tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45405909413137535262024-03-14T08:03:50.114+00:00103% CompleteGames writing. No angle too obtuse103% Completehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12770843145677764848noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540590941313753526.post-55907878911517366642024-02-19T15:52:00.007+00:002024-02-19T15:53:07.356+00:00There Is No Peak, So Climb With Care<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiM9Auy4iWHkOV3twzm-lQUVTbrDu8eHBvK8y_ruLzwiy1MAIwNV9VsZmWZfSsnZ-LJjIztdRotTRcRFLsQ06H8tV1vjyCNVprj2Vp8JbL9eeEH7mbEfVG2epcbLKCPkjwzasDPJeX5bzJADh_USCNdMNzW9KGluarYiu3tNVZyZJsHUdgwaVrb3aGi62Ma" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="480" data-original-width="538" height="357" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiM9Auy4iWHkOV3twzm-lQUVTbrDu8eHBvK8y_ruLzwiy1MAIwNV9VsZmWZfSsnZ-LJjIztdRotTRcRFLsQ06H8tV1vjyCNVprj2Vp8JbL9eeEH7mbEfVG2epcbLKCPkjwzasDPJeX5bzJADh_USCNdMNzW9KGluarYiu3tNVZyZJsHUdgwaVrb3aGi62Ma=w400-h357" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I'm an occasional stand-up comedian. You won't have heard of me, I don't have a social media following, and I'm largely inactive throughout the year. My day job and my life get in the way of doing regular weeknight slots around town and that's just the way it is. I also play djembe in a band a couple of times a year. I like putting on a good show with my friends! I don't perform all that often, partly because if I do commit to participating in a live show, I want it to be excellent. Everyone has bad gigs, but I don't want my next bad gig to be because either I or my co-performers didn't have the resources to commit to all the required practice time. </p><p>A jerkass truism about putting on a performance for others is that you need to Be Good Or Get Better. It's both very good and useless advice to offer to a performer. The good side first. Your absolute aim should be to give your audience the best show you can in return for their taking a chance on you and your show. They could have just as easily stayed at home with a cup of hot tea. It's tough to beat a cup of tea at home when the alternative involves leaving home and traveling to something which might be a shit time. I don't know about you but I take that kind of responsibility over someone's evening entertainment very seriously. So yeah, if you're not good enough to put on that show, you need to get better before you do, no ifs no buts.</p><p>The shitty part of the Be Good or Get Better advice is that it's not very constructive, is it? For one, what is Good Enough? All you can do with Be Good or Get Better is to seek continuous improvement. Perpetually seeking out imperfection and destroying it. Finding great things about what you can already do and push it even further. On the face of it, this isn't a terrible game plan and it is how you improve but the real issue is that there's no tangible end to this climb. There is no hard maximum. There is no peak. Just more slope and sheer cliff face and at some point, you have to abandon or at least temporarily cease the pursuit of ever greater skill. </p><p>You have to stop climbing. If not simply for the practical reason that there's a performance coming. The one you're about to be in. Climbing time is over. You have to be comfortable with the level of performance that you are currently able to give and believe that is good enough, even if just for one show. As a sidebar, if you truly don't believe that what you're doing will be of any value to the audience that you intend to perform to, then you should have a serious conversation with yourself or your team, but that conversation should happen in good time to cancel or postpone the performance. Otherwise, just get out there, put a smile on your face, and have at it. You would be astounded how much your audience will adore your terribly imperfect skills that are secretly very good actually. Once the performance is over... sure, you can look at the data and beat yourself up about it. You can find ways to improve and resume the endless climb again. But that's for later. Enjoy your performance and the after-party, you've earned it!</p><p>The performers I've met in my life tend to be lovely, hypercompetitive, and relentlessly self-critical people and I try to say nice things to them. Especially stand-ups. The competition there is especially fierce, and the experience of being a stand-up can be devastatingly lonely at times. Going it alone can be a bad time! More often than not you're only able to compare notes with yourself. Most of your fellow practitioners are also rivals, and you're extremely lucky if you have a congressive, collaborative space within which you and other acts can offer candid and useful advice to each other in an equitable way. In practice, you don't often have a good support network there. Your friends and family can be a great source of emotional support but chances are you don't come from a legacy community of stand-up comics. Even then, the journey of stand-up is a solitary one. It's the best and worst thing about it, complete authorial power with complete responsibility for the performance.</p><p></p><p>Any work that you intend to submit for subjective criticism is affected by this. Years ago, I submitted my PhD thesis (it's about secret intelligence-gathering operations if you were wondering) and I also know quite a few people who are in the business of writing books. If you've ever tried to write something that breaks the 50K word count, there's a good chance that you're the world expert on whatever you're writing about and it's almost certain that nobody on Earth knows your specialist topic better than you do. This can put the writer at risk of entering a toxic headspace. Even great acts of self-encouragement and forgiveness can ultimately fall on your own deaf ears. It's terribly easy to talk yourself down to the point where you're wishing for an end to the torment of putting the beastly words together. You might even want to quit outright. You will almost certainly have a crisis of confidence about your ability to inform, entertain, and enlighten your prospective audience. Personally, I don't think I could trust a writer who claims that they have always written with an unflinching sense of purpose. I'd simply smell a rat.</p><p>So sure, I've so far come to the conclusion that creativity is hard. Big whoop, not much of a takeaway. We're all vulnerable to the mental health pitfalls associated with simply putting ourselves out there. The impulse to pursue that challenge in itself is fine. Better than fine actually. I respect anyone who picks up a paintbrush, a word processor, or whatever with the intent to create and share something. But when the healthy self-criticism tips over into ritualised self-loathing, it becomes unsustainable.</p><p>You need to regularly free yourself from the stress of self-criticism if your work is going to have any positive outcome. Choose to believe it for that reason if you don't think preserving your own personal well-being is reason enough. You have to be able to say to yourself "This is my current level. I know what it's going to take for me to take my performance to the next level, and I know that I can't do that right now". Even reading that thought again to myself I can hear how much that sounds like compromise. It is. It's supposed to be. It <i>has</i> to be. </p><p>You have to care about your performance, but you also have to care about yourself. I know there's a temptation to romanticise a do-or-die mentality. To leave it all out there on the field. To be the most dedicated artist possible. Sure, there are some exceptional artists and art that have been wrung out of that kind of approach but just as many artists have been chewed up and spat out by it too, successful or not. People like that will have not read this far. You are most likely not one of those people who can put everything about the performance ahead of themselves. You, my friend, have things that you care about. And people who care about your wellbeing.</p><p>You have to grow where you can and maintain what you need. Performance literally has no skill ceiling, and therefore there is no strict effort ceiling beyond what kills you. There is no peak to that mountain, just endless and ever-steepening slopes. I advise anyone still reading that the mountain has an infinite number of ski lodges for rest and relaxation. It's also perfectly okay to retreat back down the mountain if that's what you need. It's just not worth it otherwise and hey, if you still think rest is for the weak, please climb with care. It's a long way down.</p>103% Completehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12770843145677764848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540590941313753526.post-16896365736960495072024-01-05T15:52:00.005+00:002024-01-06T22:09:11.259+00:00I've Become the Guy Who Plays Games at the Hangout<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgl95jeaSe0l4BKNSP3Sw7NI2SCAMf_FY1k8FmJU8TEfxUb3UmPrq2MK23F108aLMukaaZ5k_J1WppAglRI_WtSJ9dNffKWwGkxcJ4zPG3bjqWB7fxzd1gD9PsVv-sg31_YvvKfMIKUpwNoA2lUfpJGfMAOui3GKta2m6s0pCu3grBne_eMayq1jvdTTaVU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgl95jeaSe0l4BKNSP3Sw7NI2SCAMf_FY1k8FmJU8TEfxUb3UmPrq2MK23F108aLMukaaZ5k_J1WppAglRI_WtSJ9dNffKWwGkxcJ4zPG3bjqWB7fxzd1gD9PsVv-sg31_YvvKfMIKUpwNoA2lUfpJGfMAOui3GKta2m6s0pCu3grBne_eMayq1jvdTTaVU=w396-h263" width="396" /></a></div><br /></div><p></p><p>Console gaming has many flavours<br /><br />The platonic ideal first. The intense single-player experience is just you, your controller, the screen, and maybe a beer. Very intimate, personal time with four hours of uninterrupted progress. In second place there is multiplayer. You're playing with one or more friends. Snacks are eaten. Swear words are sworn. Smack talk. You know, bonding. Third, we have co-op gaming which is a combination of first and second place. </p><p>Then we get down to playing games for the benefit of an audience. We have small streamers who casually stream for their friends or a small but dedicated fan base. A few streamers even make a tidy buck doing it for a living! Single-player streamers tend to be the norm here. We also have a fair amount of Let's Players and sick clippers doing the rounds but all of this requires an internet connection and for someone to click on a link. But we can go deeper still. </p><p>For me, the ideal streaming experience is entirely offline. One person (usually me) is playing, but one or more people, whether they are paying full attention at any given time or not, can dip in it out of watching me play, chatting to someone, or fixing drinks for everyone. Think less Scorsese film and more like Bake Off in terms of what's on the screen and what purpose it serves for the room. It's one step above watching the music-fueled screensavers from the Windows Media Player days. This is the lane I prefer to swim in.</p><p>An example then, my mother-in-law visited over the holidays (<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/4540590941313753526/1607608026970981950">see here for another reference to my mother-in-law</a>). For as long as I've known her, One of her favourite things to do in the world is to casually watch me play Super Mario World on the SNES Mini. According to my spouse, she also used to be quite good at playing the game herself but she has since decided to retire from actively playing it herself and now prefers to watch. Um, you know, to the point where she'll have flown all the way across from Madrid just to watch me play Super Mario World again.</p><p>Sometimes we will forgo a restaurant date because she prefers to watch me doing this. It's great though. Like, I've played the game to death anyway so it's a nice relaxing time for me. On the one hand, she's transfixed for brief spells but then on the other, she can check her phone, talk to me and my spouse, and generally stop paying attention whenever she wants and it's nobody has to make a big deal out of it. It's Bake Off, but Mario.</p><p>But historically she's only been interested in Super Mario World. I can maybe get her to watch some Crash Bandicoot if she's in a spicy mood but that's very rare. This year it was a relief to see that she would accept the entertainment value of Super Mario Wonder because Hey, it meant that I wasn't playing Super Mario World again. You know what else? I was trying to complete my standee collection having finished literally everything in the game at that point. I could cheekily farm for purple coins while entertaining my mother-in-law. By the end of her time with us, I was done!</p><p>*</p><p>Closer to New Year's, we invited our relatively new neighbour over for a smoke and a drink, he vapes outside a lot and I'd said hi to him enough times. This would be the longest time we'd spent with him. Real 'get to know you' territory.</p><p>So of course I start playing Thumper on the big TV. I think we were talking about music tastes and the new neighbour used the word 'intense' to describe his music taste and one thing led to another thing led to Thumper on the big TV. It was the tail end of a messy night so that's all the detail I have about how Thumper came to be on the big TV. My spouse casually apologised to the new neighbour for the abstract rhythm horror playing out on the screen but the neighbour was nodding and smiling, stating that 'he was into it'. Our new neighbour is a pretty cool guy it turns out.</p><p>I don't have a similarly cool story for how Bomb Chicken, Super Mario Wonder, or Puzzle Lines DX ended up on the big TV. At this point, I was just playing five or so minutes of this game. and then five or ten minutes of another. I was creating colours and shapes on a screen that were compelling enough to create a mild background vibe in the room, but nothing so compelling that casual conversation and general vibery would have to take a back seat to the action on screen. We had achieved a delicate balance and dear reader, it was a really chill time.</p><p>*</p><p>Some games are better than others at achieving this 'Sitcom Effect'. I've had some time to reflect on what makes for a good Sitcom Effect Game (or SEG if you will) and I'll set them out for you now.</p><p>You need a very low on-ramp time to get SEG status. The time from booting up the game to actually playing the game should be less than a couple of minutes. If your PS5 game requires a 45-minute patch then that's clearly not a SEG. I'm also not keen on 60-second loading times every time you die so that eliminates most FromSoftware and Bethesda stuff. You don't have any of that nonsense with Bomb Chicken. You can be bomb-shitting kick-chicken in next to no time. Bomb Chicken is a SEG.</p><p>Next up is readability. A spectator who is low on both investment and attention, possibly even low game literacy also, must be able to get a good read on what is happening on the screen and why. Unless you're all part of Riot's League of Legends death cult, that game is nigh unreadable for anyone trying to watch it. Before you all rush in to disagree with me you'll have to admit it's no Mario Tennis Aces or Nidhogg. It's certainly no Bomb Chicken. Everyone knows where they stand concerning Bomb Chicken, even if they didn't watch the tutorial levels.</p><p>The final gut check for the SEG is admittedly context-sensitive. It's almost redundant to say 'read the room' because that generally applies to all actions where the number of people in the situation is greater than or equal to 2. But vibe check you must. If you're at Jesse Pinkman's house, maybe RAGE is a legitimate SEG, but graphic violence is generally a no-no, except for when it isn't. Doom is either the best SEG for your hangout room or the worst. Use your best judgement, traveller. </p><p>*</p><p>Practicality aside, there's a deeper sense of relaxation I get from playing games without any particular purpose or goal in mind than mildly entertaining a room of stoners and drunks. I find that all too often that when I'm playing videogames, that I'm doing it with a task-oriented mindset. I often hear people talking about their gaming in the language of productivity and work. People set themselves goals of completing AAA games as if their next performance review depends on it. The 'pile of shame' is partially shameful because it represents a body of unfinished projects and wasted effort. Not to mention of course the culture of achievements and trophies. Sure you played the game, but did you play the game diligently and masterfully? This is all sounding less 'I'm having fun' and more 'I'm doing my job'.</p><p>When I become The Guy Who Plays Games at the Hangout, there is an element of a different kind of work being done. Emotional labour, fulfilling a social role, call it what you want. But the work I've done in these contexts is mostly social. It allowed me to enjoy the simple pleasure of playing for its own sake in a way that I typically find it hard to do otherwise. I'm not playing Bomb Chicken to tick Bomb Chicken off my list. I'm playing Bomb Chicken because it's a thing to do.</p><p>(And yes, I do realise that the Super Mario Wonder purple coins thing was a bit of a productivity wheeze in its own right. This mindset is a sickness.)</p><p>As a neurospicy individual (diagnosis pending) I want to try all the things and do all the things and see all the things and it's exhausting. Whenever I'm playing one game, there is an acute feeling that there's an opportunity cost being realised because I could be doing several other things. It's taking me years of training, therapy, and drugs to condition myself to channel my fizzing mind in such a way that it can perform well in the workplace at all.</p><p>That mental training has leaked over into my leisure time. Yes, it's very cool for me that I can marshal the attention span to finish difficult books and finish long video games. But because those skills were learned in my work life, in the world of work, it somewhat poisons the enjoyment somewhat. Why would I even apply the word 'backlog' to a pile of books that I haven't read. It all sounds very Salesforced!</p><p>Working against the playful and chaotic nature of my own mind is a small yet constant drain on my mental reserves. There's something refreshing and easy about just bibbling around from one game to the next and just trying things out for a few minutes at a time. It's refreshingly effortless to chase the pure thrill of being constantly stimulated with new and different things in rapid succession with no guilt or shame attached to it. It's the guilty pleasure of short form video content applied to videogames. It's the pleasure of trying the first few levels of 30 different Super Mario World rom hacks in an afternoon. Who cares if it's decadent and wasteful. Downtime doesn't need to be frown time!</p><p>*</p><p>Look, most people reading this will exist at the intersection between living in a neoliberal work-obsessed hellscape and having a lifelong obsession with videogames culture. I just want you to understand that as fun as it can be to treat videogames as work, or apply what you've learned at work to games (and vice-versa) that there should also be a space in your gaming life that's purely about the sensation of interacting with something digital and enjoying the feedback for a short while without the tendrils of the grindsetters burrowing into the experience.</p><p>For me, playing games socially like this in offline, non-monetised, low pressure way is the route I've found to achieving this. I hope you can find your own way too.</p>103% Completehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12770843145677764848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540590941313753526.post-16076080269709819502023-12-06T14:13:00.004+00:002023-12-06T14:13:42.340+00:00Competitive Duolingo Is Miserable<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrqgmEvM2lBv1LOZpTOso_GAyl1C9RTjBUu5bm_IbKzxiZUDrkiazTHn1OiVyyou13nBzzrsZuYoxIrvKc2_-XV9JRXXgeJj87HIH9Uhcdvnq1gAt4BREmwYSwXxwiLcmAnHM7gcrDdjQ1fUz1eUpgJ88aLVzMLxsa7_CPMfGHQXgLrmLBFN5gHybVkmmO" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="351" data-original-width="429" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrqgmEvM2lBv1LOZpTOso_GAyl1C9RTjBUu5bm_IbKzxiZUDrkiazTHn1OiVyyou13nBzzrsZuYoxIrvKc2_-XV9JRXXgeJj87HIH9Uhcdvnq1gAt4BREmwYSwXxwiLcmAnHM7gcrDdjQ1fUz1eUpgJ88aLVzMLxsa7_CPMfGHQXgLrmLBFN5gHybVkmmO=w400-h328" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div>Duolingo's Competitive scene is a jungle. Constant <a href="https://blog.duolingo.com/improving-duolingo-one-experiment-at-a-time/" target="_blank">online controlled feature testing</a> ensures that we are always playing different versions of Duolingo from each other at any given time. And that's before some of us pay an annual fee for the Super tier, which builds several advantages on top of the chaos.<div><br /></div><div>But what unites us all in the competitive scene is a desire to climb the leagues each week. To conquer the Diamond League Tournament Final and earn the coveted gold medal. In that pursuit, only getting the most XP matters. And it's a bad time!<div><br /></div><div>It's not strictly possible to give advice on the most efficient XP-maxing strategies for Duolingo because of the aforementioned feature testing policies! For instance, even though I do not subscribe to Duolingo Super, my experience both in the browser and on my phone is ad-free, and I have unlimited lives. This is not universal. I get a 15-minute XP Boosting potion whenever I complete a set of lessons, and when I complete my third daily quest of the day. This is also not a universal experience. Depending on how far into the future you're reading this post, it may not even be <i>my </i>experience anymore!</div><div><br /></div><div><div><div>But whatever. Life is hard and industrious winners never worry about a level playing field. As long as privilege favours you, reaching #1 at any cost is the goal. But this too is a bad time!</div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Mastering a language in Duolingo gets progressively more difficult as you progress. Learning to speak at a higher CEFR level is simply harder work than mastering the basics. This stands to reason. But generally speaking, the XP earned per lesson remains static as the difficulty increases. Someone who completes 10 lessons of Beginner Spanish earns the same XP as someone who completes 10 lessons of Intermediate Polish. Can you see where this is going?</div><div><br /></div><div>If you want to earn 500 XP quickly to climb a few leaderboard spots, you're incentivized to earn the most XP per unit time possible, and this often means reviewing easier lessons (good!) but can also mean splashing out into other languages (okay...?) or grinding out redundant lessons in your mother tongue (bad!) whilst also trying to do as much of this grinding activity while under the influence of those purple XP-boosting potions, which bring their own problems.</div><div><br /></div><div>I've caught myself deferring progress in my 'main' language (Spanish) because I'm about to complete a set of lessons that will reward me with a non-delayable dose of purple XP drink that I won't be able to capitalize on because I'm too busy for a long session. At any given time I may have a series of languages for which my latest lesson set is but one lesson short of completion. I call this 'loading the chambers'. This means that when I have more time, I can cash in all of these potions and go on an XP-grinding joyride. I am horrified at what I've become and I am going to stop doing it. But this <i>is </i>the best way to grind for XP in Duolingo. It's just a shame that it's also a terrible way to engage with Duolingo as a language-learning app!</div><div><br /></div><div>A healthy bit of competition can encourage certain player types to get more out of their learning, and lower-level leagues on the app retain this feeling of being a low-impact contest which simply results in a few more language lessons here and there. But the high-level leagues become at best a sales tactic for the paid tier of the app, and at worst a miserable prison for those who lose sight of the real reason we should all be here, to get better at speaking fluently with our <i>suegrita adorada bonita</i> <i>de Madrid </i>on our <i>llamada telefónica semanal.</i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>103% Completehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12770843145677764848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540590941313753526.post-166561288920103662023-11-17T15:26:00.000+00:002023-11-17T15:26:15.965+00:00Why I Don't Recommend Breath of the Wild (to my friends)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimzgwJsIU362Mn1YkX2E2JvKHd-G3MpiF-YZGNYhbJrAiB5QGJA0vlAnHvtkJBL6AvaWuSPaT2coMMW-rn1ggySkFvpca5m_E0fHncfSOJsctzHImgSHzJDhW3kfdef1Dl79no1rXOzzENAjnmUBOHErkOLMw34t9rDNNwzFuaU68MFcNPRANrJAtuySPT" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="716" data-original-width="1006" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimzgwJsIU362Mn1YkX2E2JvKHd-G3MpiF-YZGNYhbJrAiB5QGJA0vlAnHvtkJBL6AvaWuSPaT2coMMW-rn1ggySkFvpca5m_E0fHncfSOJsctzHImgSHzJDhW3kfdef1Dl79no1rXOzzENAjnmUBOHErkOLMw34t9rDNNwzFuaU68MFcNPRANrJAtuySPT=w492-h350" width="492" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>In Edge's December 2023 issue, <i>The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild</i> ranked #1 in their 100 Greatest Games feature. In their 2017 review, they gave it one of their coveted 10/10 scores. The 2023 top 100 list wasn't merely curated by Edge staff. The votes for the Top 100 were collated from an eclectic mix of 100 representatives from the games industry. But, if you don't trust Edge, or their industry poll, or Famitsu, or Geoff Keighley's Game Awards(!), then you can rest assured that I personally rate the game as an all-timer. It is one of the best games of all time.</p><p>I don't recommend it to my friends. </p><p>Before we dig into the deeper reasons I'll deal with some low-hanging fruit. Anyone who would have been excited to play <i>Breath of the Wild</i> probably already has, or at least has some real-world reason that's stopped them from doing so. Not everyone has a Switch. It's one thing to recommend a game, but another to recommend a major hardware investment upfront, which is also why I don't recommend VR games very often. Perhaps the least trivial reason in this grab bag is time poverty. I generally refrain from recommending anything that may require a literal month's worth of someone's free time, especially if I know that a person's leisure time comes at a premium. I love the <i>One Piece</i> manga but I've never attempted to recruit someone into the cult. It's just plain unethical.</p><p>It's also a waste of a recommendation. You don't get unlimited swings of that particular bat. Make each recommendation as if it's your last. I'm trying to develop an internal algorithm that takes the friend before me as an input in such a way that the output recommendation will be as close to the perfect fit for that person. If I assume that I only get one swing of the recommendation bat, I'm sure as shit endeavoring to pick something fucking excellent. </p><p><i>The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild</i> has never survived the trip through my own personal algorithmic nightmare gauntlet. <i>Dark Souls</i> hasn't made it through. <i>Super Mario Odyssey</i> hasn't made it through. <i>Gunstar Heroes</i> for the Sega Genesis made it through once, but those circumstances were very particular and unlikely to come up again soon. These are my personal favourite games but I rarely take up people's time convincing them to pick them up.</p><p>My personal recommendation system is trying to maximise the enjoyment that any given friend (F) has with a game (G) that I've recommended. I do this by decomposing enjoyment into two distinct factors. Factor One: Probability of Play (PoP) which is the chance that my friend will actually play the thing that I recommended. Factor Two: Enjoyment Assuming Play (EAP) which is how much fun I think a friend would have assuming that that they play the game.<br /><br />So we have Enjoyment of (G,F) = PoP(G,F) * EAP(G,F)</p><p>The method now is to put a list of candidate recommendations through this formula and choose the highest-scoring one, provided that the highest-scoring game (G*) is going to provide sufficient joy for that person.</p><p>So what affects each of these factors? Let's start with PoP, using <i>Breath of the Wild</i> as our candidate. We already covered 'they played it already' so let's dig deeper. I got my mum to play it because she likes long walks in the Lake District and the fantasy of riding horses through open fields. I know she hasn't beaten Calamity Ganon or would particularly care to but my pitch wasn't based on defeating evil. It was about riding horses and lovely landscapes. It also didn't hurt that she had ready access to both a Switch and a copy of the game already. Didn't even need to leave the house. On the other hand, it's got 100+ hours of play time which immediately disqualified a friend of mine who was trying to finish their Masters that year. An easy pitch after dissertation submission, but not before!</p><p>Now onto Enjoyment Assuming Play (EAP). What affects that? How about 'the game requires a degree of comfort with twin-stick movement controls'. That makes it a non-starter for more people than you might think, as well as a host of other game literacy and accessibility issues the game doesn't address. Not to mention that the Switch doesn't offer players many ways to customise their experiences to their specific needs. What about the vast non-linearity of the game? An appealing feature to many, an anxiety-inducing nightmare for some, or simply too little direction for some players to enjoy. My mum did enjoy the horse riding but she wasn't about to deal with the Divine Beasts any time soon.</p><p>A note on using the algorithm. You don't need to be exhaustive. Your best first guess is probably quite good, but by fuzzily running your candidate pitches through the equation above, you can stress test it with a little more structure in mind, and maybe give yourself a framework to attempt to find a better recommendation. Why don't we try it with<i> Breath of the Wild?</i> Let's try it on a friend of mine with a Switch. They had a Wii in the past, and they quite liked <i>Super Mario 3D World</i> but didn't get on well with <i>Odyssey</i>.<br /><br />For PoP, we're not looking good here. When asked about <i>Odyssey </i>it was the relative non-linearity and vastness of the game that was off-putting. I'm unlikely to sell them on another open-world-sounding game, and even if I did, the EAP probably won't be all that good either. I can see them getting bored and annoyed more than I can see them pushing through the pain barrier and 'learning' that <i>Breath of the Wild</i> is really good. How about I pitch the remake of <i>Link's Awakening</i> Instead? Might not be the best recommendation I could make but it has a higher PoP *and* a higher EAP so I may as well forget about Breath of the Wild as far as this person is concerned. </p><p>And you know what, this isn't the first time I've forgotten about it either. I just don't recommend it to my friends. </p>103% Completehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12770843145677764848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540590941313753526.post-31539395660957786762022-05-24T15:27:00.003+01:002022-05-25T20:47:20.323+01:00Ring Fit Adventure - The 103% Review<p>In 2010 the word 'gamification' received a surge of interest. </p><p>I don't think it's unfair to say that this term has a mixed reputation. <br /></p><p>The word itself is loosely defined as trying to add game mechanics to non-game environments. Leaderboards for sales teams, good behaviour points for schoolchildren, that sort of thing. Leveraging game mechanics where they don't traditionally belong.<br /><br />Ring Fit Adventure is an example of this process working in reverse. Rather than bringing game mechanics into a realm where they don't belong, Ring Fit Adventure takes something that doesn't usually belong in a video game, a full-body workout, and creates a game world that attempts to accommodate a full-body workout so well that you forget that it was ever a stranger to the gaming landscape.<br /><br />Spoiler: I think the mad lads did it.<br /><br />This is the 103% Review of Ring Fit Adventure </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwFGOmsRgyBRKpIU5qiJIlJkACui6UPQ7EzLzUcKU034zUsw2hT0L3quc36aLGrdCVko4jASbHatRU1afytwyLy1PBA_CK4bJT4w3oEwExMWlB52kiOQOuQzw8G9Ob0XfOyaZisJ5pvvIVRDeFCcoU3EL1SLDtpoYDg9suNG-4jnLaz0ySfqrX8hqdkw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwFGOmsRgyBRKpIU5qiJIlJkACui6UPQ7EzLzUcKU034zUsw2hT0L3quc36aLGrdCVko4jASbHatRU1afytwyLy1PBA_CK4bJT4w3oEwExMWlB52kiOQOuQzw8G9Ob0XfOyaZisJ5pvvIVRDeFCcoU3EL1SLDtpoYDg9suNG-4jnLaz0ySfqrX8hqdkw=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>----</p><p><b>WORKING OUT IS SHITE </b></p><p>----</p><p>Let's establish one fact of life upfront. Working out is shit. Big shit. </p><p>Those people who like working out? Freaks. Fools. Outliers. Not to be trusted. Forget them. They already have an intrinsic enjoyment associated with their gym routine or they have found a sustainable way to suffer there. These people may have even tried to recruit you into their sad sweaty (and often noisy) world in the past. But as a fitness solution, the public gym doesn't work for everyone. Let's consider the other options available, but before I do...<br /></p><p>Not everyone feels the pressing need to actually have a regular workout routine at all. A lot of people are happy without one and that's their business. Don't be that guy, even if you think you're helping. But for those looking to take on more exercise, if the gym sucks... what else?<br /><br />You could take classes? The more structured activities sidestep some of the gym politics, but it's still a matter of finding a class to suit you at a time, location, and vibe calibration that suits you. In many ways, this option has a lot of the same downsides at the gym, and often costs more, not to mention that a lot of the options for classes are rolled up into gym memberships because that's how the economics of the fitness industry works. Personal trainers are great but can cost a bomb, and you still have to find the right fit for you. </p><p>You could just take up jogging like I did for a bit, but it gets old really quickly and I like in the UK so a good chunk of the calendar makes it really unappealing to put on my running shoes. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilfFxb9-iarXbKKXwxVu8jGoBdQsXUhG9LFVwIHfGBy2qD7KZQkeJwH2nI5bxrb-fGvkkp6j8kD-EXp8zlq9ZQONaSjJZGb6h-EDQjUKtBMQF7mCOjfRP_bKykoEkyB6VCt7fHlulQhQyXwCMnzXrBk7mNIdzSTmZ0QrP3wPzZslCyeTcs1-6s3Y7dQA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pictured: British Summer" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilfFxb9-iarXbKKXwxVu8jGoBdQsXUhG9LFVwIHfGBy2qD7KZQkeJwH2nI5bxrb-fGvkkp6j8kD-EXp8zlq9ZQONaSjJZGb6h-EDQjUKtBMQF7mCOjfRP_bKykoEkyB6VCt7fHlulQhQyXwCMnzXrBk7mNIdzSTmZ0QrP3wPzZslCyeTcs1-6s3Y7dQA=w320-h320" title="Pictured: British Summer" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pictured: British Summer</div><br /><p></p><p>The best option? I'd say sports. Football, bouldering, hockey... whatever it is. If I'm engaged with a PvP contest, or a PvE challenge (bouldering) then my focus and attention are on that aspect of the activity and I can focus less on the exertion and pain I'm dealing with. I've done 'reps' in the gym before and believe me, I'm counting every single one of those fuckers, and I'm counting <i>down.</i></p><p>But I'll play football for two hours without so much as blinking. I'll climb bouldering walls until my arms turn to stone. It's engaging enough that my brain is content to chew on tactics and strategy rather than focus on pain and fatigue.</p><p>That is of course when I can make time for it. I'm less and less able to get a game of football going, especially with people who are at my level either way. Bouldering is great, but it's not something for which I can always set aside time and wallet space. It also makes me feel like a hypocrite because I like it. Remember what I said about people who enjoy working out? Freaks. Fools.</p><p>But do you know what kind of engrossing, engaging activity I regularly make time for? I think you know the answer. </p><p>Now let's talk timers.</p><p></p><p></p><p>----</p><p><b>EVERY SECOND IS EARNED</b></p><p>----</p><p>One thing I've never really understood about video games, in general, is the ubiquitous 'hours played' counter on save files through the ages. They are especially visible in the world of JRPGs but they are everywhere, and platforms such as Steam are also keenly tracking playtime as well. You have to wonder why these timers are so prevalent, but you don't have to do the research. I know that I haven't. Because of in-game timers, I know that my current Shin Megami Tensei save file is running at 42 hours and counting. Why is it so important that I know this? I don't know but I can tell you how it makes me feel.<br /><br />One feeling is "Wow, I can calculate precisely how many hours of play I've gotten for my investment in this game unless, of course, the game timer does that really annoying thing where it continues to tick over during idle time or that one time I took a really long dump in the middle of a gaming session and it counted all such moments because it didn't have a mechanism to deal with pause screen time."