A week ago, I bought an old copy of Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2 on a whim. I remember mastering the old C&C games with some fondness, as my introduction to RTS gaming. True, I've since switched my love to Starcraft and Warcraft 3, but I figured I might as well buy it just for the hell of it.
I beat the game yesterday. It took me maybe a total of 12 hours, stretched out over the week. I was astounded how quickly I beat the game. I know, the true utility of these games lies in multiplayer mode, but this seemed pathetic.
After some thought, I realized that it wasn't really that bad of a game - but it merely was predictable. The methods in which the computer foe was set up, the tech trees, the uses of various armor units/infantry, the special weapons... all of them were essentially based on the same prototype that all RTS games have been for years. Sure, the graphics got better, the names got cooler, and the storyline was a slightly less disjointed than the original C&C:RA.
But without any truly original game design, it took little effort to win the game. I've thought back over the various RTS games I've played in recent years, and the only one that truly sticks out in my head as superlative is Warcraft 3. There, they broke some of the mold with a pretty decent emulation of terrain, hero characters, and creeps. The multiplayer action was, of course, unparalleled. Yet even with those improvements, the game played much like all of the others.
I've seen the same trends going on in much of the computer game industry: FPSs are all copies of each other with better graphics and user interfaces, MMORPGs are only original because of the interaction with real people, simulation games all follow the same general formula to win.
Now, I could be wrong. I'm certainly not a huge gamer. Maybe there really is true innovation going on in the game industry, and I'm just not aware of it. Yet all of the evidence I've seen points to a general stagnation. The games are no longer a challenge, as all are based on similar premises; there is no requirement to construct an entirely new strategy/playing method to win.
It seems to me that the computer game market has hit a dead end. Ideas are endlessly recycled, with merely cosmetic changes. It won't be long before people start arguing that there's no point in buying yet another RTS game when you have a perfectly good one already. The improvements in graphics and UI have a point of diminishing returns; beyond that point, there will be no point in buying further games.
(Interestingly, I have seen parallel arguments given for the software industry. If an older version of a product works, why buy a new one? This is probably particularly troubling to companies like M$ who market Office 2003 as somehow "better" than Office XP or 97, when there is truly very little to distinguish them. This gives quite a bit of credence to people who support Open Source software - after an initial burst of work to develop a decent program, upgrades and refinements can be added fairly easily to keep the product up to spec, but people will not need to shell out another $150 for a basic office suite that has only two improvements.)
So where does the game industry go from here? Will they fade into the background of computer use, as more and more people find utility in computers besides entertainment? Will they start to truly innovate, coming up with a variety of interesting and unique games?
Of course, this is probably all a moot point. I'm assuming that people are in general intelligent consumers. In reality, game companies can probably turn out the same shit every year, and people will buy it anyways. *grumbles*
28.7.04
A must-see movie
No, I don't mean Spiderman 2.
Last night, I had the privilege to see one of the five documentaries in the film 'Broken Silence'. It was put together by the Shoah Foundation, interviewing Holocaust survivors in five different countries. I saw one with interviews from Argentinean (and perhaps Chilean?) survivors, speaking of their experiences. The film was exquisitely done, horribly depressing, and very thought-provoking.
One bit I remember: A man was speaking of when he and his family were deported in the liquidation of a ghetto. He said that as they were hustled away, he noticed that their door had been left open. "Who leaves their home with the door open?" he asked. That image has stayed with him until today.
I don't suppose I'm doing a good job of explaining it; suffice it to say, the movie is incredible, and worthwhile seeing no matter how much you know about the Holocaust. There were also some sobering thoughts about some of the Nazi leaders who took refuge in Argentina, and the various nasty things that have occurred there (the Israeli embassy bombing in 1992, the AMIA bombing in 1994, a coup back in the 70s...). Most thought provoking of all was the survivors' feelings that the Holocaust was not a unique event in history, and it can all too easily occur again.
Highly recommended. But be prepared for depression.
Last night, I had the privilege to see one of the five documentaries in the film 'Broken Silence'. It was put together by the Shoah Foundation, interviewing Holocaust survivors in five different countries. I saw one with interviews from Argentinean (and perhaps Chilean?) survivors, speaking of their experiences. The film was exquisitely done, horribly depressing, and very thought-provoking.
One bit I remember: A man was speaking of when he and his family were deported in the liquidation of a ghetto. He said that as they were hustled away, he noticed that their door had been left open. "Who leaves their home with the door open?" he asked. That image has stayed with him until today.
