Blessing of the Valar
Boosts that auto-level a character in an MMO have always divided player opinion. Naturally when Turbine introduced the Gift of the Valar in late 2014, which instantly increases a character to Ievel fifty, there was a lot of debate in the wider community. It should be noted that at the time of release, Turbine stated they reserved the right to alter the level boost beyond fifty at a future date. On a live stream broadcast on 12th June 2014, it was stated that the boost may be raised to possibly seventy five. It would seem that in update 17.1 for LOTRO, Turbine have created a new boost called the Blessing of the Valar which will increase a character to level ninety five.
Classic Game Themes: Hidden & Dangerous 2
Hidden & Dangerous 2 is one of the most enjoyable, yet frustrating games I have encountered. There are some moments of brilliance to be had whilst playing it but sadly bugs and some questionable AI always seems to trip the proceedings up. Released late 2003 when World War II games were still very much in vogue, this third person squad based shooter still has many outstanding features to this day. One of which is the terrific score by Michal Szlavik and Martin Benes, performed by the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra from the Czech Republic.
Digital Ambassadors
Early this year while listening to Mark Kermode's excellent radio documentary The Business of Film, I was introduced to the term Digital Ambassador. When I had finished laughing and making crass jokes about Wolf Kahler and Ferrero Rocher, I actually pondered the phrase and spent some time researching it online. Like most contemporary buzzwords despite being nauseatingly hyperbolic and overwrought, it did have a functional definition. Furthermore it soon became apparent that I and many of my podcasting and blogging colleagues are indeed examples of this very group.
Next (2007)
Next is based on a story by Philip K. Dick and has nothing to do with the song by the Sensational Alex Harvey Band. Nor is it linked in any way to the fashion and lifestyle chain of retail stores. I just wanted to get that cleared up before I start. Now I believe that the world in general, pretty much wiped their critical backsides upon this film upon its release. There were complaints regarding the lack of plot explanation, back story and character motivation. I dealt with all these points by simply engaging my brain and sense of imagination. It is not essential for every nuance of a storyline to be telegraphed in great detailed. I do not like to be cinematically spoon fed. But there again, I am not afflicted with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Now that we’ve got this matter out of the way let us press on. Next is far from a masterpiece; however it is neither the dog’s dinner some would claim.
Rose Red (2002)
I've always been partial to a good ghost story and have recently rekindled my interest in the genre after finally reading Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House. I therefore approached Stephen King's Rose Red with moderately high expectations as it is in many ways homage to that story. However this four hour miniseries, directed by action stalwart Craig R. Baxley, failed to live up to these. The main problem is that King plagiarises virtually every major haunted house novel and movie of the last fifty years; Burnt Offerings, Legend of the Hell House, The Amityville Horror and even his own back catalogue. As a result there is too much derivative content and a distinct lack of a new perspective.
The Lord of the Rings - BBC Radio Adaptation (1981)
In 1981 BBC Radio 4 produced an ambitious adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, presenting Tolkien’s novel in twenty six, thirty minute episodes. As with all adaptations some material had to be removed, but overall the BBC production was not excessively abridged and followed the plot faithfully. The characterisations and dialogue were extremely well realised and music by composer Stephen Oliver was very much in the style and idiom of Tolkien. This was a production of the highest pedigree and a major event for the BBC at the time. The series was heavily promoted, receiving front page status in The Radio Times, the UK’s premier TV guide and bestselling magazine. Although initial reviews were varied, the series immediately gained a cult following with fans trading episodes recorded on cassette tape. Word of mouth and substantial listening figures soon lead to revised opinions from the press, along with the immortal slogan "Radio is Hobbit 4-ming".
