Finally Fantasy

I’ve been trying to think of a series of entries that I could post on a regular basis. While I do have a couple ideas for ‘series’ posts (such as the First Contact series and the Top 100 series), they are not really things that I can guarantee on any sort of schedule. I also have my game design projects, and I can certainly post about those frequently, but since I never know when I’m going to be putting time into the development of one of my games, it’s difficult to know for sure when I’d be able to address them directly. I want something that I know gets done on a certain day. It gives the blog a sort of legacy series that can always be counted on, and it gives me at least one solid topic for the week.

Eventually, I realized I’m already doing something that I can write about on a regular basis. A couple months ago, I decided I was going to play through every game in the main line of Final Fantasy titles, plus a few sequels or side games here and there. While I have at least played most of the games, I’ve only actually gone all the way through a few of them. Having played the first one within the past couple years, I had decided to just start on the second game. But now that I have somewhere to go with it, I think I will revisit the first game. (It will technically be my third play through.)

And so, with that in mind, I’m happy to announce that every Friday will be…

Yes, ‘finally’. Seriously I should have played through all these games long before now. The RPG genre is one of my favorites and it seems almost heretical that I could feel that way without playing through one of the most iconic series.

So, starting with the original Final Fantasy, I’ll be playing the games throughout the week. I’ll have no set goals, so each week’s post is going to be dependent on what I managed to accomplish. I’ll discus my thoughts, feelings, and observations as I make my way through each adventure. No specific goals means this series is likely to run for a very, very long time. I’ve certainly got plenty of material to work with.

I’ll be playing through every main series title, probably with the exception of Final Fantasy XI, the online game. Chances are, I’ll also be playing through at least some of the direct sequels. Perhaps, at times, I’ll pick up some of the spin-offs or side stories. I’m not sure exactly which version of each game I’ll be playing. Probably just whichever is the most convenient for me to get my hands on. At the present, I don’t plan to use guides or walkthroughs, though I will be doing some research before I start each title to make sure I know what I’m getting myself into. At the very least I might consult maps and tips.

I’m looking forward to doing this. I’ve been wanting to play some of these games for a long time. Now, more than just having the desire, I have a purpose. I’m going to share my experience with you. I’ve played enough of the games to know that they usually represent some of the best titles on their respective platforms. So join me as I take on one of the longest running series in video game history. Let’s save the world!

Talking to Animals

I talk to animals.

Hey, everyone does it. Don’t tell me you don’t have a ‘dog voice’ or that you don’t get just a little bit silly sounding when Fluffy the cat decides your lap seems like a nice place for a nap. As far as I’m concerned, my cat is an equal member of the household. Considering the number of times she’s outwitted me, I think she’s earned it.

But it gets worse. I talk to fake animals. I call them neighbors. I worry that they will be upset with me if I haven’t spoken to them for a few days. I fear they might get angry if I’m just too busy to run errands for them. Worst of all, I fear one of my animal friends will leave town before I get the chance to plead with them to stay.

Before men in white coats show up at my door I should probably clarify that I’m referring to the residents of my town in Animal Crossing: New Leaf. It’s amazing what one little game can do to you. I wasn’t sure if I would like this game when I first decided to get it. I was even less sure that my wife would like it. But when we each acquired our own 3DS, I figured I’d give it a shot knowing that we would be able to visit each other’s towns and play a game together.

It’s really been a great experience. There’s a bit of friendly competition to see which of us can acquire certain town upgrades first. There some cooperation as we both watch for furniture and items the other might like.

And outside the game world we have those moments that draw us back to our common hobby when, on seeing a grasshopper in our back yard we look at each other and exclaim, “Where’s my bug net?” When last weekend neither of us had much of a chance to spend in our respective towns, we both commented about how our townsfolk were probably going to be upset with us. When I finally did fire the game up once again, I was relieved to find that all my furry residents seemed genuinely pleased to see me, even if they did wonder where I had been.

Is it overbearingly silly at times? Yes, but that’s part of the charm. After a long stressful day at work when I’ve had enough of reality, it’s nice to be able to enter a whimsical world where a town full of animals look to me, their mayor, to keep their beloved home running smoothly.

So, yes, I talk to animals. And if I could find the time, I’d do it every day.

