Incoming Extra Life

Incoming Extra Life — Blue Ink Alchemy

The time is quickly approaching. In less than a month, I will be stockpiling almonds, dried fruit, chocolate, tea, and a great deal of bottled water for a lengthy, arduous, and draining ordeal. It is my intention to stay in this very chair as much as possible, for at least 24 hours, all in the name of children's health in the city of Philadelphia. Thankfully, I'll be playing video games the whole time. Yes, Extra Life is coming soon! Last year I pulled it off successfully, playing Alpha Protocol and other games (if memory serves, things got weird after hour 16 or so) for 24 hours and raising $250 for the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. This year, I will be representing CHOP once again, and since I missed out on an opportunity to play Guild Wars 2 as part of a group, I'll be doing my own thing for the second year in a row. But which game to play? I've given serious consideration to a couple and narrowed my choices down somewhat. I'm not going to do any multiplayer games as waiting in queues is not playing. I also would like to have some sort of live, social component to the gameplay. At the very least liveblogging via Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr, and possibly streaming with Twitch. But I can iron out those details in the weeks to come. First and foremost, here are my top picks for Extra Life 2012.

Wing Commander (and sequels?)

I have to wonder if this old favorite is as good as I remember it being. Space flight sims are few and far between these days, and Wing Commander still boasts a dynamic, branching storyline, interesting and well-rounded characters, and evolving combat that simulate experiences like those from Battlestar Galactica. I want to see if the game (and, time permitting, at least its first sequel) stand the test of time.

LA Noire

This has been on my "to-play" list for a very long time. I'm torn between it and the Assassin's Creed games I haven't played yet (Brotherhood & Revelations) but I think LA Noire wins due to the style of the period and the prospect of thinking my way through interrogation scenes. Not to mention the fun of people yelling at me when I let a suspect go or start smacking a witness around. It would tie in nicely to those detective novellas I'm writing. Sadly, LA Noire has no vampires in it. That I'm aware of, at least.

Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013

I already started up the campaign for this game, but I do have the expansion, the rest of the main story, both revenge campaigns, Challenges, Planechase, and general deck management dickery to do. Of course if I run out of all of that stuff I can break my "no live games" rule and just play Magic Online to fill out the time.

Painkiller HD

If anything is liable to keep me awake for 24 hours straight, it's blasting legions of the damned with a gun that shoots shurikens and lightning.

FTL

If you're not aware of this little indy gem, you should check out these video looks at the game. It's a Rogue-like game, hardcore in its approach, with permadeath, random events, surprisingly intense combat, and interesting decision-making. Plus I may let people name the characters on new ships! Then cackle when fan favorites bite the dust. Remember, it's for the kids.

XCOM Enemy Unknown

I talked about this yesterday and I couldn't be more excited to play the full game. However, I'd hold off on touching it at all if this is the way I decide to go. Oh, I'll pre-order it regardless, but I won't play it until the event begins. So. Want to help me out? The poll you're seeing to your right includes the above games. If you like, you can pick one for me to play on October 20th! I'll make my decision and lay out a plan of attack next week, in addition to updating my Extra Life profile and giving you all the information you need to donate, tune in, and watch me slowly destroy myself in the name of video games and charity. It should be loads of fun!

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First Impressions: XCOM Enemy Unknown

First Impressions: XCOM Enemy Unknown — Blue Ink Alchemy

The road that brought the alien defense series X-Com back to us has been a winding one. Rumors of an update or remake were never far away, and at one point, a game with that title appeared but was something more along the lines of BioShock, with first-person shooter gameplay and heavy influences from Fallout, which did not endear the previous games' fans to the notion of a remake. However, after years of subsisting on the original UFO Defense, it appears that Firaxis games have finally gotten it right with XCOM Enemy Unknown. A playable demo is available on Steam, and after playing it through twice, I can say this is more than likely the game fans have been waiting for. The situation is the same as the original game: aliens are invading Earth, abducting or flat-out slaughtering human civilians unchecked. To stop them, a multinational council is formed to fund and oversee XCOM, an elite paramilitary force dedicated to preventing and investigating these attacks. With a handful of rookie soldiers, very little funding to begin with, and only a single base to protect the entire world, you as the Commander of XCOM start in a very unenviable position. Oh, and if you screw up, you may lose your funding, to say nothing of letting the world get conquered by malevolent extraterrestrials.

