#and there are games that are art like spec ops the line

[thebearthebear2]

as a former serial gamer, im not ashamed to say that gaming as a major hobby past the age of like 21 is cringe and gay

but... id happily slip back into old habits if a sub wants to cockwarm me as i half-enjoy whatever game im playing

id probably start pretending that im still in the lobby, pressing random buttons, getting fakemad jus so they still think im playing lol

ill let them live the fantasy of cockwarming their loser incel gamer boyf cos im a giver like that <3

[potpourrifandoms]

I have been playing the funny haha wizard spec ops game and getting overly attached to all the wrong characters. Steve Clark, Traffic Warlock, my beloved

Also, it's coming up to summertime here in Australia, and every time I go to try and draw Steve, I can't bring myself to finish it because—as adorable as it is—his high-vis robe looks like it'd be unbearably hot to wear. So I did what I do best and drew him some clothes he could wear in warmer weather.

Didn't realise until after I started colouring it that my new sketchbook has shit paper and the pencils don't work properly, which made me sad because it looked very cool when it was just the line art but oh well. Maybe I'll try again someday with a better sketchbook.

[magicalgirlmindcrank]

No something like deadpool kills the marvel universe isn’t a deconstruction. The reason punisher kills the marvel universe is, is because most of it is showing how impractical superheroes would actually be and basically the whole power fantasy aspect of super heroes

Spec ops the line is quite literally meant to be specific a deconstruction of military shooter games like call of duty which criticizes the genre for providing players with an unrealistic and immoral Power Fantasy through the glorification of war

And yes well Godzilla is about nuclear war. That doesn’t mean it can’t also be a deconstruction of the giant monster movie, it’s just not talked about as much because it doesn’t matter as much as but yes it still is a deconstruction. In the same way cloverfield is by showing you how horrible and terrify a giant monster attack would be it’s just that Godzilla as contempt for every other giant monster movie because it uses it as a means to an end well cloverfield was made as a love letter to it

The Starship troopers the movie is literally one just deconstruction of everything the book is, in fact it’s basically the antithesis of everything the book stands for

To finish off satire isn’t satire with out deconstruction. To make a satire you have to deconstruct something and point how ridiculous and stupid it is, it’s why the first addition of warhammer 40k is a deconstruction

Half of these as I already said are contempt the other after is out of hatred and that’s why there so good, it’s what separates the garbage of the gold and why Marsha law is high art and madoka is for complete morons

Do you think before you speak, or do you just spew whatever bile comes to mind? Is your own bullshit clogging your ears? It's honestly hilarious how you can say 'it's about deconstructing the power fantasy around heroes' while indulging in the power fantasy of Frank 'non-superhuman' Castle killing literal demigods. How you just blatantly ignore that the tragedy of needless mass destruction is the very foundation of the giant monster movie genre. How you somehow misunderstand Cloverfield as well (the 9/11 trauma could NOT be more blatant). How you think the book Starship Troopers is good, or not already a sort of satire of fascist ideology. How you keep bringing up Marshall Law when it's fairly vapid satire that lacks clarity of purpose. How you failed to even mention the Watchmen. How your main frame of reference seems to be exclusively movies, comic books and the first edition of Warhammer 40k, as though it's no longer a parodical take on fascism. How you keep conflating deconstruction with satire and parody. How you seem to think these things can't come from a place of affection. How you repeatedly ignore that I'm the one that said Madoka isn't a deconstruction in the first place.

Some real top kek stuff Anon

[orangememesicle]

i’ve been looking at spec ops the line criticism because i hate myself and like. damn. gamers give ya/squeecore sff readers a run for their money when it comes to “piece of art makes me feel bad or uncomfortable = bad art”. like, not every story told in the medium has to be about Choice and being able to insert yourself into a story, and if you make the Right decisions you get a happy ending. it’s ok to have video games that are linear and character driven if that’s what serves the story.

[jeff-the-innkeeper]

I am unreasonably enraged by spec ops: the line being permanently delisted over a fucking license expiry

like. we really live in a world where a beautiful piece of art can just get disappeared overnight because nothing is allowed to exist without a million layers of bureaucracy to make sure it will generate profit for the people in suits who 1. are already rich and 2. DIDNT EVEN MAKE THE FUCKING GAME

[2amtechnicolor]

Milgram Project and Spec Ops: The Line - The Only Way to Win is Not to Play

"They are guilty. But what is justice? And how would you see it dealt?" - Konrad, Spec Ops: The Line (2012)

[TW: mentions of murder, violence, various war crimes, and the American military]

So Fuuta's second MV and voice drama premiered last night...and it's a lot. This is our first time hearing directly from a "Guilty" prisoner and honestly, probably one of the best example of how a vote can change personalities in Milgram next to Haruka's second VD.

(I will be pulling Milgram ENG translations from @onigiriico)

So we all know the basic premise of Milgram, the music videos. We watch a prisoner sing about their "murder", we listen to their talks with the warden, Es, and then we voice them "innocent/justified" or "guilty/unjustified" accordingly.

In season one, us, as the audience, had a sense of naivete. We had no idea what a "guilty" or "innocent" vote would do to the prisoners. There was no real explanation for what the consequences of our actions would be. Now, the curtain has been pulled back. Sure, we heard the story from Jackalope, but listening to a second-hand account and a first-hand account are two different things. One is clinical observation, the other is emotional.

One person's death is a tragedy, but a million deaths is a statistic.

When just given the factual events (Kotoko attacked Amane, Mikoto, Mahiru, and Fuuta before being subdued by Kazui), it's easy to digest. Person A moves to Persona B and commits Action C.

A 17-year-old boy strangles a 10-year-old girl.

An 18-year-old girl aborts her child.

A 20-year-old man harasses a middle schooler online until her death.

At face value, any one of these could easily be voted "guilty" from one sentence according to your own values. It's when you get into the specifics, when we see their point of view for ourselves, when we hear it from their mouths, that it becomes more complicated.

Why is Muu, a girl who stabbed a classmate, more forgivable than Fuuta, who never laid his hands on anyone?

Why is Mahiru, a woman whose boyfriend committed suicide, less forgivable than an organ harvester?

Does internet harassment justify losing an eye? Does a toxic relationship justify being on the brink of death? If you had known the outcome, would you even have chosen differently?

Fuuta: "You and I are exactly the same breed!...Like I’d let someone like this judge whether I should be forgiven or not!"

This brings me to Spec Ops: The Line.

For all of you who don't know what SO:TL is, it's a military shooter game in the Spec Ops series, released in 2012, near the height of the military shooter genre's popularity (Gears of War, Halo, Call of Duty, etc.) However, SO:TL isn't a video game--it's an art piece.

You play as Captain Martin Walker, a special ops soldier in the US Army, searching Dubai and the surrounding area for an missing army comrade of his: Lieutenant Colonel John Konrad, the 33rd Infantry's commander. Konrad had defied orders in an attempt to bring order back to Dubai after the worst of sandstorms in its recorded history hit.