I don't suppose I'm doing a good job of explaining it; suffice it to say, the movie is incredible, and worthwhile seeing no matter how much you know about the Holocaust. There were also some sobering thoughts about some of the Nazi leaders who took refuge in Argentina, and the various nasty things that have occurred there (the Israeli embassy bombing in 1992, the AMIA bombing in 1994, a coup back in the 70s...). Most thought provoking of all was the survivors' feelings that the Holocaust was not a unique event in history, and it can all too easily occur again.
Highly recommended. But be prepared for depression.
23.7.04
They sure are scary
As some of my enterprising readers may know, I have a pathological fear of librarians. What's odd about that is I spend lots of time in libraries to feed my book habit.
I've found that it takes quite a bit of need for me to screw up my courage to timidly ask a librarian for help finding something. It doesn't matter where - my university main library, the engineering library, music library... or various public libraries around the area. I just feel that somehow, they don't want me to waste their time.
I know, I know. Most librarians like challenges, and a good chunk are even eager to help. The librarians that I know personally (I got to know them before I learned of their occupation, and now I can't escape) really don't mind people like me asking the sorts of questions I'm likely to ask ("I've looked for the 1996 copies of Bioelectromagnetics, but you only seem to have from 1997 and on. Where can I find the previous year?"). Perhaps I feel this way because most librarians are somewhat introverted. It makes them hard to read when you ask them a question.
The more likely reason, though, stems from my young childhood. I had a library card as soon as I could write my name legibly, and very frequently came by my neighborhood's local library. I would rummage through the children's section for a while, totter up the desk with a large stack of books, and try to check them out.
There was an evil woman who often ran the check-out, though. I do not use the term lightly; she really was evil. Most of the people at the library were kids, and she seemed personally affronted that we might take some of her books away from the library. So much for encouraging reading. To a five year old, one picks up this mood rather quickly, and become fearful of taking books out.
Of course, I needed books far too much to stop going to libraries. As my tastes matured, I started going to farther branches where there were more extensive collections; eventually I stopped going to the neighborhood one entirely.
Perhaps that is why I'm afraid of librarians. Or perhaps they really don't like me, and I'm not imagining things. ;)
I've found that it takes quite a bit of need for me to screw up my courage to timidly ask a librarian for help finding something. It doesn't matter where - my university main library, the engineering library, music library... or various public libraries around the area. I just feel that somehow, they don't want me to waste their time.
I know, I know. Most librarians like challenges, and a good chunk are even eager to help. The librarians that I know personally (I got to know them before I learned of their occupation, and now I can't escape) really don't mind people like me asking the sorts of questions I'm likely to ask ("I've looked for the 1996 copies of Bioelectromagnetics, but you only seem to have from 1997 and on. Where can I find the previous year?"). Perhaps I feel this way because most librarians are somewhat introverted. It makes them hard to read when you ask them a question.
The more likely reason, though, stems from my young childhood. I had a library card as soon as I could write my name legibly, and very frequently came by my neighborhood's local library. I would rummage through the children's section for a while, totter up the desk with a large stack of books, and try to check them out.
There was an evil woman who often ran the check-out, though. I do not use the term lightly; she really was evil. Most of the people at the library were kids, and she seemed personally affronted that we might take some of her books away from the library. So much for encouraging reading. To a five year old, one picks up this mood rather quickly, and become fearful of taking books out.
Of course, I needed books far too much to stop going to libraries. As my tastes matured, I started going to farther branches where there were more extensive collections; eventually I stopped going to the neighborhood one entirely.
Perhaps that is why I'm afraid of librarians. Or perhaps they really don't like me, and I'm not imagining things. ;)
22.7.04
Art or waste of money? You decide
So... to make a short story long:
This evening, the Yeti and I biked to downtown Chicago along the lakefront. Beautiful sunset, nice trail, exhilarating ride. Yadda yadda yadda. We watched some fireworks at Navy Pier (don't ask me why there were fireworks on a Wednesday night), and went over to the newly minted Millenium Park.
For those of you not from Chicago, this is a large piece of land on Chicago's lakefront, immediately adjacent to downtown (just north of the Art Institute, if you must know). It used to be a railyard, and Mayor Daley decided to turn it into a big park. Very Daley-ish thing to do. It has cost some ridiculous amount of money (to the tune of nearly half a billion smackeroos, IIRC), but a good chunk of the cost has been defrayed by rich people who want to stick their name on stuff.
