Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Topics - Rislone

Pages: [1] 2 3
1
General Chat / Really good article from former marine on MoH:SO
« on: October 14, 2010, 02:02:47 pm »
I found this very well thought out article on playing games associated with war.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130435221

Benjamin Busch served as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps and deployed for two combat tours in Iraq.

My grandfather fought the Nazis and was wounded. For years afterward, my father recreated that war in games in his Brooklyn neighborhood, where some of the children playing had lost their fathers overseas. War games always require two sides, and someone in Brooklyn always had to play the Germans.

When I was a boy, I was given plastic army men. I arranged them in the sandbox behind our house, and I killed them. I voiced their commands and made the sounds of their suffering. I imagined their war — and I controlled it. But I lost those magical powers as a Marine in Iraq.

We know children are immersed in digital interactivity now, and the soldier of today has grown up on video games. It is becoming a new literacy of sorts. Playing and risking your life are different things. In the video war, there may be some manipulation of anxiety, some adrenaline to the heart, but absolutely nothing is at stake.

I honestly don't like that Medal of Honor depicts the war in Afghanistan right now, because — even as fiction — it equates the war with the leisure of games. Changing the name of the enemy doesn't change who it is.

But what nation or military has the right to govern fiction?  Banning the representation of an enemy is imposing nationalism on entertainment. The game cannot train its players to be actual skilled special operations soldiers, nor is it likely to lure anyone into Islamic fundamentalism. It can grant neither heroism nor martyrdom. What it does do is make modern war into participatory cinema. That is its business.

But imagine how frustrating this game would be if, just as you began to play it, an invisible sniper shot you dead every time. The game would not be popular, because being killed that way isn’t fair — just like war. Reality has a way of correcting misconceptions.

The power of controlling your situation, to be able to stop the war and rest, is something that our soldiers are quietly desperate for.  For those who patrol the valleys of Helmand, it is a way to impose limits on the uncertainty of war and the constancy of vulnerability.  A video game can produce no wounds and take no friends away.  The soldier understands the difference.

The games of my youth seem more innocent than the fully articulated violence delivered for the modern day boy, but so did the films, news and books. There is a truth common to all, and that is that playing war in any medium is not combat, and for a gamer, it's not even political. It's just sedentary adventurism in need of a subject. In the real "war gaming" of the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan, perhaps the Pentagon should have allowed someone to play as the Taliban.

The truth is that there are two ways out of Afghanistan: wounds or luck. Proficiency is only part of surviving the randomness of death, and playing games will not protect or endanger soldiers or governments. Gamers inspired to join the Taliban, should talk to John Walker Lindh first. And for those who truly want to play for a Medal of Honor, recruiters are standing by. Only eight have been awarded since we invaded Afghanistan. All but one have been posthumous.

2
General Chat / ATTN Wow Players!
« on: August 21, 2009, 08:15:38 pm »
If you haven't heard Blizzard has released their official video of the new expansion pack, World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. It's pretty tight and introducing some interesting new gameplay.

http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/cataclysm/

3
General Chat / Desperate help needed no more!
« on: June 20, 2009, 02:16:12 am »
OK not that desperate, but I am needing anyone that has or has access to a Torx Screwdriver T8H, the special security screwdriver for opening an Xbox360 controller. If you live in Tulsa and would be willing to loan it to me I would really appreciate it. Or I'll be forced to order one online for $5 and I'm broke.

So yeah, help me out if you can please. :)

4
Articles and Reviews / A brighter future ... Underground
« on: December 21, 2008, 02:19:43 am »
Well I am a happy camper. I FINALLY got my video card for my computer. Just a cheapo PNY 512 DDR2 NVIDIA 9400, but guess what? It runs COD4 (the demo at least and I'm sure the rest of the game) at max settings.

But the best news is that I wanted a new game to really put the computer and GP through its paces. Sunday morning last I arose the the infernal banging of my front door and who was it? My mother-in-law ... with cake! and a $25 gift card to Gamestop! (late birthday present). So I got dressed, got the kiddo in the car and made my way to the local Gamestop. Where I finally decided to go ahead and get Fallout 3. I always liked the first one and was pretty excited about seeing the screenshots from the latest installment. However, I was concerned that I wasn't going to meet the requirements but I did! Runs great and seamlessly.

Now on to the game itself. In my opinion one of the greatest games I have played. Good challenge factor and the skill system is top notch. Also V.A.T.S. is one of the better targeting systems I have ever used. The entire game is immense. There are also 3 types of quests. Main story line quests, Side quests, and Unmarked quests. These provide good backstory and help immerse you into the game while leveling up between main quests (if you so choose). The game is very open ended and is very easy to get side tracked while exploring and stopping to explore other places. Like the night I decided to just mess around and take a detour to the Capitol Building just for fun. The AI is very decent. Enemies know when to flee after being crippled and also know how to properly take cover. Also player actions have big consequences and this is where the Karma system comes into play. Lie, cheat, and steal and you will pay for it. Being nice has its own rewards also like free stuff given to you by your resident city. The map system is a blessing in the fact that Bethesda brought back Fast Travel that was used in Oblivion so that all your time is not spent just trying to get from point A to point B, there is plenty to keep you busy instead of just traveling. I've seen some complain that there was no multiplayer, but in a game like this it would be rather useless in my opinion. The camera system is geared rather well if you like playing first person or having the camera pulled all the way back or anywhere in between and also has a hotkey to change it on the fly. I can't really think of any downsides that I have found just yet except for the G.E.C.K creation tool that you can use to build your own dungeons and actually insert it into the game world and share with others and the only reason that I'm not a fan yet is because I am waiting on a more stable build. It rather freaks out in Vista while trying to pull its information. But that is rather trivial and doesn't reflect on the game itself.

