Minecraft

Since the game really isn't in a "finished" state, it would be silly to give it a proper review. But with it being free this weekend (www.minecraft.net) and for as long as it takes to accommodate the massive amount of traffic it's servers have gotten this week, I took some time to give it a fair shake, much like the wang dangler after a satisfying squirt.

There is something incredibly familiar about why I couldn't put this down. It is the same feeling that someone gets in the first playthroughs of games like X-COM: UFO Defense, Deus Ex, A Boy and His Blob.... wait, bad choice. It doesn't give you this feeling because it LOOKS like it could have been made around the same era. There is a much better reason. Like many of the classics, this game makes no effort to guide your hand in anything. You are not a hero. You are given no goal. There is no story. There is no background. You are made of blocks.


You are dropped in the middle of a randomly-generated, hostile world with one thing on your mind. Figure out how to survive. This is quite literal, given you have no instruction on how to do this. You are given controls and your imagination.


That is why the game is great. You figure out how to do the shit you want to do because you are an adult. No need to baby you with a pusscake tutorial, run and find shelter, asshole.


Visually, it's just right. It fits the back to basics view on games that is seems to be made with and becomes quite endearing after a bit of play. The atmosphere is done beautifully. You are immersed in a world where you have to judge your priorities based on the location of sun/moon. You will be reduced to a cowering 6 year old when you hear a giant spider in a dark cave. You will scramble to light a torch and shut your door when the sun sets. Intermittently, appropriately lonely music will play and you will wonder how you've just spent 4 hours building a home in the clouds. You will throw your monitor out the window when you are killed by a creeper and have no idea where you are when you wake up and are left with no shelter, no materials and no leather pants that you just crafted from raw cow ass.

(I promise this will terrify you)

This game is being made with a very clear understanding of what makes gaming fun. Player creativity, exploration, immersion, progress and a whole lot to lose if you don't succeed.

Buy Minecraft. You need to give Notch your money.

I'm going to need a new game soon.

When I originally got Mass Effect, I did three play-throughs. I lost those saved games when I built a new computer and forgot. So then I decided to do one play-through for each class, and I've carried them over to Mass Effect 2. Above is my final character: female - renegade - engineer. She's just relaxing at a party at the moment.

So when I finish this character, I will retire from Mass Effect(s) until number three comes out. I don't know what to do in the meantime. All the games that I want don't come out until next year. Portal 2 and Deus Ex 2 come out in February next year, and Dragon Age 2 and Crysis 2 come out in March. That is too long for me to wait. I need more computer games right now. I need them.

L4D night starts in 90 minutes or so

take off pants

Also...and this is completely unrelated...I don't know if you've ever gotten your character to nab this little bit of conversation, but I have. Then I found it on YouTube today.

music post

Achilles - "hospice"

I told Sean and Alec that I would up this, so here I am doing it. Remember L4D (first one) night is Wednesday, except Alec has to be a good little boy and study. Anyway...

Stop living life and play more computer games.

TF2 night results (smoking all the fuck)

Our first TF2 night was a moderate success. Not many of our group actually showed up. Pretty bummed Dan, One-Handed Dad, Jack and The Billionaire couldn't make it. But there's always next month. Please be sure to check our Steam community page for IAAT.

Here's the run-down (what we could keep up with) of what we got:

Achievements:
Alec - "preventitive medicine" (medic)
Alec - "not a crazed gunman dad" (sniper)
Minus - "own the means of production" (heavy)
Minus - "red oktoberfest" (heavy)
Minus - "De-sentry-lized" (sniper)
Sean - "the big hurt" (scout)

Item Drops:
Alec - cloak and dagger
Nic - tribalman's shiv
Rob - ambassador
Snowy - bonk atomic punch
Sean - tribalman's shiv
Sean - Scotsman skull cutter

damnit damnit damnit

Here is a reminder about our TF2 night tomorrow. Look at our Steam profile page, when you are logged in to see details, or click this to see it right now. I recently had to change our ventrilo server (like 10 days ago or so) and I tried to get everyone the new IP. But if I missed you just IM one of us in Steam and we'll make sure you get in.

Go craft some shit.

TF2 night

One week from tonight, Wednesday July 7, we will have a TF2 meeting on our server. Bring some friends, if you want. It will start 9pm EST (8pm CST, 6pm PST) and will go for probably an hour or so. I'm hoping we can make a monthly habit of having one night where we can get the majority of our group together and take advantage of having on our server.

I will also post the event on our Steam group page.