Just start with the shit

I really want to do more work. I think I might start vlogging just because my brain moves so many words through my thought-mouth that my hands-mouth can't keep up, and so my internet-mouth is always speaking in such truncated bits of information. TRUNCATED. Fun word.

Anyways, maybe I'll just skip all my fun ideas I've been storing up over the years and talk into my fucking laptop webcam like every other boss out there. In my computer chair. With a gaming poster behind me. And I'll be like "WHAT'S UP GUYS? All one of you. HAH! Kidding-seriously-but no, I mean really, anyways" or something. I figure thinking too much always gets me no where (very carefully), I should just start making bad things instead of trying to find out how to go straight to making good things.

Morning Hype Machine: Darksiders II

I have a morning hype machine. It looks a lot like a movie theater with a gigantic screen and a tablet for me to read news on. I read news, and when something clicks, whatever I'm interested in just pops up on the screen and I watch things about that subject until I'm all up to date on it. Then I usually talk to a bunch of people about it, and hype it up if I end up liking it because, well, that's what I do. I hype things that are awesome. And sometimes things that aren't (sorry about Brink, guys)

Today I'm feelin' some Darksiders II. Darksiders was one of those games which bravely came out in January 2010 (after CoD: Modern Warfare 2) and pretty good reception. Darksiders presented a sort of... I believe it was commonly referred to as God of War meets Legend of Zelda, and I agreed with that on my play through. Players donned the cowl of War, first horseman of the apocalypse as he brought the end of the world to Earth... prematurely. Or so he was told. War's journey to prove himself innocent and at the same time figure out why the apocalypse began without him. In typical adventure game style War starts with nothing and has to go find it all. Ultimately the game was very well done, and a very enjoyable experience, but many of the ideas were not fully fleshed out. At times, it made certain parts of the game seem too short-lived, and the implementation of fun mechanics was too shallow.

Luckily, the developers at Vigil games have heard the cries of us Earthicans, and seem to be implementing a lot of changes. Whenever I talk about Darksiders I say I always feel like the game needed to find its own true feel and style, something to separate it from just "God of War meets Legend of Zelda". The theme and story presented in the game warrant more than just a two-game comparison's worth of gameplay style. This time around, Darksiders II is going more "action-RPG", complete with quests, loot and skill trees. How all that will play in I'm not sure, and it leaves me curious, but not anxious, because I'm digging the changes. A faster, more responsive character (with an awesome mask) and more options sounds like awesome to me. Also leaving Earth is probably a good idea, going with less photorealism and more frenetic comic style will give this game more room to soar graphically, thematically and immersively.

I'm really hoping this game does well and gives me a quality Summer title. In fact, I feel like playing Darksiders again just to get a feel for it again.

B-b-b-blog

I always forget about this damn thing even though it's pinned to my web browser. How does that even happen.

Oh well, blog blog blog thoughts current events blog blog blog I win. Somehow the fact that I have to work forever today excuses me from not having to actually try with this post. Peace out~

Bus Thoughts #4 - A real adventure

Imagine being handed a note before getting on a bus which reads that you'll have an adventure with someone on this bus, whether or not you like it, and then getting on that bus. Each person, of which there are about a dozen, can be interacted with or will interact with you, and you develop some form of relationship. Some people leave, some get on, then you get off at your stop and have a normal day.

Or you were supposed to. From then on your actions on the bus play a heavy role on your life, and curiosity, or survival, love or hatred drive you forward. Maybe not everyone shows up, maybe some people play bigger roles than others, but wouldn't that be a truly dynamic game? Scripted spontaneity. It's a beautiful idea.

Jump Jump Frustration Perfection

I love platformers, but jumping does not a super complete experience make. Sometimes you dodge, sometimes you have to be perfect for 1 - 15 seconds, and sometimes there's a boss battle, and good platformers can (and usually do) make all of these things fun. That's totally awesome. Still not a full experience.

There's a reason why I love (the idea of) Maplestory, which I actually hate. I love the idea of an MMORPG that takes place in 2D, involves platforming (but not really) as well as RPG, questing and etc. elements. So maybe... Okay well Maplestory is a pretty awful game but my point is platforming alone doesn't make a "full" experience, especially not in 2D. I love a good one, I really do, Super Meat Boy is fucking awesome and it's worth the five bucks (I'd pay 10 even, maybe) I paid for it but it's ultimately not everything. It's really high quality platforming, and that's it. That's not a bad thing, that's just how things are, and I appreciate and enjoy that. However, I'd much rather have deeper mechanics that blend genres and try new things. I'm all for doing old things really well, but that's not where my money is going.

Improve and innovate. Improve squared isn't bad, it's enjoyable, it's solid, it's refined, but improve x innovate is my favorite. That's when awesome things are born. Like Bastion.

Conversations #2 - Quick Skyrim Background Synopsis

[14:18] Emessai Zeal: Have fun being an Imperial. xD
[14:18] Kelly Mai: yeah I know right. XD
[14:18] Kelly Mai: they're the bad guys huh.
[14:20] Emessai Zeal: Eh.
[14:21] Emessai Zeal: It's implied, but they have an entire region/nation to keep pacified, and it's a sort of corporate parallel where the Thalmor influence the Imperials because they represent the elves, who are deeply offended that the Nords worship a mortal as though he were a god. In that light, the Imperials have to keep the peace between the two by sayin gno worshipping Talos.
[14:21] Emessai Zeal: Ideally, you'd be able to just... fight the Thalmor and convince the Aldmeri Dominion that they need to get the fuck over it.
[14:21] Emessai Zeal: But y'know. Whatever.

Fusion Genesis and Ambiguous English

[09:28] Ross Adams: Ha, I just started writing about it's ambition as a positive
[09:28] Ross Adams: but then what I wrote turned out to be negative
[09:28] Ross Adams: so now it's that
[09:28] Emessai Zeal: P'fahaha.
[09:28] Ross Adams: I realised as I was writing, for all the ambition it pretty much fails
[09:29] Emessai Zeal: Yeah. XBLA games really do need to be focused.
[09:29] Ross Adams: For its persistent online world NOTHING players do influences the world, so what's the point
[09:29] Ross Adams: hehe, Steve Haberman has just given a copy away and is saying it's a good game :X
[09:30] Ross Adams: but he's also pimping us saying we're great, WHAT TO BELIEVE
[09:31] Emessai Zeal: Haha!
[09:31] Emessai Zeal: We can be great without sharing opinins.
[09:32] Emessai Zeal: With. Steve. That is.
[09:33] Emessai Zeal: We must share... opinions... but perhaps our opinions... won't be shared in that they're congruent... I love English.
[09:33] Ross Adams: You crazy

Bus Thoughts #3 - BMX Hooligan

These tiny bikes that people ride all around Pasadena seem strange. They're apparently BMX bikes, which I was under the impression weren't the best for traversing a city. These kids on these bikes seem to ride like crazy bastards, weaving in and out of traffic, it's crazy right? Is it conservative to stick to the side of the road and wear a helmet? Isn't that what makes the most sense?