The park seemed pretty nice, as these things go, until we reached this... thing. As far as I could tell, it looked like two big honking towers made out of glass bricks. Upon a closer inspection, these two towers were lit from inside by various colors. What was really odd, though, was on the two facing sides of the towers, extremely large faces were shown on enormous LED displays (50 X 22 feet... I don't want to know how much that cost). They went through some odd gyrations and then puckered their lips... after which a large spurt of water came out of each face's "mouth". After some more inexplicable facial expressions, the two displays turned off, and water started sheeting down the sides of these towers.
I don't have the slightest idea what they are for.
Surely there is some purpose; even sculptures tend to have a point, right? But this isn't really a sculpture, or much of anything else... it just is. I've since learned that this odd contraption is called Crown Fountain (three guesses to know which family gave money for it), and that it's supposed to be art, and a "bold statement". Or something like that.
So check out the link, and try to enlighten me. What's the bloody point?
I'd wager that in a few years, those video images won't be of odd faces, but with the latest traffic and weather conditions for passing motorists. "O'Hare to the Junction, 35 minutes, congestion on the Eisenhower, accident at Dempster on the outbound Edens..."
Now that would exemplify Chicago.
edit: For those of you who don't have the slightest idea of what that last bit meant, Chicago does not refer to their highways by numbers, but rather by names (colloquial or not). As such, traffic reports may seem to be utter gibberish to someone not well-acquainted with the area. This is a good reference for understanding these terms. To understand what's going on, you normally need to have a good grasp of the entire Chicago highway system, the major exits, and regular travel times. Good luck. *Grins*
This evening, the Yeti and I biked to downtown Chicago along the lakefront. Beautiful sunset, nice trail, exhilarating ride. Yadda yadda yadda. We watched some fireworks at Navy Pier (don't ask me why there were fireworks on a Wednesday night), and went over to the newly minted Millenium Park.
For those of you not from Chicago, this is a large piece of land on Chicago's lakefront, immediately adjacent to downtown (just north of the Art Institute, if you must know). It used to be a railyard, and Mayor Daley decided to turn it into a big park. Very Daley-ish thing to do. It has cost some ridiculous amount of money (to the tune of nearly half a billion smackeroos, IIRC), but a good chunk of the cost has been defrayed by rich people who want to stick their name on stuff.
The park seemed pretty nice, as these things go, until we reached this... thing. As far as I could tell, it looked like two big honking towers made out of glass bricks. Upon a closer inspection, these two towers were lit from inside by various colors. What was really odd, though, was on the two facing sides of the towers, extremely large faces were shown on enormous LED displays (50 X 22 feet... I don't want to know how much that cost). They went through some odd gyrations and then puckered their lips... after which a large spurt of water came out of each face's "mouth". After some more inexplicable facial expressions, the two displays turned off, and water started sheeting down the sides of these towers.
I don't have the slightest idea what they are for.
Surely there is some purpose; even sculptures tend to have a point, right? But this isn't really a sculpture, or much of anything else... it just is. I've since learned that this odd contraption is called Crown Fountain (three guesses to know which family gave money for it), and that it's supposed to be art, and a "bold statement". Or something like that.
So check out the link, and try to enlighten me. What's the bloody point?
I'd wager that in a few years, those video images won't be of odd faces, but with the latest traffic and weather conditions for passing motorists. "O'Hare to the Junction, 35 minutes, congestion on the Eisenhower, accident at Dempster on the outbound Edens..."
Now that would exemplify Chicago.
edit: For those of you who don't have the slightest idea of what that last bit meant, Chicago does not refer to their highways by numbers, but rather by names (colloquial or not). As such, traffic reports may seem to be utter gibberish to someone not well-acquainted with the area. This is a good reference for understanding these terms. To understand what's going on, you normally need to have a good grasp of the entire Chicago highway system, the major exits, and regular travel times. Good luck. *Grins*
21.7.04
Chapterhouse: Dune
In case you were wondering, that last post had absolutely no reason for existing except that I like the word accoutrements. Heh.
And now for my first post not full of trivia and mediocrity:
Yesterday, I finished the last book in Frank Herbert's classic Dune series, Chapterhouse: Dune. For some reason, I'd managed to escape reading these six books for years. I can't imagine why I did that.