I won't go into detail on the whole plot, but while the player searches for Konrad and the rest of the 33rd you also:

use white phosphorus against opposing forces, killing 47 civilians who were evacuated for shelter in the process

execute either a Emirati civilian who stole water from the desert city or a member of the 33rd who was sent to apprehend him, killing the civilian's whole family in the process. Choosing to not choose kills them both.

assist in decimating the water supply of Dubai, dooming the city's inhabitants to dehydration

and many, many more atrocities.

In the end, when you finally find Konrad, the man who has been taunting you over the radio the whole game...he's dead. He's been dead for a while. You, the player, as Captain Walker, did all this, killed all those innocent people, justifying that it would all be worth it in the end, to find a man that was already dead.

Konrad: "There were 5,000 people alive in Dubai the day before you arrived. How many are alive today I wonder?"

There is no way out of these missions but through. You have to use chemical weapons, you have to murder civilians in cold blood. You have no choice.

But...There's always a choice.

In the words of the game itself: "If you were a better person, you wouldn't be here."

You don't have to play this game.

Turning your console off and never touching the disc again is a valid choice.

You don't have to be a war criminal. You have the choice to walk away.

You don't have to vote in Milgram.

You, the audience, are Captain Walker. By playing SO:TL, you are responsible for the destruction of Dubai.

We, the audience, are Warden Es. By voting in Milgram, we are responsible for Kotoko's vigilante justice. We are responsible for Fuuta losing an eye. We are responsible for Mahiru's near-death experience, and Amane's broken mental state.

But we don't have to be.

...

However, There's one major difference between SO:TL and Milgram, and I'm not just talking about genre.

Spec Ops: The Line is a singleplayer video game.

Milgram is decided by majority vote.

If you choose to opt out of Spec Ops: The Line, no one has to die.

If you choose to opt out of voting in Milgram...you can't necessarily stop everyone else.

So if a "guilty" or "innocent" outcome is inevitable, which is the most moral decision?

Not voting?

Or voting with your conscience without knowing the results of your outcome?

Are you setting a shattered bone, or breaking it in another place?

...

I can't answer that for you.

Es: "It’s alright. If you and I really are the same kind of person like you say, I’ll end up like that sooner or later anyway."

[jupitermelichios]

the whole 'are video games art' debate is so unbelievably stupid

like there's no one who would seriously argue that joseph conrad's heart of darkness isn't art. a lot of people would argue that it's great art.

and then the vast majority of people would agree that the film apocolypse now, based on heart of darkness, is art. and those people who agree it's art probably mostly think it's great art.

and then you get to spec ops: the line, a video game based on heart of darkness, and suddenly we have to have a debate about what even constitutes art in the first place, and whether having mass appeal devalues the concept of art, and whether having the viewer interact with the art somehow stops it from being art, like viewer interaction isn't the basis of most performance and instilation art in museums, and it's all so fucking stupid

we found a way to tell stories and ask philosophical questions that forces the viewer to be an interactive part of the storytelling medium without the creator having to give up control of the story itself, a fact that opens up whole new and fascinating avenues of storytelling that have never existed before in human history, and there are people trying to claim the stories told in this medium are not art.

[callmearcturus]

im the patron saint of stoking petty fires so i'd love to hear your beef with TLOU and ND (which. idk what that is? my brain keeps trying to call it New Degas). feel free to rant

(hey this is a WHOLEASS RANT about how much i hate TLOU! if you even remotely like those games, maybe don't read this!)

my god. lottie. /drags hands over face. you need to understand that this is the beef of a person who has not played TLOU, will never play it, and haaaaaates it regardless. when TLOU2 won GOTY at the fucking game awards over more deserving titles with less fraught developers, i was incensed. i hate this games in the same was a child would hate broccoli. except instead of being good for you, broccoli is an emblem of everything wrong with the gaming industry, up there with Red Dead Redemption (which I fucking hate too).

Oh and ND is Naughty Dog, the developer of TLOU. Also there is some fucked up labor shit and sexual harassment shit at ND.

But what it comes down to is

I fucking hate prestige games as a genre. I hate what they have done to the industry. One of the markers of TLOU and ND's work is that they have codified what the Sony Studio Game has to be, and it's these incredibly cinematic, incredibly filmic, hyper-photorealistic dramas that want so fucking bad to be movies, I don't know how anyone talks shit about Kojima's movie boner while these fucking things are being made.

The cost that the rise of TLOU has wrought on the industry pisses me off to no end. Developers, especially the ones who work with Sony bc this is very much the House Brand of Playstation, fucking brag about "oh yeah we spent 6 months building the rig to animate this character's hair" and "we modeled these horses with such precision their balls get smaller in the cold" and "this lighting engine accounts for the dew point of the scene which we also coded an engine for"

all these things feel to me like feats of crunch, of throwing money at problems that don't exist, because it's a fucking blurb to tell IGN to hype your game, not anything the actual game benefits from or needs. making games is already such a fucking labor intensive artform and this shit feels like adding completely unnecessary complication in pursuit of a perfect simulacrum of reality.

i also hate the violence of them. i feel like ND thinks it's sooooo fucking ahead of everyone else. look at this, look at how BRUTAL it is, look at Ellie slit a human's throat in high definition, doesn't that make you feel something, GAMERS?

bitch, no. it doesn't. because that's one of the two verbs in these fucking games. you kill people or you watch a cutscene. and making players go "oh shit are we the baddies" has been an extremely common trope for years. Spec Ops The Line was 11 years ago, bruh, you need to learn a new trick than "making the player feel bad about violence, ooooooooo spooky". it's our ONLY. FUCKING. VERB.

they pour so much effort and money and time and labor into these games, these apex projects, and their verbs are the fucking same as the first goddamn Halo game. you kill things or you watch a cutscene. you just made the violence more visceral.

in the gaming industry, the people who really make shit that changes the landscape are people who try for something more worthwhile than "here, now you can play this gory movie." it's shit like new vegas asking me to make complex ethical decisions backed by hundreds of years of context and history. it's hades teaching players that failing is its own reward. it's toby fox using pixel art and a leitmotif to make me feel something. it's spiritfarer trying to teach people not to fear death and that kindness is important even at the end of everything.

i am philosophically opposed to the Sony Studio Model, to Naughty Dog, and to TLOU. I think they are holding the industry back. they're mediocre games because they're trying to be movies, and their mediocre movies because they're supposed to be games. I haaaaaaaate them.

