot jump, unless you are in the Mako.
==My experience==
After I opened the game, I read the first few pages of the manual. After carefully examining the character classes, and deciding that I wanted to play as a Soldier/Biotic, I skimmed the rest and decided that the manual didn't have any more useful information. I should have read more carefully, because I ended up selecting the Sentinel class when I should have chosen the Vanguard. I discovered my error too late in the game to correct it.
Not being one for accepting defaults, I had to customize my character. I think the most fun part was customizing the facial appearance. I created an older skinhead military looking character. This played into which conversation choices I made. I decided my character would to be gruff and intimidating, but a good guy.
After the opening movie and conversation, I had to learn to walk around. The controls were pretty easy to learn. However, as I was pressing buttons I accidentally tossed a grenade onto the ship deck. Oops, hope no one was hurt. ;-) Eventually I figured out how to put away my weapons and I went exploring the ship. I quickly ran into some more people to talk to. Did I mention I really liked the conversation system. I really felt like I was playing a character in a movie.
After a few more conversations, and story advancements, I ended up on this hostile location called Eden Prime. I didn't have a clue how the combat system worked (maybe I should have read the manual). However, nice little tutorial boxes showed up occasionally to teach me a button or move.
The first enemy I encounter ends up killing one of my team members. At this point, I wondered if I'd really messed up. I didn't realize it was part of the story. After taking a few hits from enemies I haven't learned to see yet, and ducking behind some cover, I managed to figure out how to get off enough shots to kill my first enemy.
I also began to experiment with the abilities I had available to me. I think Sentinels start with sabotage and throw. It gave me a real thrill to see a blue glow knock down my enemy the first time I used throw.
After popping a few more enemies, I hit the next few story points. Lest I spoil the story for you, I leave those details out. Eventually, I reached the final battle ground for Eden Prime. The goal for this fight was to disarm 4 bombs within a time limit. I didn't make it the first time. Thankfully the game had automatically saved my progress for me. I began to see the usefulness of my squad members here. Since I was the only one who could disarm the bombs, I was forced to rely on my squad for cover, which they provided nicely. I also learned that the Sentinel is a weaker support character, so I would have to rely on my squad more than a Soldier would.
After defeating my enemies some more story transpired. Finally I got back to my ship and we set out for the next location. This was just the beginning of a long adventure.
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Mar 12th, 2009 at 15:20:07 - Uggggh (PC) |
Ugggh is a platform game with a medieval theme.
= Controls =
Platform games have never been terribly hard to control.
Jump = Up arrow
Move = Left/Right
Melee attack = Space
Ranged attack = A
= Levels =
The game consists of three levels. I only beat the first level once, and I promptly died in the second level. Because of this, all my comments are based off the first level. The other levels may be different, I just couldn't get to them.
= Graphics =
The graphics are generally well done. The player's character is a knight in a full suit of armor, which fits the medieval theme. The background appears to be castle walls. The enemies are zombies, swordsmen, and green indians. I'm not sure how the green indians fit in.
= Gameplay =
In Ugggh, like in most platformers, the goal is to get to the end of the level. Along the way there are various enemies. In the first level, there were two types of enemies: enemies with ranged attacks, and enemies without them. The enemies with ranged attacks (little green indians), sat on little clouds and pelted you with arrows. Both types of enemies harm you if you touch them. You can take about four hits before you die and have to start the level over. The enemies also take about four hits to kill. Essentially they are as strong as you are.
The melee attack requires close proximity to the enemies. Unfortunately, it seems that this always results in the player being harmed. The ranged attack is difficult to use. The projectiles follow a parabolic path. This could be useful in some situations, such as shooting enemies from behind a wall. However, in this game, it only added to the difficulty. The trajectory of the projectile took it off screen before it hit any enemies in most cases. Thus shooting enemies required careful placement.
I found two bonuses in the first level. The first was an upgrade to your ranged attack. This made it easier to kill enemies, requiring two shots instead of four. This powerup also increased the collision area of the projectile. Unfortunately, the powerup didn't make the ranged attack much easier to use.
The second power up I found was a heart. At first I though it was health, which was much needed. However, after getting the heart, my health didn't go up. I later discovered that it was an extra life.
= My experience =
The first time I played through, I tried to be careful. I quickly discovered I couldn't use the melee attack to my advantage. If each enemy is as strong as I am, and in order to harm them with the melee attack I have to let myself be hurt, them I'll kill myself trying to kill one enemy. Not so good when there are 19 other enemies to fight on the same level.
So I ended up using the ranged attack. This was ok, except for the difficulty in using this attack. After becoming frustrated with dying so many times I decided to try my second strategy.
The second time I played through, I tried to avoid any enemy possible. I went through the unsafe areas as quickly as possible, trying to avoid as much damage as possible. I made it to the second level once using this strategy. However, I never made it again.
= Improvements =
Make the first level easier. Such a steep difficulty curve will discourage new potential players from playing this game.
The enemies should be less powerful, especially if the player is going to fight a lot of them. Fighting 20 enemies as strong as yourself in the first level is frustrating to say the least.
Make the melee attack useful. This could be done by allowing the player deal more damge with a melee attack, or by preventing the enemy from harming the player during a melee attack.
Make the ranged attack easier to use. One way to do this would be to straighten the trajectory.
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Jan 21st, 2009 at 22:07:32 - Nerts (Other) |
Nerts: (also know as Nertz, Nirts, Nerf, Gluck, Peanuts, Popeye, Pounce, Solitaire Frenzy, Scrub, Stop, Squeal, Squeak, Squid, Speed, Squinch, Swish, Racing Demon, Race Horse Rummy, Lucky Thirty, Grouch, Hell, Hallelujah, Mertz, Moofles and Nerds )
Nerts is a multiplayer card game with elements resembling Solitaire. The minimum number of players is 2. The maximum is how many players you have room for, though at about 8+ players, the game gets prohibitively large.