<br /><br />Another more useful feeling is "Wow, I've spent quite a lot of time being engaged with this world, story, and gameplay systems. Good job, game."</p><p>I can't recall exactly how much time I've spent exercising with Ring Fit Adventure, but I do know that the cumulative game timer is based on real movement and activity, as the in-game save timer only ticks up during active exercise time, and stops the clock if you much as stop to catch your breath. I can say with some sense of pride that I've burned more than ten thousand calories in my Adventure Mode save because I get to look at my cumulative calories burned each time I start a session. I have become a literal sweatlord, and I have the receipts to prove it.</p><div><p></p><p></p><p>----</p><p><b>IT'S FUN ENOUGH</b></p><p>----</p><p>But how much fun is Ring Fit Adventure? Well, the sub-title above kinda gives it away. This game isn't exactly teeming with juicy systems and a deep metagame. Your character has HP, an ATK stat, and a DEF stat. There are four types of damage corresponding to different exercise types and most enemies are weak against exactly one of them. Consumable items in the form of smoothies spice things up a bit and you can unlock gear sets, new exercises, and some stat bonuses through a skill tree. </p><p>It's fine you know? Bread and butter RPG stuff. It's not an awe-inspiring nor a brain-bending metagame by any stretch but it's not meant to be Xenoblade. It's meant to be a colourful excuse for a full-body workout at home, and it achieves that. At the end of each session always there is an itemised list of reps and distances covered by all of the exercises you've done and it never fails to surprise me how much I've actually done in each session. </p><p>If the game actually presented enough metagame exploits to allow swifter progress in exchange for less exercise, it would miss the point of this game so hard. It would also be less inclusive and take too much time away from the exercising part.</p><p>The typical RPG game flow goes a little something like this. </p><p>1. Fight some battles to gain EXP and resources (Core)</p><p>2. Futz about with systems and menus to improve your build (Meta)</p><p>3. Repeat until end credits (with lore breaks) (Loop)</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5ClIx_YnLWipnl0Bv8QexHH7kRZB9XtOKy85SHqnooXTRwoMBlsfVPqkFIzu3MS0mz2BOCpk5zb-oukYXz5__weinQie1tj5XJpxno65_E3v10pjiLtkFFYJvCCu-i03wiKBjxTni9-zaqKtIlifRepFEXEuUMmJttpgRnFyg-92hFweXLZPeTKv0Nw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="1252" data-original-width="1332" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5ClIx_YnLWipnl0Bv8QexHH7kRZB9XtOKy85SHqnooXTRwoMBlsfVPqkFIzu3MS0mz2BOCpk5zb-oukYXz5__weinQie1tj5XJpxno65_E3v10pjiLtkFFYJvCCu-i03wiKBjxTni9-zaqKtIlifRepFEXEuUMmJttpgRnFyg-92hFweXLZPeTKv0Nw=w400-h376" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">These are not new ideas</div><br /><p></p><p>A game like Ring Fit Adventure really needs you to engage with the Core (geddit?) of the game as much as possible. If you get too distracted with the Meta side of things for too long, the exercise class grinds to a halt, a water break can quickly transform into a coffee morning and that's no good for your atrophied abdominals.</p><p>The Meta side of things is very sparse, as skill points are earned slowly, and the best way to prepare for most enemy encounters and bosses is to be of a high enough level and have a good range of skill types equipped. Ring Fit Adventure even tries to introduce more exercise into the Meta side of things by requiring a few chest presses to create consumable items (or "smoothies", which is adorable), but you really won't spend too much time thinking about this, and when you do it isn't for long. It's just enough of that sweet RPG goblin goop for your infantile gamer brain to latch onto. If there was ever a time for a Skinner Box, it's here. And here it is. </p><p>It's not trying to be Gym Megami Tensei, and it would run the risk of being a poor exercise game if it did. That being said, I reckon most people won't finish the main campaign, let alone the New Game+ campaigns, and we'll explore that in The Verdict, which is now.</p><div><p>----</p><p><b>THE VERDICT</b></p><p>----</p><p>Ring Fit Adventure is a great piece of fitness technology. It's inclusive, versatile, and well thought out. Unless you are going very far out of your way to cheat the system, this game will give you the all-body workout you desire and teach you more than a few healthy life lessons about your body and your relationship with it.<br /><br />Far from the gym bro grind-set culture that encourages you to treat your body like a fucking piece of shit that needs to be broken and beaten at every turn to promote muscular supremacy, Ring Fit Adventure treats your body as something to be taken care of and nurtured. The draconic antagonist Dragaux is presented as a tragic figure whose insecurities have led him down a toxic path of overtraining, and jockishness driven by unhealthy body image insecurities. The 'dark influence' of this bad attitude infects others around him. Ring Fit Adventure encourages a more sustainable exercise regimen accompanied by sensible eating practices. It is a welcome anathema to the unhealthy mindscapes often associated with extreme bodybuilding and drastic crash dieting. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8ykrKwXUMkBFf9JFR-yloBJXXJnHFyqiPK_w6fQ2OjYNl0N2P0Nb3P-yZ0Rb47lmC9x1jUm_B7cnShTOi5Y-Y-mzNPYtaMbZtdClK4_GMXos1OFk2odaEA_VXcMhxh302TebUYTQmfr2TqsAqdojVwd7tBnpQNUcDoyqYGFfKd5zbhwyJ5bY5R6DQuQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8ykrKwXUMkBFf9JFR-yloBJXXJnHFyqiPK_w6fQ2OjYNl0N2P0Nb3P-yZ0Rb47lmC9x1jUm_B7cnShTOi5Y-Y-mzNPYtaMbZtdClK4_GMXos1OFk2odaEA_VXcMhxh302TebUYTQmfr2TqsAqdojVwd7tBnpQNUcDoyqYGFfKd5zbhwyJ5bY5R6DQuQ=w400-h224" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Are you, though?</div><br /><p></p><p>If Ring Fit runs out of new tricks to keep you engaged for its main campaign run time of around 40+ hours of real exercise time. But my copy of Ring Fit Adventure remains the primary way I do my serious structured exercise at home. Ring Fit is a victim of a truth that its in-game coach Tipp will often recite, that it's best to change up your exercise regime once in a while to keep yourself interested. Don't do the same routines, change your hiking routes, and take up new sports. Ring Fit can only keep things interesting for so long, so I take breaks from it. But I always come back.</p><p>I may not play Ring Fit Adventure as much as I did when I first got it, but I certainly do a lot more exercise than I used to, and I've never been in better shape. In all honesty, I have to attribute this to Ring Fit Adventure. I strongly recommend trying it if you can get a hold of a set.</p><p>----</p><p><b>THE EXTRA 3%</b></p><p>----</p><p>Welcome back another extra 3%! The text-based 'check out my other vids' section! Taste the back matter!</p><p>My other reviews in this 103% series are:<br /></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://103percent.blogspot.com/2021/04/sludge-life-review-not-sponsored.html">Sludge Life</a> </li><li><a href="https://103percent.blogspot.com/2021/05/loop-hero-103-review.html">Loop Hero</a>, </li><li><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/4540590941313753526/8412786854402531687?hl=en-GB" target="_blank">Genshin Impact</a></li></ul><div>And now we review the Ban List (renamed!) and the Blind Spots (problematic?)</div><p></p><p><b><br />BAN LIST</b><br />Games Published by Devolver Digital (I've done 2 from their label)</p><p>-- No new additions to the ban list, and Devolver Digital is still in the doghouse! </p><p><br /></p><p><b>BLIND SPOTS:</b><br /><strike>A console exclusive </strike>(Ring Fit Adventure was a Nintendo Switch exclusive)</p><p>A game that was released before 2019!</p><p>A mobile exclusive</p><p>A tabletop game</p><p>(Yeah that will do for now, could be here all night!)</p><p>Please consider <a href="https://twitter.com/jak1oh3" target="_blank">interacting with me on Twitter @jak1oh3</a> and explaining to me what the hell the entity known as Paimon is and why everyone accepts its presence uncritically. I'll wait. <br /><br />Otherwise, thanks again for reading, it goes a long way :)<br />Jak</p></div></div>103% Completehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12770843145677764848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540590941313753526.post-84127868544025316872021-07-11T21:43:00.007+01:002021-07-12T13:39:04.061+01:00Genshin Impact - The 103% Review<p>There is a free to play videogame called Genshin Impact.</p><p>This is the logo for the videogame Genshin Impact.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi49jQSghlZ0HmMXMAy2ga0nKNq5qo6_XM1MnDqNBCKLxlB0cCWyYUm_Ddfr0yrKuVcSUMku-W_ghhoc9P4OWQF4wWib65kD_9M7SqUI1IiWR5FW_auJ92-U9QLr6UiZNMbSRVEljPmZKj9/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="478" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi49jQSghlZ0HmMXMAy2ga0nKNq5qo6_XM1MnDqNBCKLxlB0cCWyYUm_Ddfr0yrKuVcSUMku-W_ghhoc9P4OWQF4wWib65kD_9M7SqUI1IiWR5FW_auJ92-U9QLr6UiZNMbSRVEljPmZKj9/" width="320" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div>This is the 103% Review of the videogame Genshin Impact.<br /><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://genshin.mihoyo.com/pc-launcher/?utm_source=EU_google_UK_search_keywords_20201215&mhy_trace_channel=ga_channel&new=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwraqHBhDsARIsAKuGZeFe-qWe2eCLUCruH9EaV89jW9Li_A_ZPaX9n5fmotNNdOBvV_bumLsaAhNfEALw_wcB#/">(Get the game here)</a></p><p>----</p><p><b>REVIEWING LIVE SERVICE GAMES</b></p><p>----</p><p>A moment of sympathy for those who review video games on a deadline. A standard $60 boxed game with no DLC can easily require 40 hours of playtime for just one playthrough. You might be pushing closer to 60-100 hours for some of the meatier RPGs on the market. And that's not to mention user-generated content, expansions, and repeat playthroughs. Even if you're like me and have no particular deadlines to meet, the reviewer must eventually write and submit their review, omitting at least some non-negligible amount of the potential gameplay experiences offered by the game itself. <br /></p><p>A skilled games reviewer can usually hope to play enough of the game to develop some potential thesis statements that say something meaningful about it that won't be later overturned in a catastrophic fashion by someone else who played the game for a longer time. You don't need to have caught all of the Pokemon to give me a solid 900 word summary of the latest entry in the series. Just *how much* Pokemon the reviewer deems necessary to play is really down to their judgement. In the case of paid games journalists, deadlines also simply must factor in, especially if you're an outlet that does not benefit from access to review builds from major publishers. Part of the skill of a reviewer is judging how to best experience a potentially vast experience in a very limited time.</p><p>This is where we talk about live service games, also known as "games as a service" - or GAAS. These are often free to play games (sorry Nintendo, "free to start" doesn't seem to be catching on) but they don't have to be. They can be paid games with a free DLC roadmap, they can be paid games with additional paid content options released over time. And yes, they can be free to play games like Genshin Impact. Now imagine that it is your job to review Genshin Impact. The first question isn't even 'How?' here but 'When?'</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1I5GYdbXUf9fGwTApMj5sXUeGubiJOVx8mvTDtLHfcv-FYfcXySq28ZpG9oBQKhyphenhyphen3KSqn-H08I_2lWnx0nklr0cUCwcJn0BJQoDw7lrlKR_647WYgCoFRGe7U2TPOttTBqFWG67bbKcDe/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1I5GYdbXUf9fGwTApMj5sXUeGubiJOVx8mvTDtLHfcv-FYfcXySq28ZpG9oBQKhyphenhyphen3KSqn-H08I_2lWnx0nklr0cUCwcJn0BJQoDw7lrlKR_647WYgCoFRGe7U2TPOttTBqFWG67bbKcDe/w400-h225/image.png" width="400" /></a><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I'm painfully aware that I've not said much about the actual game yet. We'll get to it.</div><br />Genshin Impact came out in September of 2020 and it has been updated on an ongoing basis ever since then. I started writing this review in May of 2021 and will probably complete it by the end of summer. I've never played it before, but I read a little about it when it came out. When I went to read reviews of the game from September of 2020 they often remarked about how much the overall look and feel of the game reminds them of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and how the sheer ungodly sum of money it seemed to be making. <p></p><p>I see the writers behind these reviews making the shame shrewd choices they always have to make. What are the most salient points I can talk about before I have to submit this review? They made good choices. But the thing about GAAS products is that they are only ever in a complete state once the developers behind them stop adding new content. There is no one ultimate and best time to review a GAAS product. Anyone reviewing Genshin Impact has to just take the game as they find it and comment on what they find at that point in time, adding to the overall history of things people have said about it as it evolves.<br /><br />For me, that involved starting at the very beginning. The game won't let me start anywhere else.<br /><br />Now I have worked on a number of GAAS games in my time and I'm glad to see that Genshin Impact has a very generous Honeymoon Phase. The Honeymoon Phase is what I like to call the time you spend with a GAAS game where you are able to forget that this game is looking to monetise some of its players, potentially very heavily. <br /><br />Download a free game with in-app purchases onto your phone at random and chances are that it will be painfully obvious how they intend to monetise your experience within twenty minutes. You almost certainly won't *need* to spend any money yet to continue having fun, but already you grok the gameplay loops and systems that will eventually start placing demands on your real-life cash money. <br /><br />I know in my heart that Genshin Impact *must* have something up its sleeve to make me monetise down the road. But at Adventure Rank 20 and several hours of having a mildly good time, I'm not even close to being there yet. I do not appear to be in any way stymied by economic paywalls or the feeling of being a second class player as a result of playing for free. </p><p></p><p></p><p>----</p><p><b>DEATH OF THE MILD</b></p><p>----</p><p>To say that Genshin Impact is ripping off Breath of the Wild is to say that Fall Guys is ripping off Super Mario Oddysey. Just because two games are about platforming in colourful environments doesn't mean that they are trying to do the same thing.</p><p>A better comparison might be any film that was later adapted to a TV show. Think about Snowpiercer the movie versus Snowpiercer the TV show. The two products have a lot of shared characteristics and features, but their core purposes are so different that the end products naturally diverge a great deal.</p><p>Breath of the Wild was created to take gamer's breath away and redefine how we think of both open-world adventure games and how a Legend of Zelda game works. Given the whopping commercial and critical success of the Link's first Switch outing, it's reasonably safe to conclude that the development team achieved what they set out to do. </p><p>When you explore the hauntingly empty wastes of Hyrule, very little is given to the player on a silver platter. There are very few quest markers to use as a crutch, and the player must rely chiefly on their sense of exploration and survival to gradually master the environment and piece together a network of fast travel points piece by piece.</p><p>Genshin by comparison isn't here to break new ground. It shouldn't be judged on its failure to do so. It's perfectly legitimate to criticise its lack of overall creative ambition, but not on its failure to reach new heights. It was never shooting for the moon in that way in the same way that <i>The Big Bang Theory </i>wasn't trying to redefine serial storytelling. Genshin Impact's core goal is to command your attention for long enough that you eventually spend money within its ecosystem, or persuade other people to play the game for longer so that they might spend money instead. </p><p>Not surprising given that Genshin Impact is free to play, but that means that Genshin is completely unable to trade in the kind of player antagonising gameplay that Breath of the Wild routinely deploys. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOvu4cVMD2SfhzewxFCPnFWstLFKCc1cSD_R3akkMUCPGRhrHqQ0QuRTj3Fmg6oHGZFPkNw7jvPyo9GrZRC9rfqXIJmBoeHvNZYqlbxgTEUvOdyJWSCg7TeVSHeSE1z4NFZuN5fh3GByCU/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="1138" data-original-width="2048" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOvu4cVMD2SfhzewxFCPnFWstLFKCc1cSD_R3akkMUCPGRhrHqQ0QuRTj3Fmg6oHGZFPkNw7jvPyo9GrZRC9rfqXIJmBoeHvNZYqlbxgTEUvOdyJWSCg7TeVSHeSE1z4NFZuN5fh3GByCU/w400-h223/image.png" width="400" /></a><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There's a whole lot of world here, but it's all about as foreboding as a theme park</div><div><br /></div>Where Breath of the Wild will often leave the players fumbling around to define their own moment to moment short term goals, Genshin Impact strives with all its might to ensure that you always have something clearly-defined to do. Go to this place to advance the story. Here are four quick fetch quests if you don't have time for something more involved. Here's a scrapbook full of different achievements to chase after. Play Genshin Impact for just ten minutes and you'll be able to select a quest, go to the quest area, complete the quest, and get some loot and an 'attaboy' from the game's UX. <div><br /></div><div>In Breath of the Wild, it is highly likely that at some point during your playthrough that you will run around an icy mountain for twenty minutes and fight exactly one wolf to get exactly one piece of cold meat. You might not even know why you were there in the first place. Genshin has a lot of systems, sub-systems, and menus, but you never feel lost, stupid, or particularly challenged. If you need to be stronger, you usually need to upgrade your weapons, characters, items, or choose a lower level quest. </div><div><br /></div><div>You'll never truly be mystified with Genshin Impact, but that's the point. Being lost is uncomfortable, and Genshin Impact doesn't want that for you. It just wants to keep giving you a steady supply of dopamine hits. It's the gaming equivalent of binge-watching a TV show. I would argue that the whole genre of mainstream MMORPGs is to create the endlessly binge-able game. Comparing Genshin Impact to Breath of the Wild may have been what we all did when we first saw the two games side by side. </div><div><br /></div><div>A better comparison may have been World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy XIV, but I have decided that deep-diving into two subscription-based MMORPGs in order to review this free to play MMORPG is simply more time and money than I think is appropriate to spend on this review. If that bothers you I refer you to the previous segment where I have set out my case for why I have a perfectly good excuse not to do that.</div><div><br /></div><div>But to conclude this segment, I will say that as far as my overall experience of Genshin Impact has been on a personal level and the sheer financial success that it has so far enjoyed on the market. Genshin Impact seems to succeed by letting players get very comfortable in its world. It doesn't seem to be in a big fat hurry to extract money from me or direct me to storefronts that I don't want to see. </div><div><br /></div><div>If you've ever played a mobile game that seems to feel more like a mugging than a videogame. Don't worry. This game leaves you alone to have a jolly good time, and there's plenty to do.<br /><p></p><p></p><p>----</p><p><b>A FEW WORDS ON INDUSTRY-STANDARD IZEKAI ANIME STUFF</b></p><p>----</p><p>One of my games journalism pet peeves is when a western reviewer encounters a game with an anime art style and spends a lot of time ensuring their presumed western audience that they are as distanced from that culture as possible, so much so that they find the idea of Goku to be simply baffling. Oh, those weird Japanese! What will they come up with next? </p><p>I also don't care for the idea that you can't look at something like Genshin Impact and criticise it from any other point of view than a dyed in the wool lifelong enjoyer and expert of anime. As far as my own 'power level' goes as a consumer of anime, I would say that I'm far more powerful than a detached casual observer but far less powerful than the all-powerful otakus of the world who usually have a handful of different anime shows on the go at once. <br /></p><p>Rest assured that I am not here to shit on anime, nor am I here to advocate for anime. I'm here to tell you what the hell is going on with Genshin Impact.<br /><br />Simply put: there's not much going on.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9xsmD6t1vtc3KJefkh-67XtEQ95LdHfNYINBt1xV7fc1nrS8KKtJ3_eCeocn6SSXBaLHbYnuktUiey7lG7_fxD2XovoQV1HcaD3uFvgCgAgyZmVGdd1WNqHlgqPTiqr1ehW6Be288mqWW/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="554" data-original-width="1016" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9xsmD6t1vtc3KJefkh-67XtEQ95LdHfNYINBt1xV7fc1nrS8KKtJ3_eCeocn6SSXBaLHbYnuktUiey7lG7_fxD2XovoQV1HcaD3uFvgCgAgyZmVGdd1WNqHlgqPTiqr1ehW6Be288mqWW/w400-h217/image.png" width="400" /></a><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My partner asked me to explain what was going on with this character and I just said <br />"It's exactly what it looks like, what do you want from me?"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div><p>Anime isn't a monolith. It has a rich and varied history just like anything else in the art world. But just like any other genre of entertainment, there are different levels of risk that are tolerated by publishers. There's wildly experimental storytelling in anime, there's anime that pushes the technical limits of what animation can do, and there's stuff that's just absolutely baffling, even to hardcore anime fans.</p><p>Then there's stuff like Genshin Impact. I'm not going to use the phrase "lowest common denominator" in a derogatory sense here, because that's exactly what the product developers were aiming for here and they hit the nail squarely on the head.<br /><br />Genshin Impact has a silent protagonist who begins the game by entering the game world due to a freak dimensional accident in another place. This protagonist also has a SPECIAL QUALITY which means that they have a SPECIAL DESTINY TO FULFILL in this world. This world is populated with every conceivable fantasy world character trope from mainstream, family-friendly anime products. Everyone may dress in conservatively racy cosplay outfits, and it may not be entirely clear how old everyone is in this world, but there's absolutely nothing in here that could cause all but the most conservative player to take offence.</p><p>Speaking as someone who has enjoyed anime for more than a decade, Genshin Impact is rammed to the gills with generic anime trash (GAT) and you already know if you're down for that or not. I end up skipping through almost all of the cutscenes, and I have no time for the entity known as 'Paimon' but it also doesn't get in the way of me having a good time with this game. I will also say that even if this is game is filled with GAT, it is a very well presented piece GAT. There's a generous amount of competent voice acting, the game is a pretty thing to look at. Nothing about this game will blow you away, but it is perfectly possible to have a chill time with it.</p><p>If you've ever re-watched old episodes of Dragonball Z for hours on end with some snacks, or mindlessly replayed Skyrim for the fourth time, that's the kind of experience you're going to get out of this. Go forth and binge!<br /></p><p>----</p><p><b>THE VERDICT</b></p><p>----</p><p>Genshin Impact offers a very competitive value proposition to players looking to play something for free. From what I've played so far, the world is vast and dense with activities. Those activities may be simple and derivative, but there's an assload of it, it runs well on a variety of machines... and it's free. It's an all you can eat buffet that someone else has paid for so you may as well dig in.</p><p>Paid MMOs may offer richer experiences that cater for specialist tastes, and are usually the sign of a legacy game like World of Warcraft or similar. If you're looking to jump into a new epic fantasy world and either enjoy (or can stomach) the cutesy anime narrative stylings then I would strongly urge you to consider Genshin as the title to beat. By all means, pay subs for something that appeals to you more, but just make sure that you're getting a worthwhile deal! <br /><br />Genshin doesn't use dirty tricks to keep me coming back. What keeps me coming back is the promise of a massive world to explore, plenty of things to do, and a reasonable guarantee that I will be able to make progress even if I don't have a lot of time on my hands. Yes, they'll eventually want to try and squeeze some money out of me, but that feels a long way off from where I'm at, and if they keep showing me a good time, I wouldn't grumble at the prospect of giving this team a little of my money down the line. In the free to play the market, you can't really ask for a better result than that.</p><p>----</p><p><b>THE EXTRA 3%</b></p><p>----</p><p>Welcome back to The Extra 3%! I hope you enjoyed my review of Genshin Impact. It's okay if you didn't, but I hope you did. <br /><br />That's three reviews that I've done in this series now. If you liked this one, then you might also enjoy my reviews of <a href="https://103percent.blogspot.com/2021/04/sludge-life-review-not-sponsored.html">Sludge Life</a> and <a href="https://103percent.blogspot.com/2021/05/loop-hero-103-review.html">Loop Hero</a>, especially since I'm currently BANNED from reviewing games published by Devolver Digital (at least for a good, good, while)<br /><b><br />BANNED FOR ALL TIME (or at least for a good, good, while):</b><br />Published by Devolver Digital</p><p>I've reviewed games on the PC so far, so I should really strive for a console exclusive. Probably something on Switch? I don't know yet. We'll see, eh?</p><p><b>BLIND SPOTS:</b><br />A console exclusive</p><p>Please consider <a href="https://twitter.com/jak1oh3" target="_blank">interacting with me on Twitter @jak1oh3</a> and explaining to me what the hell the entity known as Paimon is and why everyone accepts its presence uncritically. I'll wait. <br /><br />Otherwise, thanks again for reading, it goes a long way :)<br />Jak</p></div></div>103% Completehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12770843145677764848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540590941313753526.post-48179024711888059392021-05-29T17:12:00.005+01:002021-05-30T00:40:54.196+01:00Loop Hero - The 103% Review<p>Free to play games on all platforms have an uphill battle amongst gamers who grew up in the same millennial generation I did. They barely stand a chance with people who are even older than I am.</p><p>The mere presence of *any* free to play mechanics is seen as a black mark against any game that would dare to include them. </p><p>Microtransactions are the most obvious villain but energy mechanics, needlessly complex economies, appointment timer systems... these are all dead giveaways that gamers of a certain persuasion will use to dismiss a game entirely and move on from it.</p><p>But the truth of the matter is that free to play game designers, particularly those on mobile, know that they are fighting an uphill battle for your attention and some of their efforts to keep you hooked have already made their way into 'real games'. Games that you like. Games that you tell your friends to play.</p><p>Games like Loop Hero.</p><p>This is the 103% Review of Loop Hero.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqqzpCrhy48KvZ9s08V9y2FiyTctx7hPGCSia3HmNyU350JZkTSqIf7T7zqWN8BusnSj_6-WqrHTX_m35vUmagdUxaZFqdjFTqM9Iwm637xZT_VQu7BBD_P7tztE0zVF-5baCGeZxScHli/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="207" data-original-width="351" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqqzpCrhy48KvZ9s08V9y2FiyTctx7hPGCSia3HmNyU350JZkTSqIf7T7zqWN8BusnSj_6-WqrHTX_m35vUmagdUxaZFqdjFTqM9Iwm637xZT_VQu7BBD_P7tztE0zVF-5baCGeZxScHli/w400-h236/image.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">(Get the game: <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1282730/Loop_Hero/" target="_blank">Loop Hero</a>)</p><p>----</p><p><b>ENTER THE VOID</b></p><p>----</p><p>Loop Hero was developed by Four Quarters and published by Devolver Digital. <br /><br />This also marks the second game in a row that I've reviewed that was published by Devolver Digital, so I shall refrain from reviewing another game that they've published for a bit. See 'The Extra 3%' in this reviews' postscript for more details on this, along with some other goodies.</p><p>Loop Hero is a very nice video game, and I've been playing it on PC via Steam. I actually paid for this one unlike <a href="https://103percent.blogspot.com/2021/04/sludge-life-review-not-sponsored.html" target="_blank">Sludge Life</a>, which I got for free on the Epic Games Store. I paid £12.49 for Loop Hero.</p><p>That's a pretty good deal whichever way you look at it. But where Sludge Life is a nice little exploration game to play between larger games. This is the game that devours any time you happen to have going spare. Just be glad this thing isn't on your mobile phone asking you for money.<br /><br />So what is Loop Hero? </p><p>You play as the nameless Hero who has amnesia. Don't recoil from the cliche because the narrative of Loop Hero takes the amnesiac hero to its extreme limit. </p><p>The whole world has amnesia. Not just the people either. The creatures, the towns, the very land itself. It's all been consumed and forgotten due to the machinations of The Lich. As the nameless Hero awakes in a void lit only by a campfire, a road spontaneously appears to form the eponymous Loop. </p><p>Trapped in a reality with nothing but this Loop, the Hero automatically walks along the path and returns to the campfire at the end of each lap. </p><p>You encounter a slime and start to fight it automatically. The game has lasted about 20 seconds at this point and you haven't actually done any gameplay yet. The Hero approaches and fights the slime with no input from you other than a few mouse clicks to advance dialogue. What's going on? When do I, the almighty player, get to do anything?</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHnhpYGQdFrUh3kI2CSh7NwVmBhKHBBiCD3WcIwKD0zfOAZ3GOtyJ6c4E122PhRfy_ERWAXFUVEX0uXg0fub0VgRt5qaY4DeH0kZUDAZ1c2UIU7zvUwTLgwX8prnjH4u9r8o3U6xVJFMci/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="703" data-original-width="1247" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHnhpYGQdFrUh3kI2CSh7NwVmBhKHBBiCD3WcIwKD0zfOAZ3GOtyJ6c4E122PhRfy_ERWAXFUVEX0uXg0fub0VgRt5qaY4DeH0kZUDAZ1c2UIU7zvUwTLgwX8prnjH4u9r8o3U6xVJFMci/w400-h225/image.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />Eventually, things start happening, none are fully explained but all make enough intuitive sense to tease at the player's brain. A weapon drop from a slime zips over to an inventory, which can be equipped onto the Hero's strange loadout area. Strange playing cards depicting locations such as mountains, or meadows will appear in a sort of 'hand area' at the bottom of the screen inviting you to play it onto the black nothingness around the Loop, or onto the Loop itself. You do these things not because you have any strong sense of what the consequences should be but because this is a video game, and you <i>do things in video games</i>. <p></p><p>You equip weapons, you play cards onto the Loop. You see what happens.</p><p>Things happen.</p><p>That graveyard you put down said something about 'spawning skeletons at the start of each day'. What is a day? Why would I want to start spawning skeletons anyway? You notice the day counter in the top left ticking up, you notice that the skeletons have their own loot tables for weaponry and resources. You notice resources. You notice that the enemies get stronger as you complete laps of the Loop. You notice a mysterious 'skull' meter that fills up as you place cards onto the field. You wonder what happens if you can fill it...</p><p>You die, most probably. You encounter a town. A town that you can develop with resources. The buildings in the town all have effects of their own. You venture to the Loop again but this time you notice that you can deck build. You haven't mastered each card's nuances yet, and you won't for some time. You experiment, you learn, you discover new cards, creatures, classes, secret interactions between cards...</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrVgLRjASjFOco_zpX3kG-4HJ6JLeRwUG8hjc8gE35WxS9Ghi8Q3POrqCZFNrYZndO5tXi5vnu-0HKahQei3DgfmYL4mbWbX8rYhEeL-soH_fxjZaxcICTyZp_RnXOs38JpFrc-QuUtV65/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="697" data-original-width="1190" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrVgLRjASjFOco_zpX3kG-4HJ6JLeRwUG8hjc8gE35WxS9Ghi8Q3POrqCZFNrYZndO5tXi5vnu-0HKahQei3DgfmYL4mbWbX8rYhEeL-soH_fxjZaxcICTyZp_RnXOs38JpFrc-QuUtV65/w640-h374/image.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />You just keep going. You keep trying. You keep building, discovering and learning. <br /><br />For a game world set in an endless empty void, this game has a lot of systems crammed into it, and you'll want to master them all.<p></p><p>----</p><p><b>THE (CORE) LOOP HERO</b></p><p>----</p><p>And when I talk about 'the systems' of Loop Hero, what I really mean is 'the metagame systems' of Loop Hero. So I should make sure that everyone reading this knows what I mean by that as I don't think I can take that for granted.<br /><br />Most games can be boiled down into two distinct types of 'gameplay' and the bridges that connect them to one another.</p><p>The first type of part is the 'base layer' which is usually what people refer to as the moment to moment 'gameplay' of a game. In Pong, this would be players moving paddles to deflect the ball. In Mario Kart, it's the driving and the firing of weapons in races. It's what you tend to show off in a 'gameplay trailer'.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJG_vLz-ZAA-iwqfbiKgxkfQFoIViquf6VtnBgoIFke_B1KTidrAfwEzJvbt3dEXeld1iaC5WsN8fH7u_YukbzXbCJHzHsDAqRM26d3bEZezWR1MHSHjYYv3wxIEy7-ZxFRT5lo_KIG7Lm/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="529" data-original-width="940" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJG_vLz-ZAA-iwqfbiKgxkfQFoIViquf6VtnBgoIFke_B1KTidrAfwEzJvbt3dEXeld1iaC5WsN8fH7u_YukbzXbCJHzHsDAqRM26d3bEZezWR1MHSHjYYv3wxIEy7-ZxFRT5lo_KIG7Lm/w640-h360/image.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">(Any excuse to type 'Mario Kart 8 Press Kit' into my search bar, honestly)</div><p></p><p>The 'metagame' tends to be everything else. In Pong, as with most classic arcade games, the metagame layer is the high-score table on the arcade cabinet. Aside from entering initials and trying to secure a place on said board, the player barely interacts with it at all. In Mario Kart, the player earns trophies and star ratings for their performance in Grand Prix events, and time trial records act as a sort of local leaderboard. Again, not much interaction there. <br /><br />However, even these bare-bones metagames with next to no interactive parts provide a strong sense of meaning to the base layer. What would Pong be without a high-score table? Where would the tension be in single player Mario Kart without the pressure to get a gold trophy? Even a basic metagame adds a lot.<br /><br />The ideal videogame gets the player to focus on the base layer for a short while, but not so long that they get bored or tired. Once the base layer session is done, the player is kicked back out into the metagame layer, which should hopefully persuade the player to take part in more base layer fun later. In the Pong example, you play Pong, see your high score and think "hmm, I think I'll try that again". This back and forth between base layer and metagame is typically referred to as a "compulsion loop". <br /><br />A more complex game may have many such compulsion loops, but there is usually a dominant one. We call this the Core Loop. <br /><br />When games were new, and largely skill-based diversions, the base layer did most of the heavy lifting in establishing what made a game good or interesting.<br /><br />Then complex stories were in games. A desire to see the plot and world of a visual novel became a metagame just as engrossing as the base layer verb of 'read text'.<br /><br />Then RPG systems were in games. The term 'grinding' refers to often monotonous repeat battles of an often unchallenging base layer battles because the metagame of myriad character-building subsystems and a good story was worth it.<br /><br />Then achievements were in games. Many a player has doubled down to play games they would otherwise have discarded long ago in search of trophies and gamerscore points, which in turn fed a 'meta-metagame' system of tracking progress across a whole library of titles on one platform for the purposes of showing dedication and skill in gaming.