The Land That Time Forgot by Edgar Rice Burroughs (1924)
The Land That Time Forgot is the first part of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ “Caspak” trilogy of science fantasy novels. Commencing as a wartime sea adventure, hence its original working title of The Lost U-Boat, Burroughs’ story ultimately develops into a saga with similarities to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World and Jules Verne’s The Mysterious Island. What makes Burroughs work unique is his plot device of a biological system specific to his island, in which the slow progress of evolution manifests itself as individual metamorphosis. This biological feature is only implied in The Land That Time Forgot and explored in greater depth over the course of the next two novels, The People That Time Forgot and Out of Time’s Abyss.
The Land That Time Forgot is the first part of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ “Caspak” trilogy of science fantasy novels. Commencing as a wartime sea adventure, hence its original working title of The Lost U-Boat, Burroughs’ story ultimately develops into a saga with similarities to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World and Jules Verne’s The Mysterious Island. What makes Burroughs work unique is his plot device of a biological system specific to his island, in which the slow progress of evolution manifests itself as individual metamorphosis. This biological feature is only implied in The Land That Time Forgot and explored in greater depth over the course of the next two novels, The People That Time Forgot and Out of Time’s Abyss.
Set during World War I the book opens with a framing narrative in which a manuscript relating the main story is recovered from a thermos off the coast of Greenland. It relates the history of Bowen J. Tyler, an American passenger on a ship sunk in the English Channel by a German U-boat in 1916. He is rescued by a British tugboat with another survivor, Lys La Rue. The tug is later sunk but its crew manages to capture the submarine when it surfaces. A German crew member sabotages the compass sending the U-Boat off course. By the time this is discovered they are deep in Antarctic waters. Low on fuel they discover a large island ringed by cliffs, which they identify as Caprona; a land mass first reported by the (fictitious) Italian explorer Caproni in. A freshwater current guides the sub to a stream issuing from a subterranean passage, affording them access to the island. The U-boat surfaces into a tropical river teeming with prehistoric creatures. The surrounding land is home to various forms of life long extinct in the outside world. An uneasy allowance is then formed between Germans and allied forces as they seek a source of fuel and a way to escape the strange land of “Caspak”.
Edgar Rice Burroughs has a very traditional and earnest style of writing. Heroes are manly, villains are fiendish and duplicitious. Women are mainly objects of veneration. Like many other authors of this genre at the time, contemporary new technology and science play an important part in the story. The American hero is a mechanical engineer who is well versed in ship and U-Boat design. There is also a very romantic view of the English as a see fairing nation. However the most interesting element of the plot is the notion of individual evolution. “Ahm” a friendly Neanderthal Man, who befriends the crew believes that he will over the passage of time transform from his current status to Sto-lu (hatchet men), then to Band-lu (spearmen), finally Kro-lu (bowmen). It is a very bold idea and Burroughs handles it well by subtle implication. Sadly his stereotyped view of Germans diminishes the books credibility but you have to take into consideration the politics of the times. All things considered The Land That Time Forgot remains enjoyable pulp fiction which still has the capacity to entertain
Gaming and Unemployment
During my working life the job market has changed substantially. The concept of a job for life has been seriously eroded as has the sense of job stability. At present in the UK it is still very much an “employers market” and recruitment is definitely conducted on their terms. Periods of unemployment have therefore become increasingly common in comparison to my parent’s generation. I personally have endured times when contracts where not forthcoming and recollect 2009 and 2010 being particularly tough years. Although looking for work fills a lot of the time when unemployed, there is still a substantial void to fill. Unemployment also leaves you without a daily routine and clearly any defined goal to achieve. It is therefore not surprising that so many people fill these gaps by turning to gaming.
During my working life the job market has changed substantially. The concept of a job for life has been seriously eroded as has the sense of job stability. At present in the UK it is still very much an “employers market” and recruitment is definitely conducted on their terms. Periods of unemployment have therefore become increasingly common in comparison to my parent’s generation. I personally have endured times when contracts where not forthcoming and recollect 2009 and 2010 being particularly tough years. Although looking for work fills a lot of the time when unemployed, there is still a substantial void to fill. Unemployment also leaves you without a daily routine and clearly any defined goal to achieve. It is therefore not surprising that so many people fill these gaps by turning to gaming.
This post is not about those who do not to work and simply spend their time gaming through personal choice. Such people are a minority and should not define the debate over unemployment. Unemployment per se is a subject that has been hijacked in recent years and is now about blame, judgement and shame. The discussion needs to be far more intellectually and emotionally sophisticated than that. I am more interested in exploring how many who are out of work, after searching diligently for gainful employment, still find that they have a lot of time to fill without the daily routine of a job. It is worth considering exactly how much impact your job has upon your daily life, beyond the obvious fact that it pays the bills.
Over the years I’ve became aware how many writers, podcasters and live streamers mention that they are between jobs and that gaming has become a major aspect of their lifestyle as a result. Setting aside crass knee-jerk arguments such as “why are you wasting your time gaming, when you don’t have a job”, it has made me consider exactly what is the allure gaming during periods of unemployment and the potential benefits. Naturally I’ve drawn upon my own experiences of periods of unemployment and reflected upon how I spent my own time when not looking for work. I believe my conclusions are far from unique to me.
Gaming, especially MMOs, offer an interactive experience that is centred on goals and achievements. If you then take this a stage further and you blog, podcast or livestream about your gaming, then you have a further set of tasks to manage such as writing, publishing and communicating. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to conclude that the games are supplying a degree of personal fulfilment, structure and self-discipline, in lieu of that gained from employment. This is a positive thing because unemployment has a terrible habit of leeching away self-worth and motivation. Gaming can offer challenges and impose a sense of order upon the day, similar to that of the working environment.
Being unemployed definitely has a tangible impact upon your social life. This often goes beyond the lack of money. The stigma of being jobless can also have an effect on friendships. It is not uncommon to find that after a lengthy period of unemployment that friends have either drifted away or actively ditched you, leaving you isolated. Gaming can offer a vital social lifeline and provide interaction, inclusion and an opportunity for genuine new friendships. Unemployed people sometimes find themselves exclusively in the company of others in a similar position. Although this can be supportive, it can also foster and reinforce a sense of negativity and despair. Therefore cultivating new friendships online via gaming can be a very positive and beneficial experience.
Many of the spinoff activities from gaming such as blogging, podcasting and livestreaming present a valuable opportunity in self-improvement. They can lead to learning new technical and writing skills, many of which are transferrable. Maintaining a forum or guild requires a lot of man management and “soft” skills. These can potentially be placed on a resume to illustrate the constructive use of time during a period without work. However there’s been a propensity of late towards inflated claims about gaming. Some seem to think that gamers are lateral thinking, problem solving savants. This is patently not the case as some time spent on a forums or world chat will succinctly verify. However this is not to say that gaming and its wider associated culture does not offer any positive benefits that can’t be quantified.
Now there are dangers associated with gaming during periods of unemployment. For some there is the risk that gaming itself becomes a surrogate job, in so far that it becomes the driving factor of the day. Patently this is not a good thing if it keeps you from finding the gainful employment you require. Having lots of spare time can lead to over indulgence. The structured hours that comes with most jobs bring simply cannot compete with this. Giving up ones indulgences can be hard to do and some people cannot or will not do it. Yet I feel such cases are a minority and most responsible gamers understand the restrictions and trade-off’s that employment demands.
Gaming is a useful support tool to the long term unemployed. It can be argued that the same benefits are applicable to several other groups of society; the disabled, the introverted and the agoraphobic. It also has the benefit of being an economical pastime, with F2P games offering a variety of options at no cost. As long as gaming not impeded the actual search for a job, then I believe it can be a positive force and influence during what is usually a very difficult period of someone’s life. However convincing an employer of such is another matter and prejudice and entrenched views are still common place. Therefore I would recommend exercising caution as to what you do and do not state in your resume.
MMO Economies
One of the greatest assets of Star Trek Online is its single shard server technology. Not only does this foster a great sense of community but it provides several logistical benefits. The most practical of these is the in-game auction house known as the Exchange, which due to the games server structure offers a universal and comprehensive market place. If it can be sold within the game then it’s usually available on the Exchange. Like any market it is driven by supply and demand and fluctuates accordingly. The Delta Recruitment event in May saw a rise in both the availability and price of low level items. The recent announcement regarding the Admiralty system has seen the prices of Mirror Universe ships increase tenfold.
One of the greatest assets of Star Trek Online is its single shard server technology. Not only does this foster a great sense of community but it provides several logistical benefits. The most practical of these is the in-game auction house known as the Exchange, which due to the games server structure offers a universal and comprehensive market place. If it can be sold within the game then it’s usually available on the Exchange. Like any market it is driven by supply and demand and fluctuates accordingly. The Delta Recruitment event in May saw a rise in both the availability and price of low level items. The recent announcement regarding the Admiralty system has seen the prices of Mirror Universe ships increase tenfold.
