GAME REVIEW: MASS EFFECT

This game is the proof that console-born games could amaze an old PC gamer. It was responsible for 3 half-slept nights and tons of fun.

Pros

• The action. The combat system is flawless.
• The RPG. The interaction with the NPCs is great and the romance is stimulating. You will incorporate Commander Shepard through his epic destiny, being a virtuous hero or a bad boy.
• The graphics and art. The game is so beautiful (specially the cut scenes) that you fell like in an interactive film. A breathless interactive film, by the way.
• The story. Although it is basically a KOTOR without Star Wars, the story is very decent and solid. You will be hooked.
• Long. You can spend dozens of hours in the game without even notice.

Cons

• No multiplayer, which is unforgiving. Bioware had shown that is possible to conciliate cooperative multiplayer with the campaign in previous games (like Neverwinter Nights).
• Confusing inventory system.
• The AI should be more challengeable and unpredicted. Combats with the “Mako” APC are too easy.
• Repetitive quests and places. Some randomness would improve a lot the replay factor.
• You can’t skip some movies. This is not annoying when playing for the first time, but if you are planning to prove different characters, the beginning of the game (full of cut scenes) will test your patience.
• The quest logs don’t help much and sometimes you get lost and don’t know where to go.


Rate: 9/10
Conclusion: Buy it. Now.






Suggestions for MASS EFFECT 2

• Cooperative multiplayer.
• The places, enemies and enemies’ locations should change every time you play. Think in Diablo and you know what I’m talking about.
• More powers, more options, more customization.
• Additional storylines and plots besides the main story.

Mass Effect + multiplayer + randomness + extended content + more freedom = game of the decade.

DVD REVIEW: SOLARIS (2002)

Tonight I watched (for the second time) the movie Solaris. As a lover of science fiction, I was looking to remember what I didn’t like when I saw it for the first time (back in its release).

Solaris has a pretention to be the new 2001: A Space Odyssey and in some ways it achieves the objective. Like the other, it is slow, beautiful, heavily psychological and enigmatic. The plot is basically a love story, using the space and the (amazing) environment in order to catch the audience. But, to be honest, it fails.

I’m aware that this is a remake of an older version (“the Russian response for 2001”), but I never found it to watch. Looks like I will have to satisfy myself with the book.


Pros:

- The sceneries - beautiful as could be.
- The actors - Natascha McElhone is simply hypnotic.
- “And death shall have no dominion.”

Cons:

- The author should know that by the gender of this movie, it was going to be watched mostly by men, so why showing so much the Clooney’s ass?
- The movie is emotionally distant and you don't become enough involved with the feelings of the characters. Also, unfortunately, Steven never learned the secret of the climax and the kick-ass ending.


Rate: 7/10

Wow scene: when the dead wife is launched to space. Her eyes…

NEVER FINISHED PROJECTS – Part 3

WARCRAFT TCG


Percentage done: 40%

Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos is one of the greatest games of all times and I love the universe Blizzard created. Thinking in all that and influenced by the Battletech TCG I still played that time, I started to design a card game for WC3, down in 2003-2004.

The game follows the basic gameplay of the multiplayer mode. Each player starts with a settlement where he deploys building cards which, by their time, recruit units. The units can be used to gather resources (wood and food), attack the enemy settlement or make missions in the “world”, fighting against neutral creep units (controlled by the opposing player) to gain gold, items and “experience”. After each combat, the hero units can attach one “level up” card, increasing their power and adding new abilities.

After designing the most of the rules I got stuck in making the cards. Working by myself, with difficult to find someone to play test with, and at the same time busy with work and college, I left the project alone for some time. But the killing blow came with the announcement of the Blizzard’s official card game in 2005.

Here is the image of some card templates:


It would be a nice game if completed. :(

DVD REVIEW: ACROSS THE UNIVERSE

I just watched a movie called Across the Universe and it’s really a crazy experience. It’s a musical film, by the way – all constructed based on The Beatles songs.

From the excellent beginning to the more and more psychedelic scenes, the movie is a piece of visual and music delight. Although it loses its strength from the first half, becomes kind of predicable sometimes and lacks a proper ending, you need to watch it.






Pros:

- It leaves no doubt that The Beatles is the greatest band ever.
- Some interpretations are refreshing and sound even better (heresy!) than the originals (like "Hold me Tight", "I Want to Hold Your Hand", "Come Together" and "I'm the Walrus").

