buttonmashing

Mashing buttons since 1984

Nick

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ButtonMashers, let us reflect on those games, be they recent or from the glory days, that perhaps defined our gaming personalities and tastes or otherwise standout in our memories as just a romping good time. List all the games in one post or dedicate a post per game per week. Whatevs. Give us some context. What merits does this game have to be your list? Let’s get personal ‘n stuff. Dig deep or just give a synopsis. I shall go first.

235837-myst_large (1)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Myst (1993)

My Dad and I played Myst on a Macintosh Quadra 950. In my 12 y/o eyes, this was the kind of computer that NASA uses to align the telemetry of satellites and design robots to perform open-heart surgeries or something… and we had one in the basement – and that’s really cool! I came to associate the windpipe note on bootup with the rustic, mystical aesthetics of Myst. Overtime, the computer and the game coalesced into one entity.

I had only gotten a brief experience with Myst before I had to ship off to 6th grade camp for a week. But that small dabble was enough to instill a longing all throughout camp; All I wanted to do was get through the week, get through all the lame-o kitsch craft projects and bonfire sing-a-longs so I could go home and click through Myst – a place that truly held my interest.

I was compelled that the game gives you nothing at the onset but a quick, cryptic movie. Then I was invited to touch a TV screen in a book and was transported through a swirling aviary cut scene and plopped down on a seaside dock. You learn from your surroundings. I remember comparing notes with my Dad. I remember getting so frustrated in the rocketship, and how pumped I got when I figured out how to get the small gear-bridge to rise out of the water so I can access the switch on the other side – what this switch does… ‘ellifiknow – But there are others like it, so it must be important.

I remember enjoying the game so much that I wanted to share it with my friend T.J. Methodically, I sat him down in front of the computer, loaded a new game, adjusted the volume, dimmed the lights, and then slowly, eagerly backed away, positive that he’d have as profound of an experience that I did. Five minutes later T.J. reappeared in my room, baffled and bored: “ I don’t know what it wants me to do.” I instructed that he has to click around, figure it out, take it all in. The concept went over his head. Why couldn’t other children think like me?

Myst helped me to appreciate environment and mood. I credit this game to the tendency I have to explore every nook and cranny of other games. I do so not with hopes of finding a hidden bonus but just to soak in the surroundings, to appreciate fictional spaces – Which is why it takes me for-freaking-ever to make any progress in so many games. I dawdle. And in Myst, there’s no rush.

https://buttonmashing.com/2013/06/27/9856/

Download of Call of Juarez:Gunslinger – 1% Complete

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At the risk of chasing you, dear reader, away at the onset, I dare begin this post by baring a part of feelings to you (let us now hold hands): My life these past few weeks has felt kinda of… wonky. Our family has fallen out of routine a bit. I’m a bit on-edge about the future. I’m fatter now. I get weird pains in my legs. (2% complete) The weather is getting uncomfortably warm for my liking. And my kids are screaming too damn much.

And, in coming closer to the topic of the post, my gaming life has felt a bit complacent. My two main games for the past months have been Crusader Kings 2 and EVE:Online. Both wonderful games; I’m a Paradox Interactive fanboy and EVE has utterly consumed my mind to where I lay in bed staring at the ceiling and mentally tinkering with the fit of my Imperial Navy Slicer frigate. The science and tactics of ship fitting clusters my thoughts, more for ill than good. Analaysis Paralysis is the name of the game at this juncture. It’s gotten to the point to where when I log in I find myself doing nothing more than the following (4% complete):

The situation isn’t any better for Crusader Kings 2. The RTS is engaging and fun! Plotting to assassinate 5 year-old heirs to the throne never – NEVER – gets old! Its infinite replayabilty has become more a distraction than an appeal at this point. I am unable to focus on the strategy of a current campaign because I’m off thinking about how the game’s new DLCs play. And so, recently, I log in and in the main menu screen I end up doing nothing more than this mouse-click melody (fun as it is!):

http://youtu.be/WTQyZEMIsHU

 

Simply put, I came to the conclusion that I’m thinking too much. I’m worn out from real life and, when game time comes, I’m too worn out to think constructively (8% complete). I need to get back in touch with my instincts, with my gut! I need a place where thinking won’t get you very far, but sprinting sure as shineola will. Because of this, the download for Call of Juarez: Gunslinger is currently 10% complete.