Although Guild Wars 2 launched with regional and game specific servers, the Black Lion Trading Company has always been across all worlds, providing yet another well stocked virtual market place. One of the most convenient touches that ArenaNet added to the game is the ability to access the auction house anywhere in Tyria. If a player is not near a Black Lion Trader NPC then the auction house can be simply be reached via the GUI. There is a minor caveat that transactions carried out this way require you to collect your gold direct from the nearest Black Lion Trader. However the game regularly drops tokens that can summon a Black Lion Trader directly to your location, therefore bypassing this minor inconvenience.
This progressive approach to auction houses and in-game economy is sorely missed when playing older titles such as LOTRO. The auction house system is server specific and very much reflects the current state of the game population. It is not unusual to find the auction house bereft of any significant gear at lower levels. Those that regularly play through old content either recycle gear or craft what they need as they proceed through the game. Therefore casual players will often find themselves reliant on quest rewards for their gear requirements. There are alternative options such as bartering skirmish tokens but farming such currency may not be deemed as casual friendly. Hopefully the ongoing server consolidations will result in more robust in-game economies.
Despite not being a World of Warcraft player I do envy the fact that the games auction house can be accessed remotely via mobile devices. Engaging players when they are out of game is a wise policy. Accessing the economy via an app keeps gamers involved and has obvious practical benefit. I have often played various MMO’s economies as a game in itself. When LOTRO use to have a thriving raiding culture I would often stockpile potions and other useful items, only to sell them at a higher price late on a Friday and Saturday evening, when they were in great demand. Lock boxes in STO have also proven to be a good long term investment. Remote access to both these markets would be beneficial.
I’ve often found gaming economies compelling because of the interesting effect upon the player base. It is fascinating to see different people’s reactions to the auction house system. As ever with gaming many players bring their own moral and ethical baggage along with them when they enter virtual worlds. I have been upbraided in the past by other LOTRO players for the item speculation I described earlier. I have also seen arguments start in MMOs over undercutting item prices on auction house. There are even some players who balk at the notion of selling crafted gear and loot drops, wishing to impose their own in-game work ethic upon others.
Auction houses can also be a useful barometer as to the health of a game. An active player population usually means a buoyant economy with essential items being readily available. Ageing MMOs tend to suffer from a lack of resources being traded. In such cases the only real solutions are to either consolidate servers to increase populations or to adjust the auction mechanics to allow cross server access. The latter is often too complex and expensive to implement. Bearing all this in mind, if I do decide to try any new MMOs in future, they’ll need to have a robust and accessible economy to secure my custom.
The Haunter of the Ring and Other Tales by Robert E. Howard (1925-36)
Robert E. Howard’s collective literary work is often overshadowed by his most famous character, Conan the Cimmerian. As with Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, the success of a single creation can lead to subsequent material being overlooked or discounted. This can be a dilemma for many a popular author. Fortunately we live in an age where the back catalogue of many a writer is now freely available and lesser known work is re-evaluated. The publisher Wordsworth has recently compiled a collection of Howard’s short stories that squarely fall in to this category. Like his more popular work, the anthology The Haunter of the Ring and Other Tales focuses on the supernatural, the fantastic and baroque.
Robert E. Howard’s collective literary work is often overshadowed by his most famous character, Conan the Cimmerian. As with Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, the success of a single creation can lead to subsequent material being overlooked or discounted. This can be a dilemma for many a popular author. Fortunately we live in an age where the back catalogue of many a writer is now freely available and lesser known work is re-evaluated. The publisher Wordsworth has recently compiled a collection of Howard’s short stories that squarely fall in to this category. Like his more popular work, the anthology The Haunter of the Ring and Other Tales focuses on the supernatural, the fantastic and baroque.
Howard’s literary style is accessible and very much in the idiom of the time. The men are virile and the women of exquisite beauty. This sets him aside from his contemporary, H.P. Lovecraft who shied away from such physical elements in his writing. However Howard shares that sense of the unearthly and the utterly alien, lurking beneath the everyday and the mundane. Like a good many of the great genre authors of the time, Howard conveys the sense that despite the modern world with its scientific and technological trappings, the ancient, arcane and inhuman is never far away. He also writes convincingly of the clash of cultures, as the colonial powers encroach into esoteric world of primeval Africa. There is a broad range of short stories in this collection.
“Wolfshead” tells of an 18th century soldier of fortune, haunted by the spirit of the werewolf he killed. Set in Eastern Africa in a private fiefdom, run on behalf of the Portuguese by a privateer, the story is interesting from both the fantastic and historical angles. “Sea Curse” tells of a more traditional tale of revenge and retribution. Again the nautical setting mixed with witchcraft, is very well researched and makes the story seem like a genuine sailor’s yarn; the sort told over a pint of ale in a lonely inn. In “The Hyena” we are confronted with a tale of New World meets old, as a young African rancher falls foul of a locally revered Witch Doctor or Fetish Man. It is a subtle story with a building sense of tension. You get a vivid mental picture of the enmity between the two central characters. Then for a change of direction, we have “The Skull” a thriller with a touch of the supernatural. This features East End opium dens, sinister crime lords with their fiendish knowledge of the occult, a flawed hero who fights for personal redemption and the love of an exotic, wronged woman. It is all very “traditional” yet the inclusion of the arcane plot elements makes it all the more enthralling.
It is essential that the reader be aware of the time period in which these stories were written. The prevailing social and political attitudes reflect the thinking of the time and should not be taken out of context. Anyone who has read the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs (whom Howard bears similarities) will understand this point. Men were men, woman were placed on pedestals and venerated. Love is prosaic and very verbose. Foreigners are sinister and their culture ancient and abstract. Yet there is a sense of innocence in Howard’s work. Morality and grim determination often triumph over outlandish odds and plot devices. The tradition of the classic high adventure in literature is an obvious influence on the author. His writing is also not as bleak as his rivals, Lovecraft and Ashton Clarke. The Haunter of the Ring and Other Tales is recommended to genre fans and readers of classic pre-war American literature.
LOTRO Update 17 Beta
Since the launch of Update 16 in May this year, I and many other LOTRO players have been standing on the cliffs of South Ithilien, looking across the River Anduin to Minas Tirith. It’s been a long and hard journey over the last eight years but finally players will be able to visit that iconic city in Update 17. At present a beta build is available on the Bullroarer test server, so I spent several hours over the weekend exploring the Pelennor Fields and the surrounding area known as Old Anorien. The city itself has numerous placeholder NPCs and it is clear that some textures and additional details are missing from the environment. However the essential layout and design of Minas Tirith is obviously set and as ever Turbine have done an interesting job interpreting Tolkien’s source text.
Since the launch of Update 16 in May this year, I and many other LOTRO players have been standing on the cliffs of South Ithilien, looking across the River Anduin to Minas Tirith. It’s been a long and hard journey over the last eight years but finally players will be able to visit that iconic city in Update 17. At present a beta build is available on the Bullroarer test server, so I spent several hours over the weekend exploring the Pelennor Fields and the surrounding area known as Old Anorien. The city itself has numerous placeholder NPCs and it is clear that some textures and additional details are missing from the environment. However the essential layout and design of Minas Tirith is obviously set and as ever Turbine have done an interesting job interpreting Tolkien’s source text.
The Tower of the Guard is accessed by a breach in the Rammas Echor at Harland. As I initially rode across the Pelennor Fields, I was at first impressed with the design and imposing nature of the White City. However upon reflection I think my reaction was mainly due to the iconic nature of Minas Tirith and its size. Once I entered the main gate it became very clear that Turbine have used standard Gondorian assets. I appreciate that there is an architectural style to be maintained but the streets are identical to those of Pelargir and Dol Amroth and devoid of anything distinctive. The same statues, Swan Wing embellishment and Númenórean faces adorn all structures. After a short time Minas Tirith becomes terribly familiar.
The journey through winding streets and the seven levels to the citadel becomes tiresome once the novelty of its initial completion wears off. I sincerely hope Turbine includes a quick travel system of some kind, especially in light of their penchant for fetch quests. The court yard of the fountain and white tree is adequate but the terrace set on top of the bastion of stone is somewhat bare and lacklustre. I took some comfort in riding off the edge but sadly there was no deed for such a foolhardy act as there has been in the past. Perhaps further embellishments will be added to Minas Tirith during the course of the beta testing. As is stands it’s more monumental than functional.
North of The Pelennor Fields is the region of Talath Anor. This includes the settlement of Crithost and Cair Andos. Again these areas are far from unique and are simply adequate. There are both roaming Orcs and mounted foes scattered throughout the new area. Stables are few and far between as are resurrection circles. At the Northern point on the map is the ubiquitous blocked bridge which leads to The Beacon Marches. It if from this direction the Rohirrim rode to Gondor’s aid.
