Comments for metagame http://metagame.org a blog on games and stuff Fri, 04 Feb 2011 20:24:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Comment on Watson may win Jeopardy, but does it matter? by Taryn Roeder http://metagame.org/2011/02/03/watson-may-win-jeopardy-but-does-it-matter/comment-page-1/#comment-370 Taryn Roeder Fri, 04 Feb 2011 20:24:40 +0000 http://metagame.org/?p=1539#comment-370 I think we should revel in the fact that the match starts on Valentine's Day! Author Stephen Baker (who has written the book FINAL JEOPARDY: Man vs Machine and the Quest to Know Everything) has even created WATSON Valentines! Check them out here: http://thenumerati.net/images/content/FinalJeopardy_PartyKit.pdf I think we should revel in the fact that the match starts on Valentine’s Day! Author Stephen Baker (who has written the book FINAL JEOPARDY: Man vs Machine and the Quest to Know Everything) has even created WATSON Valentines! Check them out here: http://thenumerati.net/images/content/FinalJeopardy_PartyKit.pdf

]]> Comment on Watching a “Non-Gamer” Game by Adam http://metagame.org/2011/01/13/watching-a-non-gamer-game/comment-page-1/#comment-280 Adam Fri, 14 Jan 2011 22:31:08 +0000 http://metagame.org/?p=1316#comment-280 I've played a fair number of games that do try to have this tutorial at the beginning. It is a lot to absorb quickly though. Especially if you've never held a controller before. It's like trying to learn to touch type while being shot by paint balls. We're having an opposite issue with the Kinect. My son, who is fully knowledgeable on a console controller but not as skilled at moving his actual body is getting outscored over and over in Dance Central by my wife -- who can't play, and doesn't want to play, console games. He expects to be the superior player, but the control mechanism favors people who actually know how to dance. I’ve played a fair number of games that do try to have this tutorial at the beginning. It is a lot to absorb quickly though. Especially if you’ve never held a controller before. It’s like trying to learn to touch type while being shot by paint balls.

We’re having an opposite issue with the Kinect. My son, who is fully knowledgeable on a console controller but not as skilled at moving his actual body is getting outscored over and over in Dance Central by my wife — who can’t play, and doesn’t want to play, console games. He expects to be the superior player, but the control mechanism favors people who actually know how to dance.

]]> Comment on Make a new Star Wars? Good luck. by No Bioshock MMO? No Kidding! | metagame http://metagame.org/2009/01/08/make-a-new-star-wars-good-luck/comment-page-1/#comment-169 No Bioshock MMO? No Kidding! | metagame Sun, 26 Dec 2010 18:55:11 +0000 http://metagame.org/?p=8#comment-169 [...] There are two real and sensible reasons not to make a BioShock MMO. First, it would be dumb to integrate persistent multiplayer into this franchise. I would expect to succeed about as well as, well, putting instanced multiplayer into the IP (hi, Bioshock 2!) And more importantly, the lesson of MMOs today could be that only the largest and most financially successful franchises will be made into MMOs. Big franchises have been turned into successful MMOs. Little ones, not so much. Bioshock is not a successful, big franchise. My personal like of the game and its outstanding ratings aside, Bioshock has never sold like a big franchise. And I’m pretty sure we can agree two years later that it is not as big as Star Wars. [...] […] There are two real and sensible reasons not to make a BioShock MMO. First, it would be dumb to integrate persistent multiplayer into this franchise. I would expect to succeed about as well as, well, putting instanced multiplayer into the IP (hi, Bioshock 2!) And more importantly, the lesson of MMOs today could be that only the largest and most financially successful franchises will be made into MMOs. Big franchises have been turned into successful MMOs. Little ones, not so much. Bioshock is not a successful, big franchise. My personal like of the game and its outstanding ratings aside, Bioshock has never sold like a big franchise. And I’m pretty sure we can agree two years later that it is not as big as Star Wars. […]

]]> Comment on Movie Heroes and their D&D Prime Stat by Candy http://metagame.org/2010/12/22/t/comment-page-1/#comment-167 Candy Fri, 24 Dec 2010 23:21:08 +0000 http://metagame.org/?p=1190#comment-167 "In other words, we craft the strongest heroes to be feeble-minded"; this is actual not true. If you look at http://www.clickok.co.uk/index4.html you see that heroes cover a very wide spectrum. “In other words, we craft the strongest heroes to be feeble-minded”; this is actual not true. If you look at http://www.clickok.co.uk/index4.html you see that heroes cover a very wide spectrum.

]]> Comment on Movie Heroes and their D&D Prime Stat by David Eckelberry http://metagame.org/2010/12/22/t/comment-page-1/#comment-166 David Eckelberry Fri, 24 Dec 2010 16:42:23 +0000 http://metagame.org/?p=1190#comment-166 Damn, caught. You're right of course, about both the original literary source and the film. The evolution of the film character follows the trajectory I needed to use Conan as a Dumb Barbarian. It remains easy to understand (though not agree with) the trajectory of how Hollywood literally dumbed him down. Damn, caught. You’re right of course, about both the original literary source and the film. The evolution of the film character follows the trajectory I needed to use Conan as a Dumb Barbarian. It remains easy to understand (though not agree with) the trajectory of how Hollywood literally dumbed him down.

