This is for me.
This is going to be about gaming, physics, pedantry and anything else I feel like. I'm setting these expectations early, so that I have some direction, but I refuse to avoid anything just because it might alienate my audience because, well, read the title. Expect non-sequitirialism, digressionistic tendencies and general self-indulgence, because that's what I'm here to do.
I've also noticed that in general games reviews tend to sideline one of the chief things that I play games for: physics. Yeah, physics. And I'm not talking about the bullet point feature that appeared on the back of the box of every shooter for three years after Half-Life 2 was released, although I do love me some Havoc Physics, to be sure. I'm talking about the back-end of the movement system that is a part of every game with even the slightest physical analogy to the real world. Half-Life 1 has physics, WoW has physics, the original Mario Bros. has physics. Even Tetris has physics.
Now, one of my passions is the vehicle simulation genre, where physics is basically the be-all and end-all. There's very little gameplay in there besides manipulating a virtual physical object into another virtual physical position using a complex series of inputs, and I love it. I'm currently studying a bachelor of Games Programming, and part of the reason I chose the course, apart from my enjoyment of all things both technical and creative, is because I was assured that game physics is a job that is given mainly to programmers.
Physics is also the reason for the title of the blog - it's about games, specifically from the point of view of someone who is passionate about their more analogue aspects. Most simulator enthusiasts focus on a single genre, like car racing or helicopter piloting, or even a single game, like Orbiter, X-Plane or Live for Speed. I'm going to be talking about game physics in general, with a healthy dose of simulators included.
Or not. It's really all up to me, which is the way it should be.
Ooh, lookit! I can say stuff and have opinions! This must be the internet.
ReplyDeleteI think gravity should be purple. You're welcome.
Ninkompoopery! Gravity is always a more mauvey shade of pinky russet. So Mauvey, in fact, that we have yet to observe it directly at all.
ReplyDeleteThat falls under purple. HYPOTHESIS CONFIRMED.
ReplyDeleteBut just any unspecified shade of purple? Not quite enough mauve, and the universe would shrink to a singularity in a moment, a hair too much pink, and it would be a homogeneous hydrogen soup. To suggest random shades is sheer ninkompoopery! HYPOTHESIS CONFIRMED.
ReplyDeletePurple isn't random, it's a spectroscopic range. Plenty specific for the proposed purposes! Ninkompoopery AVERTED! Hypothesis CONFIRMED!
ReplyDeleteInternet, stupid debate, for the purposes of: ENGAGED!
Okay, we're talking across purposes, clearly, and it's up to one of us to stop this posturing, stand back, and clear things up:
ReplyDeleteI'm RIGHT.
You're WRONG.
HYPOTHESIS CONFIRMED.
Fine!
ReplyDelete(And it's "at cross purposes". You're WELCOME.)
ReplyDeleteThat actually makes a lot of sense, I've just never heard anyone pronounce the T before. THANK YOU.
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ReplyDelete.............
Will you be my brother, too?
Oh, and I thought the universe was already a singularity of homogenous hydrogen soup. Does that mean I've transcended the rightness and wrongness of this conversation?
ReplyDeleteNo, it means you're several oodleplexillion years ahead and stuck in total entropy. And possibly hot pink. You're ... welcome?
ReplyDeleteTotal entropy is actually photon soup, but it's not like I'm going to be pedantic about it, or anything.
ReplyDeleteI suppose we could be brothers. Are you really, really, really, ridiculously good looking? No-one would ever believe it otherwise.
Mmm, soup. Makes the end of the universe sound rather tasty.
ReplyDeleteOoh, ooh, can you be my brother too?
Oh wait, that could be problematic...
Congratulations, you've got one post and already I think you've had more comments than my entire blog.
ReplyDeleteIt helps that there was a real-time discussion being held between two of the posters for most of it.
ReplyDeleteI've seen your picture. I think people would believe our relatedness. They might be overwhelmed by the sheer abundance of really, really, really, ridiculously good looking-ness, but they wouldn't be incredulous.
ReplyDeleteI AM NOT SOUP.
ReplyDeleteOkay, fine, you can be my brother. Do I have to show up for birthdays and weddings and stuff now?
ReplyDeleteMoose, you can't be my brother. Firstly because you're a woman, and secondly because you're married to me.
I'd love for you to come to my wedding, but I won't unduly compel you to make long voyages for other silly things.
ReplyDelete