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phoenotopia · 5 years ago

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2019 December Update

The game is officially playable from beginning to end!

That battle has concluded...

Soon begins the war! But first, a brief reprieve for the holidays.

And I must throw in the usual caveats. We're still playtesting, we're still polishing, we still gotta get age ratings, more red tape, etc etc. And most importantly, we need to figure out the launch strategy. Think Megaman, charging his shot for 5 and a half years... We're not allowed to miss at this point. It has to HIT.

Luckily, we're in a relatively stable position where we don't have to rush the game out immediately. It's not LAUNCH or STARVE - it's... take some time to aim a little. We don't want to launch in the shadow of a bigger behemoth game, and we don't want to launch completely unknown either. We have to build up the game's media presence, which has been neglected so far. I know it's annoying to have to continue to wait... but please bear with us a little longer!

Here's what we've been doing for the past couple months.

---------- THE SCRIPT ----------

The script sits at over 80,000 words. I didn't realize the significance until a teammate told me that that's actually as long as a novel! I looked it up, and sure enough, it's a little longer than the first Harry Potter. But unlike Harry Potter, hardly any of these words are wasted on, pffft, narration. It's all juicy dialogue!

(Some of the game's golden nuggets of dialogue)

There was actually a lot of mundanity getting to the end. Pirate, acting as my editor, caught tons of errors and inconsistencies. One of the most recurring issues had to do with capitalization. I like to capitalize things, often inconsistently. Some common questions that arose:

Why is this text highlighted yellow, and this one highlighted blue?

Why is this monster name capitalized, but this monster not?

Why is this item capitalized, and this one not?

... and so on!

All very mundane issues, but all very necessary to tackle. And there was a TON of 'em. (em vs 'em was another thing we had to make consistent). I actually did some research to see what capitalization rules Zelda had. From what I could tell, when it comes to animals and monsters in the Zelda universe:

All monsters are capitalized

All regular animals are not capitalized

The Cuccos are special, and ARE capitalized

(a collage of Zelda pictures I assembled to study)

In the Zelda universe, all regular items are lowercase, but highlighted blue when mentioned in a quest context (e.g. "butter", "hylian wheat"). Items can be uppercase, if they are special named items (e.g. "Sheikah Slate"). We adopted similar rules as Zelda in some cases, and deviated in others. For instance, in the Phoenotopia universe, there isn't a clear distinction between animals and monsters - that fish monster is really just an animal that happens to be the alpha predator in its natural habitat. So most entities are lowercase, but "big deal" entities can be uppercase.

(we made a formal document to consult whenever a question regarding capitalization arises)

---------- A SAMPLING of QUEST AND CHARACTERS ----------

A lot of new quests have arisen in our great writing effort extending over the past several months. And with it, new characters, big and small. I'll tease a sampling of some of them here (warning: some light spoilers ahead):

My favorite new quest is undoubtedly our game's new "Trading Quest". This one takes inspiration from the Zelda series - the trading quest similarly has you roaming the world and its towns in search of needy people who desire a particular item. Deliver them the item they desire, and get a new item. Do this 10 times, and the ultimate weapon awaits you at the end.

I tried some things to vary up the formula. Some NPCs don't reveal what they need right away - steps have to be taken to get them there. It's also possible to go down the wrong route in the sequence, and have to double-back. We try to keep it interesting.

---------- LOOT PLACEMENTS & GAME BALANCING ----------

A great effort was also spent towards balancing the game this past 2 months. Because even one good healing item, easily obtained, can throw the game's whole difficulty off-kilter. And this same principle applies to other areas, like the money economy and player powerup options. Altogether, they form a very delicate ecosystem for enjoyment.

One of the recent things I did for this game was put down exactly where each heart ruby, energy gem, and moonstone could be found. And this was actually a rather involved process because you have a limited number of rewards to distribute (you wouldn't want the final max HP count to be a weird number like 297). Put too many rewards in the beginning, and the late dungeons would have no rewards to offer. Put too much in the end, and the inverse happens.

I found myself going back into earlier areas and plundering their rewards to fill the later areas. And then to ensure a relatively even spread of rewards within each area themselves, I drew crude maps of the dungeons & their reward spots, so that they could be studied from a bird's eye perspective.