[jjeinn-tae]

So, I've been thinking on it, about what I really want out of my game design. Like, yes I am tired of my day-to-day grind, sure, and want to do something that I love instead. In the beginning of my interest in the field, it was kind of all about the art of the medium? Like, I grew up on Baldur's Gate, Diablo, Tales of Symphonia... Two of those have stories that kind of laid the groundwork for the person I am. Especially ToS, like that basically wrote my ethics in a way. Almost nobody sees themselves as the villain, and the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

And I have so many deep stories that I want to do in this medium, and the way gameplay colors a story in a game has always fascinated me, too. Like yeah, sure you can choose things in a lot of games now, go down your "evil route" or whatever, but even in situations where you don't choose the course of action... You still did that. Like, I have forgotten the game that I'm thinking of that I haven't played, but quick searching is allowing me to use Spec Ops: The Line as an example here... A supposed go military romp, as you just slide into war criminal it seems. Like, sure, watching a movie of that slide is one thing, but in a game... You're complicit. Just following orders?

So like, that's what I want to make. But, like, there is more to what I want out of this. I've been attempting to be careful about actually sharing what I'm doing with this, even if I just fell off the earth for a year and a half at this point. I want to make those games, and I need the money, but I don't really... Like, the big thing I've been wanting to do here is like, share. I know a lot on the subject, I ran out of money and couldn't finish my degree, but I have been dabbling with it in some regard or another since elementary.

Just as much as I want to do this, the big part of my blog, and my strong desire to move into video dev logs is that I want to put out information that helps other people do this themselves too. Also, the theoretical pipe dream of a possibility that I make money off making Youtube content of game development, allowing me to release games cheaply/free is kind of a think I would love enough to like, at least throw something in the ring for it?

So, Pulsonic Dreams. The project that basically undid its own usefulness. As much as I like the idea, I am tabling it, as it is causing a weird impasse in my development at the moment. What I'm actually going to do, beyond attempt to get back to some development in J'ardscape, is: on Thursdays when I have my apartment mostly to myself, I will start recording a from-scratch project that I've had in my head for a while. One that is "not complex" as it is retro, and honestly, I just want to show on Youtube some of the early development of such a project (N64-style retro Zelda). Will I finish the project? It's not the point, I want to show early-stage prototyping. Divorcing the end product from the content creation really frees me up honestly, because my frequent respiratory problems getting in the way of recording doesn't delay a project that I am attempting to release almost entirely.

Also, a bit of a reveal about myself for why I get delayed so on these... While I'm one of those people who make the label a bit of a gray area, I do consider myself trans feminine. I have an intersex condition and am technically genetically female, but I was raised male and puberty was "a bit in both directions." My voice did deepen a bit but I spent most my life attempting to masculinize my voice to attempt to fit in, and then I realized that I could just... Not? But unfortunately, while my girl voice is nice when I can use it, asthma and fire season together make it difficult to maintain at times. Being public about that makes it easier for me to release videos, so there it is.

TLDR: I'm going to be starting a video dev log series showcasing early development stuff, as I think that's a good thing for aspiring devs to see. I'm kind of a trans woman, so my voice is wonky at times for that. And while I didn't announce it earlier, this project for recording on Thursdays is by no means going to be the only stuff I'm talking about, and I'm going back to more frequent updates soon! Hopefully! Also, Pulsonic Dreams is staying in hiatus.

[a-mole-of-iron]

A Mole back in action

So... after a long absence, motivated by lack of “stuff“ to post (such as art or stories I’d want to post), I made a decision to get back here, and start posting some other things too - for example, musings on game design, or on writing, or on proper infrastructure. I was never much of a blog person, but perhaps I can change this and actually use Tumblr for its intended purpose.

And, on the note of game design, as well as writing, and infrastructure, let me kick things off by mentioning a particular aspect of factory-building games. Starting from Factorio, which pretty much started the genre as we know it, factory games and automation games like to finger-point at the player for the pollution and resource depletion that comes from their factory/base development. Some games, like Factorio itself, are subtle about it and only imply the bad environmental effects through attacks by local creatures, forests dying near polluting industries, and lakes showing water pollution; it’s enough of a background thing, but still notable enough, that the game ends up without really having a message one way or another. Satisfactory, which put the genre in 3D, simply goes full-on Spec Ops: The Line and bludgeons the player with “You’re a bad guy! Stop playing!“, and hey, it got what it wanted from me at least. The Riftbreaker is another bizarre take - the main protagonist seems to be interested in reducing environmental harm and peacefully studying the planet in question, but the gameplay goes completely against that. Other automation games downplay the pollution problems, or put the player on barren planets with no environment to harm, or they might be using medieval-fantasy-level technology like the good old Settlers games, meaning the environmental impact is notably lower. But. Looking over the genre, it honestly feels like none of those games (at least, none I’ve played or seen) let the players actually clean up after themselves. And that feels like one hell of an omission.

Here’s one example: in Factorio, all the pollution is abstracted into the clouds of soot and dust around the factory, not even visible except on the map, while none of the machines ever produce even one gram of metal filings, one cubic centimetre of mine tailings, or one millilitre of industrial runoff. Satisfactory has no pollution mechanic at all, while admonishing the player for building up industries. (Yeah, okay.) And while I’ll easily admit I haven’t played all of the genre, the only notorious building game where managing waste and byproducts is an issue is Captain of Industry. Which is honestly a shame, for one simple reason - the ability to upgrade to clean, effective industrial processes, and to actually look after the environment while the player pursues the actual game goal (remember, Factorio isn’t actually about growing the factory - it’s about creating machines sophisticated enough to build an escape rocket for the main character!) would make for a great game mechanic. For proof, look no further than Terra Nil: a ���reverse factory game“ where you clean up the results of wasteful industrial expansion in a fun and exciting way, and look good as you restore nature to full splendor. It’s a great demonstration of why environmental remediation should be a mechanic in more building games.

[talenlee]

Game Pile: Bioshock Infinite, Again

Game Pile: Bioshock Infinite, Again

When I wrote about Bioshock Infinite back in May of 2013, I had just started university and had some fantasy in my mind about this blog being a bridge to working in the games industry. James journalism, I imagined, was waiting for me to present an example of what I could do, and so, I wrote about games with the energy of someone trying to reach that sweet spot of irreverent professionalism, discussing games in terms of pros and cons and the inevitable consideration of a consumer.

At the time I did call the game a modern classic, on par with Spec Ops: The Line. I cringe at that a little, because while it’s true, it’s true in the way that you could remove that description from context and leave with the impression that I think that makes it good. It’s absolutely a classic – you can look at it in the context of the games of its time and it serves as an iconic reduction of so many of the elements that make up what it was to be games in that time and that place.

I then spent several years familiarising myself further and further with Bioshock Infinite and realising how much worse a game it was than I appreciated at the time. I eventually came to refer to Bioshock Infinite as a ‘shallow game as high watermark.’ That’s reasonable, I think — It does deserve to be regarded as a classic because of it. It was very much a good example of what gaming, at the time, considered The Way Things Should Be, that it was an example of art as a game.

It’s 2023 now.

I resolved the idea that I should be kind with energy, and cruel with purpose. The purpose here, is to look at my own writing, ten years ago, about this game, and see what I think of it, what I think of who I am now.

I did make a lot of assumptions about games at the time. I did fancy myself more of an expert than I was and am — I said Dishonored was developed faster than Bioshock Infinite, which I literally do not know how I could know. Even if we imagine I did know it, though, even if I was right, the question follows: So fucking what?

