Wasted ideas and the games that could have been

Several game publishers just saved me a load of money... but that's NOT a good thing. In fact as far as my gaming standards are concerned, it's downright horrible.

Ideas are a dime a dozen; some good, some cliched, some awful. At most the more original, untried and yet workable the idea, the more potential such a game would have to--you know, stand out. Be noticed. Be fun.

And then it all falls to a crashing disappointment.

Case in point: Call of Duty 4.

Don't get me wrong; I loved the original Call of Duty and the way its sheer intensity kept me hooked to the PC for hours and hours. Brutally difficult, visceral and by virtue of the fact you died a lot but still kept coming back for more, developer Infinity Ward had a winner.

Such a winner they made Call of Duty 2. Better polished, better shooter mechanics, crisper graphics. Would that make a better game, surpassing the original CoD? I naively hoped so... but on trying the demo it turned out to be another run-n-gun German kill-fest. True, there was fun to be had--but the liberties the designers took with the WW2 setting left something to be desired. We ended up buying CoD2, but only after prices went down. Fun, but our $50 could've been better spent.

Fine, I thought. Give them another chance.

Which brings me to the core idea behind Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Set in the contemporary War on Terror, CoD4 serves up a new story-driven campaign about American and British efforts to stop a power-mad Russian nationalist who enlists Middle Eastern terrorist factions to do his bidding. You shoot baddies up with M4 assault rifles instead of Garands, Javelin AT missiles instead of Panzershrecks.

Intriguing? Yes. Fun? Yes... for a while. As long as it takes the free demo to run.

Come on, Infinity Ward--I know you can portray the US Marines better than that--the player is supposedly a Sergeant in Force Recon, but where is his squad? Why must Lt. Vasquez personally assign troops to cover the player when squad control should be up to player action? Why does every friendly rifle have a targeting laser?

And why oh why does the Javelin go so high in top-down attack mode? (I won't even go into the player's ability to carry an unlimited number of missiles, something only possible with the cartoon concept of "Hammerspace".) Basically the design decisions in the game are so stupid it's laughable--but sadly, the only laughter will be by IW all the way to the bank. And unless something happens they will come away thinking this game succeeded and make more of the same.

I loved Call of Duty and frankly still do--in fact I wanted CoD4 to be compelling, realistic and make sense. It may be the first, but it sure isn't the second and third... and until they can show they've done research into how Force Recon works and added a player command ability I'm not showing them the money. I'm not a hardcore military nut by any standard, but I know fakery when I see it so blatantly placed in a game I want to love but can't.

Good idea, bad execution. Good point on releasing the demo, though--I now know to wait till this game lands in the bargain lot.

And don't get me started on World in Conflict; the demo of this glowingly-reviewed (and creative, I admit) RTS left an awful taste in my mouth. Even Company of Heroes featured more advanced squad mechanics and off-map support than this alternate-history game. Set during a Soviet invasion of Europe and America in 1989 and featuring a great story and whiz-bang action, the following found their way in:

-- the need to wait 10-20 seconds for artillery and airstrikes (compared to five in CoH)
-- the inability to update co-ordinates
-- the need for units to precisely line up or they won't move; a fat lot of use in a firefight

Another great idea, long on promise but short on execution. And those are, to me, the worst gaming letdowns of all :(

Next time I'll talk about cliched and in some cases unoriginal or inherently boring ideas that actually worked. You know... can you say Company of Heroes?

(One) cure for jadedness...

... is to find things to thank God for--His grace, providence, mercy and continued love for people like us.

- Clean air to breathe
- Good food and the continued ability to afford it
- Friends who actually know what lecturers and tutors are talking about
- Dare I say a soulmate?
- A cross to leave my burdens at--not very comforting at first glance, but that's the way things are
- Parents who provide love, reliable shelter, a mission field and a well-functioning home all at once
- Some One to ask the tough questions that I may not want to hear answers for right away

- And the presence of a future in His service, however uncertain, however murky it may be to me.

"Come unto Me, all you who labour and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and lowly in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

-- Matthew 11:28-30

Dying blogs

Sorry for letting the blog go this whole week; trying to get anything but studying done is turning into the very definition of useless :( I am working on a longer post--a mini-essay in itself--which should be up soon enough.



And ZP, this is yourself. Remember to write about wasted games.

The "Peace" Prize, Net Filth, and Friends

Gimme a break. Much as he's done to improve our knowledge of environmental issues, Albert A. Gore doesn't deserve anything approaching a "peace" prize; I always thought environmental work and awareness raising belonged to another category altogether.


(Nor does social work--in my opinion, Mother Teresa shouldn't have won it either. The Peace Prize stands for just that--peaceful solutions to conflict. I admire her courage and years spent helping the poor and destitute... but "peace" simply isn't the category for her.) Check out


http://www.americanthinker.com/2007/10/the_nobel_prize_curse.html


Dictionary.com defines peace thus:


–noun
1.
the normal, nonwarring condition of a nation, group of nations, or the world.
2.
(often initial capital letter) an agreement or treaty between warring or antagonistic nations, groups, etc., to end hostilities and abstain from further fighting or antagonism: the Peace of Ryswick.
3.
a state of mutual harmony between people or groups, esp. in personal relations: Try to live in peace with your neighbors.
4.
the normal freedom from civil commotion and violence of a community; public order and security: He was arrested for being drunk and disturbing the peace.


Nowhere in that does the IPCC or Gore's work fall, nor Mother Teresa's for that matter.


(And giving 1994's to Yasser Arafat? PLEASE!)