But it was still not enough. With NPC quests and towns also taking up their own allotment of the rewards, I found myself running low on things to distribute. So I went back to the books and upped the number of rewards across the board. Before there were 44 Heart Rubies to collect - there are now 55. Before each Heart Ruby boosted your max HP by 5, but now each one now boosts your max HP by 4, so your final max HP count would still end up the same. It's kinda similar to what happened with Twilight Princess, where they broke with tradition and made 5 heart containers required to gain a new heart instead of the usual 4. Overall, the final tally for treasure to find is:

55 heart pieces

30 energy gems

108 moon stones

Who's crazy enough to collect them all?

---------- BADGES / ACHIEVEMENTS ----------

As one of the game's finishing touches, there's a menu for BADGES - they're this game's version of achievements. This is an ongoing task that we hope to stamp out this December. A few favorites of mine from the original flash game will return ("Pillow Connoisseur" is among them).

(The menu looks like this before any badges are earned)

I allocated slots for just 33 badges, so we're selecting the badges very carefully. We got rid of most of the fluffy ones that appeared in the flash game - we wanted to reduce the number of badges that you would earn automatically for just playing the game (so no more "1st boss", "2nd boss", "3rd boss" achievements). We're aiming for a healthy mix of easily earned badges, hard earned badges, collectathon badges, secret fun badges, and so on.

The badges have another twist - they bear miniaturized portraits of characters from the game! In the initial brainstorm mockup phase, I wasn't really fond of the badge designs. You got a medal of a heart because you collected some hearts, and you got the medal of a moonstone for collecting moonstones, etc. It just seemed so... expected.

(various badge mockups)

How could we engage the players on a more fun and deep level? The idea came - what if we attached pictures of the people you meet on your journey? And these people's stories and character would have a connection with the achievement? That could keep the player guessing which character would come attached with an achievement, or even reveal a hidden detail about the character you didn't know.

---------- MUSIC ----------

Will has just one more task to do. And that's to recut the song for the trailer. One of our other goals for this December is to make a really good trailer... again. There's actually 2 other trailers we cut and never made public for reasons. Maybe I'll talk about them one day in the post-mortem.

Since this may be the last conventional update, we wondered with which song to best leave the audience. And we decided that the most suitable song is "Sanctuary". It's a song that the player will often encounter often when they happen upon a quiet resting place in the world.

There's a little story behind this song. Two and a half years ago, I linked Will the Earthbound song, "Buzz buzz's prophecy", and told him, make a song like that!

In response, Will made "Sanctuary".

Give it a listen HERE. What do you think? Did Will hit close to the greats?

---------- FAN ART ----------

Three fan arts have come in the last couple months. I display them here proudly:

Another submission by Cody G! Gale looking shy as she flashes the V sign for the camera. I like how Cody G's art is continually evolving. Note the additional detail on her eye, and how her hair is drawn extra fluffy. Very nice!

Shafiyahh is another consistent contributor, and made one in the spirit of Halloween. I really like their costumes! Gale as an angel, and Lisa as a demon, fittingly captures their relationship, since Gale is the responsible one and Lisa is the troublemaker. So cute!

A contribution from a new artist, Negativus Core! Wow, Gale looks so bada-- here! We often forget about Gale's tough side due to the cutesy graphics. This is probably how her enemies see her. And the gummy (slime) is a cute touch!

---------- FINAL NOTES ----------

Similar to last year, this will be the last update for a while. If things run too slow, I'll post a status update come end of February 2020.

It's possible, and this is a BIG IF, that something notable happens sooner than expected - like we're going to a con or we have reason to drop the trailer sooner than later. If so, this blog will update earlier than expected. BIG IF. Otherwise, it's end of February till next you hear of us.

The game's development has reached a new uncharted territory. We're going to take the time and figure out exactly what our next steps are. In addition, we'll still be doing some playtesting and script polishing. And we'll be taking a break too. It is the holiday season, things move kind of slow around this time of year. We'll enjoy the company of our family and friends.

Until then, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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prorevenge · 6 years ago

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Revenge for the boss from hell. 30k+ payable to me, thanks.

very long story. TL;DR at the end.

I worked for this small business IT Consulting firm for seven years. Owned and operated by a person we will call Dick.

First two years things were fine. Occasionally this guy would take things a little too far, he was just passionate about his opinion and always had to be right, so I’d always give him that. I don’t have to agree but I saw his need and left it at that.

What I started to discover however is the turn over for the company is a couple of years and I began to realize why. The Boss (Dick), picks one worker and makes it his life’s work to make that person as miserable as possible. I’m guessing the reason, ego purposes?

