The TGEN Tribunal #6
The Gaming and Entertainment Network was set up in 2014 by several podcasters as a way to promote each other’s shows and reach a wider audience. All the networks members have strong views regarding creating and maintaining communities. Hence it was decided to produce a quarterly roundtable podcast made up of network contributors to discuss and explore a wide variety of subjects. The shows are lively and informal in nature, although there’s often a lot of passion when it comes to the topics being discussed. Frequently the shows are based around questions that our network listeners have asked and the idea of the tribunal is to reflect the feedback we receive.
Diary of a Podcaster Part 3
Last weekend, myself, Syl, Braxwolf and Brian recorded an episode of the TGEN Tribunal. Being regular podcasters who all know each other, the conversation flowed well and overall there were no major impediments to the discussion. We used Zencastr to record the podcast which has its own inbuilt voice over IP service, so there’s no need for third party programs such as Skype. Zencastr has the added benefit of recording each participant on a separate audio track, that is then automatically uploaded to a designated Drop Box account. This makes editing in Audacity very easy, as all four audio files are perfectly synchronised. Or at least that’s the theory. The reality can be somewhat different.
Star Trek Online and the MMO Trinity
Although I will happily espouse the virtues of Star Trek Online, the multiplayer element of this MMO is very much optional. The central mission arcs are all solo friendly and although you can play through this content in a group, there is no major incentive to do so. The only times I have grouped during standard PVE content has been to help another player new to the game and when replaying a specific mission for the rewards if offers. The latter can be done a lot faster when grouped. The space and ground queues that are available at level 50 are designed for 6, 10 or 20 players but again the multiplayer aspect of these is somewhat arbitrary. Players can either join a PUG via the group finding system or set up bespoke event themselves with friends of fellow Fleet members. Beyond that there is no compelling interaction between players.
Classic Movie Themes: The 7th Voyage of Sinbad
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) directed by Nathan Juran, was the first of three Sinbad feature films produced by Columbia Pictures. The other two being The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1974) and Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977). All three Sinbad films were a showcase for Ray Harryhausen’s stop motion animation special effects works, which was marketed as “Dynamation”. The 7th Voyage of Sinbad was the first of Harryhausen’s work to be filmed in colour. The somewhat arbitrary story has Captain Sinbad (Kerwin Mathews) returning to the island of Colossa to find a way to release Princess Parisa (Kathryn Grant) from a magic spell that has caused her to shrink. As ever with such movies, there is much chewing of the scenery and overwrought dialogue. However, the two elements of the film that excel are the excellent monsters and a superb score composed by Bernard Herrmann.
The Yakuza (1974)
Japan, its culture and heritage have always been a source of fascination for Hollywood. The Yakuza is a thriller that plays upon the fact that the West at the time was still broadly ignorant of life in post war Japan. As a result, it makes an excellent setting for a story of revenge and honour with its vivid landscape and contrasting culture. This character driven movie encompasses all the best aspects of a mature Hollywood. There are many who consider the period between 1964 – 1976 to be a golden age of American film making. It’s an idea that I find myself hard pressed to argue with as The Yakuza is a prime example of quality film making from that era.
To Grind or Not to Grind?
As soon as I returned to LOTRO last October I immediately started replacing my level 100 gear with more appropriate items. I finally started using slotted armour and essences, using mainly the gear that dropped from quests along the way. As ever it’s not the best but it’s better than what I had. I never started the Dol Amroth repeatable quests that yield armour sets and as the gear is now only level 100, I’ve decided against that option. As I no longer have the time to regularly run instances, I can’t get a set from the Throne of Dread Terror (T2). Luckily, Turbine (now Standing Stone Games) introduced the Flora Barter system with Update 19: March of the King, which provides an alternative method of obtaining level cap appropriate gear.
MMORPGs: A Recurring Talking Point
Last night, I hosted the recording of the latest TGEN Tribunal, a quarterly roundtable podcast made up of members of The Gaming and Entertainment Network. Myself, Syl, Braxwolf and Brian discussed several subjects, one of which was regarding the MMORPG genre. The initial question was quite specific but the discussion soon expanded to cover wider aspects of online multiplayer games. Overall it was an interesting debate, as all present have been playing MMOs for years and have certainly seen their relationship with them evolve. When we finished recording it occurred to me that the subject of MMOs has been a major theme of many of the podcasts I’ve been involved with over the years.
Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007 (2012)
Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007 is a lot more than just some bit of fluff, promotional documentary celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Bond movies. It is quite a frank insight into the history of the Bond franchise, although it is very much told from the perspective of EON productions. The movie title comes from the production company acronym “Everything or Nothing” which was formed by Harry Saltzman and Albert “Cubby” Broccoli. Although somewhat partisan in its tone, this is not a rose-tinted exploration of the staggering success of Ian Fleming’s iconic character. The documentary does in fact make you rethink many notions you may have had about certain high profile Hollywood stars and producers.
UI Customisation
Game complexity can be both a boon and a bane; a selling point and a source of irritation. There are many titles that I enjoy that have a wealth of systems and mechanics that add greatly to the overall immersion and entertainment. The MMORPG genre excels at this. However, this data all needs to be displayed visually, in an efficient and intuitive fashion. It has to be readily available and easy to navigate. Naturally, there’s a fine balance between making such a system accessible without becoming a source of distraction. This is the challenge that all developers face when designing a user interface. However this problem is compounded further by the human element. Regardless of how well crafted a game’s UI may be, players will always wish to change it to suit their own needs and requirements.
The Geography of LOTRO: Part 2 Bree and Bree-land
In the second part of our look at the geography of Middle Earth, we shall be focusing of the town of Bree. It has a pivotal role in the events of the book and subsequently play a similar part Standing Stone Games Lord of the Rings Online. Before we start, let us remind ourselves exactly what Tolkien writes when introducing Bree to the reader. The following quote is the opening paragraph of chapter nine; At the sign of the Prancing Pony from The Fellowship of the Ring.
Damning the Elder Scrolls Online with Faint Praise?
I recently wrote about how about how I finally purchased The Elder Scrolls Online, two years after the games launch. As the purpose of this post is to contrast my thoughts on the MMO both then and now and how they may have potentially changed, I must first reiterate how I felt about ESO initially. As memory serves, here is a breakdown of my initial impressions. I participated in the beta testing in 2014 and although I broadly enjoyed the game, I was not in any way blown away by it. Overall things took several hours to hit their stride as far as gameplay and enjoyment. I also felt that the early levels seemed too focused on establishing the narrative at the expense of the player getting into the game. Eventually I did get that Elder Scrolls vibe but it was not immediately apparent. The action combat needed refining and the multiplayer element frankly felt redundant, unless you were focused on PVP.
Who Will be the Next Doctor?
Idle speculation is a national pastime in the UK. Be it about the gender of the next royal baby or who’ll be managing some ailing football club, we’ll happily spend an inordinate amount of time and energy pondering such matters. Is such conjecture based on factually accurate data and a knowledgeable insight of the matter in hand? Unfortunately, not. The only requirements necessary to express an opinion are a rudimentary grasp of the English language, access to a web enabled device and a pulse. The latest matter to arise that offers the public an opportunity to indulge in some fevered speculation, is the news that Peter Capaldi will be quitting the role of Doctor Who at the end of the year. Therefore, who exactly would be the thirteenth incarnation of the Doctor.
Classic Movie Themes: Krull
After the success of his nautically themed score for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, composer James Horner was very much in demand. Columbia pictures subsequently hired him over the likes of John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith to compose the soundtrack for Krull (1983). The movie was to be the studios flagship fantasy title and their most expensive production to date, costing $50 million. Unfortunately, the curious mixture of science fiction and fantasy failed to find an audience and was a box office failure. The film most certainly does have flaws. The screenplay was constantly re-written and the lead actor, Ken Marshall is somewhat underwhelming. Yet the production and costume design are outstanding and the movie is beautifully shot.
Wrath of the Titans (2012)
A decade after his heroic defeat of the monstrous Kraken, Perseus-the demigod, son of Zeus, is attempting to live a quieter life. Meanwhile, a struggle for supremacy rages between the gods and the Titans. Dangerously weakened by humanity's lack of devotion, the gods are losing control of the imprisoned Titans and their ferocious leader, Kronos. Enlisting the help of the warrior Queen Andromeda, Poseidon's demigod son Argenor and fallen god Hephaestus, Perseus bravely embarks on a treacherous quest into the underworld to overthrow the Titans and save mankind. Or so Warner Bros. Pictures say in their 2012 press release for Wrath of the Titans.