]]> Comment on Movie Heroes and their D&D Prime Stat by Al Harron http://metagame.org/2010/12/22/t/comment-page-1/#comment-162 Al Harron Thu, 23 Dec 2010 16:17:12 +0000 http://metagame.org/?p=1190#comment-162 And yet in the original stories, Conan was noted for his intelligence, wits and erudition. The man spoke dozens of languages, he knew local history and customs, archaeology, palaeontology, politics, strategy, as well as the usual barbarian stuff like swordsmanship, woodcraft and survivalism. Even in his massively diluted and altered form in <i>Conan the Barbarian</i>, Conan had knowledge of tactics, strategy, poetry and philosophy, even if we don't see much evidence of the latter two save one or two scenes. It's in <i>Conan the Destroyer</i> that we see the Big Dumb Barbarian come to fruition. In that film, Conan can't count to six. HE CAN'T COUNT TO SIX. :shock: And yet in the original stories, Conan was noted for his intelligence, wits and erudition. The man spoke dozens of languages, he knew local history and customs, archaeology, palaeontology, politics, strategy, as well as the usual barbarian stuff like swordsmanship, woodcraft and survivalism. Even in his massively diluted and altered form in Conan the Barbarian, Conan had knowledge of tactics, strategy, poetry and philosophy, even if we don’t see much evidence of the latter two save one or two scenes.

It’s in Conan the Destroyer that we see the Big Dumb Barbarian come to fruition. In that film, Conan can’t count to six. HE CAN’T COUNT TO SIX. :shock:

]]> Comment on WoW Talents and the Illusion of Decision by Cedric Atizado http://metagame.org/2010/11/01/wow-talents-and-the-illusion-of-decision/comment-page-1/#comment-72 Cedric Atizado Sat, 27 Nov 2010 02:43:31 +0000 http://metagame.org/?p=963#comment-72 Funny, I was just thinking about this the other day, when I was staring at the screen picking talent points for my Belf Paladin. Illusion of choice? Yeah. Unnecessary? Not at all. It gives players a sense of accomplishment for each level that grants a talent point. Incremental rewards are essential to keep player interest in a game like this. Oh, and since WoW has two very different gameplay aspects (PvP and content play), each of the specs can be configured for either playstyle through talent choices, effectively making six ideal builds per class rather than just three. Funny, I was just thinking about this the other day, when I was staring at the screen picking talent points for my Belf Paladin.

Illusion of choice? Yeah.

Unnecessary? Not at all.

It gives players a sense of accomplishment for each level that grants a talent point. Incremental rewards are essential to keep player interest in a game like this.

Oh, and since WoW has two very different gameplay aspects (PvP and content play), each of the specs can be configured for either playstyle through talent choices, effectively making six ideal builds per class rather than just three.

]]> Comment on WoW Talents and the Illusion of Decision by Ian R. http://metagame.org/2010/11/01/wow-talents-and-the-illusion-of-decision/comment-page-1/#comment-69 Ian R. Sat, 13 Nov 2010 06:50:39 +0000 http://metagame.org/?p=963#comment-69 "If your design forces you to spend a minimum of X points in a system, you probably don’t want to spend any more. In fact, you probably didn’t want to spend the minimum. The rule is there for a reason, not your benefit. For the record, the corollary is also true: if a designer says you can spend a maximum of X points in a system, you probably want to do that too. From an elegance point of view, such rules are less than ideal." I never thought about this until you just mentioned it. It is absolutely true in so many games. Ranks 1-4 are totally lame but I HAVE to spend the points to unlock the thing I actually want. I'm much rather spend half the points for no abilities and go straight to the upper tier thing I actually want. Or better yet, try and make all the abilities cool in some way so I can get whatever I want and not feel like I am wasting points because some system guy said so. “If your design forces you to spend a minimum of X points in a system, you probably don’t want to spend any more. In fact, you probably didn’t want to spend the minimum. The rule is there for a reason, not your benefit. For the record, the corollary is also true: if a designer says you can spend a maximum of X points in a system, you probably want to do that too. From an elegance point of view, such rules are less than ideal.”

I never thought about this until you just mentioned it. It is absolutely true in so many games. Ranks 1–4 are totally lame but I HAVE to spend the points to unlock the thing I actually want. I’m much rather spend half the points for no abilities and go straight to the upper tier thing I actually want. Or better yet, try and make all the abilities cool in some way so I can get whatever I want and not feel like I am wasting points because some system guy said so.

]]> Comment on Bullshit Alert: Zynga threatens Sony and Microsoft by Geekoid http://metagame.org/2010/04/21/bullshit-alert-zynga-threatens-sony-and-microsoft/comment-page-1/#comment-61 Geekoid Tue, 25 May 2010 11:13:19 +0000 http://metagame.org/?p=864#comment-61 The first line of this story is: Bullshit Alert: Zynga threatens Sony and Microsoft. Worth, you used the word "bullcrap" instead of "bullshit". I hereby call you out for being a wet wipe and a pussy. :shock: The first line of this story is: Bullshit Alert: Zynga threatens Sony and Microsoft.

Worth, you used the word “bullcrap” instead of “bullshit”. I hereby call you out for being a wet wipe and a pussy. :shock:

]]> Comment on Another Year, Another GDC by Worth http://metagame.org/2010/03/17/another-year-another-gdc/comment-page-1/#comment-44 Worth Thu, 22 Apr 2010 08:17:53 +0000 http://metagame.org/?p=802#comment-44 Was good seeing you, sir. :) Was good seeing you, sir. :)

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