For months I’d hear him shouting all the time at this one guy. The co-worker after leaving the meeting would go back to his office from where I had a view and I could just see the stress and misery in his face. Till finally I said to him, “what the hell man? He’s always giving you a hard time here lately, what did you do?”

He didn’t seem to know. He confided in me right there the level of hell he’s in and some of the things Dick has said or done. I couldn’t believe some of the details he shared on what Dick both said and did. I felt things were embellished because people just don’t do some of the things he said. I would realize much later he was telling the truth as crazy as it sounded.

A few months later he finally found another job and left. I talk to him couple times a year and he always said it was the best choice in his life he ever made.

Dick’s sights then narrowed on to me. I can take a lot. So for the next five years I took it. He would insult me pretty much every day, each day more and more colorful. I didn’t really care or take it home with me so it wasn’t a problem for me, for Dick I would learn it was.

Unrelated, five years in I put in my notice because he asked me to get a couple certifications and if I did he would take care of me. Once I did what was requested he backed out of the agreement and played coy. Once he received my notice a couple months later he called me up within a minute, begged me to stay. It’s important to note he only asked for two certifications, I not only obtained those but an addional fourteen on top of that. Each time he would tell me “Great job, you will be well taken care of”. He lied 16 times in total on this matter. He matched the offer and increased my Salary up another 15k. Not looking forward to starting a new job I decided to stay.

What I learned is I was a fool to do that and money isn’t everything. Go where you’ll be the most happy. Best life advice I can give after this experience.

He left me alone for a couple months after that, he wasn’t in the office much either. Then a day struck his fancy to start things up again only he ran out of material. My work is solid and he had no opportunity to criticize that.

The only method he had was bashing his ego and sarcasm around but he realized it had no impact on me. Here is a Brief snippet of any given day of what it’s like to be selected as his target. He would communicate a problem he was having in length. Let’s say he complained about his cell phone. After he finished his story you would provide a helpful suggestion or advice from your experience. In turn he would ask with an entitled and sarcastic tone if you were an expert on the matter and wanted to see those credentials. I learn fast, just never speak unless spoken too. Any comment or insult he made I would respond without emotion and just say ok.

Because Dick wasn’t able to get a rise out of me the old fashioned way he decided to create fictional content for a new direction.

Our small company would go out to eat as a whole, or just order in on Fridays. I ate half my sandwich, and wrapped the remaining to take home. He saw me with leftover food and claimed that I was taking home dinner on his dime. Any time there was any leftover, even a single French fry he’d be there with a magnify glass for inspection to find any conceivable way to yell.

So on Fridays I started packing my lunch, I’d order a beverage and a side. I’d finish the beverage and the side. Then eat what I brought, if I didn’t finish it he had no opportunity. You could see his look of disappointment when he would scan my plate.

This went on a couple weeks, he had no opportunity and couldn’t complain. He realized he failed again. So then he came up with the next item.

The Bathroom. This I actually did a little research on and couldn’t find anything legally I could do. But anytime anyone would use the rest room he would blame me for the smell. Instead of hello when passing in the highway he would say “Did you use spray” or “Did you light a match” as hateful as he could, but that was his normal. It went much deeper than this, more then I care to share. But I honestly believe Dick has a fetish on this topic which is why I looked in to it legally. It was just always on his mind and a little too important to him, let’s just leave the rest unsaid.

I must have visually tipped him off I didn’t approve of this because he never got bored with it. However I did at least get him to stop asking about if I used spray. Anytime I used the bathroom, even to take a piss I’d use the entire can of air freshener. This wasn’t an easy task as I’d have to mask my face to empty that entire thing. Takes a while surprisingly to empty an entire can in a session. One thing is for certain when I was finished, someone used the “spray” and Dick was buying a new can. Took about five weeks but I think he figured it out spending so much on spray, he stuck to just asking about matches after that. He even provided them in the bathroom.

One day we were out with a client. The current topic at this moment was “what is your favorite meal? My answer was “hot wings, I could eat those every day!” Dick jumps in, his comment “Just think how bad the bathroom would smell”. Most at table wouldn’t get the context and direction of that comment, but I knew. He did this in front of a client, in public, while people are eating.

I almost walked out. Then I remembered he drove and it’s a long way back. Plus Dick is over 60, what kind of person knocks out a senior? I had to chant that in my mind to keep control. I never get pissed but after years this was the last straw! I seriously pleaded with myself all day not to do it because I’d go to jail and he would win.

During this time period he also started playing with my money. Behind 4-5 months with reimbursement, week late on paychecks, stuff like that. You ask where it’s out, he says “next week” you explain he already said that last week, then he’d play coy.