Turbine have established a pattern since they moved away from paid expansions to free updates and Old Anorien seems to very much stick to it. I do not doubt there will be yet more rep factions and more daily repeatables. Minas Tirith will also feature more Epic Battles which doesn’t fill me with delight. Yet this sort of content seems to be keeping the faithful engaged and frankly I don’t think Turbine have the resources or the will do anything radically different at this stage in the games lifecycle. In a nutshell LOTRO’s future is simply more of the same. Content will meet a standard but nothing more. Therefore players will have to content themselves with variations on a theme. Those seeking more will have to rely upon emergent gameplay.
Play Dirty (1969)
Gritty, grim and fatalistic are just a few of the ways I would describe Play Dirty. Made at a time when cinema was becoming more realistic and cynical, it eschews the traditional depiction of World War II heroism and paints a singularly unglamorous picture. Due to some minor plot similarities, it is frequently compared to The Dirty Dozen but they are far from identical movies. Robert Aldrich’s film despite having an offbeat plot and a cast of quality characters actors still followed a traditional action based formula and had a relatively upbeat ending. Play Dirty is content to pursue its dour storyline to its inevitable conclusion.
Gritty, grim and fatalistic are just a few of the ways I would describe Play Dirty. Made at a time when cinema was becoming more realistic and cynical, it eschews the traditional depiction of World War II heroism and paints a singularly unglamorous picture. Due to some minor plot similarities, it is frequently compared to The Dirty Dozen but they are far from identical movies. Robert Aldrich’s film despite having an offbeat plot and a cast of quality characters actors still followed a traditional action based formula and had a relatively upbeat ending. Play Dirty is content to pursue its dour storyline to its inevitable conclusion.
Michael Caine plays Captain Douglas of the Royal engineers, who is press-ganged from his cushy position with Anglo-Iranian Oil, into a shady squad of mercenaries who freelance for the British Military. The group is mainly made up of criminals and disgraced soldiers and over seen by Colonel Masters (Nigel Green). Due to Douglas’ lack of field experience he is heavily dependent on Captain Leech (Nigel Davenport), whose only real concern is the £2000 bonus he will be paid if he brings Douglas back alive. Disguised as Italian soldiers the group cross the desert to strike at a fuel dump, hundreds of miles behind enemy lines.
The dialogue in Play Dirty is minimal and succinct. The squad comprising of a Greek narcotics smuggler, a Tunisian terrorist, a convicted rapist, a Turkish smuggler and two homosexual Senussi tribesmen have precious little to say but this does not impede the viewer from understanding the dynamics of the group. The wry looks, sardonic smiles and derisive laughter are more than enough to demonstrate what each man is. The main tension lies between Douglas and Leech, with the former clinging to outmoded notions of gallantry and etiquette. The latter frequently undermines his superior and is sceptical of his abilities. However both become dependent on each other. Douglas uses his engineering savvy to winch their vehicles up a steep incline. Leech saves Douglas when his British dog tags blow their cover.
Veteran director Andre De Toth, who took over when René Clément left the project, does a fine job in driving the movie forward. There is a well implemented battle scene which shows a convoy of trucks and accompanying Jeeps being efficiently dispensed with by entrenched German troops. It plays out wordlessly as the main protagonists look on. The director doesn't balk either at showing the ragtag group of criminals for what they are as they loot all corpses, enemy and allies alike. The arrival of a German nurse also leads to an attempted rape. It all proves to be very challenging for Captain Douglas who still feels bound by the notion that war has rules.
Perhaps the biggest plot element that makes Play Dirty such a product of its time is its ending. The late sixties and early seventies saw a great deal of change in film making and many sacred cows were put to the sword. Play Dirty avoids schoolboy patriotism and opts for something far more bleak. The military goals of the mission prove to be fluid and the chain of command eventually deem the rogue group to be a liability. Betrayal eventually comes from unexpected quarters and hammers home the point that war frequently has little or no honour. Overall the British military of the time are shown to be governed by petty politics and class prejudice. It’s not necessarily a palatable conclusion but it most certainly is credible.
Star Trek: The Animated Series
Star Trek: The Animated Series (or TAS) is often overlooked by the public, getting lost among all the whites noise that accompanies the franchise. Yet it is a surprisingly good series with a distinguished writing pedigree. The series was produced by Filmation in association with Paramount Television and ran for two seasons from 1973 to 1974 on NBC. A total of twenty-two half-hour episodes were produced set in the same timeline and universe as the original series. Often characters and situations that had featured in the live action show re-appeared and where expanded upon, such as Harry Mudd, the Guardian of Forever and of course Tribbles.
Star Trek: The Animated Series (or TAS) is often overlooked by the public, getting lost among all the whites noise that accompanies the franchise. Yet it is a surprisingly good series with a distinguished writing pedigree. The series was produced by Filmation in association with Paramount Television and ran for two seasons from 1973 to 1974 on NBC. A total of twenty-two half-hour episodes were produced set in the same timeline and universe as the original series. Often characters and situations that had featured in the live action show re-appeared and where expanded upon, such as Harry Mudd, the Guardian of Forever and of course Tribbles.
Most of the original cast returned to provide their vocal talents, apart from Walter Koenig. New characters were added, such as Lt. M’Ress, a female Caitian and Lieutenant Arex, whose Edosian species had three arms and three legs. The animated format afforded the writers greater freedom with regard to the scope of the stories. As a result Star Trek TAS features a lot more monsters and planetary vistas that TOS. As with the original series, the standard of writing for the show was above average. The fact that cartoons were still perceived to be the province of children at the time did not deter the narrative from tackling weighty issues. Perhaps we can attribute this to Gene Roddenberry’s guiding hands who would not allow any dilution to the core concept. As a result story editor D C Fontana maintained a high standard, with some material being written by such writers as Larry Niven and Paul Schneider who both penned several stories for the original show.
Although animation offered some advantages, its cost required some additional compromises. Thus Star Trek TAS has a lot of stock shots and minimalist animated sequences. Life support belts providing personal force fields were introduced to dispense with the need to draw complex spacesuits. Also because of musical rights issues, the iconic theme music could not be used, requiring a contrived reworking of it by Ray Ellis and Norm Prescott. However it works well, as do the music cues that were used throughout the series from the Filmation library. Overall, considering the general low standard of animated material at the times, Star Trek TAS exceeds expectations. Each episode covers a lot of ground throughout its twenty three minutes duration.
Curiously enough, despite Gene Roddenberry’s involvement, the show is not officially considered canon, which is a shame. Several episodes really do stand out due to their strong stories and character exploration. Yesteryear features Spock having to revisit his past to prevent his own death. It’s a rather thoughtful and sad tale that provides further details on the Vulcan’s troubled youth. More Troubles, More Tribbles sees the return of everyone’s favourite squeaking fur balls. This direct sequel to the episodes from TOS is fun as well as expanding more on Tribble physiology and Klingon’s inherent aversion to them. The Slaver Weapon perhaps is the most cerebral episode of them all. The story which centres on Spock, Uhura and Sulu touches upon wider issues in the galaxy, by way of the extinct slaver race and their legacy of artefacts. This is far from shallow storytelling and it’s a shame that aspects of the plot were not explored further in later episodes.
Star Trek TAS is a worthy addition to the overall franchise. It has all the hallmarks that made the original series so enjoyable. Despite having a somewhat minimalist animated style, the strong narrative and presence of the original cast makes this an engaging show. Each episode is very story focused and follows the established themes of the live action show. Its shame that more episodes were not made and I’ve often wondered why other popular series from the time, didn’t make a similar transition to animation. Perhaps TAS is just yet another example of Star Trek doing something different and breaking new ground.
The Martian (2015)
Within a few minutes of watching Ridley Scott’s big budget adaptation of Andy Weir’s best-selling novel The Martian, it became immediately apparent that the emphasis was on dialogue and science. Naturally there are competent action sequences of the magnitude you’d expect from such a movie but they are not the driving force of the narrative. The Martian is very much a procedural drama with strong and likeable characters. It’s about how they react to adversity and the underlying mechanics of solving the logistical problems of rescuing a man marooned on Mars. If you don’t like movies with a lot of dialogue and having to think too hard then you may wish to see something else.
Within a few minutes of watching Ridley Scott’s big budget adaptation of Andy Weir’s best-selling novel The Martian, it became immediately apparent that the emphasis was on dialogue and science. Naturally there are competent action sequences of the magnitude you’d expect from such a movie but they are not the driving force of the narrative. The Martian is very much a procedural drama with strong and likeable characters. It’s about how they react to adversity and the underlying mechanics of solving the logistical problems of rescuing a man marooned on Mars. If you don’t like movies with a lot of dialogue and having to think too hard then you may wish to see something else.
