Having succumbed to the vast amount of gushing in the video game corners of the Internet, I'm giving Minecraft a shot. Typically I'm not a very creative person, preferring instead to follow a predetermined path with maybe a few branching options here and there. I love RPGs that allow me to have control over how my party is constructed while guiding me on rails through the story. Especially now, where I get far too little sleep and my free time is precious, I appreciate a game taking me by the hand and leading me through a satisfying experience.
With all of that being said, Minecraft is a completely opposite experience. This game has no story to speak of, other than what you as the player create. You spawn in the middle of a randomly generated world with absolutely nothing on your person, and are expected to figure out what to do. The version of the game I'm playing (Alpha release, single player Survival) has you gathering resources during the day and scrambling for shelter at night, because that's when the bad guys come out to get you.
Instead of trying to describe the game in words, I found a fantastic YouTube video, which walks you through your first day in Minecraft. It's a bit long, but definitely worth it if you're at all interested.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Random Thoughts, Sunday Edition
I figured I'd drop in for the annual update of this blog. It would be disingenuous to try to come up with a bunch of excuses, so let's just skip that part and move on, shall we? :)
- Really enjoyed watching the first game of the Patriots season this afternoon. All 3 facets of the team (offense, defense, special teams) contributed to the 38-24 win over the supposedly ferocious Bengals. It was great to see Brady throwing to Welker again, and I'm excited and nervous at the same time to watch the young defenders grow up on the field. The youth movement on defense is something that's been needed for a few years now, but with youth comes growing pains. All in all, I expect the offense to be fantastic and the defense to show flashes of greatness. Should be an entertaining season if nothing else.
- Also really enjoyed spending a fun and stressful weekend with the family. We transitioned the twins to toddler beds on Saturday night, and the best way to describe what's transpired is an adventure. It's tough to keep them in bed, and also to convince them to sleep. I foresee a bunch of rough nights over the next week as we work with them to understand they need to both stay in the bed and actually sleep. Come to think of it, I probably should stop at the store on the way home after work and pick up some more coffee; we're gonna need it.
The baby (she's not really a baby anymore, but I don't want her to grow up too fast) starting really crawling and pulling herself up on things last weekend, so she spent this weekend practicing all over the living room. Gone are the days when we could sit her on the floor with some toys and go do chores in the kitchen. Now we really have to pay attention or we'll come back to the living room and she'll be gone. :) It's a lot of fun to watch her explore her surrounding and discuss them with us. We're going to have our hands full with that one, I'm sure of it.
- My free time has been spent playing a lot of Torchlight. Though I bought the game shortly after its release last year, the arrival of the baby distracted me from really putting time into it. On a whim I went back to it last week, and have put 10-12 hours into it. As all of the glowing reviews said back at its release, the game is a fun Diablo-clone, made by a group of developers who made the first Diablo. The game has a certain spirit and atmosphere that makes it fun, and the character development, skill trees and (most of all) loot collecting have me coming back time and again. Since this game is resource light, I have it installed on both my home and work computers, which allows me the ability to sneak a level or two in during my lunch breaks. The fact that my character progress is saved in the Steam Cloud lets me play the same character both at work and home, making it even easier to progress in the quest. Definitely a must buy for Diablo fans.
- Work has been incredibly busy the past couple of months. I've stepped into an interim management position, overseeing three other colleagues, as well as stepping up to begin training as a project manager in earnest. In addition, the technical oversight of multiple projects for an incredibly challenging client has been given to me. Long story short, there's no shortage of things for me to do when I get to work in the morning. Honestly though, it's a welcome change as I felt a bit stagnant before seizing these opportunities. The biggest thing to look out for with the new responsibilities is to not bite off more than I can chew and start missing deadlines. That's the worst possible thing I could do at this point. I'm working on learning the strengths and weaknesses of the people I oversee and how best to work with them, so that they are busy and doing what they want to do without overloading them.
Well, that's enough of a brain dump for tonight. Hopefully I'll be back soon to do this again, as I really enjoy it. Sleep and free time willing, I'll see you all soon!
