Karimi

Well , a time for some catharsis. Let me list some stupid things I believed : When I read magazines and saw (-ed) I thought there was this guy named ed adding his opinion to the reviews. Ie : He always was a turd (and bastard -ed.). I became suspicious when I noticed he was everywhere, for a short while I thought maybe he was this gaming celebrity that did it all. You know how on coke covers in fast food places they have those things you push in so that the guy giving you the food knows if its diet ,regular or 7up ? I thought those were polls and that they removed them after you were done and collected them for information . I also thought that if I pushed them all in the cleaners would get angry and hurt me. I was young and paranoid. I used to hang christmas decorations on our door even though were weren't christians, it was christmas and we lived in a country where it never snows and hardly ever rains. Thats about all I remember.

There goes all the respect I had for Chris... Who wants to be my rolemodel now ?

Gaming Dead? Not really... A Rant by Karimi (With cool picture !) For the past few years, we have seen a shift in the quality and type of games being made. Here at Idle Thumbs the general consensus (even if no one says it directly)is that gaming is pretty much dying and that gaming isn't what it used to be. I doubt it. Because I know how much you people here love opinions I decided to post mine on several questions coming up today. 1 - Has the quality of gaming truly deteriorated over the past few years ? It may seem like it has , but if you think about it not really. Games have increased in popularity, true ; but there is still quality out there. Lets look at genres, past and present. I will just name a few names in each for a general idea. Past is relative, I think 5+ years is pretty much good enough to count something as past since gaming hasn't been around for too long. Approximately 20 years if you count arcades, but gaming pretty much became strong in the 1990's. FPS Past : Doom , Halflife , Quake Present : Halflife 2 ,Battlefield 2 , Call of Duty Strategy Past : Warcraft 1-2 , Civilization, Age of Empires. Present : Warcraft 3 , Rome : Total War, Rise of Nations Role-playing Past : Fallout 1-2 , Planescape, Baldurs Gate Present : Knights of the Old Republic, Neverwinter Nights , Morrowind. Adventure Past: Monkey Island, Grim Fandango, Day of the Tentacle Present : Beyond Good and Evil , Psychonauts Simulation : Past: Dungeon Keeper, Sim City, Theme Hospital Present : Black and White, Evil Genius, The Sims 2 MMORGS : Past : Ultima Online , Everquest New : World of Warcraft, Guild Wars, City of Heroes Etc. Past: Fifa 98. Present : Winning 11. Overall, gaming has improved or maintained its level. The exceptions are adventure games and roleplaying games. Roleplaying games are still popular but have become sort of a niche that has taken a backseat to action , Bioware is pretty much the driving force in today's rpgs (obsidian in the future hopefully). But its worth noting that most of the classics in the past were also made by one developer Black Isle. As for adventure games, I will admit they are in a decline but not dead. Facts are adventure gaming will never really die , this could be a phase in its timeline , maybe adventure games were a phase. Adventure games will never die out, they won't be the traditional point and click games. They evolved into different genre, so that while some may say adventure games are dead I believe they have just integrated into other genres. Psychonauts which is an adventure/platformer is an example of that. Defining adventure as point and click is too specific, its like defining FPS as Hp/armor interface. Adventure games are like arcade games, sure there aren't many arcades but they exist. The only reason arcades are "dead" is because gaming has evolved so that you don't have to walk down the block and insert credits you can play at home. Because gaming has become a more accepted form of entertainment and is becoming more of a universal thing, you're getting more games and thus a greater variety. Think of it in terms of population, in a country with a million people a genius is one in a million; in China or a country with a billion people a genius is 1000 in a billion. So , you're getting more great games BUT you're getting more bad ones. Basically, you're getting a more diverse range. A wider spectrum which still shows the same colors , but with more degrees of variation. What does that mean for us? You've got to sift through the mud to find the gold. 2- Is gaming becoming more corporation oriented? Yes and no, there are more corporations and EA is the horrible spawn of Satan that took the rights to the NFL. Its in man's nature to rebel , history can prove that and its almost certain that gaming will persevere. Corporations exist in the movies business but you still get amazing movies being made now and then. You say what gaming needs is a greater indie scene, things like the Sundance Film Festival ... we have that. Darwinia, Gish ,Uplink , mods, FireFox, and Linux are proof that gaming is not all corporation based. Gaming is becoming more open , everyone is doing their best to fight the "man" (Bill Gates). Which is sort of proof that its in man's nature to rebel and that games/computers are not and probably will never be controlled by corporations. What gaming does need though is more support for these smaller developers, from the gaming sites and from gamers as well. Developers need to realize that there are different ways of getting published, selling the game on the site can work or sending the game by mail (Gish). 