If there’s one facet of this movie that I had to highlight as its strongest selling it has to be its tone. The Martian maintains a healthy balance between drama, emotion, tension and science. All of which are approached in a measured and intelligent fashion. This makes the film very accessible. The science and technology is essential to the story but is constantly tempered with dry wit and nerd banter. Astronaut Mark Watney copes with his isolation and desperate situation through humour and a droll personal monologue. Writer Drew Goddard (Cabin in the Woods, Cloverfield) has successfully adapted the source text and added a more human layer to the proceedings.
Despite having a great ensemble cast, it is Matt Damon that underpins this movie. His performance is both likeable and credible. He remains resolute in the face of adversity relying on his scientific training but he is never smug. On occasions when his emotions do get the better of him it is used to great dramatic effect. Jessica Chastain, Bill Pullman, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Sean Bean all have something tangible to do and the screenplay seldom takes a wrong step. The movie successfully creates an atmosphere where you feel that all involved are genuinely working towards a common goal. The Martian also manages to honestly depict how academia and nerd culture often goes hand-in-hand, without lapsing into negative stereotypes.
When dealing with a global subject such as space exploration, many movies cannot help but default to conventional tropes and memes regarding contemporary geopolitics. The Martian is curiously free from this and beyond the involvement of the Chinese space authorities at a key point in the story, the focus remains upon NASA and JPL and not political leaders. A lot of the technical solutions and hardware featured in the film are based upon designs currently under development. The administrative and procedural aspects of The Martian are also based upon those currently followed by the institutions depicted. Of course there are concessions made for creative and cinematic reasons but the movie still maintains a largely authentic air.
Ridley Scott last two movies have not been commercial or critical successes. The Counsellor and Exodus: Gods and Kings seemed to lack the director’s usual acumen. The Martian remedies this run of bad form by being entertaining, cerebral and accessible to multiple audiences. There is humour, pathos as well as spectacle. Through a minor plot contrivance, there’s also a great soundtrack featuring some disco classics. Scott also manages to dovetail David Bowie’s Starman in to the proceedings without it coming off as a shocking cliché. Again I feel compelled to mention the tonal confidence of this film. As a result The Martian deserves to be a critical and financial success. According to Professor Brian Cox it’s a great advertisement for a career in engineering. It certainly proves that mainstream cinema does not have to be big and dumb.
LOTRO World Transfers
This evening I successfully transferred my two primary LOTRO characters from Gilrain server to Laurelin. The process was intuitive and took about an hour in total. Considering this was mid-evening and therefore UK gaming primetime, I thought this to be an acceptable timeframe. I had no issues with any of the contents of my personal bags or vault and was refunded all the rent that I had paid in advance for my house. I took the opportunity brought about by the move to downsize to a smaller in-game property. I was please to find that the migration of my kinship was proceeding well with many other familiar faces arriving on Laurelin during the course of the evening. So from my point of view this migration was far from a difficult experience.
This evening I successfully transferred my two primary LOTRO characters from Gilrain server to Laurelin. The process was intuitive and took about an hour in total. Considering this was mid-evening and therefore UK gaming primetime, I thought this to be an acceptable timeframe. I had no issues with any of the contents of my personal bags or vault and was refunded all the rent that I had paid in advance for my house. I took the opportunity brought about by the move to downsize to a smaller in-game property. I was please to find that the migration of my kinship was proceeding well with many other familiar faces arriving on Laurelin during the course of the evening. So from my point of view this migration was far from a difficult experience.
The world transfers are a necessity and I have had no issue reconciling myself to this. I not an unduly sentimental person, so leaving Gilrain was simply a matter of logistics for me. Laurelin despite being an English RP server seems like a suitable home for my kinship. We mainly tend to have lore friendly names and are mindful of the needs of those who role play. I think we should have no issue settling in to our new virtual home. The benefits of a server with a higher population are already abundant. There is a healthy economy on Laurelin and prices seem to be far more reasonable than usual. It would appear the community is resistant to the concept of hyperinflation. The various chat channels throughout the game seem active and the atmosphere is far from unfriendly.
However despite my broadly positive experience, I have found threads on both the official and unofficial LOTRO forums that refer to alleged complaints about the influx of new players to Laurelin. There are also criticisms from those who have had to rename their characters due to RP TOS violations. Having spent some time in world chat and talking with both new and established denizens of Laurelin, it would seem that there are just a handful of individuals that are unhappy with the status quo. Some may be justified in their protestations, others not so. Either way it is not accurate reflection of the overall community on the server who seem to be adapting to the influx of new players.
As I get older I do find this predilection for drama from certain quarters rather tedious and it actively contributes to me further distancing from the gaming community. As for LOTRO its future seems to be somewhat unsurprising. The recent Player Council leak confirms that we shall continue to get more of the same and that there are no real surprises or radical changes to come in the immediate future. Therefore I am happy to play new content as and when it is released and to take pleasure in what the game can currently provide, rather than focus on what could be. LOTRO is in its autumn years and a more existential approach to the game seems prudent.
Movie Trivia: The Wilhelm Scream
In the 1951 movie Distant Drums starring Gary Cooper, a small band of soldiers are crossing a swamp in pursuit of Seminole Indians. While wading through the Everglades, one unnamed soldier is attacked and dragged underwater by an alligator. His last sound is an agonised, startled scream. Two years later in The Charge at Feather River, a soldier named Private Wilhelm screamed as he’s struck by an arrow in his leg. So began the cinematic legend that is the “Wilhelm Scream”, a sound effect that has punctuated a multitude of films over six decades.
In the 1951 movie Distant Drums starring Gary Cooper, a small band of soldiers are crossing a swamp in pursuit of Seminole Indians. While wading through the Everglades, one unnamed soldier is attacked and dragged underwater by an alligator. His last sound is an agonised, startled scream. Two years later in The Charge at Feather River, a soldier named Private Wilhelm screamed as he’s struck by an arrow in his leg. So began the cinematic legend that is the “Wilhelm Scream”, a sound effect that has punctuated a multitude of films over six decades.
Most studios add audio effects for a film during post-production and of course it’s not unusual for them to recycle material from their archives. In the case of Distant Drums, six short screams were recorded and creatively titled “man getting bit by an alligator, and he screams”. The fifth take was used for the alligator scene and the others were used throughout the rest of the film. Following the movie’s release the distinctive scream was placed in the Warner Bros. sound effects library and used regularly over the years in various productions. It can be heard in Them! (1954), Swiss Family Robinson (1960) and The Green Berets (1968).
Ground breaking sound engineer Ben Burtt noticed the repeated use of the scream during the course of his career. When he made the The Scarlet Blade in 1974 he decided to use the scream, so he cunningly copied it from another film’s soundtrack. Two years later, he was hired to create the sound effects for Star Wars and he managed to track down the original source recording from the Warner Bros. archive. Burtt subsequently began to regularly insert the sound effect into projects he worked on, including the Star Wars sequels. He dubbed it the “Wilhelm scream” in honour of the first named character to use it. The use of the scream rapidly become an in-joke for those in the post production business and from there it use has spread.
The “Wilhelm scream” has been featured in over two hundred movies, TV programs, commercials and video games. Notable film-makers have also specifically requested the “Wilhelm scream” for their movies after learning of its history, including directors such as Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, Tobe Hooper, Joe Dante and Peter Jackson. A comprehensive list of titles that incorporate the scream can be found at the IMDB and it’s growing yearly.
The source of the of the “Wilhelm Scream” remains a mystery, but many believe it to be the voice of Sheb Wooley. Wooley is most famous for his song “Purple People Eater”, which was a number-one hit for six weeks in 1958. He had a small part in Distant Drums and was one of a few actors who were called back after filming for some additional dialogue recording. Although he died in 2003 his wife Linda believes it was his scream. She recalls that Sheb was a very gifted voice artist, performing screams, laughs, and other vocals effects for film and TV.
The “Wilhelm Scream” has joined a library of sound effects that are frequently used by sound editors. Others include a thunder clap created for the James Whale’s Frankenstein. Also a particular recording of the red-tailed hawk’s distinctive cry has become ubiquitous in Westerns or any movie with a desert setting. You can also include the universal telephone ring, which has been used on hundreds of films. It would appear that the entire field of audio effects is filled with re-occurring material. Bond films are rife with generic audio effects for automated doors, explosion, electronic devices, jet engines and death screams. A lot of these sound effects seem to have migrated from the back catalogue of Gerry Anderson’s productions.
Like many in jokes, once it becomes too widely known it can lose its impact. The “Wilhelm Scream” is no longer a secret outside of the movie industry and possibly may now have become too ubiquitous. However its history remains interesting like so many obscure facets of the industry. It will interesting to see that as the entertainment industry continues to evolve whether they be equivalents to the “Wilhelm Scream” in five decades times.