- Really enjoyed watching the first game of the Patriots season this afternoon. All 3 facets of the team (offense, defense, special teams) contributed to the 38-24 win over the supposedly ferocious Bengals. It was great to see Brady throwing to Welker again, and I'm excited and nervous at the same time to watch the young defenders grow up on the field. The youth movement on defense is something that's been needed for a few years now, but with youth comes growing pains. All in all, I expect the offense to be fantastic and the defense to show flashes of greatness. Should be an entertaining season if nothing else.
- Also really enjoyed spending a fun and stressful weekend with the family. We transitioned the twins to toddler beds on Saturday night, and the best way to describe what's transpired is an adventure. It's tough to keep them in bed, and also to convince them to sleep. I foresee a bunch of rough nights over the next week as we work with them to understand they need to both stay in the bed and actually sleep. Come to think of it, I probably should stop at the store on the way home after work and pick up some more coffee; we're gonna need it.
The baby (she's not really a baby anymore, but I don't want her to grow up too fast) starting really crawling and pulling herself up on things last weekend, so she spent this weekend practicing all over the living room. Gone are the days when we could sit her on the floor with some toys and go do chores in the kitchen. Now we really have to pay attention or we'll come back to the living room and she'll be gone. :) It's a lot of fun to watch her explore her surrounding and discuss them with us. We're going to have our hands full with that one, I'm sure of it.
- My free time has been spent playing a lot of Torchlight. Though I bought the game shortly after its release last year, the arrival of the baby distracted me from really putting time into it. On a whim I went back to it last week, and have put 10-12 hours into it. As all of the glowing reviews said back at its release, the game is a fun Diablo-clone, made by a group of developers who made the first Diablo. The game has a certain spirit and atmosphere that makes it fun, and the character development, skill trees and (most of all) loot collecting have me coming back time and again. Since this game is resource light, I have it installed on both my home and work computers, which allows me the ability to sneak a level or two in during my lunch breaks. The fact that my character progress is saved in the Steam Cloud lets me play the same character both at work and home, making it even easier to progress in the quest. Definitely a must buy for Diablo fans.
- Work has been incredibly busy the past couple of months. I've stepped into an interim management position, overseeing three other colleagues, as well as stepping up to begin training as a project manager in earnest. In addition, the technical oversight of multiple projects for an incredibly challenging client has been given to me. Long story short, there's no shortage of things for me to do when I get to work in the morning. Honestly though, it's a welcome change as I felt a bit stagnant before seizing these opportunities. The biggest thing to look out for with the new responsibilities is to not bite off more than I can chew and start missing deadlines. That's the worst possible thing I could do at this point. I'm working on learning the strengths and weaknesses of the people I oversee and how best to work with them, so that they are busy and doing what they want to do without overloading them.
Well, that's enough of a brain dump for tonight. Hopefully I'll be back soon to do this again, as I really enjoy it. Sleep and free time willing, I'll see you all soon!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Dragon Quest IX Quick Impressions
After some serious debating on my part, I decided to spend some money we didn't have and buy Dragon Quest IX yesterday. I've been a fan of the genre since the original Dragon Warrior on the NES, even though I can admit to not having played every iteration, due to time constraints, money constraints, or both. My favorite entry into the series which I've experienced is Dragon Warrior 4, now available as Dragon Quest 4 on the DS. I've been in a bit of a gaming funk as of late, and reading reviews and impressions of the game made me think that this could be just what I needed pick me up again.
So far, I was right. Even with the necessary and welcome changes to the tried and true mechanics (no more random battles, yay!) that could have altered my perception after all of these years, playing this game has felt...right. The use of familiar creature designs, sound effects and music make this the gaming equivalent of Norm walking into Cheers, or what I imagine that woman feels from those cheesy '80s commercials as she slips into the Calgon bubble bath. It's just where I was meant to be, and I hope the feeling doesn't end.
Now all I have to do is find enough time to play consistently, and life will be good. :)
So far, I was right. Even with the necessary and welcome changes to the tried and true mechanics (no more random battles, yay!) that could have altered my perception after all of these years, playing this game has felt...right. The use of familiar creature designs, sound effects and music make this the gaming equivalent of Norm walking into Cheers, or what I imagine that woman feels from those cheesy '80s commercials as she slips into the Calgon bubble bath. It's just where I was meant to be, and I hope the feeling doesn't end.