2D or Not 2D

Oh, Nintendo. What are you doing?

Day after day, year after year, I defend you. I stand up for you. I say, “Nintendo is an innovator, watching out for gamers of all ages.” I argue that Nintendo is still at the top of its game.

And then you go and do this to me.

3DS – 3D = 2DS…wait, what?

That, in case you haven’t heard, is the Nintendo 2DS. It’s a competitively priced handheld gaming system which plays both DS and 3DS games. Except it had no 3D capabilities. So it’s a DS. That plays 3DS games. Sort of.

I actually already have one of these. It’s called “Nintendo 3DS XL with 3D Slider Turned All the Way Down.” Okay, I confess, Nintendo 2DS has a better ring to it than that I guess.

Now, don’t get me wrong. It’s not the concept that I have a problem with. I think it’s great that Nintendo is introducing a reasonably priced handheld gaming system capable of playing all its newest games. That’s not my problem.

Nor do I have a problem with the lack of 3D capabilities. I’ve seen it argued that this defeats the purpose of the whole ’3DS’ name, but they took care of that by changing the name.

Oh, and honestly, I don’t even have a problem with the design. I mean, it’s terrible and hideous, obviously, but since I won’t be getting one I don’t really care what it looks like.

No, my biggest problem is with the name. I understand the idea behind it. It’s better than a DS, but not quite a 3DS, but it will play both types of games. It’s a 3DS without the 3D. It’s 2D…so, 2DS. It does make sense. But my fear is the same one I had with the release of the Wii U. Will people who do not visit gaming news sites every day really understand what this is?

I kind of thought that Wii U just sounded like the educational version of the Wii. Of course, since I do visit game news sites every day, I knew what it actually was. But I also heard that the Wii U reveal at E3 last year confused a lot of people into thinking that the Wii U was just a simple upgrade to the Wii, not an entirely new system. Might these same people see the 2DS sitting next to the 3DS and assume it’s an older system?

I know, ultimately this won’t affect me directly, and I’m sure the confusion will blow over eventually. But I fear these kinds of decisions coming out of Nintendo. They are already looked at as the company “behind the times” since they don’t seem overly interested in competing directly with Microsoft or Sony. It was bad enough when Microsoft entered the gaming arena with the Xbox and hijacked the gamer image from Nintendo, painting them as a company that only made games for little girls and grandmas. The last thing I want is Nintendo itself confusing potential customers.

In any case, I hope the system is a success. I hope it draws in more gamers. But I also hope that when it’s time for another new system reveal, Nintendo does something that says, “we may be different, but we’re still relevant.”

The Confident Loser

I have collected many great memories of specific game moments over the past thirty years. Most of the time, these memories are forged by big budget titles.

The first time I ran through the Star Festival, the opening scene of Super Mario Galaxy.

Stepping outside a military base to see the skyline above the Golden Gate Bridge teeming with alien ships in Resistance 2.

Taking out an entire area of enemies completely with stealth in Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune.

Revisiting the accident that injured Lucca’s mother in Chrono Trigger.

Honestly…I could just go on and on and on. So many great moments in so many great games. Images that are burned into my mind. Things I will never forget.

But sometimes, it doesn’t take a team of hundreds to create these long lasting memories. Sometimes, maybe these memories come about completely by accident. I still credit the developer in times like this, after all it well designed game is simply going to have those moments when everything comes together and something truly extraordinary happens.

In fact, one particular memory I have is nothing more than a combination of an AI with a specific set of orders and an overconfident player (that’s me) who just wasn’t paying attention. It happened in a free web game called Neo Circuit. 

Now, Neo Circuit isn’t a unique concept. It’s been done before just with a different theme. In the game, you start with one or more terminals with a set amount of power. When used, this power replenishes over time. You click and drag from one of your terminals to another to send power to it. If the targeted terminal is empty, this claims it for you. If it is owned by an enemy, the power you send over will begin to deplete the power of the enemy terminal.

Each terminal can be upgraded to hold more power and allow for more links. This is where one aspect of the strategy comes in. Do you spend power upgrading your terminal? Or do you let that power build up to serve as an attack or perhaps even a defense terminal?