I finished out the day without reacting somehow. Took everything I had but I’m not going to allow this to be unanswered. That was dangerous and too close. If he want’s trouble, I’ll give it to him! I will get even in a lawful way, somehow.

Then the idea came to me that night, did my research and odds were in my favorite that it could work. I’m just going to mirror him until he fires me. When he fires me he will have to pay half my current salary of 65k until I get a new job. You know what? I can live perfectly fine on 32.5k. Why not make him pay out of his pocket 32.5k for everything he had said and done? He would have to pay this over the course of six months or until I found a new job. So my goal was to make him pay me $32,500 to be exact over 6 months as restitution for what he said at that table.

I read up on all the rules in my state for Unemployment. Each state is different. But basically to qualify for it, it can’t be your fault if you were fired. So If I stood there and told him where to put it, that’s a no go. However if I was laid off I would qualify.

So I hit him where it hurt first, his favorite thing in the world is meetings. Because he loves to hear himself talk and take you step by step through his thought process with a noble tone congratulating himself for his thinking and why his way is the best way. So I started speaking up and illustrated a more efficient way that cost less.

He would argue, sometimes red in the face mad. Especially if others in the meeting liked my idea. He knew he was wrong but he would dismiss them and demand it be done his way.

I then started talking about him within ear shot on purpose. I’d say things like “Make sure you perform that Dicks way, takes longer but it’s better than him releasing the Kraken”. It would make everyone laugh, but it wasn’t a direct insult.

Trust me when I say this guy has a massive ego and I was counting on this for pissing him off. I laid it on thick, in time it took its toll. I knew it did because what came next.

His retaliation was the kitchen sink, he had nothing so he started accusing me of things, then playing coy when it came to reviewing the details or facts. He would put words in my month, I’d state he was wrong and then he would tell me I was. All he was doing was opening the door so he could play a revengeful sarcasm game. I know it’s a game so I decided to take his new toy away from him by just going along with whatever it is he said. Which further made him mad because what he was doing had no effect on me.

Fast forward six months, yes I’m STILL working here. But were only receiving a couple calls a day which are fifteen minutes each. This was due to Dick’s bad business discussions.

While I took delight knowing he was hemorrhaging money for months, I was hoping for a lay off to execute my plan. Nothing. I have to make him want to fire me, it’s the only way. I have to beat him at his own game while providing the illusion he is in control.

So I turned up the heat. I was asked to travel to a client by the 2nd in command. I said “I’m sorry man, I haven’t received reimbursement in six months for travel expenses and I just had my work cell phone service turned off. With the way business is right now things aren’t looking good, I’d be stupid to take on more expenses, and I’m owed over two thousand dollars as it is. Once that’s paid in full I’d be more than happy to continue on a week to week bases after reimbursements”.

That day Dick had a meeting with me and setup a payment plan to pay the money back. After three weeks it would be paid. So I said to Dick “understood, after three weeks I’ll be on the road again, cool” just making sure he understood because he wanted to play games and not pay the amount in full Dick is now going to pay me my salary for three weeks to do nothing until the reimbursement fee is paid.

Guy has a several million dollar house, goes on vacations has a boats, etc. Out of all the things I’ve done so far, this had made the most significant impact. Because I out whit him at his own game, it embarrassed him in the eyes of others. Why? Because the second of command was instructed to drive me anywhere I was needed. So I had my own personal Taxi driver for the few calls we had over the next two weeks. Two weeks he paid two people, me and the admin to drive and watch me work. I was friends with the admin and he knew exactly what I was doing and he loved every second of it.

Then on the third week, three days until the final payment, it happens. Dick enters my office, and gives me the filmier demeaning dog wave gesture to follow him without speaking. We sit down and he asks me what the problem is?

I told him the problem is he needs a new hobby. In one hand you have someone sitting here that busted his ass for the last seven years, in the other your need to bash someone’s face in the dirt with your ego. The problem with me is I won’t conform and provide both.

He asked for some examples. I said you know what I’m talking about and even if I did review them you’d play coy. He then played coy about being coy, I laughed.

After a pause He said if you feel that way why didn’t you speak to me about it? I reminded him that I did twice and both times you humiliated me for it and said “this is I.T!” What the I.T Career that I’ve done the last twenty years had to do with his ego I’ll never know.

He responded with I’m behind the times, my work has been poor and out of the kindness of his heart he gave me a raise after I demanded it. I responded with Ok.

