I've been monitoring the progress of a pending MMORTS (massively multiplayer online real-time strategy) game called Beyond Protocol. It seems very interesting, at least in theory, and I've been doing a little pestering of the folks there, re-applying to the beta at least one extra time, I think twice, and reading up on the discussions people are having about the game. The diplomacy portion is what I'm really interested in, as it looks like they're planning on having a galaxy-governing body through which players can actually generate changes to the game. How this actually shakes out remains to be seen, but needless to say, I'm intrigued.
But in the meantime, I've been looking for other MMORTS-style games to quench my thirst. I play the occasional game of WarCraft III online, but it's not really what I'm looking for. I want more of a broad scope interactive game that includes diplomacy, economics, city management, and a civilian aspect of the game. Beyond Protocol may not even be that game, as I haven't seen much as far as the civilian side of things. So I've been looking around.
I did some browsing on Wikipedia and stumbled upon Ikariam. I've created an account (on Lambda world, if anyone else wants to join up), and I'm sort of testing the waters. It's a free system, though there is some kind of enhanced experience that you can get by buying "ambrosia" (using real money) and spending that. I haven't investigated that aspect too much, since for the time being I'm really just looking for a time-killer.
In that vein, one of the most appealing aspects of Ikariam is that it's a browser-based game. This means that, if I like, I can check in on it while I'm at work without having to install a big program or anything. I like the idea of checking in, giving new orders, and then getting back to the business of the day....which for me would probably be looking for more of those kinds of games.
Anyways, I've gotten to play it a little bit, and it seems very Civilization-esque. It's got a few different levels of management, from inside your city to the island that you share with a number of other cities, to the whole world (again, Lambda for me). You allocate resources to different tasks (military, research, resource management, etc.), and try to build your city so that it's strong enough to defend itself from eventual attackers while having the capacity to expand to new territories. Again, I'm very early in the game, and don't know exactly how combat or expansion works, but I know they're in the game somehow, and I'm looking forward to finding out.
All in all, it seems encouraging. I'm not going to declare right now that it's my kind of game, but it's certainly got the tools to be something I'm happy to throw some time into. If you decide to join up, let me know so I can track your town's progress and direct you towards my own.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Video Game Hall of Fame: Mega Man 2
Younger people are going to remember their first big time video game as something relatively recent, maybe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, or Super Mario Kart, or Super Smash Brothers. And older folks will probably remember Tetris or Pong. For people my age and a bit younger, there's going to be a wide variety of games, like Super Mario Brothers, Ninja Gaiden, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Dragon Warrior. But for me, the first, big time, "gotta play it for as long as my mom will let me" game was Mega Man 2.
Mega Man 2 had all the things people liked about the Super Mario Brothers series: jumping, running, and bad guys. It was a fairly standard platform game, as were many of the most popular games of that era. But there were a few really neat pieces that made it one of my favorite games of all time, and based on my conversations with others around my age, I'm not alone.
First, the concept of taking your enemy's weapon and using it yourself is awesome. I'm sure it wasn't started in the Mega Man series, and plenty of people out there would suggest some other origin for the concept, but the first time I saw it was in Mega Man 2. Beating Wood Man and then using the leaf shield to get through Crash Man's stage was very gratifying. As was using the air cannon from Air Man to take down Crash Man himself in two hits.
The second aspect of Mega Man 2 that warmed my heart was the ability to choose your path for at least the first half of the game. Initially, you spend all your time trying to figure out which weapon works best on which boss, so you can try to always have your enemy's weakness handy. But as time goes on, it became more of a personal challenge. For those of you familiar with the game, you'll know that trying to beat Quick Man's stage without Flash Man's weapon was a very serious undertaking. And when I was finally able to do it, I felt like a million bucks.
But there's one thing that transcends even those two impressive features: the music. You wouldn't think that the music from an old 8-bit Nintendo game would be such a selling point, but it was absolutely tremendous. Each song suited its stage brilliantly, and they were all well made tunes. What's that you say? That kind of music would've been nice enough in the 80's, but nobody cares about it today? Not so fast, my friend. Check out the many remixes that have been done of classic Mega Man 2 songs on OCRemix.org, a favorite site of mine.
This may be called a "Blog For The Modern Human," but sometimes its the classics that hold the most sway. I could play Mega Man 2 today and love it. In fact....I've got to run.
Mega Man 2 had all the things people liked about the Super Mario Brothers series: jumping, running, and bad guys. It was a fairly standard platform game, as were many of the most popular games of that era. But there were a few really neat pieces that made it one of my favorite games of all time, and based on my conversations with others around my age, I'm not alone.
First, the concept of taking your enemy's weapon and using it yourself is awesome. I'm sure it wasn't started in the Mega Man series, and plenty of people out there would suggest some other origin for the concept, but the first time I saw it was in Mega Man 2. Beating Wood Man and then using the leaf shield to get through Crash Man's stage was very gratifying. As was using the air cannon from Air Man to take down Crash Man himself in two hits.