The Complete Ghost Stories of M R James – Read By David Collings (2007)
The supernatural fiction of Montague Rhodes James is a major milestone in the history of the literary ghost story. His work tangibly helped shape the genre as we know it today, focusing on classic themes such as retribution, vengeance and other aspects of traditional mythology literature. The protagonists are often socially dysfunctional intellectuals who face peril due to their excessive curiosity. The very physical nature of horror often masquerades for deeper psychological issues. They also serve as an invaluable window into the socioeconomic structure of Edwardian Britain.
The supernatural fiction of Montague Rhodes James is a major milestone in the history of the literary ghost story. His work tangibly helped shape the genre as we know it today, focusing on classic themes such as retribution, vengeance and other aspects of traditional mythology literature. The protagonists are often socially dysfunctional intellectuals who face peril due to their excessive curiosity. The very physical nature of horror often masquerades for deeper psychological issues. They also serve as an invaluable window into the socioeconomic structure of Edwardian Britain.
In more recent years critics have tried to determine if the author’s personal life and idiosyncrasies are reflected in his written work. Is there a hidden subtext within the narrative, hinting at inner conflict and repression in James own life? It’s quite possibly so. Either way there is no doubt that M R James is one of the finest authors of short stories, this country has known. His influence is still seen today in the works of Brian Lumley, James Herbert and Clive Barker. Furthermore his stories still have the capacity to disturb the reader.
Recently I was pleased to discover a comprehensive audio book featuring the complete collection of M R James ghost stories, read by David Collings. Previously selected stories had been recorded in the middle Eighties by the great Sir Michael Horden. Sadly these are no longer available. The new recordings are presented in two volumes by Craftsman Audio Books. They contain all short stories in chronological order and are unabridged. Atmospheric music is used strategically to bridge the material.
David Collings reads the works of M R James as they’re meant to be heard. He is word perfect and his delivery is smooth and lyrical. He alternates between regional accents and Latin with polished aplomb. Collings must be an M R James aficionado as he brings out all the sly humour of the Edwardian text, adding charm and chilling nuance to every story. Although I am a strong advocate of reading for oneself this material lends itself strongly to the audio book format and is an utter delight. I cannot praise this collection enough and consider it to be the perfect way to while away the cold winter nights.
White Tiger AKA Belyy Tigr (2012)
It is rewarding to find a movie that wrong-foots you and challenges your perceptions on certain subjects. White Tiger is exactly such a film. Starting of as a traditional war movie, the story quickly evolves into a supernatural revenge story with shades of Moby Dick. The final act and subsequent sting in the tail ending provides immense food for thought. It proposes an idea that many will find particularly challenging. However the film succeeds in making such a bold pitch because of its inherent Russian earnestness and the fact that that nation’s war experience is so subtly different from others.
It is rewarding to find a movie that wrong-foots you and challenges your perceptions on certain subjects. White Tiger is exactly such a film. Starting of as a traditional war movie, the story quickly evolves into a supernatural revenge story with shades of Moby Dick. The final act and subsequent sting in the tail ending provides immense food for thought. It proposes an idea that many will find particularly challenging. However the film succeeds in making such a bold pitch because of its inherent Russian earnestness and the fact that that nation’s war experience is so subtly different from others.
White Tiger starts with Russian soldiers find a blackened tank driver in a burnt out wreck with burns to 90% of his body. He miraculously survives and recovers in just three weeks. Remembering nothing of his past life or identity he is renamed Ivan Naydenov (Aleksey Vertkov). He claims to have gained the mystical abilities and to have been charged with the mission of destroying the White Tiger that is decimating Russian tanks. Major Fedotov (Vitaly Kishchenko) reluctantly supports Ivan as he does seem to have uncanny skills in combat. He subsequently assigns to him a customised T-34 along with a sceptical crew who balk at being instructed to attack targets they cannot see. Ivan finally catches up with the allusive Tiger tank in a deserted village but is everything as it seems?
It soon becomes apparent that much of what is happening in White Tiger is not to be taken literally. Both the White Tiger and Ivan himself are symbols. Physical manifestations of war itself, locked in an unending battle; like the human body continuously fighting disease and infection. Finally when the war ends and the Russian POWs are released, Ivan declares that he cannot stop fighting as the White Tiger is still at large. The codicil at the end of the movie shows Hitler calmly discussing the policies he pursued during the war and attempting to justify them. He declares that war is a natural thing and he has simply released a force of nature. “War is fought everywhere and always; it has no beginning and no end. War is life itself”.
Director Karen Shakhnazarov has crafted a singularly enigmatic piece of cinema with White Tiger. It has an eerie quality about it which is not something expected in the war genre. Curiously enough I felt myself reminded of Duel and The Car as well as Herman Melville’s famous novel. The purposely erratic pace of the narrative may not be to everyone’s taste but the performances and prevailing atmosphere are compelling. The ending is a major talking point in itself and I envisage that there will be many discussions and possibly arguments over the many plot elements that are not resolved or explained. However I consider this to be a good thing as cinema has become too much of a passive experience of late. A subject as complex as global war should not be rendered into binary terms; thankfully White Tiger does exactly the opposite.
The Enduring Appeal of Mario Kart
One of the best games I have ever played is Super Mario Kart. It simply embodies all those elements that make Nintendo titles so great. It is a polished product with a cheerful aesthetic that is eminently playable. It has exactly the right balance between skill and random chance resulting in a fun and compelling game. No two races are ever the same. It is one of the few titles that I have literally played all night with friends. I still smart over the “incident” where someone stole my feather just as I was about to jump across the shortcut on the Ghost Valley 1 track (this will make perfect sense to those who have played the game).
One of the best games I have ever played is Super Mario Kart. It simply embodies all those elements that make Nintendo titles so great. It is a polished product with a cheerful aesthetic that is eminently playable. It has exactly the right balance between skill and random chance resulting in a fun and compelling game. No two races are ever the same. It is one of the few titles that I have literally played all night with friends. I still smart over the “incident” where someone stole my feather just as I was about to jump across the shortcut on the Ghost Valley 1 track (this will make perfect sense to those who have played the game).
Due to the game’s inherent appeal, there has been a further seven incarnations of Mario Kart. All have proven to be bestsellers. Despite Nintendo’s ongoing financial difficulties, last year’s release of Mario Kart 8 was a welcome shot in the arm for the ailing games company. Sales have reached 2 million copies in the US alone since its May release. The title has also been beneficial for sales of the ailing Wii U, a console that until recently had been effectively written off by many in the gaming industry. Furthermore Mario Kart 8 attracted “strongest review scores in franchise history,” according to the company.
So what exactly are the reasons behind the enduring appeal of Mario Kart? Obviously the accessible and well-conceived game mechanics are a big factor. Each new version of the game maintains the balance between refining old ideas while introducing fresh new ones. The pleasant graphics with their stylised cartoon aesthetic along with the playful soundtrack broadens its appeal to all age groups. The game also lacks the male-centric philosophy that is associated with so many driving and racing franchises. Perhaps the most important quality present in all versions of Mario Kart is the “fun factor”. It’s something Nintendo has always inherently. It’s the reason why I still play Super Mario Kart today, via an emulator on my PC and tablet.
El Dorado (1966)
El Dorado opens with a montage of paintings by celebrated Western artists Olaf Weighorst. These beautiful pictures in many ways reflect the nature of the movie, depicting a stylised representation of the Old West that despite its beauty, never really existed. Director Howard Hawks includes every possible genre trope and meme into El Dorado but far from being a handicap, it makes the movie a perfect distillation of Hollywood Western. The pairing of John Wayne and Robert Mitchum is sublime as the two effortlessly riff off each other. If you need an example of how the Western is the most flexible and accessible movie genre, then El Dorado is a text book example.
El Dorado opens with a montage of paintings by celebrated Western artists Olaf Weighorst. These beautiful pictures in many ways reflect the nature of the movie, depicting a stylised representation of the Old West that despite its beauty, never really existed. Director Howard Hawks includes every possible genre trope and meme into El Dorado but far from being a handicap, it makes the movie a perfect distillation of Hollywood Western. The pairing of John Wayne and Robert Mitchum is sublime as the two effortlessly riff off each other. If you need an example of how the Western is the most flexible and accessible movie genre, then El Dorado is a text book example.
