Out With The Old...

Topics: Programming, Life

Lesson: noun something to be learned or studied: the lessons of the past.

Today I have learned that the very basic things you learn in school never cease to be relevant. For example, I had a missing import statement. I remember telling some of my students to always check for those things. Yet I spent 15 minutes trying to figure out exactly that; a missing import.

Never be too quick to discard lessons you learned years ago.

That's all for now.

Stay frosty,
Snowman

A New Kind Of Game...

Topics: Programming, Video Games

Adventure: noun An unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity.

Those who know me very well know that I have a great passion for video games, programming and storytelling. Therefore, it is no great secret that I've been trying to reconcile these three activities. While it would be pretty obvious to simply make a video game in order to convey a story, anyone who has dabbled in that medium knows it is no easy task; video games are still not quite accepted as a veritable and serious art form, and trying to tell a story while keeping the player interested is no easy task, though it has been done in the past.

The text-based adventure has been of interest to me lately. Most budding programmers with an interest in video games and a pinch of creativity dabbles into this guilty pleasure of generally bad design and simplified game mechanics. Many historically-important games were text-based adventures which are still played today. Other games take advantage of the graphical simplicity to create complicated gameplay.

I remember the first game I created. It was based on a fantasy setting I've been working on since June 2003 (and I just realized that the setting in question along with the multiverse I built around it will be 10 years old in a little over a month holy shit) and consisted mostly of some limited exploration and combat, with a small engine to procedurally generate weapons and armour.

The idea of creating a text-based video game where I could tell my stories was abandoned for a time. However, it has been coming back recently. I wondered how I could make not only a deep game story, but how I could make it accessible to the general public. I would like this engine to be available to many other players, who would be able to create their own stories without too much hassle.

I am still designing this system, which will be an interpreter for various "story" files. The goal is to create an easy-to-use system for people who are not programmers to create their own narrative-based video games. What do you think?

Stay frosty,
Snowman

Asserted Review: Bioshock Infinite

Topic: Video Game Review

Play: noun a dramatic composition or piece; drama.

Hey kiddies, just a quick note before I get into the bulk of the review. I'm still new at writing reviews, and I might be doing more in the future based on your feedback, so please comment to give me any ideas/hints/advice! Also, I know I said I would write a review of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, but I wanted to write this one first. Thanks, and enjoy!
- Snowman

So, Bioshock Infinite. Where do I begin? I bought this game when it came out last week, thinking to give another chance at the Bioshock series. I was mildly entertained by the first game, but quickly got fet up; I found that it got repetitive and bland fairly quickly. When the second game came out, I again purchased it to see how they managed to keep the franchise fresh (despite it taking place in a sunken, rotten city at the bottom of the ocean). While the story was a notch above the first game, it wasn't different enough to merit more than a glance on my part. So why, then, would I risk my money and time again for the new entry in the series?

Well, I'm a sucker for second chances, and the game got good reviews, so why not? I decided to once more plunge into the world of Bioshock.

I'm so glad I did.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

The story begins at a lighthouse, where you travel to the sunken city of Rapture — –

Well, not quite. As you may know, Bioshock Infinite takes place in Columbia, a gigantic (and I mean mother loving gigantic) floating city ripe with crazy fanaticism, fantastic racism and American dreams all over the place. The game is set in 1912 in the midst of the American exceptionalism period; very early on you are immersed in this great world which you know will be going to hell soon enough.

"Come one, come all, and see the amazing Handiman! Get it? 'Cause he has big hands?"

You play the role of Booker DeWitt, protagonist/asshole sent to Columbia to bring back a woman in order to settle an undisclosed debt (the arc words "give us the girl and wipe away the debt" are all but shoved down your throat throughout the game). Surprisingly enough, the task is more complicated than it first appeared (</sarcasm>). You are soon treated as a villain in this world and attacked on every side.

Vague enough for you? Well there's more where that came from!

A Novel In A Movie In A Game

Seriously, it's hard to write this review, and I will tell you why. This game has an amazing story. Not "really really good", but amazing. You will be amazed. The characters are believable, the setting is perfect for the story it is trying to convey, and the game keeps you stringing along the plot. At no point during the game do you forget your goals or motivations. But most importantly, the game does an extremely good job at making the player want to finish the story. You get attached to the protagonists and you begin hating the antagonists. Every single character is well crafted, with a very extensive, if only hinted at, backstory. Nothing in this world feels flat or shallow.

The reason it is hard to write this review is because the story is just so damn good, and anything I say about the story would be a spoiler. If you play on getting this game, do not look up any information online. The whole reason to get this game is to experience its story, and ruining it would also ruin your experience.