Gaming Merchandise
While watching the official LOTROstream recently, I noted that there was still a lot of LOTRO related merchandise adorning staff desks at Turbine’s offices. I recollect in the past that mouse mats, mugs and other items use to be available for sale in the Warner Bros. store. There was an initial marketing campaign associated with the launch of the game in 2007 and another in 2010 when the game converted to F2P, both of which required a stock of merchandise for promotional reasons. Sadly a search of the Warner Bros. store has shown that no such material is available any longer. Furthermore considering where LOTRO is in its lifespan, there is not likely to be any further stock produced.
Building a Tactical DPS Guardian Cruiser – Advice Required
I recently acquired a Mirror Universe Guardian Cruiser for the princely sum of £4, thanks to the recent Pop Culture Hero Coalition charity auction. It would appear that this is a well-regarded vessel within Star Trek Online and worth experimenting with as my primary ship. So I have spent some time (and energy credits) of late, trying to put together an adequate Tactical DPS build. However I am not particularly knowledgeable in this aspect of STO and have so far not exceeded 9K DPS. Although I’m not seeking to join the ranks of the elite, I would at least like to achieve about 10K DPS plus. However researching a suitable loadout is proving somewhat frustrating. Most Reddit threads on the matter are pitched at too high a level for me and often use jargon I’m not familiar with.
The Lord of the Rings - The John Boorman Adaptation
n 1969 JRR Tolkien finally sold the film and merchandising rights of The Lord of the Rings to United Artists for approximately £104,000. A year later the studio asked director John Boorman if he could make the books into a viable film. Boorman, an established director with a track record of being experimental, set about developing a screenplay with his long term collaborator, Rospo Pallenberg. What emerged was a one hundred and fifty minute script and possibly the most radical adaptation of Tolkien's work. Some of the ideas and concepts it contained were extremely innovative but others where simply too radical a divergence from the source text. I’ve collated a few of these for your consideration. If you are familiar with Boorman's 1973 film Zardoz, then you will note both similarities and re-occurring themes.
Star Wars Battlefront
A reoccurring theme in both my writing and podcasting at present is how age changes one’s personal perspective. This is something that particularly manifests itself with regard to gaming. A decade ago I would have been extremely enthusiastic about a title such as Star Wars Battlefront. I would have pre-ordered the most lavish version available, then waxed lyrical about the beta test and thrown myself wholeheartedly in to the game upon its release. Despite the fact that I’m notoriously poor at the FPS genre, I would have sunk hours in to such a game and done my up most to convince myself and others that I’d had a good time.
The Burton & Scrooge Guide to Podcasting
This is a somewhat self-indulgent post. I like to listen to podcasts as well as produce them myself. I have very particular tastes, not so much in respect of content but more with regard to presentation, style and quality of production. As a result I aspire to make the Burton & Scrooge podcast in a certain fashion and to a specific standard. But as everyone has their own personal tastes I fully understand that other podcasters may wish to do things differently. Hence this article is not being held up as a de facto guide. It is simply me sharing my process.
How to Explain Your Passion for Gaming to a Non-Gamer
Gaming is a pastime that is still viewed with scepticism by many people and gamers per se still endure a lot of bad press from those who like to perpetuate lazy stereotypes. If you are a well-adjusted gamer who enjoys gainful employment and a healthy social life, you may find yourself at some point having to explain your passion. Furthermore it could be to people who find your hobby utterly alien. Like most things in life there is no easy solution and there are numerous approaches to tackling such a line of enquiry.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
Taking a popular franchise that is familiar to fortysomethings and remaking it for modern audiences is a difficult proposition and a calculated risk. More often than not such undertakings fail. Consider The Wild Wild West, The Avengers (no not that one, the other) and more recently The Lone Ranger. The problem lies in trying to make a film that can please all audiences. Often the finished product is too different from original material to appeal to the “get off my lawn” brigade. Younger viewers often have no connection to the franchise or knowledge of the era it came from. This results in the film failing to find a market and leads to box office failure. However it doesn’t necessarily indicate that the movie is poor per se.