<br /><br />At some time during all of this, we were told to catch 'em all. The Pokedex metagame layer became far more important than any single battle in the entire experience of a Pokemon player's career.<br /><br />And of course, along came mobile, and the base layer was all but crushed in its wake, at least for a time.</p><p></p><p>----</p><p><b>STEALING BACK FROM MOBILE</b></p><p>----</p>Successful mobile games with a 'twitch skill' base layer are very rare. It's just very difficult to make that work on a small touch screen where real estate is at a premium. Not to mention that any given app needs to target a cornucopia of device types and screen sizes. Control schemes and camera placement choices are necessarily constrained so the base layer experiences on mobile tend toward simplicity, even when one isn't targeting a casual audience.<div><br /></div><div>When it comes to designing for fun on mobile, the metagame layer ends up picking up a lot of the slack. Strategic games with complex meta-layers lend a sense of tactical cleverness to games where the player isn't actually doing a great deal with their hands. Even supposedly twitchier games like Temple Run rely heavily on their upgrade and mission systems for their staying power.</div><div><br /></div><div>And of course, it's largely through the meta-layer that free to play mobile games monetise a small fraction of their player base. The laser focussed design works to establish a long term end goal for the player, much like a traditional boxed product video game. Defeat the final boss. Reach the final level. Build the most awesome secret base... that kind of thing. Except rather than design a tight 20-40 hour experience that gets you to that established goal, free to play games allow you to progress relatively unimpeded towards that goal over the course of 2-3 weeks and then start making it difficult to continue making meaningful progress at the same rate without either monetising or through grinding which would be above the odds for even the most punishing late-game challenges of JRPGs.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3aQkN03aDIgIGoz7k_cMY1QkEUWgSdvJp9RMPDFt42Oh85vD9_MpoAHcarkS3YtfO-jeu82Wbag0uIu3nkz-rGXW8zyZ9bvzqZrFUXebvxR7frJfH6i1uaUjyM0UuNc-Is7j78VDoM16/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="198" data-original-width="326" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3aQkN03aDIgIGoz7k_cMY1QkEUWgSdvJp9RMPDFt42Oh85vD9_MpoAHcarkS3YtfO-jeu82Wbag0uIu3nkz-rGXW8zyZ9bvzqZrFUXebvxR7frJfH6i1uaUjyM0UuNc-Is7j78VDoM16/w640-h388/image.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">(*cough*)</div><br />To finally bring this back around to Loop Hero, we find a game that is part of a subtle movement to throw out the free to play bathwater from traditionally 'evil' free to play design and keep the delightful meta-heavy, input-light base layer design (babies) from mobile. Core video games do not need to be centred around complex input systems and combat to be a worthwhile challenge. Loop Hero engages your brain in its entirety in every run but still allows one to keep a free hand to sip on a brew or check what's going on in chat.</div><div><br /></div><div>I've long maintained that there is a degree of snobbery from long-time gamers toward games that find popularity on mobile. They are dismissed as sub-par experiences for sub-par audiences who need to hurry up, smell the coffee and upgrade to a nice console/PC experience. Games like Loop Hero show us that even ardent PC gamers can celebrate core gameplay loops that have been honed in the mobile space, just so as long as the core business model reverts to a more traditional 'one-and-done' financial transaction and that the game lives in the more culturally accepted confines of their Steam library.<br /> </div><div>But let's not kid ourselves, Loop Hero is a game that raided the treasures of the mobile space and dressed up the loot for a self-described discerning PC audience.</div><div><p>----</p><p><b>THE VERDICT</b></p><p>----</p><p>Loop Hero isn't designed to monetise its players, but there are times where I would be tempted to spend gems or some form of premium currency to pick up the pace a little. There are plateaus in progress that can seem almost too much like a mobile game. That being said, I often find that the game rewards those that are willing to think deeply about optimising their builds towards key objectives. The game doesn't shower you with praise for figuring these things out but provides something of a neutral laboratory environment for players to test our strategies and praise themselves for their own cleverness.<br /><br />I've only played this game in small doses, rather than longer sessions full of back to back runs, so I will admit to something of a blind spot in my research here. The game provides a tight 15-20 min experience that will fill up the back half of a lunch break, or as a welcome break from study. I can easily see the game satisfying a much longer gaming session much in the same way that one may decide to watch a single episode of a TV show and end up bingeing the whole season. The core loop of this game simply is that compelling.<br /><br />As I said earlier, I'm very fortunate that this thing isn't on my phone. If you're looking for a new obsession, you would do well to consider Loop Hero. It's a mobile game for people who don't like mobile games.</p><p>----</p><p><b>THE EXTRA 3%</b></p><p>----</p><p>Welcome to the back pages! Thanks for reading this far. I hope you enjoyed my Loop Hero review!<br /><br />My previous review in this series was <a href="https://103percent.blogspot.com/2021/04/sludge-life-review-not-sponsored.html" target="_blank">Sludge Life</a>, another game published by Devolver Digital. To keep things fresh my next review will absolutely not be a game published by them. <br /><b><br />BANNED FOR ALL TIME:</b><br />Published by Devolver Digital</p><p>Although if you're not entirely familiar with Devolver Digital's offerings, they're a label worth looking out for. Games in their portfolio are rarely boring, often very good, and always worth the price of admission to find out. If there was a fringe arts festival of games, Devolver Digital's acts would be the one's that get talked about by the less insufferable hipsters. </p><p>If you like what I'm about please do consider <a href="https://twitter.com/jak1oh3" target="_blank">interacting with me on Twitter @jak1oh3</a> and continuing the conversation there. I love talking to people who make and play video games so I look forward to hearing from anyone that fits that description :)<br /><br />Thanks again for reading, it means a lot to me,<br />Jak<br /></p></div>103% Completehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12770843145677764848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540590941313753526.post-12606375686991073812021-04-20T15:44:00.017+01:002021-04-27T13:45:06.876+01:00Sludge Life - The 103% Review<p>The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild invites players to scale mountains and towers to make it easier to discover the hidden secrets of a serene post-post-apocalyptic Hyrule. <br /><br />Bowser's Fury invites players to scale lighthouses and brightly coloured abstract geography to make it easier to gather the Cat Shines of the inviting and generous waters of Lake Lapcat<br /><br />Sludge Life invites players to scale sewage processing buildings and ruined dock equipment to make it easier to vandalise everything, smoke cigarettes, and get the mother of all vibes going.</p><p>This is the 103% review of Sludge Life.<br /><br />(Get the game: <a href="https://shopsludgelife.com/" target="_blank">Sludge Life</a>)</p><p>----</p><p><b>ENTER THE SLUDGE</b></p><p>----</p><p>I've been claiming freebies on the Epic Store for a long time. Not exhaustively. Not selectively. I've just been stuffing free games in my cheeks like the grubby little hamster that I am.<br /><br />Now finally, after months of hoarding, I'm actually playing one of them. I'm playing Sludge Life </p><p>Sludge Life was developed by Terri Vellman and Doseone and published by Devolver Digital. You can get it for PC and Switch.</p><p>Sludge Life is a very nice video game, and it was made better by the fact that I got it for absolutely nothing. You can get it for free on the Epic Games Store until the end of May 2021 so get it while you can, even if you put off playing it for months like I did.</p><p>You play as a vandal named Ghost.<br /><br />When you first enter the world of Sludge Life, and indeed each time you enter the game world from the main menu, you will start out in Ghost's home. Ghost's home is a shipping container in a lake of sludge.</p><p>When you leave your shipping container domicile for the first time the game softly hints at a goal. You may wish to vandalise a highlighted wall and get a point for doing so. You may feel compelled to set a more self-directed goal and explore and climb your way to one of many vantage points. </p><p>Your self directed goal may be one of immersive roleplay. You're a street artist living precariously near a sludge processing facility. Who says you necessarily care about being a productive artist today? You may spend any given session of Sludge Life trying to find strange beauty in your surroundings, or take pictures using your infinite supply of single-use cameras.</p><p>Like I did that one time:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_w0B-daL38IIsOhr4iWaJco-_gpUucLgP4amahX4mCVH77473-aCpugYHnpIuhoOmymbXyAh2DZmfC7RHg2tR89qbzEvBJYt14Px0ASm5wc_2Jmqduhhic_FfFKhoUaNNtk0oi_z3vXwt/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A picture of a building enjoying a giant cigarette" data-original-height="1043" data-original-width="1693" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_w0B-daL38IIsOhr4iWaJco-_gpUucLgP4amahX4mCVH77473-aCpugYHnpIuhoOmymbXyAh2DZmfC7RHg2tR89qbzEvBJYt14Px0ASm5wc_2Jmqduhhic_FfFKhoUaNNtk0oi_z3vXwt/w400-h246/image.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>It's a sludge processing station enjoying a giant cigarette. The street art was delayed in favour of photography.</p>Your goal may not even be to *solve* anything or even *produce* anything. <p></p><p>The goal may just be to *vibe*...</p><p>----</p><p><b>VIBE CHECK</b></p><p>----</p><p>As an elder millennial, I can't truly claim to have ever truly perceived any moments of my life as a 'vibe' or a 'mood' as they were happening to me. Once I felt like I had a good grasp of what these terms meant, I was only able to retroactively apply these labels to past experiences and even as I did this, I did so with minimal confidence.<br /><br />When I played Sludge Life, I experienced first-hand and in real-time, an unmistakable feeling of vibing in this virtual environment with its cast of laid back NPCs. I climbed to the top of the tallest pile of trash this side of Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy and smoked a cigarette.</p><p>I vibed with this bird person.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6aQA-D9_JtM1O0RuXOoEUAGE5tzNXdNyNjtGzH5dXTBQiyzPir5jSDzBgiOGdh9QOmAlB8h_awhRVSby3fn5l94rWg5x0i7DV9s_f-omBdMsjiSiATbUiH4AOOZ1a2ypKw29DxcJsBmn-/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="1207" data-original-width="1857" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6aQA-D9_JtM1O0RuXOoEUAGE5tzNXdNyNjtGzH5dXTBQiyzPir5jSDzBgiOGdh9QOmAlB8h_awhRVSby3fn5l94rWg5x0i7DV9s_f-omBdMsjiSiATbUiH4AOOZ1a2ypKw29DxcJsBmn-/w400-h260/image.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />This bird person had a 'take a seat or don't, I won't judge' aura when I met them. I joined the bird person and took a load off, holding the crouch button down so we could interact at eye level. <p></p><p>There are many opportunities to vibe in this game. I have spoiled one of many. I will resist the urge to spoil more of these moments, but I could easily populate a sturdy list of vibes and moods from memory alone. </p><p>These vibe moments, whether they be constructed set pieces like 'couch bird' or those that are spontaneously created by players as they frame their own experiences with Sludge Life. That is not to say that Sludge Life doesn't have a hand in shaping what those experiences will be. <br /><br />The world of Sludge Life is uncaring and determined to grind its inhabitants down, including Ghost. At times it feels as if there is no escape at all, but Sludge Life offers players a chance to forget their troubles in between their hunts for tag locations. You will experience the phenomenology of vibe at least once during your playthrough of this game.</p><p>Vibing in this environment is a form of rebellion. But what against? Glad you asked.</p><p></p><p>----</p><p><b>BROKEN WORLD</b></p><p>----</p><br /><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBjSyAB7JoAzygZkdRXxPXxv8rx5ArQFwer47WdAd-klqjGGTix_NqYZIbRdf2S-1_DL1ri2s4IJNfn7Tsj4Pt1EoYQRKE49IYophRcBnj2vSgGP2ZTben9z65MfS-YPr1IKYQFKsmW999/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBjSyAB7JoAzygZkdRXxPXxv8rx5ArQFwer47WdAd-klqjGGTix_NqYZIbRdf2S-1_DL1ri2s4IJNfn7Tsj4Pt1EoYQRKE49IYophRcBnj2vSgGP2ZTben9z65MfS-YPr1IKYQFKsmW999/w400-h225/image.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>The revolution may come tomorrow, it may come in forty years' time. It may never come. We may all burn to death on a planet that is beyond repair. In a world where billionaires control more and more of the world's wealth and power than ever before, it seems that things will get a lot worse before they even stand a chance of getting better. This can be distressing, depressing and leave the human mind in a state of existential misery.</p><p>But the human spirit can also be trained to set all of their worries aside and seek out the best experiences possible given the circumstances. One can spend their free time and energy worrying about corrupt politicians and the dire conditions to which we subject our least fortunate workers. Sludge Life argues that this energy and time is wasted. Sludge Life says why not squeeze every last drop of joy from your environment.<br /><br />Go talk to weird people. Drink fizzy drinks. Smoke. Risk life, limb, and liberty for the sake of creating art. Engage in outsider culture. Smoke again. Waste more cameras than Joseph Joestar. Piss with lacking accuracy at someone else's toilet. Piss off the edge of the world. Swim in toxic sludge. Listen to great music.</p><p>Do not descend into despair.</p><p>This world is broken, but it can not truly break you. You get to decide how broken you want to be. Sludge Life invites you to define your own rules.</p><p>----</p><p><b>THE VERDICT</b></p><p>----</p><p>For a game about exploration and finding hidden surprises, Sludge Life can leave you at a loose end sometimes. As it became harder to find new tag spots, Sludge Life often left me without a clear goal. Ludic Boredom and anxiety set in quickly and I almost turned to guides (or straight-up putting the game down) a number of times. </p><p>But I didn't. I explored the world again. I talked to those quirky NPCs again. I scoured the sludge for clues and leads again. I had Eureka moments as I managed to squeeze just a little more out of Sludge Life and I did get to the good ending eventually. <br /><br />But there were long stretches of nothing. These moments gave me an opportunity to succumb to a seemingly inescapable world. I vibed. I thought about this fictional world and how it made me feel about my own place in the real one. I found my own fun until I could make tangible progress.</p><p>I have my reservations about recommending such a jagged experience to anyone. There are games that give you more dopamine for your time and money. But this is a short game, and if you're seeing this at an opportune time, you can get it for free. Download it now, and play it before starting your next Big Game.</p>103% Completehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12770843145677764848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540590941313753526.post-33858760700190516672018-05-01T10:53:00.002+01:002018-05-01T10:53:30.570+01:00How to Win at Codenames (Part 2: Field Operative side)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Welcome to the second half of this ruthless, no holds
barred, ultimate guide to beating people at <i>Codenames</i>. We’ll cover the Field
Operative side this time. <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.co.uk/2018/04/how-to-win-at-codenames-part-1.html" target="_blank">(Read Part 1 here!)</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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I have listened to your feedback. I accept again that <i>Codenames
</i>is designed as, and is most often received as, a light-hearted game for casual
gamers. <o:p></o:p></div>
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You want to hear another game which was originally designed
for casual gamers? <i>Super Smash Bros. Melee.</i> It’s all a matter of how much you
want to take something seriously, design intent be damned.<br />
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That being said, let’s get into some hot <i>Codenames </i>advice
action!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>-- Field Operatives --</b></div>
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Field Operative Overview<br />
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-- Listen, Listen, Listen --<br />
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As with the Spymaster side, keeping engaged with what players are saying is key. I won’t beat this argument to death, but it is worth saying a few things specific to the Field Operative side.<br />
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The most obvious difference moving from the Spymaster side to the Field Operative side is that you don’t know which tiles belong to which of the two sides. Your main source of information about this comes from the Spymasters. Your own Spymaster tries to herd you toward correct answers, but the rival Spymaster (and the rival Field Operatives) are actively trying to expose their own team’s tiles.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I want you all to channel the listening skills of this CREEPY-ASS emoji</td></tr>
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If you can solve the rival Spymaster’s clues better than your rival Field Operatives can, you will gain some advantage in a crunch. It could mean the difference between a miss or a hit at a critical point in the game. Getting a hard read on your opponent's clues will also help you avoid falling foul of Fucker Tiles (tiles with related meanings that happen to belong to opposing teams) so keep listening!<br />
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But one party that we haven’t covered yet are your fellow Field Operatives. If you have them, they can be a help or a hindrance depending on how you all work together. That’s worth considering in it’s own section, so we will.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "wingdings"; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">--</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Get your Teammates Talking! --</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;">If you’re playing with some fellow Field
Operatives, you’ll probably have a difference of opinion at some point during the
game over one of your Spymaster’s clues at some point during the game. You’ll
be at an impasse until you come to a consensus.</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;">At this point it can be tempting to turn this discussion
into an adversarial debate where your theories about the Spymaster clues are
placed in opposition to the theories of the other Field Operatives. This is often
not the most productive way to conduct the discussion.</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;">I’m taking huge cues from Edward de
Bono’s book, </span><i style="text-indent: -18pt;">Six Thinking Hats</i><span style="text-indent: -18pt;"> when I
say that trying to get everyone on the team speak their piece without fear of
failure or chastisement is the way to go. </span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I overthink casual games, so you don't have to!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new"; text-indent: -18pt;"></span><span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Keep a mental note of what proportion of the
theories has come from which members of the group and try and get theories on
the table. This achieves two big things for your team. First, you are allowing possibly
excellent theories to enter the discussion from people for whom the high stakes
adversarial debate style just does not work for.</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Secondly, it improves the overall quality of the
discussion by encouraging people to talk through their theories, which is a lot
easier to do in a welcoming environment. Talking through these theories allows
other members of the team to benefit from any insights that previously only existed
in that player’s head beforehand. You’ll also build up a better toolbox of reasoning
for your future sessions with <i>Codenames</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: -18pt;">Tl;dr be a co-operative and likeable human
being to succeed.</span><br />
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-- Feedback should be Limited, but Constructive --<br />
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Playing as the Spymaster is often incredibly frustrating as you cannot meaningfully comment on the guesswork that your Field Operatives are doing. Not so much as a ‘Nice One!’ or a ‘Dammit!’ should be appear on the Spymaster’s face. Field Operatives, on the other hand can have a field day.<br />
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As a field operative, you should have an idea about how well you personally know the Spymaster. How well do you think you can read their clues? Do you know how they think? If you and your team all have a deep psychic link that reliably produces wins for you, then ignore this section of the guide, then ignore this entire guide, and congratulations on your dominance of your local <i>Codenames</i> meta.<br />
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For the rest of us, read on. <br />
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You ever have that moment where your Spymaster appears to just give the most outlandish, impossible clue? The kind of clue that makes you say ‘What!?’ out loud? That reaction, on its own, is of no use to your Spymaster. Vocalise your thought process as you struggle to find a valid answer. Don’t just ‘Pass’ the turn huffily. Do your best to enable your Spymaster to do better next time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLPsXAidIXdQ9PIrIksFM08Qi7bpGvlpkMihdBYz6-6-jT5TXvrhLMBL-anEveL-fME35N6_pDz3PB-IoWBDy6O8poeYy55twNVMFNGVwhnZnsjiAki89Dfl1CCoAwmkHQfwwUmgaQvHlc/s1600/conchords.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="434" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLPsXAidIXdQ9PIrIksFM08Qi7bpGvlpkMihdBYz6-6-jT5TXvrhLMBL-anEveL-fME35N6_pDz3PB-IoWBDy6O8poeYy55twNVMFNGVwhnZnsjiAki89Dfl1CCoAwmkHQfwwUmgaQvHlc/s320/conchords.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">tl;dr for this section</td></tr>
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<br />When you give this feedback out loud, you are practically giving info away to the other team, but I wouldn’t let this concern you. If your Spymaster isn’t delivering top tier clues yet, the trade-off ends up being in your favour. You’ll not solve your communications problem by letting it fester.<br />
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-- Wrap-Up --<br />
<br />
The Field Operative job involves a healthy balance between going with your own gut, communicating with your team-mates, and considering all the angles. Overconfidence can lead to missing out on better possibilities, but overthinking clues often leads to talking yourself out of sound intuition. Achieving this balance is something that comes with practice, but this involves some introspection. Do you need to believe in yourself more? Can you listen to others better? Or do you need to hold your horses and practice some more caution? All these skills are worthwhile both in <i>Codenames</i>, as they are in life.<br />
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Simply put, playing <i>Codenames</i>, will make you a better person. I hope you’ve enjoyed this guide to winning at life.<br />
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103% Completehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12770843145677764848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540590941313753526.post-8003640493539896902018-04-17T15:09:00.002+01:002018-05-01T10:54:27.432+01:00How to Win at Codenames (Part 1: Spymaster Side)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Vlaada Chvatil's <i>Codenames </i>is a very bankable board game. If you are going to a board game meet up with a bunch of randos, you could do a lot worse than having the orange <i>Codenames </i>box in your bag. It's a very easy game to teach, and very soon your whole group will have got the hang of it. You'll be playing it all evening.<br />
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Then of course, you'll want to fucking win. I acknowledge that a more casual, rules-light, happy-go-lucky game like <i>Codenames </i>probably doesn't warrant a ruthless, expert level guide. But I've made one, and here you are reading it. I'm just glad that there is someone else who <i>also</i> wants to win this fun, friendly game with devastating aplomb as often as possible. DM me.<br />
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The guide will be broken into two posts. The first post will cover
winning tactics that one should employ as one of the spymaster, and the second post will set out some best approaches when playing as a field operative.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Let's get into it!</div>
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<b>-- Spymaster --</b></div>
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The spymaster is often thought of as the ‘harder’ role to
play. It’s certainly the more daunting role. The spymaster assumes the most
responsibility for the team’s overall success. They cannot confer with an ally
like the field operatives can, and the field operatives’ potential for success
is limited by the performance of the spymaster. The pressure can get into your
head and mess up your game. Here are some tips to prevent this:<br />
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-- Eavesdrop like there’s no tomorrow --<br />
<i><br /></i>
James Bond’s spymaster M would relish the chance to be fully aware of their highly irresponsible agent’s movements in real time. They don’t have that luxury, but you do. You’re instructed to maintain a poker face while your field operatives deliberate, but you can ‘react’ through your moves.<br />
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An example. Your team misses one of your clues on Turn 1, but also talk about the correct answer at any time before Turn 2, you should know that your team are prepared to hit that missed answer on Turn 2, so it may be wasteful to give them a second clue that points toward that missed clue again. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglhrbeVWunTlxXOyAOZ5_0waASzutKeYj31jZlujSYngv8r6TBAxax-8CxmR4OxtlM-VaPJcZRxoD5gnJ-4kMx-WbDyG8D1exEyGz-wxXkgyiLL0FTXiO_9KKYDnRWFz6NJvTUmeiqDNIZ/s1600/eavesdrop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="222" data-original-width="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglhrbeVWunTlxXOyAOZ5_0waASzutKeYj31jZlujSYngv8r6TBAxax-8CxmR4OxtlM-VaPJcZRxoD5gnJ-4kMx-WbDyG8D1exEyGz-wxXkgyiLL0FTXiO_9KKYDnRWFz6NJvTUmeiqDNIZ/s1600/eavesdrop.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meditate on this image and you will succeed at <i>Codenames</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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It’s not just your allies either, if you overhear that the opposing operatives are considering selecting on of your team’s tiles on their next turn. Don’t do them the favour of setting a clue that leads directly to it if you can possibly delay it. Why waste a perfectly good opportunity to have the opposing team waste one of their turns and give you the additional tile?<br />
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If you’re not listening intently, you’ll miss this stuff. Spymasters don’t get to talk much, but they damn well get to hear an awful lot. Don’t waste this opportunity and channel your inner M.<br />
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-- Take Risks If You Are Behind --<br />
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Almost every <i>Codenames</i> team that I’ve played with or against falls into a familiar pattern of going for conservative pairs of two words at a time and simply communicating an association between two words. This tactic works if you’re either ahead on points already, or if you can rely on the opposing team fouling up on their turns. In my view, this is less of a tactic to win more games, and more of a tactic to pass fewer turns to the other team.<br />
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Tl;dr: Hitting safe pairs is wuss tactic, so try and find opportunities to pull ahead.<br />
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All of this being said, it is your job as Spymaster to gauge the bravery of your field operatives by Eavesdropping like there’s no tomorrow. There’s no point giving a bold clue that connects 5 tiles if your team buckle under the pressure and pass the turn. Wuss clues for wuss field operatives, I guess!<br />
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If you are going to ‘go wide’ on a clue incorporating 4 or more words, be very mindful of the potential for your Field Operatives to get it wrong. Try and rule out any possibility that a player will accidentally hit the Assassin or a tile for the opposing team of spies. It’s perfectly okay if there’s a slight chance that the player hits a Miss Tile though, as they can recover from that in future rounds. Don’t be afraid of passing one turn if you can potentially communicate over half of your tiles to your team, even if you are behind.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc2xiEqgFAv5rcQIqcrd0E56LlFLq-hZvSC0g5z850-QWQBkbfky187wA0yHuV7rAuiQWsYE8OCdHZ5M73wJndLUMjB5BhqoeEDXP2eOtKMHzuZryPmcsLWCFBKxFyfe1d_DS3xaG42Sxk/s1600/daredevil-mouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="181" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc2xiEqgFAv5rcQIqcrd0E56LlFLq-hZvSC0g5z850-QWQBkbfky187wA0yHuV7rAuiQWsYE8OCdHZ5M73wJndLUMjB5BhqoeEDXP2eOtKMHzuZryPmcsLWCFBKxFyfe1d_DS3xaG42Sxk/s1600/daredevil-mouse.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can do this!</td></tr>
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Also, with larger amounts of tiles being connected, you can afford to be a little broader. Cat and Dogs are ‘Animals’, but Beard and Kiwi are not ‘Animals’. However, all could be considered ‘Furry’ with a slight tilt of the head.<br />
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Another good way to find connections is to look at all of the other tiles that are not yours and see if there is something that they all have in common, which your words do not. It might be that you give an exceptionally vague clue to your Field Operatives, but they should be able to get the clues by process of elimination. The words 'Well' , 'Fridge' and 'Binoculars' may not have an obvious meaningful connection, but they could be easily be connected by the word 'Manmade' if all of the other tiles relate to things found in nature.<br />
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Just try and be on the lookout for larger connections. 3 is a world of difference away from 2 in a game which is first to 8 or 9 tiles.<br />
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-- Leave “Fucker Tiles” on the Board As Long As Possible --<br />
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This is the last big tip I have for the Spymaster. Before I get to it I have to emphasise that the first two tips are already a lot of work.<br />
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Paying attention what everyone is saying and then using that information to formulate a picture of what you think everyone remembers, and how brave everyone might be feeling is a lot to be engaged with at once. This is of course in addition to trying to figure out how to draw connections between tiles of your colour for your Field Operatives!<br />
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If you have any room in your head though, I would cast your eye to what your rival Spymaster is going through, because my god they are going through some shit!<br />
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If you have time to look at your opposing team’s tiles. You might find what we call a Fucker Tile.<br />
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A Fucker Tile is one of your own tiles, which could very easily make it way more difficult for your opponent to make a solid connection between tiles because there is a very good chance that it overlaps with one of yours.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiokH0eeXj0DKu9M-drD3LpXcf6x4Ul64ZOLH_2f_ESIh50-Fndi0Je-JGO3TjQPNDGHk_WwgnhzUqn2FAD3Zl4kvJ__niNNt-j-uyAFT-MIQA-e1SbEY3G2qskGGZvGJssTadgvBKZqID_/s1600/schadedn.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="269" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiokH0eeXj0DKu9M-drD3LpXcf6x4Ul64ZOLH_2f_ESIh50-Fndi0Je-JGO3TjQPNDGHk_WwgnhzUqn2FAD3Zl4kvJ__niNNt-j-uyAFT-MIQA-e1SbEY3G2qskGGZvGJssTadgvBKZqID_/s1600/schadedn.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aim to be the purple guy: victorious and unliked</td></tr>
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For instance, you see that the opposing team has ‘France’ and ‘Germany’ as two of their words, but you have ‘Italy’ and ‘Plumber’ as two of yours. You have an easy-ish 2-connection with ‘Mario’ but in doing so you make it a lot easier for the opposing team to get an easy-ish 2-connection with ‘Countries’ if you take ‘Italy’ off the board.<br />
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The ‘Italy’ tile in this instance is a Fucker Tile and you should leave it on the board for as long as possible. There’s a chance that the 'Italy' tile will be accidentally selected by the opposite side, and at the very least, you’re making your rival Spymaster’s job just that bit more difficult.<br />
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Try to look for Fucker Tiles the next time you’re playing <i>Codenames!</i><br />
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-- Wrap-Up --<br />
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I hope that these three tips vastly improve your success as the Spymaster in <i>Codenames</i>. Next time we'll <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.co.uk/2018/05/how-to-win-at-codenames-part-2-field.html" target="_blank">cover the game from the Field Operatives side.</a> Until then, may all your games be good!<br />
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103% Completehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12770843145677764848noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540590941313753526.post-14372552032890450442016-09-12T18:00:00.000+01:002016-09-25T21:59:07.349+01:00How To Win At The Game Of Thrones Board Game: Part 6- Taking the Win, Meta-Game and Alliances, and Alternative Ways to Play<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hello, and welcome to the final part of my guide on how to win at the Game of Thrones board game. If you have missed any of the previous parts, they can be found below:<br />
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- <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.com/2016/08/how-to-win-at-game-of-thrones-board.html" target="_blank">Part 1- Territory Control and House Cards</a></div>
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- <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.com/2016/08/how-to-win-at-game-of-thrones-board_15.html" target="_blank">Part 2- Combat, Managing Troops and Power Tokens</a></div>
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- <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.com/2016/08/how-to-win-at-game-of-thrones-board_22.html" target="_blank">Part 3- Stark and Greyjoy</a><br />
- <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.com/2016/08/how-to-win-at-game-of-thrones-board_29.html" target="_blank">Part 4- Lannister and Baratheon</a><br />
- <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.com/2016/09/how-to-win-at-game-of-thrones-board.html" target="_blank">Part 5- Tyrell and Martell</a><br />
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<b>7: Taking The Win</b></div>
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“In War.</div>
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Prize victory,</div>
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Not a protracted campaign.”</div>
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<i>Sun Tsu, Waging of War</i></div>
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So, having discussed general strategy
and potential issues for each house I am now going to look at making
the winning move. There are two ways to win; take a 7<sup>th</sup>
castle, or hold the most castles at the end of the game. Depending on
the house you are playing is as the best option will vary.
