Thread:Deathstalker666/@comment-1496755-20180827202615/@comment-1496755-20190822191603

The mood swings again - this time heavily towards real-time strategy. I suppose the typical August boredom generates such a craving for large-scale bloodshed and conquest. The older games are better in this regard - rather than create sophisticated storylines (like the newer titles), they simply expect you to wipe out the opposition, which is just what I need. Besides, I do have a few bits of unfinished business.

Mmm yes, patroling enemies first appeared in Wolf 3D, then were absent from Doom, but made a return in Quake. Technology marches on indeed. BTW, while it is vehicular in concept, Descent plays just like an FPS (you move like you would as a person). And if you use the minimalistic HUD, you can easily forget about the vehicle altogether. Radix's movement and gameplay feel more vehicle-like (e.g. there is inertia), though they still tried to simplify it a little and make it feel more like Descent.

Well, I am often able to find a spark of life even in the most crude of games. Even in a barren muddy wasteland like Daggerfall :P

The only power metal thing I generally listen to is Manowar and some of their albums do have some story to them, or at least a unifying concept. The best example is probably Gods of War, which is all about Nordic mythology and the story revolves heavily around Odin, Loki and some unnamed legendary warrior.

I think it depends on the band with me - for some, it's the music that matters more. For others, I really get into the lyrics and the themes they explore. In most cases it's a little bit of both.

You make an excellent point about progress. It really feels great and is probably the main thing that makes me play a few RPG's (even though it's a genre I never was really interested in) - I love the idea of starting as a weak nobody and rising up to become a demigod. Daggerfall adds the element of guilds, where you start as a lowly apprentice but can attain top rank over time. An FPS can indicate progress by improving the player's stats somehow or through changes in the game world that reflect your actions. Or sometimes even both (like Strife). Even Quake has a bit of this, by closing off the gates in the Introduction after beating an episode - I got to enjoy this from the moment I saw it for the first time. Strategies show progress easily through the growth of your own forces and the systematic destruction of the enemy. If there is a map that gets gradually colored in your faction's colored as you keep winning, that's a very nice touch and a great illustration of your progress. One of my gripes with WoW always was the lack of change in the world due to the player's actions (with a few exceptions where the so-called "phasing" is used to implement some changes, though only you and possibly other players in the same phase can see them). StarCraft II does a good job with progress by having these segments between missions where you can talk to NPC's (they often comment on your recent actions) and review what resources/bonuses you have acquired or make adjustments to your army/tech composition. I can truly feel my little army is growing and becoming stronger. For stuff like X-wing, progress means accumulating rewards and decorations for your uniform - nice, if you are into this sort of stuff. These kinds of rewards are called Achievements nowadays - I like trying to get the more unusual ones, like that one in WoW that requires you to find and read a whole bunch of books within the game world. I suspect most players don't bother, since it's purely an exploration thing and requires lots of patience.

Fun story - there were some British visitors today. They were so enthusiastic about studying here that they didn't even wait for the exam results and came right away to take a look at the place. Of course, I told them that the results will have to come out, then they'd have to get an official confirmation of acceptance. But the girl (she's the one that applies to study) seems really eager to study here. I escorted them back to the exit - didn't want to risk them getting lost, the building is quite a labyrinth. I even used my old joke "Just ask the minotaur for directions."

Also, it's unberably hot, even during the night. Sleeping naked becomes a necessity :D