Wayne plays Cole Thornton, a hired gun who travels El Dorado to pursue a potential job offer from Rancher Bart Jason (Ed Asner). Jason needs Thornton to remove my any means, a rival rancher who own the local water rights and to also take care” of local Sheriff J P Harrah (Robert Mitchum). Thornton refuses the contract as Harrah is a friend and subsequently leaves town. Six months later Thornton returns to El Dorado to find his friend has become a drunk after being crossed in love. The range war has also escalated and Bart Jason now has a formidable army of men, led by notorious gunman Nelse McLeod (Christopher George, sporting an excellent scar and contact lens). Outnumbered, Thornton and Harrah try to keep the peace with only the help of an old Indian fighter (Arthur Hunnicutt) and an inexperienced greenhorn called Mississippi (James Caan).
The mid-sixties were a very interesting time for Hollywood as writers and directors tired of the status quo, started pushing boundaries of movie ratings. El Dorado blends traditional Western machismo with Greek tragedy and plenty of sassy dialogue. It is also quite violent for the times, something that becomes more apparent with the clarity of the latest Blu-ray release. Although predominantly set bound, the film does have some scenic what location work. The chemistry between the two leads is by far the movies strongest selling point and their real life friendship is clear. Leigh Bracket’s script is loaded with wise cracks, Western philosophy and musings on the Code of the West. Caan and Hunnicutt are great foils.
On release El Dorado was considered to be a little old school compared to the emerging revisionist trends of the time. The ballad that plays over the opening credits, sung by George Alexander and The Mellomen, is very traditional. Nelson Riddles score conversely has quite a contemporary arrangement. The movie sits squarely between the old and the new. Its theatrical release was delayed by Paramount so that it would not clash with Nevada Smith, which depicted a far more cynical and bleaker interpretation of the West.
Over the years El Dorado has grown in critical and public acclaim and is now rated more highly than it was upon its initial release. Roger Ebert gave the film a near-perfect rating at 3 1/2 out of four stars, stating “El Dorado is a tightly directed, humorous, altogether successful Western, turned out almost effortlessly, it would seem, by three old pros: John Wayne, Robert Mitchum and director Howard Hawks”. The movie certainly made an impact upon me as I saw it as a child and has stayed with me over the years. I still have a soft spot for Edgar Allan Poes poem Eldorado that is quoted by James Caan throughout the movie.
Gold Sellers
Having returned to several MMOs recently, I have been surprised to see that gold selling is still quite common place. Purveyors of these and other dubious services still regularly spam the in-game chat channels of games such as Star Trek Online and Guild Wars 2. I would hazard a guess that games based on single server environments amplify the hawking of such wares. I have not seen such messages on the Gilrain server where I play LOTRO for several years. However it is clear that gold selling is still a “thing” within this genre, irrespective of my surprise.
Having returned to several MMOs recently, I have been surprised to see that gold selling is still quite common place. Purveyors of these and other dubious services still regularly spam the in-game chat channels of games such as Star Trek Online and Guild Wars 2. I would hazard a guess that games based on single server environments amplify the hawking of such wares. I have not seen such messages on the Gilrain server where I play LOTRO for several years. However it is clear that gold selling is still a “thing” within this genre, irrespective of my surprise.
One of the commonest issues facing a new player of MMO, is a shortfall of in-game gold. There are game mechanics in place in most games of this genre that allow you to legitimately amass a sizeable personal fortune but they require time. Therein lies the problem. Long term players at endgame frequently have a substantial supply of gold that ceases to have any major benefit for them. Gold is often most required midway through the levelling process. Having recently returned to both STO and Guild Wars 2, I’ve found that I am spending the respective in-game currency on upgraded gear as fast as I earn it.
Now this is exactly the sort of scenario that could potentially encourage some players to use the services of a gold seller. Let us not waste time on any moral debates about such vendors; that is another blog post all together. I and many other people have used gold sellers in the past as a convenient means to an end. However with the advent of free to play games and the common practise of using multiple in-game currencies, surely the financial benefits of using gold sellers has fallen by the wayside? Simply put, are such services value for money?
Let us use STO as an example. Perfect World sells Zen for use in the C-Store, where players can by ships, commodities, buffs and boost and all the usual trinkets and baubles you find in a MMO. Recently I bought 5300 Zen for £32 (€45, $49). I then spent 5250 Zen buying 46 lock box keys (4 x pack of 10 and 6 individual keys). At the time keys were selling on the in-game exchange for 2.6 million Energy Credits. Within one hour of posting the keys they had all sold for a total of119,600,00 Energy Credits. This may sound like a lot but high end items can sell for 10 to 15 million Energy Credits or more. However if spent prudently this is a reasonable war chest for a new player.
So to summarise, I effectively spent £32 for nearly 120 million energy credits, using legitimate game processes. However a Google search not only yields the names of the most popular gold sellers online but also lists a gold selling comparison site. MMOBux provides quite a comprehensive service, with reviews of gold sellers and price tracking. It’s both mind boggling and yet perfectly logical that site such as this should exist. Using the comparison site I determined at the time that MMOGA could source 120 million Energy Credits for £27 where Koala Credits could supply the required amount for £93.
It would appear that it is more cost effective and safer to buy in-game currency in STO via Perfect World, rather than take your chances with these third party vendors. It’s a similar story with Guild Wars 2 as they allows players to purchase gems and convert them directly in-game into gold, via a server wide exchange mechanism. At present you can safely buy in-game, 2800 gems for £30 and convert them to 532 gold. Again the third party gold sellers cannot really undercut the official tariff and therefore can only offer an equivalent price.
So based on these two examples, why is gold selling still a “thing” in the MMO genre? Why would anyone be willing to risk losing their currency order, just for a negligible saving (and assuming there is one)? It’s an interesting question because obviously people still use these dubious services as my Google search showed. I think like most questions the answer is complex rather than binary. I get the impression that a lot of players haven’t stopped and done the maths, so don’t realise they can get in-game gold legitimately and without risk. I also think that gold selling advertising is a bit like supermarket special offers. When you actually crunch the numbers there isn't actually a deal to be had but you are distinctly given the impression that there is one. Also third party gold sellers probably don’t care too much about whether the customer is actually the owner of the credit card being used.
As there is no significant advantage to buying gold from third party outlets, you would think that players would prefer to use the legitimate services associated with many games. MMOs have operating costs so spending money directly via the developers helps support the game and its future growth. Gold sellers drain money from this revenue stream which is ultimately damaging, not only for the game but for the player as well. All things considered there shouldn't really be any reason why gold selling is still a “thing” in 2015. Perhaps if more players took time out to consider the matter, such services would become obsolete.
Hidden & Dangerous 2
Hidden & Dangerous 2 was released in 2003, one of many WWII based tactical shooters that were a popular genre at the time. It was an indirect sequel to Hidden & Dangerous from 1999, which had met with moderate success. The game was developed by the Czech company Illusion Softworks and published by Gathering of Developers and Take-Two Interactive. Hidden & Dangerous 2 featured single player campaigns set around Europe and North Africa, as well as the option for online multiplay hosted via player created servers.
Hidden & Dangerous 2 was released in 2003, one of many WWII based tactical shooters that were a popular genre at the time. It was an indirect sequel to Hidden & Dangerous from 1999, which had met with moderate success. The game was developed by the Czech company Illusion Softworks and published by Gathering of Developers and Take-Two Interactive. Hidden & Dangerous 2 featured single player campaigns set around Europe and North Africa, as well as the option for online multiplay hosted via player created servers.
The game strived to be more than just a standard shooter and endeavoured to promote the tactical aspect of gameplay. The game fared well in the UK and built quite a cult following. Unfortunately it did not fare so well in the North American market. Despite receiving above-average reviews, partly because of the popularity of similar games, it failed to find an audience. It can be argued that the lack of any major US protagonists and the focus on European theatres of war were contributory factors. The game was plagued by bugs that persisted throughout its lifespan despite successive and often large patches.
Gameplay focuses upon a four man British Special Air Service team conducting a wide variety of operations behind enemy lines. This included such locations as France, Libya and Norway. The final mission was set in Czechoslovakia during the last days of the war, ending in a skirmish with the Soviet Red Army over German secret documents. An additional expansion pack with extra mission, “Sabre Squadron” was released a year later. This added co-operative online game play and new weapons to the game. Hidden & Dangerous 2 was a minor milestone in its genre at the time, due to realistic tactical approach and immersive environments. Weapon and vehicle physics were plausible and fairly accurate; more so than most games at the time of a similar genre.
This was one of the first video games that I bought that I became heavily involved with. I joined a clan, the “Devil’s Bridge Veterans” and hosted two dedicated multiplayer servers with custom weapon inventories. What I liked about the Hidden & Dangerous 2 was its British perspective and the involvement of the SAS. It also focused on several theatres of war that were seldom explored, such as Burma and Czechoslovakia. I enjoyed the diversity of missions and way you could switch between 1st and 3rd person views. The game featured a magnificent orchestral score by Michal Szlavik and Martin Benes at a time when a lot of competitors where still relying on electronic soundtracks.