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Obviously taking 7 castles is a safe
and instantaneous win, but you are unlikely to be able to reliably do
this. Since hitting 6 castles makes you a big target you should try
to hover around 5 castles and then aim to take two in one turn.
Obviously this means splitting your resources more, and requires
careful timing of housecards to give guaranteed or probably
victories. Bear in mind that ties are initially broken by number of
strongholds, followed by supply track position. This has an important
bearing on what each house should attempt. For example, if Greyjoy
are sitting on 5 castles, 3 of which are strongholds, and every other
player is on 5 or fewer castles, they are probably a strong contender
to win the game in turn 10. Conversely, if Martell hold 5 castles
they are unlikely to be holding more than one stronghold, meaning
they should probably push for a 6<sup>th</sup> or 7<sup>th</sup>
castle.</div>
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The best time to make the push to 7
castles is turns 8 or 9, as other players will not necessarily be
prepared for this when compared to turn 10. Another great time to do
this is if the Westeros cards deal a “no support orders” card, as
this allows territories considered “safe” to be taken (Crackclaw
Point, Storm's End etc). If making the push for 7 castles it is
important to put the rest of your orders down in a defensive strategy
that mitigates risk; unless you can be certain of the victories
required to take your final castles then you need to prepare for the
worst.</div>
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The last aspect of endgame to talk
about is turn 10. Turn 10 is different to the rest of the game,
mainly because no one has anything to lose. As such, players will be
much more reckless and will throw units and house cards at any
problem. How you respond to this will depend on your position; if you
have a comfortable lead you should play defensively and aim to
prevent all attacks. If you are slightly behind you should prepare to
march on the loser in any large battles. A particularly good strategy
can be suddenly mobilising units that have existed all game as power
token farmers. A sudden march from the Arbor or Dragonstone can be
unexpected and allow you to easily taken an undefended castle.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8CW7mgjr401plVU0u311bI0xesx4PO6VcoAXr5-ETzPD2xws3Jdw6akFlflheYIn23A5FHx5LarfvflV1ScKirfdpcM8SLMWf-tgZfEPCIvKJGvxExjuulJV87Aq__qSBEWrFsBVi5P0/s1600/Stannis.jpe" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8CW7mgjr401plVU0u311bI0xesx4PO6VcoAXr5-ETzPD2xws3Jdw6akFlflheYIn23A5FHx5LarfvflV1ScKirfdpcM8SLMWf-tgZfEPCIvKJGvxExjuulJV87Aq__qSBEWrFsBVi5P0/s1600/Stannis.jpe" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had to get a picture of Stannis in somewhere, and here is as good as anywhere.</td></tr>
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Generally if you are in a strong
position you should be aiming to end the game in turn 9 and avoiding
the unpredictability of turn 10, as it is easy for the rankings of
all players to change in the final turn.</div>
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<b>8: Meta-game and Alliances</b></div>
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“Words of peace,</div>
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But no treaty,</div>
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Are a sign</div>
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Of a plot.”</div>
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<i>Sun Tsu, On The March</i></div>
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One aspect of the game that is often
linked to it that I have hardly touched on is the table game,
including alliances and deals. Obviously this is not a formal part of
the rules, but is thematically encouraged. Depending on the group you
play with will depend on how often alliances come into play. That
said, once two players make an alliance in a game it is only a matter
of time until other alliances form to counter this (for more
information, see World War 2).
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Generally the most effective alliances
are not made between neighbours. Greyjoy and Lannister may make an
alliance in good faith, but having a large military presence on your
doorstep is something that can only be ignored for so long. Rather,
alliances can be mutually beneficial between houses that lack common
territories. This could include:</div>
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Baratheon/Tyrell</div>
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Stark/Lannister</div>
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Stark/Martell</div>
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Greyjoy/Baratheon</div>
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Lannister/Martell</div>
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Greyjoy/Tyrell</div>
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All these focus on a “pincer”
attack on a common enemy. Of course, if you find you cannot trust
other players with even this kind of alliance, another option is an
alliance that only lasts for a certain time. For example, an alliance
up until the start of turn 6. This means both players are aware of
when aggression is acceptable whilst not worrying about being the one
to be stabbed in the back.
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLNbKtpZ4aoai7tjouG1E6vIEhALkrO6BATbWVNH76YMJOwJnbVZU_K5OdOWaP378lSlvsFNPS2JQAU1bSIkXSKk8pQ8zee_BzuCb6s-slFrOMRAxVs8OFt4uRAfJZ_lhfeMAw9CbuH8/s1600/Littlefinger.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLNbKtpZ4aoai7tjouG1E6vIEhALkrO6BATbWVNH76YMJOwJnbVZU_K5OdOWaP378lSlvsFNPS2JQAU1bSIkXSKk8pQ8zee_BzuCb6s-slFrOMRAxVs8OFt4uRAfJZ_lhfeMAw9CbuH8/s320/Littlefinger.png" width="207" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I did warn you not to trust me"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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How alliances work will likely develop
between any group of regular players. Another aspect that normally
develops between a group of people who regularly play together is a
local metagame. This means that there are certain strategies or moves
that become the expected move amongst that group. This, in turn,
leads to those moves losing value due to being predictable. For
example, if a group always used my suggested Lannister opening then
the Greyjoy player would likely use a different opening in response
to this. This is something that will inform your strategy when
playing with this group; how this manifests depends entirely on who
you play with.</div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>9: Alternative Set-ups and “House”
Rule Suggestions</b></div>
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The last area I would like to discuss
is some suggestions for alternative ways of playing that either give
the game some variety or help address balancing issues. These are of
course not official set ups but give variety to the game.</div>
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Rumble In The South (4 players): Block
off Pyke, Moat Cailin, Greywater Watch, Flint's Finger, and
everything north of them. Houses in play are Lannister, Baratheon,
Martell and Tyrell. This set up lets Tyrell have the Valyrian Steel
Blade and puts Martell second on two influence tracks, making Doran a
more interesting card, as well as giving each house limited space to
work in. This also works for groups who want to use Tyrell and
Martell but don't always have 6 players.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
No Salt Or Sand (4 players): Block off
Pyke and Dorne (Prince's Pass, Yronwood, Starfall, Salt Shore,
Sunspear), and have Lannister, Baratheon, Stark and Tyrell in. This
is less claustrophobic than Rumble but does not give any one player
too many resources. It also means Lannister have some breathing room
without having too easy a time of things.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
All But The Lion (5 players): Block off
Lannisport and remove Lannister. This 5 player set up keeps the
middle of the board empty, meaning that Baratheon, Tyrell and Greyjoy
expand further than usual and get into blows with each other. Since
Lannister do not have a lot of uncontested territories this does not
substantially change the goals for any house, but does remove the
house that suffers most in a 5 player game.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Custom House Decks: The Dance With
Dragons expansion adds a new set of house cards for each house, and
this can be used to create custom decks. The most balanced ruling is
that each house chooses a 4, a 3, two 2s, two 1s and a 0 from the two
decks, and these are not publicly announced until the cards have been
played. This allows for a lot more strategy and planning for players,
who can tailor their house to their play style. This can create some
ridiculously powerful house decks, which can put a greater focus on
combat. A second alternative to this is to randomise which house gets
which cards (e.g. Baratheon use Lannister cards etc).</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Army Building: Each house in the base
game starts with either 5 or 6 mustering points worth of units. This
set up allows players to choose how these are deployed. Each player
in turn must place a land unit on their home territory. They can then
place on any territory they own or any adjacent territory (with boats
required when crossing the sea). Each player places a unit each turn
until they have used their mustering points up. Players cannot place
into a territory that contains any unit belonging to another player.
This allows players to mix up the starting set ups, and thus the
starting moves. There is also strategy in deciding how much land to
take versus having a stronger army.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Pre-Game Influence Bid: Rather than
using the usual influence track positions, each house is given 10
power tokens and a round of bidding occurs before turn 1. This means
each player can decide what they want to prioritise, as well as how
many power tokens they want to hold on to. This gives some variety to
the opening of games, as well as giving each house different opening
options.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Messenger Ravens: One group I play with
came up with the idea of using “messenger ravens” to send
messages in secret to other players. These are written on scraps of
paper and handed directly to the player you wish to message, with all
players seeing who is messaging who but not the content. This creates
a lot more depth to the table game, as alliances and coordinated
moves can be created in secret. One optional rule with this is to
only allow players to use ravens on alternating turns, meaning
private communications are limited.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>Summary:</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
That is about everything I have to say
about the Game of Thrones board game. Due to the size and complexity
of it it is a game that allows for a lot different ways of playing. I
haven't really discussed either of the two official expansions, nor
have I talked about the innumerable fan expansions that seek to add
various houses. I hope this has been useful and provoked thought and
discussion. Thank you for reading, and thank you to all the people
who put up with playing this game with me and helping form this
article.</div>
</div>
</div>
Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103468111224600103noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540590941313753526.post-87457658068155436512016-09-05T18:00:00.000+01:002016-09-18T15:23:03.523+01:00How To Win At The Game Of Thrones Board Game: Part 5- Tyrell and Martell<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
In this article we will look at the strategies for the two remaining houses, Tyrell and Martell. If you have missed any of the previous sections they can be found below:<br />
<br />
- <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.com/2016/08/how-to-win-at-game-of-thrones-board.html" target="_blank">Part 1- Territory Control and House Cards</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
- <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.com/2016/08/how-to-win-at-game-of-thrones-board_15.html" target="_blank">Part 2- Combat, Managing Troops and Power Tokens</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
- <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.com/2016/08/how-to-win-at-game-of-thrones-board_22.html" target="_blank">Part 3- Stark and Greyjoy</a><br />
- <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.com/2016/08/how-to-win-at-game-of-thrones-board_29.html" target="_blank">Part 4- Lannister and Baratheon</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>Tyrell:</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
One of the great things about the Game of Thrones board game is the focus on strategy over luck. That said, luck is of course a factor, and nowhere is this more obvious than with Tyrell. Starting with abysmal placings on the influence tracks, Tyrell can't do much about their lot until the right cards come up. If they don't get a mustering or a influence tracks bid they can't get any new units. The same is true of Greyjoy, but they at least have the Valyrian Steel Blade, giving them a substantial edge in combat. Tyrell therefore must start with a defensive set up with a focus on building up power tokens and capitalise once the cards turn in their favour.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
In terms of positioning Tyrell are in a decent position. The Redwyne Straits provides a position for a strong naval defence, and Oldtown is effectively free, meaning Tyrell get 4 muster points from Highgarden and Oldtown each mustering which will almost certainly never be threatened. There are also plenty of barrels and printed power tokens for Tyrell, meaning they are not short of resources early game.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The Tyrell house cards are simple but strong. Margaery and Ser Axell are standard 1 strength cards, and Randyll Tarly and Garlan Tyrell provide decent attacking opportunities. The real strength of Tyrell is their more tactical cards. The Queen of Thorns is fairly situational, but is the only 0 strength card that can actually deliver a win by cancelling support. Obviously this requires a specific situation, but being able to cancel a large support is very damaging. Even if it does not deliver a win itself, by cancelling a support it can set up for a stronger march later that turn. It also works brilliantly for taking out consolidate power orders (ideally a starred one). Mace Tyrell is also excellent, as when used correctly is effectively a 5 strength card. Being able to deliver a guaranteed casualty is very dangerous and will disincentivise a lot of marches against Tyrell. And then there is Ser Loras Tyrell. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFpnKwaqog7rKktRyyDasBm0fTKh2Nzdg6PUbG_-qDwsW4XovYlHnoUrpB2_g61LU4P-yiceYpOWiE7QEi5sgiYDr_0ZpFKNfrDMRguEG4ydDBttp4QQmYVU82Ptnp18809xIcarNjRUY/s1600/Ser+Loras.jpe" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFpnKwaqog7rKktRyyDasBm0fTKh2Nzdg6PUbG_-qDwsW4XovYlHnoUrpB2_g61LU4P-yiceYpOWiE7QEi5sgiYDr_0ZpFKNfrDMRguEG4ydDBttp4QQmYVU82Ptnp18809xIcarNjRUY/s1600/Ser+Loras.jpe" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">*swoons*</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Although not having the reliability or brute force or Mace, Ser Loras' effect of being able to move a march order into a conquered territory can win games by itself. Effective use requires careful planning, but he is a lethal card for several reasons. Firstly, assuming you win the first combat you are likely to be able to march on the routed army immediately afterwards, meaning he can kill off a lot of units without a single sword. Secondly, he can reach areas that would normally be out of reach, making him very hard for other players to defend against. Finally, if used as the penultimate card in a house card cycle, Tyrell can initiate another combat elsewhere to refresh their hand, and then march with Ser Loras again, meaning they can move a single army across 3 areas in a single turn. Again, if used at the right time this move can push on to a winning castle amount. The only thing Ser Loras needs to fear is Arianne Martell, as the ruling is that her effect cancels his, meaning he is effectively wasted in any combat against her.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The Tyrell strategy is very likely to involve conflict with Martell sooner or later. Similarly to how Riverrun eventually tends towards Greyjoy, Starfall tends to fall towards Tyrell, as it is in a difficult position for Martell to defend. This is particularly dangerous for Martell, as once Starfall is taken Ser Loras can make a quick march on Sunspear, effectively taking them out of the game. Once Starfall and the Reach are taken Tyrell need to consider where to make their push. King's Landing is a possibility if Baratheon don't get set up early, and Lannisport is only a Ser Loras double march away. Lannisport is actually one of the easiest home territories to take, due to the above issues Lannister have with Greyjoy. This can open up Harrenhal and even Riverrun if Lannister are flailing; perhaps the best approach is to take the Blackwater and see where Lannister's defences are weakest; if they are in a strong position use this as an opportunity to attack Baratheon</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Tyrell should play an initially conservative game, as they have a reasonably defensive position which allows for easy farming of power tokens from the Dornish Marches, Prince's Pass and the Arbor, as well as an easy 5-6 barrels. Tyrell should then focus on reinforcing their position until they can grab position on the influence tracks. Overall Tyrell are one of the most straightforward houses to play as, and, aside from their terrible opening positions on the influence tracks, have no major weaknesses.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Suggested Openings:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Redwyne Straights: Support (no other march orders available)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Highgarden: March 0, knight into The Reach, footman into Oldtown</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Dornish Marches: March -1 into Prince's Pass<br />
<br />
OR</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Redwyne Straights: March -1 into West Summer Sea</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Highgarden: March 0, knight into The Reach, footman into Starfall</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Dornish Marches: Consolidate Power</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>Martell:</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Whilst not always the most exciting house to play as Martell rarely do terribly either. They have decent influence track positions and average resources. One thing Martell lack are options for expansion; unless Martell play an exceptionally aggressive navy they are unlikely to expand more than 1-2 territories away from Sea of Dorne for the whole game. That is not necessarily a bad thing, as the Sea of Dorne makes every area around it very defensible for Martell. As such, Martell's first focus should be building a strong navy there, whilst also having single boats in the East Summer Sea and the Sunspear port for raiding and consolidating respectively.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The Martell house deck is one of the least tactical, consisting almost exclusively of swords and forts. The two cards that do have some strategy are Arianne and Doran Martell. Doran is a great threat to other players, working in a similar way to Patchface, although maybe not quite as dangerous early game. Whilst Baratheon losing the Iron Throne does not directly benefit Martell they will be keen to not lose it and as such will normally delay aggression towards Martell until necessary (also fearing the plethora of swords). Arianne Martell is probably the best defensive card in the game (sorry Blackfish), and is best saved for siege engines and Ser Loras, ideally both. If used carefully she can also be used to effectively march your units for free when retreating whilst also not conceding territory by retreating them into a new area.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXCHaMu-FITrCMO7VZyApGsPrCsDTF-cpA4M7xWgBnsIOkzeH3CtlT9K3ZfMyCEd2HCJ0tOyKmuZ8v-DzsTXbRoUxyHyHCwHoLat6wfQFDBa6FrzQP-vtXws4YjxkvpFgPy7pXoZ2hrwQ/s1600/The+Red+Viper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXCHaMu-FITrCMO7VZyApGsPrCsDTF-cpA4M7xWgBnsIOkzeH3CtlT9K3ZfMyCEd2HCJ0tOyKmuZ8v-DzsTXbRoUxyHyHCwHoLat6wfQFDBa6FrzQP-vtXws4YjxkvpFgPy7pXoZ2hrwQ/s200/The+Red+Viper.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">"Come on baby; don't fear the Viper..."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The major disadvantage Martell have is a lack of strongholds. The nearest ones are King's Landing and Oldtown, which are likely to prove very difficult to take. This means Martell will often be mustering fewer units than other houses. As such, an early priority is grabbing 4 castles to reinforce their position, and then mustering from Sunspear as often as possible. Yronwood and Starfall are both easy for Martell to grab early, although Starfall will need reinforcing eventually. Storm's End should also be taken as soon as possible. Having a single boat in the East Summer Sea gives raiding opportunities against both Tyrell and Baratheon, which helps hold Starfall and Storm's End. This is particularly useful for the latter, as Martell can still support from the Sea of Dorne, making it very difficult for Baratheon to take it as they cannot rely on naval support.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
After taking these 4 castles it is a long way for Martell to take a 5<sup>th</sup>. The obvious choice is the Reach, although it will take effective and sustained aggression against Tyrell to push them back. Also, the Reach is not easy to hold, so should either be taken suddenly and then abandoned, or ideally taken as a 7<sup>th</sup> castle. As already discussed, Martell cannot practically reach 7 castles without taking a home territory, and the Tyrells are probably the easier target. Martell should try to push aggressively into Tyrell lands early in the game, as if Tyrell fail to set up properly, as above, they may lose too much ground and not be able to recover. This would put Martell in a strong position to take the win. Alternatively, Martell can offer an alliance with Stark against Baratheon; this works well for both players, as they have no common lands but a common enemy, and a coordinated naval assault can be devastating for Baratheon, opening up Dragonstone, King's Landing and Crackclaw Point as possible castles for Martell. Without northern support this attack is unlikely to succeed, but Stark have nothing to lose by siding with the opposite end of the board.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Martell are another average house, and as such there is often a back and forth between Martell and Tyrell that does not go anywhere for either player. Martell are very unlikely to take 7 castles, and as such should make their corner as defensible as possible whilst making calculated attacks on Tyrell.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Suggested Openings:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Sunspear: *Consolidate power (muster two ships into Sea of Dorne)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Salt Shore: March +1 into Starfall</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Sea of Dorne: March 0 into East Summer Sea<br />
<br />
OR</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Sunspear: March +1, knight into Storm's End, footman into Yronwood</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Salt Shore: March -1 into Starfall</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Sea of Dorne: March 0 into East Summer Sea</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
In the final part we will look at taking the win, allances, the meta-game, as well as some house rules and alternative ways of playing. Thanks for reading and see you then.<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
- <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.com/2016/09/how-to-win-at-game-of-thrones-board_12.html" target="_blank">Part 6- Taking the Win, Meta-Game and Alliances, and Alternative Ways to Play</a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103468111224600103noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540590941313753526.post-62330056006012586822016-08-29T18:00:00.000+01:002016-09-18T15:25:29.341+01:00How To Win At The Game Of Thrones Board Game: Part 4- Lannister and Baratheon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
In this article we continue our look at the specifics of playing as each house. If you missed any of the previous articles, they can be found below:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
- <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.com/2016/08/how-to-win-at-game-of-thrones-board.html" target="_blank">Part 1- Territory Control and House Cards</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
- <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.com/2016/08/how-to-win-at-game-of-thrones-board_15.html" target="_blank">Part 2- Combat, Managing Troops and Power Tokens</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
- <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.com/2016/08/how-to-win-at-game-of-thrones-board_22.html" target="_blank">Part 3- Stark and Greyjoy</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>Lannister:</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Thematically enough, Lannister are
undoubtedly the most controversial house on the board. A lot of
people feel that, due to the strength of Greyjoy, Lannister cannot
resist them, and will quickly be pushed back (and, as in the previous part, once
Lannister lose Riverrun they are on the back foot). Moreover,
Lannister are the most central of the houses, with pressure from
Baratheon and Tyrell on their doorstep. The Lannister player must
therefore predict their opponents' aggression and give them cause to
tackle their other neighbours.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Lannister hold a very flexible house
card deck, and although it can't quite match the Greyjoy deck it is
still a strong basis for combat. A tactical use of Kevan can swing an
unexpected combat, and is ideal to use as a counter against Balon,
since it adds power unrelated to house card strength. Tyrion is also
an exceptionally tactical card. He is best saved until an opponent
has used most of their cards, either to force them to play a strong
card last (and thus lose it for the next cycle of house cards) or
return their last card to their hand, effectively making them lose
any house card bonuses. He is also excellent at countering
situational cards; for example, sending Victarion back to the
Greyjoys during a naval battle.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The other key asset Lannister start
with is the messenger raven. Although only guaranteed for the first
turn, it is reasonably likely you will hold it for at least a few
turns, due to you deciding all “Dark Wings, Dark Words” cards.
The other great use of the raven is the potential for riskier plays.
Examples include putting consolidate power tokens on Riverrun, and
then swapping to a march or defence in reaction to Greyjoy. It also
allows safe pick ups of The Blackwater and even Crackclaw point,
since you can see what Baratheon and Tyrell are doing and tactically
aim for the holes in their defences. This, along with acting second
in turn order, should form the basis of the initial Lannister setup.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Firstly, Lannister need to do what they
can to mitigate Greyjoy, and the key territory here is the Sunset
Sea. Since Greyjoy cannot afford to burn their marches taking it on
turn one, Lannister should seek to move their ship there, and then
muster two ships into the Golden Sound from Lannisport. This sets up
the Golden Sound supporting Riverrun and Lannisport whilst Sunset Sea
continually raids Greyjoy support. Of course, sooner or later Greyjoy
will get sick of this and attack with Victarion, but this draws their
energies away from the land, as well as creating a strong naval
defence for them to fight against.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
After setting up in anticipation of
Greyjoy, Lannister need to consider their game plan, as Riverrun and
Harrenhal are the only straightforward castles. The strength of
taking the Sunset Sea means Lannister have a claim on Flint's Finger,
which is a strong claim if the support from Ironman's Bay is raided.
A Stark-Lannister alliance can be used to take down Seaguard, but
even more effective is a march on Stark after taking it, as they
likely move away from their support and won't have an order placed.
As discussed in the Greyjoy strategy; it is likely that a strong
Lannister means a weak Greyjoy, and vice versa, so if you succeed in
the above setup it could spell the beginning of the end for Greyjoy.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4nFv2W4iJW4XB_K46pBkC5K2iKoDC40lLUNibVMxrDcr6DT142X3lAX8KX0IyFUvvRxOP2qYd8ko87bUYI9ad04lvDiLqDFvCaam2R1z8PBdcJbFlUkkdV1fkyKI_i0kPVsOvB1sO4NE/s1600/Pyke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4nFv2W4iJW4XB_K46pBkC5K2iKoDC40lLUNibVMxrDcr6DT142X3lAX8KX0IyFUvvRxOP2qYd8ko87bUYI9ad04lvDiLqDFvCaam2R1z8PBdcJbFlUkkdV1fkyKI_i0kPVsOvB1sO4NE/s320/Pyke.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greyjoy should also watch out for rickety bridges.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
In terms of the south and the east,
Lannister have a very mixed bag. On the one hand, they are likely to
hit 6 barrels fairly reliably, and can pick up a lot of printed
crowns as well, with Stoney Sept being a key focal point for both
support and consolidate orders, depending on the situation. On the
other hand, the next castles are a long way off. Once Baratheon have
their navy set up Crackclaw Point becomes very hard to take, since
Baratheon can support from both Shipbreaker and Blackwater bays. A
more effective strategy is to set up an army in the Blackwater and
Harrenhal as if moving to take Crackclaw Point, and then taking a
stab at King's Landing, since it gets less naval support and is more
likely to be under pressure.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Moving south does not give Lannister
many more options, short of an out and out offensive against Tyrell.