YES, friends! I need a good ‘ol fashioned arcade FPS in my life, to get my left hand back on AWSD and my right on the mouse. I chose Gunslinger for several reasons, but mostly I’m going with my gut. It was a decision against some of my personal gaming ethics, but, again, screw that for now – I’m acting on instinct. It may not be on sale but at $15 and 5GB, why not? Likewise, this decision is even more significant considering that Steam is offering all Paradox Interactive games 50% off this weekend. Picking up the Hearts of Iron III bundle (for the same price as Gunslinger) seems appealing. But Nay! I must honor my instinct (13% complete) for the wild west calls to me. I played the demo and read the reviews. The Gunslinger gameplay promises to be no frills, no gimmicks. I appreciate the historical application and look forward to romping around in its environs. I look forward to dueling with the great historical persons. The soundtrack is slammin and the gushing blood sound effects are endearing. The dialog and voice acting is authentic. Plus, I’m a sucker for westerns. All things considered to pass up Gunslinger would be illogical. Crap, there I go again – thinking… Here’s to the hope that Gunslinger will jar me loose of gaming complacency (18% complete).

Gunslinger1

 

Dark Souls II: Beams and Washes

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The vibe of Dark Souls, enhanced by the dreary color pallet and ambient lighting of each named area, is no doubt characteristic. It plays an active role in the psychology of the game – successfully in some areas where light affects gameplay, and not so much in others where the environment is just an afterthought. I want to see Dark Souls II to be all the more oppressive and stressful, and this can be done in part by maintaining a strong sense of environment in every staged area of the game. Adroit use of light will accomplish just that. So, I have some suggestions.

To begin I shall briefly cover some of the staged areas of Dark Souls where light successfully played an active part in the environment and thus affecting gameplay – with the hope that the vibe of the sequel can follow suit.

Firstly, Lost Izalith. Down, down, down, down, down. The world of Dark Souls’ Lordran is not a sprawling vista stretching from horizon to horizon; It is topographical, and Lost Izalith is at the bottom. It is a cavernous area flooded with lava. Your only safe way of traversal is on gnarly tree roots and scattered debris. This wouldn’t be so bad if the lava wasn’t so blinding..

LD4bZ

Yes. In a brilliant artistic gesture, Dark Souls chooses to blind you to a degree with lava light in the deepest area of the game. The blindness is skillfully akin to the sunglare of a setting sun. The effect is not crippling but impeding enough that, as seen in the above photo, roots and the craggy feet of 20-foot horned monsters can be difficult to immediately discern. Cruel.

The other area of mention is probably the most infamous in the entire game: Tomb of the Giants. The use of lighting here is successful because… there is none. Without the skull lantern, which needs to be equipped thus denying you a shield or 2nd weapon, you are a rat scrambling in the dark. The terrain of TOG is like a Pakistani cave system (because I’ve been in so many): sharp turns, sudden drops, dead ends. All the while the area is populated with some of the hardest-hitting enemies in the game. Should you choose to go without the skull lantern – and maintain some sort of defense in this dark dreadful place – the faint, jittery glow of these skeleton monsters are the only indication that you’re not alone. Equip the lantern, and you can move forward, though sometimes players may much prefer the dark:

So, for every area of successful lighting – for every Lost Izalith, Tomb of the Giants, New Londo Ruins (I’ll include Depths, though it would sort of go against my better judgment) – there are other areas that are not quite up to par. Duke’s Archives is the main offender, while Catacombs had the potential and will get by with only a misdemeanor. Though I praise the area for its interactivity, Duke’s Archives is nothing more than a box with uniform midday lighting. It is butt. I would gladly exchange rotating stairways for a dim place with halos of light given off by a grid of hanging lanterns. The midday lighting conflicts with the presence of the luminous attacks of the Summoners that are placed throughout. The Archive’s main halls are big enough that, were they not completely lit, the Summoners’ charged attacks would be the only sure points of orientation. And that’s totally cruel – Dark Souls cruel. Perhaps, another idea, the vaulted ceiling could be a source of light – the only source of light – throwing down heavy shadows.