The second aspect of Mega Man 2 that warmed my heart was the ability to choose your path for at least the first half of the game. Initially, you spend all your time trying to figure out which weapon works best on which boss, so you can try to always have your enemy's weakness handy. But as time goes on, it became more of a personal challenge. For those of you familiar with the game, you'll know that trying to beat Quick Man's stage without Flash Man's weapon was a very serious undertaking. And when I was finally able to do it, I felt like a million bucks.
But there's one thing that transcends even those two impressive features: the music. You wouldn't think that the music from an old 8-bit Nintendo game would be such a selling point, but it was absolutely tremendous. Each song suited its stage brilliantly, and they were all well made tunes. What's that you say? That kind of music would've been nice enough in the 80's, but nobody cares about it today? Not so fast, my friend. Check out the many remixes that have been done of classic Mega Man 2 songs on OCRemix.org, a favorite site of mine.
This may be called a "Blog For The Modern Human," but sometimes its the classics that hold the most sway. I could play Mega Man 2 today and love it. In fact....I've got to run.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Flight of the Conchords
Alright, it's time. You've probably heard me allude to them on here or my other blog, or make countless references in conversation. But now it's finally time for me to tell you how much I love Flight of the Conchords.
A lot.
There are actually two entities called Flight of the Conchords: the band and the show, starring the band. I like the band, but I'm more impressed with the show. Granted, each episode has at least two songs written by the band, and they're not always perfectly integrated, but their main goal is comedic, and the show has more LPMs (laughs per minute) than any of their songs.
The trouble, of course, is that retelling the jokes in written form is a complete waste. You'll have to get out there and look for yourselves. YouTube has got a lot of clips from the show, but some of them are out of context and may not be as humorous as they could be. In fact, to really show you what the show is all about, it's probably better to tell you to look up the music videos from the show on YouTube. Some of them don't really fit into the storylines, or give you a good idea of what the show is all about, but I've got a few that are particularly funny, and also give you a good sense of the show's sense of humor. I'll link them to their respective videos when I get home; I'm at work right now and YouTube is among the very few restricted websites.
With season one available for $19.99 at Circuit City online, it's a small investment that you can expect to return a lot of laughs. If you enjoy the videos, you'll love the show. Think of the Office, except with characters who are more quirky and less insane.
A lot.
There are actually two entities called Flight of the Conchords: the band and the show, starring the band. I like the band, but I'm more impressed with the show. Granted, each episode has at least two songs written by the band, and they're not always perfectly integrated, but their main goal is comedic, and the show has more LPMs (laughs per minute) than any of their songs.
The trouble, of course, is that retelling the jokes in written form is a complete waste. You'll have to get out there and look for yourselves. YouTube has got a lot of clips from the show, but some of them are out of context and may not be as humorous as they could be. In fact, to really show you what the show is all about, it's probably better to tell you to look up the music videos from the show on YouTube. Some of them don't really fit into the storylines, or give you a good idea of what the show is all about, but I've got a few that are particularly funny, and also give you a good sense of the show's sense of humor. I'll link them to their respective videos when I get home; I'm at work right now and YouTube is among the very few restricted websites.
With season one available for $19.99 at Circuit City online, it's a small investment that you can expect to return a lot of laughs. If you enjoy the videos, you'll love the show. Think of the Office, except with characters who are more quirky and less insane.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Movie Hall of Fame: Old School
I actually liked Old School before it came out. I was a Will Ferrell fan long before the movie was released, thanks to one of my favorite movies, Night At The Roxbury, as well as his masterful work on Saturday Night Live. But even all of those precursors didn't prepare me for the quantity and intensity of laughter I'd enjoy from Old School.
Ferrell sort of set the groundwork for his characters in more recent films (Blades of Glory specifically) with a somewhat dumb but very intense demeanor. Many films have used the age-old tradition of streaking to try to get cheap laughs (one even focused almost exclusively on the act, to its demise), but no other instance of bare-assed running has ever come close to the humor that Ferrell created. His interactions with Snoop Dogg and his new wife are comedic genius (as is the therapy meeting that follows), and provide some of the most quotable lines: "Everybody's doing it."
Vince Vaughn plays about the same character in every movie, but Old School might be the apex of it all. He talks a shit ton of trash, and I love it. Luke Wilson plays the straight man, as he often does, and while he doesn't have a lot of great lines, he gives a lot of set up to Ferrell and Vaughn. Jeremy Piven, as Dean Pritchard, does a great job of playing "the man," going opposite his own previous role from one of Old School's predecessors, PCU.
The simple fact is this: I have never laughed more at any movie than the first time I watched Old School. I have a tough time saying there have ever been any better comedies, in my time or any time. And when you're the best at what you do, you get a spot in my hall of fame.