3- Are great games being ignored? Some are, some aren't. Katamari Damacy isn't being ignored, Psychonauts is being ignored. Why? Marketing , gamers, concept. Whatever it is , some games aren't getting the attention they "Deserve". Because of opinion and taste we say Psychonauts is good and shouldn't have been ignored. Not all good games are being ignored, so either Psychonauts is a bad game that we like or something was done wrong. There are games that prove that people still have taste so no, some games are being ignored but not all of them. If anything, in this day we make an effort to find good games and try to credit any game that does something well. Psychonauts was well received by the critics, so it wasn't "ignored" , people just didn't try it/get a chance to try it/want to try it. 4- Are gamers idiots? Bear with me , here comes another example. Elections, a person where I live got elected for a position , a political group a relative of mine is it (Democratic society) is against it because the person was a close minded guy and too backward for the position. But still the person made it and many religious people voted for him. The political group says "People are blind, that person shouldn't be there, this isn't democracy, its stupid." Well, it is democracy, people voted for who they wanted and now they complain because it worked too well? Same thing with gaming , in games majority rules. The people who buy games decide what games will be made. We ask who's buying these crappy games, we say people will buy Sam and Max but facts are the market is deciding all this and there are a lot of gamers who would rather play some shooting game than have an "EXPERIENCE". Should we call them idiots ? Not really , they play games for a different reason. They play to kill , for sounds , graphics , and explosions. We play for different reasons. We are a minority in the community, Halflife 2 was a really successful game. Saying other gamers are idiots for not buying adventure games is pretty much saying "He's an idiot for not liking what I like." We just have to deal with the fact that there are a lot of people buying the games we think are stupid, and that's what matters to a producer. Its the same thing with books and movies, people may hate a movie because they don't like its genre or style. The director may say people are stupid and that they don't appreciate it but in the end thats a risk , and if the people don't like it what's the point ? Tim Schafer knows we love him , but is that enough for a publisher ? Nope. Gamers aren't stupid , they are just different. Sort of like retards, with money. Not that gamers are retarded, im just saying they don't have the same taste as I do. 5- Is the future of gaming in any real peril? Remember the last time you were in the city and saw that naked guy with the beard? Come on, you remember, the one with the sign "The world/wurld is cumin/coming to an end" ? Same thing. There are still great games (Katamari Damacy), and great designers (Tim Schafer, Peter Molyneux, Will Wright). There will always be great games. Example: Bioware, Knights of the Old Republic. 6- Idle Thumbs We should change the forums from Idle Forums to Grumpy Gamers. I don't say this out of hate otherwise I wouldn't be here. Yes,yes, I know i've bothered you before but this should be the last time... Lets not be negative, we should understand that gaming has changed and that what was once a hit in the past is considered a cult classic. 30,000 sales a while back was a hit, now its a start. Heck, there were more people playing cracked versions of Doom 3 than there were people playing Grim Fandango. We should have our preferences but let's not say gaming is dead, or that it was better the old way. It makes us sounds like tired old elitists. The old days are gone, let's keep our love for the old and try to embrace the new. We shouldn't change who we are, but let's not be the last on the bus or the last people willing to accept change. We can keep our position as the elitist bastards of the gaming community, but at least lets be hard to please elitists not "The old ways are best" elitists. ======================================= Footnotes : Took too long , and its a has more words than I thought it would .