These books were exquisitely crafted. Each is written differently, with a unique point - yet all have an overarching feel of, well, "Dune-ness" that leaves you breathless. Should I ever need an example of the word "epic", this will top my list. These books don't astonish the reader with their scale; rather, as one learns more about the universe in which he writes, it dawns on you that he's discussing no less than the evolution of humanity in the vastness of the universe. More importantly, it discusses people attempting to control said evolution.
This is the sort of book that you can read fairly quickly, merely picking up the story line as you go... yet you'll wake up in the middle of the night and ask yourself, "Now what did he mean by that?" I cannot recommend these books highly enough. I can't say I agree with all of Herbert's views on how people and society work. Yet his analysis is superb and intriguing.
What saddens me is that he could only write six books; I feel much of the story is left untold, and there's a rich panolpy of possibilities that I will never see realized. This is hardly enough to get me to read the "new Dune" novels that his son has written in collaboration with Kevin J. Anderson, any more than I'll read the new Foundation Trilogy or the "extra" Oz books. In the words of my hero Tycho Brahe (heh, the one who's still alive, silly, not the astronomer), "They are fucking his corpse."
Ahem. Excuse my French. But it really does feel like these authors would throw a tantrum if they actually saw what people did with their work posthumously. Then again, at least these books are supposed to be based on Herbert's notes, so they aren't complete bullshit. To be fair, my mother has read most of the new Dune novels, and has reported they are "interesting" if not outright "good". Not only does this mean my mother's damn cool for reading Dune books, but I'm willing to trust her reading assessments, within limits.
Much more importantly, completing this series means I must now rent Children of Dune and watch it obsessively. I'm told that the SciFi channel did a good job with them, surprisingly. I also should watch the old Dune movies once more, if only for laughs. *sighs* So many inexplicably good movies that have been based on awesome books, lately... one would think that someone in the movie industry is beggining to figure something out.
Oh, wait. Never mind. Isaac Asimov is turning in his grave. At least some good has come out of the travesty that is that movie. I haven't even seen it yet, and I know I'll want to commit murder by the end.
Well, folks, that's all for now. Ta-ta!
And now for my first post not full of trivia and mediocrity:
Yesterday, I finished the last book in Frank Herbert's classic Dune series, Chapterhouse: Dune. For some reason, I'd managed to escape reading these six books for years. I can't imagine why I did that.
These books were exquisitely crafted. Each is written differently, with a unique point - yet all have an overarching feel of, well, "Dune-ness" that leaves you breathless. Should I ever need an example of the word "epic", this will top my list. These books don't astonish the reader with their scale; rather, as one learns more about the universe in which he writes, it dawns on you that he's discussing no less than the evolution of humanity in the vastness of the universe. More importantly, it discusses people attempting to control said evolution.
This is the sort of book that you can read fairly quickly, merely picking up the story line as you go... yet you'll wake up in the middle of the night and ask yourself, "Now what did he mean by that?" I cannot recommend these books highly enough. I can't say I agree with all of Herbert's views on how people and society work. Yet his analysis is superb and intriguing.
What saddens me is that he could only write six books; I feel much of the story is left untold, and there's a rich panolpy of possibilities that I will never see realized. This is hardly enough to get me to read the "new Dune" novels that his son has written in collaboration with Kevin J. Anderson, any more than I'll read the new Foundation Trilogy or the "extra" Oz books. In the words of my hero Tycho Brahe (heh, the one who's still alive, silly, not the astronomer), "They are fucking his corpse."
Ahem. Excuse my French. But it really does feel like these authors would throw a tantrum if they actually saw what people did with their work posthumously. Then again, at least these books are supposed to be based on Herbert's notes, so they aren't complete bullshit. To be fair, my mother has read most of the new Dune novels, and has reported they are "interesting" if not outright "good". Not only does this mean my mother's damn cool for reading Dune books, but I'm willing to trust her reading assessments, within limits.
Much more importantly, completing this series means I must now rent Children of Dune and watch it obsessively. I'm told that the SciFi channel did a good job with them, surprisingly. I also should watch the old Dune movies once more, if only for laughs. *sighs* So many inexplicably good movies that have been based on awesome books, lately... one would think that someone in the movie industry is beggining to figure something out.
Oh, wait. Never mind. Isaac Asimov is turning in his grave. At least some good has come out of the travesty that is that movie. I haven't even seen it yet, and I know I'll want to commit murder by the end.