I re-installed Hidden & Dangerous 2 on my PC a few years ago. It performed well under Windows 7 64 bit and the only drawback was the lack of support for 16 x 9 ratio resulting in a stretched image. Despite dated graphics the tactical elements were still engaging and the game still offers more than just an average point and shoots experience. There were still dedicated servers hosting co-op and death match games, last time I checked in 2011. Furthermore there are still websites resources for this game if you’re prepared to look.
Hidden & Dangerous 2 was a classic example of game that although it never became truly big, did gain a specific cult following. Its developers Illusion Softworks are now part of 2K Games. It is interesting to note that one of their other franchises, Mafia, is still in existence with a third instalment scheduled for a release in early 2016. Perhaps there is still a possibility Hidden & Dangerous 3 may be made and that the WWII tactical shooter genre will make a return.
Dirty Harry - The Video Game
"Dirty Harry" Callahan first appeared in a video game in 1990 on the NES. Developed by Grey Matter Inc and published by Mindscape the game titled “Dirty Harry” was a simple side scroller, featuring arbitrary platforms, shooting and fist fight mechanics. Apart from its basic vigilante cop narrative and some digitised soundbites from the films, there was very little to link it to the source material. Overall this was hardly a fitting debut for the character that has defined Clint Eastwood’s career and spawned five motion pictures. Beyond a brief appearance on a themed pin ball machine in 1995, Harry Callahan has remained conspicuously absent from the video games genre.
"Dirty Harry" Callahan first appeared in a video game in 1990 on the NES. Developed by Grey Matter Inc and published by Mindscape the game titled “Dirty Harry” was a simple side scroller, featuring arbitrary platforms, shooting and fist fight mechanics. Apart from its basic vigilante cop narrative and some digitised soundbites from the films, there was very little to link it to the source material. Overall this was hardly a fitting debut for the character that has defined Clint Eastwood’s career and spawned five motion pictures. Beyond a brief appearance on a themed pin ball machine in 1995, Harry Callahan has remained conspicuously absent from the video games genre.
Due to the success of the Grand Theft Auto franchise a decade and a half later, several game studios looked to classic crime cinema for inspiration developing a competing product. As a result movies such as The Godfather, The Warriors and Scarface were adapted as video games with mixed success. All boasted voice acting by original cast members and where based upon the visual aesthetic of the source material. It was about this time that Warner Interactive announced that it too would be producing a comparable game, based upon the iconic Dirty Harry franchise.
"Dirty Harry helped define a genre and introduced the world to a character who has since become a cultural icon, so bringing Clint Eastwood's authentic Dirty Harry character to this next generation of consoles provides exciting promise for game playing audiences everywhere". Jason Hall, Senior Vice President of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.
Simply titled Dirty Harry the game was to be developed by The Collective Inc in association with Clint Eastwood’s Malpaso production company. The premise of the game was to continue the story of loose-cannon police detective “Dirty Harry” Callahan as he sought to clean up the streets of San Francisco. The story was set immediately after the “Scorpio” case, as featured in the original movie and prior to events featured in the sequel Magnum Force. Clint Eastwood was to reprise his role as Harry Callahan, lending his voice and likeness as well as providing consultancy services and creative input. The game was scheduled to be released in 2007 on multiple platforms.
Sadly despite the project being nearly 70% completed, the game never saw the light of day. Allegedly senior management at Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment were not happy with the work that had been completed and were worried about potential harm to the “brand”. It has been claimed, although never officially confirmed, that the project was then transferred to two further studios for redevelopment; namely TimeGate studios and Monolith Productions. However the cost of replacing the game engine and adding additional content such a co-op multiplay was prohibitive. The game’s launch was further delayed and eventually vanished from the publishers marketing and press releases. It has been implied by those involved with the project that the main reason for Dirty Harry’s demise was that it simply wasn’t that good.
Apart from some screen captures taken from preliminary builds and a promotional trailer, not much remains in the public domain of Dirty Harry. It should be noted that the trailer that is still available on You Tube does not actually show any footage from the game itself. It was animated by a production house, using the concept artwork to simulate the completed product. It’s a shame in many respects because the game seemed to have an authentic seventies feel to it. Certainly Dirty Harry boasted an impressive voice cast with the likes of Lawrence Fishburne, Lucy Liu and Gene Hackman, joining Clint Eastwood. Sadly Dirty Harry is now just another title on an ever growing list of games that “could have been”. Perhaps that is for the best because a franchise such as this deserves a truly great game and not a one that “knows its limitations” to quote Harry Callahan.
Air Warrior
It was about mid 1996 when I first got internet access. At the time the UK market had a multitude of small ISPs but it took the likes of AOL and CompuServe to make the worldwide web truly accessible to the general public. Like many others I had an AOL account mainly because it was easy to configure and use. There was no complexity to setting up the service and so it wasn’t long before I was monopolising the telephone line and running up epic phone bills. The early days of the internet were an exciting time. This was the age of modems, the Netscape vs Internet Explorer browser war and IRC flame wars. It had a hint of living on the frontier about it.
It was about mid 1996 when I first got internet access. At the time the UK market had a multitude of small ISPs but it took the likes of AOL and CompuServe to make the worldwide web truly accessible to the general public. Like many others I had an AOL account mainly because it was easy to configure and use. There was no complexity to setting up the service and so it wasn't long before I was monopolising the telephone line and running up epic phone bills. The early days of the internet were an exciting time. This was the age of modems, the Netscape vs Internet Explorer browser war and IRC flame wars. It had a hint of living on the frontier about it.
Now I was a dyed-in-the-wool PC gamer by this time so when I was presented with the opportunity to play online along with hundreds of other people I jumped at the chance. AOL was in business partnership with games developer Kesmai at the time and had recently included their multiplayer on-line air-combat simulator, Air Warrior as part of their internet services. I can remember now how it took numerous hours to download the game client and that I then copied it to dozens of floppy disks to save my friends the pain of a similar ordeal. I was so enthusiastic that I even bought an analogue joystick and spent hours calibrating it.
Air Warrior offered an extensive collection of World War II planes that you could fly in multiplayer dogfights with up to 100 pilots at the same time. The combat was set in both the European and Pacific theatres of war. There were also single player missions which were invaluable for honing your skill as a pilot. Each aircraft had individual flight models, cockpits and unique features. The game used flat polygon graphics and supported a maximum resolution of 1024 x 768. Air Warrior was surprisingly complex and not a simplistic as some arcade air combat shooters. It was also highly addictive, especially when playing with friends.
Gameplay centred on trying to destroy the enemy factions’ airfields, thus requiring the use of both fighters and bombers. For players who were not so adept with one-on-one aerial combat, you could choose to man one of the various gun turrets on the bombers. The tail gunner on the B-17 being the most coveted position. Dropping your stick of bombs via the bombsight was also immense fun and quite a skill in itself. It was always immensely satisfying to change camera positions after dropping your payload and watching the explosions several seconds later.
Like many online games if you were prepared to take the time and experiment, you could achieve some interesting results. For example Air Warrior also offered tanks and trucks as well as planes. The Flakpanzer was a mobile AA vehicle that was designed to be deployed around your team’s airfield to provide ground-to-air support. However I discovered that it was possible to drive across the entire game map to the enemies’ airfields and that if you took a scenic route; you were seldom spotted from the air. I use to spawn camp the main runway and destroy enemy aircraft as they materialised. This could continue for ten or even fifteen minutes before they realised exactly what was happening and take countermeasures.
Air Warrior was my first multiplayer online game. Although it wasn’t a MMO as such, it shared many similarities. I enjoyed it immensely and for a twelve month period played it frequently. It’s odd that when I inevitably drifted away, I didn't return to multiplayer gaming until 2003 when I started playing Hidden and Dangerous 2. As for MMOs, I bypassed most of the classic titles apart from a brief trial of Star Wars Galaxies and didn't really explore the genre until 2008 when I started playing LOTRO. In many respects it was my fond memories of Air Warrior that inspired me to buy the double pack of Shadow of Angmar and Mines of Moria.
Working in IT
Working in IT is an extremely broad job description that encompasses multiple subsets and disciplines. Each specific field has its own skills and academic hierarchies. You may well be an experienced Network Administrator but that doesn’t make you equally as knowledgeable with regard to Database Development and vice versa. Saying that you work in IT is pretty much the same as saying that you work in healthcare. You could be working in procurement or be a Cardiothoracic Surgeon. However none of this is of any concern to those who work outside of IT. If you get collared by someone at a social event and tell them you work in IT, it’s only a matter of time before you get asked “I’m thinking of buying a new laptop, which one is best?” or something similar. I always tell them that Purple ones have the most RAM.