Duke's Archives: Blaaaaahhhhhh
Duke’s Archives: Blaaaaahhhhhh

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outdoor areas such as Undead Burg and Anor Londo are a welcome relief from the claustrophobic, dungeon crawling ones. This is wrong; The only place of relief and rest should be the two meter radius around a lit bonfire. To change this wrongdoing, I suggest giving the outdoor active weather systems that can affect character movement. Thus, during a rain shower, taking shelter under an archway or extended bridge would bring sure-footing but would also surely attract enemies seeking the same strategy. Likewise, a gray and dreary sky is neat but quickly becomes familiar and easy to be complacent with. Perhaps shifting shades of gray, a shadow cast by something so large that it even casts through an overcast sky.

In summary (read: tl;dr) I’d like to see more use of direct light, sometimes trailing off to light more of the area, sometimes acting as an immediate dynamic of the gameplay. Dark Souls II should do without the easy ambient washes like Duke’s Archives and Anor Londo and create areas that are distinct in the shadows and glow that are their makeup. This will lend itself to the psychology of the environment, affect the gameplay and thus maintain the universal oppressive vibe that I long for in Dark Souls II.

Doing More With Less: What I’d Like to Feel in Dark Souls II

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I am not wont to making top-10, top-5, top-x lists. Nor am I comfortable being forced to decide on a ‘all time favorite whatever‘. My interests are far too wide and my attention is far too short. But if you pressed a talon to my jugular and prompted me to pick a personal “Game of the Year” for 2012 I would, without even flinching, declare it to be Dark Souls. I shall not delve into the reasons but suffice it to say that the dank, musty world of Lordrain and the demanding gameplay therein had consistently drawn me deeper and deeper and deeper – more so than any game had since perhaps Diablo 2 (I must have a thing for dank, musty places). Therefore, the few details, snapshots and demo videos of Dark Souls II that are seeping out of FROM Software’s studios are filling me with an odd mix of excitement and anxiety: Excitement in that a sequel is now all too real; anxiety in that I hope it doesn’t – for lack of a better word – suck. In fact, these few details and snapshots gave me pause for reflection, specifically concerning the atmosphere and environment of the first Dark Souls – the vibe – and ways in which they can be improved in order for the sequel to be all the more devastating.

Part of the masochistic appeal of Dark Souls is all those inconvenient spaces one must battle the enemy. The first thing that comes to mind is the Capra Demon boss battle. This gladiatorial event is not fought in a spacious arena; The 10-foot, dual-meat-cleaver-wielding, goatskull demon (and his two vicious bloodhounds) is fought in a narrow, cramped courtyard in the Lower Undead Burg. Another instance is fighting a black knight on a spiral staircase in The Perish; or an armored boar in the entrance hallway to the Duke’s Archives; or those two Anor Londo archers flanking your narrow path – on a buttress –  up to a 2-foot ledge on the side of the castle. These are examples of immediate gameplay design within the named staged area – and the sequel should not alter these.

I suggest that the designers take a step back and assess the composition of these named staged areas, the aesthetics, and the potential vibe these elements can create. I am not calling for a more lavish spacious place to battle – do not confuse my idea of environment as a place with greater graphical detail. The environment I am envisioning is a dynamic, foreboding place that enhances the ever-present sense of danger. And Dark Souls achieved this in specific areas of Lordrain; in other places however areas feel flat. For Dark Souls II to achieve a universal sense of oppression and danger I propose over the next few posts the adroit use of two very basic elements: light and sound. Keep the inconvenient battle places the way they are, enhance the environments, and you’ll have one intense and exhaustive sequel that will not only stand tall over its predecessor but find itself in top-x lists for years to come.

DS2

EVE Online: A Rookie’s Perspective

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The essentials of this affair lay deep under the surface, beyond my reach and beyond my power of meddling.
                        – ‘Heart of Darkness’, Joseph Conrad
 

Now four months in, I find myself at a compelling point in my experience with EVE online. I am above complete ignorance but also still enough of a whelp that I must remember my place – my rank- in this indifferent universe bristling with pilots of mixed motivations and alignments. Nonetheless, I am finding myself a little more situated within New Eden, making my way around with a little more grace, and am beginning to perceive the workings within and without, though my untrained eyes may still misunderstand or overlook things.

