Roderick

Are you reading a terrible lot into my late-night posting? Shall we just say a violin-playing smily is fun, no matter what? Wasn't drunk myself or anything.

I agree; the cooking and mixing systems worked really well in Kingdom of Loathing. In the small period I played I was constantly looking up recipes, just to maximize the amount of adventures I could spend every day. I wouldn't actually know what would keep me addicted to an online game. I only ever played a few, so I don't feel an authority. Even Animal Crossing became boring after a while, so I actually think it's somewhat of an impossibility to make a game that stays interesting all the time. As a rule, everything becomes boring after weeks or months. As for keeping your players interested; it'll be a combination of stuff. Graphics need to be adequate and polished (not necessarily high-tech), there should be some hook that makes you like the game, a sense of progress and importantly; the ability to return easily after a pauze without having to start again or feel lost. BUt I don't think there are set rules or anything. Maybe it's all a total fluke what works and what doesn't.

Thank you, Moos, for that link. I love JCS, and this is remarkably true to the movie. Funny too.

Heh, well first let me finish my studies I'm not aiming for a salaried job anyway, it's freelance stuff I want. Part-time could work for me though. Does Woedend actually give away stuff to freelancers or is everything in-house, or on temporary contract?

Heh, amusing to hear, Marek. Maybe Woedend can hire me to do the backstories?

I just saw the whole first season (alright, that's only six episodes) of Dark Place. Quite funny! The off-tune intro theme cracked us up every time.

At the moment I'm doing a project in my final year at artschool for Guerrilla Games, makers of Killzone, and I think that could be a nice way in. If you also spend some time networking. But the strangest thing happened: while I was going through the whole trajectory of making a game as a designer (constructing schemes, writing docs, testing...) I discovered that a lot of these aspects didn't really interest me. Sure, I enjoyed putting down the foundations of the game and writing them down, and having intense discussions with the other designers on almost trivial details, but the technical stuff I thought was uninteresting, and testing the alpha versions didn't fire me up in the slightest. Basically, I discovered that my only interest was really in the writing of the fiction of the game. And more overtly; that I was finding a lot more satisfaction in my freelance journalism jobs than in actually making games! So I've begun considering stepping away from getting into the games industry as anything more than a freelance dialogue writer, and starting to think about becoming a professional journalist. Which could be refreshing, as then I won't see it as a means of getting a job in the industry, but rather as an end in itself, trying to create awesome reviews and articles.

Also; this series is the source of all the wonderful 'teatable' hilarity that's been occurring on Idle Thumbs. There is a LOT of repeptitive stuff in the interviews though. Those Japanese designers can be loooooooongwinded as heck. Very nice look into the company however. Just don't expect to hear anything negative

I was addicted to Kingdom of Loathing for a month after I saw it in Marek's sig. After that I couldn't be bothered by its endless clickfest. It is worthwhile though, lots of stuff to do, and funny, but after a while everything starts to bore unless it has stellar gameplay to compensate. Otherwise I don't know a lot. Is Maple Story something? It's free. I don't know. I know it's coming out for DS, which kicks ass, but apart from that: clueless.

What is this? A news post? A review? Makes no sense.

Currently I've been watching, rewatching and watching again lots and lots of episodes from both shows, and I'm just smitten by it. I'm even talking with a Scottish accent nowadays. This morning (obviously during work) I was watching the episode with the Batman Begins review and I was just in stitches the whole time. I think these are the best gaming shows I've ever seen and I love them for what they are (being obscure bits of non-sequitur Pythonesque gaming sketches, the occasional review thrown in and heart-felt rants about the gaming industry and its vices like pretentious journalists). Anyone else some thoughts about it? The Thumbcast told us Ryan and Rab were our friends, which obviously means we have a CV/VG-stronghold here and thus the flattery and apologist butt-kissing can commence without any repercussions. Begin.

Ohh, today I watched the Consolevania episode again on work where Rare gets a challenge from Team. TEAAAAAAMMMM!!

Heh, I've got one as well... but I don't import much. Hey I've heard you can get a limited edition of Portrait of Ruin with lots of cool stuff like a soundtrack and stylus. But you have to preorder it at EB Games or something? Can I do that online as well?

Mmm, Gears of War...

What, you have something against small people? You evil racist.

I actually see Miffy playing there.

I'm playing on an American Wii right now and I've got no problems with conversion on my cheap-ass TV whatsoever. (I did blow up the power supply though, but that was due to my lack of know-how.)

I saw it. Pathetic. Thrik, what on earth is that eye-symbol?

Well, that's possible. I agree you'll likely only use one type of weapon and stick to it, but it's the atmosphere I like about it, and the crazy huge bosses.

It doesn't need a lot; you just need to carve up the plug so that it fits the slot on the Wii. They're slightly different, but nothing that a dull kitchen knife can't handle. Also; so far the game rocks Graphics may be a trifle outdated (textures not as crisp as they could have been; shifts in amounts of polygons on characters), but the atmosphere that they've pumped in there. There're also other observations that I'm going to put in my review, so you won't read them here

For the last three hours I've been playing Twilight Princess! I cut up my gamecube adaptor and it works like a charm. Hooray! Problems solved

Alright, shite. I bought the transformer and it all fit, but I think the power supply itself is busted. There's a rattle inside it that sounds of loose parts and, well, there's just no power. So now what? I'm not technical at all, so cutting open the GameCube adaptor might be a risky move. But if it's my only shot... Anyone have some suggestions?

Already tried that piece of smart thinking, but alas. I think I'll just buy a transformer. It'll cost me some cash (I'm expecting 20-30 Euros), but I need to play the Wii man! Also, for some reason it's larger than I expected. When I see it standing in my room... it seems bulky. But that may be because I only ever saw them in huge airy bubbles on press conferences, which made them look tiny.

No, I just had the piece of plastic, which may explain why it blew up. But then I ask you, why in hell do they sell them in the first place when you'll always want to alter the voltage?