Now all I have to do is find enough time to play consistently, and life will be good. :)
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Deathspank Trailers
This is a game that really looks like it could be a lot of fun. I hadn't paid any attention to this until watching a couple of trailers. I'm intrigued by the sense of humor showcased in the trailers, and the game's genre is right up my alley (appears to be like Diablo/Torchlight). It comes out on XBLA on Wednesday, and should provide a nice distraction to the incredible heatwave here on the East Coast.
Popping Back In
It's been quite some time since I left any words of wisdom here, my personal little corner of the Internets. Lots of factors have played into this LONG absence, in no particular order:
- Our basement flooded, and the damage and resulting insurance claim have yet to be resolved. I didn't have access to my home PC for 4-5 weeks.
- Work became incredibly busy for an extended period, but has since settled back into a more manageable routine.
- We went through the agony of sleep-training our 7-month old daughter, which (while nearly settled into some semblance of normalcy) really threw the house and everyone in it for a loop. Thank goodness that's nearly done...
- I found myself more and more tired at night when I would sit down to write, and every time I thought about coming here to post, I'd choose sleep.
...And so on. The list of pathetic excuses could be far longer, but I don't want to whine for the entire post (just most of it). On the upside, there have been a lot of good things that have happened in the time since I last wrote, which are too numerous to mention here. I'm not going to go crazy and promise to anyone, myself included, that this will become a regular occurrence, but this is the first stab at picking up this whole writing thing again. There were many times I missed being able to share my thoughts and feelings with all 3 of you who might realize this exists, hopefully you'll come back to hear more.
Consider this post an apology to anyone who cares that I was gone, and the attempt to start the regular posting again. Because this post was essentially an impulse followed and not ignored, it's going to be short for this evening. Some of the rest of my conscious time tonight will be spent putting together a list of post topics to pick from when inspiration escapes me. So to those of you out there reading this, thanks for coming back and I look forward to seeing you here again soon.
- Our basement flooded, and the damage and resulting insurance claim have yet to be resolved. I didn't have access to my home PC for 4-5 weeks.
- Work became incredibly busy for an extended period, but has since settled back into a more manageable routine.
- We went through the agony of sleep-training our 7-month old daughter, which (while nearly settled into some semblance of normalcy) really threw the house and everyone in it for a loop. Thank goodness that's nearly done...
- I found myself more and more tired at night when I would sit down to write, and every time I thought about coming here to post, I'd choose sleep.
...And so on. The list of pathetic excuses could be far longer, but I don't want to whine for the entire post (just most of it). On the upside, there have been a lot of good things that have happened in the time since I last wrote, which are too numerous to mention here. I'm not going to go crazy and promise to anyone, myself included, that this will become a regular occurrence, but this is the first stab at picking up this whole writing thing again. There were many times I missed being able to share my thoughts and feelings with all 3 of you who might realize this exists, hopefully you'll come back to hear more.
Consider this post an apology to anyone who cares that I was gone, and the attempt to start the regular posting again. Because this post was essentially an impulse followed and not ignored, it's going to be short for this evening. Some of the rest of my conscious time tonight will be spent putting together a list of post topics to pick from when inspiration escapes me. So to those of you out there reading this, thanks for coming back and I look forward to seeing you here again soon.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
My Favorite Opening Video Game Sequence
After experiencing the opening sequence for Mass Effect 2, I started thinking about other games that grabbed my attention from the get-go. This one came to mind immediately, and I still believe it's the finest example of hooking your 'audience' and compelling them to play on.
The audio that plays as you descend in the bathysphere is haunting, and the reveal of the underwater city at the crescendo of the monologue floored me the first time I saw it. The setting, the atmosphere, the lighting, everything combines to make a scene that many movie directors would envy. It's moments like this that make me happy to play video games.
