OK, I've now had the chance to give my new Logitech MX Revolution mouse a thorough testing, and here's my report.
Firstly, and most importantly, how does it perform in games? I've read some reports that it has a problem with occasional lag - i.e. not keeping up with the action. Well, I'm pleased to report that I've not had this problem. It performs impeccably, and just as well as any wire mouse that I've ever used. I had no problem in Half Life 2 (where quick reactions are obviously essential), and I've also handed it over to a professional gamer (i.e. my son), who had no problems either.
So, what can it do that other mice can't? Well, for gamers it has 'game mode settings', which enable you to customise such things as mouse speed and button assignments for particular games. Otherwise, it has a fast scroll (useful for quickly going through long documents), a horizontal scroll feature, a search button (highlight a term on a page and instantly search it in your favourite search engine), back and forward buttons (great for going through browsing history) and, coolest of all, a 'document flip' feature, enabling you to flip between open applications on the desktop:
My son reported a slight discomfort with his thumb, due to the side scroll wheel (used by the document flip feature), but I didn't experience this - maybe I don't grip my mouse so tightly!
Battery life? A full charge gives about 2 weeks use, and probably more if you remember to switch the mouse off when not in use. I suppose it could be a pain running out of charge when you want to use it, but still the mouse looks waay cool sitting in its charging cradle.
In short, I'm loving the features of my MX Revolution, and will certainly miss them every time I have to use a basic mouse. It may be expensive, but it's certainly worth the extra.
RATING:
Well, I had to finish it. As I've already indicated, Half-Life 2 was every bit as good as I remember it. The only slight hiccup I had on the way was the bug in the Citadel level where I couldn't jump, so I had to replay that level from the beginning (why didn't Valve ever patch this?). Otherwise, the enhanced gravity gun was a blast - surely one of the most satisfying weapons in any FPS? Breen didn't stand a chance...
Oh, and my new MX Revolution mouse performed flawlessly - more on that later.
Now for Episode One...
I am intending to do a post on FSX, which will include a rant about Micro$oft's apparent decision to discontinue the Flight Simulator franchise, and not release the code to any other potential developer. However, before I got around to doing the post I came across this intriguing thread in the Aerosoft forum. Could it be true that Aerosoft are to create a replacement for FSX? I sincerely hope that it is. Imagine how good a flight sim developed by a company with a real passion for the genre, rather than just for how much it can make them, could be? (OK, I'm sure Austin Meyer at X-Plane shares the passion, but I've never been able to get into that sim - more about which in another post, no doubt.)
It all started when Mathijs Kok of Aerosoft began the thread with the above picture and the cryptic line: "Just posting an image. No comment, don't ask." Naturally, other posters did start asking questions, and eventually Kok admitted: "It is indeed a new simulator (but with roots as far back as FS1) we will discuss later in much more detail. It is NOT however a direct replacement of FSX but a simulator dedicated to a specific role (that of the pilot flying) [what else?] in specific aircraft (several airliners) ... I can however also say that we are at this moment testing game engines to see which would be suitable to make a complete new 'SDK open' simulator that will be intended as a replacement for FSX."
So, the intention is clearly there, although Kok acknowledges that creating a new sim would be "a huge multi million dollar project", so we mustn't get our hopes up too much. Still, just imagine...
Whilst waiting for Will Wright's next masterpiece, The Sims 3, I thought I would have another look at his last effort, Spore.
I remember that I was very enthusiastic about the idea behind Spore. Creating your own species and taking it to world domination and beyond appealed to me. I waited patiently all those months (years?) between the game's original announcement and its eventual release. On release I took the day off work and rushed to my local games shop to grab my copy as soon as it opened (sad, or what?). I hurried home and breathlessly installed it. Unfortunately, my excitement soon turned to disappointment.
As we all now know, Spore was little more than a prettily-packaged series of minigames, lashed together under the pretence of modelling evolution. But this was not evolution, more of a God game. Instead of your actions determining how your creature turned out, you essentially had full control of how you created it. It wouldn't have been quite so bad if all of the minigames had been good, but they weren't. The 'Cell Stage' was little more than a 1970s 2D scrolling game, and as for the 'Civilization Stage', that was so ridiculously simple as to be a waste of time. I remember that in the only game I played, I did get to the 'Space Stage', which actually wasn't too bad, but by that time I couldn't be arsed getting to the end, and gave up.
None of this was helped by the fact that I couldn't get my game verified (despite contacting EA support), meaning that I couldn't come across user-created creatures in my games - a major selling feature of the title.
