Imperium

Hi,

I’ve been thinking about genres in computer games. I’ve come to the conclusion that the first-person shooter (FPS) isn’t actually a genre.

In what sense is FPS a genre? It refers to an aspect of the game in question: the perspective of the player in the gaming world (whatever that world happens to be). But when considering any particular FPS, it shouldn’t be the first-person perspective which confines it to a genre; it should be the plot, the setting or subject, the kind and level of control the player is granted over their character or characters, or the emotional and atmospheric qualities.

Doom 3 is an example of an FPS. Again, the first-person player perspective is an aspect, but the fact that it’s scary (perhaps debatable, although I thought it was pretty damn frightening) and that the gameplay is centred around action is what should be taken into account when assigning it to a genre. If the player were forced into a third-person perspective, would it be right to assign it to a different genre? I think not. I’d describe Doom 3 as an ‘action horror’ game, or something to that effect.

More and more people are beginning to realise that the computer games industry is still in it’s youth; but also that it’s making leaps forward. Half-Life 2: Episode One is a perfect example of the way in which games developers are moving away from past mistakes and beginning to put more thought into character and narrative. I thought it was one of the finest games I’ve ever played, as well as a fine follow-up to the brilliant Half-Life 2. Redefining genres is one of many tasks for the gaming industry, specifically magazine writers and of course, gamers.

At least I’m doing my part.

See ya,

Eldilor

I’m subscribed to The Foresight Institute’s newsletter. The latest edition had a lot of news pertaining to advancement in nanotechnology.

First:

“Rice University scientists have developed the first method for sorting semiconducting carbon nanotubes based on their size, a long-awaited development that could form the basis of a nanotube purification system capable of producing the necessary feedstocks for nano-circuits, therapeutic agents, next-generation power cables and more.”

Second:

“The University of Leicester is to co-ordinate a nanotechnology research project into storing information on nano-particles.”

Third:

“Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology think they’re on the verge of making traditional batteries obsolete. The researchers are working on a new device that uses carbon nanotubes to store and release electrical energy in a system that could carry as much power as today’s lead or lithium batteries. But unlike the rechargeable batteries used on today’s cellphones and laptop computers, these devices could be recharged hundreds of thousands of times before wearing out.

And instead of taking hours to recharge, they could be powered up in about the same time it takes to fill up a gas tank. “

The Foresight Institute is located here: http://www.foresight.org/

Greetings,

I’m really enjoying Oblivion at the moment. The sheer depth of the quests and the storylines keep me going. I’ve been playing it for several months now (although I did stop for a while during my term-time), and it’s been several months of richly entertaining gameplay. I’ve avoided spoilers like the plague, so I don’t know how far I am through the main plot. Even if it were to end soon I wouldn’t be massively disappointed though.

Bethesda’s decision to allow the player total freedom put me off when I played Oblivion’s predecessor, Morrowind; but this time I didn’t find myself proceeding with the same sense of bewilderment. It didn’t take me long to get into the game, and as I’ve progressed I find myself more and more comfortable with deciding what to do next. I find myself interspersing main plot quests with side-quests, or avoiding Oblivion gates for a while after closing one. I know that if I were forced to follow the main plot religiously, I wouldn’t get as much out of the game.

Of course, as with any game, there are flaws. The AI, whilst impressive for an RPG, frequently displays it’s limitations. Conversations between NPCs are strikingly linear and repetitive, and friendly NPCs are rarely helpful in combat, in fact they often become a nuisance. Occasionally I’m also put-off by some of the character animations, which can be quite unnatural or clumsy. The mini games can be either extremely frustrating, in the case of the lockpicking game, or just silly, as with the speechcraft (persuasion) game. I was also quite disappointed with the early death of Patrick Stewart’s character, Uriel Septim, however much it was essential for the storyline.

Overall though, Oblivion is one of the finest RPGs I’ve had the pleasure of playing, and I’ve played some of the best (both Baldurs Gate games, Planescape Torment, Knights of the Old Republic). I can only hope that the rest of the game maintains such a high standard.

Farewell,

Eldilor

Hello there,

Not only has Imperium in WoW been terminated (for now at least), but now Imperium in oGame is inactive as well. oGame just got boring for me. Just like WoW, after a while the limitations of the game became clear, and there was nothing further to look forward to. It was fun while it lasted though.

Burning Crusade, the upcoming expansion pack for WoW, is supposed to be coming out later this year I believe, and I should think I will be returning to WoW around the time of release. Hopefully my drive to play will be increased by that time.

On a separate note, I reinstalled The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion today (great game by the way), and I found that the save games, which I had to backup, were located in the ‘My Documents’ folder instead of in the Oblivion folder. Oblivion isn’t the only game to follow this trend, I remember that both GTA Vice City and San Andreas have both stored there saves in the same place, along with many other games.

Why? I just don’t understand why games developers make this decision. It seems much more logical to keep all a game’s assets, including saves, in the same place on the disk. Now that I think about it, it’s a problem with Windows in general that files are chaotically spread all over the place and disorganised. Keeping save games in the ‘My Documents’ folder is just another example of this endlessly frustrating disorder.

Admittedly a minor problem, but irritating regardless.

I’m going to try and post fairly regularly for a while. I’m back home and without the pressures of work for now.

Ta-ta.