Story-Driven Gameplay

So, other than the story, what else is good? Well, for starters the gameplay is very solid. It follows the same Bioshock formula of using magic powers (now called vigors) along with weapons in various combinations in order to solve problems (read: shoot them in the face). The game somehow manages to do this better than its predecessors; the combat does not feel as repetitive as the previous games. It is fast-paced, and the rhythm at which combat is present in the game is just perfect. Longer combat segments are usually in larger areas, providing a variety of different strategies to employ, while shorter segments are fast and brutal.

Our lovely deuteragonist, Elizabeth. You accompany her throughout most parts of the game. Don't get confused; you don't have to protect her. She can take care of herself.

The environment is gorgeous, and while you never leave Columbia, it somehow never gets old. The world changes along with the story, and every little detail helps convey the sense of panic and urgency which permeates the later parts of the game. The soundtrack also features a wide range of music, from fast-paced sounds for combat to pleasurable church choirs for the more religious bits.

Overall, it's hard to break away from the story as everything in this game contributes to it. You are constantly reminded of what needs to be done, and the game does this amazingly. You will be walking on a pier, enjoying the sights, for a moment forgetting that your life is in danger, when suddenly Elizabeth will comment on the beautiful skies. Suddenly, you are reminded of her presence, of your mission, and of the grave peril you are in. It sounds like nothing, but it is small, subtle reminders like that which drive you forward. It doesn't give you a pop-up saying "SAVE TEH GURL NAO" every second. It doesn't blatantly say "let's not wait here too long" like many games. It simply strings you along peacefully.

Conclusion

STORY:	11	The best story in a video game I have seen in a very long time, and the main reason to buy this game.
VISUALS:	10	Amazing environment, beautiful landscapes.
SOUNDTRACK:	10	Great context-appropriate music, awesome musical score.
ATMOSPHERE:	10	If there was one thing Bioshock always did well, it's atmosphere.
CONTROLS:	10	Controls are very intuitive and easy to learn.
MULTIPLAYER:	N/A	The game does not offer multiplayer.
LENGTH:	9	Short game to play through, but justified; adding to the time would probably have added useless, dry segments to an otherwise active game.
OVERALL:	10/10

There are some games which you play and then forget about once you put down the controller. Then there are games which stick with you for a few weeks as you play them again and again until you have explored every facet the game has to offer. Then there are games like these, which let you experience a story that will stay with you for the rest of your life.

Stay frosty,
Snowman

Asserted Review: Monster Hunter Tri (recap)

Hey children, I will be writing a review of the upcoming game Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate in the next few days. The review will be a "sequel" of sorts to the following review of Monster Hunter Tri, which I am providing to you, free of charge! Enjoy!

Snowman here, and let us start this blog in force with Monster Hunter Tri, a Wii exclusive!



Now, anyone who's been paying attention to my personal life in the past few months will know that I simply adore this game. In fact, I can safely say that Monster Hunter Tri (also called Monster Hunter 3, MH3) has everything I was looking for in the game, and it delivered so much more. The music is good, the gameplay is smooth, and it is simply fun to play. This Wii exclusive is, in my opinion, the first game to use the console's full potential and is definitely a game you will not regret having in your collection.

Before I get too deep in this review, let me talk about the only really bad thing about this game. This game allows you to play using either the Wii Remote and Nunchuk or by using the Classic Controller (CC). In fact, in most gaming stores, you can buy a copy of MH3 that comes with a free Classic Controller. Do just that. The controls for the Remote+Nunchuk are simply horrible, and they are amazing with the Classic Controller. My advice: for the same price, get the one with the classic controller.

Monster Hunter (MH) is an extremely successful Japanese video game franchise; in its native country, MH is a household name like Pokemon or Yugioh. With MH3, this franchise has gotten the solid attention of the world. Like in previous games, you take on the role of a Hunter, a mercenary hired by the "Hunter's Guild" to... well... hunt monsters. In particular, the Lagiacrus, a giant sea Leviathan-class monster, is terrorizing a small village, and it is your job to (eventually) kill it. The first few quests are pretty mundane, such as collecting mushrooms or delivering raw monster meat (yum.), but they get pretty epic pretty fast.

You will not face the Lagiacrus, MH3's flagship monster and "adorable" troublemaker, until very late in the game. These hunters are certainly trying.

