By TUID 2 years, 6 months ago.
Well. It’s been a while. By that, I mean it’s been a while since I last wrote a blog. The gaming has been coming along nicely, Halo 3 Matchmaking aside. I’ve uncovered a new obsession of not only completing games, but attempting to complete them on the hardest possible settings. Unfortunately, in developing my gamer skills, I’ve discovered a new nemesis and a new subject for my gamer-wrath. Honestly, no-one warned me of the fury of dealing with NPCs.
I first became acquainted with allied Non-Player Characters in the original Halo. These smart-talking marines occasionally got in the way of the odd shot, but, on the whole, displayed a suitably respectful attitude and, more importantly, managed to be generally avoidable. Indeed, they were sometimes quite handy, once I’d overcome my initial protectiveness and learned to use them as cannon fodder.
That said, even then, I felt the stirrings of annoyance at their ability to consistently block doorways whenever the Master Chief was stuck inside a building with them. Didn’t they know I had a mission? Weren’t they aware that I was at least ten times as powerful as them, and could melee them into the wall? For a moment, I wondered whether Bungie had deliberately, maliciously developed the game to include the ultimate test of human patience and politeness as I contemplated frag grenading the whole room. Then, I thought I might be over-reacting.
Until I played Halo 3 and Call of Duty 2. My joy at learning that Wash, Mal and Jayne would be accompanying me around the unearthly ring was overshadowed by the realisation that the formerly docile wallpaper-marines had been granted greater AI. Thus, they were more irksome and less escapable than ever. Any English girl who loves sport will be familiar with Aussie sledging. Hardly any will want it in a computer game. I got off easily, it was D who had to endure the constant, “Good of you to turn up, Arbiter!” whenever we co-oped. The incessant chatting pales in comparison to their ability to always get in the way, however. Preparing the perfect sniper shot? Watch out for the marine wandering past your gun. Fancy driving that Banshee? Nope, the marine got there first. Keen to get through that door? No, no, no. The marines are busy obstructing it, discussing amongst themselves their next infuriating move. Probably. They may be more useful in battle, but it won’t stop you wanting to kill every last one of them. And, whatever you do, don’t let them drive your Warthog. My five-year-old nephew would do a better job.
As for our Russian comrades in CoD2, the door-blocking, shot-intercepting, unhelpful-shouting continues. With the catch that, in the event of one of your teammate NPCs bobbing and weaving into your gunfire, you are branded a traitor to the Motherland and the game is promptly finished. The non-player characters may be marginally less tiresome, therefore, but infinitely more significant if you do let them screw up. In this case, I endeavour to temper my itching frustration by putting it into context. Of course they’re a bit unsteady on their feet: millions of Soviet military personnel were dying and it was all rather desperate. That doesn’t mean a computer game has to be so flighty, though. And, unless Bungie are predicting dire circumstances for the future of mankind, it doesn’t offer any excuse for the Halo boys and girls, either.
Essentially, my main problem with the NPCs is the inability to alter their behaviour or exact any meaningful revenge on them. In real life, one can snap and snark at someone interrupting your fire or impeding your progress. When faced with these CPU saboteurs, there is only impotent rage. I feel uncomfortable killing them, but I’m equally ungratified at having to work around them. Worse still, my love of FPS games will no doubt ensure frequent encounters with them in the future. So, I request your help. Which games have you experienced the worst NPC activity? Which games should I avoid like the plague, and which should I be prepared to play with a healthy dose of patience and forebearance? In advance, my innocent controllers and delicate tv screen offer their gratitude…
By TUID 2 years, 8 months ago.
It’s a familiar refrain that the media like to drag out on the occasion of anything dreadful happening in the world – gaming must, in some way, be held responsible for the decline in moral standards and the rise in violence in society. No doubt they have some evidence to support this, but it’s disappointingly rare to hear of computer games being talked about in a really positive light. Probably because all the gamers of the world are too busy enjoying themselves rather than wasting time engaging in a 'meeja’ debate. I have, however, formed a theory that gaming has significantly improved my life, and, in this little corner of GirlGamer, I’m happy to express my appreciation.
First things first, the disclosure that I live with a fairly debilitating illness. It’s not life-threatening (in my case) or even particularly dramatic in its nature, but it’s enough that I’m unable to work and have had to think carefully about changing my lifestyle. Whilst I’ve learned to explain this in real life, I’m sometimes reluctant to include it in my online interactions, as I dislike the idea of it defining me as a person. I’d rather be 'the one who blogs about herself too much’ or 'the one who’s a bit of a punctuation/grammar anorak’ than 'the one with ME’, but it does provide some context to my rediscovered love of the computer game.