Star Trek Online - Hearts and Minds
Star Trek is no stranger to the supernatural. The original series featured two episodes written by the reknown horror author Robert Bloch, namely "Catspaw" and "Wolf in the fold". Both of which nicely contrasted the shows central science based theme with elements of the paranormal. So I was pleased to see today that Cryptic were making the episode "Hearts and Minds" available in Star Trek Online, for a short 36 hour window to celebrate Friday the 13th. It’s a suitably atmospheric and cautionary tale which compliments the traditional story lines we see in STO. The story takes place in the Donatu sector of the Eta Eridani sector block, at a lunar research station in the Donatu system. Franklin Drake bestows the mission, thus suggesting that all is not as it seems.
The Evolving Definition of MMORPG
A post over at Massively Overpowered postulated the question is an MMORPG still an MMORPG without gear progression? As you can imagine a broad debate ensued and at present there are over two hundred comments on the matter. I’m not going to debate the specifics of this particular question but would rather consider the following notion. That the term MMORPG is not immutable and has indeed evolved beyond its traditional definition. Furthermore unless some gamers embrace the concept of adaptive gaming semantics then they will continue to find themselves at odds with the prevailing ideas that are currently driving game developers.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Extended Edition (2014)
The theatrical edition of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies was light on plot and heavy on action sequences. As a result it had many unresolved story lines. The extended editions once again attempts to address these deficiencies but sadly out of the twenty minutes of additional material that has been added, most are extended action scenes. There are moments of substance buried within this ponderous expanded edition but they are few and far between. Compared to other entries in the extended trilogy, this is the weakest as it really doesn’t add any major plot or narrative improvements. It does however add a lot more orc based violence.
Black Belt Jones (1974)
Among the many Blaxploitation films of the seventies, Black Belt Jones is certainly one of the best. Director Robert Clouse skilfully blends the action with humour and no cliché is left unturned. Jim Kelly proves very adept and his fighting style is both accomplished and enjoyable. Sporting cast of known genre names, such as Scatman Crothers, Gloria Hendry the film proves to be an entertaining eighty seven minutes. If you like this genre along with big Afro's, plaid pants and jive talking pimps, then Black Belt Jones ticks all the boxes. The plot is hardly complex drawing from stock story lines from the martial arts and action genres. However some of the dialogue is priceless with Malik Carter having all the best lines.
Dawn of the Dead: The Extended Mall Hours Cut (1978)
In the last few years I’ve become acquainted with the concept of fan edits. Fan edit are versions of a film that has been modified by a viewer. This involves the removal, reordering, or the addition of new material to create a new interpretation of the film. Fan edits include the removal of scenes or dialogue, replacement of audio and visual elements, as well as adding material from sources such as deleted scenes or even other films. Due to the easy access to pro-quality software and high definition source material, such editions are often very professionally realised. Naturally fan edits often fall foul of copyright law.
Classic Game Themes: Arcania - Gothic 4
Dynamedion are an award winning company and team of composers based in Germany. They specialize in soundtracks and game compositions, usually in the orchestral form. Over the years they have produced both musical scores and ambient sound designs for such titles as Ryse: Son of Rome, The Elder Scrolls Online and the Gothic series. Tilman Sillescu is both the co-founder of Dynamedion, as well as a prodigious composer in his own right. He previously taught at Mainz University. As Lead Composer and Creative Director at Dynamedion GbR, he has scored many exciting video game projects as well as writing and producing music for movie trailers, television and libraries.
Gamer Spends $30,000 on Star Citizen
Over at PCGamer there’s an interview with a Star Citizen fan by the name of Chris (AKA Ozy311) who has to date spent $30,000 on the game. He owns all items that are currently available via the game store. Furthermore he has implied that he will continue to spend money on Star Citizen as more content become available. It would appear that Chris is an ardent gamer and has no concerns spending such sums of money on virtual products in a game that is still under development. Judging from the interview it seems that he has a well-paid job and is therefore simply exercising his right to spend his money how he sees fit.