Speaking of epic, these monsters are massive. Realistically massive, but massive nonetheless; most stand two or three times taller than you, and some are simply too big for me to give an appropriate scale. The visual style of the game lends itself well to that effect. I can honestly say that this is the best looking Wii game so far. Granted, the graphics aren't what you would see on the PS3 or Xbox 360, but they definitely take full advantage of what the console is capable of. And while we're at it, the soundtrack of the game is as epic as the game itself. All these factors contribute to making every fight memorable, every defeat bittersweet, and every victory gratifying.

This game also requires a great deal of planning and strategy. Let me tell you something that happened to me while playing. I had become a hunter full of pride, having defeated several large monsters, some with ease, some with difficulty, and I was well on my way to defeat the dreaded Lagiacrus. Everything was going well, and I was brimming with confidence. Then came Barroth.

Oh crap.

Barroth (which I had affectionately nicknamed B*tchballs after a hilarious video describing it as a "b*tch with balls") is like a sledgehammer, but without the charm. It rams you for massive damage, it's hard to hit and pretty much impossible to block. Not only that, but his body is covered in mud which he flings around, and if you're unlucky enough to get hit, you cannot attack for a little while due to being covered in grime. It took me 3 failures before giving up. That's when I decided to start forging armors (forging your armors and weapons is an integral part of the game) to pass the time.

So there I was, forging new armor sets, when I realize that one of the herbivores present in Barroth's area, the Rhenoplos, gives materials for a set of armor which grants immunity to Barroth's mud-flinging attacks. After lots of farming and herbivore-murdering, it was time to face Barroth...

...and fail miserably. It took me very careful planning, a touch of luck and a total of about 7 tries to beat the beast. But oh how it felt good to kill that mother f*cker.

But that doesn't mean the game is all serious all the time, oh no. The game can be very light-hearted and cute at times, and the game's pace is simply amazing, with a good balance between humor and urgency. In particular the NPCs are lovable, and some of the monsters you meet make you want to cuddle them instead of murdering them.

They're cute now, but wait until they steal your sh*t. Also, compare these monsters with the ones shown above. This game has a good mix of light-hearted comedy and blood-chilling action.

Alright, this review is dragging on, so let's wrap up. The free online multiplayer supports a solid peer-to-peer network, a thriving online community, and an easy to use game lobby. The game itself definitely has over 60 hours of gameplay (online and offline combined), and is definitely worth the price. In short, I can say that Monster Hunter Tri is definitely one of the most memorable games I have played. If it endures the test of time, maybe it will even get into my top 5 favorite games list.

VISUALS:	10	Best Wii graphics around.
SOUNDTRACK:	10	Epic and memorable tracks, context-appropriate music.
ATMOSPHERE:	10	Simply amazing.
CONTROLS:	8	Horrible with the Wii Remote, great with the classic controller.
MULTIPLAYER:	10	Solid peer-to-peer online multiplayer.
LENGTH:	10	Well over 60 hours of gameplay.
OVERALL:	9.5/10

Monster Hunter Tri is definitely a game worth buying, and I urge everyone who has a Wii to pick up a copy and join the community.

-Snowman

On Learning

Topic: Learning, Programming

Learning: noun the acquisition of knowledge or skills through experience, practice, or study, or by being taught.

This post is for all those struggling, fledgling programmers out there worried about their lack of experience.

Throughout my years as a programmer (which are still minimal compared to my greater peers), I cannot say that I learned many computer languages. At this time, I wouldn't be able to program myself out of a C++ paper bag, Perl sounds like something you put on a necklace, and I still have no idea how to Python myself a program.

With keeping this in mind, what is my worth, I ask you, as a programmer?

To the untrained eye, my economic worth would be quite low; my lack of skills and experience would perhaps make me cheaper than an experienced developer, but my contribution would obviously not be as high.

Let us deviate a little for a moment. One person once said that willingness and desire to learn are the true qualifications for a person. In short, in this extremely interesting article Matt Gemmell discusses the subject of learning and problem solving, and argues that the worth of a software developer (or of any domain really) is in how much that person is willing to learn something new.

Let's get back to the subject at hand; the economic worth of an inexperienced programmer. If we believe what Mr. Gemmell says, then the worth of a person (in a professional environment) is directly related to their willingness and desire to learn. Notice how I didn't mention anything about the number of languages someone speaks, or the number of years of experience they have.

I guess my message would be to everyone worried about their lack of experience in any domain to grow and cultivate a desire to learn new things. It is quite easy to learn in school, when you are forced to do so, but it is significantly harder once you graduate and leave academia. At that moment, your personal growth becomes your entire responsibility, and sadly many people use that as an excuse to stop bettering themselves. But as long as you manifest a desire to learn and to grow, you will notice an exponential growth in your own abilities.

After all, we only stop to learn once we think we know everything.

Stay frosty,
Snowman