Or in my case, you win half! Starcraft 2 win-loss ratio is at 50% at the current time (17wins-17losses). Not a lot of games under the belt but doing alright. Unfortunately, I make a habit of losing at the worst possible times. i.e. when I am favoured. So the 2-4 points I gain from a win, I throw away with interest.
Seem to be loitering with intent around 58th or so in my division. Got that region locked down! Need to start early pushing more though. Waaay too many games lasting until around the 30 minute mark. On the plus side, if I finish quick, I don't have to worry about expanding, which I make a habit of forgetting about until mineral patches start running out.
I have learned that observation is the key. I scout every game, but in some I have started to poke the bear at the front. Up until now, I was under the impression that if I didn't attack, they may leave me alone. Of course, this was never the case...I am playing more reactionary than entering a game with a plan. That is one (other) aspect that I need to work on. I may have a loose plan but once something like three Gateway into Robotics Facility is done, I tend to run short on ideas.
Onwards and upwards!
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Weekend Tweet Reviews
Sometimes it can be a challenge to "tweet". Just 140 characters, it's not much if you really think about it. In fact, you have read 140 now.
I did see an interesting idea. A film reviewer started doing reviews by tweeting. Have to be pretty concise with that! I have tried to do one each weekend...To make things more challenging, I finish with the tag #reviewtweet. There goes a few characters I could need some day.
Summary:
I did see an interesting idea. A film reviewer started doing reviews by tweeting. Have to be pretty concise with that! I have tried to do one each weekend...To make things more challenging, I finish with the tag #reviewtweet. There goes a few characters I could need some day.
Summary:
@4PlanB Whole lotta fun in Dublin, tore it up mixing old and new. Show has got it all - beatboxing, rap, soul...moshpits! #reviewtweet
Bulletstorm: Short but sweet SP. Skillshot system is brilliant. Great MP modes. Crude, crass & gory. All part of the appeal. #reviewtweet
Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fun & crazy. SP is meh. Training needs more from SSF4 and BlazBlue. Ranked search is poor. Good game o/all #reviewtweet
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Bulletstorm Review
This has been available on boards.ie for quite a while now but time to post it here. After playing through the game a second time - this time on Very Hard - I am still perfectly happy to stand by what I said.
Further points that I did want to add:
The only irritating parts are when the player is "on-the-rails" in a vehicle. There is little cover, plenty of people shooting at you, and no real way to use most of the excellent skillshot system.
The skillshot system is almost made redundant towards the end as enemies become beefier. This is a pity as many players will be loaded up with multiple charge shots, and well adept at using the system.
One point that I did want to make: The game is linear, but so are rollercoasters. When the ride is this much fun, you can't really complain about travelling along a pre-determined line. (and hopefully that makes as much sense when reading, as it does in my head)
And onto the original review:
The life of a space pirate is not quite exotic, but it sure is exciting. At least, that is the image painted by People Can Fly’s Bulletstorm. In the role Grayson Hunt, essentially an R-Rated Captain Jack Sparrow, the player sets off on a quest for revenge. An order from General Sarrano went differently than planned, and now Grayson and his team of misfits are looking to set things right.
Ten years pass from that incident but after going toe to toe with the General’s ship, in a strategically poor move, Hunt’s ship crash lands on Stygia. Once he finds out that the General has crashed, and is still alive, Hunt makes it his mission to find him and kill him.
Early on, the player picks up a leash, which is used to great effect throughout the game. Without it, Bulletstorm could be just another shooter. However, the use of the leash allows players to set up mad trick shots, or skillshots as they are called in game, and toy with enemies at their will. There are over 130 skillshots in game, which encourage players to be as creative and sadistic as possible.
Bulletstorm is not for the sensitive or faint at heart. It’s crude, crass and gory, but that’s all part of the appeal. The dialogue is not going to win any awards for script writing, but is creative in the way it jams swears and insults together. The skillshots themselves cause enemies to double over, scream in anguish and explode in a shower of gibs. Even the names are full of sexual innuendo. In the end, it’s all part and parcel of the Bulletstorm appeal.
Some of the set pieces are truly spectacular. Players can appreciate the beauty even though scripts are relied upon. But when it’s well implemented, and it works, there is no need to dismiss it. People Can Fly has sculpted a wonderful environment, with a fine blend of beauty and destruction.
In the single player, you can get away with not utilising the skillshot system. It will take much of the novelty and innovativeness away from Bulletstorm, but it is possible. However, if you try the same tactic in multiplayer, you will either languish at the bottom of leaderboards or be very unpopular, depending on the game mode of choice.
There are two multiplayer modes on offer. The Echoes mode pitches the player against themselves, their friends and the world. Described by Epic Games lead developer, Cliff Bleszinski, as “snack gaming”, it is possible to pick up and play for minutes at a time. The mode is split into smaller versions of the single player levels. Weapons from the single player are unlocked at the relevant point, but players are equipped with the charge shots from the get go.
All the player has to do is finish as quickly, with as many skillshots and combinations racked up, as possible. It’s back to the good old days of competition with bragging rights being the order of the day. It is one thing saying that players can play for a couple of minutes; it’s a completely different proposition stopping after these few minutes are up.
Then there is Anarchy mode. There was a lot said about the Gears of War Horde mode, and how it was the more popular form of online play within Gears. It influenced other games, which took the concept for their own use. However, the idea has been given another kick start with the Bulletstorm system. Surviving is no longer the goal. That is too easy.
