Journal of Tormod Haugen

It is soon 2009, and time keeps rushing by. I’ve already resolved to look forward in small steps, in order to keep from breaking down due to too many promises. To myself and others. In order to get set for this, I’ll try and blog a bit more regularly. Like multiple times a week. Perhaps even every weekday.

Now, forward isn’t the only direction to look in all the time, you should also keep in mind what has gone before. I’ve met up with friends and family this christmas. Not only those that I don’t see too often - but also those that I see all the time. In a shelving section in my parents’ house I found some tapes with games for my old Commodore 64. These gems kept me occupied for a while a long time ago, for example Spitfire and Saboteur II.

Saboteur II was kind of innovative; it contained platform game features - a 700 screen big level with multiple entrances. You played a female ninja - weak, and low on power. Ammo was found as wrenches, ninja stars and other miscellanea. Your best weapon was your brain, learning where to enter the level, noting where you could go safely, and where you needed weapons to enter. Failure meant just that. Try again, armed only with what you learned the last time around.

Now, to be honest, games like that exist today. They sometimes are high profile games too, though that seems to be more and more seldom. One game that reminded me of this style, somehow, was Portal. Not that it is alike, but the way you play a female protagonist. Unarmed and weak, with the power to move around - armed only with what is lying around. Not in boxes, but just the boxes. Learning all the way. Missteps means death - try again, armed with what knowledge you gained the last time around.

I’m not sure how much I like Christmas season. Other than a time of relaxation and reflection. For it works well like that. Sitting down and reflecting. For me this is a bit of how things should be, perhaps. Less stress, if you let it. More family, if you want it. I’ve kind of relaxed on my projects. I still sit here at the computer a bit. Thinking. But it doesn’t count. Does it?

I’m starting anew in a bit. I’m formatting a harddrive for backup purposes. I’ll clean out my computer. Reinstall, refresh, switch it out, perhaps? But formatting a 500 GB disk with NTFS is … slow. I should have thought about it before I stared. But it gives me time to reflect. And write this post.

I sure can use the practice…

This was an interesting week. I’ve been home a couple of days, the ground is covered in what we call Steel Ice in Norway, and I’m breaking neurons on a work related task. Since I also want to get blogging some more, I kind of have to write something now. Or something like that.

Barring a few tiny ideas, I’m fresh out when it comes to blog post inspiration. Which makes Łukasz’ latest post coming like an inspiration. I’ll just say what he does so well: What games are you playing right now?

For me it is a a bit of this, and a bit of that. I’m mostly a PC person, but my computer isn’t built to handle anything that are sold out of bargain bins (err… or about that). I’ve logged quite a few hours the last month playing the Kakuro puzzles in Platinum Sudoku for the DS. I also plowed through Orcs and Elves by Id Software - a decent dungeon hack on the same platform, though it isn’t something I’d buy as a full-price item.

As I said in an earlier post; I’ve also played a bit of Spectromancer, but not more than a bit. I’m not sure I will play it more right now, but that is mostly because I play the actual Magic: the Gathering against living and breathing humans while drinking coffee these (Satur)days.

I also tried out the latest build of Cortex Command yesterday. I’m pleasantly surprised - both with its captivity and genius - and with its ability to run on my aging computer. I’m not sure why (oh, well - I am…), I’m longing for a good game of Worms with friends again.

What do you play?

I got through Fallout, ready to start on Fallout 2. During the game, which I played as a intelligent person with a knack for hitting where it hurts, I learned (or re-learned) some things:

1. As in all RPG’s, carry a 10 foot pole and 50 feet worth of rope at all times.
   • Since Fallout hasn’t got a 10 foot pole, carry two pieces of rope.
2. Don’t turn your back to anyone wielding a automatic weapon. Ever. Just run.
   • Unless your enemies are the ones wielding the hardware, and you are exceptionally well insulated against lead. Then go stand by those less likely to survive the hailstorm.
3. Don’t play too much chess, it is bad for your health
4. Don’t let out the prisoners under the Cathedral. Please. Please…

Anything worth adding?

I don’t know where I stand around difficult games.

On one hand I enjoy a challenge - but on the other I like to have a fun time, not spend time doing the same bit of timed puzzle again and again. And in there lies the (first) answer. I don’t like to be forced to do the same part of a game repeatedly. I can sit a long time thinking, trying different things. I don’t have a problem leaving the game in order to wait for a (possible) solution to present itself.

I have a long list of games I haven’t finished. Among them are the classic Prince of Persia, left behind as I got tired of having to replay everything each time I failed. Most of the games left behind are not there because of their difficulty, but rather because they failed to engage me, became boring.
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I like games, I play games.

When I’m in a gaming mode, you’ll probably find me playing pen and paper role-playing games, or reminisce about the good old games of old. And it in not that the latter are better. Erm, the older, that is. And I do play, and enjoy, modern games. It is just that older games had an unforgiving nature often missing from games of today. And nostalgia…

I recently picked S.T.A.L.K.E.R. out of a garba… bargain-bin. Mainly due to Andrew’s review of it. This is a game containing what I miss. It holds promise of much good role-playing, and of having to plan before running in guns blazing. At least as long as you stay away from the dreaded quick load button.
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