I took a risk and bought that episode 3 game for the ps2. It sucks.

You're just typing all this up to feel smart aren't you ?

I think its an angry tomato , injected with Kingz serum. Its so wrong.. im sad ??

I think I ate too many beans , either that or its the human flesh. Damn gas, it stinks. Reminds me of my uncle's slaughterhouse. I wish I was there right now, all that meat...

I haven't played Katamari Damacy , but I don't think Ron Gilbert was joking. Maybe he was kidding to some extent , theres still a point there and from what i've read about Katamari Damacy it could be correct. Do games have to have a message ? Not really, games are forms of entertainment. Just like movies, there are some deep lesson movies and some movies where people get killed and blown up. I think what games should have is good gameplay, and a decent storyline . The storyline doesn't have to be nobel prize material , but it should at least make some sense and hold the game together. Metal Gear solid 3 is a good example of how a game can be more than just entertainment. its a fun game,has a pretty good story and theres enough depth to make you think about life. The Metal Gear series has always been one of my favorites , an example of what gaming can be when done right. The song in the beginning of Snake Eater is still in my head.

We all do ?

Thats physically impossible , since if you're wearing shoes and they are being rocked the socks aren't considered rocked because the feet with the shoes are being rocked. However if no shoes are being worn then the socks would be rocked since there is no greater set of rocking. Now , in the case of your shoes rocking on one person , and socks rocking on you then its rocks my socks and shoes. Is that the case?

I've got free time so.... THE NEW CHIA REMO !

Take shoes, hair, and a few games then just add water. Presto , a fine specimen is born.

I don't really see the point of making it to 100 % , other than bragging rights what is the point ? Finishing the story would be good enough for me.

Good one. I've been meaning to try it out. My to play list : Arcanum Morrowind Icewind Dale X-wing pilot (apparently its worth trying) My to finish list : Fallout 1 Planescape Guild Wars/World of warcraft (haven't been playing them these days) God of War Far cry GTA SA Band of Brothers Guild Wars hasn't impressed me so far, it seems very average and with very little innovation. Maybe I haven't played enough but after playing fallout and planescape it just feels so cliche. The setting is typical , the style average (pretty but nothing interesting), and gameplay like diablo but with an online market. Like I said its probably because I haven't played much , but so far its not encouraging me. I guess this isn't positive but I had to let it out.

Naturally, I got the 3 game pack which has Fallout 1 , 2 , and Tactics. Tactics was ok but I feel that Fallout is a great game because of the interaction , story, and gameplay rather than the setting.So having a tactics sort of game in a fallout setting did nothing for me. Fallout 1 is great but what happened was that I played Fallout 1 , uninstalled it after destroying the Military Base since a bug stopped me from going further (it told me I didn't kill the mutant but I did). I bought Fallout 1 a few years ago. The triple pack I bought last month ; I played and finished Fallout 2 so now im playing fallout 1 over again.

Recently I've been playing good games and watching good movies . Played Fallout 2 , and playing Planescape Torment. Im definately trying to play more of the "classics" to get a feel of what gaming truely is. I mean i've played strategy, and fps classics but I find that roleplaying/adventure have them all beat. I realize now how much story means to me and how great it can make a game. Saw some movies . Ray , Napoleon Dynamite. N.D was pretty funny and an interesting movie though I always had this feeling like I was waiting for the movie to start. Ray was pretty good, the music and acting were nice; the overall message was good too.

