Favorite Games of All Time

I've been thinking a little about my computer gaming habits and have come up with a couple realizations to which some gamers may relate.

For me, games that I will play repetitively and continually must have a few particular characteristics. First, it must create for the player a seemingly “open world.” By this, I mean that the game shouldn't forcibly shepherd the player towards any one particular mission or goal, but present a large space in which the player may explore and exploit the landscape, and potentially even get lost in it's depth. Next, the game must present the player with numerous ways in which to interact with that large, unrestricted world. This may include, but not necessarily be limited to, the ability to combine items to create other items, to move things or alter their condition in the environment, or to destroy things altogether. Additionally, characters with which the player will talk, trade, and/or fight must be reasonably well-developed, having a purpose for being there, not merely existing. I must feel the compulsion to save an ally's life or to maim that bad guy for whatever the reason may be.

All of the above factors contribute heavily to my interest in continued play, and in most cases, add a great deal of re-playability to the game before other considerations are even involved. So after the above is reasonably well-satisfied, what is next?

Most of the games that live on my “Favorite Games of All Time” list allow the player numerous ways to achieve the end-goal of the game, and in some cases, even different endings depending on how the player chose to go about it. What this means is that a creative, compelling story is a must, of course.

So lets just put it this way: Each of the games I will write about below has consumed not just hours of play-time, but days. If I had to declare an average, I'd say between 4-5 days of my life has been spent enjoying each game, and some much more. I still play some of these games, although some with lesser regularity than others, and they are not necessarily listed in any particular order unless specified otherwise – most are simply listed in the order in which I thought of them.

• Ultima Undeworld

When I was younger, for instance the Ultima Underworld games (the first released in 1992, second in 1993) were two of my absolute favorites. These games are credited by some as being the first first-person perspective roll playing games. At the time, these games were pretty heavy handed on computer hardware, but today's computers have reversed the tide and essentially rendered them unplayable without a DOS emulator, something many people simply can't be bothered to learn to use. That said, I have dabbled with these games numerous times since winning them in my teen years, and I find their story just as compelling as I did then.

There is an effort in progress to “remake” the Underworld games, but it seems stalled by the fear of legal action from Origin. This is sad, really, considering it has been 18 years, but litigation seems to be one of the world's most popular ways to make money these days...

• Civilization

Another series of games I have often played is Civilization. From the first release in 1991 to the fifth in 2010, I have played and enjoyed every PC release of the game. As far as turn-based strategic / diplomatic games go, I have met none that even compare with Civ. That, and I think I can speak for almost everyone when I say that I kinda enjoy trying to conquer the entire world.

• Fable

Another game I really enjoyed was Fable, first released in 2004. This Xbox to PC game was probably my first intentional foray into the world of games that play on multiple platforms, and is also the first game that I ever played that, for a while, consumed so much of my free time that my wife complained. I learned a little about personal time management as a result of playing Fable, so I guess these games can be educational.

Fable's story was also the first I've seen where the player character starts off as a child and the tutorial segment of the game basically brings you ought of childhood. This hour-long tutorial does, unfortunately, negatively impact replayability, as you kinda have to go through a lot of repetitive things just to get back into the game, and there really aren't any choices to make as you go through it. I guess what I'm saying is that this game captivated me for a long while because of it's initial depth but nearly all of the game's depth can be explored in two playthroughs (and possibly one, if given enough time and forethought). That said, I thought of it when I considered my favorite games and so it makes the list.

For whatever it is worth, I probably would have gotten into Fable II when it came out in 2008 if it weren't for Microsoft's decision to not port the game to PC. Sorry folks, but I'm not buying an Xbox 360 just for one game.

• Arx Fatalis

Another game that consumed mass hours of my time was Arx Fatalis, released in 2002. Until Fable's release for the PC, this was pretty much “my game” due to it's enveloping world and characters. Pretty much everything in the game can be manipulated, and the player can mostly do whatever he wants through a significant portion of the game, making it feel as if it would have made a great set up for an Underworld III title. Oddly, my research suggests that the developers had wanted to do that very thing but could not obtain license from Origin to do so. Go figure.

My main gripes with the game were related to the linear main quest, which had to be done in a particular sequence and could not be completed at all if you had slain pivotal characters in a rampage early in the game, and the bugginess of the end-game, during which I experienced repeated crashes (more-so after installing the game's final patch).

So, while the game's story isn't as open-ended as with some of the other titles, the game's amazing story and world make up for it's shortfalls.

• Fallout

My absolute favorite game of all time (at least so far) is, predictably, Fallout 3. New Vegas comes in a close second-place, but Fallout 3's game environment is simply more believable (to me, anyway) than that of New Vegas. That, and I guess I enjoy the added lawlessness and lesser developed society of the Capital Wasteland vs. the semi-organized Mojave. Between the two, I've probably spent a solid 15 or 16 days (so far) in-game, a number only bested by the Underworld titles.

But seriously, nothing beats a good post-apocalyptic story based on a fictional, almost-believable, but not not quite identical, Earth.

