Mini Review: The Skystone.

I have been enchanted with the Arthurian Legend since reading the excellent series by Mary Stewart: The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, The Last Enchantment, and The Wicked Day. Hers was a more "traditional" take on the legend. That being the one we are all familiar with or what some would call the "romanticized" version. The Skystone takes a different look at the legend and starts many years before Aurthur is even born. The book follows the life of a Roman soldier named Publius Varrus who is fated to befriend and follow a man named Gaius Brittanicus in Roman occupied England.

The book unfolds in a time when the Roman Empire is imploding from the pressures of outside forces and internal corruption. An invasion by heretofore unorganized barbarians leaves the Romans who are occupying England in disarray. They are eventually able to beat back the horde and regain control, but not to a point that they previously were to maintain. Gaius Brittanicus is a man of vision and can see that the supposedly eternal Roman Empire is on its last legs. He has been planning for this eventuality for some time and has set up a small barony of his own using his wealth that his family has attained over the years. At the end of the book, it is plain to see that he has been right and the fateful day is soon to be at hand. He has gathered his friends and family to an idllyc place I am assuming will be come to be known as Camulod or "Camelot". Having been partially crippled in an ambush, Publius Varrus has taken up his grandfather's profession of blacksmith along with his secret of smithing something they come to call a Skystone.

The tale is told from the perspective of Publius Varrus for the entire narrative. We see events unfold through his eyes and the filter of his perceptions. Whyte does an admirable job of portraying life in 4th Century Great Britain through the eyes of a Roman soldier. The novel isn't awash with flowery prose or stilting descriptions of the countryside and people, but one gets the sense of actually being there in that time. One wouldn't be inclined to call Whyte a great writer, but he keeps the reader wanting more by deftly lulling one into the everyday happenings of the main character then unleashing an event that changes everything. This is a lot like life works. We go about our daily routines oblivious to a life changing event that is just around the corner. Then we scramble to deal with the consequences.

This is an Historical Novel more than a fantasy. You won't find magic and wizards or strange creatures. You will find plenty of rousing action and intrigue. I thoroughly enjoyed this book even though I felt that many of the relationships between characters were taken for granted and not developed nearly enough. I can forgive this fact a bit because the narrator is relaying events that happened many years before. Thus, I wouldn't expect him to remember the nuances of every relationship. At times, the main character's reasons for doing things seems a little forced too. He develops a hatred for a family enemy of Brittanicus rather quickly in my view, but I can't say I wouldn't have reacted the same way. By the end of the book it is clear that this man is going to be the one who forges Excalibur. How he got to that point is very interesting and entertaining.

If you are looking for a good escapist novel with an historical vein then I would highly suggest you read this book. I felt myself transported to this time period and I genuinely cared what happened to the main characters.

Interesting article for MMO players to chew on.

You already know all about the MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) phenomenon: the GDC panels, the rants, the spectacular failures and successes, the addictions, the “Make Love, Not Warcraft” South Park episode, the ubiquitous elves, and especially the profits. Just in case you haven’t been paying attention, though, here’s a brief explanation of why MMOs are important.

World of Warcraft is a rather successful MMO. Its subscription model gives it a trump card against software pirates, and its massive subscriber base guarantees continued revenue for the next few years at least, if current trends are to be trusted. Even World of Warcraft’s older, poorer cousins, such Everquest and Ultima Online, continue to turn profits many years after their initial release.

On the other side of the PC gaming coin, non-subscription retail games face increasingly grim prospects as customers turn to pirated software and parasitic games such as the aforementioned World of Warcraft, which more than one executive has blamed for slow PC game sales. And they appear to have a valid complaint: retail sales of PC games have fallen every year since 2001, while revenue from subscription fees has skyrocketed.

Clearly, the trends show that the future of enthusiast PC gaming lies with games that can hold a player’s interest over long periods of time; at the very least, these games commute PC gaming’s death sentence for a few years, until game consoles can provide the features, depth, flexibility, and convenience that PCs allow.

