Zed's Corner

A place of nerdom and geekery. This follows the things I find interesting as I traverse the wide world of all things nerd.

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Latest Minecraft build. Giant Redwood Treehouse.

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Hail to the Humor

The last couple of days of gaming for me has found me more often then not holding my sides in laughter. I've been hitting my back cataloge of games recently and often have been picking up many of the games that I remembered as humorous rather then the serious or creative. Games like Overlord, Brutal Legends, And Bards Tale are a few of these amazing genre that has me keep coming back well after I have beat the game. And why is that? Is it because of the amazing gameplay or the epic storylines? No it's because games like this know how to have fun. Lets face it, the majority of us gamers play games as a way to escape the day to day life and be immersed in a world that more often I the not would be impossible for use to be apart of. So why would I want to come home after a long day of stressed out work to play game that will only stress me out more? Now don't get me wrong, I do thoroughly enjoy a plethora of game genres ranging from the story based dramas like Heavy Rain to the action pack blockbusters like Call of Duty, but it is the quirky and humorous games that have a special place in my heart. This thought came to mind recently as I picked up a copy of Saints Row IV and began a to play. Right off the bat the over the top action sense and just off the wall craziness hooked me and what was supposed to be a couple hours of playing just to get a feel for the game turned into four hours of wacky, alien buttkicking. One minute I'm jumping 20 stories into the air, the next I'm punching alien scum in the nuts and cringing slightly, and then I'm in a car chase with Keith David shooting out the window while I'm singing along with the greatest hits of the 80's. Yeah Saints Row IV is kinda like that. A game that is true to its heritage and never takes itself seriously. It's more then a open world sandbox of a game. It's a toy chest full of whoopy cushions and joy buzzers, the whole objective being to make you laugh out loud. And I realized that I have truly missed playing these games and there are so little of them out there anymore. In recent memory I don't think I could name 5 games in the last year that have been large releases and have focused on humor above all things. Sure I had games like Borderlands 2 and Deadpool and even some DLC for games has been released that been pretty funny like Far Cry 3's Blood Dragon. But even then these types of games have been under represented over the last few years and that is a true shame. I truly believe that games are better when they are no longer taken seriously, when the developer pokes fun at the ridiculousness of their games instead of focusing on the realistic. I'm not saying we should abandon all realism for cartoony characters and over the top wackiness, but it is through those things that people can some of their most memorable moments. Sure I always will remember killing that final boss in Demons Souls but I also remember the frustrating hours of gameplay that it took to get to that point. Where in Saints Row what I remember is ragdolling around and being hit by cars on purpose followed by making people dance until they die with a dubstep gun. I just personally wish that there were more games like that out in the world and I commend the people at Double Fine for being one of the few developers out there that not only make amazing games but also make them amazingly funny. Psychonauts, Brutal Legends, Stacked, and The Cave are just a few of the many titles in recent memory that this company has given us and each are a combination of fantastic humor and imaginative gameplay. And yet unfortunately many of these games never did very well once they were released. People instead gravitated to the better marketed or hyped games and completely abandoned what, at its core, gaming is all about. Honestly what can be more fun then fun? So for those developers out there like Double Fine and Volition, keep on making the funny! And players our there, the next time you are faced with a decision of humorous or dramatic go for the humor. You'll thank me later.