• Moving on...

So one might notice that there are very few games making this list, and yet I do own and play other games from time to time. There is something to be said for the fact that a lot of games are fun but don't rank highly for various reasons. SimCity 4, for instance, while I enjoy playing it for short stints when I don't have time to get deeply entrenched in another game (or maybe can't play another game because of adult content that my son really shouldn't see), I find the game just doesn't captivate me the same way a story-based game might. I can build cities right fine, but nothing compels me to do anything more than that, and thus I simply never go any further.

Doom 3 is another game that I enjoyed for a time, but is at it's core a “shoot everything” game. I kinda grew out of that genre a decade ago. The game pretty much pushes you along the story, and honestly, I only ever got so deep into the first two Doom games as the result of the multiplayer features. Something about killing your friends in deathmatch mode just made the game a lot more fun!

Racing games also really lost my attention a long time ago... I mean, how much more linear can you get? I've played them on occasion, but usually don't get into them for long periods of time.

Well, I guess that is sort of an overview of some of my favorite games. I guess the problem now is that not very many developers want to make the games I like – or maybe they don't have the skill required? In any event, I guess it is a good thing that these games are have such high replay value for me, because I know I'll be waiting a while before the next “favorite” comes along.

Bored

I was bored (and drunk, I guess) so I decided to have a little photo-editing chaos -- er I mean fun.

My son and I joke that Frosted Flakes (you know, the cereal) is actually called Fallout Flakes.  He doesn't bother asking me for the cereal anymore unless he is using this new name for it, and as such I thought I might be funny to create a cereal box to model it.

I thought it might be worth a laugh or two, so I figured I'd share it here.  Disclaimer:  It is dumb - so don't tell me later that I didn't warn you.

And on that note, I shall say good night.

Haven't Had a Lot to Say, Huh?

No, I guess I haven't. In the last couple of weeks, I have found time to win Fallout: New Vegas, siding with the NCR. I have since started playing again, but this time I'm choosing a more neutral, self-centered approach. I also got started into a round of an RP game called Classic Country Capital, but oddly have found that I haven't the time for it like I used to, what with our son's home schooling, work, and other things (aka family).

Last week, for instance, I was presented the opportunity to see my brother. He came to Cincinnati from the St Louis area for an overnight visit before departing northward to visit with our Dad and sisters in Bellefontaine. I hadn't seen him in 20 years, and have come to the realization that I've missed a lot having so little contact with the rest of the family. So, as might be expected of me, many alcoholic beverages were consumed and enjoyed. Fortunately, very little in the way of “side effects” were experienced the following day, and all told, it was a very pleasant, informative visit.

Following my brother's visit, my wife and I were permitted the luxury of a child-free weekend, thanks to her parents. Whilst they took him to Toledo to visit family there, my wife and I went to a car show downtown and enjoyed some movie madness via Netflix. “Angels & Demons,” “The Pledge,” “2012,” and “Surrogates” were among the featured titles, and those along with generous doses of amaretto made for a pleasant weekend that involved surprisingly very little computer time and oddly early bedtimes (for me, anyway).

So I guess what I'm getting at is that I've been busy doing other things, and while a few things have suffered, such as my blog writing, I feel like I've actually done something for a change. Not that I necessarily intend to make a habit of that – geesh, that would ruin my reputation!

Now Playing: New Vegas

For the time being, I've decided to put my Civilization V back on the shelf and play Fallout: New Vegas for a while. Some of my friends may recall that I have played it a bit previously, but now that I have it properly patched (a grudging thanks to Steam) and, quite frankly, the game works a lot better now. Something in the first batch of updates that Steam downloaded must have optimized the game's performance with my video card (or some other such nonsense) and it simply plays better (less laggy) than before.

So far, since starting to play on Sunday, I've apparently logged a solid 6 hours in New Vegas (as opposed 79 hours that it claim's I've played Civilization V. Of course, Civilization is a turn-based game, which means I can leave it sitting whilst I do other things without cataclysmic events resulting in my loosing the game... so, adjusting for that, I'd place my actual Civ game time at a more respectable 50 hours.

But I digress...

As for Fallout, I've always been impressed with the story behind the games (the first two of which I have not played) and New Vegas seems to be no exception. Further, the music used for Fallout 3 was a wonderful break from real-life, present-day rubbish, and it was extremely fun to listen to while blasting enemies.

For New Vegas, the developers chose to incorporate a musical score that includes what I'd call “old country western” songs. While appropriate for the setting, I'll admit that I found the music from the Capital Wasteland a little more to my liking. Further, I have yet to hear the great multitude of different songs that I recall from Fallout 3 – meaning, I'm hearing the same songs with greater frequency.

Of course, as I mentioned earlier, I've only invested 6 hours in the game. Maybe there is a New Vegas equivalent to the “Galaxy News Radio” quest? I try to not read too much ahead of where I am in the game in fear of spoilers, so I don't really know.

