Monday, April 10, 2006

Stuff There isn't a whole lot to say in this update. I saw two movies last week - Basic Instinct 2 and V for Vendetta. I couldn't even remember the original Basic Instinct, so I didn't expect that I would like the sequel at all. It was okay. Despite the frequent sex, it was a relatively cerebral movie, at least in terms of all of the twists and turns. I also really liked Sharon Stone's conversations with her psychiatrist, if only because it was interesting to see how she manipulated him. I tend to enjoy wordplay like that and it was that aspect of the film that I found interesting. V for Vendetta was about as good as I expected, although some aspects of it were a little blatant (some of the references to the present-day were, in a word, extreme). But having said that, the story in isolation was a good one. And I felt that it was handled well, especially given that movies can never truly represent their source material to the fullest. I have also spent a little time working on my new RPG. The sign-up thread is almost finished and I'm hoping that people will like the way it's been put together. In does actually share a few small elements of 1984, although it's not nearly as oppressive as that. I'm also hoping that those who remember the original RPG will be happy with my spin on it...although I have to say, apart from sharing a name and a couple of very general concepts, the two are pretty much entirely different. So look out for that in the next week or so, I think. Tony: I remember that you defended the system when everyone else was bashing it and I think at the time you were one of the few people who was viewing the whole thing objectively. There are some general ideas about Xbox 360 that I didn't (and still don't) like, but it still seems to be an impressive package. So I have no concerns about giving it a try. I really wasn't sure if I'd like a game like Oblivion - I don't tend to enjoy those types of western RPGs. However, I might give it a look-in, particularly given that there aren't a whole heap of games at the moment that I'm really interested in. Chabichou: That's understandable. Perhaps Revolution will be good for you, because it won't rely on the traditional control methods for 3D games that have been a problem for you. No worries about the nosey thing - I was only joking. I don't care, I just thought John's comment was funny, because I know he's curious about that type of thing. Haha. Harlequin: Oh man, I really want to try that game! I'm going to have to just go and buy it. I haven't found it anywhere for rent. Annie-chan: I understand. With most games I can only really play for a fairly short time - maybe less than an hour at most. It's only the very rare games where I spend more than an hour at a time playing. Aaryanna: At least you love classes though! Haha. I know what you mean, although I find it hard to compare old and new games, if only because they came out at different times and expectations were different. I mean, it seems to be popular to bash Final Fantasy VII these days, but I think most of the praise leveled at it is reasonable. It's just easy to forget the reason for that praise when you play it today and compare it to newer games. I mean, clearly, a game like Super Mario 64 isn't going to have the same impact now that it had originally. I think the same principle applies. John: I haven't yet tried Halo 2 multiplayer, but I have had long sessions of multiplayer on the first Halo. I have to say, Halo's multiplayer did nothing for me really. It was just as boring and redundant as the single player experience. But I think Goldeneye has spoiled me, frankly. And John, it's okay, I know you're just curious. It's perfectly natural. Shinmaru: I had the same reaction to Resident Evil 4 as well. It was one of those few games to really get me completely engrossed for days on end, simply because it felt relatively fresh and was incredibly well-produced. Basically I agree with you about Revolution, simply because I feel like I really want something new. Xbox 360 and PS3 do excite me for certain games, but not like Revolution - I think that will really be the quantum shift that I'm looking for. snow fox: Trace Memory, eh? Cool. I haven't played that. I have to say, PC games have taken up more of my time over the years recently. The Sims 2, Rollercoaster Tycoon 2, Command & Conquer: Generals, Half-Life 2 and Guild Wars are the games that got me hooked more recently. If only I had more time for those ones! SunfallE: Wow, your father actually taught such people? That's pretty incredible. I remember being in early primary school and playing on the old Apple systems (before Windows). These computers did not have any graphics - they were either black and white or they were green and black, with only text. And yet they were incredibly fun at times. I remember playing some of those "choose your own adventure" type games, like the ones where you read a description of a room and you type in a command (such as "pick up key" or "look behind stairs"). Although they were only text-based, they were incredibly fun at the time, because it was like being inside an interactive novel. If only I'd known how advanced games would become in such a short period of time! Alexus: Yes, I agree. That whole sequence was rather cool. I thought single-player was okay and there were some moments with great potential, but generally the game is just so highly derivative. You know those enemies that fly around and shoot yellow beams at you? They come out of ports in the walls and hover around. Those things are nearly carbon-copies of a type of enemy in Half-Life 2. Even the little buzz-saw flying things from H-L2 are replicated in Halo 2 (though without the actual buzz-saw noises). The whole time I just kept thinking "This is IT? This is what people are going crazy about? Have any of these people played Metroid Prime?" Liam: Co-op would be fun. I haven't had the chance to try that. I do hope to see you in the RPG, both because I admire your other RPGs and also because I would like the opportunity to RP with you at some stage anyway. I do remember Shipwrecked, or at least the name. But there's no need to be embarassed, because I started with the script format too and I certainly made all the same mistakes that everyone else did, haha. Alexus Again: No, you're not reading too far into the word. I have a boyfriend (who I've now been with for about four months) and we're both staying with a few other people at the moment. But that's due to change pretty soon, I think. This house is far too small for the amount of people in it - and we are contributing more financially than anyone else. So it's more than a little draining on us. And yeah, I've always know that John was "curious". The amount of questions he asks about these things is just crazy! ~_^ CosmicSailor: No worries! I even have trouble remembering where we were at with it, haha. I'm pretty bad at asking questions, so maybe you could suggest something (or simply comment on something in my post above). Up to you. Hope you are doing well by the way. ^_^

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