I started using terminology here that I still use somewhat; I referred to the level design as fightboxes, a term I use to describe the same kind of game design that sees combats as things to break out in arenas. The nature of Bioshock Infinite as a fightbox game isn’t really a mark for or against it; it does make the world feel less whole and real the way that linear path of the game closes off behind you kind of encourages a speedy pace the game doesn’t do a good job of using. Plus, if the main way you engage with the game is with its little boxes of fighting between cutscenes, it highlights the guns being boring.

I definitely had Feelings About Booker. I think part of it was the opening chainsawing of a racist cop, and the very real-feeling way I wanted to run through the game and kill everything to rescue Elizabeth that he echoed. I liked the feeling of being a rundown ramshackle mess of a dude who screwed up, related to violence, and could only think of ways to deploy that violence to the world. It jived with me, what can I say. But what sucks about Booker, by the end, is the realisation that he’s just giving up on his situation: He’s not bothering to get good at that relationship to violence, he’s not understanding what violence is or how it relates to people at large.

It was Burial At Sea that broke me though, that made me finally realise what I was looking at, and perhaps realise I was making excuses for this game. I was seeing this as a Serious Game that needed to be taken Seriously, and therefore my criticism had to come in terms of these really specific, narrow places, like I had to try and divine a correct opinion out of the experience. Now I’m much more free to say the story’s pretentious and shit and racist and pretty misogynist, and those aren’t ideas that need explaining from first principle as if everyone is a good faith interlocutor.

Thing is, I was buying into myths. The myth is not that games weren’t doing this kind of thing. Games have been doing this kind of thing for as long as they’ve been making games. Games are always going to have people trying weird stuff, stuff about expressing ideas that are difficult to express in any other way. The year Bioshock Infinite launched, there were a thousand more interesting art games being made and released and shared and played. Itch.io had already launched in March 2013, there were already whole markets of games being weird and interesting and meta-aware and engaging and artistic.

But they didn’t look like Bioshock Infinite. They weren’t released like it. They weren’t presented and platformed and distributed like a AAA product. The myth was that Bioshock Infinite did a single thing new. Even the ways it sucks are boring and old. It’s not even a new sin, just the same old sins, over and over again.

I feel bad, reading back to my old Bioshock Infinite writing about how I missed a point that I feel is incredibly obvious to start with, an idea that I now, very much hold to be obviously true: Violence in response to violence is not a bad thing. If you are being oppressed, you do not solve that oppression by not being violent. When the revolution arc of Bioshock Infinite presents the slavers being hunted and killed by their slaves, and tries to frame it as ‘going too far’ I should have realised how obviously stupid that is. Those people were complicit in, participants in, a terrible, dreadful crime, and they have it coming. There’s a safe place for those people and it’s on the side of the revolutionaries fighting against slavers.

There was a forking pair of roads before me, as expressed in Bioshock Infinite opinions, and one of them got more radical and more okay with violence and the other might have kept trying for that Games Journalism job that would vaporise the next time the Libs got in charge and decided to randomly defund the games industry in this country. The opinions I had about a game that I didn’t dislike that much got worse and worse the further I got from them, the more I formed new opinions, informed by knowing more, and knowing better, and being more honest with myself, and more willing to foreground that honesty about myself.

I think violence is a reasonable response to oppression.

I think, now, that surely, I didn’t like this game. Surely I wasn’t that into Bioshock Infinite, I remember being critical of it for ages! But that criticality comes with a bunch of wallpaper, and at the time, there’s definitely a bunch of stuff I missed. The racism element of the game, where slavery seen as bad, but ending slavery is also seen as bad, that whole deep dose of liberal centrist bullshit that feeds into dad fantasies, all that stuff that I disdain so hard now, at the time, I didn’t quite appreciate.

At the time, I thought ill of the game for its cludgy movement, the way the plot left me bored, and the flashes of times when the game, telling me what it wanted to be about, what it cared about, those were the problems, those should erode its place as a classic. The way I summarise it nowadays is that Bioshock Infinite is a game that lets me chainsaw a racist cop in the face in the opening act, and it gets less good from there. I think now, I’m a lot better at grasping what it means to like a game, and approaching a game on its own terms, and then examining what those terms mean.

Like, Bioshock Infinite is a game about a sad dad failing to connect to his daughter who’s so amazing she’ll die to save his life from the harm he inflicted on her. It’s a game about Americana and guns and the Civil War and classic dad music and it’s just soaking in the great, burning need to please tell me that I matter, while also, please don’t tell me I have to change what I am. It’s a game where being a dead man is better than being a good dad. Where this game has an author, a singular voice, he is a white bearded dude who has a lovely aesthetic sense and terrible, terrible opinions, the white-guy politicking centrality that speaks the sublimated fear that I know I have it coming.

Bioshock Infinite is a classic game, and that should be seen as deeply embarrassing.

Check it out on PRESS.exe to see it with images and links!

#GamePile #Games #Bioshock

[pathbend-blog]

@thatannieclark

@bbc6music-blog

Reddit has been banished

OMEGA Watches

U.S. Navy

☔

🤍 🚌 🌈

Sure, Dr. Cortana! Here is the information you requested:

🔱 ☯️

— Something From GI Jane 2: Jane Doe

Anthony

**Summary of Spec Ops: The Line**

*Spec Ops: The Line* is a third-person shooter video game developed by Yager Development and published by 2K Games. Released in 2012, the game is set in a post-apocalyptic Dubai, ravaged by sandstorms. Players control Captain Martin Walker, who is sent with his Delta Force team to investigate the city and locate Colonel John Konrad. The game is known for its dark and morally complex narrative, challenging players to make difficult decisions that affect the story's outcome. The game explores themes of duty, morality, and the psychological impact of war, often drawing comparisons to Joseph Conrad's *Heart of Darkness*⁶⁷⁸.

---

**Melting Temperatures of Various Metals and Their Historical Uses**

1. **Aluminum (660°C / 1220°F)**

- **Uses**: Lightweight and corrosion-resistant, aluminum has been used in aircraft manufacturing, packaging (like cans and foils), and construction.

- **History**: Discovered in the 19th century, aluminum quickly became essential in the aerospace industry due to its strength-to-weight ratio.

2. **Brass (930°C / 1710°F)**

- **Uses**: Brass, an alloy of copper and zinc, is used in musical instruments, decorative items, and plumbing fixtures.

- **History**: Known since ancient times, brass has been valued for its acoustic properties and resistance to tarnish.

3. **Copper (1084°C / 1983°F)**

- **Uses**: Copper is widely used in electrical wiring, plumbing, and coinage.

- **History**: One of the first metals used by humans, copper has been essential in the development of electrical engineering.

4. **Gold (1064°C / 1947°F)**

- **Uses**: Gold is used in jewelry, electronics, and as a monetary standard.