Well, I have just been back to Spore. My re-acquaintance didn't last long. I got through the 'Cell Stage', but quickly lost interest in the 'Creature Stage'. For any game to hold you, it needs to draw you in to suspend disbelief, but this just didn't. Perhaps my earlier experiences had put me off for good. I may give Spore another chance, but I doubt it.
Here's hoping that Will Wright returns to form with The Sims 3.
I spoke about the graphics in Half Life 2 a couple of posts back, suggesting that it can't compete with current titles. Well, I thought I would start a series of random screenshot posts with this screen grab I took last night, which rather contradicts what I said. Enjoy.
After saying a few days ago that Far Cry 2 is the best FPS ever, I thought I would revisit the previous holder of the crown, Half-Life 2, for a quick comparison, and to check I wasn't talking complete bo***cks.
Hmmm, HL2 was damn good.
Graphically, HL2 can't compete with FC2, but it still does a pretty good job of creating realistic environments. After all, when the action is frenetic, who cares whether each blade of grass is rendered or not?
Unlike Far Cry 2, Half-Life 2 was, of course, pretty well completely linear, although this isn't necessarily a bad thing - at least you know where you're going (usually). Having said that, one of the joys of FC2 was planning how you would approach an enemy encampment, and then executing that plan (and, hopefully, a few enemies). Going back to HL2, I missed that freedom.
But in the end, such differences are meaningless. All that matters is: was is a good game? The resounding answer is: no, it wasn't a good game, it was a bloody fantastic game, and still holds a share of the crown. I think my visit to HL2 may turn into a lengthy stay...
Today I invested my hard-earned on a Logitech MX Revolution mouse. According to the box it is the "World's most advanced mouse". It is rechargeable, cordless, laser, has 5 buttons and can flip between applications, perform fingertip searches and make a cup of tea. OK, I lied about the tea. Best of all though, it looks ultra cool. I'll be testing it over the next few days and will post a review here when I've decided whether it was worth the 70 quid ($110 US) price tag.
Slitherine and Matrix Games have just launched the Gold edition of Commander - Europe at War, and the best news is that it's available as a free upgrade to purchasers of the original game. The Gold edition includes a number of enhancements, including a fast-play mode and six additional campaigns.
For those who've not come across the game before, CEAW is a turn-based second World War game fought (surprisingly) in the European theatre. You can play as either Axis or Allies and you control basic land, sea and air units. These can be bought with production points which you are given each turn, the number depending upon the resources you control. Production points can also be invested in research, which will ultimately grant you upgrades to your units.
The game takes place on a hex-based map which stretches from the east coast of America in the west to central Russia in the east, and from the top of Norway in the north to north Africa in the south (got that?). Don't let the fact that this is a hex-based game put you off: CEAW is not just for nerdy wargaming-types. In fact, it abstracts warfare in favour of gameplay to such an extent that serious wargamers may be put off (they can always wait for Hearts of Iron III). This means that the game is easy to get into for newbies and the action is fast-paced.
In fact, now the action is even more fast-paced. The fast-play mode (essentially just with bigger hexes, so that your units can get across the map quicker) makes it quite possible to complete WW2 in one evening. Great for a quick strategy-fix. Watching your units push your borders across the map is extremely satisfying, although the AI is no slouch, so errors such as allowing units to get cut off will be punished.
Downsides? Well, the game does not have the high production values of titles from the big developers and this does show at times, particularly with the poor screen resolution. You also get the feeling that you're not really getting your money's worth with the content, particularly as this is pretty well a full-price game.
But I don't want to end on a low, because I like CEAW, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a solid, accessible strategy game.
RATING:
I recently completed Far Cry 2. It was, quite simply, the best FPS that I've played. Bar none.
OK, I suppose I had better say a bit more about it. The game takes place in a fictional African state, beset by civil war. Your goal is to find and kill 'The Jackal', a man who has been stoking the fires of war by supplying arms to both sides. You start, of course, with rubbish weapons, so your first task is to get yourself some decent kit. You achieve this primarily by doing missions to earn diamonds, the only acceptable currency, with which to buy all you need to become truly dangerous. The great thing about Far Cry 2 though, is that how you complete the missions is pretty much up to you. Do you sneak up on the faction base and take out their soldiers by sniper rifle? Do you go in all guns blazing? Or, maybe you start a fire upwind of the base and burn them out? The choice is up to you.