This is not as unreasonable as it might seem, depending on where
Tyrell puts it's energies. Again, the best hope Lannister has is
catching a Tyrell player off-guard; holding the Searoad Marches with
a solitary footman is seen as a peaceful but secure position for
Lannister, but also opens up a chain march (march into a friendly
area with another march in) of a much larger army from elsewhere into
Highgarden. This also opens up the Reach as an option.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
As is probably clear by now,
Lannister's biggest weakness is their board positioning, as they can
end up in combat with almost every other house. As such, it is vital
that Lannister expand slowly but surely; they should focus on
constantly mustering from Lannisport and Riverrun, and taking
advantage of their easy access to barrels. By doing this a careful
Lannister player can secure the centre ground and wait for the right
opening from other players. Whilst their board positioning is a
problem, it can be turned to your advantage, as you have access to
most of the board, meaning you can wait until a player leaves an area
undefended and then march on it. Although certainly a challenge in a
6 player game, a Lannister win is definitely possible.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Suggested openings:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The Golden Sound: March 0 into the
Sunset Sea</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Stoney Sept: March +1 into Riverrun</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Lannisport: *Consolidate Power (muster
two boats into the Golden Sound)<br />
<br />
or</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The Golden Sound: March 0 into the
Sunset Sea</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Lannisport: March +1, knight into
Riverrun, footman into Stoney Sept</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Stoney Sept: March -1, one footman into
Harrenhal, one into the Blackwater</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>Baratheon:</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
If Lannister have a slight disadvantage
overall it is probably fair to say that Baratheon have a slight
advantage. The biggest aspect of this is the sheer number of options
Baratheon have; they can focus on holding the centre ground and go
against Lannister and Tyrell; they can go south and attack Dorne; or
head north and take the Vale and the Stark lands. Moreover, they have
an excellent naval position, as having a strong navy in Blackwater
Bay not only gives strong unraidable support to King's Landing and
Crackclaw Point but also provides support to ships in Shipbreaker
Bay. This means it is effectively impossible to take due to the
strength of the Salladhor Saan house card.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPKO5lAfFHUT-gS_X81S5g06uNlHV8XRW_GblLFEdMLjoy7muDEvV8VcuQdY05nBDKzFNJR3yIWkD6M6HBuVii9NQiMLJnfulMFPqFIwfggeyqGWNd-IgKEhPrQuBbIFN2-mvrpQo0jaY/s1600/Salladhor+Saan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPKO5lAfFHUT-gS_X81S5g06uNlHV8XRW_GblLFEdMLjoy7muDEvV8VcuQdY05nBDKzFNJR3yIWkD6M6HBuVii9NQiMLJnfulMFPqFIwfggeyqGWNd-IgKEhPrQuBbIFN2-mvrpQo0jaY/s200/Salladhor+Saan.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(In Shatner voice) "SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Another big advantage Baratheon has is
very strong access to power tokens. After taking King's Landing on
turn one they can effectively farm five power tokens each turn, which
helps them get a massive lead. Also, since they will likely hold
King's Landing and The Kingswood at the end of turn one they can
collect four tokens each time there is a “Game of Thrones” card
effect. This easy early access to power tokens feeds into another
advantage Baratheon have; the Iron Throne. Whilst it may be tempting
to deliberately lose it at the first Clash of Kings to power up
Stannis, Baratheon should aim to have it as long as possible, as
being able to break ties combined with lots of power tokens means you
can very easily end up on very strong positions on the influence
tracks.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The Baratheon house cards are
functional but not great. Salador Saan is, as mentioned already, a
superb naval deterrent that means Martell and Stark are basically
incapable of marching into Baratheon waters. Stannis and Renly have
very situational effects which are nice if you can get them but most
of the time they are effectively blank cards. Ser Davos is a strong
card, as there is never a reason not to use him after Stannis and
effectively have a second 3 strength card. Brienne and Melisandre are
both average, but Patchface is probably the best 0 strength in the
game. There is no counter players can make against him, and he is one
of the few cards who is great in both a “definite win” and
“definite loss” situation. He is best used early to remove cards
that are likely to give you issues (The Red Viper, Ser Gregor,
Eddard, Roose Bolton) and take the edge off opponents' house cards.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
In terms of overall strategy, Baratheon
have lots of choices, and can attack with relative impunity due to
their strong defensive position. Priority number one should be
setting up 3 ships in Blackwater Bay and 1 in Shipbreaker bay. The
Blackwater ships can continually support as above, making Crackclaw
Point and King's Landing almost impossible to take. The Shipbreaker
ship can be used either as a second supporting unit or to raid
Martell or Stark. Once this is set up Baratheon should look to take
either Storm's End or the Eyrie. Which one should be based on the
situation; if Stark are not focusing on the Vale then a march, either
by sea or land, is definitely a safe bet. Martell should take Storm's
End but may get embroiled with Tyrell, which can make it an easy
castle to take. If not Salador can be used to take out any support
from the Sea of Dorne and push Martell back. If Baratheon manage to
take Storm's End they should focus on building up a supporting army
in the Kingswood, as this can bolster Storm's End and King's Landing
whilst also helping to take the Reach.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Another option is an attack on
Lannister against Harrenhal. Good times to do this are after a failed
attack on Crackclaw Point or when Lannister is focusing on defending
Riverrun. If things go in your favour Baratheon may even be able to
pick up Riverrun, particularly if it has just changed hands between
Greyjoy and Lannister. This should ideally be as a 7<sup>th</sup>
castle, since Baratheon are unlikely to be able to hold it.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Generally Baratheon don't have any
major weaknesses due to their flexibility. The lack of readily
available barrels can quickly become a problem, which is one reason
why moving into either the Vale or the Blackwater should be a
priority. Hitting a resupply before doing this can be very damaging
to Baratheon, as Tyrell and Lannister are likely to be sitting on 4-6
barrels with little effort. Otherwise Baratheon do not have to take
many big risks to be a forerunner for the win.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Suggested openings:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Shipbreaker Bay: March -1 one ship into
Blackwater Bay</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Kingswood: Support +1</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Dragonstone: March 0, knight into
Kingswood, footman into King's Landing<br />
<br />
or</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Shipbreaker Bay: March -1 one ship into
Blackwater Bay East Summer Sea</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Dragonstone: March 0, knight into
Kingswood, footman into Crackclaw Point</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Kingswood: March +1, knight into
Storm's End, footman into The Reach (unless held by Tyrell)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
In the next part we move down to the south of Westeros and discuss houses Tyrell and Martell, and have a look at what is probably the most dangerous house card in the game.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
- <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.com/2016/09/how-to-win-at-game-of-thrones-board.html" target="_blank">Part 5- Tyrell and Martell</a><br />
- <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.com/2016/09/how-to-win-at-game-of-thrones-board_12.html" target="_blank">Part 6- Taking the Win, Meta-Game and Alliances, and Alternative Ways to Play</a></div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103468111224600103noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540590941313753526.post-16324322569746009412016-08-22T18:00:00.000+01:002016-09-18T15:26:07.268+01:00How To Win At The Game Of Thrones Board Game: Part 3- Stark and Greyjoy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
In this part I am going to start talking about the specifics of playing as each house. I have broken this discussion into 3 parts, as each house has a lengthy section attributed to it. In this first part we will look at Stark and Greyjoy (if you missed the previous parts, part 1 can be found <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.com/2016/08/how-to-win-at-game-of-thrones-board.html" target="_blank">here</a> and part 2 <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.com/2016/08/how-to-win-at-game-of-thrones-board_15.html" target="_blank">here</a>).</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAd_j3D8s3ZuEIKHKhNWbj3fmUOUT_dsdyr96z5jwpCXk8xJ5mZNI5E1jXj0gFjG4-KWFIoNO2exOAonYeJsh1zeKJqfkGP5lUeEY8VLv4dzDh7kpjOb_4IDDGFHWHFSuA53Qp1cz9arU/s1600/House+Greyjoy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAd_j3D8s3ZuEIKHKhNWbj3fmUOUT_dsdyr96z5jwpCXk8xJ5mZNI5E1jXj0gFjG4-KWFIoNO2exOAonYeJsh1zeKJqfkGP5lUeEY8VLv4dzDh7kpjOb_4IDDGFHWHFSuA53Qp1cz9arU/s320/House+Greyjoy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Do we have a house slogan?" "We do not, so...?"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>6: Specific House Strategies and Weaknesses</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
"Know when to fight<br />
And when not to fight"<br />
<br />
- <i>Sun Tzu on Waging War</i><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
During this discussion on general
strategy I have also alluded to the specifics of playing as
individual houses. In this section I am going to talk about the key
strategies that each house should deploy, as well as proposed opening
moves. The majority of these opening moves are based on the principle
that a large land grab in turn 1 is the best move, but also allowing
for flexibility and time to react to opponents' moves.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>Stark:</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
House Stark are often seen as the most
defensive house, since a lot of their house cards are designed to
protect units, as well as them being geographically the furthest away
from the action. Probably the biggest strength for Stark is the large
number of land areas that they can take and hold without much fear of
retaliation; the only house that may consider heading north is the
Greyjoys. The Starks can create a choke point at Moat Cailin, as well
as having easy access to the Vale. It is therefore a priority for
Stark that they set up a defensive position around Moat Cailin (or
even Seaguard if the opportunity arises), and send 2-3 footmen to
pick up the undefended territories in the north and the Vale. This
creates easy power token farming as well as allowing Stark to pick up
extra barrels, which has to be an early game priority for them, as
they only start on 1.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Perhaps Stark's biggest weakness is
their navy. Winterfell is the only territory that can be marched on
from both the west and the east sea areas, and as such it needs a
strong navy on both sides. The problem with this is that Stark's
neighbours, Baratheon and Greyjoy, boast the strongest navies in the
game. Furthermore, Stark has at best 6 ships to play with, which is
not going to be enough to hold both sides. Therefore, Stark must
consider how to put pressure on these two houses. By continually
making aggressive moves towards Seaguard Stark can force Greyjoy to
keep their navy in and around Ironman's Bay, as they will not want to
leave their land forces unsupported. This means that Greyjoy will not
be able to spare an attacking navy to head north. That said, it is
vital that Stark muster 1-2 boats into Bay of Ice as soon as possible
to ensure that Greyjoy have a strong enough incentive not to head
north.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuBtYGcd0_2vS-pdmnFdQXwnEbhSAxwrjiOwr0R8DWeOiAKYD7kb7vNcJ5NOZALiQ5yZi1fxuG5JycUPONUex-UBCKCw8rrcKuwRBt7RarjNOabJ79xMla2a0JiN9UzD-HGSc7q53QLwk/s1600/Eddard+Stark.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuBtYGcd0_2vS-pdmnFdQXwnEbhSAxwrjiOwr0R8DWeOiAKYD7kb7vNcJ5NOZALiQ5yZi1fxuG5JycUPONUex-UBCKCw8rrcKuwRBt7RarjNOabJ79xMla2a0JiN9UzD-HGSc7q53QLwk/s320/Eddard+Stark.png" width="205" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pictured: A strong incentive</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
To defend against Baratheon, Stark need
boats in the Narrow Sea. Ideally having a force of 3 boats, possibly
with additional support from either the Shivering Sea or White Harbor
port, will make any naval attacks an unappealing prospect for
Baratheon. Their trump card is Salador Sahn, who only works when
Baratheon are being supported, which they can't be when marching
north.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Stark have the most unusual house deck,
in that Roose Bolton's ability to avoid playing through the full deck
means that Stark can ensure they always maintain a strong hand of
cards. This means that Eddard, Robb and the Greatjon should be used
first to maximise Roose's value. The best time to play Roose is by
marching into a key territory for an opponent, which forces them to
play a winning move. For example, a march into Seaguard puts pressure
on Greyjoy to play a strong card to ensure a win, whilst also posing
little threat to you, since Greyjoy have few sword icons at their
disposal.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Unless Greyjoy or Baratheon are
completely wiped out it is unlikely that Stark can make a play for 7
castles. Therefore, Stark players should aim for 5-6 castles; namely,
Winterfell, White Harbor, Moat Cailin, The Eyrie, and ideally
Seaguard and Flint's Finger. As long as Greyjoy are kept in check
Stark shouldn't have too many problems making a safe attempt at the
win.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Suggested openings:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Shivering Sea: March -1 into the Narrow
Sea</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
White Harbor: March 0 into the Fingers</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Winterfell: March +1, knight into Moat
Cailin, Footman into the Twins</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
or</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Shivering Sea: March 0 into the Narrow
Sea</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
White Harbor: March +1 into the Moat
Cailin</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Winterfell: *Consolidate Power (Boat in
the Bay Of Ice, Footman on Winterfell)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>Greyjoy:</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
It says a lot about Greyjoy's position
that, in the 3 player game, Stark and Lannister quickly come to blows
without them squeezed in the middle; as such, Greyjoy, more than any other
house, will feel the pressure of being on top of other houses. Put
simply; Stark needs to march south through the Greyjoys, and
Lannister do not want Greyjoy sitting on their doorstep. Fortunately,
Greyjoy start with the Valyrian Steel Blade, as well as having by far
the strongest house cards. If used correctly, Euron, Victarion and
Balon are all effectively guaranteed wins. Theon and Asha are very
strong in the right situations, and Aeron is arguably the most
dangerous 0 (he can burn himself and lets Greyjoy respond to
whichever housecard they come up against). All this gives Greyjoy a
huge number of options in combat, which they desperately need,
especially due to their lack of special orders.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63X_q1hlH7y_WQCAYjtt4lyd0vAIetEfgRfaa82eZqqgKgdzYR3W3JZ2bntGhFco_m1mUFHu1QdudQf5gPUMPEvQhE6st_lZXXeIYtQ4BmDHytJ4P6zGTKwHsfS_b3OVxn7LnwJ54K0s/s1600/Victarion+Greyjoy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63X_q1hlH7y_WQCAYjtt4lyd0vAIetEfgRfaa82eZqqgKgdzYR3W3JZ2bntGhFco_m1mUFHu1QdudQf5gPUMPEvQhE6st_lZXXeIYtQ4BmDHytJ4P6zGTKwHsfS_b3OVxn7LnwJ54K0s/s320/Victarion+Greyjoy.png" width="205" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Special orders not always required.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Another plus point for Greyjoy is their
naval presence, in that it is possible for Greyjoy to support all
their key territories with a single strong navy in Ironman's Bay. The
two key naval positions that Greyjoy need to consider are the
following. Firstly, there is enormous power in being able to hold two
adjacent sea areas, as it allows any naval supports to be raided,
whilst also protecting your own support. As such, it is key to try
and take Sunset Sea as soon as possible, as this allows
raiding of Lannister support from the Golden Sound. This feeds into
the second key aspect of the Greyjoy navy; Ironman's Bay is adjacent
to Riverrun, but the Golden Sound is not adjacent to Seaguard. This means it is much harder for Lannister to defend
Riverrun that it is for Greyjoy to defend Seaguard. If Greyjoy can
achieve this naval set up they can comfortably take and hold
Riverrun, giving them access to a 4<sup>th</sup> castle (and a 3<sup>rd</sup>
stronghold). Because of this difference in positioning and all things
being equal, Greyjoy will probably have the upperhand in the contest
for Riverrun.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
From here Greyjoy need to consider
whether to march north or south. Due to the aforementioned naval
issues that Stark face a push into Winterfell is not a big stretch
for Greyjoy, since Stark simply cannot defend their Western coast
against Victarion. It is also very difficult for Stark to safely
defend their northern holdings once their navy has gone, as Greyjoy
will have much easier movement options. Once Winterfell has gone Greyjoy should aim to take either Moat Cailin or Whiteharbor, which would likely give
them the win. This is made even easier if Baratheon hold the
Shivering Sea, as it prevents Stark supporting.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Alternatively, Greyjoy can head south
and clash with Lannister. Again, as above, Riverrun is likely to go
towards Greyjoy, which can be a killing blow for Lannister. Once it
has gone then Greyjoy can either push east for Harrenhal and
Crackclaw point, or aim to take Lannisport. Lannisport is generally
the better choice, since the Greyjoy navy can get involved, and once
Greyjoy have taken Seaguard, Riverrun and Lannisport it is pretty
much game over (especially if there is a mustering).</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Obviously both these strategies are
very aggressive, but it is the nature of the Greyjoy position. It
should be said that if you are moving to take Winterfell or
Lannisport make sure it is mid to late game, since you are
effectively taking a player out of the game, which they won't be too
happy about if it's only turn 3.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Aside from positioning, the other main
issue Greyjoy face is the influence tracks. Outside of Pyke they are
unlikely to ever be able to consolidate power safely anywhere on the
board, which is dangerous, since they need to grab special orders to
compete with Lannister. Otherwise a well-paced and conservative
Greyjoy game can be a strong candidate to win, as their house cards
mean reliable victories when you need them.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Suggested openings:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Greywater Watch: March -1 into Flint's
Finger</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Pyke: March 0, knight into Seaguard,
footman into Riverrun (or both into Seaguard if Riverrun has been
taken by Lannister)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Pyke port: Consolidate power</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Ironman's Bay: Support<br />
<br />
or</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Greywater Watch: Consolidate power</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Pyke: March -1, knight into Seaguard,
footman into Flint's Finger</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Pyke port: Consolidate power</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Ironman's Bay: March 0 into Sunset Sea</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
So that's Stark and Greyjoy. In the next part we move to the middle of the board and look at Lannister and Baratheon.<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
- <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.com/2016/08/how-to-win-at-game-of-thrones-board_29.html" target="_blank">Part 4- Lannister and Baratheon</a><br />
- <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.com/2016/09/how-to-win-at-game-of-thrones-board.html" target="_blank">Part 5- Tyrell and Martell</a><br />
- <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.com/2016/09/how-to-win-at-game-of-thrones-board_12.html" target="_blank">Part 6- Taking the Win, Meta-Game and Alliances, and Alternative Ways to Play</a></div>
</div>
</div>
Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103468111224600103noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540590941313753526.post-55002140489135756402016-08-15T18:00:00.000+01:002016-09-18T15:26:09.577+01:00How To Win At The Game Of Thrones Board Game: Part 2- Combat, Managing Troops and Power Tokens<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
In the <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.com/2016/08/how-to-win-at-game-of-thrones-board.html" target="_blank">last part</a> I talked about the key strategies relating to territory control and effective use of house cards. In this part I will talk in depth about effective combat strategy, how you should muster units, and how to manage and use power tokens with maximum efficiency.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>3: Combat</b></div>
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<br /></div>
"Know when to fight<br />
And when not to fight"<br />
<br />
- <i>Sun Tzu on Waging War</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
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It goes without saying that the most
important part of combat is deciding which orders to place, and
without a doubt the most useful, and therefore the most important
order, is the support order. Support is so valuable for several
reasons; firstly, any supporting army can participate in both offence
and defence in the same turn, which means you can re-use the same
units repeatedly. Furthermore, if a supporting army lose they do not
become routed, meaning you can continue to use them that turn.
</div>
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<br /></div>
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Another great strength of supporting
armies is that they are completely protected from swords and skulls,
meaning you cannot lose them in combat no matter how badly you lose.
This means that you can still attack with a very strong army but only
have a single footman on the line if you lose. This use of support
orders should form the backbone of any attacks.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Whether it is a hangover from Risk or
just something that is hard-wired into board game players is unclear,
but there seems to be a psychological desire to move a big army into
an enemy territory, when the smart thing to do is move a single unit
in and support with a large army. One of the most effective uses of
support orders is to have two large armies next to each other that
support each other. This means that you are giving strong support to
all areas around both those territories, whilst also ensuring that
the supporting territories have a strong defence due to them
supporting one another.</div>
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<br /></div>
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For example, let's say that, as
Lannister, you have taken Riverrun, and maintained an army on Stoney
Sept. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7P2Qt0H1cHo4I6uyzKHiYQdK94KhTBiKLuZTe2tBOEGseMA0lQpuSmWOeG9LhYk17nqWCCMuYCz3vbVB81P-xQGzWrFWJr_c9AlB5sbzUpw3KkTXH1v0PaEpU7Z6mcYuNgThbH-y9NzE/s1600/DSC00394.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7P2Qt0H1cHo4I6uyzKHiYQdK94KhTBiKLuZTe2tBOEGseMA0lQpuSmWOeG9LhYk17nqWCCMuYCz3vbVB81P-xQGzWrFWJr_c9AlB5sbzUpw3KkTXH1v0PaEpU7Z6mcYuNgThbH-y9NzE/s320/DSC00394.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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By putting a mutual support in both territories you are
effectively protecting both of these and making them very difficult to take.
Moreover, this gives you a strong claim on Harrenhal and the
Blackwater, and once these are taken they can be effectively defended
with a single unit. This strategy of keeping your main armies off the
frontlines not only protects your army but helps with supply limits,
as you do not have to focus on having big armies on all your
borders.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The other key use of support orders is
on ships. Unless you are moving your ships in position for better
troop movement or consolidating power in a port ships should be
supporting or raiding every turn. Of course there will be times when
another player makes an offensive naval move that might require a
defence token, but due to the necessary telegraphing of this by
mustering and moving ships this is fairly easy to predict.
</div>
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<br /></div>
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Effective supporting and raiding with
boats can often decide the long-term winner of a game, and much like
with ground troops, the supporting boats should ideally have a
barrier of a smaller army that they are supporting. A classic example
of this is for House Martell and the Sea of Dorne. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrEEEbO0ul2CFcLQkJyJPLOovjNDNyLu982__fwKrenMao_ep4_xmEjvZCa0yjtgSEY7CGmiPV1MUgvWr69L__eOdKS5c3e-yEslLBOJa7BZvojWdtMPeQzlg_eK_8BfTVAjVE1aaTwvE/s1600/DSC00395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrEEEbO0ul2CFcLQkJyJPLOovjNDNyLu982__fwKrenMao_ep4_xmEjvZCa0yjtgSEY7CGmiPV1MUgvWr69L__eOdKS5c3e-yEslLBOJa7BZvojWdtMPeQzlg_eK_8BfTVAjVE1aaTwvE/s320/DSC00395.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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By mustering ships
into the Sea of Dorne Martell can create an unraidable naval support
for all the connecting land areas, as well as the East Summer Sea,
which should then have a raid on it to disrupt Tyrell and Baratheon.
This makes it very difficult for Baratheon to hold Storm's End, as
Martell can support with their navy, but Baratheon cannot whilst
Martell continually raid.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The last thing to say on order
placement relates to what I call “mass apprehension”, and is the
phenomena where everyone assumes that all other players are going to
go on the aggressive. This often happens directly after a mustering,
where it looks like all players are going to go on the attack, which
thus causes everyone to play defensive orders on their borders and
effectively have a dead turn. Whilst a turn where everyone plays
defensively is probably not the wisest turn to attack, it can be used
to get you ahead. A great example of doing this is consolidating
power on areas with crowns on that you would normally play a more
aggressive order on, as if you can predict a turn of turtling you can
get ahead on power tokens whilst everyone else waits things out to
see the lay of the land. These turns are also a good time to throw in
some raids to counter any consolidations from other players, which,
if you are lucky, might get you the odd pillage.
</div>
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<br /></div>
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Overall, defence orders should only
really be played when you have no other options (or order tokens) or
are certain a key territory is going to be attacked. Defence orders
have a very marginal combat use, and otherwise paralyse your armies.
Wherever possible, march and support, and when in doubt, consolidate
and raid. Of course, before placing your orders you need to consider
what units you have and where.</div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>4: Managing Troops</b></div>
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<br /></div>
"In War,<br />
Numbers<br />
Are not the issue.<br />
It is a question of<br />
Not attacking<br />
Too aggressively"<br />
<br />
- <i>Sun Tzu on The March</i><br />
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<br /></div>
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There is always a palpable excitement
when the first mustering card comes up (not least from Greyjoy and
Tyrell, who are normally desperate for the opportunity to get new
units). Knights are often seen as the gold standard of GoT units, as
they add 2 to both attack and defence. Whilst knights are certainly
valuable, they should always be chosen when needed, and not due to
wanting a big army. There is often a rush to get knights on the
board, when in fact they are best used mid game to hold key
territories and as a supporting army. Indeed, misuse of knights can
be very costly; sending two knights with a march order only to have
them lose to two swords can cripple a player permanently. Therefore,
I would focus on mustering units with the following general priority,
and use units for the following purposes:</div>
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<br /></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Ships- You should muster a strong
navy in the sea adjacent to your home territory as soon as possible.
Ideally you should have an adjacent sea area that can be used to
raid whilst your main navy supports your initial land areas.
Mustering ships also gives you movement options (vital for Stark,
Greyjoy and Baratheon). This should be your main priority when first
mustering units.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Footmen- Getting lots of footmen
out can be unappealing, as it eats into your supply limits. However,
early on this is a key part of holding lots of territories; it is
always better to have 5 areas held with footmen than with power
tokens. Chaining march orders is a great way to disperse footmen,
and can spread them over a wide area. Again, this is important to do
early on to set up power token farming and grabbing supply barrels
(Tyrell and Stark are the clearest examples of this).</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Siege engines- Possibly the most
neglected unit in the game, despite being the strongest when used
well, siege engines are important to all players. When you are ahead
they can give you the final push needed to win, and when you are
behind they are a cheap way of taking castles (4 mustering points
for an attack strength of 8 can help a lagging player make a
comeback). After using ships and footmen to secure your home
territories you should focus on using a siege engine to start any
attacks against other players. Even the threat of a siege engine on
their doorstep can cause players to panic and misuse their orders.
There are two very effective uses for siege engines. The first is as
a supporting army; as stated above, supporting armies do not
retreat, and therefore are not being put at risk. Since a retreating
siege engine is a destroyed siege engine using them to support can
mean you get all their strength without risking them. Again, having
one placed on a highly contended boundary (Riverrun/Seaguard/Moat
Cailin, Crackclaw Point, Starfall, Storm's End etc) and then using
ships to march a footman from an unexpected territory allows for a
strong and low-risk offence. The other great use for siege engines
is as a continual assault. There are huge chains of castles on the
map (from Oldtown to Winterfell no less) that mean you can just keep marching them each turn. With this
tactic the view is not to hold each area, but rather to force your
opponent back so far that they panic and throw everything at
stopping your progress. By the time they have done this they are
normally in a weaker position. To do this you should make sure you
are acting before your opponent, and also that you have a clear
route of uninterrupted castles. This can be even more potent with
the right house cards, as you can destroy a lot of units in the
process (Ser Loras Tyrell or anyone with swords are good for this).
Both of these tactics can be hugely effective uses of siege engines,
and get you much more value for money than knights.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Knights- Putting knights last on
the order of priority may seem a bit mad, but as I have said above;
when using a knight you have half the mobility of 2 footmen and half
the attacking power of a siege engine. The other big reason not to
rush out knights is the number of cards that effect knights and
footmen. There are a couple of house cards (Renly Baratheon and
Kevan Lannister) that benefit from having footmen rather than
knights, as well as cards in the Wildling deck that reward those who
have not fielded lots of knights. That said, knights can form a key
part of the aforementioned use of support orders, and are definitely
the units you want supporting to all your attacking and defending
areas. Also, you never know when you will get a mustering, and when
you have hit your supply limit it is much better to upgrade your
footmen to knights than simply waste the points.
</div>
</li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
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The last thing to say on units and army
management relates to areas. As I have mentioned above, getting lots
of footmen out is good, as it allows you to hold lots of areas
effectively. This is obviously good for resources, as you are likely
to get at least one card each turn that rewards castles, barrels, or
crowns, but also it increases the number of orders you can place. It
goes without saying that 2 footmen on one area are weaker than 2
footmen on 2 separate areas, as giving two orders is always stronger
than giving one. Also, since single units do not contribute to supply
limits there is no reason not to aim to have a footman on every area
you control. This makes for a stronger overall defence, as well as
making more options for raiding and consolidating, as power tokens
are what you need to be focusing on long term.</div>
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<b>5: Power Tokens</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<b>"</b>War has no<br />
Constant Dynamic;<br />
Water has no<br />
Constant form."<br />
<br />
- <i>Sun Tzu on Empty and Full</i><br />
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<br /></div>
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So let's say you have nailed all of the
above, and you are playing all the right orders, mustering the right
units and optimally managing your house cards. If you do this well
then you will have a strong chance of winning in any given game;
however, the final main area to consider is the acquisition and use
of power tokens.
</div>
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<br /></div>
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Power tokens can be used to bid on the
influence tracks, contribute towards repelling the wildlings, and as
a marker for holding unoccupied territories. This latter use can seem
the most straightforward, and for the most part there is not a lot to
say about it. The only strategic use of power tokens to hold areas is
making the decision as to whether to set them down when you know the
area is very likely to be attacked. In doing this you force your
opponent to complete the march against an empty territory just to
take it from you, but it also means that you are throwing away a
power token. This strategy should only be done in cases where you
want to force your opponent to choose between two strategically
valuable marches.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglyw7GLsqRGSWrtMUBE6ceFqxxO2_VKG_TwgWNKVsF_utOWVr5cR1i-8Ggw8R9jvgs3IQ_GNvxZyCv91NcCWe74BvKTSpWajR4ATcG3L4Nli8tmkUzjmwqtAKP7Fqc6-2OOhl4vDDgC1A/s1600/Robb+Stark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglyw7GLsqRGSWrtMUBE6ceFqxxO2_VKG_TwgWNKVsF_utOWVr5cR1i-8Ggw8R9jvgs3IQ_GNvxZyCv91NcCWe74BvKTSpWajR4ATcG3L4Nli8tmkUzjmwqtAKP7Fqc6-2OOhl4vDDgC1A/s320/Robb+Stark.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't worry though,; choosing to march the wrong way never hurt anyone in Westeros...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
In terms of generating power tokens it
is important to set up a “power token farm” as soon as possible.
This is much easier for some houses than others. Stark and Tyrell
have plenty of territories that are likely to go uncontested that
contain crowns, and you should aim to set up a single footmen on
these each turn to generate a healthy flow of power tokens. Greyjoy,
Martell and Baratheon, after an initial set up, can normally rely on
consolidating on their home territory and connecting port for power
tokens, which should be safe provided they have used their navy
wisely. For Lannister, Lannisport is out due to the lack of a crown,
meaning they should aim to consolidate on Stoney Sept and Harrenhal
when they think they can do so safely. Again, Lannisport, er, port is
another generally safe contender.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Wherever possible try not to
consolidate on your borders unless you are certain you won't be
raided. If you hold the messenger raven swapping out an ineffectual
march or unnecessary defence order for a consolidate power can often
be a cost effective use of the ability. That said, often a
consolidate power order is the last thing people expect. King's
Landing is often highly contested, so a consolidate power order for a
healthy 3 power tokens can often go unchallenged, as it is not an
order other players plan for.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
When it comes to bidding against the
Wildling's there is obviously an advantage to using the messenger
raven to know the card (it always feels great to see everyone else
waste power tokens only to draw a “Silence At The Wall”).
Assuming that you don't know the Wildling card you should make a
calculated decision as to whether or not to push for the victory
bonus. Again, this is very situational, but it is useful to remember
what the bonus effects from the Wildling <a href="https://camo.githubusercontent.com/cc893f34aaf81bafd9e1c58339ad67ecb4ab58b1/68747470733a2f2f646c2e64726f70626f7875736572636f6e74656e742e636f6d2f752f38303830333939342f77696c646c696e67732e706e67" target="_blank">deck do</a>. Most relate to
mustering, improving supplies or regaining house cards; as such, if
you have just got your deck back, are sitting on 5 or 6 supply
barrels and had to waste points on the last mustering, it probably
isn't worth going for. Generally you should either be bidding a very
high amount or no tokens at all, as you either want the bonus effect
or want to have a power token advantage. The only time to bid a small
amount is in the instance where there is a power token drought
amongst all players and you don't think the Night's Watch will win.
In these cases bidding 1 or 2 power tokens can protect you from being
stung as the lowest bidding player, which can often be crippling.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhpwxTEeRu8ZbYtBIRMUvAZsdMlFU7u3lxxkTraBHHO_O6JRmYC5xCsY58IrpI35vzDYk94eqfxaqo3ZsLdFVxEScx6cqFMqo1JqlgmmRicEECIMsh8GZWpDjvdHT9sUEGI3h4sPgvMFs/s1600/King+Beyond+The+Wall.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhpwxTEeRu8ZbYtBIRMUvAZsdMlFU7u3lxxkTraBHHO_O6JRmYC5xCsY58IrpI35vzDYk94eqfxaqo3ZsLdFVxEScx6cqFMqo1JqlgmmRicEECIMsh8GZWpDjvdHT9sUEGI3h4sPgvMFs/s320/King+Beyond+The+Wall.png" width="202" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just spent all your tokens taking the Messenger Raven? Oh.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
In terms of bidding on the influence
tracks there is a lot of second guessing the other players. There are
a lot of different circumstances that can dictate what you should
prioritise. Generally you should be spending all but 1 or 2 of your
power tokens on the influence tracks, unless a Wildling attack is
very likely that turn. Generally, in a balanced game it is reasonable
to assume that all players will have roughly equal amounts of power
tokens. As such, we can break the bidding down into two likely
scenarios; lots of power tokens in play, or few power tokens in play.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
If there are lots of power tokens in
play, you should throw most of yours at the King's Court influence
track. Not having any stars makes the game exceptionally difficult,
particularly if ther have not been many mustering opportunities. This
is particularly vital for early game Greyjoy and Tyrell, who start
without any special orders. The only time when you should not be
prioritising the King's Court is if your next turn relies on getting
the jump on an opponent, in which case you should go for the Iron
Throne. The Fiefdoms track, whilst useful, has a very marginal
effect. Having the Valyrian steel blade is very handy, but after that
point the difference between 2<sup>nd</sup> and 6<sup>th</sup> on the
Fiefdoms track is minimal.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Conversely, if there are few power
tokens in play, perhaps due to a Wildling attack, you should consider
throwing them all after the Iron Throne. If you are successful you
are in a strong position to pick up high positions on the other two
tracks for cheap or even free, as you decide the ties and, if no one
bids anything, you get to the top of the track for free. Generally in
these situations people focus on the King's Court, meaning you can
often grab the Iron Throne, the Valyrian steel blade and 1-3 stars on
the King's Court for only a few power tokens. This is more
advantageous than having the Messenger Raven but being bottom of the
other two tracks.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The last thing to say about the
influence tracks is the phenomena of players wanting to defend what
they started with. Often Baratheon will bid a disproportionately high
number of power tokens to hold on to the Iron Throne, as Greyjoy will
with the Valyrian Steel Blade (and everyone will be after the
Messenger Raven).</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The absolute golden rule for bidding
power tokens is to never leave yourself with none. The only time you
should get rid of your last power token is to use it to hold an area
in the same turn when you know you will be successfully consolidating
power at the end of that turn. Many players have been unable to make
a winning move due to not being able to hold a castle they are
marching out of due to not having any power tokens.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
That is the bulk of discussion on general strategy. In part 3 we will begin looking at specific house strategies and weaknesses, starting in the north with Stark and Greyjoy.<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
- <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.com/2016/08/how-to-win-at-game-of-thrones-board_22.html" target="_blank">Part 3- Stark and Greyjoy</a><br />
- <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.com/2016/08/how-to-win-at-game-of-thrones-board_29.html" target="_blank">Part 4- Lannister and Baratheon</a><br />
- <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.com/2016/09/how-to-win-at-game-of-thrones-board.html" target="_blank">Part 5- Tyrell and Martell</a><br />
- <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.com/2016/09/how-to-win-at-game-of-thrones-board_12.html" target="_blank">Part 6- Taking the Win, Meta-Game and Alliances, and Alternative Ways to Play</a></div>
</div>
</div>
Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103468111224600103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540590941313753526.post-7032610776517441632016-08-08T18:00:00.001+01:002021-04-27T11:58:55.461+01:00How To Win At The Game Of Thrones Board Game: Part 1- Territory Control and House Cards<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
With the current Game of Thrones
obsession still holding strong after several years in the limelight,
and the season 6 finale has been and gone, a lot of people will be
looking for a way to expand their Game of Thrones experience. Sure,
you could turn to the books, and many have, but my first port of call
will always be the first medium in which I encountered Westeros; the
board game.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
On the scale of “casual” to
“hardcore”, the Game of Thrones board game by Fantasy Flight
Games definitely tend towards the latter value, being a 3-6 player
game that normally takes 3-4 hours to play. Whilst that can certainly
be an intimidating prospect it is definitely worth the investment, as
it is a deep and highly strategic game that holds up to a lot of
replays, not least because each of the 6 houses opens up a different
game.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiNxbCMO2af58-WQMFlsvMwk1RQN8tVZNX3FETQJKvdgBfCfrh9u7zj3CKzohpwxbCugyBX84PPEWXvCBLtndEogWrdjUf79viSUCga8cjfe9cZvppUiMDSLqcj4hc8PYW14ChI2JZYN8/s1600/House+Tully.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiNxbCMO2af58-WQMFlsvMwk1RQN8tVZNX3FETQJKvdgBfCfrh9u7zj3CKzohpwxbCugyBX84PPEWXvCBLtndEogWrdjUf79viSUCga8cjfe9cZvppUiMDSLqcj4hc8PYW14ChI2JZYN8/s320/House+Tully.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"What do you mean 'no House Tully'?"- No one.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I'm not going to go through the basic
rules or mechanics, as I think Fantasy Flight themselves do an
excellent job of explaining them in both <a href="https://images-cdn.fantasyflightgames.com/ffg_content/agot-bg-2nd-ed/support/VA65_AGoT2_Rulebook_web.pdf" target="_blank">book</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0XRVTacNxI" target="_blank">video</a> form; rather, I'm going to focus on the
key elements of strategy that allow a player to bring peace and/or
tyranny to Westeros. I am writing in regards to a 6 player game, but
the majority of this is also applicable to a 3-5 player game as well. I have split my thoughts of the game into 6 articles, consisting of 9 areas of discussion:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
1. Territory Control</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
2. House Cards</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
3. Combat<br />
4. Managing Troops<br />
5. Power Tokens<br />
6. Specific House Strategies<br />
7. Taking the Win<br />
8. Meta-Game and Alliances<br />
9. Alternative Setups and "House" Rule Suggestions</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Before reading through this I would
suggest that you play the game at least a couple of times. I would
also advise that you have a look through the following:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Board set up (large image <a href="http://i.imgur.com/brTGitI.jpg" target="_blank">here</a>)</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
House cards (large image <a href="http://i.imgur.com/nCuwnXM.gif" target="_blank">here</a>)</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Westeros cards (list <a href="https://github.com/mrhappyasthma/GoT-Board-Game/wiki/Westeros-Cards-Reference-Sheet" target="_blank">here</a>)</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Wildling cards (large image <a href="https://camo.githubusercontent.com/cc893f34aaf81bafd9e1c58339ad67ecb4ab58b1/68747470733a2f2f646c2e64726f70626f7875736572636f6e74656e742e636f6d2f752f38303830333939342f77696c646c696e67732e706e67" target="_blank">here</a>)</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Furthermore, in true strategist style,
I have started each section with a quote from Sun Tzu's Art of War,
so we can all feel profoundly intelligent whilst fighting tiny plastic battles.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>1: Territory Control</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
"On entangling terrain,</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
If the enemy is unprepared,</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Go out and defeat him."</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
- <i>Sun Tzu on Forms of Terrain</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Since GoT is a territory control game,
naturally, this is the first port of call. Generally on turn 1 most
players would be looking for an initial land grab to prepare for a
Supply or Mustering card. This is certainly the case for Greyjoy and
Tyrell, as they cannot muster on turn 1, but is generally true of
most other houses, as there is nothing more frustrating than
mustering on a home territory on turn 1 at the cost of taking a
stronghold, only to have a mustering card come up immediately
afterwards.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
After the turn 1 land grab, most
players will then continue to push for any unoccupied territories.