Clash of the Titans (2010)
When I initially heard that Clash of the Titans was to be remade, I had mixed feelings. I grew up watch Ray Harryhausen movies and have a great affection for them. However, it can be argued that the 1981 original movie has hardly Harryhausens finest work. It was saddled with an uninspired script, a wooden lead and seemed very dated compared to comparable fantasy movies at the time, such as Dragonslayer. So, I chose to give the 2010 remake the benefit of the doubt. I was even prepared to overlook the fact that the movie had been retrofitted in to 3D during post-production. A pointless embellishment. Upon my first viewing, which I saw on a big screen West End theatre, I was left with mixed feelings. I recently decided to watch Clash of the Titans again to see if there were any aspects of the film that I had overlooked. Sadly, my conclusions remained the same.
Diary of a Podcaster Part 2
A week on from my last post on this subject, I have decided to script the entire of my solo podcast. It won’t be one hundred percent verbatim but I need to get the lion share of my thoughts down prior to recording. I discovered over several recording sessions that I continuously think of additional points to add as I’m speaking. The net result is having to constantly stop and start Audacity, the program I use for recording, as well as having to research extra points on the fly. Again, I was not happy with the finished product as you could frequently hear the hesitation or more to the point, the frustration in my voice. So, I’ve returned to the idea of having well fleshed out notes with some sections such as the introduction, written out in their entirety.
Star Trek Online: Season 12 and the 7th Anniversary
There’s a lot going on in Star Trek Online at present. The game is currently celebrating its seventh anniversary which means there’s a chance to earn a new Tier 6 Lukari Ho’kuun Science Vessel, via the repeatable Omega Molecule Stabilization anniversary event. Season Twelve has also just launched, with the featured episode Of Signs and Portents. The story continues with Starfleet’s joint exploration with their new ally the Lukari, and features actor Tony Todd reprising his role of General Rodek. There is also the addition of the Lukari reputation faction, along with two new Tzenkethi Space Queues and Battlezone. If this wasn’t enough Cryptic have also added a new Kits and Modules Research School to the existing R&D system as well as a new lock box, featuring 23rd Century ships and technologies.
Yet Another Divided Community?
Overwatch is currently celebrating the Chinese New Year with an event that adds not only additional cosmetic skins but also a new game mode. Capture the Rooster is a themed variation of capture the flag. What makes this new content so interesting is that Blizzard initially stated that such a game mechanic would not be viable for the game, due to the abilities of specific characters giving them an unfair advantage. However, the developers have placed a time delay between capturing the flag and when a player can run with it, allegedly mitigating this loophole. Yet despite this change Capture the Rooster is still proving controversial with the player base. Feel free to peruse the comments section over at Polygon or on the Overwatch subreddit for further information. The key to success appears to be with having a balanced organised team. Thus, guilds that player regularly fair better than players who just auto group.
Looking for the Right RPG
Sometimes when you try something new, you can inadvertently enter the market at the top end. For example, if the first fantasy novel you read may be The Lord of the Rings or the first RPG game you play is either Skyrim or The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, then you’re definitely dealing with A list products. Although this has the benefit of providing a high quality personal experience, it also comes with a downside. The bar for such content has now been set extremely high and subsequent forays into similar territory may not be as good or enjoyable. To use a clumsy analogy, once you’ve had Châteauneuf-du-Pape, your local stores economy brand may no longer suffice.
Classic Movie Themes: Conan the Barbarian
A well written film soundtrack does more than simply embellish the on-screen imagery. It permeates the very fabric of the film and becomes character itself, adding emotional content and driving forward the narrative. However, there is a fine line between enhancing the pace and atmosphere of a film and simply "telegraphing" imminent events in a melodramatic fashion. The score for Conan The Barbarian by the late Basil Poledouris is a rare example of the former and in itself totally sublime. Using the traditional style of the "leitmotif", a ninety-piece orchestra and twenty four voice choir, Poledouris creates "a continuous musical drama" that has now entered the pantheon of classic modern film scores.