All of this takes place on two huge maps which I'm told are 50 km square. I believe it. To get around you can use your feet, a vehicle, a boat, a bus or even (occasionally) a hang glider. The scenery is beautifully rendered and includes weather, day/night cycles and various wild animals. Of course, to see all of this at high settings requires a pretty top-end PC, but I've seen the game run on slower machines with the detail reduced and still producing a decent effect. The scenery is so good, in fact, that you will often find yourself foregoing the action to admire the view.
The missions are pretty varied and include assassinations, destroying convoys and blowing up a bridge. There are main missions that you get from the two factions (one faction doesn't seem to mind if you have worked for the other faction previously) and that you have to complete in order to drive the storyline, but there are also easier side-missions that you get from buddies (who will help you out in a crisis) or from a doctor when you need to get some malaria pills. You are free to choose whenever you want to take on a mission but the game doesn't seem to let you take on anything you can't handle. Having said that, the missions don't generally seem to get that much more difficult as the game progresses. Some missions can be a bit repetitive, and fighting your way across the map to reach a target can be a little tedious.
In the end though, these minor gripes don't matter. The game is simply a blast to play from beginning to end. As you can tell from the screenshots, I was rather partial to the sniper rifle - using it to take out enemies from a distance is one of the most satisfying gaming experiences I can remember. I'm off for another go...
RATING:
To help you get around the gaming world, and to stop the kids laughing at your lack of knowledge, here is a list of common gaming terms:
AFAIK - As Far As I Know, a term seen on forums.
AI - Artificial Intelligence, the behaviour programmed into NPCs (see below).
Anti-Aliasing - Softens jagged edges of things on screen. Can have a serious effect upon frame rate, especially with older graphics cards.
Anisotropic Filtering - A common filtering technique applied to video games that helps improve the perspective of the image shown. Again, can have a serious effect upon frame rates.
BIOS - 'Basic input/output system' - a small program that the computer runs initially on start-up, preparing the PC for loading software.
Bloom Effect - Reproduces an imaging artifact of real-world cameras. Produces fringes of light around very bright objects in an image. Once again, can affect frame rates.
BSOD - 'Blue screen of death' - the error screen that appears on a Windows PC when it encounters a critical system error and has to shut down to prevent damage to the computer. Usually caused by a serious bug in the game - see below.
Bug - A programming error in the game. Often fixed by a patch.
Bump Mapping - A means of applying textures to give the 2D image on screen a more rough (or bumpy) 3D appearance.
Console - Dedicated device for playing video games, usually connected to a television. Also a term for a place in a game where you can input special commands, such as cheat codes.
Cut-scene - Cinematic, non-interactive part of a game, conveying the game's backstory.
Dev - Game developer.
DirectX - A Windows technology that enables higher performance in graphics and sound when you're playing games, used by virtually all PC games.
Draw Distance - The distance away from your character that the game-world is drawn. Reduce to increase frame rate, but items will then 'pop-up' when you approach them. Distant items are 'fogged out'.
DRM - 'Digital Rights Management': essentially, a form of copy protection that restricts access to a game by various means, such as only allowing it to be installed a limited number of times, or requiring a permanent internet connection.
FPS - First Person Shooter (e.g. Half-Life) or Frames Per Second, i.e. the number of still images generated per second, to simulate motion. The higher the FPS, the smoother the motion, although the human eye can generally only see 30 frames per second.
Gamma - Setting that alters the brightness of the screen.
HP - Hit Points. Each character may have a maximum number of hit points. When this number is reached, the character is killed.
Indie Games - Games created by small independent games developers.
Lag - In online gaming, a time delay, usually caused by a slow internet connection.
LAN - Local Area Network
Level Up - In RPGs, when enough XP is accumulated, the player moves up a level, gaining more HP and abilities.
MMORPG - Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game. E.g. World of Warcraft.
Multiplayer - A game that can be played by more than one person at the same time.
NPC - Non-Player Character, i.e. controlled by the computer.
Patch - An update to the game, usually fixing bugs and making minor improvements.
PVP - Player Versus Player - an area where human players can or must attack each other.
RPG - Roleplaying Game. The player takes on the role of a particular player within the game. E.g. Oblivion.
RTFM - READ THE F***ING MANUAL!
RTS - Real-Time Strategy. Strategy game where players can move pieces continuously. E.g. The Age of Empires games.
Sandbox Games - Non-linear games that allow you to make your own choices within the gaming world, and that do not necessarily have an ultimate goal. Example: Grand Theft Auto IV.
Simulation - A game based upon some real-world activity, such as flying, driving, sports etc.