If your a fan of the original two Fallout games then this one is a must. If you are not, it is still a great game and its replayability is pretty good due to trying to find everything, choosing good or evil and completing all the quests. Definitely a good buy for a good game especially for us PC users because all we have to do is wait a couple months and all our games are in the bargain bin :) However that may not be the case for this game for a while.

5
Thread Archives / WoW Minis Demo for beginners - Tulsa/BA
« on: November 28, 2008, 12:49:50 pm »
I'm fleshing out a demo for World of Warcraft Minis for whomever would like to learn to play the game. The event itself will either be at my own home or All in Games depending on the number of people that are interested in playing. If you are interested please respond by posting what you think. Questions welcome!

6
General Chat / XBOX - XBOX 360 cross compatibility
« on: August 11, 2008, 07:21:59 pm »
Just picked up H2 and Soul Calibur 2 for original XBOX and I am playing on an original XBOX. My question is ... Are the new 360 Live gamertags able to send me friend requests and vice versa from my old box to the new one?

Example: I'm playing on an XBOX and I want to play the haloz with TH3 R3LIGION who is on a 360, can I send him a FR or can he send me one?

I know that new live accounts aren't compatible on old xbox's so I had to ask.

The GT for mine is Jad3Storm (it's my darling wife who I love very much's account (happy Cools??) :))

7
General Chat / So I joined Gamebattles
« on: August 06, 2008, 09:31:01 pm »
I joined to see what it was all about. Pretty confusing at first (guess that's why they have a video tutorial) but I got the jist of it. Seems pretty cool from what I have seen. Been on there about 30 minutes and got a random friend request??

Anyone else use this system? Is this how the whole MLG scene thing works? Educate me because I don't really know too much about it.

8
General Chat / Excuse me sir, I play the HALOZ
« on: August 05, 2008, 01:17:24 pm »
Just played Halo CE on for Windows.

Ummm ouch, it's horrible (for me at least). Halo is meant to be played on a controller and using the keyboard is a pain, although the layout is pretty decent, but still lacking. Also the game looks horrible even at max resolution (1440x900 for me).

I think I will stick to XBOX versions. Anyone else played HCE on PC? Your thoughts welcome. I think I will have keep with my UT2004 for PC.

9
General Chat / Move over Google
« on: July 29, 2008, 05:37:47 pm »
I just finished reading an article of a new search engine start-up by some former Google employees here at:

www.cuil.com (pronounced "cool")

Here is a screenie from an "okgamers" search.


10
General Chat / Who Wants to Break A Record?!
« on: July 16, 2008, 04:37:19 pm »
Ok here it is back by popular demand after Saif thought it would be fun to type deltree.

I'm hosting a contest to break the forums record for most users online in a day which currently sits at:

Most Online Today: 25. Most Online Ever: 126 (June 26, 2007, 03:07:59 AM)

Here's the deal. Whomever posts the last message at 11:59:59 on Saturday July, 19 AND we break the record for most people online I will be giving that person their very own ....

SAIF PLUSHIE!!!!1111elevenbbqroflcopter!

As stated before, the rules are this: There are no rules (except no cursing and no porn), but post whatever you want. Shoutout to your school chums or post inane ramblings and pics. BUT we need everyone to login just once on Saturday. Keep this thread going so everyone knows.

11
General Chat / Hooray New Computer!
« on: June 25, 2008, 05:59:56 pm »
Just bought my new computer before I went to work YAY! I got uber lucky and got approved for a loan and was able to go buy it. A lot of you may now I had computer issues and no internets ..... buuuuuut now I'll be back online monday and playing me some WoW. I have been without a comp in my home since February :( Like the stone age it was.

12
Open board gaming will be held every Sunday from 12-5 PM. Everyone is welcome to come in and play various types of games and to meet other fellow gamers.

 
Contact Info:

Address: 3768 S Elm Place
City: Broken Arrow, OK 74011
Phone Number: (918) 455-0545

13
Tournament Name: VS. System Silver Age
Dates: Saturdays (Weekly)
Start Time: 6:30 PM

 
Contact Info:

Address: 3768 S Elm Place
City: Broken Arrow, OK 74011
Phone Number: (918) 455-0545

14
Tournament Name: World of Warcraft TCG
Dates: Saturday (Weekly)
Start Time: 12:30 PM

 
Contact Info:

Address: 3768 S Elm Place
City: Broken Arrow, OK 74011
Phone Number: (918) 455-0545

15
Tournament Name: Type 2 Magic the Gathering Tournament
Dates: Wednesday & Friday (Weekly)
Start Time: 6:30 PM

 
Contact Info:

Address: 3768 S Elm Place
City: Broken Arrow, OK 74011
Phone Number: (918) 455-0545

Pages: [1] 2 3