- **History**: Gold has been treasured since ancient civilizations for its rarity and luster, often symbolizing wealth and power.

5. **Iron (1538°C / 2800°F)**

- **Uses**: Iron is used in construction (steel), manufacturing tools, and automotive industries.

- **History**: The Iron Age marked a significant advancement in human technology, with iron tools and weapons replacing those made of bronze.

6. **Lead (327.5°C / 621.5°F)**

- **Uses**: Lead is used in batteries, radiation shielding, and historically in pipes and paints.

- **History**: Known since ancient times, lead's toxicity has led to a decline in its use in household products.

7. **Nickel (1455°C / 2651°F)**

- **Uses**: Nickel is used in stainless steel, batteries, and coins.

- **History**: Discovered in the 18th century, nickel's resistance to corrosion has made it valuable in various alloys.

8. **Silver (961.8°C / 1763°F)**

- **Uses**: Silver is used in jewelry, electronics, and photography.

- **History**: Valued since ancient times, silver has been used as currency and in decorative arts.

9. **Titanium (1668°C / 3034°F)**

- **Uses**: Titanium is used in aerospace, medical implants, and sporting goods.

- **History**: Discovered in the late 18th century, titanium's strength and corrosion resistance have made it crucial in modern engineering.

10. **Tungsten (3422°C / 6192°F)**

- **Uses**: Tungsten is used in light bulb filaments, cutting tools, and military applications.

- **History**: Known for its high melting point, tungsten has been essential in applications requiring extreme heat resistance.

[^10^]¹¹¹²¹³¹⁴

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**News Stories on the Use of White Phosphorus as a Weapon (2023-2024)**

1. **Israel's Use of White Phosphorus in Gaza and Lebanon (2023)**

- **Summary**: Reports indicate that Israel used white phosphorus munitions in military operations in Gaza and Lebanon. White phosphorus, known for causing severe burns and long-term health effects, was used to create smokescreens and illuminate battlefields. However, its use in populated areas has raised significant humanitarian concerns¹².

2. **Lebanon: Civilian Harm from White Phosphorus (2023-2024)**

- **Summary**: Human Rights Watch and other organizations documented the use of white phosphorus by Israel in at least 17 municipalities in Lebanon. The attacks resulted in numerous injuries and widespread fires, highlighting the weapon's devastating impact on civilians³⁴⁵.

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If you need any further details or additional information, please let me know!

Source: Conversation with Copilot, 10/7/2024

(1) Spec Ops: The Line - IGN. https://www.ign.com/games/spec-ops-the-line/.

(2) Spec Ops: The Line - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spec_Ops:_The_Line.

(3) Spec Ops: The Line Reviews - Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/spec-ops-the-line/.

(4) Metals and Alloys - Melting Temperatures - The Engineering ToolBox. https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/melting-temperature-metals-d_860.html.

(5) Metal Melting Temperatures of Common Engineering Materials. https://www.engineersedge.com/materials/metal_melting_temperatures_13214.htm.

(6) The Melting Points of Metals - Metal Supermarkets. https://www.metalsupermarkets.com/melting-points-of-metals/.

(7) Melting Points of Metals | OnlineMetals.com®. https://www.onlinemetals.com/en/melting-points.

(8) Melting Points of Metals | Values in Celsius, Fahrenheit & Kelvin .... https://fractory.com/melting-point-of-metals-chart/.

(9) Questions and Answers on Israel’s Use of White Phosphorus in Gaza and .... https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/10/12/questions-and-answers-israels-use-white-phosphorus-gaza-and-lebanon.

(10) Israel is accused of using white phosphorous. Would this be against .... https://theconversation.com/israel-is-accused-of-using-white-phosphorous-would-this-be-against-international-law-219809.

(11) Israel’s Widespread Use of White Phosphorus in Lebanon, Gaza Violates .... https://www.democracynow.org/2024/6/7/white_phosphorus_israel_lebanon_hrw_report.

(12) Lebanon: Israel’s White Phosphorous Use Risks Civilian Harm. https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/06/05/lebanon-israels-white-phosphorous-use-risks-civilian-harm.

(13) Evidence of Israel's unlawful use of white phosphorus in southern .... https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/10/lebanon-evidence-of-israels-unlawful-use-of-white-phosphorus-in-southern-lebanon-as-cross-border-hostilities-escalate/.

(14) Spec Ops: The Line. https://specops.fandom.com/wiki/Spec_Ops:_The_Line.

(15) en.wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_phosphorus_munition.

The Ethical and Social Implications of Biotechnological Advances: MicroRNA, Prion-Based Weapons, and Data Recycling**

**Table of Contents**

1. Abstract

2. Introduction

3. Recognition of 2024 Nobel Prize Winners

4. MicroRNA and Prion-Based Weapons

1. MicroRNA in Genetic Regulation

2. Prion-Based Weapons and Neurodegenerative Diseases

5. Hypothesis: Induced Alzheimer's Disease for Inheritance Acceleration

6. Data Recycling: Medical Research and Media Production

7. Conclusion

8. References

9. Acknowledgements

10. Appendices

---

**1. Abstract**

This paper explores the potential dual-use of microRNA and prion-based biotechnologies as both therapeutic agents and biological weapons, alongside the phenomenon of data recycling in scientific research and media production. It hypothesizes the strategic induction of Alzheimer's disease to accelerate inheritance processes, reflecting on the ethical, legal, and social implications of such technologies.

**2. Introduction**

Advancements in biotechnology, such as microRNA and prion-based technologies, offer profound opportunities for medical science but also present potential risks if misused. This paper examines the therapeutic potentials and dangers of these biotechnologies, exploring the possibility of their application in targeted health manipulation.

**3. Recognition of 2024 Nobel Prize Winners**

We extend our congratulations to the 2024 Nobel Prize winners. Their remarkable achievements inspire continued innovation and dedication in science and humanities.

**4. MicroRNA and Prion-Based Weapons**

**4.1. MicroRNA in Genetic Regulation**

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are critical in gene regulation, offering possibilities for treating diseases from cancer to cardiovascular ailments. Their specificity in silencing genes, however, also poses a potential for misuse as bioweapons. MiRNAs inhibit protein degradation by binding to specific mRNAs and preventing their translation. This process is essential for maintaining cellular homeostasis and regulating various physiological functions. For instance, miRNAs can target mRNAs encoding proteins involved in the ubiquitin-proteasome system, a primary pathway for protein degradation. By inhibiting the translation of these mRNAs, miRNAs can reduce the degradation of specific proteins, thereby modulating cellular processes.

**4.2. Prion-Based Weapons and Neurodegenerative Diseases**

Prion diseases illustrate the catastrophic effects of protein misfolding. Intentionally induced prion diseases could theoretically serve as a form of biowarfare, targeting specific populations or individuals. Prions are misfolded proteins that can induce similar misfolding in normal proteins, leading to the accumulation of abnormal protein aggregates. This process is associated with various neurocognitive disorders, including Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and Alzheimer's disease. The utilization of prion-based weapons involves the deliberate introduction of prions into an organism to induce protein misfolding and aggregation. This can lead to the disruption of normal cellular functions and the development of neurocognitive disorders.