== Requirements ==
A distinct (i.e. different backed) deck of generic playing cards for each player.
A surface to play on.
== Rules ==
= Dealing =
Each player is dealt 13 cards from their deck faced-own in a pile. The top card in this pile is flipped over. The object of the game is to get rid of this pile, called the Nerts pile.
Each player is also dealt four face-up cards. These four cards form the players private playing area. In this area, cards may be stacked Solitaire style. An empty slot in this area can be filled by any playable card.
Depending of the variant of the game, these 4+13 cards may be dealt in different orders and by different people. In the variant I played, each player's cards were dealt by the person to the player's right. The cards were dealt three face down in the Nerts pile, and one card face-up in the private playing area, three cards facedown, one face up, … and one final face-up card in the Nerts pile.
= Hand =
The remainder of the cards form the player's hand. The hand is used like the deck in Solitare. Three cards are drawn at a time and only the top card may be played. Depending on the rules used, the order of the three cards may be reversed. (e.g. if the top three cards are 3H 2D QC, the cards would be played in order QC 2D 3H (normal) or 3H 2D QC (reversed))
= Play =
A round of play begins when a selected player says “go.” (In another variant, the winner of the last round is allowed to start the round as soon as they are ready, creating a frantic rush to be ready before last wound's winner). Play proceeds rapidly, as players go though their deck, rearranging their private play area and moving cards out of the Nerts pile.
As soon as someone come across an Ace, it is placed in the middle of the play area. Any player is then free to play on it. Again, as in Solitaire, these piles are built from Ace, 2... to King in one suit. As each player is free to play on any of the piles in the middle, there is often a conflict if two players want to play the same card on the same pile. In this case, the first person who placed their card down on the pile succeeds and the other player must take back their card.
The first player to empty his Nerts pile calls out “Nerts,” which causes the game to halt. The cards in the middle are sorted according to player (This is why it is important to have distinct decks for each player). Each player's score is then calculated.
= Scoring =
Each card played in the common area counts as 1 point for the person who played the card. Each card left in a player's Nert's pile counts -2 points against him. Thus if a player plays 10 cards in the middle but has 5 cards in their Nerts pile, their score will be 10*1 + 5*-2 = 0. Obviously the person who called Nerts is the only person to have no negative score component.
Scores are then added (or subtracted in the case of a negative score) to a running total for each player. The first player to reach 100 points wins the game.
== Personal Experience ==
I played Nerts with a group of 4 other people. One was a new timer, everyone else were casual players. After explaining the rules and dealing the first hand, the game began. The game requires skill, and speed, thus seasoned players have a great advantage over new players. In fact, one seasoned veteran can keep a group of newbies at near zero score. Thankfully, we had a much more even game, as most everyone played at the same skill.
However, the new person, consistently made low scores. As the hands wore on, and it became obvious I wasn't going to win, I began helping her to look for opportunities to play. After she thanked me for pointing out one play, I mentioned that it allowed me to make a play of my own.
This demonstrates another element to the game which a quick player will take advantage of. Often, because of the pace of the game, a player will have a move they can make, but they don't realize it. Most of the time it is to your advantage not to point it out. However in some cases, pointing out their move can enable a move of your own.
At the beginning of our game, the others players consistently scored in the 10s or even 20s, while I and the new player remained near zero. However, near the end of the game, several hands went by in which Nerts was called relatively quickly. When Nerts is quickly called, many players may not have enough time to remove many cards from their Nerts pile, or play many cards in the middle. Thus they may end up with a negative score. In our game, this prevented the leading player from winning for several hands. However, no one else was able to overtake him, and he eventually won.
== Overall ==
Although difficult to play against skilled players (what game isn't), the game is a good group game. The game can be played with as few as 2 players, however, I find 4-6 to be the optimum number. It can be difficult, though not un-enjoyable, for newbies if the other players are good. Expect to loose a few hairs due to stress caused by the fast game play.
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Jan 21st, 2009 at 22:04:35 - Nerts (Other) |
Although not recent, I just realized I need to write another entry for the class I'm taking. Apologies for the ...
Over the Christmas break, I played Nerts with my little brother and sister. This involved teaching them the rules, because neither of them had ever played. My sister was a little skeptical about not taking turns to play. I guess every game she had ever played involved players taking turns.
Since I wasn't playing with my siblings to win, I took it slow while they got up to speed. They caught on pretty quickly. After the training round, we played again, this time with another sibling, who is closer to my age. He didn't require as much explaining.
This time, I played to win. Unfortunately, even though I was the most experienced player, I was beat by the newcomer who had just learned the rules.
== Observations ==
This game is really better for older people (maybe 12+). Older people seem to catch onto the rules a little faster.
There seems to be some hidden potential for playing Nerts, even in people that have never played before. Nerts requires the ability to quickly make decisions, which is a skill that can be developed outside the game. Playing Nerts is also enhanced by a good memory. A player with a good memory may come across a card and realize that it can be played, remembering the state of a pile in the center.
Another good skill for the game is the ability to multitask. (Though I shouldn't talk about this since men are notorious for being single-minded.) A player who can multitask, can watch that pile of clubs in the middle waiting for it to reach the Jack which he has in his Nerts pile, while simultaneously looking for a red 8 to put on that black 9 so he can free a slot in his private play area, while simultaneously flipping though his deck looking for any cards that he can play in the middle, while simultaneously keeping a watch on his neighbor's cards so see what cards they have to play with... You get the point.
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