This is further complicated by some of the level setups. Maybe in the middle of the playing field there is an unoccupied high level terminal. At that point, it becomes a race to see who can get there first. Though even if you don’t, it doesn’t mean you are out of the game, it just means you’re going to have to do everything you can to overtake it or at least make sure your opponent can’t utilize its full potential.

The session that has stuck with me involved a setup like this. There were a lot of terminals on this specific board and at least one was a high powered neutral terminal. The enemy AI went for it almost immediately and I began to do the same. There were several minutes of tense back and forth tug-o-war as we struggled to gain the center terminal and to gain a large number of surrounding small capacity terminals that might help us in this effort. We snaked all around the bored gaining and losing terminals in our fight to wipe each other out.

Finally, I gained the upper hand. I managed to not only get a hold of the center terminal, but keep the enemy from gaining it right back. I choked off a few straggling enemy terminals but focused the bulk of my efforts to the north where the AI had built up a considerable force. There were so many links with so much power bouncing from terminal to terminal, building up and assisting my units that were doing the majority of the attacking.

Little by little I whittled away as the enemy’s power. My attention was completely focused on wiping out his power center. Finally, I saw that victory would be mine. The AI didn’t stand a chance. I surrounded his last power center, ready to pound at it incessantly. Then, I saw that center terminal, the one I fought so hard to gain control of, blink back to the AI’s color. I looked down. The AI controlled the entire bottom half of the map and he was aggressively pushing north.

Somehow I had forgotten about one tiny terminal in the corner that the AI still owned and my eyes were blinded to the entire area. I thought it was mine and I had been so busy rerouting power from all these terminals that none of them could defend themselves. One by one they had fallen,. While I had been attacking what I thought to be the AI’s power center with a collection of low level terminals, the AI had methodically taken over larger and larger terminals until it finally stole my main power center right out form under me.

I was stunned, but I also had a huge grin on my face. I know it was just numbers and code working against me, and it had been my own overconfidence and failure to pay attention that had led to my demise, but I couldn’t help it. This was one of the most awesome defeats I had ever experienced.

I didn’t just think I was going to win, I knew it. That overconfidence had destroyed me in the end.

And I had enjoyed every moment of it.

The Devil in the Details

Several years ago I took a class called ‘Game Design Workshop’ as part of my degree program. It was without a doubt my favorite class of my entire college career. During the class we had to create several game concepts based on specific criteria. One particular assignment was fairly simple. We just had to write up a one page description for a game concept of our choice. (There may have been some other restrictions, I just don’t remember for sure.)

My idea involved a game in which the classic slime drop monsters seen in so many games of all types were the protagonists. It was a going to be a side-scrolling puzzle adventure featuring several different slimes of differing colors, each with their own unique ability. I felt like I covered all the areas I needed to cover having explained the story, the protagonist and antagonist, the overall gameplay and level structure, as well as the various mechanics in the game. I was proud of my creation and quickly fired it off to the assignment submission box.

A few days later I was surprised when I got the graded version back to find I had gotten a score quite a bit lower than expected. It wasn’t a bad grade at all…just not as high as I thought it deserved.

Then, I read my instructor’s comments and questions.

Regarding a mechanic in which the player character must grow to progress…
What if the player grows too big for an area? Can they shrink somehow to go back if they missed something? Or are they just stuck?

Regarding the inclusion of multiple player characters…
Does the player control a different one on each level? Can they choose which one to use? If so, is the choice made before the level or can the player switch on the fly?

Regarding the progression of levels and the mentioned map screen…
Are levels independent of each other or is the whole game one big ‘Metroidvania’ type level in which the player has to acquire new characters/abilities to unlock new areas?

And it went on like that. For quite a bit considering it was only meant to be a one page document. The thing is, when I was writing this assignment I thought the answers to those questions were obvious. In fact, for a short time I was considerably upset that my instructor actually deducted points just because he didn’t understand what I wrote. But as I read through my assignment again, I began to realize that he was right.

Even though this wasn’t meant to be an in-depth design document, I had still failed to effectively communicate my vision for the game. It occurred to me that these little details were actually extremely significant in explaining how the game worked. If I presented this to the team today, I would probably be getting all these same questions and more. I had given a great overall explanation of my game, but in assuming that some aspects of gameplay were obvious (they weren’t), I made the mistake of not revealing what really made the game tick. The devil, as they say, is in the details.