Cons:

- The second half is much inferior and predictable. Most of its scenes are just excuse for playing new songs.

Rate 8/10

Wow scene: “I Want You”

NEVER FINISHED PROJECTS – Part 2

SEMPER FI: MOD FOR DAWN OF WAR


Percentage done: 1%

I’m a fan of Warhammer 40k and loved the Dawn of War series, specially Dark Crusade. But, as an incorrigible modder, I quickly planed some modifications to make the PC game even similar to the tabletop.

This mod is focused in the Imperial Space Marines.

Here is a list of the changes:

Recon Squad

o Increase the size to initial 4 and maximum 9 soldiers + 1 Sergeant. Increase the cost and increase the population to 2.
o Weapons: bolter (standard), shotgun (replace for no extra cost), bolter pistol + combat blade (replace for no cost), sniper rifle (no change), heavy bolter (needs to unlock), missile launcher (needs to unlock).
o New ability: Auspex (shows invisible units – temporary).
o Infiltrate (no change)
o Grenades: Frag and Krak (needs to unlock – only one can be unlocked).

Marine Squad

o Increase the maximum size to 9 soldiers + 1 Sergeant.
o Weapons: bolter (standard), bolter pistol + chainsword, flamer, meltagun (needs to unlock), plasma gun (needs to unlock), heavy bolter (needs to unlock), missile launcher (needs to unlock), multi-melta, lascannon, plasma cannon.
o Grenades: Frag and Krak (needs to unlock – only one can be unlocked).

Assault Squad

o Increase the maximum size to 9 soldiers + 1 Sergeant.
o Grenades: Frag and Krak (needs to unlock – only one can be unlocked).

Remove of the Grey Knights (allocated to a future new faction: The Inquisition).

New unit: Techmarine

o Can repair and build.
o Armed with Bolter and Servo-Arm (which can be used for melee attack).
o Can reinforce with up to 4 Servitors. The player can choose the following: Tech Servitors (repair and build faster, limited melee), Combat Servitors (armed with power fist + melee) and Gun Servitors (armed with plasma cannon).
o Upgrade: Full Servo-harness.
o Upgrade: Blessing of the Omnissiah (repair aura).

Apothechary

o Armed with bolter pistol + chainsword.
o Healing aura (no change).
o Upgrade: Reductor (can resurrect a fallen soldier).
o Upgrade: Sacred Standart (moral aura).

Dreadnought

o Armed with storm bolter and assault cannon.
o Can replace the storm bolter with heavy flamer.
o Can replace the assault cannon with twin-linked lascannon or multi-melta.

Rhino

o Armed with a storm bolter.
o Upgrades: dozer blades (melee attack), extra armour, hunter-killer missile, pintle-mounted storm bolter, smoke launchers and Power of the Machine Spirit.

Land Speeder

o Armed with a heavy bolter.
o Can replace the heavy bolter with a multi-melta.
o Can be upgraded to Land Speeder Tornado (armed with heavy bolter + assault cannon, or multi-melta + heavy flamer) or Land Speeder Typhoon (armed with multiple missile launcher).

New unit: Vindicator

o Armed with Demolisher cannon and a storm bolter.
o Upgrades: dozer blades (melee attack), extra armour, hunter-killer missile, pintle-mounted storm bolter, smoke launchers and Power of the Machine Spirit.

Predator

o Upgrades: dozer blades (melee attack), extra armour, hunter-killer missile, pintle-mounted storm bolter, smoke launchers and Power of the Machine Spirit.

Whirlwind

o The player can choose to arm with Vengeance or Castellan (mine lair) missiles.
o Upgrades: dozer blades (melee attack), extra armour, hunter-killer missile, pintle-mounted storm bolter, smoke launchers and Power of the Machine Spirit.

Land Raider

o Upgrades: dozer blades (melee attack), hunter-killer missile, pintle-mounted storm bolter, smoke launchers.
o Comes with the Power of the Machine Spirit.
The project was halted due to the lack of time and understanding of the (confusing) modding tools.

The project was halted due to the lack of time and understanding of the (confusing, unnoficial and not documented) modding tools.

NEVER FINISHED PROJECTS – Part 1

Here I will share some never finished projects of mine. 