When pondering the immensity in which I now find myself, I feel like someone listening in to Marlow, the primary yarn-spinner of ‘Heart of Darkness’, whom at the onset it is said: …and to him the meaning of an episode was not inside like a kernel but outside, enveloping the tale which brought it out only as a glow brings out a haze. The linguistic design of Joseph Conrad and the programing design of EVE Online developer CCP Games share a likeness in that both created a place that is somewhat enigmatic but still definite – we may not immediately understand the essentials of this place, nor the higher workings, but so long as we are here let us do with it what we can and increase herein.

To an extent this is how my rookie mind perceives the fundamental mechanics of EVE online. To label the game as endless is a bit of a misnomer; it would carry the context of something that has a solid beginning and a centralized, climactic ending that is forever out of reach. Let us then label the universe of EVE – if label we must – as a singular levitating entity that could care less if you’re in it or not. The purpose – the meaning – therefore exists in all those glowing nebulous hazes dotted with planets and streaked with asteroid belts, and other celestial bodies rich in resources. Yes. EVE is a naturalistic experience. Indeed, as Marlow begins his descent into the African jungle he muses: I wondered whether the stillness on the face of the immensity looking at us two were meant as an appeal or as a menace. The affairs of an EVE pilot are self-made, even when they unfold under the self-made affairs of tens-of-thousands of other pilots; the universe does nothing more than provide the space, time and resources. No favors.

Increased knowledge and ability is the motivating – nay, the compulsory – force that prompts me to log in daily. New tactics to apply, new keyboard shortcuts use, a new attempt to work around a particular problem or a new fitting to balance a ship’s weakness. There is a reoccurring realization that something can be accomplished, but done so without the need to grind or level up. Indeed, the universe is abundant enough. If you find yourself grinding I posit that 1) You’re moving too fast, 2) you’re not being creative enough, and 3) you need to practice six sigma – EVE Online is just as much game as it is MetaGame.

CCP Games just reported a record-breaking 500,000 Eve subscribers. When I log in, the game has reported anywhere between 22,000 to 62,000 players currently online at that time. These are the people who fulfill my buy orders for Upgraded 1mn MicroWarp Drives. These are the people who undersell my batch of Combat Scanner Probes. These are players who fight with other players for wormhole space, stage sieges, gank, coordinate fleet attacks, reprocess, refine, buy, sell, and operate in corporate hierarchies far beyond my meddling rookie mind. Marlow confesses: Nowhere did we stop long enough to get a particularized impression, but the general sense of vague and oppressive wonder grew upon me. I am just one pilot in a universe of 500,000. I am my own. I am responsible. So, grow a pair, make a plan, and get out there.

Deus Ex: Human Revolutions take-down-a-thon

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After months of researching and planning for my new computer build, and after the excitement of beginning the building process and software setup last month, and, just today, having finally acquired a sleek new Dell monitor and Gigabyte graphics card I’m ready to game like a baus. Therefore, it only makes sense to turn my back to the computer and reach for my PS3 controller to satisfy an itch I’ve had to begin a new Deus Ex: Human Revolution game. And this time there shall be no distance kills – no firearms at all – for I shall eliminate every immediate threat with a brutal Adam Jensen takedown. I think this mechanic is way awesome and never became boring or repetitive. Each cut scene is a brutal exhibition of nondiscrimination; Adam Jensen is no respecter of persons.  My decision may or may not have been influenced by the following video.

The shoulder tap approach is my favorite…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJc1lt50gQs

Buttonmashing YouTube channel!

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Dude, we could post individual and group ‘Let’s Play’s. Do some serious vlogging, reviews, rants, raves, tutorials. Music videos… Let’s do it!

And by ‘Let’s do it!’ I really mean for you set it up, research capture software, cameras – do all that footwork – and then tell me how to do it. kthxbye

We’ve Got a Heartbeat!

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It is with excitement, relief, and a slight sense of pride that this post has been composed and posted from my new computer. What was originally a collection of pieces parts in their own respective packaging is now a functional - albeit neutered (…temporarily. I shall explain.) – rig that makes me giggle just to look at. I am very grateful for the generosity of my parents for shouldering the greater burden of cost. I had originally thought Indy’s Bullet wouldn’t be built until well after the 2013 tax season. So it came as a delightful surprise when last week at Thanksgiving Pops pulled me aside saying, ‘Let’s go shopping tomorrow’. Indeed! Wandering around MicroCenter with Papa Bear and a shopping cart for close to two hours on Black Friday 2012 will forever be a fond memory. Awesome. Now, on to some pictures.