#

Aren't Internet trolls just deadly? I've never doubted the ability of a blog or forum post to smear just about anything and everything; but Korean netizens are officially now pissing me off.

Even the Straits Times ran it on the cover recently; celebrities forced into hiding (one registered for an English class only to become the victim of a rumour she was... no, I won't repeat the story here. I'm not gonna join the rumour mill.),

Another girl failed to clean up after her dog on the subway--and vitriol was all over the web the next day. And netizens actually thought they were doing the right thing smearing reputations left, right and centre!

I don't think they've simply forgotten they're referring to real human beings--their hiding behind the Internet is a sign they've forgotten any semblance of basic human decency. Find the facts first, then shoot your mouth off--though if you even want to in the first place...

Sheesh.

Eternity is a long time to be wrong

"We apologise for the victims, but only the Muslims. The infidels will go to hell anyway."

"Why would we be scared of death? Even now we are not scared to be executed. Bush and his allies, you all will go to hell but me and all my friends in the world will go to heaven."

-- Convicted Bali bomber Imam Samudra

Wanna bet?

Dedication -- Abide With Me

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;
earth's joys grow dim; its glories pass away;
change and decay in all around I see;
O thou who changest not, abide with me.

I need thy presence every passing hour.
What but thy grace can foil the tempter's power?
Who, like thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

I fear no foe, with thee at hand to bless;
ills have no weight, and tears not bitterness.
Where is death's sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if thou abide with me.

Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes;
shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.
Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee;
in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

-- Henry M. Lyte


Lyte wrote the above hymn in 1847, while dying of tuberculosis; yet he was able to see a magnificent hope many of us sadly cannot but is there nevertheless.

This magnificent hymn of hope is dedicated to my church, whom I truly, truly hope get to singing hymns like it again soon. And all who are wounded in mind, body or spirit--for our Lord is the Hope of the hopeless.

Tolong!!!

I just finished my mid-term tests, and boy am I f***ed.

I'd say more, but I'm in crisis mode now and mugging like crazy over such esoterics as 3-D math, rotational dynamics and magnetic properties of materials.

So yeah, f***ed's the right word. (Don't go telling me I used a bad word. I know it all too well.)

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear
May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright unclouded there will be no need for prayer
Rapture, praise and endless worship will be our sweet portion there.

-- Joseph M. Scriven

An Open Letter to Christians in Allied military forces

I’m sorry, America and your coalition allies.

I’m sorry, soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines—for not keeping you in prayer as I should have. The strain of combat and loss of life, limb or mental acuity is a burden I do not wish on anyone, and I fear my prayers for mental and physical strength, lethality and compassion may not have come in time.

But I’m pretty sure God has His own timetable, and He does not need to be asked so much as we have to approach Him.

So I urge you to claim for yourselves the missions from your commanders, the bond with your brothers in arms, and the words of the prophet Isaiah:

“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, 'Here I am.' If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”

(Isaiah 58:6-11 ESV)


I know sometimes it doesn’t feel like it—fighting door-to-door against an enemy with practically infinite resupply, manpower and hate-drenched ideology, and facing opposition from politicians in Congress with little regard for the enormous sacrifices you have made in getting Iraq and Afghanistan to where they are today. Enemies appear both before and behind you, and saddened as I am at the fragmented state of the War on Terror today, I pray your chaplains, commanders and fellow fighting men remind you what makes it all worthwhile.

A line from the film Windtalkers captures it well: “They want to send us home. But so long as there’s a Hitler and a Tojo out there, we can’t go home.”

Take the advice of C. S. Lewis—fight the enemy not out of hate but love, as if they are suffering from a disease that you hope one day they will be cured of. As Sam tells Frodo in The Two Towers, the good in this world is worth fighting for, whether with gentleness and longsuffering, or force of arms. Remember you are the good guys, and act accordingly. Christ reminds us His Two Commandments still hold: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your strength, all your soul and all your mind—and your neighbour as yourself. Each of you must answer the young lawyer’s question: “Who is my neighbour?”

The casualty of terrorist bombing.

The wounded fellow soldier who just needs to hang on.

The civilian someone’s shot and your medical crew are fighting to save.

Or the Iraqi fighter you’ve taken prisoner, who tells you the militia are threatening to kill his family if he doesn’t kill Americans.

In all things keep your head, your mission and your faith. No matter where you yourself stand on the war, you have my gratitude and thanks for fighting it and doing your duty on behalf of freedom-loving people everywhere—like in the invasion and liberation of France, our hopes and prayers march with you. And when you return, victorious, certainly not unscathed but strengthened, I hope to join Christians of the free world in welcoming you home. No matter where you stand in the war you fight, a big thank you for doing your duty, and risking your lives so millions of others need not.

Even back in America or your home countries, safe with your families and friends, you will not be home yet—for your home, like mine, is in heaven itself. And if He sees it fit to save more of the people of Iraq and turn their hearts away from darkness… I know that will be an added blessing.

General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker have my prayers and admiration; they stay on an arduous but splendidly-done job, despite the accusations leveled at them from a Congress determined to see the war effort fail, and terrorists like bin Laden vindicated in the process. Pray that Congress and the Democratic Party itself have spine and heart enough to show courage turned towards the well-being of America, and that God show these leaders His continued grace despite the sin that continues to plague your great nation as it does all over this fallen world.

And to the brave men and women who hold the Lord Jesus’s word in their hearts, God bless you. You have faced down the enemy with courage, honour and humility, freed Iraq and Afghanistan from the stranglehold of fear and oppression, and defend our freedoms day by day.

As a Christian and fellow-worker, I will ever be glad to count myself your brother.