Whilst this might seem like a logical extension of turn 1 it can
actually be harmful. For players in the middle of the board, such as
Lannister and Baratheon, grabbing extra unheld areas will likely
spread you too thin, whereas players with uncontested areas, such as
Stark and Tyrell, should pick these up to farm power tokens for upcoming influence track bids.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The golden rule with territory is to
not take anything that cannot then be held. There are two reasons
for this; firstly, it is a waste of time and resources trying to take
areas that are untenable, as there will be an inevitable backlash
which will most likely cost units. Secondly, there is normally a
point around turn 6 where one player is moving away from the pack,
which causes everyone else to rally against that player and take
territories from them. You do not want to be that player, as it is
almost impossible to successfully defend against 2-3 players'
aggression in one turn and come out of it on top.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
A good rule of thumb is to aim to take and hold, a new area every 2 turns. This may seem conservative, but
if you consider that after turn 1 most houses will hold 4-5
territories, including seas, taking 5 more areas for a total of 10
over 10 turns is likely to be a winning move. So turns should
generally alternate between taking a new territory on one turn, and
then defending it on the next.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b>2: House Cards</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>"</b>Which general<br />
Has the ability?<br />
<br />
Which side has<br />
Heaven and Earth?"<br />
<br />
- <i>Sun Tzu on Making Plans</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Of course, there are times when you
should enter combat into a territory you do not think you can hold or
even successfully take, and one of the reasons to do that is to
manage your house cards. Since most combat in GoT is very marginal,
effective use of house cards is often what decides the eventual
winner. After a few games with a group of players, everyone will be
familiar with each houses' house cards, and as such you must assume those players will try and second guess what you are playing. When
choosing a house card for a combat, you should decide what the point
of the combat is, as below:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Win the combat to conquer/defend a
territory- play a high power card</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Damaging your opponent- play a
card with swords or a disruption effect</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Baiting out your opponent's strong
house cards- play a defensive card</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
It is everyone's instinct to try to
defend every territory tooth and nail, but a key part of GoT strategy
is drawing out your opponent's strong house cards whilst playing
weaker cards yourself. This means that when it comes to the battle
you have to win that you have an automatic card advantage, and
sometimes this can mean losing a territory to then take it back with
a stronger position.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
To put this into context, imagine you (Green) have a knight and a footman next to another player's home area, which
contains their two strength garrison and a single footman (Red), meaning
you have equal forces. Let's say they have opted to consolidate
power and you have played a march + 0, meaning you have equal
strength forces, and let's also assume you both have all your house
cards.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1UH6OKXHhV6hRBzLuc6_FwvdI7NWOOslMhiVyu05A1nAbpgQQlxUZMXPpGu1jSDToo-5kRe5dHHLQEzU2D8Dtr-mSGF4HV_3JG7idWJ0PgJwF2nPW1CPD7Hws_HQ9RJOO0ophyBHQY7I/s1600/DSC00398.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1UH6OKXHhV6hRBzLuc6_FwvdI7NWOOslMhiVyu05A1nAbpgQQlxUZMXPpGu1jSDToo-5kRe5dHHLQEzU2D8Dtr-mSGF4HV_3JG7idWJ0PgJwF2nPW1CPD7Hws_HQ9RJOO0ophyBHQY7I/s320/DSC00398.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
A good strategy would be to complete the march with your
entire force. What this does is declares a very strong intent on
taking their home territory, which is naturally very damaging for any
player. In this situation, the defending player has no choice but to
play a strong card, perhaps even their 4, to ensure they don't lose.
This means you, as the attacker, should opt to play one of your
weakest cards, let's say a 1. This means that you will lose the
combat and have all your cards except a 1, whereas your opponent has
lost their 4. This means that next time you have a key combat that
you both need to win the strongest they can play is their 3, whilst
you still have your 4.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Of course, to combat this move as the
defender you should push to use swords to punish an attacker for
making such a move. Even if you lost your 3 strength as the defender
by playing Ser Gregor the attacker would probably regret the move, as
losing a footman and a knight to draw out your 3 strength wouldn't be
worth it.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Overall you should aim to hold on to
your strongest/scariest house card for as long as possible, as one of
best defences is giving an opponent reluctance to act. No one wants
to go into a combat that they think they will definitely lose, and
could result in losing 2-3 units as well. The cards to hold on to are
as such:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Lannister- Ser Gregor Clegane</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Tyrell- Mace Tyrell/Ser Loras
Tyrell</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Martell- The Red Viper</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Baratheon- Stannis
Baratheon/Salador Sahn (see Baratheon strategy)</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Greyjoy- Victarion Greyjoy/Balon
Greyjoy</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The exception to the rule is Stark,
which relies on the timely deployment of Roose Bolton to bring back
Eddard and any other cards to your hand. To maximise this effect you
should always play Eddard, and most likely Robb and Greatjon before
playing Roose, as even a calculated loss is still a loss.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Ndf21FSNsRdQU55EKHQw1wiJPQ8hZF5D4Q9WV3JZ_uO4b7mTPctJ-Qe7CStu-5N2WapYsaCfrL6o2ks9fEPQNaI8HrdfviRgtJV3VPx7HkPfqcE0le5SGxhdLmGYwFw7_Mvc3F6R9qA/s1600/Roose+Bolton.jpe" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Ndf21FSNsRdQU55EKHQw1wiJPQ8hZF5D4Q9WV3JZ_uO4b7mTPctJ-Qe7CStu-5N2WapYsaCfrL6o2ks9fEPQNaI8HrdfviRgtJV3VPx7HkPfqcE0le5SGxhdLmGYwFw7_Mvc3F6R9qA/s1600/Roose+Bolton.jpe" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roose "Big fan of the Starks" Bolton</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The last thing to say on house cards is
what is known as cycling through your deck. This consists of starting
a battle you intend to lose for the express reason of getting your
deck back. This can be harder than it sounds, as what you intend to
be your 7<sup>th</sup>/13<sup>th</sup> combat might not be, as there
is always an unexpected march that scuppers your plans. Whilst you
should always hold on to your strongest card for as long as possible,
the final card you play should always be your weakest, so you are
keeping your next hand as strong as possible. The bottom cards for
each house are below:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Lannister- Cersei Lannister</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Tryell- Margaery Tyrell/Ser Axell
Florent</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Martell- Nymeria Sand</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Baratheon- Melisandre</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Greyjoy- Asha Greyjoy</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Stark- Catelyn Stark</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
So, for example, here is a card order
that might be played for house Tyrell:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<ol>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Randyll Tarly- Attacking, attempt
to kill a unit</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Ser Axell Florent- Attacking,
attempt to bait out a stronger card whilst protecting your own unit</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Garlan Tyrell- Defending,
punishing a player for attacking with a weaker force</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Queen of Thorns- Defending, using
her effect to mitigate a support order to even out your forces</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Ser Loras Tyrell- Attacking,
making a push into enemy territory</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Mace Tyrell- Attacking, following
up on Ser Loras</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Margaery Tyrell- Defending against
the counter attack after Ser Loras</div>
</li>
</ol>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
This order means you are causing damage
with swords early whilst always keeping your stronger cards as a
threat. The other great thing about this ordering is that, if needs
be, you can play Mace as soon as you get him back, meaning you get to
play him twice in 3 battles if necessary.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Of course, whilst effective house card
management is the focus of combat, how you attack and defend is just
as important and can be used to engineer the most effective
situations for each of your house cards. In the next article, we will go through Combat, Managing Troops, and Power Tokens.<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
- <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.com/2016/08/how-to-win-at-game-of-thrones-board_15.html" target="_blank">Part 2- Combat, Managing Troops and Power Tokens</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
- <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.com/2016/08/how-to-win-at-game-of-thrones-board_22.html" target="_blank">Part 3- Stark and Greyjoy</a><br />
- <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.com/2016/08/how-to-win-at-game-of-thrones-board_29.html" target="_blank">Part 4- Lannister and Baratheon</a><br />
- <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.com/2016/09/how-to-win-at-game-of-thrones-board.html" target="_blank">Part 5- Tyrell and Martell</a><br />
- <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.com/2016/09/how-to-win-at-game-of-thrones-board_12.html" target="_blank">Part 6- Taking the Win, Meta-Game and Alliances, and Alternative Ways to Play</a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103468111224600103noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540590941313753526.post-60760771545558016292016-04-15T16:33:00.000+01:002016-04-16T20:22:29.358+01:00Vegan RPGs: Hear me out... wait! Don't go!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Here at 103% Complete we strive to fill all the niches that everybody else misses, which seriously eats into our juicy clickbait revenues. As the title of this post suggests, we're looking to inform and entertain the audience intersection between those who are interested in the politics of veganism and those who enjoy videogames enough to read what I'd (generously) regard as an obscurely popular video game blog.<br />
<div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-esbquNkGUt6yRwIKwZ8sFiC5CL3lHa3mUY46KysiYXPbRtdPV0Tpx4eWHtvX-SrtrL9ImnAY4sq0hdWU5EMcdYiE9SfWbcc2PGfy1HYXiKqpCPVW6JaQ3y4t-ZIdvfPboX8GHYCYE8yw/s1600/TofuHunter_A1_1018x262_Apple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-esbquNkGUt6yRwIKwZ8sFiC5CL3lHa3mUY46KysiYXPbRtdPV0Tpx4eWHtvX-SrtrL9ImnAY4sq0hdWU5EMcdYiE9SfWbcc2PGfy1HYXiKqpCPVW6JaQ3y4t-ZIdvfPboX8GHYCYE8yw/s400/TofuHunter_A1_1018x262_Apple.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Available on the app store</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<div>
Because the OED isn't very nuanced in its definition of veganism, I'm going to take the definition put forward by <a href="https://www.vegansociety.com/go-vegan/definition-veganism">The Vegan Society</a> itself:</div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div>
<i><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">'Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.'</span></i></div>
<div>
<br />
So what does this have to do RPG games? I'll tell ya. The popularity of RPGs and MMOs with an RPG bent to them have resulted in the development and maintenance of increasingly complex game worlds, with rich character creation, field combat and crafting systems already the norm in the big budget titles. The developers behind such games want to create a world into which the player can inject as much of their creativity and personality into their gameplay as they wish to. These varying degrees of expression are part of the huge draw these games have. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/xlvDzeW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/xlvDzeW.jpg" height="277" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The possibilities are endless</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
We see in the <i>Mass Effect </i>series that notions of gender identity need not be heteronormative, In <i>Eve Online</i> you can carve out a niche as an operative in a megacorporation and have an equally valid experience as someone who exclusively engages in mining or space piracy. Even games like <i>Minecraft</i> without strict metrics for victory and success invite roleplaying servers to pop up. But (and this is where I get to the vegan bit, I promise) could you exist and thrive in such a world as someone who actively would rather not exploit in-game animals wherever possible? Even if you're not a vegan in real-life it may be an interesting roleplay option. I know people who roleplay being a shopkeeper in <i>The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion,</i> which I remind you is a single player game where shop ownership is not coded into the game. Being a vegan mage is far from the oddest roleplay option out there. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So how can a would-be vegan player fall foul of animal exploitation in their RPG gameplay? Let's look at some common categories. <br />
<br />
<b>Food:</b> Diet is the obvious place to start with real life vegans but in many RPGs, keeping on top of your characters' nutrition isn't integral to being competitive. Topping up your HP and MP can usually be handled with spells, potions or just a good night's sleep. However, more often than not it is the slabs of beef and wheels of cheese that provide the greatest benefit as consumables in games such as in <i>Contact </i>and <i>Punch Club, </i>where simply frying a steak exceeds the usefulness of any plant based cooking in the game if it even exists at all. You can get away with a vegan diet in the <i>Paper Mario </i>series, even if there is the option to literally smack animal called Whacka across the head and consume the swelling bruise that results from the assault. <i> </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/scarfheroes/images/5/51/Whacka_vector_by_glitchmaster7-d5z0ndx.png/revision/latest?cb=20150214195709" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/scarfheroes/images/5/51/Whacka_vector_by_glitchmaster7-d5z0ndx.png/revision/latest?cb=20150214195709" height="256" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You have to brain this adorable creature in order to obtain a huge health potion.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Gear:</b> Generally speaking, most Western RPGs eventually get to the point where you're working primarily with metalwork to produce armour and equipment. Cruelty ridden leatherworking and tanning options are usually superseded by metallic, magical or other inorganic materials. If you really can't find an alternative to leather in the early game, you can usually 'do it in your pants' until you level up, even if your pants are made out of... fur. Dammit, <i>Skyrim! </i>On a side note, being creative in <i>Minecraft </i>takes a massive hit because coloured blocks (cubes of dyed wool harvested from cubic sheep) are a no-no. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The big problem with gear comes when the game has a loot based crafting system, which requires you to kill enemies (usually creatures) in order to assemble the items that you need. Even if your game's economy is driven entirely by gold, most traditional RPGs require a whole lotta compulsory killing to proceed one way or another which leads us to... <br />
<br />
<b>XP/Progress: </b>Killing monsters and mobs to get XP helps you gain LV which you absolutely need in most games to make any progress whatsoever. Unskippable bosses. Death and blood is usually hard to avoid. <i>Undertale </i>is a notable exception to this rule which leads us to really 'lawyering up' the definition of veganism, which includes 'as far as is possible and practical'. One of the narrative themes of <i>Xenoblade Chronicles X</i> is the peaceful coexistence with nature wherever possible. Predatorial beasts will hunt you down but many of the creatures will never pose a threat to you and your team and it is perfectly possible to leave them well alone. Although the apparent 'threat to humanity' is never realised if you don't purge these 'pests' at all. Seems like some thinly veiled pro-hunting propaganda to me...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3zXBVmTKmUA/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3zXBVmTKmUA/maxresdefault.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">*Michael Jackson's <i>Earth Song</i> plays*</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
The 'random encounter' mechanic underlying most RPGs heavily implies that the indigenous creatures are attacking you directly, which somewhat excuses the player of any harm they do to the creature in order to survive. But since fleeing battle is usually an option, the vegan RPG player is encouraged to acquire the minimal murder related XP possible to progress through the game. If you want to do the most vegan run possible in <i>Final Fantasy VII, </i>you're going to have to restrict your grinding activities to enemies which are entirely inorganic in nature... and you're going to have to do without Knights of the Round because of the implied avoidable Chocobo abuse, which brings us to...<br />
<br />
<b>Pokémon: </b>I'm sorry but <i>Pokémon</i> is just out of the question. The 'they want to fight' argument just falls apart under any critical examination. The entire game is about violent animal bloodsport. You can hang around in the starting town in a perpetual state of helping you mum to move in to your new house, but once you take that starter Pokémon... you're an exploitative monster. Shame on your and your house. Monster battlers of almost any other variety fall foul of this too so all of you hardcore <i>Bomberman Tournament </i>fans out there can just hang your head in shame.</div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.legendra.com/media/screenshots/gba/bomberman_tournament/bomberman_tournament_screen_12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.legendra.com/media/screenshots/gba/bomberman_tournament/bomberman_tournament_screen_12.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pictured above: Barbaric bloodpsort</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So next time you enter your own preferred virtual fantasy world, try and examine how dominated your experience is by the exploitation of animals in that world. As for me, I'm heading back to my <i>Animal Crossing </i>village, where the bugs and fish specimen collections remain proudly empty and my debts to Tom Nook, remain very high indeed. </div>
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103% Completehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12770843145677764848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540590941313753526.post-33966760459024402622015-04-14T20:21:00.001+01:002015-04-14T20:23:57.904+01:00A Primer on Fan made Card Creation in CCGs.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Popular card games capture the imagination of their player base. In fact, many people prefer the creative element of making their own fan made cards to the actual playing of the game itself. Almost every major card game going has a rich subculture of card creators to go with it.<br />
<br />
I've decided to identify a few (but not all) basic categories of fan card and the kind of fan card creator that makes them. After reading this you'll probably have a better grounding for making your own cards if this kind of thing is for you.<br />
<br />
Even if creativity isn't your thing, understanding why particular fan creations are good or bad can help you deepen your understanding of the game that you are playing. Let's have a look at some common archetypes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCwanenmulKizNoZOJjOAn6t7nTo2Op2tX1puyh3FgGU1WQdaT-ofKzCZAbSLIABic40o8oRu-6UIlp25DHlY2qKm3jFoOXrb3tH0B4H-2MV4HRI4h8wMdSly1ym5RPLatT6oOivVUJQJt/s1600/cards1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCwanenmulKizNoZOJjOAn6t7nTo2Op2tX1puyh3FgGU1WQdaT-ofKzCZAbSLIABic40o8oRu-6UIlp25DHlY2qKm3jFoOXrb3tH0B4H-2MV4HRI4h8wMdSly1ym5RPLatT6oOivVUJQJt/s1600/cards1.jpg" height="320" width="230" /></a><div style="text-align: left;">
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<h4>
"Reality Gem" cards -- (based on IPs from other Universes)</h4>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">This kind of creator is happy to use a familiar and robust rule set to express characters from other universes. I'm personally working on a set of Hearthstone cards featuring some of my friends. Here, the content and visual appeal of the cards is usually more important than actually playing with the card in a real game. That being said, many card creators of this type still strive to make their cards 'balanced' and fit in with the existing cards in the game. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.pokecard.net/" target="_blank">http://www.pokecard.net </a></span></div>
<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><b>"Superfan Designer" cards (that are (mostly) well thought out cards that could possibly work!)</b><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">Some people, "really go for it", when they make their fan made cards. They find consistent reference artwork, develop all kinds of experimental mechanics and work hard to cost and balance their cards appropriately. Almost to the point where it's sad that these cards will never be playable in the digital CCGs and unlikely to see publication in the physical games. <a href="https://tavernsoftime.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Taverns of Time</a> is just the tip of the iceberg with regards to this kind of epic level card creation tomfoolery.</span></h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPSYJicTGZZMXI_Xz_HkdFgi5z8HjbQTIrXJR1SlmSJh4b1sc1YagEh68XFpQhJ5HnIs_kEVwOscBhp0f_b-_cSOVY0jfIOfuGeSnqWljjAwkqAm4FhcxWgTqGQoVsPgvGZuv4zr1Rgvpk/s1600/cards2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPSYJicTGZZMXI_Xz_HkdFgi5z8HjbQTIrXJR1SlmSJh4b1sc1YagEh68XFpQhJ5HnIs_kEVwOscBhp0f_b-_cSOVY0jfIOfuGeSnqWljjAwkqAm4FhcxWgTqGQoVsPgvGZuv4zr1Rgvpk/s1600/cards2.jpg" height="320" width="232" /></a></div>
<h4>
"Screw You" cards -- (cards which hardcounter a particular play style)</h4>
The example given here is actually one of the more reasonable variants on the theme of countering a popular play style in the current metagame by dreaming up cards which would thoroughly counter that particular deck archetype.<br />
<br />
In Hearthstone, there is always a particular brand of aggressive deck that dominates in popularity and is often referred to as the 'cancer' deck (I disapprove of that name, personally) and one of those decks was the Mech Mage deck. Rather than finding a way to cope with the existence of such a play style, many players would rather see it eradicated completely.<br />
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<a href="http://www.hearthcards.net/" target="_blank">http://www.hearthcards.net/</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0SZCxquQxnGQrb_NOmHNkeuZmB6dcIzsDbOVMPkqu00MfOoFIrfVaQj3cRBvGGJwUXOP2HvdJWRcT_eOEwTvJ-JW0DX17isT2HSUo-0ThZwmm4Kh3mGF0V5FbG4FtALZ498GzRCtCzkN/s1600/Jimmy+Zwim.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0SZCxquQxnGQrb_NOmHNkeuZmB6dcIzsDbOVMPkqu00MfOoFIrfVaQj3cRBvGGJwUXOP2HvdJWRcT_eOEwTvJ-JW0DX17isT2HSUo-0ThZwmm4Kh3mGF0V5FbG4FtALZ498GzRCtCzkN/s1600/Jimmy+Zwim.png" height="320" width="228" /></a><br />
<b><b><br /></b></b>
<b>"Ones that make it" (some fan cards actually make it into published games!)</b><br />
<br />
Some publishers generate a lot of hype around getting fans to submit their own ideas for cards. In the case of Yu-Gi-Oh! they let children submit drawings of cards that they wanted to see <a href="http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Fan-Made_Cards" target="_blank">and then got their pro artists to actually produce them</a>. Additionally, Fantasy Flight allowed 2012 Netrunner champion Jeremy Zwirn to design a card to be put into a future expansion of cards.<br />
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<b>(pictured) Actual Netrunner card designed by a skilled fan.<!-----></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqg5OH1Ul6Q3LptsKSxivXZwDsk82dTh1b03U6J3GNl2jOprwj5kbCHWcd5hLo3tMkLO3peo2NQI8WJ9Nw5APC746GQpECjivejI7-j_VV7D2Z-9HFWGVXfhfk1kkAPzJbzJjKoMQd5623/s1600/cards4.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqg5OH1Ul6Q3LptsKSxivXZwDsk82dTh1b03U6J3GNl2jOprwj5kbCHWcd5hLo3tMkLO3peo2NQI8WJ9Nw5APC746GQpECjivejI7-j_VV7D2Z-9HFWGVXfhfk1kkAPzJbzJjKoMQd5623/s1600/cards4.png" height="320" width="224" /></a></h4>
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"Sonic the Hedgehog" cards </h4>
Just... what.<br />
I mean....<br />
Every single trading card game...<br />
Every single anything...<br />
There's just weird Sonic the Hedgehog fans...<br />
Plz.<br />
<a href="http://mtgcardsmith.com/" target="_blank">http://mtgcardsmith.com/</a><br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;">Why don't you try it yourself at home? Because you're more of a reader than a doer aren't you? Well here's some more CCG related stuff to read./watch.</span></div>
<h4>
<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://103percent.blogspot.com/2014/04/gaming-netiquette-well-played-in.html">Gaming Netiquette in Hearthstone</a></span></span></h4>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSysF1fIyNeObxzOl6IJ_q4V0y8dc_tSF6b85cakeJTx0f1xh9gMoBY42TRn-tmpEqZ0f3XRDhV-VsRJ0a28Vu04rGqTCwo6x1hxRCd_NHtCpKoVGPYOD7tHXKwdU7fYLRBOhsvdIwGwPt/s1600/well-played.png" /><span style="text-align: left;"><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwkCWLgvGJk">103% and Watchiit Play Hearthstone</a></b></span><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/NwkCWLgvGJk/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/NwkCWLgvGJk?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></span><br />
<b><br /></b></div>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-a1ajhN6se9s%2FVS1cvXx8w9I%2FAAAAAAAACyc%2F9I-cdPj04Hg%2Fs1600%2Fcards4.png&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqg5OH1Ul6Q3LptsKSxivXZwDsk82dTh1b03U6J3GNl2jOprwj5kbCHWcd5hLo3tMkLO3peo2NQI8WJ9Nw5APC746GQpECjivejI7-j_VV7D2Z-9HFWGVXfhfk1kkAPzJbzJjKoMQd5623/s1600/cards4.png" -->103% Completehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12770843145677764848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540590941313753526.post-71512385663729177502015-02-06T12:00:00.000+00:002015-02-06T14:09:22.383+00:00Smash Bros. Comparison: Wii U vs Brawl vs Melee<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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So everyone has had a few months to play the new Smash Bros
game(s), and with reviewers throwing around some truly insane scores it might
be hard to understand where the differences are, and which Smash Bros game, if
any, could be considered the best.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Metacritic is often used as a credible yardstick for
reviewing anything in popular culture, as it creates a unique score out of 100
based on an average score from other reviewers. Given that Nintendo itself
seems happy to be endorsed by Metacritic scores it seems reasonable to use this
as a starting point for comparing the games; and it’s a pretty close run
contest, with the games scoring thusly:</div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Super Smash Bros. (N64)- 79</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS- 85</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Super Smash Bros. Melee- 92</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Super Smash Bros. for Wii U- 92</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Super Smash Bros. Brawl- 93</div>
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So as we can see there is not a lot between the top 3 games,
with Brawl emerging with a very slight lead. In this article I am mainly going
to compare these top 3 games. This is for a few reasons; firstly, comparing the
3DS and Wii U games as separate entities seems slightly redundant one is
effectively a port of the other, albeit with some minor technical and content
tweaks. Secondly, as the above scores suggest, Melee, Brawl and Wii U are
generally accepted to be of a notably higher standard than 64 or 3DS; and
thirdly, I feel these games are what people picture most when they imagine a
Smash Bros. game. </div>
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So, which is the stronger game? Well, let’s do a direct comparison.</div>
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<u><b>Content</b></u></div>
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One of the key reasons for omitting Smash 64 is that, whilst
it hits all the right notes in terms of basic gameplay, it is somewhat lacking
in content. The presence of a large pool of content has been a key feature of
the series since Melee; this usually consists of unlockable characters, stages,
gameplay modes, trophies and, more recently, stickers, CDs and customisations. Since
Brawl, Smash Bros is also one of the few Nintendo series that embraces the
meta-gaming idea of “achievements”, with recent games featuring a challenge
wall that contains various unlockables as specific challenges are beaten.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnVpxLiq-EmXeteHw8dk9QZm7gssjqjWZu_sX573aPq1lHp32NCKLXMGVDQFqN4pfVk9PtZuS7kYbwh7udLk5izQWBSBxJDDZeAx5C0q-H_BhfBPHZh3prmzQ3cm_GoMn8OQn6RI_jDwU/s1600/Brawl+Wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnVpxLiq-EmXeteHw8dk9QZm7gssjqjWZu_sX573aPq1lHp32NCKLXMGVDQFqN4pfVk9PtZuS7kYbwh7udLk5izQWBSBxJDDZeAx5C0q-H_BhfBPHZh3prmzQ3cm_GoMn8OQn6RI_jDwU/s1600/Brawl+Wall.jpg" height="252" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "Brawl Wall", as literally only I call it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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In terms of miscellaneous content Wii U not only comes pre-packed
with huge amounts of trophies, CDs and customisations to unlock but also has
limitless potential to expand through DLC. As you play Wii U you always feel as
if you are building up your treasure hoard and giving yourself new avenues to
explore. First point goes to Smash Bros Wii U.</div>
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<u><b>Characters</b></u></div>
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In terms of character count, Melee comes in at 26, Brawl
comes in at 39, and Wii U has 51 characters (with 1 being DLC), meaning in 3 instalments
the roster for the series has basically doubled. Obviously this gives general
weighting toward Wii U, as having a bigger roster automatically means more
variety and more combinations of characters. Moreover, whilst I feel both Wii U
and Melee are fairly balanced, Brawl has some real issues with balancing. There
is the infamous ban of Metaknight at tournaments, but even at a basic level the
core stats and functionality of characters varies too widely, and this is only
made worse with the introduction of the Final Smashes. These vary wildly in
usefulness, with some, like Fox’s, being an almost guaranteed win for a skilled,
whereas others, like Peach’s, being practically useless even for a veteran
player.</div>
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All 3 games are guilty of character clones, whereby a
character is effectively re-skinned and given some slightly different special
moves and gameplay attributes. Whilst I have no problem with this, it does
somewhat diminish the number of truly distinct characters that can be attributed
to the above roster counts. That being said, I would say that again Smash Bros
Wii U does the best job at making the clones it has inherited from previous
games as distinct from each other as possible whilst also making them play like
their previous versions. Furthermore, it does not introduce any more clones to
the series. In terms of characters, Wii U definitely comes out on top.</div>
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<u><b>Levels</b></u></div>
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The level count between the games is a little closer than
the character counts, with Melee counting 29 stages, Brawl 41, and Wii U 47,
again allowing for DLC with the latter, and excluding custom levels for Brawl
or Wii U. The important factor with level counts is that there are enough for
variety, but not too many so that they are impossible to remember or learn. I
would say Melee had about the right number of levels, as a prolonged session on
Melee meant you would probably see each level every couple of hours, which
meant you had just grown eager to play it again when the random level select
throws you a wonderfully chaotic “Big Blue”.</div>
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</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikrbXDShrJvuel0HmmTp-c-JwAsoKA1VLrz6BN4UPGzZ9dtZlk3mQBCbtUZfUvDtPV4TsYizlBFGf7wjNJrQr5mtdUXYC8Ua5E5HeRQsW8wnOcArYx6Porqz43MbAPtoLP5DGqOHZ20OI/s1600/Big+Blue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikrbXDShrJvuel0HmmTp-c-JwAsoKA1VLrz6BN4UPGzZ9dtZlk3mQBCbtUZfUvDtPV4TsYizlBFGf7wjNJrQr5mtdUXYC8Ua5E5HeRQsW8wnOcArYx6Porqz43MbAPtoLP5DGqOHZ20OI/s1600/Big+Blue.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For even more chaos, try <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/moment-of-divine-chinspiration-face-new.html" target="_blank">Chin Mode</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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For the levels themselves, I am personally against levels
that are too big or complex. Even the original “Hyrule Castle” is too big for
my tastes, as it can turn matches into a war of attrition, whilst also taking
the most important ingredient, pacing, out of Smash Bros. Both Brawl and Wii U
are particularly guilty of this, with “75m”, “New Pork City” and “The Great
Cave Offensive” being some of the worst offenders. There are some excellent
gimmicks in both of these games, with “WarioWare Inc.” in Brawl being a
particular favourite. Overall, however, I feel the level design in Melee has a
huge amount of variety, simultaneously being challenging and interesting whilst
also being fair to all players. For levels, it has to be Melee.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>Modes</u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of course, when anyone thinks of a Smash Bros game they
think of the frenetic multiplayer, which I will leave as a section unto itself.