The thing is…we all expected these games to evolve. We looked at Everquest and its addictiveness and reasoned that surely someone would improve on this formula, creating a breed of entertainment that the entire spectrum of gamers could enjoy. Instead, we have seen a parade of copycats that fails to appeal to a large portion of the potential market, despite far bigger development budgets than any offline games.

What’s the problem? Is it that MMO developers choose to design their games for a niche audience? Or are the designers, who often have little to no experience with traditional video game design, simply incapable of designing anything but a nerd-fest? I can’t answer that, but here are a few questions on the subject I do want to try to answer from the standpoint of a traditional game designer: What exactly is an MMO? Will the current MMO formula hold up over time? What is holding this type of game back from more universal success, and how can it be improved?

The article continues here...

Puzzle Quest. One addictive little MoFo

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords is a brand new, genre-bending title that ups the ante on traditional puzzle games by incorporating strategy, role-playing elements and a persistent storyline. Set in the Warlords universe, the game challenges players to save the land of Etheria from evil Lord Bane as gamers engage in battles fought by means of competitive, head-to-head "match-three" style puzzle games in one of three gameplay modes: Single-player, Instant Action or Multiplayer. Victory will advance a player's customisable hero, magical arsenal, creature companions and more—ultimately rewarding gamers at nearly every turn and deepening their immersion into the richly diverse world. The game's remarkable mix of classic puzzle gameplay and an abundant suite of characters, customisations, spells, companions, tameable monsters and more provides a fresh take on the puzzle genre that offers endless hours of replayability. Designed specifically for handheld gaming systems, Puzzle Quest can be enjoyed in long or short doses, cultivating a casual but deeply satisfying and compelling gameplay experience.

Key Features

• Innovative Gameplay Style - Strategy and role-playing elements that function harmoniously in the puzzle gameboard setting offer a refreshing twist on classic puzzle gameplay, fostering an exceptional depth of investment and enjoyment.
• Head-to-Head Gameplay Mechanism - Competitive, turn-based gameplay encourages you to plan, think and strategize against opponents instead of just react like most traditional puzzle games; game difficulty and progression are related to outsmarting your enemies as opposed to difficulty increasing solely through level progression.
• No Penalty for Losing - If you experience defeat, you are still awarded experience points as well as partial gold and then encouraged to try again; this allows constant progression and avoids any feelings that invested play time is wasted.
• Continuous Reward System - At every turn, you will acquire helpful companions, collect or cast powerful magic spells, gather informational "rumors," and obtain items like weapons, armor and money to advance your hero.
• Short or Long-term Play Sessions - Play in long or short doses since the depth of the game does not waver according to the length of a gameplay session; each battle ranges from 3-10 minutes.
• Three Distinct Gameplay Modes Offer Unparalleled Replayability -
  • Single-player: Battle against the computer AI as you embark on more than 150 challenging quests
  • Instant Action: Jump in and immediately play continuous battles to level up your character without participating in quests
  • Multiplayer: Battle live opponents via wireless connectivity on both the PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) system and the Nintendo DS handheld system
• Create and Build a Hero - Choose from two male and two female avatars in each of the four character classes-Druid, Knight, Warrior and Wizard-to create, develop and customize your ultimate hero.

• Build Your Own Empire - Build an empire as you capture cities, build castles and gain a party of companions that will aid you in battle.

Behold: The reason I haven't been posting as much lately is this little gem (pun intended) of a game that came out of no where. Currently it is only available in it's full form for the PSP and DS. Click the picture above and you can download a PC demo. This game looks like a perfect fit for Xbox Live Arcade too. I think the element of using puzzles ala Bejewled as the combat system was a stroke of sheer genius. There are no repetitive battles that are resolved by hitting the same combination of keys as in a lot of RPGs. Each battle is different even if you are fighting the same type of monster. I'll have a full review eventually.

Currently Reading: The Skystone

From Library Journal
During the days of the decaying Roman Empire, the legions of Britain struggle to preserve the ancient principles of loyalty and discipline-virtues embodied in the Roman general Caius Britannicus and his friend Publius Varrus, an ex-soldier turned ironsmith. Whyte re-creates the turbulence and uncertainty that marked fifth-century Britain and provides a possible origin for one of the greatest artifacts of Arthurian myth-the legendary sword Excalibur. Strong characters and fastidious attention to detail make this a good choice for most libraries and a sure draw for fans of the Arthurian cycle.

