toblix

I just signed my first contract for a full time position as a software developer, starting June 15th! It's not in games or anything, but still! Now hit my weak points for massive congratulations!

Boring stuff like seismic activity logging software. Get it?

I'm conflicted as to the consequences of this!

I agree with Rodi, I think. I played WoW for, I don't know, a year maybe. I never reached level 60 because the higher level I got, the boringer it became. The most exciting and fantastic part of WoW, for me, was playing my first character, a Tauren hunter. The feeling of being this "little guy" in a large hand-crafted world, keeping to one area for a while, then travelling to the next one, discovering new enemies and different environments. Entering the large cities for the first time... These were the things I genuinely loved about WoW, and in some aspects, even though I'd give it a 4/10 on my toblixometer, in some aspects (discovery, sense of scale) it's the best I've ever had. Maybe the only reason I played WoW for so long (the other MMORPGs I've played lasted for maybe two weeks) is that low-level gameplay has a lot of single-player-ish stuff, so that my brain is tricked into having fun.

I haven't gotten far in this, but this stuff is genuinely funny! Who'd have thought that could happen again? For me an important measure of a game's dialogue quality is if the dialogue system supports realistic interruptions, as it shows how much energy has been spent on the whole dialogue aspect of the game. Nothing is lamer than dialogue timing based on the duration of the sound files, like in almost all other games.

Sometimes death is funny.

That's totally awesome! Any word on how well these are doing? Are more seasons guaranteed? Are even all the episodes in season 1 a sure thing?

Just finished it. That was great! It's like they were tapping into what made me love adventure games back in the nineties, and not sucking like most new adventure games. Although I didn't much like the Bones, this was beautiful, funny and fun. Dialogue puzzles rock! For what I paid for the entire season, it didn't feel too short either. Six episodes like this is more than worth it. Now for episode two. Is there a schedule for the season, or is it like the Half-Lifes?

Did you know that Touch Detective was such a fucking piece of shit? From the moment I started playing it, nothing felt right. It's as though someone has gotten an adventure game from some bizarro world and shat all over it. The characters, the dialogue, the... "puzzles" (what are they?). It's like nothing in the game has any meaning! I hate it! (Also, I'm stuck.)

Just played through it. It was great, but why wasn't the story more spread out? Or does my asking that indicate I didn't get it? Is there a link between this and Ico? And are there more games coming from these guys? And what was up with the glowing tails I ate? Why did I eat them?

Okay, it's hint time!

Well, while I love good dialogue, I don't love good dialogue that's repeated too often.

Okay, so I've got Grickle, Further Grickle and Hickee. I see there's lots of other stuff called Hickee This and Hickee That, and Hickee 2 #1 Volume 3 or whatever. Anyone know what the correct stuff to purchase is to get all the Hickee, if there's more stuff like this available, and where in the fucking Hell these things are available? What, do they print these things at home or something?

Why does it suck, or why should I play it? Or why shouldn't I?

I thought the fonts used in Fallout were cool. I can't find a good screenshot, though.

Phoenix Wright objects into Europe! Touch Detective touches into Europe! Yoshi's Island DS shoots its tongue into Europe! Ico swings from a chain into Europe! X-change comes to Europe, and although it used to be a boy it now has a vagina!

So, I've finally played ICO, the game everyone was talking about, saying it was great and everything. Now, I'm liking the game, but it makes me fucking depressed. This game is crushing my soul, with its vast, abandoned halls and courtyards, and the shouting for the girl echoing in the hard brick walls of this crazy fortress. And then the god damn motherfucking shadow guys always come when I just got somewhere interesting, and I have to start finding a way back to fight them, and the fighting isn't that great. It's sort of tedious, really, with the hitting and disappearing and flying and pulling the girl from those holes. AND NOBODY SAYS A WORD EVER. If I were attacked by shadow beings I'd shout and cry like a little girl, even if I was the boy. It's sort of dreamy and weird, and I like it, but also there's some magical feeling that says to me, in my most inner of hearts: "No, don't play it," it will say. "Why would you return to that depressing and sad world of shadows and windmills? There is no joy for you there." And mostly I'll listen, because there's Guitar Hero and Broken Sword 4 and fucking Phoenix Wright! And also Contact, but, you know.

Some day you'll regret destroying my clever thread titles! Also, I just completed Ico. It was great, although the part towards the end where sucked savepoint density/danger amount-wise. Replaying slow parts of a game always sucks, even when it's Ico. Also, I think I would've enjoyed the game more without the fight sequences. Although they never got horribly difficult, I think the environment did a heck of a lot better job of instilling fear and helplessness in me than those shadow guys. I'm no game designer, though. I'm not even Japanese. The ending was fantastic. was very powerful, especially when they showed

I felt it reminded me of one of those old games... Space Invaders?

Hey, nobody tell him about the secret metagame!

No, I'm more "Objection!" and "Take that, computer controlled opponent in the game Flatout 2!" and "Although I find Link's Awakening fun to play, the parts in between dungeons are more fun with a walkthrough." and "Contact was pretty disappointing." and "Yay, I just took my last exam ever!"In fact, I just had an idea: the next Zelda game I'm playing, I'll draw up a map and make notes on it, so that I can come back to places later when I've got the gizmo that lets me pass the whatever is in the way or hole in the ground.

I'd post the Penny Arcade strip about Interplay, but, you know.

Yeah, I just finished it, having drawn out the playing process as much as possible, which I tend to do when I'm loving something. Even without a special fifth chapter, the game was super great. Anyone know when the next one is expected? That would be a port of the GBA Gyuiuiusan Whatever 3, right? I guess they'll port that over too, if PW2 sells enough units. Anyone know how the sales have gone? I expect it went very well, and since these games have to be relatively cheap to make/port, I guess the sales don't exactly have to be stellar to allow for a (port of the) sequel. Also, what in the fuck is up with not playing Phoenix in PW4?

Fucking. I just tried it again. The guy just doesn't grab on to the edge. Thankfully I've found a video runthrough on youtube, and it's loading as I type this. I'll be excited to find out what the Hell. YOU CAN FUCKING SWING ON THE CHAINS?!