Don't mess with my patching
Working in IT is an extremely broad job description that encompasses multiple subsets and disciplines. Each specific field has its own skills and academic hierarchies. You may well be an experienced Network Administrator but that doesn’t make you equally as knowledgeable with regard to Database Development and vice versa. Saying that you work in IT is pretty much the same as saying that you work in healthcare. You could be working in procurement or be a Cardiothoracic Surgeon. However none of this is of any concern to those who work outside of IT. If you get collared by someone at a social event and tell them you work in IT, it’s only a matter of time before you get asked “I’m thinking of buying a new laptop, which one is best?” or something similar. I always tell them that Purple ones have the most RAM.
I won’t ramble on about how I got into IT as a career, as it’s not particularly interesting. I will say that having an aptitude for technology has helped as well as being in the right place at the right time. I was working for a major UK government department at a time when it was undergoing a major systems upgrade. I volunteered for a new position and was trained by seasoned third party contractors. Although I have some formal qualifications most of my knowledge is from hands on experience. After twenty years I now find myself self-employed, running a niche market consultancy offering superfluous and overpriced solutions for clients with more money than sense. It’s not the best job in the world, nor is it the worse. For me my real passions now lie elsewhere and work is mainly a means to an ends, although I recognise that I have far more favourable working conditions than many. Not many careers allow you to work in your underwear.
Of course this is a typical home office...
Something that I’ve found interesting since I’ve been writing online and podcasting is the amount of friends and colleagues from the Bloggersphere that also work in IT. Perhaps their technical aptitude means that social media and other online activities are not so daunting. My Father who is an old school mechanical engineer considers IT to be this generation’s equivalent field. It’s a skilled profession with many new and evolving disciplines. It also has clear career paths and progressions, making it stable work for those buying a home or raising a family (other money pits are available). However not every job in the IT industry is safe bet. There is a great deal of short term contracts and market rates rise and fall, based on supply and demand.
There is also the perception that IT is a very academic and studious industry to work in. This can be true but a great deal can also be learned simply by “monkey see, monkey do”. And while we’re on the subject of perceptions working with technology still has the whole geek and nerd stereotype associated with it. The funny thing is the vast majority of my IT colleagues are very social creatures who are often far more emotionally literate than many of our peers in other industries. However something that has changed in the last decade and a half is the perceived standing of information technology. Up until 2000 I felt that many considered IT to be a field very much akin to alchemy, because it was alien to so many people. Now because technology is so pervasive in our lives IT literacy is much higher. As result I find that I am no longer regarded as a Wizard but just an overpriced Photocopier repair guy (no disrespect intended ).
Only 25% of IT professionals are women
IT is still very much a male dominated industry. My own personal experience reflects this as I have only worked with six female colleagues over a twenty year career. Considering that there is no gender imbalance with regard to the use of technology it is sad to see such a disparity within the industry itself. To say that the IT sector is institutionally sexist would be too broad a generalisation. However I have regularly encountered individuals with prejudicial views often at an age group commensurate to my own. There still seems to be an assumption both within IT and from its external customer that when someone arrives from the technical department, regardless of their level it will always be a man; hence phrases such as “call the tech support guy”. From my perspective ignoring the skills and talents of 50% of the workforce is illogical, so I support in principle any endeavour to redress this imbalance within the industry.
Although IT is a multi-faceted industry perhaps the area we are all most familiar with is tech support, because pretty much most businesses have IT infrastructure and services that need maintaining these days. First line support is one of the commonest entry points in to the industry and many IT professionals will have at one point in their career cut their teeth providing customer support or manning a help desk. Like any job that involves dealing with the public, it can be challenging. This is exacerbated in IT by the gulf in knowledge between vendor and client as well as unrealistic user expectations. The person you speak to on the phone does not know the answer to everything. If they did they wouldn’t be answering the phone.
"Have you tried fucking off and dying?"
Anyone who’s worked in tech support will have a wealth of amusing anecdotes and horror stories regarding the “users”. Most office staff will have similar vignettes about the IT support department. It is a strange symbiotic relationship. Most of those that have worked in first line support do not look back upon it fondly. It’s a rite of passage that has to be undertaken to reach the next stage of your career. To this day I do everything in my power to minimise my personal interaction with the customer. However it is far harder to escape the technical needs of ones friends and families or that neighbour who has a PC that’s still running Windows ME. If you want to avoid such situations you either need to lie to everyone you meet about your line of work of become an orphan.
I once went to a social event after a long day at work, only to find myself saddled with insufferable dullard who was out for some free advice. His simple enquiry turned out to be a crass attempt at an hour’s free consultancy. After five minutes or so I interrupted his stream of questions and asked what his preferred method of payment was? Before he could answer I pointed out what my hourly rate was and that I had a credit card reader in my bag. The conversation very rapidly turned to his new patio which proved to be as equally dull. However to counter this particular story I would like to offer another. I worked for nearly two years at St. Georges Hospital in South West London. Undertaking the most arbitrary support tasks within the A&E department, such a fixing a printer or a PC on reception were always met with genuine gratitude. I was told by front-line staff that removing such hassles made their life demonstrably less difficult. I got immense satisfaction from this.
"Congratulations. You've just bought a cloud-based enterprise solution and I'm retiring to the Cayman Islands."
So there you have it; a few random thoughts about working in IT. It’s not something I deliberately set out to do, yet all things considered it has served me very well over the years. As a result I’ve worked for some very diverse employers and seen some very interesting aspects of life I may not have done so under other circumstances. Furthermore it has been intellectually challenging and a source of self-improvement, as there’s always something new to learn in this field. As someone who doesn’t care for office politics and social hierarchies too much, IT has also been a means of bypassing a lot of work place drama. The person at the top of a company and the most junior member of staff both rely on technology and I have always endeavoured to treat them equally. IT has afforded me a great deal of freedom outside of standard business rules and etiquette. Plus in what other industry can you walk around with a network cable or a circuit board and people just assume that you’re really busy?
Overfamiliarity with a Genre
I have watched a lot of movies over the years; more so than the average viewer. Being a fan I seek out new and obscure content on a daily basis. A day seldom goes by without me watching a movie or at the least a TV show. As I am not a causal viewer, a movie gets my undivided attention. I focus on dialogue, composition, editing and also try to take in the subtle background detail that can often yield some extra level of enjoyment. As a result of my passion, I can often remember minute detail and recollect specifics, long after viewing. I guess this is the nature of fandom. If you like something, you retain it.
I have watched a lot of movies over the years; more so than the average viewer. Being a fan I seek out new and obscure content on a daily basis. A day seldom goes by without me watching a movie or at the least a TV show. As I am not a causal viewer, a movie gets my undivided attention. I focus on dialogue, composition, editing and also try to take in the subtle background detail that can often yield some extra level of enjoyment. As a result of my passion, I can often remember minute detail and recollect specifics, long after viewing. I guess this is the nature of fandom. If you like something, you retain it.
I have a particular fondness for horror films and enjoy the universal monster movies from the thirties, through to the halcyon days of Hammer in the fifties and sixties. I was raised on the slasher genre of the eighties and since then have branched out into euro-horror and many other sub genres. I can remember when I saw such classics as Dawn of the Dead, Suspiria and Night of the Demon for the first time and how they made me feel. I'm sure many other horror fans will look back upon their own rite of passage with similar affection.
Sadly there is a downside to having such a veracious appetite for new content. The more one watches horror movies (or any other genre), the more familiar you become with the actual mechanics of scaring the audience. The accumulative knowledge one builds up overtime ends up negating any chance of being taken by surprise or “frightened”. I became acutely aware of this recently when The Conjuring was released. It is a very well-crafted shocker with a great atmosphere that builds at a measured pace. The shocks, jolts and jumps are well conceived and effective, yet they failed to elicit anything more from me other than my admiration for their execution.
I have simply seen too many horror movies and as a result, my brain is constantly analysing them as I view them; deconstructing them on the fly. The moment the protagonist moves towards the open window with the curtains billowing, I know that they’ll subsequently be an epic act of misdirection as a cat or bird causes the audience to jump. Then as the characters turns away from the false alarm, I await for them to walk straight into the arms of the psychopath who was behind them all along. The horror industry is founded upon variations on a theme and I am aware of most of the tropes and memes it draws upon.
As a result I will never be able to experience a horror movie in the same way I did twenty or thirty years ago. Ignorance can indeed be bliss. That’s not to say that I can no longer enjoy the genre I love so much but that I’ve definitely fallen victim to overfamiliarity. As a gamer I have heard a similar lament from other players that they cannot go back and experience certain key games as they did originally. In fact it seems to be a universal refrain among fans that they can’t forget or erase certain experiences so they have the pleasure of reliving them again. With regard to horror films, the nearest we can get to reliving a particular movie experience is to watch them with someone who is new to them. This way we can vicariously enjoy their reactions as they jump and scream, with a degree of avuncular self-satisfaction and even a little envy.