Outside of this, there are the single player modes themselves, which for the
dedicated Smash players can provide almost as much mileage. Wii U once again is
certainly ahead in terms of sheer numbers, with some interesting mix ups to the
formula. Crazy Orders is a great risk/reward system, but doesn’t have much
variety or depth, whereas Smash Tour seems like a good idea but feels too
unpredictable to be reliably enjoyable. Crucially, however, Wii U lacks a solid
“campaign” mode, which Melee had in the form of Adventure mode and Brawl built
on with the Subspace Emissary. Between Adventure and Subspace Emissary is a
matter of preference, and although I have a huge amount of love for Adventure
mode I have to admit Subspace Emissary does an excellent job at introducing a player
to the entire roster and to get used to the variety the game has to offer.
Melee is a solid entry, but Brawl just takes it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>Multiplayer</u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, this is where the strength of having a large character
roster can start to backfire, as competitive multiplayer becomes a lot more
random as greater numbers of characters, stages and items are thrown into the
mix. When there are over 50 characters it is very difficult to remember how
each character plays and thus what to expect when fighting them. This is fine
during single player, when one is changing characters every few minutes. When
trying to master a character in competitive play however it becomes frustrating
having to keep track of such a large amount of information. It also requires a
much greater time investment to test all the characters, which will put off
company who are down with Smash Bros but don’t have the game themselves. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoKtA_tEoWsOx4cqeDo5xm9q3qofpSVWmfi72eRm2nwt9qmdxDieJxVGhq1472NOGyx5PGyhhP4XdPTy9U1wGXToUe0D1d325HzDSUTQCEkAEO5DjdU3T8wcD86nDCms7a6MgYTjUkhTs/s1600/Wave+Race.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoKtA_tEoWsOx4cqeDo5xm9q3qofpSVWmfi72eRm2nwt9qmdxDieJxVGhq1472NOGyx5PGyhhP4XdPTy9U1wGXToUe0D1d325HzDSUTQCEkAEO5DjdU3T8wcD86nDCms7a6MgYTjUkhTs/s1600/Wave+Race.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I literally only own Waverace and one controller"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This leads to me the conclusion that Melee has the best
multiplayer. It is well-balanced between all characters and stages, with items
never being too sporadic or over-powered. Moreover, for new players it is easy
to recommend characters to start out with (Link as an all rounder, Samus as
sniper, Jigglypuff for someone who wants to focus on surviving) whilst giving
experienced players a huge number of options. Seriously, of the dozen or so
serious Smash Bros players I know there is practically no overlap of character
usage in Melee, which is a testament to how well-balanced and interesting the
multiplayer is.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>Gameplay</u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This may well be the most important to factor in, and
probably the most intangible and difficult to describe. Obviously the core
gameplay is the same between all 3 games; what I want to work out is which game
gets closest to the perfect blend of platforming, fighting, and that unique
Smash Bros element. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSwWu6yqkcmxK3-4g44e4COTwi6ckT_HVgkI_j4g3ON9l3hGZMzFheBp7qSmgxeP8c_kGsFXL5KonaIiPS1L71RbEQwY_Rl9ozvwCOuB8wAiZQjnLog6DxjIomLw413a91WOibjB8Qz3Y/s1600/Smash+Bros+Pokeball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSwWu6yqkcmxK3-4g44e4COTwi6ckT_HVgkI_j4g3ON9l3hGZMzFheBp7qSmgxeP8c_kGsFXL5KonaIiPS1L71RbEQwY_Rl9ozvwCOuB8wAiZQjnLog6DxjIomLw413a91WOibjB8Qz3Y/s1600/Smash+Bros+Pokeball.jpg" height="263" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This element is composed of at least 14% "ohshitaPokeballgettingitisthemostimportantthingever"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have already discussed balancing between characters, which
I feel falls in favour of Melee. In more technical terms, Brawl has been widely
criticised for some of its more random elements, such as tripping, and I feel
this criticism is generally justified. Whilst not a bad game but any stretch,
the core gameplay can often feel too unpredictable, and has massive variance
depending on the character chosen. I also felt this when first playing Wii u,
but soon discovered this variance is deliberate to give the single player
experience more variety and fairness, and that when I played the multiplayer I
found a very solidly built engine which strips back a lot of the crazier
factors in Brawl for a very solid and fair system, much in the style of Melee.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That being said, Wii U is very close to Melee, but it does
not beat it. Melee has the perfect pace, being relentlessly quick whilst also
giving perfect control to everyone; if you die, it is your fault. It also
allows for almost limitless depth (feel free to Google wave-dashing and other
pro techniques for detailed examples), and although there have been criticisms
of it not being welcoming to new players, a few runs through Adventure mode
will set a novice on the right path.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>Summary</u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, with 3 points to Melee, 2 to Wii U and 1 to Brawl, with
a clear winner. I have put close to a thousand hours into Melee and will likely
do so twice over in the years to come. They are excellent games, but Melee, in
my opinion, comes out as the cream of the crop.</div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
In summary? Shut up Metacritic. Just shut up.</div>
</div>
Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103468111224600103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540590941313753526.post-75370106131637800942015-01-21T12:18:00.001+00:002015-01-21T12:19:28.737+00:00Should pre-rendered backgrounds make a comeback? by Lee Morris<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">With the Resident Evil and Grim Fandango remakes being released early this year
for PS4 and Steam, I thought it'd be a good opportunity to discuss a long
forgotten tract of video games, the lost art-form of pre-rendered backgrounds.<br />
<br />
Just a reminder then. A staple of the mid to late 90's and a hallmark of the
PS1 era, games were often presented with pre-rendered backgrounds, in which
moving 3D polygonal character models were embedded into static 2D pre-rendered
landscapes. Notable games in the style include monster-hits like Final Fantasy
VII and mega-smashes like the early Resident Evil entries. The style was very
common on the Playstation as it was less capable of rendering full 3D
environments than its 64-bit N64 cousin. The pre-rendered style was also
prominent in the point-and-click genre of PC adventure games in titles such as
Broken Sword and The Curse of Monkey Island. Since the Resident Evil remake on
the Gamecube in 2002 though, the pre-rendered background style has all but
vanished. It didn't make an appearance at all last generation.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiBu_PYG1gIYquVGPfspzzx2oBNDa9a_xQpcYhhistgX7LAHbJfzrB8sEzS_iMAA4OeOrWyuH-cIcIDWbGggGIp8qeFXL3RKTysKevkUtonCMRdYQJuYgzY29F44QG9Ej9P3IYI06E6o/s1600/Gex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiBu_PYG1gIYquVGPfspzzx2oBNDa9a_xQpcYhhistgX7LAHbJfzrB8sEzS_iMAA4OeOrWyuH-cIcIDWbGggGIp8qeFXL3RKTysKevkUtonCMRdYQJuYgzY29F44QG9Ej9P3IYI06E6o/s1600/Gex.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neither did Gex. But I think we're all fine with that.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />I say 'style'; was it a style as such though? Or was it just a product of its
time which arose due to technical limitations and was rightfully omitted from
the medium once full 3D rendering could properly take over? Was it a style
through necessity like Mario's moustache? Or is it a unique stylised way to
present a video game which could possibly make a comeback?<br />
<br />
I personally would love to see it back. I'm biased really. I loved FFVII VIII
and IX, Dino Crisis, Parasite Eve and all the PS1 hits that made it special. I
don't know if it's just the nostalgia talking but I think these games still
look gorgeous. I mean, they look horrible, they do, they actually do, the
characters look like idiots... but the backgrounds still look the part I think.<br />
<br />
I think games with pre-rendered backgrounds look rather filmic, more so than
some of their 3D rendered cut-scene laden counterparts perhaps. As much as I
love roaming round in a 3D environment, I still appreciate the simplistic
minimalist static-cam feel of PS1 era games and the calm sense of tranquillity
they engender. The environments appear like a series of stunning photographs,
the art director being more capable of accurately lining up their shot and
framing the setting accordingly with the atmosphere they wished to create. They
can also do the often gorgeous concept art justice.</span></div>
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<br />
Survival Horrollers Alone in the Dark and many of the early Resident Evil games
occasionally used a particular static-cam shot known to film-makers as 'the
Dutch Angle' in which the image is shot from near the ground and framed tilted
to the side to create an unsettling feeling. Can't really use this effect in
over-the-shoulder cam horror games as implementing it mid-action would probably
feel like a camera glitch. Pre-rendered backgrounds allowed for these natural
variations of shot choice without seeming jarring.<br />
<br />
Japanese film-maker <span style="color: #252525;">Yasujirō Ozu</span> actually
used static cam shots exclusively in his films. This was his signature style
and gave his films a unique mood with a static sort of feel (I haven't seen a
single one of his films to be honest but thought I'd throw his name in the hat here).
The shots being a fixed camera act like a sort of security camera, giving a
fly-on-the-wall effect. If it can be a style choice in cinema then I think it
could be a style choice for new video games.<br />
<br />
Now I'm not suggesting that the likes of Dead Space and The Last of Us would
have benefited from static shots and pre-rendered backgrounds; that wouldn't
work, though it would be funny to see a hilarious PS1 demake of them or
something. I think only RPG's, adventure games and old school survival horror games
with puzzle elements tend to suit it really. It'd be nice to see some new IPs
adopting the pre-rendered style though, especially with today's 1080p (and soon
eventually 4K) graphics allowing for some incredibly detailed backgrounds. It
would be great also to see some series' return to their pre-rendered roots,
chiefly Resident Evil and Final Fantasy of course which have wandered off the
tracks a bit since turning fully 3D. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7yUT4v8qjHrehbdT_la9Kdxior8KOMPOMOYAlPb-g9naZ36x5AxeQ__0UUbxrD7xLHAucwhGDHZnQFGmY5sJ0MT2v-OruUxNF2mq5nY-6RbxotRSC3cePame-bwIBbwLsCtDL98hGK4E/s1600/FF13+Linear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7yUT4v8qjHrehbdT_la9Kdxior8KOMPOMOYAlPb-g9naZ36x5AxeQ__0UUbxrD7xLHAucwhGDHZnQFGmY5sJ0MT2v-OruUxNF2mq5nY-6RbxotRSC3cePame-bwIBbwLsCtDL98hGK4E/s1600/FF13+Linear.jpg" height="200" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of course, in some ways Final Fantasy XIII should have gone off the tracks more.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />I do love Resident Evil 4 and bits of 5 and 6, but Final Fantasy has bit the dust
in my view since going full 3D in FFXII. Final Fantasy X and Resident Evil
Outbreak on the PS2 hit a sort of middle ground with fixed cameras that would
pivot, this worked well, but in full 3D they became very different games.
Resident Evil just became more of an action game which is OK but FFXII and
FFXIII just felt very plain and empty compared to previous entries.<br />
<br />
Capcom revisited the original mansion from Resident Evil 1 in full
over-the-shoulder 3D in a piece of Resident Evil 5 DLC, albeit with a slightly
altered layout. It was novel to see it but I couldn't imagine the original game
working with that camera. The mansion felt smaller, though not having to wait
10 seconds to transition through each door might have had something to do with
that.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBNG37Ha_aLE68fXj8NrTGVi7XYN18xtB7SX5CuEdQFkwawgvrDcxXNE5MpTrrYY_MuIEoldEASHtgRs2paMUe_CFkVeF6FJo7AL4tjJy_2QCgzMI4cxqsmhwSo4M4L0a4Rrlpl2yFJ9o/s1600/Resident+Evil+Door.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBNG37Ha_aLE68fXj8NrTGVi7XYN18xtB7SX5CuEdQFkwawgvrDcxXNE5MpTrrYY_MuIEoldEASHtgRs2paMUe_CFkVeF6FJo7AL4tjJy_2QCgzMI4cxqsmhwSo4M4L0a4Rrlpl2yFJ9o/s1600/Resident+Evil+Door.png" height="296" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Stop it! Don't open that door!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />As far as a Final Fantasy VII remake goes, I don't think it would work in full
3D. Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core showed that to me as even locations I had a
lot of fond memories of appeared flat and mundane when transported into 3D.
Midgar felt like a regular mundane typical city in Crisis Core. When it was
framed a certain way in Final Fantasy VII it seemed more colourful and
interesting. Not being able to look around certain corners and under certain
rocks was what gave these settings their mystique. We could only assimilate
what being in these environments would be like through the limited number of
viewing angles given, and that 'less is more' element is perhaps what made them
work. I hope that if Square Enix do remake the game eventually they would redo
the 2D environments and make them look stunning.<br />
<br />
Square Enix recently returned to pre-rendered backgrounds with Bravely Default
on the 3DS. The game, almost a reboot of the original Final Fantasy games of
sorts, looks fantastic due to its presentation. Even though Final Fantasy XV
looks absolutely out-of-this-world phenomenal, hopefully they still have room
in their hearts for the static background look and might consider it for FFXVI.<br />
<br />
I've not heard much on the immediate horizon about any new games with fixed
camera perspectives or pre-rendered environments coming soon... but hopefully
the Grim Fandango and Resident Evil (Gamecube version) remakes coming soon will
remind developers and players how effective they can be. <br />
<br />
There are however, some tinkerings going on within the indie circuit. There's a
nice little project under development called 'The Black Tower' being worked on
by three French developers. It is an homage to Final Fantasy VII in pretty much
every way and the developers are quite open about that. There's a video on
their website of a prototype demo they've created for it. It's being created
using pre-rendered backgrounds and the Unity3D engine for the character models.
It looks fantastic. I hope they can get it finished as it looks as though
they've taken on quite a big task on their hands here. I'm not promoting it or
anything but the vid can be viewed <a href="http://www.simonmesnard.fr/press/sheet.php?p=tbt_the_black_tower" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-eBRqnIKmu1COJqdy3SfsbFMXg7_2ubn58tzjxUB5T50hyphenhyphen5jm5weQ-eZ9ucBJj2MQY52sEzvwHMdAW7LcfLZpPJwoByuSJyDWifC-ZO1_TLDrBJWg2iFgNrppP_zWa_WtrQaI2r3jk0/s1600/The+Black+Tower.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-eBRqnIKmu1COJqdy3SfsbFMXg7_2ubn58tzjxUB5T50hyphenhyphen5jm5weQ-eZ9ucBJj2MQY52sEzvwHMdAW7LcfLZpPJwoByuSJyDWifC-ZO1_TLDrBJWg2iFgNrppP_zWa_WtrQaI2r3jk0/s1600/The+Black+Tower.png" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
So, aside from remakes and homages then, the style really has dissolved and is
perhaps considered nothing more than a throwback these days. Would be nice to
see it again though as I think there's some new mileage to get out of it in
certain genres. Am I alone in this, or do other people miss this 90’s standard?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">- Lee Morris</span></div>
<br />
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Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103468111224600103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540590941313753526.post-83387040694770416752014-06-29T21:06:00.002+01:002015-02-05T17:23:23.081+00:00Twilight Princess pretty much forces us to say goodbye to traditional Hyrule.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
by Jak Marshall (Spoiler warnings).<br />
<br />
I'm just working through <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/wintertons-fridays-gaming-to-do-lists.html?q=gaming+list">my gaming list</a>, which includes some second playthroughs of older titles including <i>The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, </i>which I recently finished. To put this article into context, <i>Twilight Princess</i> was the first major console release from the Zelda franchise since <i>Wind Waker, </i>a game which divided opinion with it's cartoon visuals, shorter-form game structure and it's ocean dominated overworld. People would have to wait until the winter years of the Gamecube for the release of <i>Twilight Princess</i> or as I like to think of it, <i>Ocarina of Mask HD </i>as the title is essentially what I imagine a fan-made re-release of the N64 games would look like. I'm surprised there wasn't an angry moon in the sky making a cameo. The game is a deluxe package for fans of the previous generation's Zelda titles. Hell, "Zelda as a boss" comes straight out of a fan forum.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb24sekiqL4YOkTGpX4xR_A1oP6pqjGySLWVry5V8Rt4ZiBHIEizBUEKWYIGQwLaFlPI6eq6ImyqiobUUTrOCtRPEbK3gneLaqzVw1jdHr84k1_QC59niRLBl83KNOkahGe7iAMHylLUyK/s1600/twili1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb24sekiqL4YOkTGpX4xR_A1oP6pqjGySLWVry5V8Rt4ZiBHIEizBUEKWYIGQwLaFlPI6eq6ImyqiobUUTrOCtRPEbK3gneLaqzVw1jdHr84k1_QC59niRLBl83KNOkahGe7iAMHylLUyK/s1600/twili1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This isn't from Deviantart, this is in-game evilled up Zelda. Right outta fanfic.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<angry moon="" picture=""><i>Twilight Princess </i>brings us back to a Hyrule Field which is bigger and braver than before and gives us Epona more or less from the beginning to gallop around its vast expansive areas. There is so much to find in this game that recent E3 talk of an open-world type <i>Zelda </i>title almost feels a tad on the late side. On my second playthrough of this giant I found entire sections of the game that I'd never seen before and a lot of this is easy to miss. Shorter form titles like <i>Wind Waker </i>and more linear titles such as <i>Spirit Tracks </i>and<i> Skyward Sword </i>are probably Shigeru Miyamoto's way of telling us that he is sick of players not finding all the areas his teams bother to put in the game nor being good enough at his games to see them through to the later stages. He didn't work his (iron) knuckles to the bone on the Spirit Temple just so that half the player base would never fight Twinrova because the <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/the-water-temple-made-me-quit.html">Water Temple</a> put them off! <i> </i></angry><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixl82SuVMMKtujPWE0b8TNIE35l3JhlhJbUeKQVCv5osbjUBch0W_lvdKCYUdyPa5jlCtLzv3bprY_vrjGPA7zSZIbN14Bw0Y9sJhvr4ScWDSL06j295LpllvQrJUaH_VO-gZQalv9Y7yb/s1600/twili2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixl82SuVMMKtujPWE0b8TNIE35l3JhlhJbUeKQVCv5osbjUBch0W_lvdKCYUdyPa5jlCtLzv3bprY_vrjGPA7zSZIbN14Bw0Y9sJhvr4ScWDSL06j295LpllvQrJUaH_VO-gZQalv9Y7yb/s1600/twili2.jpg" height="273" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seriously though, strap in. This temple is a marathon.</td></tr>
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<angry moon="" picture="">This game is so generous, as a matter of fact, that we probably need never return to Hyrule in this format again. The aforementioned Water Temple was given a make over in the form of the Lakebed Temple, manages to capture the 'tricky puzzle dungeon' theme of the Water Temple without making it nearly so tedious and pace-killing. The Lost Woods type sections with the Skull Kid is about as much Lost Woods action as any</angry>one is ever going to need. There's enough dark-world/light-world action to keep that crowd happy.<br />
Almost every enemy from the console releases up until this point has had a make-over and so too have many of the bosses! They were even generous with the items! Bombs come in three flavours, you not only get one but <i>two</i> grappling hooks. They even overhauled the fishing mini-game from <i>Ocarina! </i>The fact is that, by the time you've finished with <i>Twilight Princess, </i>you'll have stuffed your face with classic Hyrule flavour so much you'll not want any more. Heck you even have to fight four different forms of Ganondorf before this game is through.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsT8mPy8Xvqh2A52C0OD-7nbZnDku9w9lDZ7qnuCJGioUckdL8vGpdDvyesd47E6EiJvK7kBKkDUNRewTyoAUfUyVlV5y43U-KqU9pKvl9qLTChyphenhyphenJTYtjWnbnVZpzblLFVP32rXFQF9AwF/s1600/twili3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsT8mPy8Xvqh2A52C0OD-7nbZnDku9w9lDZ7qnuCJGioUckdL8vGpdDvyesd47E6EiJvK7kBKkDUNRewTyoAUfUyVlV5y43U-KqU9pKvl9qLTChyphenhyphenJTYtjWnbnVZpzblLFVP32rXFQF9AwF/s1600/twili3.jpg" height="200" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seven hidden sword skills... none of which are any use in this fight at all.</td></tr>
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<ganondorf>My point is that I honestly think that <i>Twilight Princess</i> is the last we should see of a traditional Hyrule for quite some time and that the series should keep experimenting with new ideas. <i>Skyward Sword </i>had a very different overall aesthetic to it and started playing around with some great new ideas. Time bending crystal pirate ship dungeons in a desert world manned by cute robot people? That's new. An entire dungeon built around the concept of a sliding tile puzzle? Novel. Whilst still keeping in with the mythos of the overall Zelda universe, <i>Skyward Sword </i>showed us that it's quite alright for the series to take us on new journeys without losing that grand Hylian charm. If E3's teaser trailer is anything to go by, the latest game in the <i>Legend of Zelda </i>series promises to be filled with innovative ideas that draw inspiration from the older titles in the series rather than simply rehashing them. It may well be Hyrule after all, but hopefully not as we know it.</ganondorf></div>
103% Completehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12770843145677764848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540590941313753526.post-51737284436590875522014-06-02T18:26:00.000+01:002015-02-05T17:24:37.615+00:00Joss Whedon’s “Dollhouse” Should Have Been a Video Game<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The notion of adapting works into different media has always
been prevalent in popular culture, although this is often a cynical attempt to
make money from brand recognition more than anything else. I recently watched a
few episodes of the Joss Whedon TV thing, or “program”, if you will, “Dollhouse”, and it inspired me to write an article.</div>
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For those of you who don’t know, the “program” is about a
company that effectively deals in slaves, or “dolls”, in modern America. The
dolls, however, have willingly signed up to have their minds wiped, and then
have new personalities inserted to suit the needs of the customers. This can
range from fulfilling sexual desires or emotional needs to making them into
temporary assassins or spies, depending on the client. After they have done the
job, they have their mind wiped and reset back to their default mode. After a
few years of servitude they are given their old personality back and sent back
out into society. If I explained that badly, feel free to do a quick Wikipedia
check.*</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFCR5JPI1b-9SqbQynrcO0eo60-aTuBWQHrzN5zUIJi_mNL7zU4kS0QNGG1OdXhQJFtjDrLxincU-fTl4k8oLticJ2Ae-56RZqSUDuAlFkbuFqyBzBt7SFmfbqnih1ll-6l7v_wj75IE/s1600/dollhouse-joss-whedon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFCR5JPI1b-9SqbQynrcO0eo60-aTuBWQHrzN5zUIJi_mNL7zU4kS0QNGG1OdXhQJFtjDrLxincU-fTl4k8oLticJ2Ae-56RZqSUDuAlFkbuFqyBzBt7SFmfbqnih1ll-6l7v_wj75IE/s1600/dollhouse-joss-whedon.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joss Whedon, showing off his new banister.</td></tr>
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<o:p> </o:p>Whilst I think the “program” is okay, I couldn’t help
thinking it was a missed opportunity. The creators clearly put a lot of time
into devising a unique and interesting premise, and then building a world in
which this premise can be explored in different ways. I couldn’t help feeling,
however, that this premise would have been far better suited to a video game.</div>
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There are two good reasons for thinking this. Firstly, the
idea of interchangeable personalities within the same character is a brilliant
gameplay concept. Not only does it give a narrative explanation for why one
person can do so many diverse things (unlike, say “Grand Theft Auto” or “Fallout”,
where we just accept that a talented murderer is also brilliant at flying
planes or fixing satellite dishes), but it also gives excellent progression and
limitations on a character. It can also be used to explain why you lose useful
abilities between levels, as your character has been reset and can no longer
hack computers or speak French. Compare this to the “Metroid” games, which have
to come up with increasingly convoluted ways of explaining why Samus has none
of her equipment at the start of each game.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFbMYJYwItQStWcv6pB6jV6-HdZajOHN1O3IM7zn1nrMUDtR5h4nj6qVzXKqcyAv43ii7m5wakg12mo-un9kJDCqwOdY7McRZearveVn0YkFmo6FnJ-jUqltl6M0KFaX6VEA0mLm_QXI/s1600/metroid-other-m-box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFbMYJYwItQStWcv6pB6jV6-HdZajOHN1O3IM7zn1nrMUDtR5h4nj6qVzXKqcyAv43ii7m5wakg12mo-un9kJDCqwOdY7McRZearveVn0YkFmo6FnJ-jUqltl6M0KFaX6VEA0mLm_QXI/s1600/metroid-other-m-box.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such as the incident at the start of "Other M", where Samus loses her character traits, empowerment and likability.</td></tr>
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The second reason I think the “doll” idea would work so well
is the narrative potential. Throughout the course of “Dollhouse” we learn more
about the previous life of Echo, the central protagonist and one of the dolls.