In the end, the main objective of the trip to MicroCenter was to purchase the necessary parts to get up and running. A graphics card can wait. Another hard drive can be added. RAM can easily be swapped. My dad kept me grounded in the decision-making process. Pictured here is not a barebones rig, though.  Despite the absence of a GPU, the i5 and P8Z77 are a slammin combo. It’s been close to a week now and I am continually amazed at how well this rig can pull its own weight. I may not even bother buying a separate graphics card after all. The previous sentence is a lie.

Installing the CPU was the most nerve-wrecking part. There’s a whole lotta pins that have to fit exactly into a whole lotta slots. I’ve got jittery fingers to begin with, and knowing this made me all the more nervous. One minor slip – one bent pin – and   I would have wept for a week. Seeing as how we’re now a week later and I can listen to a Paul Simon CD through headphones while a demo of Crusader Kings II downloads and updating USB 3.0 drivers all simultaneously testifies that I did not screw anything up. Awesome sauce.

Yojimboz and xJonesicusx were there, too. They did stuff.

 

So, funny n00b story: We learned that 2-pin molex no likey 4-pin molex the hard way. The faceplate of the MSI case HAD (note the tense usage) a separate USB charger slot. Fried that sucker like we was havin’ it for supper. We were getting all headlong and just started connecting stuff to the PSU – This 2-pin case connector just didn’t seem to want to go into the 4-pin of the PSU – maybe if we push harder… On first bootup the abundance of smoke looked pretty groovy being lit by the case’s deep blue LEDs. We tried to patch up the lead and try a different connector but yielded the same smoldering result. So now there’s an orange USB slot on the faceplate looking all eager and useful. This ultimately could have just been a problem of plug compatibly between case and PSU. We searched fervently for a provided adapter but to no avail.

Despite the folly of n00bishness, the end product didn’t turn out too shabby. I removed all four of the tool-less 3.25″ drive bays to help air flow as well as providing extra space for unused PSU cables. I intend to pick up an aftermarket CPU cooler in the future. My only concern at this point is whether or not the GPU will have sufficient length clearance – there’s a whole lot going on in that tight little area…

Here’s a closeup shot of the concerned area. I kept the SSD in one of the bays, attached some Velcro on the back of the bay, and stuck it to the bottom of the 5.25″ bay area. This way I’m only using one SATA power cable for both the optical drive and SSD. I gotta tell ya: SSD’s are great! All that initial driver updating was a breeze when the windows boot screen doesn’t even have a chance to finish its animation before the desktop loads. Golly. And my new Hearts of Iron III campaign loads in a fraction of the time compared to what I’m used to. Good times.

Planning a PC Build Before the End of the World

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For over a decade now I have had an itching desire to construct myself a gaming PC – burning, even, probably from all that itching. Indeed, a computer that would facilitate ultra graphic settings; where I don’t even have to consider a game’s system requirements or even recommendation because the rig would be so slammin’. I’ve had my fair share of personal computers, be they gifted or shared or hand-me-downed, and am forever grateful for my time with them. And they weren’t utilized just for gaming. I taught myself the basics of HTML4, maintained a couple of websites, and dabbled in Photoshop, Visual Basic. A Compaq Presario was, amongst other things, my tap into the wonders of mIRC where I discovered a whole musical genre that I will take to my grave. This here HP Pavilion laptop, now 5 years old and running strong, has facilitated just about every computational task our family has ever needed… except running Black & White 2 or Medieval II: Total War or DreamFall. So, for as useful and pragmatic as these confangled doohickeys are for pretty much every facet of life, my main desire has always been to use them to game, though I haven’t always been able to be indiscriminate to system requirements.

But for whatever reasons I’ve never actually given myself the opportunity to build one. So, leave it to recent case of envy for my little brother’s ad hoc rig to help motivate me to get this project in gear. Plus, the world is ending in a month so why not go out with a bang? I’ve spent the last couple of months reading up and shopping around, and if more than anything else this has been a fun research project. The power and price of personal computing these days is enticing. What follows, then, is a glance at my thought processes towards what I want, what I can get and finding the happy space in between. Nothing has yet been purchased; this is all theoretical.

As a quick illustration to what I want my new computer to be, please watch the following clip:


Bam. Right there. Indy’s reaction. Love it.