Old vs. new. At its heart, XCOM appears to be hewing as close to the original formula as possible: go from broad real-time base-building and research to turn-based tactical isometric combat. Technology has advanced, of course, so XCOM employs the Unreal engine for its rendering. I'm sure there will be purists who miss the stylized, cartoonish art of the original game, and while I admit that style gave the original a lot of character, the new models and animations make it clear this is an XCOM game, not just another futuristic shooter dressed up as an old favorite. The maps and character designs are colorful and varied, tossing out the grayish-brown aesthetic of certain other action games with guns. Instead of mucking about with time units, each soldier gets two actions, which can be used either for movement or for shooting. Some weapons, like the sniper rifle, require you to not move on your turn, while others allow you to shoot then move, or move before shooting. In addition to these basic aspects, each soldier now has a specific specialization, with assault troopers being able to "run and gun" while heavy weapons guys carry rocket launchers. The engine even breaks up the turn-by-turn movement with occasional dynamic zooms and pans, giving you a very "in the thick of it" feel for the action.
Mary the sniper lines up a shot. The demo doesn't show much of the new base mechanics, but instead of an overhead view, we see it from the side, with soldiers relaxing or training in the barracks while scientists consult their research in the lab. Characters now have distinct voices and personalities, and the international nature of XCOM is emphasized. The promise being made, or at least implied, is that research and fabrication between missions will remain important, as your soldiers still only begin with the most barebones of equipment. All that said, I think the interface is a bit dodgy in places. It was difficult, at times, to adjust the map properly to see where and how to move my soldiers into better firing positions. As neat as the dynamic events are during combat, once or twice the camera didn't seem to fit into place properly and I ended up looking at the barrel of the gun instead of at my soldier as they fired. Finally, and this is purely an aesthetic thing, I can do without the initial assault rifles of the squad being roughly the size of a Smart car. They're just ridiculously big. However, playing the demo has definitely brought back good memories and whet my whistle for this newest iteration of XCOM. If the promise of the base layout delivers, and combat within the game evolves as it did in the previous titles, this is a sure-fire winner. XCOM Enemy Unknown releases on October 9, and can be pre-ordered on Steam.

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Weekend Update

Weekend Update — Blue Ink Alchemy

This weekend was a rough one. I know it's my own fault for volunteering to work, and on unfamiliar technologies for a larger, high-profile client no less. I managed to complete the task, but I know more changes are coming today so I suspect pressure will still be on for me to perform. On top of that, I may be fighting off the apparent cold my wife has. No writing got accomplished over the weekend, so I'll try this week to make up for lost time. And I'm sure I can work some sleep into the schedule, somewhere, somehow. Hope you all have a good week.

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Writer Report: Bring On The Bad Guy

Writer Report: Bring On The Bad Guy — Blue Ink Alchemy

I'm a sucker for a good villain. By 'good' I don't just mean extravagant malevolence. Ming the Merciless is a fun character, but he doesn't have a lot of depth to him. Remember, villains are people too. They have backgrounds, motivations, allegiances, and secrets just like anybody else does. Leave that out of your story and you risk losing audience members to disbelief. It's one of the things I didn't get quite right in Cold Iron. The ultimate villain did not get a great deal of time. His motivations are somewhat shallow and his villainy is, for the most part, superficial. Being a mystery on one level, I did try to keep the identity of the villain somewhat ambiguous, but the trade-off meant I couldn't spend too much time expanding upon him. I don't think the story necessarily suffers because of this, but it is a criticism I agree with. Approaching Cold Streets, I knew a new villain would be appearing, and I am taking the time to draw him out as a character before he engages in truly villainous behavior. I think people need to understand his mindset and motivation in order for me to illustrate why he, and others like him, are dangerous. But I also want to ensure he's fleshed out as a person. He has specific reasons for doing what he does, and his own way of approaching his challenges, things he will and will not do to get what he wants, and so on. He's not solely motivated "for the evulz"... he's a person, and I need to convey that. I hope to get a bit further with the draft over the weekend, but I will have dayjob work to do so we'll have to see how things shake out.

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Do It Different

Do It Different — Blue Ink Alchemy

Breaking into any extant field can be a daunting prospect. The argument that there's nothing new under the sun can be made when discussing fiction, film, commentary, web series, criticism, journalism, comic books, you name it. You might look at the shelves at a bookstore, the offerings on Steam, the content on YouTube, or the blog of an eminent Internet personality, and believe there's no reason to follow through on your creative idea. The problem with this belief is that it is provably false. Tolkien and Lewis have already written about fantastical worlds, but that has not stopped Martin, Jordan, or Hickman & Weis from doing the same. Asimov, Dick, and Heinlein were pretty much pioneers of long-form science fiction, but if you look on those same bookstore shelves, you'll see names like Abnett, Stephenson, and Zahn. And as one of my favorite cybernetic characters once said, "The Net is vast and infinite." There's plenty of room to start up a new web show if you want to. The way to be successful with it, in my humble opinion, is to do it differently than others do. I don't mean completely change the format or your approach to the subject matter strictly to be different from what's already being done. That can quickly become gimmicky or trite, and you'll lose more audience than you'll gain. What I mean is, instead of copying a methodology or setting or theme wholesale, use it as a starting point and let your own idea grow out of it. The idea should continue to grow, as well, and become its own entity, rather than remaining completely tied to the original inspiration. I think that was part of the problem with IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! - I wasn't doing anything to grow or change the idea. I was, for the most part, going through the motions of trying to gain traction and an audience for a medium that, if I'm honest, I'm not sure I'm cut out for. I may be passionate about things like gaming and politics, but a lot of people are, and a lot of people are also not qualified to talk about them from the objective viewpoint of a professional journalist or critic. I think most people would agree that most if not all of my attempts at criticisms are amateur at best. Does this make them invalid? No. Does this mean I'll never criticize something again? Of course not. What I'm getting at is this: I don't do enough differently as a critic or journalist to justify asking people to pay me for it. From where I stand, my voice is not unique enough to stand out in the ever-growing universe of online critics, and while I could possibly cultivate it to make it stand out more, it would take away from my calling to write fiction, an area in which I do have unique ideas that are working and will get me paid. I simply need to focus on what I'm good at. I'm better at telling stories than I am writing objective journalistic breakdowns of what's wrong with this movie or that game or this aspect of our culture. I can do all of those things, sure, but it's never going to be more than amateur dabbling and a little running off at the mouth from within my little isolated bubble in an obscure blog perched on a corner of the Internet. And I think I'm okay with that. I do not want to prevent anyone else from going that route, though. So, if you do, if you really want to set up a platform and podium from which to get the word out on something you think is really wrong out there, by all means, have at it. Just find a way to do it different, do it better, do it right. Don't just imitate, innovate. And don't be afraid to pimp yourself. Remember, if you don't work, you don't eat.