Then he finally said what I wanted to hear “I want to call it quits”.

I remained professional and communicated I’m sorry things didn’t work out and spent the next two hours reviewing stuff with co-workers on how to handle certain things. I shook his hand with a smile and left without saying anything negative. The fruit of my labor will do the talking for me shortly.

In route on the way home I called family members to tell them the good news. Everyone was so happy for me. It finally happened.

When I arrived home I promptly adjusted the dates on the unemployment forms I had filled out already in wait and submitted them. I called the state and confirmed everything was documented on my end accurately and now it’s the waiting game.

My plan wasn’t realized until my boss receive the letter in the mail about a week later stating he’s going to have shell out my Salary for the next six months or until I found a job.

Panicked at this point he realized what I set him up for. So He claimed he fired me for poor work performance. The state said, ok prove it. In this state it’s the employers’ burden to prove it. My record had no blemishes and he couldn’t use a client because a number of people at any given client would vouch for me and the truth as they all liked me and appreciated my work.

Realizing the shit storm he’s in now I’m told from the admin friend he was on the phone with them quite a while twisting and turning the fake stories out. Bottom line, the state needed to see documented verbal and written warnings, signed so he couldn’t fake them. He called his lawyer and his lawyer told him he’s screwed.

Later my boss told co-workers he felt bad for me that I couldn’t find work and he decided to give unemployment to me to save face of his ego. That made official that his ego was effected, he didn’t want anyone to know the truth. At this point he realized I got the better of him when I fought back and I won, big!

In a last ditch effort he lied about how much I made. The state sent me paper work stating this fact and asked me to prove my salary. So I gave them copies of checks and pay stubs for the last six months. After that things went easy, he was flagged for lying which made the reaming steps effortless the state rep told me.

For the reason I was terminated I said “Dick the owner made some poor business discussions that impacted the company losing business and clients. He let me go as a business discussion, in his shoes I’d of done the same and understand.”

I wrote it that way for a reason. But Dick didn’t realize why. I knew what his reaction would be. The state saw a down to earth guy that was honest and understanding on paper. Then they saw Dicks predicted response of being a dick, most likely yelling and of course lying. I had no doubt that would seal the deal simply on the evaluation on character before the facts even entered in to it.

His reaction being, his ego had to take it up the ass. Once for failing as a business man, another for me saying so on state paper work, and lastly accepting that I got the better of him and all this time I have been coaxing him to make this move.

The only thing left to do is pay me, every single week. And his money goes to the state first then the state sends it to me, so he can’t play games with my money or the state is coming after him.

Over the next six months I took that time to enjoy myself, pursue hobbies and lived life to the fullest on his dime as a reward for his comment. Once the letter came to renew unemployment, Dick would no longer have to pay or only a parentage I forget, the important thing to know is tax payers would have to pay after six months not Dick. So I declined the renewal. Three weeks later I had a new job.

It was either that or knock him out during that lunch, It wasn’t easy, took work but I’m proud of the way I handled it. I feel vindicated, it’s pretty rare the world is balanced, evil often wins. But not this time. This time it cost Dick, 32,500 dollars to be exact. All in all I can say 10/10 would do it again.

Due to his age I can’t imagine that it would be a humbling experience at this point. But it was for me, money isn’t everything, there is only one thing of true value, your happiness. A year later, I’m very happy now, I enjoy my new job and my new boss. I discovered myself again, who I really am. The goofy friendly guy, my light is no longer dimmed by a dark presence and I can be myself without punishment.

(source) (story by Divine_Squire)

#prorevenge #by Divine_Squire #pro revenge stories #revenge stories #pro #revenge #revenge story

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terryblount · 5 years ago

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Danial’s Top 5 Games of 2019

Merry Christmas, everyone!

The new decade is almost upon us and it coincides with a new console generation. So for this year’s edition of my Top 5 games (some of which I didn’t get to review due to a pile-up of work as usual), one special game from this decade that still holds dear to my heart, will be featured right at the end.

So, let’s dive right into it.

Control

Jessie Faden’s descend into surrealism horror that is the Federal Bureau of Control is how you make a game with multiple universes blend together perfectly to make a narrative that captures the imagination.

Who knew a game where Max Payne and Alan Wake are your dead bosses while you traverse a fully realized SCP Containment Center could be the gem of 2019 but weirder things had happened. And I’m glad Control is getting the recognition that team at Remedy deserves.