Even now, a degree to my name and part of a small indie team, I find myself doing this. As designers, it’s easy to forget that we have been working with an idea since it was just a small seedling in our minds. By the time we have begun to flesh it out a little more, some of the most important details become ‘obvious’ to us.

Remember, if you are presenting an idea to your team for the first time, they don’t have the same intimate knowledge of it as you do. This is even important to remember when it comes time to write the design document where even more detail will be necessary. If you’re just pitching an idea, then obviously you don’t need every little scrap of information. (Not in writing anyway. But you should be able to readily answer any questions that pop up.) However, you should be able to concisely cover the major gameplay mechanics.

Do yourself a favor. The next time you create any kind of documentation for a game, ask yourself if you are assuming any knowledge on the part of the reader.  Trust me, it will be worth it later.

First Contact - Seasons

Last weekend my wife and I went to our very first Gen Con. The entire weekend we were repeatedly asked by friends and each other how it was that we live only about thirty minutes south of the event site and yet we have never been. We never actually figured out an answer.

We did, however, come home with enough games to keep us busy for a while. One of them was a game I actually sought out: Seasons.

I had seen the game explain in a video online and that was enough to make me want to check it out last weekend. I never got in there to actually demo it, but I did watch part of a game. I was impressed enough that I wanted to try it myself. The first thing I immediately noticed about it was how much I loved the art. It has a sort of whimsical fantasy vibe to it and every piece is bright and colorful. It begs to be stared at. I don’t recommend that though, lest you fail to pay attention to what’s happening.

One thing I do admit is that a first glance through the instruction book was a little intimidating. Before you get an understanding of what’s going on, it seems like there is a lot happening. But that’s just an illusion. Once we had played a few rounds, we really started to get the hang of it and plan for the future. Honestly, the most intimidating part of the game is the very beginning where you pass cards back and forth choosing which ones you want for your hand. The cards themselves, beautiful though they are, didn’t mean much to us until we had a few rounds behind us and understood how they worked.

Fortunately, the instruction book actually includes a recommended hand for your first play. It lets you jump into the game and get familiar with them on your first outing. Now that we’ve done that, I think our next game will include the initial phase of choosing which cards we want to have access to. Also good is the cards really aren't that difficult once you understand the mechanics of the game. Each card has a value in the upper left-hand corner. This is how many points you will gain if you have that card in play at the end of the game. The cost to play or activate the card is shown directly below the image, and the benefit of the card directly below that. Another icon in the bottom left indicates when the benefit takes place. (Some take place immediately when played, others can be activated once per turn by paying the cost again, and some have a perpetual benefit for the rest of the game.)

But playing cards requires resources. And that’s where the season wheel and dice come in.

There are four sets of dice – one set for each of the four seasons. During a turn, you only roll the dice corresponding to the current season (which is indicated on the season wheel). The number of dice rolled is equal to the number of players plus one. So at the beginning of each round, the dice are rolled and each player chooses which one they will use for that round. These season dice are how you collect crystals, resources, and summoning power. Crystals are mainly for points, though some cards do require you to sacrifice some in order to be played. Resources are your season tokens which are mostly what you’ll be spending to play cards. Further, you have a very limited stash in which to hold season tokens, so you have to collect them wisely. Lastly, you’ll want to collect summoning power as you can only have as many cards in play as you have total summoning power.

Yes, this game is very much about resource collection and management. But once you really get going, it is also an incredible amount of fun. Oh and don’t be surprised if the balance of power changes quickly. With dice involved, it’s impossible to escape the randomness of your ability on any given turn. If you’re stuck with a handful of cards that require a certain resource and you can’t seem to roll that resource on your die, then be prepared to have a backup plan or just sit and let your turn slide by. But even this can be worked around if you play your cards right. No seriously, some of the cards have really great abilities that range from re-rolling your die to getting a resource of your choice every turn.

Ultimately, Seasons was a little rough at first as we struggled to get a grasp on what we were supposed to be doing. It kind of made me wish I had been able to demo the game at Gen Con. However, once we got going and began to understand the subtleties of the game, we really enjoyed it. I’m eager to see how our second game turns out.