THE MATRIX REVOLVED

Percentage done: 0%

The Matrix is one of the most influent movies of all times, with a great story, great argument, great depth, great visual effects, great action scenes… for short: great in every aspect. 

Yes, it is almost a copy of the book Neuromancer, but let me say, it’s better than the original. It’s a masterpiece and everybody knows that its genius was not followed by the sequences Matrix Reloaded and Matrix Revolutions.

The first movie is tight, with not a single frame inadequate, but the follow are spread in countless boring scenes. And I’m not telling about the lack of good action scenes (because Reloaded and Revolutions had good ones) but the lack of that intriguing plot and surprising sequence of events from the first movie.

So, I started to idealize a worth sequence for The Matrix, basically a 2 hours reunion of the best Reloaded and Revolutions have: “The Matrix Revolved”.

Well, that’s it. The project was suspended after some researching of what programs I would use for editing and some sections of the movies (to plan what to cut). After watching so many times, I just concluded whatever I did, the sequence won’t be as good as the first movie…  

The Tudors – First Season

I got on the video store the First Season of The Tudors and here is my review:

Pros:

• The plot is interesting, based on very important times and intriguing people.
• The cast is generally good and some main actors really look like nobles (for instance, the Queen Catarina).
• The series (as usual) hold the spectator episode after episode.

Cons:

• First, the CG sequences (showing cities, ships, and old landscapes) are very cheap and badly done. If you are spending millions in actors, staff, cloths and equipment, you should invest a little more in a good digital effects company.
• The Cardinal Wolsey suicide. Ok, you can say the Cardinal suicide (even if the History books claim different facts), but cutting out his own throat? As far as I know, in real life (as opposing to Shyamalan’s “The Happening”) it is very difficult to suicide that way.
• The people look too clean, beautiful and modern. The character Charles Brandon is especially all wrong (looks more like an underwear model). And the king, well, wasn’t Henry VIII fat and old at that time?
• I know concessions have to be made when adapting true events to a show, but it would not cost to be more historically accurate.

It's really good to be the king!

Conclusion:

I liked!
Could be better? Sure!

Expansions: How to improve Spore?

Overall evaluation of Spore:

It’s a good game, but when Maxis tended for a more simplified gameplay, it missed the “Game of the Decade” title. With deeper simulation, complex resource management, more design effort in each phase, and (especially) multiplayer, this game would kick the ass of the competition.

The opportunity was missed, but there are still the expansions to try to save it a little. So, they should not only bring some new creature parts, but develop each phase to a whole new level.

Being a gameless designer, I was thinking in what the expansions should bring to improve it. Some suggestions are easy to add, and some would change a lot the game mechanics, but all are intended to make the game much better.

General:
• Massive Singleplayer? I would prefer a simple Multiplayer. What Maxis has against people playing together? With Multiplayer, this game would reach a whole new level. Just imagine several creatures, controlled by players, roaming in the same giant world, struggling for survival.

Cell Phase:
• More body parts and body shapes, all with different features.
• The larger is the cell, the slower it is (for balancing).
• The phase should be longer and more complex (with some challenges, like to kill several different giant cells).
• The body parts added to the cell should really affect their development in the future phases.

Creature Phase:
• The AI creatures should eat and hunt by themselves, so there is competition for food and eventual clashes between the species. Alliances would become essential.
• The Epic creatures should be possible to kill (with a lot of effort, though). This would be necessary for defending the nest and guarantee lots of food.
• The more food your nest is eating reflects in the size of the band.
• The friendship system (imitating the other creature) is very silly and boring. Maybe, just spicing it a little with a memory mini-game (instead of just singing, several “notes” that the player need to memorize the sequence and repeat).