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The Little Victories

The Little Victories — Blue Ink Alchemy

I have some advice. Celebrate the little victories. A good review of your work. A ray of sunshine. A victory in a game you did not expect. Getting the last bit of Nutella out of the jar with your finger. A purring cat. Seeing an adorable woodland creature not get hit by a car. Something extra in your paycheck. Lunch outdoors with friends. A pat on the shoulder from a trusted advisor. A drink on the house. An unexpected, unrequested hug and kiss from a loved one. Free food. What do you consider little victories? Leave a comment, and tell me.

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FNM: One More Time

FNM: One More Time — Blue Ink Alchemy

Return to Ravnica is right around the corner. And when it comes, I will be wearing the blue and red of Izzet with pride. I have at least one Standard deck planned, and the guild is looking strong in Limited formats as well. On top of that, I'm planning on dipping my toe into Legacy soon, and the deck I'm considering is entirely red. But that's a post for another time. Today we're talking about Friday Night Magic. I love FNM as a concept. Having a steady night for competition at a low cost provided you can assemble a deck is very appealing. And the Internet has made deck assembly even easier. Any deck being played by the pros can be found with a quick Google search or two, and if you have the disposable income, even the rarest of cards can be found for sale somewhere. Now, I will admit to a bit of emotional and cultural bias when it comes to this. It's one of those moments where I shake my walking stick at the young whipper-snappers taking up table space in my hobby. You see, I first played Magic back before there was an Internet, and all you really had to go on was sheer deckbuilding instinct, hard-won experience, and the occasional article in Scrye magazine. Does anybody else remember Scrye? Anyway, there really isn't anything wrong with copying a deck from an online pro-winning deck list, I just get a little peeved when I keep losing to the same online pro-winning deck list because everybody and their kid seems to be playing it. Like I said, nothing wrong with this. Play what works for you. I just prefer building my own decks. Of course, there's no way to test my deck ideas other than playing them. While I recently got back into Magic Online for the first time since some point during the Renaissance, I don't have anywhere near enough cards from the Innistrad block to replicate my deck. Speaking of which... It will still be a couple weeks before my full Izzet plan comes to fruition. I do have a somewhat viable deck I've been monkeying around with, and I think I need to revisit its most successful iteration. At the same time, there are some concepts from the latest version of it that I really like, but the way it was set up was simply too reactionary. Still, having responses planned is good, and going fully aggro didn't really work for me, either. The result is what the pros like to call "midrange." [mtg_deck title="WB Token Midrange"] // Creatures 4 Doomed Traveler 3 Hero of Bladehold 3 Stonehorn Dignitary 3 Blade Splicer 2 Bloodline Keeper 2 Captain of the Watch // Spells 4 Lingering Souls 3 Honor of the Pure 3 Go for the Throat 3 Oblivion Ring 1 Intangible Virtue // Planeswalkers 2 Sorin, Lord of Innistrad 2 Elspeth Tirel // Lands 11 Plains 7 Swamp 4 Isolated Chapel 2 Vault of the Archangel // Sideboard 3 Revoke Existence 3 Celestial Purge 3 War Priest of Thune 2 Day of Judgment 2 Grafdigger's Cage 2 Doom Blade [/mtg_deck] Cutting [mtg_card]Venser, the Sojourner[/mtg_card] hurts, but vigilant soldiers that slow down aggressive enemies while quick token generation holds off opposing creatures and makes it difficult for control decks to keep up may be a more viable path to victory. I really can't wait for Return to Ravnica. This deck need some time off, probably until Gatecrash shows up. Or I pull enough good cards to make a Junk Tokens deck...

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