Top 100

I’m not exactly sure how many video games I’ve played in my life time. Trying to tally that number is not something that is on my to-do list, but it’s probably safe to say that the number has climbed well over a hundred. Considering how many games worth playing have been released over the past 40+ years, hitting 100 isn’t exactly an accomplishment. My backlog, games I never got around to, could probably top that too.

I only bring up this number to raise a question. What are the top 100 games of all time?

Ask 100 people, get 100 answers. Sure, some enterprising news sites have tried to concoct such lists, but I find the task to be meaningless. I seriously doubt you could ever find even two people that would completely agree.

Fortunately, the answer I need will be coming directly from GameRankings.com.

David Perry, who has been in the industry for over 30 years, has issued fledgling game designers a challenge. Look at a list of the top 100 video games of all time, ranked by score from highest to lowest. Play and study those games. Then, write a one page observation of the game making sure to include what you did or didn’t like, mechanics you noticed, and emotions you felt.

Turn this in and David Perry himself will add a personal recommendation to your resume. Now, I don’t know exactly where I plan to be in, say five years, but I suspect that this would be a really neat thing to be able to add to my resume. On top of all that, just the experience of having played 100 of the top rated games and actually studying them for what they’re worth would be invaluable.

I decided some time ago that I was going to do this. In fact, I’ve already compiled my list. Fortunately, the challenge lets you play with the list a little to account for games you might have no way of getting your hands on. I actually compiled two lists. For one, I required that the game have at least twenty reviews. For the other, the game needed only ten. The latter of the two lists opened me up to some older titles, ones that stretch back to Super Nintendo days.

I’ve already played some of these games but for the sake of the project I’ll be playing them again. Maybe not in full, but enough to remind myself of what they are all about. I suspect this project is going to take me a very long time. Just collecting the games is going to be a trial in time, money, and patience. Playing and analyzing them will take the longest. The one page ‘report’? That will be the easy part.

So consider this the first official post of the David Perry Challenge series of posts. I don’t know how often I’ll be updating this project, but I hope it doesn’t take the rest of my life. (Mainly because another challenge exists for those who complete this one.)

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some games to play.

84 Days

This morning at work I requested a vacation day for exactly twelve weeks from today. I didn't have to do it so early. But if I know in advance that I'm going to be camping out at my front door for the day, why not get this little detail taken care of?

You see, 84 days from now, the great god of the Amazon (.com that is) will call forth his minions and declare that it is time to go forth and deliver the PlayStation 4. I intend to be at the door when mine arrives.

I really don't even know why I'm so excited about this new generation of consoles. I haven't seen any one game that absolutely blows me away or anything. No, I think it is that tease, that promise of possibilities to come that always gets me fired up.

This is also my first launch day console purchase since the PlayStation 2 and only my second one ever. I think that makes a difference. There's an extra sense of pride that comes with being a launch day buyer and that undoubtedly adds to the excitement. To know that you were there from the beginning, for better or for worse (and let's be honest, more often than not it's the latter) is thrilling.

It doesn't mean that you are a bigger fan, or a more dedicated fan, or even a more enthusiastic fan. Heck, it was two years post-launch before I bought a PlayStation 3 and I don't feel like less of a fan. But right here, on the brink of a major new hardware release, I am absolutely ecstatic to be a part of it. Whether you're a Nintendophile eager to see what the House of Mario does next, a Microsoft fan excited about this powerhouse's new Xbox, or a Sony fan who can't wait to fire up the fourth generation of PlayStation, you have to admit this is an exciting time to be a gamer.

I am more excited for this launch than I ever have been for any other. Maybe it's because I have the opportunity to purchase the console on launch day. Maybe it's because I am a long time PlayStation fan, however accidental that may have been (that's a story for another post).

I do know that no matter what we play, I'm hoping you will be as excited to hear about my gaming experiences as I will be to hear about yours.

I can't not be excited. Gaming, be it electronic, traditional, tabletop, or make believe, is in my blood. So when something on the horizon promises to bring new and exciting adventures, I am ready to drop what I'm doing and throw everything I've got at it. It's who I am.

I'm a Gamer by Design. Come game with me.