Instead, players must work together and team up against the swarm of enemies. Earn enough points from individual and team skillshots, and you move on to the next wave. Unlike the horde modes featured in other games, players can be as creative as they like in early levels. While the score target is quite low, players can compete to be the top performer of the round, and points equate to ammo and upgrades. Upgrades become very important in later waves, so it is in teams’ best interests to go all out from the off.
It’s nice to see a game that is a little bit different. Bulletstorm doesn’t take itself seriously, and is well aware of what it is doing. Lines of dialogue even refer back to the game’s mechanics with one character even exclaiming that Grayson didn’t have a witty one-liner to throw out at one point. The single player campaign may be short, but it’s sweet. It’s the extra touches in the creative skillshot system, and the long-term appeal of the multiplayer side, that set Bulletstorm apart.
Further points that I did want to add:
The only irritating parts are when the player is "on-the-rails" in a vehicle. There is little cover, plenty of people shooting at you, and no real way to use most of the excellent skillshot system.
The skillshot system is almost made redundant towards the end as enemies become beefier. This is a pity as many players will be loaded up with multiple charge shots, and well adept at using the system.
One point that I did want to make: The game is linear, but so are rollercoasters. When the ride is this much fun, you can't really complain about travelling along a pre-determined line. (and hopefully that makes as much sense when reading, as it does in my head)
And onto the original review:
The life of a space pirate is not quite exotic, but it sure is exciting. At least, that is the image painted by People Can Fly’s Bulletstorm. In the role Grayson Hunt, essentially an R-Rated Captain Jack Sparrow, the player sets off on a quest for revenge. An order from General Sarrano went differently than planned, and now Grayson and his team of misfits are looking to set things right.
Ten years pass from that incident but after going toe to toe with the General’s ship, in a strategically poor move, Hunt’s ship crash lands on Stygia. Once he finds out that the General has crashed, and is still alive, Hunt makes it his mission to find him and kill him.
Early on, the player picks up a leash, which is used to great effect throughout the game. Without it, Bulletstorm could be just another shooter. However, the use of the leash allows players to set up mad trick shots, or skillshots as they are called in game, and toy with enemies at their will. There are over 130 skillshots in game, which encourage players to be as creative and sadistic as possible.
Bulletstorm is not for the sensitive or faint at heart. It’s crude, crass and gory, but that’s all part of the appeal. The dialogue is not going to win any awards for script writing, but is creative in the way it jams swears and insults together. The skillshots themselves cause enemies to double over, scream in anguish and explode in a shower of gibs. Even the names are full of sexual innuendo. In the end, it’s all part and parcel of the Bulletstorm appeal.
Some of the set pieces are truly spectacular. Players can appreciate the beauty even though scripts are relied upon. But when it’s well implemented, and it works, there is no need to dismiss it. People Can Fly has sculpted a wonderful environment, with a fine blend of beauty and destruction.
In the single player, you can get away with not utilising the skillshot system. It will take much of the novelty and innovativeness away from Bulletstorm, but it is possible. However, if you try the same tactic in multiplayer, you will either languish at the bottom of leaderboards or be very unpopular, depending on the game mode of choice.
There are two multiplayer modes on offer. The Echoes mode pitches the player against themselves, their friends and the world. Described by Epic Games lead developer, Cliff Bleszinski, as “snack gaming”, it is possible to pick up and play for minutes at a time. The mode is split into smaller versions of the single player levels. Weapons from the single player are unlocked at the relevant point, but players are equipped with the charge shots from the get go.
All the player has to do is finish as quickly, with as many skillshots and combinations racked up, as possible. It’s back to the good old days of competition with bragging rights being the order of the day. It is one thing saying that players can play for a couple of minutes; it’s a completely different proposition stopping after these few minutes are up.
Then there is Anarchy mode. There was a lot said about the Gears of War Horde mode, and how it was the more popular form of online play within Gears. It influenced other games, which took the concept for their own use. However, the idea has been given another kick start with the Bulletstorm system. Surviving is no longer the goal. That is too easy.
Instead, players must work together and team up against the swarm of enemies. Earn enough points from individual and team skillshots, and you move on to the next wave. Unlike the horde modes featured in other games, players can be as creative as they like in early levels. While the score target is quite low, players can compete to be the top performer of the round, and points equate to ammo and upgrades. Upgrades become very important in later waves, so it is in teams’ best interests to go all out from the off.
It’s nice to see a game that is a little bit different. Bulletstorm doesn’t take itself seriously, and is well aware of what it is doing. Lines of dialogue even refer back to the game’s mechanics with one character even exclaiming that Grayson didn’t have a witty one-liner to throw out at one point. The single player campaign may be short, but it’s sweet. It’s the extra touches in the creative skillshot system, and the long-term appeal of the multiplayer side, that set Bulletstorm apart.
In the quest for perfection
I will admit that I work well when I have a deadline. I may be fretting and beavering away when the time is drawing closer and closer, but everything gets done. That is why this blog idea hasn't worked as fantastically well as hoped thus far. All deadlines are self-imposed......and those are the worst kind.
Think of it. How many times do each of us reset alarm clocks, stating that in five more minutes we will get up to tackle the day. That is esentially what a deadline-less blog is. I need to make myself more urgent. The ideas are there, the willingness to do it is there, and the passion is there. Sometimes, I reflect too much on what I have written - and then, it seems less relevant or timely.
The time to change is now!
Think of it. How many times do each of us reset alarm clocks, stating that in five more minutes we will get up to tackle the day. That is esentially what a deadline-less blog is. I need to make myself more urgent. The ideas are there, the willingness to do it is there, and the passion is there. Sometimes, I reflect too much on what I have written - and then, it seems less relevant or timely.
The time to change is now!
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