Tribal Phase: basically, to approach the game as possible to the Age of Empires I.
• Full resource management. Food (to feed and recruit more units), Stone and Wood (weapons and buildings) and (maybe) Fur/Leather (for clouting).
• More options for clouting (which you could save). The clouting you choose should make the difference as protection, mobility, etc.
• Seasons and weather.
• Much bigger map.
• New buildings, more freedom and slots to build them.
• The player can reclaim a destroyed village or start a new village in specific places.
• Diplomacy management, rudimentary trade.
• Wild animals (the carnivorous ones) that try to kill and eat your tribesmen.
• Communication with the allies: planning raids and acting together.
• Domesticating more docile creatures: for food and to help hunting.
• New building: house (or tent): to increase the tribesman limit.
• Several new tools and new weapons, some of them better versions of the existing ones.
• Suggestions for Weapons:
     o Sling - weaker ranged weapon. Based on stone.   
     o Bow – advanced ranged weapon. Based on wood/stone
     o Spear – average melee and ranged weapon. Based on wood/stone.
     o Club – weaker melee weapon. Based on wood.     
     o Axe – advanced melee weapon. Based on stone/wood.
• Suggestions for Tools:
     o Gather staff - no change.
     o Farming tools (advanced) – for growing up a farm.
     o Healing staff - no change.
     o Sheppard staff – to help domesticating wild creatures.
     o Pick – for collecting stone.
     o Fishing rod - now the basic fishing tool.
     o Fishing net – improved fishing tool.

Civilization Phase:
• You could build more than one option (for instance: light, medium and heavy vehicles) for each vehicle category (land, naval and air). The price of the vehicle is compatible with what it has.
• The different weapons you add to a vehicle should work different. Not just the same effect we see now in game, but weapons like anti-aircraft, artillery, anti-tank, etc (emulating the rock-scissors-and-paper dynamics).

Space Phase:
• The mission management needs lots of improvements to easy the players’ life. More than 3 missions should be “active”, for instance.
• It’s hard and confusing to find the system you want (all explored systems should have their name appearing). There should be a better HUD with information about the status of the ship, the empire, etc.
• Exploring: the player should find some dangerous and mysterious (but rewarding) places to explore. Just have in mind some episodes of the classic Startrek series or the Indie game Weird Worlds: Return to Infinite Space…

And, of course, for the Spore 2, Maxis should think in a Massive Multiplayer game. If you are playing in the creature phase, you can eventually be hunted by a tribesman (controlled by other player) who can be, in his turn, abducted by an OVNI of a different player. So, the Galaxy is the same for EVERY player! Evolving to the Space Phase is a matter of surviving and making the difference.

BTW, an aussie friend showed me this Spore review. This Yahtzee guy has a machinegun mouth. :P

Hug a developer today campaign

So I just received a link for a touching video from a friend of mine.
He is a developer and he is in pain.



Send this link to your friends. Hug a developer.

REVIEW: D&D 4TH EDITION

I started to play Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition just about one month. With a long time experience with the system (I’ve being playing for more than 20 years), but with disposition for the new and open-minded, I tried to evaluate without any prejudice.

Here is my review.  

Pros:

• Class balance. Now every class has a role and can pack a punch (and survive) in combat.
• Some fresh air. With a “reset” in the system, you can just try something new. Different could be good. 
• Beautiful art, nice books. Sometimes you buy because how it looks. That’s the case.
• Improved mechanics. The tests and progression have been perfected, I have to admit it. And the combat system is ready (if not made) for adaptation to electronic games.

Cons:

• Hack & Slash. Simply throws the role-play to the trash can. It’s all about combat, damage and positioning. In other words: back to the D&D 1st edition. I wish the authors have played less Diablo and more pen-and-paper RPGs (if they ever played).
• Feats totally unbalanced. Some feats are very good, others are useless. In the end, all characters will have the same.
• Classic classes forgotten. What happened with the Barbarian, the Bard, the Druid, the Monk and the Sorcerer? Maybe they will appear in an “expansion”…
• Poor Wizards! Their spellbook was reduced to a few ugly powers...
• Multiclass: forget it. In real life you can change professions. In D&D 4th Edition, if you choose a class, your character will have no choice of actually learning something different. It’s the easier design choice (for a narrow minded people), but a bad one.
• Ridiculous powers. The powers are very repetitive and sometimes you can’t associate them with nothing. “Steel Serpent Strike”, “Griffon’s Wrath”, “Anvil of Doom”, “Silverstep”, “Exorcism of Steel”, “Vorpal Tornado”, “Storm of Destruction”… just to mention some Warrior’s powers. Come on! Where is the creativity? Anyway, I can’t see the point of all those fancy names for dozens of powers that do basically the same thing…  
• Dragonborn, Tiefling, Eladrin? WTF? How do you suppose to role play a Dragonborn? Oh, I forgot, role playing is obsolete…

Conclusion:

You better take off the dust of your old books because this 4th Edition can’t replace them. The best D&D is still the 3.5. Heritage has weight. So, Wizards of the Coast, be careful to do not kill your D&D like White Wolf killed her World of Darkness… Maybe you already did it.