Unless it's country music. Sorry Garth, Tim, Hank, and the rest of you. Move along.
Ferrell sort of set the groundwork for his characters in more recent films (Blades of Glory specifically) with a somewhat dumb but very intense demeanor. Many films have used the age-old tradition of streaking to try to get cheap laughs (one even focused almost exclusively on the act, to its demise), but no other instance of bare-assed running has ever come close to the humor that Ferrell created. His interactions with Snoop Dogg and his new wife are comedic genius (as is the therapy meeting that follows), and provide some of the most quotable lines: "Everybody's doing it."
Vince Vaughn plays about the same character in every movie, but Old School might be the apex of it all. He talks a shit ton of trash, and I love it. Luke Wilson plays the straight man, as he often does, and while he doesn't have a lot of great lines, he gives a lot of set up to Ferrell and Vaughn. Jeremy Piven, as Dean Pritchard, does a great job of playing "the man," going opposite his own previous role from one of Old School's predecessors, PCU.
The simple fact is this: I have never laughed more at any movie than the first time I watched Old School. I have a tough time saying there have ever been any better comedies, in my time or any time. And when you're the best at what you do, you get a spot in my hall of fame.
Unless it's country music. Sorry Garth, Tim, Hank, and the rest of you. Move along.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Free Krispy Kreme Doughnuts
For the 96% of you who read this blog and like donuts, I've got a printable coupon for you. You can get a free dozen glazed donuts with the purchase of a dozen assorted donuts. For those of you who work in offices, it's a great way to make some friends at a fraction of the normal price...of making friends.
http://krispykreme.qm4.net/shared/images/44/44_20080311004024.jpg
I found this deal at www.slickdeals.net, which has a variety of other deals on a daily basis. If I find particularly good ones (and as importantly, ones that don't appear to have a shelf life of less than 24 hours), I'll try to remember to mention them here.
http://krispykreme.qm4.net/shared/images/44/44_20080311004024.jpg
I found this deal at www.slickdeals.net, which has a variety of other deals on a daily basis. If I find particularly good ones (and as importantly, ones that don't appear to have a shelf life of less than 24 hours), I'll try to remember to mention them here.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Music Hall of Fame: Dulcinea (Toad the Wet Sprocket)
Depending on how well you know me (and perhaps more importantly, how long you've known me), this album may be an intriguing surprise, or may produce a head-slapping "Of course!" As a high school student in the mid-90's, I tended to favor the adult contemporary stations over the alternative and hip-hop stations that most of my peers opted for. I was more of a VH-1 kid than an MTV kid. While that occasionally left me out of discussions concerning popular music, for me the better music was its own reward.
Among the bands featured on these stations (and one of the reasons I listened to them) was Toad the Wet Sprocket. I was introduced to the band by my uncle (RIP Uncle Paul), who over time has also introduced me to Better Than Ezra and the Dave Matthews Band, both of which I've enjoyed extensively. The album Dulcinea was arguably the band's most commonly appreciated, and in my opinion definitely their most complete and most impressive.
The opening song is Fly From Heaven, a tune which starts with the lyrics, "Paul is making me nervous," a point not lost on my uncle, and one he gladly reminded us of when the chance arose. The radio hits were Fall Down and Something's Always Wrong, but you could make the case that half of the album was radio-friendly and radio-worthy. One of my personal favorites is the dark Begin, which features echoes that call to mind a Pink Floyd styled ambience.
If you're wondering whether or not this album fits your taste, that's a fair question. I would say that if you like good music, it's probably right up your alley. And if you listen and find that you don't like the album, then I'd venture to say that you were simply mistaken, and you in fact do not like good music. Don't be embarrassed, it's a simple error that many people make on a daily basis. Now go listen to your O.A.R. trash.
God I hate O.A.R.
Among the bands featured on these stations (and one of the reasons I listened to them) was Toad the Wet Sprocket. I was introduced to the band by my uncle (RIP Uncle Paul), who over time has also introduced me to Better Than Ezra and the Dave Matthews Band, both of which I've enjoyed extensively. The album Dulcinea was arguably the band's most commonly appreciated, and in my opinion definitely their most complete and most impressive.
The opening song is Fly From Heaven, a tune which starts with the lyrics, "Paul is making me nervous," a point not lost on my uncle, and one he gladly reminded us of when the chance arose. The radio hits were Fall Down and Something's Always Wrong, but you could make the case that half of the album was radio-friendly and radio-worthy. One of my personal favorites is the dark Begin, which features echoes that call to mind a Pink Floyd styled ambience.
If you're wondering whether or not this album fits your taste, that's a fair question. I would say that if you like good music, it's probably right up your alley. And if you listen and find that you don't like the album, then I'd venture to say that you were simply mistaken, and you in fact do not like good music. Don't be embarrassed, it's a simple error that many people make on a daily basis. Now go listen to your O.A.R. trash.
God I hate O.A.R.
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