Single player - Err.. a game for one player. Many games have both single player and multiplayer sections.
Spawn - When a player or NPC appears in the game-world. Spawning after being killed is called 'respawning'.
Texture Mapping - Wrapping a 2D image around the frame of an object, to provide the surface appearance of an object rendered in 3D.
Turn-based game - Game where players take turns performing actions, e.g the Civilization games.
Tutorial - Early part of a game focused on teaching players basic skills.
WAD - Working As Designed. A term often seen on forums where one person reports what they think is a bug in the game and another person (perhaps the game designer) replies that it is not a bug - the game is working as designed.
XP - Experience Points. Generally used in RPGs, experience points are gained by the player defeating enemies, completing quests etc. When a certain number are gained, the player will 'level up'.
This post, which I'll no doubt be adding to, will be pinned to the front page, via the navigation section.
OK, so I'm the wrong side of 40. OK, OK, so I'm the wrong side of 50 too. Why should kids have all the fun? After all, I was playing computer games long before they were born. Not that they would be impressed by the wire-frame graphics of classics like Elite. I was though. Spent bloody hours crashing into space stations before I could afford the docking computer.
If you can still remember the thrill of achieving Elite status, or if Manic Miner took your breath away (preferably before Willy ran out of oxygen), then you have come to the right place. Ageing Gamer will reminisce about such delights, and bugger what the kids think.
But Ageing Gamer will be about a lot more than reminiscing. Yes, I loved the old games, but they wouldn't hack it with me now. Not even Half-Life 1 would cut it now. I'll be looking at the latest and greatest. After all, now that I can actuall afford a ninja PC, why shouldn't I see what it can do? So, I'll be reviewing the hottest new games as well, or at least as many as I can get my hands on.
OK, so grab your joystick, forget about your 'adult' worries, and come along with me for the ride...
I am Methuselah. According to Wikipedia, the name Methuselah "has become a general synonym for any living creature of great age". Therefore, I am Methuselah.
I began computer gaming back in the '70s, when Pong, then Space Invaders and, particularly, Defender graced the machines you would find in bars. I recall pumping all my spare change into those machines. Still, it was cheaper than spending my money on booze (although I did a fair bit of that also).
Then the first affordable home computers appeared. I purchased a Sinclair ZX81, and everything changed. I would spend five minutes listening to a game being loaded from a cassette tape (a similar sound to when you mistakenly ring a fax these days), only for it to fail after 4 minutes 59 seconds. It didn't matter. And as for the printer with aluminised paper well, that was the last word in high-tech. I was like a pig in muck. Games? Well, I recall a black and white flight simulator where, when you turned, the horizon was like a staircase diagonally across the screen. Brilliant. I also remember chess in 1k. Yes, you heard it correctly - chess in 1k of ram! It couldn't handle castling, but who cared? Then I bought the 16k rampack and plugged it into the back...
Next came the ZX Spectrum. Color! And a whole 48k of ram! The world of computer gaming was now my oyster. Anyone remember Codename MAT? I do. I particularly remember the alien spaceships that looked like hamburgers. I also remember the frenzied wait while Elite (previously only available on the BBC Micro) was ported to the Spectrum. I got it as soon as I was released, and I was in gaming heaven. I achieved Elite status, of course.
OK, fast forward to the world of PC games, and my real love became Flight Simulator, in the days of Bruce Artwick, before Micro$oft took over the franchise. Each new version brought a little more realism, from wire-frame to solid graphics, from a small area to the whole world, from blank scenery to real buildings and autogen. Heaven.
Meanwhile, 3D gaming took off. The first Doom, and Duke Nukem 3D. I especially loved Duke Nukem, and spent hours creating my own levels. Whatever happened to that level I made in a pyramid, floating in space? I could have sold that. Then there were the golf games. Not satisfied with beating par, I would design my own courses. I was Jack Nicklaus.
I was also Ayrton Senna. Who could forget the great Grand Prix games from Microprose?
Enough of the nostalgia. None of the games mentioned above would hack it with me now. Now, I expect photo-realism, and nothing less will do. And I get it. Whether in Far Cry 2 or Grand Theft Auto IV. Yes, I play these games, and I'm happy to admit it. OK, I may not have the reflexes of a teenage geek, but if I'm having fun, who cares? And you can have fun too, even if you're the wrong side of 40.
And that's where Ageing Gamer comes in. I will recount my computer gaming experiences both past and present, and hopefully you will be inspired to pick up the joystick/gamepad yourself, and shamelessly enjoy the world of computer gaming.