SPORE: SPACE PHASE

As far as I can see, it guarantees unlimited hours of play, but lacks the charm of games like Weird Worlds: Return to Infinite Space.

Overall conclusion of Spore: a beautiful but irregular game. Some features are very interesting, like the construction tools. But the gameplay is very shallow and limited - if you are used to strategy games for grown up people, you will miss complexity. But if you are young or a first-timer, this is a good start.

SPORE: CIVILIZATION PHASE

Another boring phase. The construction of vehicles is fun, but the choice of parts have more aesthetics then practical effect. The major weak points are the resource management and the combat system, which are absolutely shallow. I don't know if the designers where lazy or just unambitious.

SPORE: TRIBAL PHASE

Here I started to be disappointed by the game.

This is the less interest phase of the game. Maxis should have leeched the mechanics from Age of Empires I and not just made a RTS for children.

SPORE: CREATURE PHASE

This is the part of the game I enjoyed the most. To become the ruling creature of the world is funny, challenging and addictive.

I started with a basic omnivorous creature, called Sgorpo, just came from the ocean.  

Small but with a big destiny

Then I started to make alliances with the friendly neighbors, always avoiding the hostile ones. After collecting some DNA, my creature evolved to this:

This little devil will conquer the world

Now, better equipped for a fight, I stated to eliminate some unfriendly species around. After some biting and piercing, I started to prepared him to become biped.

Sgorpo Mk III

With less fear and more freedom, I roamed around looking for allies and (mostly) trouble. Until my creature became this:

Hands and arms! Now what?

As you will see, my attitude was moving towards aggression against any hostile species. So, I invested in body weaponry, like better mouth and claws.

Help! I don’t want to be abducted!

Ruling all over the planet, I just collect some DNA to guarantee the best parts for my creature.

Almost there... 

This is the last played version in the phase. The tail was lost and the design moved to a very humanoid look.

I fell like an eunuch

After finishing the level, I was able to make a last edition in the creature. So I removed the extra eyes, every claw and body weapon (he won’t need it anymore). It is almost a human now. This is how it will look in the tribal phase:

Beautiful!

Now it's time to move to forward...

SPORE: CELL PHASE

This phase of the game reminds me a lot an old Intelevision’s game Shark! Shark! (which I played a lot). In Shark! Shark! you are a fish in the sea, eating, growing and trying not to be eaten.

As the game starts you are a weak and basic cell fallen into the planet inside a meteor. I choose a carnivorous one, so I have already a weapon.

My new home

So, I started to swim around, and eating, until I reached the first evolution step. I added some spikes to my back so I could defend against predators.

Bite this!

The spikes worked so well that in the next stage I added 2 more, in the front. Now, with some tricky maneuvers, I could kill (or at least to put on running) any menace. I also added 2 more tails for fast moving.

Intimidating cell

In my last evolution, I opened the carnivorous month in two and added a new herbivorous in the center. So I had lots of options for eating – and became omnivorous. I also added two more eyes, just for the aesthetics.

I’m the king of the pool!

For unlocking the last body part I had to kill an Epic cell. I was not easy, but after several piercings with my spikes it was done. Now finally my creation was ready to receive its legs and leave the water. I made some changes in the look, moving the spike to the end of the tail. 

The end of the Cell Phase

SPORE REVIEW

Well, I pre-bought the Galactic Edition of Spore and it arrived this Saturday. Of course, I already spend all my weekend playing it.

I will review here every phase of the game. Links:

http://thegeekthinker.blogspot.com/2008/09/spore-cell-phase.html

http://thegeekthinker.blogspot.com/2008/09/spore-creature-phase.html

http://thegeekthinker.blogspot.com/2008/09/spore-tribal-phase.html

http://thegeekthinker.blogspot.com/2008/09/spore-civilization-phase.html

http://thegeekthinker.blogspot.com/2008/09/spore-space-phase.html

Some games you just need to buy

Team Fortress 2 unlocks: Demoman

1- Main Weapon: Hand Mortar – Similar to the Grenade Launcher, but the grenades explode in contact.
• Pros: used to “bombard” the enemy lines. Helps the Demoman to manage short range combat better.
• Cons: lost of the bounce feature.  

