Wait Your Turn!

This is a topic I’ve thought about off and on over the last few years, but more so after the recent release and apparent success of Kickstarter darling, Divinity: Original Sin. Now, I haven’t played it yet and very much would like to, I just can’t decide if I should dive in now or hold out for a potential console release. But this isn’t really about only one game.

In reading the overwhelmingly positive reviews and watching gameplay videos, the turn-based combat is frequently referred to as “old-school” and “nostalgic” which I suppose is true since the bulk of video game RPGs in the early days of the medium were all turn-based. Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Breath of Fire, Phantasy Star and more all started with turn-based combat in the ‘80s and ‘90s, but when a new role-playing game forgoes a real-time system if favor of this strategic approach, does it have to be labeled “retro”? I guess so since these terms imply a hearkening back to things that used to be but are no longer, or considerably less common… and that’s a shame.

Necessity or Design?

Typically the “retro” elements of modern game design imitate aspects that were, in their time, much more limited due to the technical constraints of more primitive hardware and software. As technology advanced, video game development continued pushing the bounds of graphic and sound capabilities. Large pixels became smaller and smaller, 2D graphics became 3D graphics and chiptune music became actual orchestral scores as the industry chased after the fidelity achieved through film with near uniformity. New games that use pixelated graphic styles and 8 or 16-bit sound design are clear homages to gaming’s past, attempting to capture the magic many of us felt while playing the classic games of the medium’s infancy.

Was turn-based combat in early RPG games used primarily because of technical limitations? I could be way off base, but I don’t think that is why. And I suppose it’s likely that I’m wrong about that, as evidenced by the fact as the tech improves and our gaming machines become more and more powerful across the board it seems that we see fewer and fewer role-playing games implementing it. Or maybe I’m right, but enough of the industry and fan base has become so focused on the enjoyment of fast-paced action games that the impression of turn-based combat design being irrelevant was born and flourished in response. Perhaps it’s a combination.

So what does this have to do with the above-mentioned recent release? While checking out the reviews for “Divinity: Original Sin” there was one reader comment that really stuck out to me. The individual asked, “Why is it turn-based?”

Why Not?

Here is my take on the situation. My first role-playing game experience was Dragon Warrior on the NES, long before the franchise moniker was unified across the globe. It was the first game to really open my eyes to the vast complexity that video games had the potential for and would one day achieve. It was also the game that would solidify the RPG as my genre of preference. I never really had the opportunity to get into actual table-top RPGs, although I always wanted to. The lack of a reliable group of friends with similar interests didn’t stop me from educating myself about them, however. And my curiosity led me to believe that series like Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy were trying to emulate the experience of the paper and dice affair, albeit without the multiple players and DM who improvises the story to keep up with player choice, which were technical limitations. Through those games I could enjoy a version of that despite not having the right group of like-minded friends or available time.

Taking turns is integral to nearly every table-top game, including RPGs which are hardly “old-school”. Role-playing games are today, more popular and more accepted than they’ve ever been (much like video games). It should not be seen as a limitation or a drawback, but an option. If you don’t enjoy playing games with a  turn-based component, it doesn’t mean those are not good games. Guess what? Those games are not for you. The best part of gaming in an age with so much variety is that there are plenty of games that are for you, but not all of them will be and that’s just fine. Not everything should appeal to everyone or else it all becomes homogenized and innovation takes a back seat.

Different Strokes for Different Folks

I’m not saying all role-playing games should be turn-based. In fact, I believe great games like Skyrim or From Software’s acclaimed Souls games would be absolutely ruined by changing the play style. It all comes down to personal choice, obviously. For me, the preference for turn-based combat is specific to games involving a party of multiple characters. I have tried to play several popular RPGs that used a real-time combat system while directing a party, and even the few that I did enjoy would have been a lot more fun for me had they been turn-based. Single character games like Demon’s Souls or Diablo III work very well with a real-time system. I’m currently (and slowly) working my way through Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (yeah, it’s an old game, I’ve got an extensive backlog) and I’m having a great time… until given a quest that saddles me with an AI party member that I can’t stop from acting stupid and reckless, not my cup of tea.

Games like Dragon Age: Origins that use a flexible system attempting to cater to fans of both styles are noble efforts, providing a great RPG experience to a wider range of gamer. Although I might have liked it a little bit more with a  purely turn-based scheme I was still able to play through it my way and enjoy the same game as those who preferred the real-time option. Hopefully we’ll see more games like this that are inclusive of different tastes while compromising little or none of how we like to play.

Why Is It Turn-Based?

When I read that comment posted about the review of Divinity: Original Sin I couldn’t help but hear it come across in my mind as an entitled whine, which isn’t fair but will probably still color my response to the question. It’s turn-based because when Larian Studios LLC said, “This is the game we want to make” they received well over their goal amount, and surpassed most of their stretch goals from interested backers. It’s turn-based because of the many people who’ve purchased it since it’s release, who made it the company’s fasted selling game ever. It’s turn-based because it appeals to the population of gamers who want what it offers.