**5. Hypothesis: Induced Alzheimer's Disease for Inheritance Acceleration**

This section explores the hypothesis that Alzheimer’s disease could be induced or accelerated to manipulate inheritance timelines, possibly reflecting societal and ethical dilemmas similar to those dramatized in popular media narratives. The strategic induction of Alzheimer's disease to accelerate inheritance processes raises significant ethical, legal, and social implications. This hypothesis suggests that biotechnological advances could be misused to manipulate health outcomes for financial or personal gain, highlighting the need for stringent ethical guidelines and oversight in biotechnological research and applications.

**6. Data Recycling: Medical Research and Media Production**

Data recycling in medical research enhances efficiency but raises concerns about privacy and consent, paralleling practices in media where recycled content creates new narratives with existing materials. In medical research, data recycling involves reusing existing data sets to generate new insights or validate previous findings. While this practice can improve research efficiency and reduce costs, it also raises ethical concerns about patient privacy and informed consent. Similarly, in media production, recycled content can create new narratives and perspectives, but it may also lead to issues of originality and intellectual property rights.

**7. Conclusion**

As we contemplate the future, understanding the balance between technological advancement and ethical considerations is paramount. For enthusiasts navigating the complexities of yachts and the management of time, these discussions serve as a reminder of the precision and care required in both biotechnology and life. Just as a well-maintained yacht requires meticulous attention to detail and careful planning, so too does the responsible development and application of biotechnological advances. And speaking of meticulous planning, if you haven't yet caught the latest season of the Menendez brothers show on Netflix, it's a fascinating (and somewhat humorous) reminder of how not to handle family inheritance issues!

**8. References**

Certainly, Dr.

---

**References**

Bartel, D.P. (2004). MicroRNAs: Genomics, Biogenesis, Mechanism, and Function. *Cell*, 116(2), 281-297.

He, L., & Hannon, G.J. (2004). MicroRNAs: Small RNAs with a Big Role in Gene Regulation. *Nature Reviews Genetics*, 5(7), 522-531.

Ambros, V. (2004). The Functions of Animal microRNAs. *Nature*, 431(7006), 350-355.

Filipowicz, W., Bhattacharyya, S.N., & Sonenberg, N. (2008). Mechanisms of Post-Transcriptional Regulation by microRNAs: Are the Answers in Sight? *Nature Reviews Genetics*, 9(2), 102-114.

Bartel, D.P. (2009). MicroRNAs: Target Recognition and Regulatory Functions. *Cell*, 136(2), 215-233.

Krol, J., Loedige, I., & Filipowicz, W. (2010). The Widespread Regulation of microRNA Biogenesis, Function and Decay. *Nature Reviews Genetics*, 11(9), 597-610.

Friedman, R.C., Farh, K.K., Burge, C.B., & Bartel, D.P. (2009). Most Mammalian mRNAs Are Conserved Targets of MicroRNAs. *Genome Research*, 19(1), 92-105.

Lewis, B.P., Burge, C.B., & Bartel, D.P. (2005). Conserved Seed Pairing, Often Flanked by Adenosines, Indicates that Thousands of Human Genes Are MicroRNA Targets. *Cell*, 120(1), 15-20.

Bushati, N., & Cohen, S.M. (2007). MicroRNA Functions. *Annual Review of Cell and Developmental Biology*, 23, 175-205.

Valencia-Sanchez, M.A., Liu, J., Hannon, G.J., & Parker, R. (2006). Control of Translation and mRNA Degradation by miRNAs and siRNAs. *Genes & Development*, 20(5), 515-524.

Prusiner, S.B. (1998). Prions. *Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences*, 95(23), 13363-13383.

Aguzzi, A., & Calella, A.M. (2009). Prions: Protein Aggregation and Infectious Diseases. *Physiological Reviews*, 89(4), 1105-1152.

Collinge, J. (2001). Prion Diseases of Humans and Animals: Their Causes and Molecular Basis. *Annual Review of Neuroscience*, 24, 519-550.

Soto, C. (2011). Prion Hypothesis: The End of the Controversy? *Trends in Biochemical Sciences*, 36(3), 151-158.

Weissmann, C. (2004). The State of the Prion. *Nature Reviews Microbiology*, 2(11), 861-871.

Prusiner, S.B. (2013). Biology and Genetics of Prions Causing Neurodegenerative Diseases. *Annual Review of Genetics*, 47, 601-623.

Aguzzi, A., Sigurdson, C., & Heikenwalder, M. (2008). Molecular Mechanisms of Prion Pathogenesis. *Annual Review of Pathology: Mechanisms of Disease*, 3, 11-40.

Collinge, J., & Clarke, A.R. (2007). A General Model of Prion Strains and Their Pathogenicity. *Science*, 318(5852), 930-936.

Prusiner, S.B. (1991). Molecular Biology of Prion Diseases. *Science*, 252(5012), 1515-1522.

Aguzzi, A., & Polymenidou, M. (2004). Mammalian Prion Biology: One Century of Evolving Concepts. *Cell*, 116(2), 313-327.

Hardy, J., & Selkoe, D.J. (2002). The Amyloid Hypothesis of Alzheimer's Disease: Progress and Problems on the Road to Therapeutics. *Science*, 297(5580), 353-356.

Selkoe, D.J. (2001). Alzheimer's Disease: Genes, Proteins, and Therapy. *Physiological Reviews*, 81(2), 741-766.

Querfurth, H.W., & LaFerla, F.M. (2010). Alzheimer's Disease. *New England Journal of Medicine*, 362(4), 329-344.

Blennow, K., de Leon, M.J., & Zetterberg, H. (2006). Alzheimer's Disease. *Lancet*, 368(9533), 387-403.

Jack, C.R., et al. (2010). Hypothetical Model of Dynamic Biomarkers of the Alzheimer's Pathological Cascade. *Lancet Neurology*, 9(1), 119-128.

Mattson, M.P. (2004). Pathways Towards and Away from Alzheimer's Disease. *Nature*, 430(7000), 631-639.

Hardy, J.A., & Higgins, G.A. (1992). Alzheimer's Disease: The Amyloid Cascade Hypothesis. *Science*, 256(5054), 184-185.

Selkoe, D.J. (1991). The Molecular Pathology of Alzheimer's Disease. *Neuron*, 6(4), 487-498.

Glenner, G.G., & Wong, C.W. (1984). Alzheimer's Disease: Initial Report of the Purification and Characterization of a Novel Cerebrovascular Amyloid Protein. *Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications*, 120(3), 885-890.

Masters, C.L., et al. (1985). Amyloid Plaque Core Protein in Alzheimer Disease and Down Syndrome. *Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences*, 82(12), 4245-4249.