Three years ago, when I was suddenly hospitalised in its onset, I wasn’t capable of much. Only within the last year have my quality of life and range of abilities increased to any noticeable degree. Along with stripping back all the unessential and unhelpful parts of my life, I remembered how much I loved gaming as a kid and resolved to make more time for it in the future. Within the last two years, I’ve been lucky enough to receive two consoles – a Nintendo DS Lite and XBox 360 – as well as a pretty spanky MacBookPro (no, I can’t believe it either). Considering the number of cumulative hours spent on these, I’m aware that gaming’s now become quite a big part of my new life! The second thing I’m aware of is all the benefits it’s given me.
When I wasn’t strong enough to cope with in-depth books, films or conversations, I used to play MarioKart on the DS, a convenient way of allowing my brain to partially switch off and give my body the chance to rejuvenate. Even now, if I find myself getting stressed out by people or situations, a few minutes of steering Daisy or Yoshi around can help me to reach a level of calm which better equips me to deal with whatever’s happening. A form of modern-day meditation perhaps, absorbing the conscious part of the brain whilst allowing the subconscious to work away without distraction. Not to mention, really good fun.
As I started getting a bit stronger, I remembered the hours I’d spent zoning out playing Doom and Doom 2 on my mum’s PC throughout the 90s. My better half gave me Halo for the Mac, and, true to form, when I was first given my XBox360, a large portion of my time was spent on FPS action. I soon discovered that it didn’t just provide me with a chance to let my brain rest, but that games such as Tomb Raider boosted my confidence. When I faced down a Kraken and took out mercenaries, I realised that I hadn’t quite lost my instincts, reaction times or spark. I also found that dealing with energy-sapping situations or confrontations with unpredictable people became much more manageable when I acknowledged them as just another one of life’s Level Bosses to overcome.
By far the greatest revelation to me, however, was in playing the Ninja Bee Kingdom for Keflings, an Avatar game downloaded from the Xbox Live Arcade. It seemed so innocuous at first: four little Keflings to do your bidding, structured buildings to create from resources that must be harvested – the sort of simplicity I might have scorned in my previously healthy life. Whatever the reason, I was utterly charmed by it, and patiently spent hours working through blueprints and increasing the Kefling population. It was only when I completed all the different achievements that I realised how complicated it had all grown, and how easily I had coped with it all. What had appeared as such a gentle game had stretched my ability to organise, delegate, anticipate and create in a stress-free environment, and I felt stronger, more capable and more positive as a result.
Ultimately, my strongest case for the defence of gaming rests safely in this site, in the XBox Live community, and in the nights I’ve spent playing Co-op Halo with my best friend. Leeroy Jenkinses aside, real gamers are often sparky, intelligent and, above all, excellent company. So, are the bad things so frequently shown on the news really caused by gaming? I’d say that if some of these bankers had taken risks in a computer game rather than with real life money we might not be suffering such worldwide economic instability. Gaming brings happiness to millions, encourages interaction and provides challenges to our underused brains. It’ll never make any NHS prescription lists, and the media may not understand it, but it’s enhanced my life immeasurably and I’m proud to declare that I love computer games.
By TUID 2 years, 10 months ago.
Ok, here goes. I’m not much of a blogger… not much of a gamer at the moment! But, as I’m beginning to get more and more into the world of gaming, I figure here is pretty much the perfect place to attempt writing about it.
As I wrote in my bio, I’ve loved computer games since I was little… Pi-mania and Cuthbert when I was a kid, the Doom releases on the pc as I grew a little older, online Flash game sites saw me through years of university library sessions… but I always felt a bit shy about it. It wasn’t something any of my friends were into, and I could never afford all the cool consoles anyway (apart from a secondhand, battered Playstation 1 from my friend’s exboyfriend… my confession? I played Crash Bandicoot… and loved it).
When I met D, the husband-to-be, he was exactly the techie-gadget-gaming-surfing geek I’d always dreamt of finding, and suddenly I became aware of this wide world of gaming waiting for me! D and his brother own pretty much every console and techie joy going, and when he first lent me his PSP, I spent hours perfecting my Takedowns on Burnout. He bought me a Nintendo DS for my 28th birthday, and I drove Luigi and DryBones around endlessly attempting to get stars. He gave me Spore and Halo for the Mac… I managed to give myself tendonitis from overuse of the laptop trackpad.
This birthday, after having some quality nights in at his with multiplayer Deathmatch on Halo, I received an XBox 360 from his brother (he loves the upgrading!) and an HDtv from the mister. My wrist is strapped up safely, and I’m discovering how wonderful the world of XBox Live can be.
Here comes the real honesty, then. Just a few minutes ago, I played Matchmaking on Halo3 for the first time ever with a bunch of random gamers from around the world. I tied for first place, then won the second… and by the time I finished, I was actually trembling – like the proverbial leaf. I remember, in the early days of teacher training, asking my mentor whether he still got nervous taking his class… he smiled at the thought, and said that he couldn’t remember back that far. By the end of my short teaching career, I understood how that felt: to be confident, relaxed and totally at ease with it all. That’s why I wanted to record it today… the buzz, the sheer unfamiliarity of it all – yes, I want to get to being a confident, chilled gamer… but I also don’t want to forget this.