Well, folks, that's all for now. Ta-ta!
20.7.04
Ick. It's ugly, isn't it?
Yup, I mean my blog. I don't think it's ugly because it's plain - I rather like simple designs. Rather, the damn thing is ugly because I used a minimalist template and have not had a chance to optimize it to me. Unfortunately, my CSS skillz have fallen hopelessly out of date, so change will be slow in coming. Over time, I will also add things like a link sidebar and all the usual accoutrements, but for now I'm sticking to the KISS philosophy. I'll freely accept comments and suggestions for changing the place around as I slowly bring it into order. This is implicit; from now on, I will assume that you are observant enough to notice changes in the design without needing me to point it out.
On the other hand, I am most specifically not going to monitor traffic to this site. Not only do I want to spare myself the embarrassment of a pathetically small readership, I also abhor the whole idea of obsessively checking places like sitemeter to know exactly which IPs have come trawling by. Nonetheless, I would welcome feedback on anything and everything; as such, I strongly encourage you to leave comments, even inane ones. I cannot guarantee a response, but I will read and enjoy them. Furthermore, I refuse to place my contact information on something so public as this site; as such, comments may be your only method to reach me, unless you know ways from elsewhere.
On the other hand, I am most specifically not going to monitor traffic to this site. Not only do I want to spare myself the embarrassment of a pathetically small readership, I also abhor the whole idea of obsessively checking places like sitemeter to know exactly which IPs have come trawling by. Nonetheless, I would welcome feedback on anything and everything; as such, I strongly encourage you to leave comments, even inane ones. I cannot guarantee a response, but I will read and enjoy them. Furthermore, I refuse to place my contact information on something so public as this site; as such, comments may be your only method to reach me, unless you know ways from elsewhere.
19.7.04
If only to conform...
Yes. I have a blog.
Funny thing is, I don't want a blog, nor do I feel I need one. But for quite some time, I've felt a need for some sort of webspace, to post my various rants, ideas, theories, essays, thought experiments... As I'm not sure that I have the time or dedication for my own site, I'm using this place as a test. Sort of like a bridge-to-transplant like VADs, but a bridge-to-website. Or something like that.
For now, I'll try to bring some thought to you with frequency - if I can manage it, daily. I will try to avoid the more mundane details that often appear in blogs, but no promises. On a slightly less frequent status, I'll be posting lengthier pieces - not works of literature, but interesting nonetheless. A caveat - let the reader beware. I do not try to be offensive, nor do I modify my views to make them more palatable. I have strong opinions on most everything - and while I may be wrong, I do attempt to support them well. Feel free to disagree, even vehemently - you may even complain about it. But if you're offended, it was not intentional, and the only advice I can give you is to stop reading, or ask me for a clarification.
To introduce myself, many of you may know me as wiggin or Ender in my posting persona online. On slashdot, where I post extremely infrequently, I'm known as shunterman. In short, I'm nearing the end of my undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering, specifically tissue engineering and transport processes. I love books, music, etc... pretty much what every young intelligent person loves. I'm sure that you'll learn more about me as time progresses.
For now, I'm signing off. Happy reading!
Funny thing is, I don't want a blog, nor do I feel I need one. But for quite some time, I've felt a need for some sort of webspace, to post my various rants, ideas, theories, essays, thought experiments... As I'm not sure that I have the time or dedication for my own site, I'm using this place as a test. Sort of like a bridge-to-transplant like VADs, but a bridge-to-website. Or something like that.
For now, I'll try to bring some thought to you with frequency - if I can manage it, daily. I will try to avoid the more mundane details that often appear in blogs, but no promises. On a slightly less frequent status, I'll be posting lengthier pieces - not works of literature, but interesting nonetheless. A caveat - let the reader beware. I do not try to be offensive, nor do I modify my views to make them more palatable. I have strong opinions on most everything - and while I may be wrong, I do attempt to support them well. Feel free to disagree, even vehemently - you may even complain about it. But if you're offended, it was not intentional, and the only advice I can give you is to stop reading, or ask me for a clarification.
To introduce myself, many of you may know me as wiggin or Ender in my posting persona online. On slashdot, where I post extremely infrequently, I'm known as shunterman. In short, I'm nearing the end of my undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering, specifically tissue engineering and transport processes. I love books, music, etc... pretty much what every young intelligent person loves. I'm sure that you'll learn more about me as time progresses.
For now, I'm signing off. Happy reading!
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