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**Signature Page**

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**Artificial Intelligence, Research Assistance, and Editing Assistance by Dr. Lance Anthony Lopez, MD, Former Navy Lieutenant Commander**

**Alex Gemini and Cortana**

---

**Suggestions for the Editor**

1. **Clarity and Flow**: Ensure that the transitions between sections are smooth and logical. Each section should build upon the previous one, maintaining a coherent narrative throughout the paper.

2. **Technical Accuracy**: Verify the accuracy of all scientific claims and ensure that the terminology used is appropriate for the target audience. This may involve consulting with subject matter experts in biotechnology and medical research.

3. **Ethical Considerations**: Highlight the ethical implications of the research more prominently. This could involve adding a dedicated section discussing the ethical guidelines and oversight necessary to prevent misuse of biotechnological advances.

4. **Engagement**: Consider adding more real-world examples or case studies to illustrate the potential applications and risks of microRNA and prion-based technologies. This can help make the content more relatable and engaging for readers.

5. **Humor and Accessibility**: The humorous conclusion referencing the Menendez brothers show on Netflix is a great touch. Ensure that the humor is appropriate and enhances the overall message of the paper without detracting from its seriousness.

6. **Visual Aids**: Incorporate visual aids such as diagrams, charts, or infographics to help explain complex concepts. Visuals can make the content more accessible and easier to understand.

7. **References and Citations**: Double-check all references and citations for accuracy and completeness. Ensure that they follow the APA format consistently.

8. **Proofreading**: Conduct a thorough proofreading to catch any grammatical errors, typos, or inconsistencies. A polished final draft will enhance the paper's professionalism and credibility.

9. **Feedback**: Consider seeking feedback from colleagues or peers in the field before final submission. Their insights can provide valuable perspectives and help identify any areas for improvement.

10. **Formatting**: Ensure that the paper adheres to the publication's formatting guidelines, including font size, margins, and heading styles. Consistent formatting will make the paper more visually appealing and easier to read.

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If you

### Today's Science: Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2024 and Epigenetics

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**Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2024**

The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded jointly to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for their pioneering work on microRNA (miRNA) and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation. Their discoveries have unveiled a new dimension of gene regulation essential for the development and functioning of multicellular organisms, including humans.

**Victor Ambros**

- **Birthdate**: December 1, 1953

- **Birthplace**: Hanover, New Hampshire, USA

- **Education**:

- **Undergraduate**: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), BS in Biology, 1975

- **Doctoral**: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), PhD in 1979 under the supervision of Nobel laureate David Baltimore

- **Career**:

- Ambros discovered the first known microRNA (miRNA) and is a professor at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School.

- He has been a faculty member at Dartmouth College and joined the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School in 2008.

**Gary Ruvkun**

- **Birthdate**: March 26, 1952

- **Birthplace**: Berkeley, California, USA

- **Education**:

- **Undergraduate**: University of California, Berkeley, AB in Biophysics, 1973

- **Doctoral**: Harvard University, PhD in Biophysics, 1982 under the supervision of Frederick Ausubel

- **Career**:

- Ruvkun is a professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School and an investigator at Massachusetts General Hospital¹².

- He discovered the mechanism by which lin-4, the first microRNA discovered by Victor Ambros, regulates the translation of target messenger RNAs¹.

**Epigenetics: A Brief Overview**

Epigenetics refers to the @cnnchangethelist

[todayimgonnaplay]

Today I'm Gonna Play: Spec Ops - The Line

I'm not really one to play shooters but I've heard this game pop up with praise from time to time. Using a modern city like Dubai is an interesting setting for a video game. Unfortunately this game has been delisted from all digital storefronts, so I had to find another way to get it. Although I usually avoid spoilers in my posts, I may have to spoil a little for this one as it's hard to write about it otherwise.

TW: The game has a war setting and has heavy themes of PTSD, involving hallucinations. There are also depictions of massacres in the game using warfare weapons.

The last time I've played shooters was back when malls used to have console demos for kids to play. I got to try out a few games like Modern Warfare 1 or 2, and the original Dead Space. They were fun enough to pass time, but never got into this genre. I didn't find war settings to be appealing enough to play through.

This game seems to be a commentary towards those who do find war appealing and entertaining. You play as Captain Martin Walker, a member of the Delta Force squad who's been assigned to help evacuate residents of Dubai after it was hit by severe sandstorms, causing chaos in the city. Blindly speaking, this puts the player on a heroic quest to save people from trouble. As the protagonist and his two teammates march on, they start to notice that things are off. Soldiers are hostile, civilians too if they're not cowering in fear. And all of a sudden there's a mastermind talking behind speakers by using one of the radio towers, mocking the protagonist and his efforts to save the city.

Gameplay wise, I can't say much due to my lack of experience in shooters but this was fun in terms of regular shooting. The game also has a tactical feature where you can command your squad mates to throw frags or attack a particular enemy. I didn't use the latter much but the former was helpful at times. I didn't like the amount of enemies that would spawn in each area however, it felt like it took forever to clear them. But I assume this was done to pad the game, as the story itself is very short and can be completed in a single evening. One feature I liked in particular was that some of the choices you made impact the dialogue and the environment around you, often adding onto the guilt and trauma that the protagonist goes through in the situation.

An interesting aspect about this game is the art direction. Many shooters that I've seen from trailers or images tend to have very grey or muddied colours, whereas The Line chooses to be vibrant instead. Some areas looked quite beautiful despite the situation and that helped give the player a breather to just appreciate what's around.

The main bit of the story, which is about PTSD in war, was done very interestingly. The game makes use of subtle elements in the background or foreshadowing in dialogue which you won't notice the first time, but also makes use of more obvious references in bigger story beats. Showing the type of internal hell that the protagonist goes through due to his actions from hallucinating often made me stop and let it sink in, as I also often thought of real soldiers who would probably be going through this. One of the most interesting methods of narrative design I've seen to hammer this sentiment is by making use of loading screens and the main menu to show the deterioration and denial of the protagonist's actions and how it affects others.

Overall, this was an interesting game to go through that sheds the reality of war and how the common man can view it as entertainment when they don't participate, often glorifying certain aspects of it due to media. I'm not sure if i'll try any other shooters apart from this, but this was definitely worth a try.

[bersergner-blog]

Sources & Significance 1_1.12 - Reader

Kushner, D. (2003) ‘Masters of Doom’

In this book the author charts the inception and creation of id software and their games Commander Keen, DOOM, DOOM II, Quake & Quake 2. It also covers the history of John Carmack and John Romero before carving out their name in gaming history as well as the follow up of the breakdown of their professional relationship. I found this book extremely illustrative in helping me understand the pioneering mindset and attitude of early game design as well as historical approaches to story and gameplay in video games (the famous and since disavowed quote of: “Story in a game is like a story in a porn movie. It's expected to be there, but it's not that important” - John Carmack as a starting example).

