I'm glad that we were able to discuss the news of a Warhammer 40k MMO without resorting to apocalyptic threats. I was able to present the idea to him by saying that they were making a Starcraft MMO, but they weren't going to call it Starcraft, and it wasn't being made by Blizzard. He was intrigued, but wary.
It is no longer surprising to people that Crackdown is actually pretty great. I wondered aloud in an earlier post whether or not the actual product could deliver satisfaction on par with the demo, whose greatly accelerated rate of advancement made every brief, time-locked play session a pyrotechnic extravaganza similar to the trailer for a summer blockbuster. For the record: it does, in fact, deliver.
I've seen the odd ending cinematic while playing in a friend's co-op game, so wiping out the gangs has ceased to be a motivating factor. It's probably no consolation to the citizens of my own Pacific City that their indestructible champion was able to resolve their crime issues, he merely did so in an alternate universe. I'll need to word the press release very carefully.
There are things I don't like about Crackdown, but in an inversion of the classic usage pattern they bother me less the more I've played it. I wish the game's melee options consisted of more than a single kick. Pacific City is large, but there really isn't a lot of culture. Its four levels of power in each skill can be revealed pretty quick, if you've a mind to. I want to be super mad or whatever, but I can't muster it up. The game is pure urban revelry that at every turns invites the player to enjoy it.
(An aside: In the Volk area, "The Volk" being one of the game's three gangs, I borrowed a man's station wagon. "Borrowed" is, in this case, a euphemism. He was listening to Christian Rap in there, specifically Toby Mac, even more specifically a song by Toby Mac called "Extreme Days." In it, Mr. Mac suggests that the Lord told him to be "extreme" in what amounts to a troubling and extrabiblical eleventh commandment.)
It can be a good co-op experience, and I've had those moments, but there's so much to do at any given time and the city is so large horizontally and vertically that I practically avoid my nominal "partner." By the time I've done a rooftop race, crushed an innocent with a dumpster, and kicked a man off a roof I usually get a notification that whatever target they were after has been put down. I'm still all the way across town, and I don't care.
Eventually, I came to view the criminal element as chores: something my mother might yell from the top of the stairs, to be put off until another time. What I need to do right now, what's best for the city, is to set up a huge ramp and then jump over the highway in a stolen car. It's critical that this get done today. If you have a problem with that, I suggest you keep it to yourself. I can lift a garbage truck and I'm immune from prosecution.
(CW)TB out.
and an old fashioned millionaire
Well we had our ping pong match with Sucker Punch last Friday and I must say things did not go well for us. The Sucker Punch “Rockets” lived up to their studio's name and left us with a big old purple shiner. Already there is talk here in the office that our glorious victory march through the game industry is now looking more like a trail of tears.
We showed up around 6pm for our match and we got a great tour of their facilities. When it came time to play our team was introduced to the couple dozen spectators on hand. Then it was time to introduce the Sucker Punch players and that’s when things got a little crazy. As the lights dimmed music began to swell from some unseen source. Flashlights blazed on and swept back and forth across the room. Then, amplified by a megaphone the “rockets” were called out one by one. Each one paused briefly in the doorway to gesture at the cheering fans before taking his place on the far side of table. I can understand why you might think I’m joking. I promise you I’m not. Let’s just say the intimidation factor was high.
The games started out pretty rough and really didn’t get much better as we moved through the ranks. Our man Mike played a guy who used the “inverted claw” grip. We thought this was a joke until we saw him lift his paddle, completely avoiding its handle and instead gripping it the way a basket ball player might palm a ball. My own match was against an ambidextrous giant of a man who played the entire match while tossing his racket back and forth between his massive paws. Our man Robert was the only one to even win a round. With the games tied at two each it came down to a nail biting final round in which Robert was eventually bested.
We may not have won but the evening was still a success. We had a great time with the Sucker Punch people and everyone here at PA wants to thank them for their hospitality. Kiko is working on getting some photos of the event uploaded and I’ll let you know when that happens. Our next match is in two weeks against Microsoft Casual Games. They might read this and think its okay to relax. They might even begin to feel a tingle of confidence. Let me tell you now, that would be unwise. We may have been beaten but all that means is that now we are angry. Microsoft employees are encouraged to slaughter a lamb and mark their doorways because in two weeks, Penny Arcade is coming.
-Gabe out
I have two bits of PAX related news to share with you. First up everyone needs to know that early bird registration for the event will end this month. You have until March 31st to get your 3 day pass for the low low price of just $40.
Also, we’re still in need of enforcers for PAX 2007. As you all know PAX is moving to the Washington State Convention Center this year. We snapped a few pics of the place during our walk through a few months ago.
The new space is ridiculously huge.
The exhibition hall and theatre rooms are absolutely massive this year.
Combine that with the fact that our attendance has doubled every year and you can see why we really need a lot of help this time around.
If you think you have what it takes to be an enforcer please take a few minutes and fill out this application. Then mail it to this address.
-Gabe out
I don’t know if you’ve been over to the official WOW site recently but they just announced a new feature called the Armory and I’m here to tell you it’s fucking brilliant.
Essentially it’s a giant database that can serve you up all the stats you could ever want about anyone in the game. What blows me away is how fucking classy the presentation is. The way the site presents things like guild rosters and character profiles is just beautiful. Also the way everything is linked so that it’s easy to move from character to guild to Arena teams and on and on is great. The site also features a bunch of gorgeous art that I’ve never seen before, not even in the art book that came with the collectors edition of BC. I just love it!
I spent a bunch of time poking around the site this morning and I thought I’d share some links for anyone interested.
Here’s my profile. As you can see I’m really taking my time chewing through the BC content. Last night I got rid of my last piece of Lieutenant Commander gear. It’s been hard replacing all that stuff I worked so hard to get with greens that drop off pigs and bats. I also finally hit 300 last night in Jewlcrafting and I think it’s my favorite profession. I have to give credit to Blizzard for perfectly reproducing the feeling of being level 21. Walking around with a bunch of mismatched greens, wearing a head piece I’m to embarrassed to turn on and just generally looking like a fool. It feels good to suck again.
You can also use the Armory to take a peak at the Penny Arcade Alliance. We’ve still got twelve guilds going strong on Dark Iron. Here are some links if you want to check them out.
-Gabe out