Death Stranding

I’ll raise my hand up to say that at E3 this year (or maybe last year, I can’t recall), I was ready to write off Death Stranding as the game that possibly will crash and burn when it launches. End of 2019 later, the “Anime Avatar-Man” switches side onto the folks who see DS as a game that’s flawed in some aspect but will have a good time playing it anyway.

Kojima-san’s latest magnum opus is perhaps something you would have seen at a Cannes movie festival but with the added notion of the quirks and features, you would expect from a KojiPro game.

But it’s basically Euro Truck Simulator and Norman Reedus is your favorite truck/man to ride along with while fighting off ghosts, goons, and Hannibal Lecter as you aim to reconnect the US on behest of Bionic Woman. Quite normal really.

WRC 8

If I were to pick a racing game that had my attention, did not have any predatory micro-transaction and didn’t have the handling of Mario Kart but littered with banana peels, then WRC 8 fits the bill.

It might be a game where you race against the clock (insert Persona 5 dungeon rush theme), but with butter-smooth handling, as you traverse treacherous roads that breaks your car tires every few stages. It’s a great rush just completing a stage as you and your automobile deteriorate while the stages get longer and faster, kinda like a Sekiro boss but the ground and weather is your enemy.

Give this one a go if you feel the alternative isn’t as good as it used to be (looking at you, DR 2.0).

Simulacra 2

If you want to get a horror game that will scare you till tomorrow, then look no further than our local scene. Case in point, Kaigan Game’s sequel to their hit horror mobile title,Simulacra 2.

In this title, you not only get two types of horror, the usual demon horror and the commentary on the horrors of Social Media influencers and their fakeness being part of their day to day life which drains them of empathy. Basically a life lesson of the horrors which befalls you when you become famous, which is Spooky stuff. Go find it at your local Apple Arcade of Play Store.

The Outer Worlds

Take the witty-ness of Fallout and shoot it out onto Space, the last bastion that hasn’t been corrupted by captials- oh it has. The Outer Worlds will have you enjoying a grand old time with this First Person RPG epic where your choices actually matter and its world-building lore makes you feel right at home with its quirks, fun companions and a storyline that diverges at your behest, intentional or not.

With DLC coming in next year, I expect it to be fondly remembered like it’s cousin, Fallout New Vegas, as well soon. Obsidian did better what Bethsdon’t anyway.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Now for the final act. I shall do a sort of epilogue of a game that had launched in this decade which opened my eyes to the creativity that was needed to create such an experience. A game that has you shifting into other people’s bodies, get into car chases and have a storyline so crazy, it just works.

My game of the decade is…

Driver San Francisco

The Driver series has come a long way, from being the best wheelman rushing through the streets of New York to save the president to jumping the shark with the abomination that is Driv3r. The series’ swansong (for now) saw Ubisoft Reflection incorporating what is good from all main titles and placed them onto one of the best racing title ever.

From the smooth yet tail-happy handling to that infamous 2nd person mission where you control both you and yourself in a 2nd person to not break your cover. It was ideas that were unique towards this genre being realized thanks to the creative freedom that perhaps was bestow upon Reflections.

One aspect that I love so much of this game was during the mission where you help a bunch of Japanese college kids be the best racers of their entire short life, that ends with the character Ayumu breaking the fourth wall and asking your player character, John Tanner, to “Fight your own battles.”

I’m sad not many can experience this anymore due to the game being not available on sale anywhere but I cannot recommend it enough, you really have to play this game.

And with that, I close my books for this decade with hopes of a pessimistic optimist. The 9th Console Generations is about to be in motion and with games like Watch_Dogs Legion and Cyberpunk 2077 coming in hot, it’s set to be a fascinating 2020.

Until then, Sayonara everyone!

Danial’s Top 5 Games of 2019 published first on https://touchgen.tumblr.com/

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wednesday12econlive · 7 years ago

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Decisions

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

By Al Prachumsri, 19765168, Simon Tran, 28143472

1st verse: Al

Without much thought, it’s easy to say,

After all of these decisions, my most important one was to stay,

In the U.S, the land of opportunity, or should I say the free

I weighed my options, the benefits and drawbacks,

A bigger job market, a diverse market, and higher living standards,

At the cost of distance from family,

Initially, I was at a lost.

But found my way on what I should do, using logical balance, I pulled through

I have to make my family proud and allow them to see what I can do,

My parents have made an invest in my education.

The decision to move across ocean seems the most logical,

Now, it's up to me to capitalize off of this capital.

