The Philipic

Fallout LARP

Ξ July 6th, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Games |

Wow.

Living with First-Person Shooter Disease

Ξ July 6th, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Games, Humor |

Via LikeCOOL

No Starcraft II LAN parties.

Ξ July 1st, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Games |

In the name of fighting piracy, Blizzard has removed LAN play from Starcraft II.  Great.

First Sign of the Apocalypse

Ξ January 10th, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Games |

. . . is the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC championship game.  It used to be that there were certain teams you could always count on sucking in the NFL – Tampa Bay, Seattle, New Orleans, Detroit, and Arizona.  The first two have been perenial contender for a number of years now (Seattle’s current season notwithstanding), and New Orleans has been a scary team over the last couple of seasons.  Arizona was having a good year when they basically had no competition in their division (someone had to win the NFC West), but by all indicators they were going to get blown up in the playoffs.

Now they just laid a smackdown on the Carolina Panthers (exactly one analyst at NFL Fanhouse picked Arizona to win), we’re going to see Arizona in the NFC Championship game.  There is no way this should have happened – it’s not like the Giants last year, who were the underdogs in all their games as well – these are the Arizona Cardinals.  They were supposed to be cursed to mediocrity forever.  Clearly there were some background deals made involving souls, one Mr. Satan and the arrival of the end times.

Ah well, so long as it’s not Arizona and Detriot playing for the NFC Championship, the Dark One’s schemes will be held in check.  At 0-16, it looks like it might be a while before Detriot is ready for prime-time.

Epic College Basketball Beatdown

Ξ January 9th, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Games |

I was watching Jim Rome Is Burning today, and he noted that the Women’s Basketball PAC-10 game between Washington and Stanford was a bit lopsided – to the tune of 112-35.  That has to be some kind of record.

But that was nothing compared to the clip Rome played of another PAC-10 game from last season between Oregon State and Arizona (which is apparently the *only* video not to be found on YouTube).  In the double overtime game, Arizona finished the game with only two players – all the others having fouled out.  Apparently, Arizona only started the game with six players and, well, long games take their toll.

Still, an NCAA Division I basketball game that ends five-on-two – that is the definition of epic.

Darts

Ξ January 6th, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Games |

In general, I think darts is kinda boring, but watch this:

Wikipedia explains what you just saw.

NBC doesn’t deserve Football Night in America

Ξ January 5th, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Games |

First off they bring in Keith Olbermann.  Ok, I know he used to be pretty good on SportsCenter, but everytime I see him, all I can think of is just how much a jackass the self-anointed reincarnation of Edward R. Murrow is, and I reflexively change the channel.

Then, they have Tiki Barber.  I think Tiki is a smart, charming guy and one of the best running backs the Giants ever had, but (and you knew that was coming) the way he acted after leaving the team makes you pretty certain that he was causing a lot of behind the scenes problems, and he seems just a tad bit bitter that the Giants won it all the season after he left.

Now, they brought in 0-16 Matt Millen.  WTF.  Apart from Al Davis and Jerry Jones, I don’t think there’s a more divisive manager in football (and at least Al Davis and Jerry Jones put together winning teams).  Millen was an absolutely terrible GM, botching draft choice after draft choice.  I don’t care how much he’s liked – all I can see Fire Millen signs from furious Lions fans (who, just a couple weeks ago, got their wish).  When he chimes in, all I can think of is the fact he oversaw an 8 year period with a winning percentage of just 24%.  Last season was the best under Millen’s tenure – with a record of 7-9.  Mike Shannahan, who was just fired by the Broncos, at his worst had a 6-10 season (and that was just after Elway retired).  In that same time period, only the Houston Texans failed to have at least one winning season (and at least they broke even).

You’d think NBC would at least tell him to take a shower to rinse the stink off, but in the same season as being fired for putting the Lions in the same class as the ‘76-’77 Bucs, NBC brought him on as an analyst.  That’s kinda like bringing in Walter Mondale for political commentary after the ‘84 election or Kimbo Slice for MMA commentary.

Black Mesa: Half Life Reborn

Ξ December 2nd, 2008 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Games |

A group of modders have been working hard to create a Half-Life mod that remakes the original Half Life game using the Source engine and all new textures. If you want to play the original Half Life, but feel that the game is simply too dated, I *strongly* suggest you take a look at the trailer for the mod. I recognize the scenes, but the graphics updates make it look like they’re for a brand new game coming out. Especially look at the scene in the missile silo. When the scientist gets killed, the animations in the original game always looked a little clunky, but the required animations were so complex you simple accepted it as the best that could be done. In the trailer, the scientist actually grasps the computer console as he’s being dragged out the window.

Simply amazing.

Fallout 3

Ξ November 2nd, 2008 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Games |

I started playing at eight in the morning, and when I came up for air it was 2pm and I had forgotten to eat. Last time that happened it was with KOTOR, another great game.

I thought that the switch from the isometric style of the original Fallout games to the Oblivion game engine just couldn’t work, especially considering some of the shortfalls of Oblivion, such as it’s sluggish nature, generic voice acting and impossible face generator.

The good news is, none of those problems show up in Fallout 3. Instead of reusing voice actors for generic characters, you simply can’t talk to them. The game is solid and responsive – I could drop back to the desktop and then jump back into the game with almost no lag time, and I’m able to run it at 1600×1200 with no noticeable jitter. The faces are diverse and solid – no more of the translucent style of Oblivion. The characters in this game look *good*.

And the gameplay is great. Once you leave the vault (which is an hour long plot designed to get you familiar with the game mechanics), you are really alone in the world. You have no map and you need to wander around are harsh and hostile wasteland attempting to find some remnant of civilization before the wretched abominations that qualify as wildlife slowly grind you down. Ammo is a constant worry, as is keeping your weapons well-maintained. The game really manages to pull you into the sense you’re always teetering on the edge – you’re always worried about your survival. And just when you think, “I’m doing OK, I’ve got a hundred round of 10mm and a few stimpaks”, you stumble across a super-mutant armed with a chain gun, looking to bag a human. In a straight up fight, you’d be toast, but you manage to lure him into a craggy area with plenty of cover. You manage to take him down, but all you’re left with are the twelve rounds in your gun, a stimpak and a messed up arm. And you’re in the middle of nowhere, with only the weak pirate radio broadcast from Three Dog to keep you company. $*!@

This is a really, really good game. I’d say you don’t even need a PC to play it. It helps, being that you can play it as a FPS, but with the VATS system, which let’s you pick your shots, it’s not nearly as important. I was expecting a decent but somewhat disappointing game for Fallout 3, but, amazingly, I think this is the best Fallout I’ve played.

Sandtrap of a time waster

Ξ September 27th, 2008 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Games, Odd |

No goal to this game, but you’ll spend at least 30 minutes playing with it.