Why shouldn’t it be turn-based? Because having the freedom to stop and take your time deciding between throwing a lightning bolt or a fireball at a giant troll is unrealistic? Because the pacing of the combat within a video game  that takes place in a fantastical world strays too far from the possible? Because that means it is no longer right up your alley? How about we celebrate that there is much more game variety than ever before? Whether you are into shooters, racing, sports, platformers, role-playing, puzzles, strategy or any of the other genres or sub-genres, you have plenty of options. There are numerous games available now and in development that will appeal to you, they don’t all have to appeal to you. They shouldn’t all appeal to you because we are all unique and there should be something for everyone. Welcome the diversity! Embrace the diversity!

(…deep breath…)

Sorry folks, that kind of took a turn I didn’t expect. I’m not usually this grumpy when talking about video games but I’m feeling frustrated recently and unfortunately I’m taking it out on some poor soul who made a mostly harmless comment. There’s just been too much negativity surrounding the medium as of late and it needs to stop. If you’ve been following the industry news you know what I’m talking about. Games are supposed to be fun, and they can’t be fun if not all of us are able to enjoy them and feel included. And some of “us” are behaving in a manner that ranges from unacceptable to downright abhorrent (quotations, because I certainly don’t want to be considered part of the same group despite a common hobby). Enjoying video games doesn’t mean you stop being a decent human being. Knock it off! Where was I….?

So, Divinity: Original Sin certainly looks to me to be the closest approximation in video game form of the experience of sitting around a table with a group of friends, debating how to proceed through an imaginary world full of options while wielding a handful of dice. It also gives me hope that the turn-based role-playing game will stick around. I look forward to seeing more in the future, it can only get better.

And if you don’t like turn-based games, that’s great! You just enjoy your games the way you want to, and I’ll do the same and we’ll all have a wonderful time! Simple, yeah?

Play nice, everyone!

Catching Up… Again…

Welcome back, cave dwellers! I’m still around I’ve just been busy, but it’s time to get back to posting. I know that because I’ve recently spent too many nights lying awake at night, unable to sleep, while my mind races along with a topic I can’t let go. Might as well get it out on paper… so to speak. My hope is that writing about the subjects I’m discussing internally with myself in the middle of the night will help me get some much needed rest as well satisfy my desire to… well, write.

Before we get into all of those, I thought I would take a some time to talk about what’s been going on with me in the nearly two years since my last post. I’ve been working hard on multiple projects, including about 4 months spent in New Zealand. All is well at the house although I don’t spend enough time there, but we do have a wonderful new addition to the family. I’ve made some new friends, tried some fun new hobbies and attended my first geek-centric cons. And of course I’ve been playing video games when I can. It’s been a lot of fun!

Traveling Abroad

I had the opportunity to go to New Zealand to work on a project stabilizing ground damaged by recent earthquakes at the Lyttelton Port of Christchurch. It was particularly exciting as I had never been outside of the United States before. Ignoring the fact that my luggage was lost during the initial trip, it was a fine time. Meeting new people and getting to know new places has always been one of my favorite parts of being a traveling construction worker, but this was a whole new ball game.

The most challenging aspect of my time there by far was just learning how to get around. Even my ride from the airport was both exciting and stressful, watching an unfamiliar world pass by on the wrong side of the street while my brain couldn’t get over the fact that my seat was supposed to have a steering wheel but didn’t. Being on the left side of the road was only the beginning. My company had rented a couple of work trucks to use for the project and they were both equipped with manual transmissions. I’ve had plenty of experience driving a stick shift before but with the steering wheel on the other side of the vehicle I had to adjust to shifting with my left hand rather than my right. Doing this while continually reminding myself which lane to turn into was manageable with the proper focus… until I would signal the turn and the windshield wipers started. The turn signal has to be on the other side too? Although I got pretty comfortable driving around by the time I left, I could never quite shake the sensation of being in a giant blind spot. Because my mind and body instinctively look up and to the right to see the rearview mirror, which in this case resulted in me looking out the door window, I mostly used the side mirrors. Even though I wasn’t there long enough to get accustomed to checking the rearview mirror to the left, I was there long enough that my first car ride back in the states was more than a little unnerving. I had planned to bring my wife over for a visit, but the project duration was unfortunately cut short. The unexpected change in plans also meant that I didn’t get to do as much sightseeing as I hoped, with most of my time spent at the jobsite. My sightseeing ended up being little more than commuting to work and shopping for necessities, basically business as usual, only in a place that has summer during the months that I’m used to having winter! I did learn that the really cool Kit-Kat bars are not sold in the US.