Chorus:

Throughout life there will always be decisions, decisions, decisions,

Should I be eating this or Should I watch my calorie intake?

What's the pro whats the con, hmm let’s see-

A satisfaction in my belly or getting that summer body,

Hmm, decisions decisions decisions,

After much thought, good food deserves to be consumed

I hope the future me won’t get too fumed.

How bout grades versus fun?

Do I study for 3 hours tonight or enjoy the little things in life,

Nah, I have my mind right - got that letter ’A’ locked in sight

I’ll be gunning for good grades during this silent night.

Decisions, decisions, decisions.

2nd verse: Al

Here I sit in front on my computer,

Thinking about the finals,

Homework or studying, what should I be doing?

I glance at my clock, hand at 2,

Finals on Saturday, but soon lab is due,

Energy quickly depleting,

What must be done shall be done,

Rest can wait, and so can revision,

This lab comes first and finals later!

Hmm, I’ll be fine, I can just sleep after.

till this day, I’ve been missing breakfast

Just so I can get more rest,

That’s my daily cost of staying up late,

And it’ll probably continue until I finish my 4-year race.

Chorus:

Throughout life there will always be decisions, decisions, decisions,

Should I be eating this or Should I watch my calorie intake?

What's the pro what’s the con, hmm let’s see-

A satisfaction in my belly or getting that summer body,

Hmm, decisions decisions decisions,

After much thought, good food deserves to be consumed

I hope the future me won’t get too fumed.

How bout grades versus fun?

Do I study for 3 hours tonight or enjoy the little things in life,

Nah, I have my mind right - got that letter ’A’ locked in sight

I’ll be gunning for good grades during this silent night.

Decisions, decisions, decisions

3rd verse: Simon

Dreaded as always, the time has finally come,

Finals are around the corner, ever lurking, ever so bum

With so little time, what do I do? I study and study and study, but where’s the fun?

I think and think, I have an hour before my test, should I do more examples or lay in the sun?

If you think about it, it’s really quite simple. An hour in the sun will make me more happy

I ask around, and what do you know? “Go to the beach!”, shouts my friend Mackey

So I go, and lo and behold, I got an A on my test!

And all I did was be rational about what margin is best.

Chorus:

Throughout life there will always be decisions, decisions, decisions,

Should I be eating this or Should I watch my calorie intake?

What's the pro what’s the con, hmm let’s see-

A satisfaction in my belly or getting that summer body,

Hmm, decisions decisions decisions,

After much thought, good food deserves to be consumed

I hope the future me won’t get too fumed.

How bout grades versus fun?

Do I study for 3 hours tonight or enjoy the little things in life,

Nah, I have my mind right - got that letter ’A’ locked in sight

I’ll be gunning for good grades during this silent night.

Decisions, decisions, decisions

4th verse: Simon

Let me tell you about a time ago, when I worked in an ice cream shop

I had a few coworkers, we worked all day, cleaning, serving, and dreaded the mop

One day, my boss comes around and said, “Hey guys, I have a surprise!”

“What’s that?”, we ask, and she says, “The best worker this month will receive a prize!”

Soon enough, she reveals it’s a raise,

And we stood there, all shocked and amazed,

For the next couple weeks, I worked harder than ever,

Doing more hours, bringing customers, still hated the mop, however

It all paid off, when we all gathered round in our little cold shop,

And she said, “Simon, good job, you’re the one on top!”

I felt so happy, overjoyed and oh so proud.

“I will always work harder and better”, I vowed.

Working there gave me a broader perspective,

That sometimes all people need is just an incentive.

Chorus:

Throughout life there will always be decisions, decisions, decisions,

Should I be eating this or Should I watch my calorie intake?

What's the pro what’s the con, hmm let’s see-

A satisfaction in my belly or getting that summer body,

Hmm, decisions decisions decisions,

After much thought, good food deserves to be consumed

I hope the future me won’t get too fumed.

How bout grades versus fun?

Do I study for 3 hours tonight or enjoy the little things in life,

Nah, I have my mind right - got that letter ’A’ locked in sight

I’ll be gunning for good grades during this silent night.

Decisions, decisions, decisions

Principle 1: People Face Tradeoffs (Al)

For my first verse, I focused on the first principle of economics, trade-offs. It is something that doesn't seem apparent in life at first glance but upon introspection, it is something that exists with every step I take. Because of my decision to do one thing or another, I am at where I am now. Trade-offs exist in small and big decisions, whether it’s to limit my calorie intake; therefore, missing out on the food I’d otherwise get to eat. Or, it could be something life to change such as where will I pursue my education. In this case, I chose to leave my home country and come study in the U.S in hopes of getting a decent job in a the bigger available market. There are always the upside and downside to each decision. As for the decision to move from Thailand, I lost the closeness I had with my family there but what I gain is an appreciation for them, and Thailand, every time I visit. Additionally, I get more opportunities open to me in the U.S as long as I do my due diligence.