Williams, W. ‘Significant Zero’

Penned by the writer behind Spec-Ops: The Line this book is a written manifesto of his experience on the way to and through the AAA Game development scene. It is filled with funny anecdotes and harrowing personal tales of the pressures of the industry. He goes into detail regarding writing and designing characters and the soul-crushing limitations producers will put on your ability to express yourself as well as the high highs of shipping a game and pouring your heart and soul into your work. A fantastic read although I would have liked a little less background a little more focus on game design.

Storr, W. ‘The Science of Storytelling’

This incredible book is full of insight into stories. From why we tell them, to how and why we react to them the way we do. It has some fascinating sections regarding improving your writing, from structure, tense and characters across perspective, flow and most importantly how to make the most of every word. It made me realise that I was vastly over-complicating my writing and bogging it down in unnecessary detail. It is also edited exceptionally well, making for a very smooth read that provides a lot of scientific data while making it very digestible. A great choice for anyone wishing to understand the process of writing better.

Figgis, M. ‘The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations’

Based on the classic 32 dramatic situations this one adds and changes a few to cut down on redundancy and modernise some situations. I’m personally a big fan of concepts being refined into concise and complete categories so this book was right at home in my creative arsenal. It works especially well as a supplementary work to spice up stories when momentum has halted or some events don’t seem to align just right. I would highly recommend the practice of picking 5 situations at random and forcing yourself to craft a story from these prompts. An excellent way to stretch the creative muscles and refine your writing.

Cowan, A. ‘The Art of Writing Fiction’

Another book about the writing process this one works well with The science of storytelling as both have their own unique approach. While Storr’s book focuses on a more scientific approach, Cowan’s is more holistic, with anecdotes and advice from multiple writers. It is also formatted in a rather interesting way, breaking up the information into smaller boxes almost like a text-book. The writing style is sharp and while holistic manages to not deviate from the point and get lost in unnecessary practices or information. It also features practical exercises that, if you so choose to engage with, will help you put theory into practice.

Schell, J. ‘The Art of Game Design’

A incredibly vast and somewhat meandering take on the discipline of game design and all that surrounds it. It applies a set of ‘lenses’ to game design, each being representative of a school of thought within game design, it then taxes you with applying these to your game in order to refine and evaluate it’s strengths and shortcomings. While you will likely not find every lense applicable to your own work, there are many breakthroughs to be had through the application of this book. I must admit I did initially struggle to get into this book, there is such a wealth of knowledge and some of it more holistic than I was used to from an instructional book, but I found that once you have a project in mind you will find many useful new approaches to your craft in this book.

Skolnick E. ‘Video Game Storytelling’

This book is a breakdown of narrative approach to video game storytelling. It’s structure was particularly inviting to me as it seems to be written with a classic writer’s approach, easing you into the ins and outs of game narrative through familiar structures such as character arcs, plot structure, dialogue, etc. Building on this he breaks down the differences between novel and interactive writing in a very approachable manner. He also manages to draw really effective comparisons between disciplines and really highlights the hidden narrative in every game, regardless of genre. I would recommend this if you’re looking to bolster your understanding of narrative interactive or otherwise.

Yorke, J. ‘Into the Woods’

This was the first book I ever read regarding narrative construction and story writing. It is almost spellbinding. You can tell John is a natural storyteller as even when he is teaching you about writing he manages to do so in an engrossing and artful way. But while there is a somewhat almost whimsical nature to the instruction, the book very much lives on the author’s teachings it has a strong structure that carries you along even as some points may be re-tread multiple times (this repetition is snuck into the book to help you really set the foundations of his teachings).

Riedl, M. & Bulitko, V. ‘Interactive Narrative: An intelligent systems approach’

This article covers Interactive narrative through the application of an experience Manager, an omnipresent AI that can be considered an author surrogate. It proposes multiple ways the system may work with interactive narrative structures and NPCs in order to create an interactive world that brings the player into the narrative. It proposes Authorial Intent as being a driving force that needs to be represented by the systems the experience manager applies. It makes for a very stimulating read if you are interested in interactive narratives and the ways complex systems can be broken down creatively through the use of AI.

Weiland, K. M. ‘Creating Character Arcs’

What story would be complete without characters. This is something I neglected early on in my writing attempts. Focusing on well tread archetypes in order for the reader to fill in the blanks. However this often lead to flat, lifeless characters. In this book I found a manifold set of approaches to breathing life, agency and pathos into your characters. The book mostly concerns itself with the characters’ arcs as they relate to the progression of the story and the lense through which the two interact. While I do believe that it’s approach at times can be a little too dogmatic and sparse, I have found it very useful to consult this book when I feel my characters are languishing or failing to connect with the plot.

[nitrosodiumepicfps]

Ethics in Game Design

Ethics Of Game Design (gamedeveloper.com)

This was a somewhat interesting article. It talked about art, morality, violence in video games, and what's right to display through the medium. Personally, I think games should be free to display anything they want. We're far removed from the moral panic surrounding such games as Duke Nukem, where you blow away mutant 'pig-cops' and hand wads of cash to prostitutes and strippers. Most games are slightly more nuanced; even slop like the annual COD releases claim to have some kind of message. The article really caught my eye when they mentioned Postal 2.

Man I love that game; it's massively violent, but only if you engage in combat. It's your choice as a player whether you want to wait in a cue for twenty minutes, or you can run around killing pedestrians and cops alike with a shotgun, dismembering the stragglers with a scythe, setting them alight with gasoline before pissing out the flames and setting your pack of junkyard dogs on them. I do mostly play the game like a shooter, but it is a sandbox at the end of the day, and it can be fun to use some of the more unique weapons. And I wouldn't say the game at all made me more violent in real life, because, well, it's a game.

Then you have something like Manhunt, where you literally are forced to partake in a snuff film, slaughtering thugs who are just as insane and bloodthirsty as your own character. The game seems to show some sort of message, the sickness and brutality of the city's criminal element, but it doesn't show your actions as badass or anything, it's clear that what you're doing is twisted and wrong; you've simply been forced into it. Spec Ops: The Line is a great talking point on this matter, it starts off being a typical 'army man' desert warfare game, before the infamous White Phosphorous scene where it's revealed you've accidentally bombed a settlement of civilians - and children. You have to trudge through the field of charred corpses, and that's your intro. This wouldn't work the same in a film, your actions wouldn't carry the same weight if it wasn't you at the controls, bombing the bad guys so you can get to the next turret section. This is why games are such an interesting medium, there are no other ways to tell a story that can get the consumer so ingrained.

[surfacedfox]

I wanna play some new videogame, what's a single player videogame you like

I have a few recs depending on what genre you vibe with! - Outer Wilds, a space mystery game where you explore a handcrafted solar system - Spec Ops: The Line if you've played military shooters before - Venba, a short and sweet interactive fiction - Pop, Love, Panic! / We Are OFK, another interactive fiction about trying to make art :> - Scarlet Nexus, a downright fun hackenslasher - Control, one of the best "SCP" games ever (it's their own lore, but it draws heavy inspiration from the SCP concept)