Whilst I think “Dollhouse” does a decent job of exploring her past and her
motivations, I think this could have worked far better in the form of a video
game. A confused perspective works to a degree in a television “program”, but
when we experience that character’s confusion in an interactive way it becomes
far more engaging. There is an episode of “Dollhouse” where Echo has memories
of breaking into a laboratory, and these break through her memory loss, helping
her artificial personality do it’s job. This is fine to watch, but I feel it
would have worked a lot better if we were playing as Echo, and had the choice
between relying on her amazing but artificial skills or her personality,
something that is a central and seemingly invincible part of her. This tension
seems so much more exciting in a video game format.</div>
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I think it’s such a shame that there is a perceived cultural
hierarchy, that seems to suggest that film and television are always the best
formats. It is a simple fact that some ideas suit some media formats better
than others. Should fans be constantly pushing for a “Halo” film? Would “Citizen
Kane” work as a television series? Could “Watchmen” work the same way as a
film?</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm pretty sure Alan Moore loves it when his deconstruction of an entire medium is reduced to "ooh, look at her bum".</td></tr>
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<o:p> </o:p>Well, at least for the last one we know the answer. And it’s
no.</div>
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*A fun game to play with Wikipedia with a friend or friends
is to hit “random article”, read out the title (and nothing else) and then you
all have to draw your interpretation of that title in 5 minutes. Jak and I have
spent many an evening playing this, and I now have a whole stack of drawings
that look like the holy book of the shittest cult ever.</div>
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Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09103468111224600103noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540590941313753526.post-88865054680795158992014-04-27T15:39:00.000+01:002015-02-05T17:26:36.867+00:00Dave Lamb's Top 25 games of all time (10-1)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Carrying on from <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/dave-lambs-top-25-games-of-all-time.html" target="_blank">25-11</a> here's my top 10 games of all time.<br />
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<b>10. Shenmue</b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Many people will think I’m crazy for placing <i>Shenmue</i> in my top ten but I think it’s severely underrated. The story surrounding its creation is remarkable. A game which allegedly cost<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">$47 million to produce in 1999. It would have required everyone with a Dreamcast to purchase the game twice to make a profit! This game took the excellent fighting system from <i>Virtua Fighter</i> series and expanded it into an open world with many more aspects of gameplay. Metal Gear Solid introduced us to games that felt like an action movie but <i>Shenmue</i> is a game where you step into the life of a character in an action movie. The level of graphical presentation had also greatly increased by this time which made me feel this was another benchmark of what was possible in games</span>.</div>
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<b>9. Portal 2<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<i>Portal 2</i> is my favourite puzzle game of all time, but maybe the best way to describe it is a first person shooter mixed with a puzzle game. The game features brilliantly designed puzzles using the ingenious mechanics of placing portals around each room. The game is brought together with some hilarious writing and excellent voice acting. The challenges are never tedious and are always satisfying to solve. The first entry in this series is also worth a huge amount of praise. However it was slightly short and <i>Portal 2</i> managed to make a larger and deeper experience, while adding in an excellent co-op mode for you to enjoy with a friend.<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b>8. Grim Fandango</b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i>Grim Fandango</i> is a dark comedy neo-noir adventure game that I love to death. It’s the best adventure game I’ve ever played and if you missed it’s well worth revisiting. The artwork in this game is incredible but it’s the characters and story that make it stand out. <i>Grim Fandango</i> features outstanding voice acting to bring every character to life and cement the varying concepts behind each of them. This game also made me start to view video games as an art form due to its neo noir style. I’m thrilled that the museum of modern art is adding this game to a permanent exhibition<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>that showcases video games as art. <a href="http://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2012/11/29/video-games-14-in-the-collection-for-starters/" target="_blank">MoMA - Video games as art</a><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: small; text-align: left;"><i>Grim Fandango</i> sales were poor despite the very positive reception of the game. This was taken as a sign that the adventure genre was commercially dead. The video game market was turning towards action-based games but again, there’s a large story behind that one too.</span></td></tr>
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<b>7. Silent Hill 2</b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i>Silent Hill 2</i> is a terrifying game with one of the most intense atmospheres I’ve ever experienced. It’s a deep adventure that's scary and disturbing which could not be achieved through anything other medium. When I played <i>Silent Hill 2</i> did it with a friend because playing this game by yourself can really put you on edge. You know, a problem shared is a problem halved and you need all the help you can get with this game. The reason horror games work so well is because you genuinely feel fear for your characters safety. <i>Silent Hill</i> creates a town where you never know what strange experience may occur next. Most of the characters you meet seem blissfully unaware of the horrors unfolding and this is where the game can really start to mess with your head. You start to feel unsure of what’s real and what’s not. Is this all occurring in the protagonists head or is the town messing with you? This helps create a great sense of despair that makes this game my favourite horror game of all time.<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i>Mass Effect</i> is in my view, the best trilogy ever created in video games. It’s a comprehensive experience where actions from the first game carry through to the final act. The game is a perfect blend of the action and role playing genres. You are given the freedom to shape the story through the many choices and dialogue options, making it one of the most personal games you’ll ever play. The writing is excellent, the voice acting is excellent, in fact, pick any aspect of <i>Mass Effect</i> and you will find that it’s above many other games. The characters you meet are so strong they will be engraved in your brain for many years to come. <i>Mass effect 2</i> is the strongest game in the series but the trilogy should be played throughout as your character and decisions are imported from game to game. Every gamer should experience this trilogy regardless of their genre preference. </div>
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<b>5. Bioshock</b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i>Bioshock</i> is a work of art, it may still have all the violence and action of a first person shooter but that doesn’t detract from its artistic nature. The game's developers drew heavily on literary fiction such as <i>Atlas Shrugged</i>, which leads to themes few developers are willing to tackle. The game follows the story of Andrew Ryan, an individual who has rejected society's ideas of capitalism, socialism and religion. He has withdrawn from the world and built his own city under the sea. You play a nameless character who arrives at the city where it becomes immediately clear Andrew Ryan’s vision has failed catastrophically.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></div>
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You are left to explore the decaying city containing the horrors of genetic modification which sent people insane. The game has a brilliant atmosphere which often uses terror juxtaposed with humour. The world here is so cohesive you get the sense this world could actually exist. The game also has some excellent action. There’s a deep combat system the combines the use of special attacks named plasmids<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>with gunplay to provide the player with endless variety. This game reaches some notes that were previously untouched in video games which is why I believe it’s one of the best games ever created. <span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b>4. Shadow of the Colossus</b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Sometimes people talk about boss fights being their favourite part of a game. With that in mind a very talented studio from Japan made a game which is essentially just 16 boss fights. However, they made them the best boss fights you will ever experience. But maybe the phrase “boss fight” isn’t even applicable here. The genius of each boss is that it’s a giant puzzle. You are trying to fathom how your comparatively tiny character can reach the colossus and navigate to its weak point without being crushed and maimed. This brilliant experience is combined with superb art direction, a gorgeous world to explore and a very fine example of how to convey emotion through gameplay. <i>Shadow of the Colossus </i>uniqueness is the reason it ranks so highly on my list and I believe any self-respecting gamer should play it.<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b>3. The Last of Us</b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i>The Last of Us</i> is the reason I say to people they are missing out by not playing video games. It’s been hailed as the “HBO” of video games and I whole heartedly believe it is. It proves you can have cinema quality presentation while combining it with the interactivity of a video game. To me, it sums up the true potential of video games. They can tell a heartfelt story about characters you care for but also immerse you deeply through its interactive elements, something that still isn't standard in video game narratives. This game almost takes it for granted that the gameplay is rock-solid and shifts its focus to the writing and story. It’s a beautifully written and has expert voice acting. You only need to compare the voice acting in this game to the first <i>Resident Evil</i> title to see just how far video games have come. <i>The Last of Us</i> is a masterpiece that will be remembered for many years to come.<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Have a look at the videos below and compare the voice acting and presentation of <i>Resident Evil</i> to <i>The Last of Us</i> .<br />
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Resident Evil (1996)<o:p></o:p><br />
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Last of Us (2013)</div>
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<b>2. Super Mario 64</b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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After all the praise I’ve given games for being arty and telling a top-notch story <i>Super Mario 64</i> runs counter to that logic! There’s little to no story here accept rescue Princess Peach from Bowser. What <i>Super Mario 64</i> is, is a shining example of a traditional video game. Collect the coins, collect the stars and beat the boss. It’s all here, everything you associate with video games. However, what makes <i>Mario 64</i> so special is that it does all these aspects so well and it was one of the first to do so in 3D. <span class="apple-converted-space"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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There were other 3D games around at the time but none of them created a fully realised 3D world like this one. <i>Crash Bandicoot</i> was a 3D game but the levels were essentially lattice like corridors rather than a fully three dimensional environment. I remember my first time playing this game at a Toys 'R' Us promo kiosk and it completely blew my mind. I’d never experienced a 3D world you could run around so freely and easily. At the time it just wasn’t even something I thought possible or expected from the gaming world. The fact that one of the first open 3D world platformers is still one of the best, speaks volumes about how good this game is. The levels are incredibly varied, the puzzles are expertly designed and I’d recommend this game to anyone who enjoys video games.</div>
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<b>1.<span style="font-size: 12.5pt;">The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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OK so here it is my number one game of all time - <i>The Legend of Zelda : Ocarina of Time</i>. A huge open, long-form, action adventure game that excels at everything it touches. Again with this game Nintendo were introducing new ideas in the transition to 3D gaming. It was the first time lock-on targeting (then called "Z-Targeting") and context sensitive buttons were used. These ideas were so strong that they are still widely used today. I’m not sure how Nintendo struck gold with their first 3D iterations of games but struck gold they did.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></div>
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The art direction used for the characters and world design is stellar, the gameplay is gripping and the puzzles innovative. This game is unmatched when it comes to the variety of puzzles and diversity of actions. Even mini-games such as fishing are so good they could be fleshed out into their own games. This outstanding game is accompanied by the most memorable melodies you’ll ever hear and it gets my vote for best soundtrack on this list as well. <i>Ocarina of Time</i> is just as important today as it was back then. If for some reason you haven’t played this game, go out of your way to play it! It will be worth it.</div>
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So there you have it my top 25 games of all time hope you enjoyed reading it. Let us know some of your favourites in the comments section below and here's a few honourable mentions that crossed my mind.<br />
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<b>Honourable Mentions</b><br />
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<strong><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #333333; font-weight: normal; padding: 0cm;"><i>Super Mario World</i> - Nintendo's most iconic 2D platformer.</span></strong></div>
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<i>Jak and Daxter </i>- An excellent spiritual successor to Crash Bandicoot.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Final fantasy 10</i> - One of my favourite JRPGs.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Banjo Kazooie</i> - A wonderful platformer from Rare.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Rayman Origins </i>- An excellent modern game still flying the flag for 2D platformers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Portal </i>- An ingenious puzzle game as stated above.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Pokemon Red and blue </i> - Because you gotta catch em all!<o:p></o:p><br />
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<i>The Walking Dead season 1</i> - Raises the bar for emotional story telling in games.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2</i> - The original fun and crazy extreme sports game.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08563323892157328153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540590941313753526.post-2590011318507848842014-04-27T15:38:00.000+01:002015-02-05T17:48:01.033+00:00Dave Lamb's top 25 games of all time.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In light of some of the IGN editors recently sharing their top games, I thought I'd lay down some of the best experiences I've had with gaming. Games are a relatively new medium but there's so much potential in what can be achieved though interactive storytelling. We're still in the early days but many studios are proving why the format can be so powerful. Here's my top 25 favourite games of all time. Enjoy!<br />
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For a
long time, the Tony Hawks series was the king of the extreme sports games and
many others copied its formula. Then along came <i>Skate</i>, which completely reinvented
the wheel. No longer were you grinding the loops of a rollercoaster. Instead,
<i>Skate</i> brought things down to a much more realistic level. Its biggest change
was using the right analog stick to perform ollies and flip tricks, by pulling the stick back and flipping it in any direction. After you become accustomed to this,
you were left with one of the most realistic and organic<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="background: white;">action
sports games ever created. Added to this is a generously large open
world to explore. You can happily skate around at your leisure searching for
nice spots to pull off tricks. It’s the finest example a game that captures the feelings associated with the real sport itself. </span></div>
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May
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<i>Devil May Cry</i> puts you in the shoes of a half devil anti-hero named Dante, who is
rebelling against the Dark Lord himself. This game has some of the most
incredible heart stopping action you’ll ever encounter. It creates fluid and
exciting combat by effectively combining sword and gunplay. Its revolutionary combat system created its own genre and it was adopted by modern action titans such as
<i>Bayonetta</i> and <i>Ninja Gaiden</i>. It has a very stylish atmosphere akin to the <i>Resident Evil</i> series but more
gothic and decadent. If you can forgive the slightly wonky camera this game is
a real gem.<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span>I also thoroughly enjoyed the recent reboot of this series.
It was quite underrated and is more than worth a look if you didn’t catch it.<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b>23. Crash
Bandicoot 3: Warped</b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Whatever
happened to <i>Crash Bandicoot?</i> Once a world phenomenon but now I wonder if
children today would even recognise him. While I won’t get into the mistake
Sony made in selling <i>Crash</i> to Activison, the original games made by Naughty Dog
are still superb today. At the time, it created a<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="background: white;">familiar,
yet unique formula of platform gameplay that was very enjoyable. The third
entry in the series was a particular favourite of mine. At least we can say
Naughty Dog went on to bigger and better things. I’m not sure I’d trade <i>The
Last of Us </i>for decades of <i>Crash</i> sequels.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh27dFktxZJO50PfcNOIiBEuR6kTEZ_q9gz7GMJfZ1LFObDg8iRes9s7Apk1NjgB7af2OH2FjxjyqXsYp4Bn9tDk-MpinlJ_K8dDW4GuFeHNXoP0fhhsK70bcK4vLPw-ug2pOjt2x6BfWM/s1600/crash+returning+to+playstation..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh27dFktxZJO50PfcNOIiBEuR6kTEZ_q9gz7GMJfZ1LFObDg8iRes9s7Apk1NjgB7af2OH2FjxjyqXsYp4Bn9tDk-MpinlJ_K8dDW4GuFeHNXoP0fhhsK70bcK4vLPw-ug2pOjt2x6BfWM/s1600/crash+returning+to+playstation..jpg" height="209" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 13px;">At E3 last year Sony showed a live action trailer in which the sign on the left was shown. It's been suggested that the picture is <i>Crash Bandicoot</i> with an arrow pointing towards the Sony logo as show on the right. Could this possibly mean <i>Crash Bandicoot</i> is returning to the property of Sony? Could we eventually see another high quality first party <i>Crash </i>game from Sony? I for one, certainly hope so.</span></div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKEY7b6xWDbNU-oCoBHgI-cLzSinDl-D2xGv5VoLRhDLHn4j4ziSPL00bHBaMs0OAvtM6PP-dHGnyjM0S5jbjjD4-XlHdD87SFIGQMZmNYq8V2nqn3cQzOOQlFwZOZYtDKef4pEuov0R0/s1600/Halo_-_Combat_Evolved_%2528screencap%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKEY7b6xWDbNU-oCoBHgI-cLzSinDl-D2xGv5VoLRhDLHn4j4ziSPL00bHBaMs0OAvtM6PP-dHGnyjM0S5jbjjD4-XlHdD87SFIGQMZmNYq8V2nqn3cQzOOQlFwZOZYtDKef4pEuov0R0/s1600/Halo_-_Combat_Evolved_%2528screencap%2529.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><b></b><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><b>22.
Halo </b></b></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This was
the game that gave birth to the modern console first person shooter. It led to the
genre becoming the forefront of the industry in the Western world<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>with the likes of <i>Call of Duty</i>. While it
didn’t invent the first person shooter it did nail the mechanics on a console
for the first time. It effectively used the dual stick layout of the original
Xbox to deliver a fluid experience. I enjoyed this game so much that first
person shooters became my genre of choice for a quite a few years. Sadly, the current genre behemoth that is <i>Call of Duty</i> has done few favours for the industry by producing the same uninspiring game every year for
the sake of profit. If like me you feel disillusioned with COD go back to<i> Halo</i> and remind yourself of the potential of the genre. <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEyfR4eQ4U7PYCWPWaHY4Mu_TMtUUwWsnpc1zMtVYK1XYBjD7J_LYukWvh2CJA6LgyBld-k9rg7D7XOntJWdxOnvs_3cdM-cfpsvc5vaB9r5lWqK76OQOFKHdwj569SGxz-nuYep07XbU/s1600/metal+gear+solid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEyfR4eQ4U7PYCWPWaHY4Mu_TMtUUwWsnpc1zMtVYK1XYBjD7J_LYukWvh2CJA6LgyBld-k9rg7D7XOntJWdxOnvs_3cdM-cfpsvc5vaB9r5lWqK76OQOFKHdwj569SGxz-nuYep07XbU/s1600/metal+gear+solid.jpg" height="139" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>21. Metal Gear Solid</b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
One of
the first games I played that offered a cinematic experience combined with
excellent action/stealth gameplay. It set a new precedent of what was
achievable in games. I’d never seen a game offer such a compelling blend of
cinematics and gameplay. It was a sign of a shift towards producing grand
thematic titles, that games would eventually offer legitimately cinematic
aspects as well as an immersive experience.<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-1awP9OT2uD4MUQtl4HHGhciwBu1whScsbWLtMa3Y6zNxODlh3vVZ5032bydK6v_MsgcPO-Ybg7QKQP8iVsnFkbQtIAuC5w6oywgRZrEHTVmQnF7mqxELnWbDu2InPabADKSEWPPabd8/s1600/Super-monkey-ball-deluxe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-1awP9OT2uD4MUQtl4HHGhciwBu1whScsbWLtMa3Y6zNxODlh3vVZ5032bydK6v_MsgcPO-Ybg7QKQP8iVsnFkbQtIAuC5w6oywgRZrEHTVmQnF7mqxELnWbDu2InPabADKSEWPPabd8/s1600/Super-monkey-ball-deluxe.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>20. Super Monkey Ball Deluxe</b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Some great games are also simple. <i>Super Monkey Ball</i> involves
navigating a ball around obstacles towards a goal. The player</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">maneuvers the board underneath the ball,
causing it to roll. That’s it, no power ups or special moves, just simple
gameplay that leads to a challenging and addictive game. It’s most memorable
aspect is its turn based multiplayer where players compete to see who
can complete the most boards. I had hours of fun playing this with friends and
would recommend it to anyone looking for some excellent offline multiplayer
fun.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ6jwJq-BvFe5NiZF-k5BrourHf9nlZkGqOwM3gkfWerX8dpk7Ci7sF2g40Blk8wKjxqj_uGfr5rJILLmQhxF5RMePvQ_kdadcx5LpxsUQnShS1hDfC3zqEnsaPIrW9hYSiGBis4p58gY/s1600/ssx3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ6jwJq-BvFe5NiZF-k5BrourHf9nlZkGqOwM3gkfWerX8dpk7Ci7sF2g40Blk8wKjxqj_uGfr5rJILLmQhxF5RMePvQ_kdadcx5LpxsUQnShS1hDfC3zqEnsaPIrW9hYSiGBis4p58gY/s1600/ssx3.jpg" height="140" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>19. SSX3</b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
While I
chose <i>Skate </i>(25) because of its realism, <i>SSX3 </i>I chose because it committed itself to the eccentric. This incredibly fun game lets you pull off physically impossible tricks
and gets everything right while doing it. Whether its sound, course design or
gameplay <i>SSX3 </i>exceeds at all of them. I’d played a few snowboarding games before
this series came along but I never realised just how good they could be before
<i>SSX3.</i> It’s still unmatched today due to its mechanics and wonderful presentation
which makes the game a spectacle to behold. <i>SSX3</i> is my favourite in the series
and I feel it is the best snowboarding game ever, even if it does make the
purists furious. <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
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<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqW1yaB8VT3tCUS20Fs6KV-G3j82_zpD-GXJ25l4YwUWJYy1ILK0jI6p1S6nXFDJ49UWpQGpDn8iBkvyZ4VomeQUk8heJwQ8zDvQkJ7Bhc4FWcj0cDbWLYqzdF9dKyoUsheBZlXoTaUI/s1600/sonic+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqW1yaB8VT3tCUS20Fs6KV-G3j82_zpD-GXJ25l4YwUWJYy1ILK0jI6p1S6nXFDJ49UWpQGpDn8iBkvyZ4VomeQUk8heJwQ8zDvQkJ7Bhc4FWcj0cDbWLYqzdF9dKyoUsheBZlXoTaUI/s1600/sonic+2.jpg" height="140" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>18. Sonic
the Hedgehog 2</b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Sonic</i> was the reason I started playing video games. I must have only been around 5 years
old when I saw and played Sonic at my cousin’s house. It was probably the first
time I’d touched a video game and the memory stays with me to this day. While I
recognise it technically may not be one of the best games ever made, it holds a
special place in my heart for starting my interest in gaming. That said,
it’s still a more than worthy platform game that anyone interested the classics
should check out and arguably the best all round game in the series!</div>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtbXjwEun_THvhQWyjaPv3E1KaBrHDxupThbiXGHtiL37QxujH7Jm6uSYXHsRw8zUtJq6esGCVRLUuxiX6qVv01ZvpTy2VuivwwKtBYnSKOjY3ZV_c5MqBPSnknb-U2vEXf9kJL2L9XtY/s1600/sonic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtbXjwEun_THvhQWyjaPv3E1KaBrHDxupThbiXGHtiL37QxujH7Jm6uSYXHsRw8zUtJq6esGCVRLUuxiX6qVv01ZvpTy2VuivwwKtBYnSKOjY3ZV_c5MqBPSnknb-U2vEXf9kJL2L9XtY/s1600/sonic.jpg" height="320" width="312" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My love of Sonic also led to this rather extravagant purchase. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-MI3v4v7eBs7xv-y2X1bVcgLiqhiNit6NCTMKu-C0UGx9pbQPlyHpfwtgTgUieqMFg7knf3wMXlRKW7kNb3LIJa5NjgVmqqefwynQv8yivCQUzrUEoBz6ZzUWYIe5zVubR3A_hhnl1Y/s1600/burnout_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-MI3v4v7eBs7xv-y2X1bVcgLiqhiNit6NCTMKu-C0UGx9pbQPlyHpfwtgTgUieqMFg7knf3wMXlRKW7kNb3LIJa5NjgVmqqefwynQv8yivCQUzrUEoBz6ZzUWYIe5zVubR3A_hhnl1Y/s1600/burnout_3.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>17. Burnout 3: Takedown</b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I don’t
mind realistic racers but Burnout’s insanely fast arcade action is what created
my favourite racing game of all time. The game’s extremely fast pace is
balanced by not punishing you too much for mistakes and a clever crash system.
I’ve never had more fun playing a racing game than I did with <i>Burnout 3</i>. The
game also incorporates an excellent crash mode where you try to cause as much
damage as possible to the surrounding area. I haven’t liked the series
transition into an open world game recently. I just don’t think speed mixes
well with tight corners and staring at a mini map. The thrill of belting it
down a race track against traffic was the whole reason this game existed.<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9GFEEoNm-Jjb5xsDIdaygDsZgKdKiWHQ0Hpg7ZlfhhAvMDMz1ABD6p6vSg5vmpabm2K_Rupy7Z6yJWXhB75iOzrFzfXqiHmJyG2sS8nC2DNkeEq6LujShjga4z_NWKZcJMu7tV2caKdA/s1600/goldeneye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9GFEEoNm-Jjb5xsDIdaygDsZgKdKiWHQ0Hpg7ZlfhhAvMDMz1ABD6p6vSg5vmpabm2K_Rupy7Z6yJWXhB75iOzrFzfXqiHmJyG2sS8nC2DNkeEq6LujShjga4z_NWKZcJMu7tV2caKdA/s1600/goldeneye.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>16.
Goldeneye</b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Goldeneye</i>
was the one of the first first-person shooters I had ever played and I was
blown away at the time. Although the control scheme may not stand the test of
time, it is without doubt the best video game adaptation of a film, an area in which few studios have ever pulled off so well.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="background: white;">The game forces you to think before you destroy
everything in sight by adding spy based objectives into the mix. This deep gameplay
is combined with excellent presentation though skilfully recreated set pieces
from the film.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>I’ll always
have fond memories of the 4 player split screen multiplayer as well. This game
also receives a bonus point for having the best pause screen ever and we all know <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/ben-winterton-twilight-was-better-than.html" target="_blank">why pause screens are important</a>!<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>15. Grand
theft Auto 5</b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Grand
Theft Auto 5</i> (GTA5) is the most impressive technical achievement I’ve seen to
date. Not only did Rockstar manage to create a huge open world, they managed to
make it incredibly detailed as well. It’s received much criticism for
essentially being a crime simulator but there’s no denying its popularity. It’s
so huge but also includes so much detail. It’s <i>GTA5</i>’s beyond-obsessive
attention to detail that truly sets the game apart from others. Take a street
performer in the game, in most other games they would just recite the same
action over and over again, till you perhaps run them over and the rag doll
physics kick in. Not in <i>GTA5</i>. If you take a picture of them and don’t tip they
will become annoyed. If you watch them long enough they may eventually get a
phone call and break character. It’s this insane level of detail in parts of
the game that many people won’t even encounter that makes<i> GTA5</i> so special.<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7vkdPTD121HA8Hdra-dJs9NHthQIwPbI0TjJFr8rkPrPQSoMNBR8upQPjkMNFtx9WMLxGgaW3xM4BcjDYYZLEdFApR5ZoyQ2RRj-gwryuLgIztX4wPFKralRtZM6uHucW2HbvA9cle1g/s1600/skyrim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7vkdPTD121HA8Hdra-dJs9NHthQIwPbI0TjJFr8rkPrPQSoMNBR8upQPjkMNFtx9WMLxGgaW3xM4BcjDYYZLEdFApR5ZoyQ2RRj-gwryuLgIztX4wPFKralRtZM6uHucW2HbvA9cle1g/s1600/skyrim.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>14.
Skyrim</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Skyrim</i> is
one of the finest single player fantasy role playing games going. It takes place
in a huge beautifully crafted world, which includes a staggering amount of
creatively designed content, and the game gives you an enormous amount of freedom
to choose how you play. Don’t fancy the main quest? You can get lost in hours
and hours of side quests and exploring. Don’t like hand to hand combat? Then
make use of magic and the shouts gained from defeating the huge dragons that
roam the lands. <i>Skyrim</i> allows you a wealth of choice when it comes to play styles and narratives, both of which are missing from the
<i>GTA</i> universe generally. You can often choose how quests conclude and there’s more freedom
to be good or evil without being forced to restart a quest if you kill an NPC you
don’t like. The variety here is endless and the whole world is thrilling to
explore.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>13. Super Smash brothers Melee</b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This is
my favourite multiplayer game of all time. An excellent fighting game where
choose one of 25 iconic Nintendo characters to do battle with up to 4 players.
While the game may seem simple at first, the depth here comes from the decision
making and learning how every action plays out. It’s no button masher and
novice players stand little chance against skilled players. It may be a little difficult to attract new players to a clique of experienced players but the enjoyment I’ve
had from this fast and frantic game is second to none. It’s still gets broken
out every time I’m with my friends I started playing this beauty with over 10
years ago.<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFthz4pvPmQMBaLPCANYE9Ox3CosgSfLr5P5mK5SCnfxmturVlO-9Ya11ClSwGSZXqrKr6w1sp54B09n-9BQz5VZ8N_mSC8Uv5xcCWZn-Og8k0aHQhHvXVjp7AZm5W1FFmJj79JgNz2WU/s1600/Psychonauts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFthz4pvPmQMBaLPCANYE9Ox3CosgSfLr5P5mK5SCnfxmturVlO-9Ya11ClSwGSZXqrKr6w1sp54B09n-9BQz5VZ8N_mSC8Uv5xcCWZn-Og8k0aHQhHvXVjp7AZm5W1FFmJj79JgNz2WU/s1600/Psychonauts.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b>12. Psychonauts</b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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I love
games with character and <i>Psychonauts</i> has bucket loads of it. A free roaming
adventure platformer, where Tim Schafer's comedic stylings make it one of the few games I find genuinely funny.
The game has excellent artistic design which is beyond many others<span style="background: white;">. When I first played this game there was a moment
that clicked for me when I realised how important variety can be in video
games. </span><i>Psychonauts</i><span style="background: white;"> has diversity between
levels, both in aesthetics and gameplay which keeps it feeling fresh
throughout the adventure. This is unfortunately something which Activison and
EA have made it their mission to ignore.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">I was
pleasantly surprised the first time I played this game and would recommend it
to anyone who missed out.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRtOH4mu4QY_gm5wTVZlTQMKeQ7z0_qewEqLbH3Wdbdhb8DGrUJf6Jrs9zPF6QvKUU99LkEKhfPTVjRSm7pxi_TMWg8QyKsn3MSzh8VNz6f41V0sHB_Mu8xl6CSHDMRn096GUUCxFngMM/s1600/conkers+bad+fur+day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRtOH4mu4QY_gm5wTVZlTQMKeQ7z0_qewEqLbH3Wdbdhb8DGrUJf6Jrs9zPF6QvKUU99LkEKhfPTVjRSm7pxi_TMWg8QyKsn3MSzh8VNz6f41V0sHB_Mu8xl6CSHDMRn096GUUCxFngMM/s1600/conkers+bad+fur+day.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b>11.
Conker's Bad Fur Day</b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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In this
game you play as a squirrel who gets so drunk he doesn’t know where he is in
the morning and your first task is to cure his hangover. This sets the tone for
this twisted adventure which is one of the most hilarious games I’ve ever
played. At the time the industry was flooded by cutesy titles like
<i>Banjo-Kazooie</i>, the developers were inspired by <i>South Park</i> to make a more adult
themed title. The game features a<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="background: white;">well-written, lewd script that uses witty parodies of
the likes of <i>Alien</i> and <i>Saving Private Ryan</i> as themes for the various chapters.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>This game is a blast from start to
finish and there’s never a dull moment. For instance you battle the gargantuan
and operatically inclined “Great Mighty Poo” or you meet a talking cog on the
wall who demands you recover his counter parts or “fuck off”. It may sound
puerile on paper, but Rare's sense of humour really shines through. It’s a
shame Rare aren’t still producing games like this rather than terrible Kinect
games but that’s another story. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background: white;">Carry on top my <a href="http://103percent.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/dave-lambs-top-25-games-of-all-time-10-1.html" target="_blank">top 10 on page 2</a></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Follow Dave Lamb on..</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/DaveLambs" target="_blank">@DaveLambs</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Instagram - <a href="http://instagram.com/dave_lambs" target="_blank">dave_lambs</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Xbox One - DaveLambs<br />
Contact on LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/mrdlamb</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08563323892157328153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4540590941313753526.post-37463149625293117892014-04-12T12:30:00.002+01:002015-01-10T20:03:12.879+00:00Gaming Netiquette: "Well Played" in Hearthstone.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: left;">For those of you who haven't tried Blizzard's new entirely virtual collectible card game, </span><i style="text-align: left;">Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft,</i><span style="text-align: left;"> I would heartily* recommend it. It's one of the few competitive online games which is appealing to all skill levels, handles the free-to-play/monetisation side of things with great care and probably most appealingly, protects you from unwanted abuse from those </span><i style="text-align: left;">toddlers</i><span style="text-align: left;"> out there who like to swear at people on the internet whether they are winning or losing. But that's not to say that Blizzard didn't leave considerable leeway for complete strangers to taunt each other in a subtle but powerful way. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSysF1fIyNeObxzOl6IJ_q4V0y8dc_tSF6b85cakeJTx0f1xh9gMoBY42TRn-tmpEqZ0f3XRDhV-VsRJ0a28Vu04rGqTCwo6x1hxRCd_NHtCpKoVGPYOD7tHXKwdU7fYLRBOhsvdIwGwPt/s1600/well-played.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSysF1fIyNeObxzOl6IJ_q4V0y8dc_tSF6b85cakeJTx0f1xh9gMoBY42TRn-tmpEqZ0f3XRDhV-VsRJ0a28Vu04rGqTCwo6x1hxRCd_NHtCpKoVGPYOD7tHXKwdU7fYLRBOhsvdIwGwPt/s1600/well-played.png" height="92" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The most common meanings of this emote.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Emotes are the six word language that each character class in the game possesses. To actually chat with someone the traditional way you need to 'friend' them first so for the most part you will be letting the voice actors do the talking for you. I'm sure that the most widely used emote by far is 'Well played' some common uses of which are listed in the above image. A friendly post-game handshake to indicate that all important "gg" moment is something that polite players should do in almost each and every game they play, if you're losing I'd almost say that acknowledging defeat in this way is tantamount to a post-game handshake anyway. It's just the decent thing to do because it's sportsmanlike and everyone who takes part in gaming should feel like they are having fun, even in defeat...<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
...except this guy.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnAEByHR9E3LMztZSIfblf2mYN_Du1Oktn0pwyyF89hbbeb1henZkJK5GFYYYwRbGltCXFQkbXAl0fwp24eA10nBi_gUfZfHSt0c0uGmgxAvOY5L-sEXzY-W3fmHLi72Cc68SMzEYGGN7Y/s1600/afkloser.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnAEByHR9E3LMztZSIfblf2mYN_Du1Oktn0pwyyF89hbbeb1henZkJK5GFYYYwRbGltCXFQkbXAl0fwp24eA10nBi_gUfZfHSt0c0uGmgxAvOY5L-sEXzY-W3fmHLi72Cc68SMzEYGGN7Y/s1600/afkloser.png" height="441" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three turns in a row he's kept me waiting like this...<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">For those of you who aren't familiar, my opponent (whose name has been blurred) has lost. 100% Lost. The only way that I could have lost at this point is if I had conceded the game voluntarily. Yet in theoretical defeat, my opponent has decided to leave his keyboard and force me to wait for his turn timers to run down <i>in full </i>before allowing me to actually win, or concede defeat out of sheer impatience. This is sour grapes at it's finest. In a game which is deliberately designed around preventing abusive players from having a negative influence, this player, in spite of well funded opposition, has found a way to stick a thorn in my paw. I feel safe in saying that I did not waste time shaking this player's hand as I whittled his health down to zero. This did not make me feel any happier.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">Luckily, someone in Blizzard was watching and decided that I was worthy of compensation. After winning the game I was awarded with enough gold to purchase a booster pack and lo and behold, a legendary card for the Paladin class I was just playing as.</span></div>
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</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59TJLnPl1iAKYcpfgvfMrQan-6Vh53cdMYsSV1PjHqV6Txd6qXmQZl-n5vo0Q4M249iWY_X3kDYluy-DgI6vH0JBhi_kX5tD9icfT60fVAQLWjeM-7CWpcdfVYTNV5S3hJ6EKOvKntsi-/s1600/legend.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg59TJLnPl1iAKYcpfgvfMrQan-6Vh53cdMYsSV1PjHqV6Txd6qXmQZl-n5vo0Q4M249iWY_X3kDYluy-DgI6vH0JBhi_kX5tD9icfT60fVAQLWjeM-7CWpcdfVYTNV5S3hJ6EKOvKntsi-/s1600/legend.png" height="313" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting one of these 'orange gem' cards feels incredibly satisfying anyway.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Well played Blizzard, well played indeed.</div>
<br />
<br />
<i>*The temptation to have the 'hearth-ily' pun in my opening sentence was great, but I thought better of it. I leave it here for the hardcore** readership. <br /><br />**Footnotes are hardcore. Deal with it.</i></div>
103% Completehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12770843145677764848noreply@blogger.com2