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Heart of the Games

So I was recently trudging through the multitude of gaming news sites when I happened upon an article talking about how Notch (creator of Minecraft) has recently put his new space epic 0x10c on hold while he works on other things. This was taken by the community as him giving the game a death sentence and there was an outcry by the community, many of which were looking forward to the games inevitable release. Notch has since released a blog post ( http://notch.tumblr.com/ ) since then explaining his reasoning behind the shelving of this title and it has got me thinking. So basically what was said in the post was that Notch was just no longer having fun developing the game and it had become more of a chore then a fun experience like he has had in the past. This to me is completely understandable. Why should you continue on a creative project such as that if you are no longer going to enjoy working on it. If you no longer are having fun and this work becomes more of a dreaded part of your day rather then the highlight it is time to take a step back and work on something different or abandon the project all together. I do it all the time in my Minecraft builds and it lets me later on come back to the project with a renewed sense of purpose and excitement for what I do. When you do something creative and your heart isn't into it anymore it shows in the work you do, be it through cut corners or lack luster story the players will pick up on such things. Now Notch sited the fact that there was so much pressure on him to create another big and amazing game that it had sucked the fun right out of the development. Though the Minecraft community is probably one of the least volatile communities that I have been apart of and the swarms of good wishes and cheer had gone out to Notch it was their expectation and desire for the game that drove Notch to continue making the game even after it had stop being fun and to his credit he stuck with it for that community which makes him a better man then most. Even after his blog post there were plenty of people who commented, understanding why he had shelved the project and as always wishing him success in his next endeavors. But still there were people out there that were calling him out on quitting and all I have to say is FUCK YOU. Seriously what the hell people. Are you honestly so self absorbed that you think you are entitled to a game that is still under development? Notch is an amazing developer and he owes nothing to the community, not even an explanation on why he chose to shelve the project in the first place and we as the community of gamers need to understand that. Recently we had another case of something close to this as developer Phil Fish (creator of Fez) had said he is leaving the game industry all together and scrapping his plans on a Fez 2. And though I do not agree with the way that he handle things after his altercation with the media or even really like the guy, his decision to leave the industry is a good move. Lets face it, if you are an indie developer and your heart is no longer in the game you best be leaving. Love him or hate him it is clearly evident by the time and effort that he put into Fez that Fish was extremely passionate about his game and it showed. Fez is an amazing game that had an original concept which stood out in a world of rehashes and remakes. But to follow up on such an brilliant success as Fez would be a daunting task to say the least. So for him to leave now and forget the whole sequel is probably for the best. His heart is no longer in the creation of a game for others to enjoy and now only there because of a sense of duty of obligation to his brand or community. And the decision to leave or shelf a game has become even more difficult now that we all have access to these indie developers at a whim. Twitter and Facebook has created such a sense of instant recognition that so many of us tweet or post or whatever to these big players in the industry that it must be extremely difficult for them to relinquish this sense of duty to their players and make that hard decision to back away from something that we the community obviously want so badly. Be it well wishes, ill wishes, or even questions this curse of notoriety for the developer is such a double edged sword that seems to be sharper on the back swing. So developers of the world please remember something as you put yourself out on the world stage for all the critics, haters and fanboys out there. You owe us nothing. Nothing. You don't have to reply to the tweets or the posts or the hates or praises. In the end all that needs to speak is the fantastic work of art you create and if it is truly good then you will find the respect of your peers. Don't let all the expectations of the players bog you down or force you to continue to work on something you no longer enjoy. They may be the ones that have supported you in your creation of immersive worlds and epic tales but it was because of the vision you made into reality that brought them to that decision. To continue on without that passion towards what you are creating only robs the community of that sense of awe or fanaticism they had in the first place. Create your games for the whole reason of creation and expression not because you have a million backers on Kickstarter crying out for a game. True passion will show in your work with every piece of dynamic lighting, every bullet fired or sword swung, in ever quest excepted and boss defeated and because of that the players will continue to praise your work, support your efforts and understand when a project has to be shelved because you can no longer move on creatively. And players out there, if you true support a developer and the work he or she does, back off. Let these titans of creativity do their work without the constant barrage of questions and comments. Support them when they ask but until then take a back seat and wait patiently for the amazing thing that they will bring to life for you to enjoy. But most importantly players remember, a developer never owes you anything. Their first and only concern is being true to what they are creating and putting their hearts and souls into that creation, not to the people, not to the expectations or the hype, just to the thing they breath life into with ever line of code. So be understanding and supportive when someone like Notch or Phil Fish decides to bow out or take a set back. In the end it's their decision for what is best for their productions and we as players are just tagging along for the ride.