Principle 2: The Cost of Something is What You Give Up to Get It (Al)

For my second verse (and chorus), I focused on the second principle of economics, opportunity cost. Time is a scarce resource for everyone and no one has the ability to do everything within their given time. This is demonstrated by me having to learn to manage my time, between sleep, class, leisure, and homework. Obviously, I’m not quite there since I still stay up late into the night trying to finish work. However, at this current stage of time (3/14/2018) I have to make decisions to finish up my lab or study for math 2B final since I cannot do both concurrently. I had completely other work during the day, but for the night I can only complete one if I want to sleep (which I do). So the cost of me working on the lab is the time lost from studying for the math final, and potentially lowering my grade. However, if I choose to focus on studying for the math final, then I risk not finishing my lab on time which DOES lower my grade for my ICS 31 class. Both of these choices does additionally come at the cost of sleep, which, if I chose, would result in lowering my grade for both classes. In conclusion, time is a scarce resource and our decision revolves around it since we cannot do everything with the given time in our lives, I cannot both be gaming while studying and sleeping in the same moment. I’m forced to pick one or the other at the cost of whatever I do not pick.

Principle 3: Rational People Think at the Margin (Simon)

To be rational, you have to think systematically and purposefully so that you can best attain your goals, given the particular circumstances. At the very basics, the decision is based on two components: marginal cost and marginal benefit. In my example, I describe the thought process I often go through, especially during finals week. After studying so intensively for so many hours, at some point, I need a rest. On average, I study around 6 hours a day, excluding other extracurriculars I have to maintain. Because of such a jam-packed schedule, I rarely make time for myself. In my example, I decide to destress before the day of my test rather than cram for an hour. By doing so, the marginal benefit is satisfaction and a clearer mindset to walk in the test with. However, the marginal cost is that I risk a full hour’s worth of studying, where I can go over material I do not feel comfortable with yet or reinforcing the material I already know. Because I believe the marginal benefit outweighs the cost, I should take that hour to relax and be outdoors, carefree. Given the circumstances, I took advantage of the opportunity I had, which ended up in my favor.

Principle 4: People Respond to Incentives (Simon)

Similar to rationality, incentives play a large part in economics. These rewards motivate people to act and can be intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic meaning motivation coming from within, and extrinsic meaning something coming from others, usually tangible. In the case of my time at the ice cream shop, my boss offered an extrinsic reward, and the raise was my incentive to put in more effort. In a way, my situation is comparable to a market. My coworkers and I are individual firms, and the incentive of the “raise” would be more profit that ultimately comes from my boss, as the consumer, offering more pay. When firms in the same market realize there is an opportunity to make more money, they will produce better quality and potentially more quantity. Likewise, my coworkers and I all invested more time and energy into the following weeks in hopes of standing out and being worthy of the extra pay. Despite the increase in our costs, we understood the potential benefit was worth the risk. Incentives can push people in the right direction as long as the individual believes the benefit is greater than the cost.

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terryblount · 5 years ago

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Danial’s Top 5 Games of 2019

Merry Christmas, everyone!

So, let’s dive right into it.

Control

Death Stranding

Kojima-san’s latest magnum opus is perhaps something you would have seen at a Cannes movie festival but with the added notion of the quirks and features, you would expect from a KojiPro game.

WRC 8

Give this one a go if you feel the alternative isn’t as good as it used to be (looking at you, DR 2.0).

Simulacra 2

If you want to get a horror game that will scare you till tomorrow, then look no further than our local scene. Case in point, Kaigan Game’s sequel to their hit horror mobile title,Simulacra 2.

The Outer Worlds

With DLC coming in next year, I expect it to be fondly remembered like it’s cousin, Fallout New Vegas, as well soon. Obsidian did better what Bethsdon’t anyway.

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My game of the decade is…

Driver San Francisco

I’m sad not many can experience this anymore due to the game being not available on sale anywhere but I cannot recommend it enough, you really have to play this game.

Until then, Sayonara everyone!

Danial’s Top 5 Games of 2019 published first on https://touchgen.tumblr.com/

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