Posts Tagged ‘Gaming’

On Sunday January 29th at 7am Central time, I will be on my computer patiently waiting at MuchDifferent’s website trying to get into their world record attempt. First announced last year, the developer has finally said that it is time to participate in a record breaking event. The attempt takes a direct stab at record holding games such as MAG, which allows a max of 256 PlayStation 3 players online, and also Planetside, which can allow 399 players to be in the same zone at once. Now, they haven’t created a PS3 or PC game exactly, the match will take place via web browser only utilizing the newer Unity player with their simple game entitled Man vs Machine.

You might ask, “How is a 1000 players possible?”, and the answer is almost simple.  Well just a few years back, MuchDifferent was looking to solve technical challenges brought up by their friends at CCP and DICE, and came up with a way to scale virtual worlds. Their solution is the new PikoServer, a dynamic traffic router and load balancer that divides the battlefield between game servers and then stitches the results back together for the users. In fact, the world record attempt of 1000 players is only going to be spread across 8 servers all together.

Now here is something that I haven’t mentioned yet about Man vs Machine. The players will be split between gamers and developers. The gamers take on the side of  Man and will have a projectile that explodes with splash damage. Developers will play as machine, firing lasers that require precision aiming. Not only is this a once in a lifetime chance to help set a world record (there is no sequel planned), but also a chance to take devs down a notch or two.  Check out the trailer below and if you’re interested, be sure to be HERE when the timer runs out. Also, the game is free, but if you think this is going to be wildly popular and hard to get into, you can also purchase a ticket for $200 that guarantees you access as long as you are there when the timer runs down. The $200 goes directly to Engineers without Borders and is available on that site here. Hope to see you there!

Like an adventurer on a quest, we were sought out and eventually found in our unkempt chat room and were delivered the message of Dungeon Overlord. I have long since shot the messenger with an arrow to the knee and sent him to an early retirement. Of course, since then I have been stuck online like glue to rat fur playing my way through this new Facebook game from Night Owl Games.

Dungeon Overlord sets you as a dungeon keeper, starting you with a small lair deep in the mountains of the world. Of course, you are not alone as many other start in the same online world as you. Several other dungeons sit next to yours and hundreds of mountains and worlds exist. On the surface are townships and you evil leader are trying to conquer ALL of them. It is not often that a game puts you in the place of the megalomaniac evil villain role. Your first goal is to build up your dungeon and take down your nemesis that left you with just a few goblins to work with. This is the most clever way at a tutorial I have seen. Your first nemesis quest line gives you all the walk-throughs and rewards you could ever need to get started learning the game.

Soon you will be well on your way to understanding the mechanics of the game. How many goblins it takes to mine your ores and what tiles you need to build to upgrade a room. Resources do not come easy in this game and after attracting new minions you’ll need to send them to the surface to raid Elvish settlements in order to get the extra items you need. This will take time so sit back and look at what you can research next.

I know I am being vague about the game. It can be complex at times both to describe and play, yet the mechanics are simple enough that you will be finished with the tutorial mission in just a few days. I’ve been hooked on it for 3 weeks now and I can’t seem to find a reason to quit. It is just one of those perfect games that you can come back to time after time when you have a moment to check your Facebook. I honestly feel like I am so far behind from others who have already started well ahead of me. I’ve yet to join an alliance, but eventually I will be able to start one. I’m hoping I can rope my friends into playing and have them help harvest my farm and collect my gold for me. If I leave it laying about somebody might try to steal it from me. Luckily enough, I have one neighbor in my mountain that has called a truce with me and nobody else seems hostile yet.

Like a true evil genius, I am well on my way to claiming the mountain as my own and start charging rent. (Just like your parents will eventually due to your room.) For now, I am working towards my 20th level which will gain me my second chance at another dungeon and expand my empire even further. Night Owl Games has a FAQ if you need it and there is a forum available where people have shared tactics and knowledge if you want to learn more about the game. Check out the trailer below and then start playing at http://apps.facebook.com/dungeonoverlord. Warning!: This game is addictive and I will NOT be held responsible for your eventual unemployment due to playing at work nor any relationship dissolving. Play at your own caution!

The TV cartoon Ugly Americans tends to be one of my secret pleasures. If I spot it on, I’ll generally flip to it and watch the crazy antics of a guy trying to be a monster social worker. Not to mention the fact that it is kinda cool that his girlfriend is a demon. His co-worker is a wizard who more often than naught acts like a drunken stage magician (probably because more often than naught he IS drunk). Of course, I hadn’t realized just exactly I would be in for by picking up my PS3′s controller and firing up Ugly Americans: Apocalypsegeddon.

A small intro plays that basically tells me that the world is doomed and I have to save it. Standard everyday crisis, right? Anyways, you’re given a weapon that fires anything you put into it and that means ANYTHING. Baseballs, paint-cans, tennis balls, and wrenches will all become your weapons of monster fighting destruction. My first case I took on, playing as Mark the social worker, was to stop the man birds. I made the mistake of playing this while in the company of my fiancee, who was promptly disgusted by the man birds. The man birds walk around flinging filth, dropping shit bombs and  curse the daylight out of anyone in their presence. Such vulgarities as “suckmacoch”  and others forced her to flee the room. Mission successful.