I continue to read about these maxed out $5000 gaming systems – donning black and red color schemes, looking menacing, swinging weapons garishly to and fro -  and, although I do not doubt their superior computing power, I know there’s a more practical and economical way of freaking playing StarCraft 2. For this reason, my new system will assume the moniker ‘Indy’s Bullet’. Indy’s Bullet will be tight, precise and will get the job done. It will be forward-compatible. And it will be built from the following parts: (*NOTE: I’m still learning, please correct and/or suggest where necessary)

CPU – Intel i5 3750K

Motherboard – ASUS P8Z77-V PRO (no Thunderbolt)

I am listing these two main components together because I will be purchasing them at MicroCenter, thusly introducing a major variable to the construction of Indy’s Bullet. MicroCenter is within reasonable distance of me. Purchasing as much as I can from this at-a-loss retailer would only be wise. MC has a combo deal where they will automatically knock off $50 from the price of a motherboard with the purchase of a CPU. Plus, such a close proximity would be extremely advantageous should any part be defective and a plan of action for returns need to go into effect, which I am accepting as a very real possibility.

As per the Intel vs. AMD debate: I’m going with Intel because of reasons… And that’ll be the end of that. Plus, MicroCenter sells these babies at close to $40-$50 less than online stores. Win/Win so far. I’m choosing this model because 1) Ivy Bridge supports PCI-e 3.0, which is necessary for GPU(s), 2) i7 will just be overkill and 3) it is unlocked, and I find this appealing because I want to tinker with overclocking. And overclocking wouldn’t be possible if my motherboard is shoddy.

Yes. I have spent more time researching motherboards than I have any other component. After a great deal of pondering I’ve decided on the P8Z77- PRO because, compared to competing mid-level mobos, this board is more about focused performance than bells & whistles. Indeed, I do not need freaking six USB 3.0 ports. Although, it does come with a Wi-Fi antennae – Asus touting that Indy’s Bullet could also serve as a wireless router ( for what it’s worth this is appealing as our current wireless router is crap). But, back to performance: can overclock memory to 2800; two SATA 6gb/s; two PCI-e 3.0. It has a back-up BIOS, which is good in case I royally screw something up while overclocking. The P8Z77-PRO also has independent fan control, appealing to gamer and tree-hugger alike. And it has this new VirtuMVP technology which, if I understand correctly, will also help with power consumption and contribute to longevity of the GPU.

GPU – Gigabyte GV-N670C-2GD NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 2048MB GDDR5 PCIe 3.0 x16

Translation: Bottom of the top tier of video cards, or top of the middle tier video cards. I am intentionally rounding down on all other computer components to finance this powerful tool. I am choosing NVIDIA because, more than anything, I’ve just been hearing too many scary stories about Radeon cards, especially when it comes to tweaking. There’s also a 4GB model for about $50 more, but I don’t know enough yet  about the ins/outs of GPUs to determine whether or not this would be worth the extra money. The 2GB model is reported to be nearly-silent, stable and efficient. Me Gusta.

Memory – G.SKILL Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866

I must confess that the memory component is one that I’m still fairly ignorant to. But, nonetheless I am confident with my decision with the G. Skill Sniper Series. It’s got a good speed with a reasonable latency. It does not have flashy heat spreaders like Corsair sticks, which could very well get in the way of an after market CPU cooler. Plus, the Sniper Series is compatible with the P8Z77 – minor detail. And 8GB is plenty – PLENTY – for a gaming/enthusiast build; any more and you’re just playing with yourself.

Storage – Intel 330 Series 2.5″ 180GB SATA6Gb/s Solid State Drive(SSD)

Intel has been bringing the hammer down on other SSD manufacturers by creating capable drives at competitive prices. Despite their smaller capacity, SSDs are appealing to me because I simply do not need an abundance of HD space: I uninstall games as soon as I complete or grow bored with them; I do not plan on storing dozens of HD movies. The only media I foresee taking up any moderate amount of space will be audio files – And even then it won’t be that much because 90% of my music are stored on these circular plastic compact discs, or ‘CDs’ for short, that I keep in binders out of the reach of my kids; an even smaller more exclusive group are on larger discs made of wax, which, in the biz, we call ‘vinyls’. Snarkyness aside, a SSD would be right at home in Indy’s Bullet, and with prices dropping by the week there’s no reason in the world to go with a mechanical drive.