In other news: Sunday was my 29th birthday, so I guess I'm starting to get old. Or not, but I sure feel old some days. My wife was kind enough to prepare some insanely thick cheeseburgers with fries and onion rings as my so-called “birthday dinner.” I suppose this is the only day of the year when she'll willingly put her hands into a pile of ground beef – otherwise it is my job.

Thing is, she cooks them better. Shame...

Also want to comment on our son's schooling, which is progressing nicely and exceeding the requirements (as usual). He will soon be undergoing the AIMsweb Benchmark testing (same thing he did in September) to see how he is progressing. I will try to make time to post those results when they are delivered to us.

And now I guess it is time for me to go to work.

Creative Play and Learning

This weekend I got back into an old “hobby” if you will... loom knitting. I created two hats, both of which I mandated that our son model for the camera:

The first one (left) was made merely to re-learn the process, and I dare say it turned out relatively well. It kept my head reasonably warm while I was outside a few times during the day on Sunday, but I don't know if it would have kept up with the frigid temperatures on Saturday. It took about two hours of work sporadically throughout the evening to complete... I believe Michelle and I watched several episodes of Kingdom Hospital and I played about 100 turns of Civilization V whilst I worked.

The second one, inspired by Old Glory (otherwise known as the American Flag) took about twice as much time (and yarn) to finish. Each “stitch” is comprised of two strands of yarn as opposed to the single strands utilized in the first one, adding weight and thickness (and presumably insulation). Ther was also the added complication of the 13 alternating red and white bands which I think I could do a little better if I made another one, but I doubt the difference would be visible from the outside.

While I worked on the Old Glory hat, our son decided he wanted to work on something of his own. My wife was kind enough to explain the process and, with some help, he has managed to get a lot further with it than I then expected.

In a feat of manual dexterity (at least for a six year old), he has completed 14 rows. With some mistakes, of course, but nothing that wouldn't make it possible for him to complete a cute hat for a stuffed animal if he wants.

So my weekend was filled with yarn and lazing around the apartment with the family.  What more could I really ask for?

Probably The Last Post of 2010

Well I certainly hope everyone has had a pleasant holiday. I can say with certainty that we in Hickersonia have, in spite of a few stressful moments and gripes here and there. We did end up spending more than I originally wanted on Christmas related things (doubled our Christmas budget at the last minute, actually), but we still kept our total expenditure well below the $658 amount the so-called “average” American has apparently spent this year and made absolutely no purchases on credit. I guess I'd call that a financially successful Christmas.

So, moving on, I do have a certain disappointment to share with this post. I have found some surprise in who has chosen to contact me this season to wish me a Merry Christmas and the like, while certain others have, well... not. I understand many of us our quite busy, but I think most of us still have time to shoot off a text message or a wall post on Facebook. Many of my friends didn't even do that.

Okay, I'll admit there are people that I didn't contact too. I guess what that means is I understand first-hand why I was “forgotten.” Not that I don't care, or that they don't care, but that we obviously don't care enough, so while I can accept some blame on the matter as it comes to those who might point a finger at me, that doesn't make me any less disappointed with those who I hoped to hear from, at least briefly, this season.

Moving on again, I wanted to share something of a lighter nature. This year, my son's “Christmas haul” included a NERF gun. I noticed it at Meijer a couple months ago and decided that it was about time he be introduced to some projectile fun (that didn't involve large, heavy objects flying around the rooms of our 800 square foot apartment). The model we purchased is the Maverick Rev-6, a six-shooter which included six plunger darts (at least one of which my son has already misplaced) that will, using the amazing power of suction, stick to many flat surfaces.

Of course, after our son opened this thing and started playing with it, I decided that I had to have one too... but I wasn't about to be out-done by a mere six-shooter. I browsed online for the right foam firearm and, after reviewing some of them close up at the store, chose the Raider CS-35.

As the name might suggest, this thing is designed to fire 35 darts prior to reloading, and for that purpose carries a drum magazine that reminds me of the combat shotgun from Fallout 3. That similarity may actually even be one of the things that attracted me to this particular design...

And so, hilarity ensues. Well, not for you because you aren't here to witness it, but my son absolutely loves this stuff and I've found that apparently I do too.  Once in a while it is nice to share something fun with one's children, right?

Anyway, I hope everyone has enjoyed a blessed Christmas, and I hope the new year is good to everyone as we move forward.  Maybe the new year will bring me more things to blog about, eh?  Hopefully fun things, if so.

Cardinals Sweep the Reds

In a three-game series this week the St. Louis Cardinals, much to the chagrin of most people I know, swept the Cincinnati Reds on their own home field. This earns me the ire of many of my coworkers, several of my friends, and at least a few of my wife's family, even though I obviously had nothing to do with it. It is funny all the same, especially considering many of my coworkers kept telling me how this was the “most important series of the year.”

If the Reds had won at least two out of three I was going to wear one of my wife's Reds caps to work on Thursday, but since that didn't happen, well, I guess my STL cap will be worn instead. Go Cardinals!