The audio that plays as you descend in the bathysphere is haunting, and the reveal of the underwater city at the crescendo of the monologue floored me the first time I saw it. The setting, the atmosphere, the lighting, everything combines to make a scene that many movie directors would envy. It's moments like this that make me happy to play video games.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Five Random Observations
Here's a patchwork collection of thoughts and observations I've had over the past few days:
1. It's far more difficult to be romantic and thoughtful when nearly every waking moment of your day is mapped out for you by the simple act of caring for children. My wife and I did our best to celebrate Valentine's Day today, even though neither of us had the time or opportunity over the past couple of weeks to get out and do anything for the other, to the point that we didn't even exchange cards. It sounds horrible, but it's really not. We've talked about it, and we're both alright with the situation. It's safe to say that the level of chaos that has enveloped our lives may preclude some simple rituals that were easier to accomplish in years past, and it seems observing this day properly is just one in a long list of casualties. Never fear though; I love my wife, she loves me, and we'll still be here for many years to come.
2. The passage of time can feel warped in many different ways, based on your personal perception. For example, there are days that feel as if they are never going to end, and just an hour can feel like an eternity. In the midst of a stretch of days like this, though, it's easy to look at the calendar and go, "Wow, 3 months have passed already?! Where did the time go?" It's a phenomenon that is hard to truly appreciate until you've experienced it.
3. While researching options to make our living room electronics more compact and kid-friendly, I made the startling discovery that the manufacturer of our 42" plasma display (Fujitsu) extricated itself from the HDTV market in late 2007. For some reason, I was incredibly chagrined to find this information, and I feel like I have a sad little orphan in our living room. It makes me want to give it a hug and say, "It's alright. You have a safe and happy home with us." It also means that I had absolutely no luck in finding manufacturer- standard side mount speakers for the unit. Bah.
4. My children can go from incredibly sweet, adorable and caring angels to evil, selfish and destructive little monsters in the span of a single breath. Which, by all accounts, makes them your typical two-year-olds. Go figure.
5. My plan to execute the gaming project I discussed a couple of weeks ago is alive and well, even if I haven't been writing about it. Since my last post on the subject, I've fired up at least one game that qualifies for the project, and possibly a second. When my schedule and sleep level is sufficient to produce text worth reading on the subject, they will appear here. Until then, know that I'm stealing some time here and there to play games, but it's not regular or long.
1. It's far more difficult to be romantic and thoughtful when nearly every waking moment of your day is mapped out for you by the simple act of caring for children. My wife and I did our best to celebrate Valentine's Day today, even though neither of us had the time or opportunity over the past couple of weeks to get out and do anything for the other, to the point that we didn't even exchange cards. It sounds horrible, but it's really not. We've talked about it, and we're both alright with the situation. It's safe to say that the level of chaos that has enveloped our lives may preclude some simple rituals that were easier to accomplish in years past, and it seems observing this day properly is just one in a long list of casualties. Never fear though; I love my wife, she loves me, and we'll still be here for many years to come.
2. The passage of time can feel warped in many different ways, based on your personal perception. For example, there are days that feel as if they are never going to end, and just an hour can feel like an eternity. In the midst of a stretch of days like this, though, it's easy to look at the calendar and go, "Wow, 3 months have passed already?! Where did the time go?" It's a phenomenon that is hard to truly appreciate until you've experienced it.
3. While researching options to make our living room electronics more compact and kid-friendly, I made the startling discovery that the manufacturer of our 42" plasma display (Fujitsu) extricated itself from the HDTV market in late 2007. For some reason, I was incredibly chagrined to find this information, and I feel like I have a sad little orphan in our living room. It makes me want to give it a hug and say, "It's alright. You have a safe and happy home with us." It also means that I had absolutely no luck in finding manufacturer- standard side mount speakers for the unit. Bah.
4. My children can go from incredibly sweet, adorable and caring angels to evil, selfish and destructive little monsters in the span of a single breath. Which, by all accounts, makes them your typical two-year-olds. Go figure.
5. My plan to execute the gaming project I discussed a couple of weeks ago is alive and well, even if I haven't been writing about it. Since my last post on the subject, I've fired up at least one game that qualifies for the project, and possibly a second. When my schedule and sleep level is sufficient to produce text worth reading on the subject, they will appear here. Until then, know that I'm stealing some time here and there to play games, but it's not regular or long.
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