Monitor – *undecided brand* 24” Widescreen 1920 x 1080

I had originally thought about aiming towards a true color 1200 resolution but quickly came to my senses. For five years I’ve been using a laptop with a resolution that doesn’t even reach beyond 1280 x 800 (gaming with even less). Therefore a new 24” standard HD monitor will have plenty of WOW! factor. And I think 24” is the sweet spot because 27” is just a migraine waiting to happen.

Power Supply –

Still researching these. Probably Corsair. 700, maybe 750 Watt. That GPU wants at least 550 – the hog.

Case –

No more than $100. USB 3.0 headers. Front headphone jack. Nothing too gaudy or flashy so as to not be a temptation for my kids and their curious button-pressing fingers. It can’t be more than 22” tall in order to fit under my desk; I refuse to put my desktop on my desktop. I like what NZXT does.

This isn’t ugly.

 OS –

Windows 7. Eff Windows 8.

When all is said and done I feel that this is a very reasonable, well-planned build. Indy’s Bullet will play the RTS games that I long for, as well as facilitate any programming or audio editing/mixing that may come my way. All hail the PC.

The way Steampunk ought to be: or, a ‘Clockwork Empires’ preview

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Steampunk as a form of literature is contrived and stupid. Steampunk as an aesthetic, as a style, is fantastic and attractive. Although the gnarly mechanisms, clankity gizmos and outlandish outfits have origins in the literature, it has not been until recently that visual artists have taken the concept of Steampunk to the next level.The new millennium finds Steampunk just beyond the border of what is familiar. Now that our world operates silently in the aether, the sensations associated with late 19th century technology, in all its industrial grandeur, is compelling because it is recognizable, and yet, just antiquated enough to warrant a sort of mythological wonder. This is a heady visual world that operates more soundly in personal sketchpads, comic books, movies, and video games…

INDEED! To be released in 2013 for the PC and Mac

Clockwork Empires is being developed by Gaslamp Games. The game is being defined as an imperialistic city-building RTS. There is no set release date, not even an estimated quarter. So, I’m left to use some good old fashioned imagination. I’m picturing something akin to SimCity, Majesty, and perhaps Sid Meier’s Civ games – minus the turn-taking.  All of these with Steampunk characteristics in artwork and gameplay. Being that I have zero (0) artistic ability in all things visual I will relish the opportunity to build and fine-tune, however garishly, my own Steampunk-esqe city, to utilize gears and copper tubing. I will expand the empire for the glory of the Queen! Indeed, developers have mentioned that the game map will place itself outside the comfort of established cities into a fantastical, wild world inhabited by monstrous unknowns – true to the mentality of the days of yore. But in Clockwork Empires the monsters are real, and more often than not will assume the hideous form of human ambition.

pcgamer.com

The player must plan, build and micromanage: Yes, yes and yes. Each citizen in your burgeoning outpost has plans and ambitions of his own. Therefore, you cannot directly command. Instead, you must influence; thus, making this imperialistic arrangement all the more cutthroat. One must be resourceful, industrious – both being primary attributes that I visualize in a Steampunk universe. And let us not overlook the artistic intent. Steampunk is more effective when it is seen and not read about. I am made giddy by the promise that I will have a palate abundant with styles and artistic control over many elements of the game. I imagine playing dress up while mustachioed engineers in overalls outfit my zeppelins with hand-cranked railguns. rata-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat Jolly good, Guvna!

As a literature, Steampunk is nothing more than a crappy off-shoot of what cyberpunk meant to represent, and represented well. Where cyberpunk was reactionary to the emerging ubiquity of the hyper-reality of the ’80s, Steampunk attained mainstream attention simply as a reaction to cyberpunk just because it, well, could – as if it had nothing better to do. Relative to its techno-noir contemporary, Steampunk offers nothing more in content than a shoddy attempt to rebuild our virtual world using late 19th century technology; A place where optical cables are copper tubes, and prosthetic limbs are constructed of old pocket-watch parts. This is not literature. It is misplaced imagination. With an opportunity like Clockwork Empires I can don the gown of Steampunk and realize my own strange and fascinating world far more effectively than any assembly of words and punctuation marks. So SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!