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Next Gen Reveals

why is it everytime there is a console reveal all you see on gaming news websites is articles about how the company did its reveal wrong, how it was confusing to watch or that the message the company is sending out with its reveal isnt what it should have been. The latest one is the new Xbox One. People are crying because Microsoft was focusing more on how this next generation is going to control the majority of entertainment we consume from TV to video games to movies all with just a swoop of the hand or a simple voice command. But are these news sites impressed? No. They cry about Xbox not showing enough games, that they are abandoning the people that made the xbox great, even though Microsoft said those reveals will be coming to E3 (you know that giant gaming conference where most game developer companies reveal their stuff). News sites are questioning how smart it is to not show more games on during their big reveal and all I can think is how moronic they are when Microsoft told them that the game titles would be released with footage during E3. Seriously people, Id consider myself a hardcore gamer and i wasnt disappointed by the fact that Microsoft only showed 3 different games during the reveal (all of which i will not be playing). And thats even excluding the idea that many game developers might want to play it close to the chest this close to E3 so that they have something to show off. I swear even if Microsoft were to have shown 8 different game trailers during this reveal I bet these news sites would have been whining for 3 more, or complain that they glossed over the entertainment part of the whole reveal. Give the company some slack. They did an early reveal well before I thought they would (normally this happens at E3 or CES). I'm still going to be buying one when I get the chance, because i know that the Xbox franchise is still probably the strongest name in console gaming and has been for the past 10 years. I am thoroughly excited about what i saw yesterday, with the built in Kinect, the live swapping and snapping of multiple running applications, Xbox is producing a console that acts more like a entertainment computer that is purely focused on delivering entertainment in the most convenient way possible. The games will be there like they always are, exclusive titles and all. So just sit back, stop the whining and watch as this amazing set of next gen consoles takes the stage during E3 and truely show us what they are capable of in the hands of great developers. Now is a great time to be a gamer!

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Going Nuclear

So we have officially gone nuclear here at Nether Expeditions Inc. As of last night we have a fully operational nuclear reactor powering a handful of devices underground in Kolo's base. Why down there? Well thats simple I didn't want a giant crater on the surface if that thing were to fail because of a design flaw. Anyways so far so good. We have been producing a lot of power and have been working on making as much UU matter as we can. That has been the biggest addition to the game lately. Besides that I've finished a basement on my floating island and im working on filling the building with furniture and tables and all that stuff. The factory has been put into limbo for now I guess as well as the refinery. I need to work on my designs for them before starting. But soon we could have a full functioning base to create our signature cookies! As well as my limboed projects I have been thinking to build an actual base in the Nether as a foothold for our work there and with my philosophers stone I'd be able to make a whole village there but that is much farther down the road. Also I've been wanting to explore the world some more. But that will come after I have finished my main base area. Well thats about it for me today. Happy mining! And for those at minecon right now... I hate you! Not really... But seriously yes I do.

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Castle in the Sky

So my awesome home has been created and is basically finished besides the furnishings and the basement. At the moment however it is a good home base to work on my Equivalent Exchange stuff and plan out how to make our base more efficient. Still have to work on the nuclear reactor which wont be started again until NekoChan comes back from her vacation as well as upgrading the farmacological reasearch center. I've seen a couple of designs that I like and I'll probably start work on once I find a better location for the building. At the moment the way I have designed the research center its too small to really do much with but its better then nothing. Lets see recent additions to the base includes a start on railcraft stuff as well as a new cobblestone generator that at the moment is supplying my condenser with a constanr flow of EMC. Later on I think that I will connect it up to a recycler for the scrap I need to power a Mass Fabricator. Also I've built some energy collectors and a klien star to help reduce the cost of building my floating island. By the way anyone looking into using the EE mod parts on tekkit definitely look into setting up a few collectors and getting a klien star as soon as possible, they are extremely handy. Well thats pretty much it for now. By next update I hope to have finished my island base or at least the building part of it. Until next time, happy building.

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Powering Up

So since my last post a lot has changed. We struck diamond which allowed me to boost production incredibly. We have now a completely green base running all of my primary machines off solar and wind power. Only a few systems run on coal anymore and that is only because there is no way I can hook them up too the power grids. Recently we have been able to construct a nuclear power plant with plans to run a mass fabricator off it. We haven't started it up yet but were are getting there. That though is mainly NekoChan's project. Great builder that woman. I personally have been working on two thing. First is to find hops for our bar so we can have beer. Its harder then it sounds with this new farming system. But that had been put on hold recently as I worked on a combustion engine plant to power our main resource quarry. That had been rather difficult trying to figure out those systems since one screw up will lead it to explode wasting all my hard work. And it can be rather expensive to build some of that machinery. Todays plans are a little simpler. I think I am going to start on a couple of things. First is crafting a flying ring. We have been using jet packs up to this point but being able you hover will be key for the next l project I have. That project is building a sky ship research lab! That being said if anyone knows of some cool designs I can draw ideas from message them to me. Anyways that's pretty much it. I still haven't attempted to take pictures so nothing will be posted along those lines for awhile. Eventually I'll find time soon but until them just know the base is awesome! Until the next update happy mining!

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Nether Expedition Inc.