I also discovered that Mountain Dew has a very tasty flavor exclusive to the region, Passionfruit Frenzy! My wife was a little frustrated that I was on the other side of the world and most of the pictures I sent were of candy bars and soft drinks. Overall, it was a great experience! I met some interesting people, saw some incredible new sights and got a brief glimpse into the daily life of the Kiwi. I wouldn’t want to live there permanently though, as they appear to put barbeque sauce on everything! Pizza with barbeque sauce instead of tomato? Wrong! The humble BLT, which I content is where the very idea of a sandwich reaches it’s full potential? Exactly as it should be… except for the addition of barbeque sauce. Wrong!

Cons Ahoy!

In September of 2013, Salt Lake City hosted its first Comic Con! When my wife called to inform me of this I was a bit surprised. This is because when we were newlyweds she often expressed a measure of embarrassment to be seen in public with me wearing my Nintendo controller belt buckle and goofy, nerdy t-shirts, so imagine my surprise when she said, “I think we should go!” I feel my best Emperor Palpatine impression was more than justified, “Your journey to the dark side will be complete!”

The organizers had clearly not anticipated the level of enthusiasm there would be and didn’t make use of enough of the expo hall to accommodate all the attendees, however. Getting from place to place was a claustrophobic’s nightmare as the isles resembled Japanese commuter train cars during rush hour. At one point I was full on rubbing bellies with Quailman (it was actually a pretty good costume) while trying to make my way through the teeming mass of nerd flesh. And the unique, aromatic delight resulting from the combination of so many different odors…? Sorry, I almost passed out for a minute. All of that aside, we had a great time! Checking out all of the vendor booths, creative cosplay and celebrity guests was so much fun! While taking a break in the hallway we witnessed a flock of several dozen Deadpools appear out of nowhere, parade through the hallway, and suddenly vanish. My wife got to meet an actor from one of her favorite TV shows (Brian Krause from Charmed) and I got to meet Kevin Murphy! If you don’t know who Kevin Murphy is, shame on you! Stop reading right now, go watch some Mystery Science Theater 3000 (he’s Tom Servo), and then come back. I can say he is truly a class act!
















We also ended up attending the following event in the spring, Salt Lake Comic Con FanXperience, which was billed as a different but similar event targeted at a much broader range of interests. The reality is that it was basically a second Comic Con, which was fine by me. The entire expo hall was opened up for the event allowing for much easier and less stressful navigation. I was even able to connect with a good friend I haven’t seen in about 16 years for a photo op with Nathan Fillion!















This past July marked the first annual FantasyCon, which was originally planned to occur in Las Vegas but ended up in Salt Lake City for reasons I don’t entirely understand. It shared a lot of similarities with Comic Con and FanXperience but trending more to the fantasy genre side of geek fandom. A new friend of mine runs a local animation studio and helped put the event together so we were more than happy to show up in support. His studio (Too Many Legs Animation Studios, Inc.) was sketching willing participants at their booth, mine is included above in the intro. Like the previous events there was a wealth of celebrity guests and cool vendor booths among other fun things to see and do.

 
Wait, What Golf?

Remember that new hobby I mentioned over 1,200 words ago? I started playing disc golf! Technically this began during my time in New Orleans way back when the PlayStation Move was first released. Some of my co-workers and I would play Sports Champions for many hours over the course of several weekends, specifically the “Disc Golf” portion. It was a great multiplayer experience for a few friends to just get together and have fun. At one point someone said, “You know, we can go play actual disc golf.” Of course with the travel for work and usual daily life stuff that tends to happen to us all, it took a few years to finally make that a reality. Now I have my own discs and I meet up with a couple friends to play when I’m in the Bay Area, which has been pretty often as of late. Each weekend we check out a different course. By now we’ve just about exhausted all of the local courses, so we’ll have to start circling back to our favorites and occasionally expand our search a bit further away.

In my humble opinion it is a great, simple and cheap outdoor activity that just about anyone can enjoy. It has a low-cost initial investment. My first 3-pack of discs cost me about $25 and we’ve only played at one course that required any kind of payment, a $2 parking fee. I’m not very good at it but I’m much better than when I started and it’s something I enjoy that keeps me active. It’s just like hiking, but with a  purpose! By the way, don’t describe it that way to someone who likes hiking…

Meet Sir Reginald!

Last but certainly not least, our new family member is this sweet, lovable hairball! Reggie is a Maltese Poodle mix, or Maltipoo (which is a ridiculous word), and he is just wonderful! He was having a hard time with his previous family and we offered to take him in a give him a good home. How could you say no to that face?

 
To those of you who got all the way through this, thanks for sticking around! I really didn’t realize this post would end up so long when I started it. Come back soon and we’ll talk about video games, I promise.

Play nice, everyone!