So far I am liking The Skystone. The tale being from a Roman perspective is different albeit it has been done before. I have read most of the Authurian Legend books I could get my hands on. I will post a review when I am done.

Reports of Captain America's Demise Premature...

Ladies and gentleman, I give you: the new Captain America! None other than Stephen Colbert! He must be even more of a bad ass since he is not going to have a secret identity. Super Villains, you are on notice! Bears, your days are numbered. Look for the new Captain to be inserting the stiff boot of justice up the ass of evil in a major way!

Robin Hood

Plot Summary:
A forest mystical being appoints two men in succession as the legendary outlaw defender of the oppressed.
Plot Synopsis: Robin of Loxley is chosen by the mystical Herne the Hunter to become his 'son' and champion the oppressed. Gathering a band of comrades around him he fights a guerilla campaign against their Norman dictators, particularly the Sheriff of Nottingham and his deputy, Guy de Gisburne. Later he is succeeded by Robert of Huntingdon, renegade nobleman. This retelling of the legend introduces a strong fantasy element, with black magic and the old religion.

Now available from Amazon. All I can say about this series is GET IT! This is an owner folks.

Settlers of Catan: Cities and Knights

Cities and Knights

I started off this blog talking about the upcoming Xbox Live Arcade game, Settlers of Catan. In that post I introduced you to some cutthroat players the likes of: The Accountant, The Machine and The Deflector. I am happy to announce that I have emerged victorious in our latest game of the expansion to Settlers of Catan which is called Cities and Knights. If you aren't familiar with it, think of the regular game, but with lots more opportunity for "dickage" as we are want to say. Cities and Knights is very adversarial and challenging. There are many chances to screw over your opponent and to be screwed.

One word of advice: don't start a game of Cities and Knights at 12:00 AM especially on the night you set the clocks forward. Ugh! The game lasted for a little over three hours. This is partly due to the fact that the only way I win these things is if I stumble upon the victory in what turns out to be an exercise of stamina. I am not nearly as good at strategy as my aforementioned opponents. I would have won earlier if The Deflector hadn't been determined to hang on to the Longest Road even though he had no chance of winning. Sounds like something I would do. I am thinking about retiring as champion now, but I think I will enjoy the fruits of my victory for a time before making any announcement.

Zelda: Phantom Hour Glass

I have become a Zelda fan at my advanced age. As I said in a previous post, I don't know how I missed playing Zelda through all of its iterations. Here is some video of the upcoming game for the Nintendo DS. Notice they are keeping the Windwalker style cell shading. It seems to work well for the DS. I have read that the entire game was going to be played by using the stylus. I am not sure I am on board with that one, but I am not about to second guess Nintendo on control schemes at this point.

Super Ghouls and Ghosts for the Wii Virtual Console

Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom

The third game in the legendary Ghosts 'n Goblins series of video games, Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts follows Arthur in another quest to rescue the princess, his fair maiden and damsel in distress at large. Players take control of Arthur and defeat the creatures of the night to save the day once more. Discover what glory awaits those brave enough to take on the armies of Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts.

Age Rating: E

This is one of my all time favorite platformers. It is incredibly difficult, but still very addictive. Part of the strategy is knowing what weapon to have in certain situations. The twitch factor is high and you really need to be paying attention or you will die fast. Nintendo did a good job with this one. The graphics look great and the controls are smooth and responsive on the Wii Classic Controller. If you are a fan of platformers, this is a must buy.

Waggle your Wii!

Ok so you played through Zelda: Twilight Princess and you are a Pro on all the Wii Sports games, and are wondering what is next. What will developers do with Wii controls now that they have had more time to implement them in their games. Well, here is one example. This is footage from the upcoming Wii game Prince of Persia: Rival Swords. For those of you not yet blessed with a Wii and wondering how the controls work and if you really have to be as spastic as the people in the commercials take a look at the video and see how precise the controls are and know that you don't have to act like a goofball to play.