Karimi's Guide to Joining Idle Forums : Introduction: You were attracted by the colorful pictures and promise of conversation amongst a mature and sophisticated gaming community. You said it would be interesting, and decided to check it out. Somewhere along the line you clicked the link to this site and lost the address of that site, tough luck. Joining Idle Forums is described by most as "Baptism by Fire"; its a scary and often painful experience. But if you stay here long enough, suck up to the important people you just might make a friend or two. This guide will teach you: 1- What Idle Forums have to offer. 2- Your first days. 3- Do's and Don'ts 4- Looking to the future. ---- What Idle Forums have to offer: Idle Forums is a community of grumpy nostalgic gamers, they are the young version of your mean grandfather, or the old man in your town. He sometimes beats you with a stick but its because he loves you ... sort of. Like grandpa they prefer their peace and nothing too new. Its like an old jazz club, but with more abbreviations. There are alot of elitists here ,since the forums are largely based on an aristocrat-based class structure ; which is what makes it hard to get into the community. Idle Forums is a interesting place to visit, provided you don't stay too long. You may eventually be able to make your own opinion and it's an interesting place to see another side of gaming and expand your horizons. The people are pretty witty and though may seem hostile, can usually be coerced into not hating you. ---- Your first days: 1- Pick a discreet name , something that will become important later on but can easily be missed in your first week or two. Something like : Hambob. 2- Don't alert anyone to your presence, in fact, don't post for a month. Imagine the people are aggravated chimpanzees; you don't want to make them angry or feel insecure. Just stay quiet, lurk , read posts, make them know you're there but don't do anything. Not yet. 3- Prepare an avatar and a signature. The avatar should be something somewhat dull, so that you don't stand out too much you don't want to alert them to your presence as I said. The avatar should have a gaming icon but nothing too fancy, and nothing action related. Remember N.I.C.E.; if it's new, immature, chrome, exciting it shouldn't be there. Shiny things or anything from the last five years is usually frowned upon. You can't go wrong with Tim Schafer, Grim Fandango or Monkey Island. As for signature, have a quote from Remo , Spaff, Yufster or something game related. The rules for avatars also apply to your signature , make it something old , such as "Sounds more like the name of a flooring inspector". If really unsure just have a name such as Lechuck. 4- Don't start any threads. Definitely a no-no, they will realize you're new and chew you up. Really. 5- Start out by making short posts , usually supporting the poster and agreeing.Not more than a sentence is preferred ; try to avoid making a blanket statement or something you will regret. Example : "I sort of might like RANDOM BAND when they are good". If you're not sure whether to agree or disagree look at the post count of the user, if its above 500 agree, if not remain neutral. If it's as much as yours or less, call him an idiot and insult his/her belief system. 6- People to know , anyone with 1500 posts or more . Message them saying how great they are and that you love their articles. If they want specifics tell them its all good ,and that picking a specific would take away from the beauty of the article in general. 7- Read up on some old games , work up a hate for anything mainstream. If you like Halo , bite yourself every time you think of it and eventually you will be like the Idle Forums members ! ---- Do's and Don'ts : - Do compliment everyone you deem important , remember post count ! - Do insult other newbs. - Do use sarcasm whenever possible. - Do remember , if its cynical is worth posting - Do compliment Monkey Island everytime someone reviews another game. Example "The game is decent but Monkey Island was better" - Do compliment Tim Schafer, Ron Gilbert , or other Forum favorites. - Do laugh anytime they insult you , or ignore it. - Do hate what you hate and love what you love. There is no in between , if its not good its bad , if its not bad its good. - Don't hesitate to say you hate or despise something , be creative with your hatred. Phrases like "Sucks ass" , "totally newbish" , "not worth my time", "has the wit of a baboon" earns you respect ! - Don't clarify if you were being sarcastic or not. It makes the person asking the question feel stupid. Be sure to reprimand the person asking by saying something like "Can't you tell ??" - Don't use emoticons , its makes you seem newbish and/or friendly. Except the icon , it makes you seem mysterious/cynical. - Don't make a welcome thread; you're better off making it a farewell thread. - Don't have any opinions until you've been on the site for a year. - Don't spam any links, they will only make fun of your taste and call you a newb. You don't want to be a newb do you ? -Don't make your thread question based, if you want someone's opinion or want to know what their favorite thing is you message them. At least the rejection/humiliation is not public. ---- Looking to the future : By the end of the first year, some people should like you. You should be generally respected (which means that no one hates you or insults you frequently). Now you can truely enjoy these forums. You can start sharing opinions , giving suggestions and best of all after bottling up hate for a year you can feel free to dish out some insults to anyone new ! After all , you had to go through it so why shouldn't they ?! Remember, the key to fitting in is trying to be better than everyone else. But don't over do it , remember, if you do become better than everyone else you become a sellout. You don't want that just yet. That comes around the third year, or by the time you start writing articles. ---- Enjoy Idle Forums , I'm sure you will find it all worth it ... or not. Goodluck, Karimi ========== Footnotes : I would like to thank Chris Remo, he inspired this guide by saying : Meant as a joke but I guess it might actually work, I did take some of this advice. ========== Edit : Spelling errors , better choice of words ,removed things that I repeated , making some things clearer.

My first time was when I sat down to play Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis. I was a wee one, inexperienced , immature, and optimistic (not much has changed). Indy was a seasoned veteran. It was a bit awkward but enjoyable , and at the end of a long fruitful journey the result was one of my favorite gaming memories. How bout you guys ?

I don't blame her.

Shes good looking, this is sort of stupid though. Its not like Jessica Alba visits this site and thinks to herself "They really love me !" UNLESS.... Yufster?

It wasn't really intended as a set up , but usually the people here can put sometihng together. Something like : I lost my gaming virginity to Lara Croft oh yea... Or something.

Heheh. I expected more people to make virginity jokes , I'm sort of disappointed .

Damn , I did forget that. Oh well , I guess I can save it for the revised/more expensive version coming once sales for this guide go down.

Lets see . I assume when you say they are beginners they still have a relatively good grasp of the english language and are capable of reasoning and solving some quests. If not then most of the stuff below wouldn't work out , but I guess Doom 3 would still be an option. Halflife isn't too hard, neither is UT 2004. Psychonauts , Beyond Good and Evil are pretty good. Fallout , Neverwinter Nights, and Planescape are good games. But expect to do alot of talking , ESPECIALLY with planescape. Age of Empires, The Sims , Civilization 3 are fun and the leaning curve isn't too bad. Monkey Island series, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis are adventure classics. In terms of controls they are easy to play , but might be a bit difficult to understand. Fifa Street and most Street games are easy to pickup and play ; they require some memory but its really simple. 5 minutes or so. That about covers every genre.

How much of the movie will be in FPS ? 5 minutes ? I recall there was this old black and white movie that was done completely in fps pov , I don't remember the name though.