Video (Gamer) Romeo (Not)

[omorka]

Why do they not make video games for the demographic that includes me?

Probably because there are only six people in it. :(

Blizzard still hasn't released a patch for the weird error between Warcraft III and OS X. Apparently it only happens on some machines, but ours is definitely one of them. Periodically, the screen freezes, although the sound continues. It doesn't do it in the same place each time, either (originally, I thought it did it right before cut scenes, and it does seem more likely to do it then, but it's happened in other places, too). This is making me grumpy.

So, since I couldn't play Warcraft III, I've been trying to finish StarCraft. This is an exercise in frustration as much as fun, though. I like (and am good at) resource management and general strategy, but I suck at real-time combat and single-unit tactics. And the last Zerg level is really nothing but combat. *sigh*

At least there's a backstory. The vast majority of the games out there seems to be variations on Random First-Person Shooter XIV, with little to no worldbuilding or backstory. I wouldn't mind trying to run a roleplaying game in the StarCraft universe. The only shooter I can think of for which I'd even consider the idea is Halo, and, well, that's Bungie.

I really enjoyed Master of Orion II. I want more games like that. Unfortunately, it appears that Masters of Orion III isn't. I wouldn't mind having another shot at StarCon II, but that was never released for Mac, and I'd need a college student to play through the combat for me for the first third of the game, until my tech level gets high enough for me to manage combat without getting myself killed.)

*sigh* I find that I'm playing through individual levels of Majesty without getting much out of them. (It's a swords-and-sorcery sim game, for those who have never heard of it.) That has the resource management, but not the strategy. If I could cross Majesty and Warcraft II, I'd have something pretty close to my perfect game. But no one's going to write that.

Back to working on my GURPS stuff . . .

Comments

[memeslayer.livejournal.com]

Holy crap, only half the good games ever made. :)

eBay is your friend for PS1 games. You can get most of them for about $10. If you want something right this second, Best Buy has cheap games too. The only limiting factor is how much time you're willing to put in, and that will steadily increase as time goes on.

This is only a list of the best games; there are a lot more out there that are worth playing.

RPGs:
Final Fantasy IX makes a good starter RPG.
Final Fantasy VII is generally considered to be the best RPG on the PlayStation.
Xenogears is what I consider to be the best RPG on the PlayStation. :)
Parasite Eve is something of a quasi-action RPG thingy. It's pretty good.

There aren't many strategy games(the aforementioned RPGS probably come closest), but the one that stands out is Final Fantasy Tactics, a turn based strategy game with a plot to go with it.

There's an interesting little genre called Survival Horror. It's not everyone's thing, but if you see a copy of Resident Evil 2 lying around you might give it a try. They're sort of like third person action games with puzzle solving, except the emphasis is more on running(survival) than fighting. Not a lot of reflexes are required. A scarier version is Silent Hill. Survival Horror really came of age on the PS2, but that doesn't concern us right now.

The one side scrolling action game you absolutely must play is Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

I don't know much about other genres besides those. I've always mostly bought RPGs, because they have the best money/game ratio.

Hope that helps!

[omorka.livejournal.com]

A FOAF was noodling around on Final Fantasy Tactics once while we were waiting for everyone to show up so we could roleplay. (Not exactly ironic, but mildly amusing.) It looked interesting; I might see if I can dig up a used copy somewhere.

[moontyger.livejournal.com]

I don't know; I never cared much for Final Fantasy games in general. Honestly, I am not much for console RPGs at all, because I don't like most of the conventions of the genre. First off, they are incredibly linear. Secondly, I hate minigames. And thirdly, I hate the fact that you need to play the game with a strategy guide, as it is far too easy to mess it up and be several hours in and have to start over because you can't successfully finish from where you are.

I generally enjoy survival horror games, although often they are just too hard for me. Not being a console gamer, I frequently find I have to get someone else to do a lot of the fighting for me as games are made for people who have played these games for years. Of course, survival horror as a genre did not start on the PS1; it started with Alone in the Dark (still a great game). That said, Silent Hill is worth checking out, although I found combat too hard for me... Pretty much the same for Castlevania: Symphony of the Night . If you had a Gamecube, I'd recommend Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem . Great game!

Of course, I am not sure we like the same things in computer games at all, so YMMV with all of this.

[memeslayer.livejournal.com]

The first two things you mentioned are definitely characteristics of console RPGs(although I think the second is pretty minor), but I'm not sure what you're talking about with the third. I haven't found an RPG that you can render unwinnable. If you have trouble, just level up your characters some.

Survival horror is generally too hard for me, too, so I usually turn to walkthroughs for help. www.gamefaqs.com is our friend, although I'm depressingly weak-willed when it comes to resisting the urge to run for help. I figured the puzzle solving aspect of survival horror might do something for omorka.