The graphics and auditory enhancements stay true to the series, as well it should. These are the same voice actors as the show has and I would be curious to know if the developer, 345 games, hired any of the animators to help. I question that simply because they nailed the animation style. The story line takes the same trepidations and offensiveness that the show puts out. Quite frankly, it is apparent that this is one of the secret pleasures that should stay secret in my household. I like that I don’t have to keep it secret if I have like minded friends, as the game allows for 4-players.

If you’re a fan of the show, this game is a must for you to get. Enjoy your zombie, demon, and man bird fighting either on PSN or XBLA for only $9.99. Simply put, if you don’t buy it I well send you a man bird to raise as your own and wreck havoc on your social life.*

*This offer is not valid as man birds do not exist, but you get the point!

Checkout – Checkout’s combat takes place in the carcass of an abandoned superstore. The shop owners tried to move their inventory with a closeout sale in the weeks leading up to the HOD evacuations, but ultimately had to walk away and leave everything to time and history. The intense close-quarters combat of the store aisles makes every decision important. Weapon selection is key, cover is essential to survival and every move has an impact. When facing your enemy, remember what the sign says: “Everything must go.”

Drydock – Much has been written about the beauty of Seran culture, but people often forget the backbone of industry upon which it all relies. This shipyard stands full of undelivered goods and the necessary tools of a society’s infrastructure. Its most prominent landmark is the rotting husk of a cargo ship that will forever stand in Drydock.

Gridlock – This ashen street was once a bustling tourist destination known for its quaint inns and waterfront cafés. Even the water is gone now, replaced by the burnt shell of a crater that stands as a testament to the loss of Seran humanity.

Hotel – Small island resorts such as this one catered to the opulent tastes of vacationing Serans. But as the Lambent infection spreads across the globe, tides are shifting to flood once popular beaches, and fierce winds batter and push at the walls of humanity’s creations.

Mercy – This area was once a bustling town square filled with people, but it never recovered from the UIR mortar shellings of the Pendulum Wars. Emergence soon followed, and the already heartbroken residents were shown no mercy by Locust forces, leading to an almost immediate evacuation. This large and open central square is surrounded on all sides by sheltered passageways and buildings.  A raised dais yields powerful weaponry and a view of virtually everything within range, but the power located there must be hard-earned and well-protected to provide any lasting advantage.

Old Town – Several remote areas of Sera managed to stave off the impact of Emergence for quite some time. Island towns such as this one were able to sustain themselves with small farms and a steady bounty from the ocean.  But all good things must come to an end, and eventually they could hide no more. This is an excellent map for team-based play, with multiple areas that are well-suited to both attack and defense scenarios. A well-executed plan will often reap great rewards, and an enemy caught unaware can be flushed into a trap like a chicken free of its coop.

Overpass – As the Lambent infection spreads across Sera, the planet is quite literally falling apart. And as the substrata beneath this forgotten overpass begin to disintegrate, the entire city block is collapsing along with it, sliding into a vast underground cavern. Head for the high ground or you just might slide along with it. Battles in this highly dynamic map often focus around the elevated Overpass, where teams can hole up and take advantage of the protected position and emplaced weaponry located there.  But gaining the high ground can also be a trap, as the team left below will most assuredly use mortars and orbital lasers to regain their lost footing.

Sandbar – This observation post once had a commanding view of the distant horizon. Never threatened, it was thought to be impenetrable due to its unpredictable coastline and the constant shifting of sandbars along the shallow water of the coastline. And it never did fall, it was simply abandoned when humanity fled from a threat that nobody could ever see coming.

Thrashball – This stadium was once home to a different sort of national hero, one who fought for honour and glory, instead of scrambling for survival.  The invigorating roar of the crowd has been replaced by the melancholy moaning of wind in the empty stadium seats. Stadium matches are no longer restricted to the playing field, and the team that controls the concession stands earns a great advantage. The scoreboard still keeps track of every point earned, but its frayed support cables also make it a precarious trap for anyone foolish enough to run underneath it.

Trenches – The Locust have begun to carve mines and tunnels into the rocks of the Seran Deadlands, eking out any existence that resembles the underground passages of the Hollow they once called home. But this harsh environment is as relentless an d unforgiving as any enemy they’ve ever had to face. The Locust Trenches are small and tight, with clean lines of sight across virtually the entire battlefield. The central hill leads to a fortified bunker with a strategically important vantage point. Once taken, it is rarely surrendered, unless opposing forces can manage to sneak up under the cover of a passing sandstorm that leaves everyone blind for a short while.

This is why Ben Heck is still the coolest geek with whom I would like to hang out.

Behold, the fully functional, real-time, see-through Portal shirt:

Not only is this an incredibly creative endeavor, the execution is great as well. With a LCD screen strapped to the front, a camera in the back, and a battery pack tucked in his pocket, he is sure to win any Halloween contest he might enter. Looking at the pictures, it seems as though the camera could stand to be zoomed out just a touch, but who are we to complain?

If pictures aren’t enough, you can see a video of the build at Element-14.com.

[BenHeck.com]

This was too cool not to share. Given 17,000 push pins, a lot of time, and patience, the CIS Student Association at the University of the Fraser Valley put this together (click to enlarge):

Simply amazing!

[Spritestitch via Craftzine]

Edit: Old news is old, but it’s cool nonetheless.