So I have teamed up with Kolorana and Nekochan to openNether Expedition Inc. A brand new company focused on resource extraction and the making of tasty tasty cookies. So far things have been going very well. We have been able build a working base with quarry and a fairly good power system to keep us off coal power. Well kinda. We still have a few systems that are still running the old fashioned way. Still though we are well on our way to creating our cookie factory. I'll figure out how to post some pictures eventually so you all can have a peak at how we do things. Until then keep mining!

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A Whole New World

So since my last update not much has changed. I started working on the giant open area under the temple for the maze but then hit a snag on the door leading down and dealing with a bunch of lava. So instead of figuring that out I played more MoP with NekoChan. Recently however I've been sucked back into minecraft, namely the Technic Pack. This us the most fun I've had playing minecraft since I first started playing. For those that don't know Technic is a mod for minecraft that actually adds on a boat load of other mods and makes them work together fairly well. It brings minecraft to an industrial age and them beyond with things like engines and machines and even nuclear reactors. If that sounds interesting I would suggest watching a few of the yogcast YouTube videos of tekkit to get a better feel for the game. So far its been a little overwhelming with the amount if stuff I can do. So far I have built a base with a few of the new machines to learn how they work and gave started a production line that automates my smelting of ores. My next project now is to take myself off coal dependency and move to something like solar or air power. Well that's pretty much it for now. Kolo and I have been talking about seeing up a tekkit server and I want to build a cake factory so if that happens then I will start posting pictures and doing updates from that.

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You've found a hidden temple. What will you do?

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What is this thing called Minecraft?

So another week has passed and again I have not touched minecraft. I blame NekoChan mainly since she just started up MoP so we have been hitting the levels pretty damn hard. I have dug a hole down to about the level I’m gonna start building the maze. Its just going to be a big project clearing out the area needed. I’m other news the minecraft 360 version is getting its 1.8 update soon which has me pretty excited to start playing that again. We are getting new creatures and the hunger system as well as creative mode which I plan on taking full advantage of in creating some great multiplayer maps. Still no infinite world but I can live with that. Well that’s pretty much ask I have right now. If I actually get I’m and build I’ll let you ask know but if not another update next week. See ya!

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Neglect

So I've been seriously neglecting my minecraft lately, but the good news is I have a level 90 shaman on WoW now. Yeah with the release of MoP my minecraft playing has been pretty much killed. I am still in the planning stages for the maze. The biggest part right now is to just take the time and clear out the area I plan on using probably around 100x100 blocks. That should give me pleaty of room. Not sure how tall it will be but the plan is to make it look kinda like the nether before you walk into the maze so probably ranging from 30 to 50 blocks depending on looks and laziness. I hopefully will remember to post some pictures of the entrance today but no promises. On the WoW front the big news is that I hit 90 a week after release and I'm working of getting gear to do heroics with friends. NekoChan has started playing again and we made a pair of panda monks which has been very fun. Loving the new zone and the story. Very impressed so far.

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Twists and Turns

So work has begun on the maze for NekoChan. Over the course of the last couple of nights I have been able to build the step pyramid entrance into what will become the maze. Overall I am rather proud of the design. Its a little tight in places but I think it works well. I've only hit a couple of snags. First and foremost is the release of Mist of Pandaria. With a new world to discover and new levels to gain I'm finding it hard to get the time to build. But I am consoled by the fact that MoP is awesome and I'm having a great time playing. The second problem comes from the world itself. I though I had foun we a great place to build but little did I know I had built over a large cave system. So I have added extra work for myself in the construction and design of the maze but overall things should work out fine. Next step is to start designing the look of the maze from the outside. I have a few ideas running though my head at the moment but I need to run them by NekoChan for approval first. I never realized how fun it could be building for someone else. In other news the, what has now been dubbed, Clue game and its building has been planned for my first project on the xbox when it receives its 1.8 update. The rules are still being developed but we are close. Well thats all in the minecraft world. Stay tuned for more later.

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The factory is finally finished. All that's really left is to furnish the inside of the building with some couches and stuff, but overall the whole place is built. All the hidden doors are in and working except the library one which didn't really work out the way I wanted it to but I did set up a substitute system to open the door. So next project is to start working on Neko-Chan's maze o' doom! Biggest problem there is finding the right location for the building. I'm thinking in the middle of the jungle and then modeling the building to look kinda like an Aztec step pyramid. More pictures of that project to come.