2- Secondary Weapon: Bouncing Bombs Launcher - uses the same Sticky Bomb Launcher, but now the bombs don’t stick but bounce (farther than the original Grenade Launcher). The bombs can be detonated the same way as before. 
• Pros: can be thrown at far distance (when holding the fire mouse bottom). Can reach very unusual places.
• Cons: lost of the ambush feature of the Sticky Bombs. Harder to use the bombs to jump. 

3- Melee Weapon: TNT - like in the earlier TF2 movies
• Pros: great for room cleaning.
• Cons: lost of the melee ability which makes Demoman even more vulnerable at hand-to-hand distance. Limited ammo (other drawback comparing with the melee weapon).

5- Hand Grenade: Democharge – I miss the massive explosions and the special destructible objects from the TF1. Maps with alternative routes, only opened by the Democharge, would add more spice to the TF2. The Democharge would take long time to explode and could be “defused” by an enemy Demoman just by standing over it for some seconds.

For general modifications to the Demoman class, I would suggest increasing the clip size of the Grenade Launcher to 5 or 6 grenades (look at the model, it was designed to hold more than 4 shots!) and to extend the ammo capacity from 16 to 20.

Team Fortress 2 unlocks: Sniper

1- Main Weapon: Heavy Sniper Rifle
• Pros: powerful piercing rounds that pass through flesh and thin walls/objects. Optional (but overkill) feature: thermographic sniper scope.
• Cons: slower rate of fire. The weapon is heavy so the movement of the Sniper is decreased (although that could be a problem to implement). Clips with 5 rounds and longer reload. Maximum ammo capacity of 15 rounds.

2- Secondary Weapon: Silenced Submachinegun
• Pros: almost no noise, no flash. Hard to know where the shots are coming from.
• Cons: lower damage. Overheat.

3- Melee Weapon: Serrated Knife
• Pros: cause some seconds of bleeding after a hit.
• Cons: shorter range attack than the kukri (machete).

4- Hand Grenade: Tear Gas grenade – like in the Special Forces expansion of Battlefield 2, it blurs the vision and deals some damage. Good against other Snipers.

Like the Scout, this is a hard class to improve. However, a great addition would be a Grappling Hook in the place of the Secondary or Melee weapons. Valve (when adding the Sandwich) showed that changing things a little bit could make the game even funnier.

I would also like to suggest adding a clip reload animation for the standard sniper rifle (after all, all the 25 rounds are inside the weapon?).

Team Fortress 2 unlocks: Soldier

1- Main Weapon: Wire-Guided Rocket Launcher (works exactly as the Half-Life and BF2 rocket launchers – with the right mouse bottom you can turn on or off the guidance).
• Pros: tactical option for the soldier (to kill that Sniper or Sentry around the corner).
• Cons: slower rate of fire and velocity. Not effective to be used in the “heat” of action.

2- Secondary Weapon: Slug Shotgun.
• Pros: fires a solid, single, large projectile for concentrated damage.
• Cons: still not very accurate at long distances. Harder to hit a moving target.

3- Melee Weapon: Shotgun Bayonet – works for the both Soldier shotguns types.
• Pros: can be used with the right mouse button. Don’t need to de-select the shotgun for using a melee attack.
• Cons: slower “rate of fire” comparing to the shovel.

4- Hand Grenade: Frag grenade – good area damage. Not effective against buildings.

The Soldier was always my preferred class. I fell he could carry more rockets (at least 4 more), because you easily run out of ammo even before breaching the enemy’s defense.

Team Fortress 2 unlocks: Engineer

1- Main Weapon: Double-barreled Shotgun – Texan pride! 
• Pros: great short range damage. 
• Cons: slower rate of fire than the regular shotgun, as it is reloaded after each shot.

2- Secondary Weapon: Girojet Pistol - a gadget born in the Cold War, a minirocket handgun. A more appropriate and less futuristic alternative for the previous Rail Gun.
• Pros: good damage. With a sound that is not associated with shots (can confuse the enemy). 
• Cons: needs to accelerate (no full damage when immediately leaves the barrel). Slower rate of fire than the regular Pistol and not as accurate. 

3- Melee Weapon: Blowtorch – an Engineer’s essential.
• Pros: builds faster. Fast rate damage, can ignite enemies (useful against Spies).
• Cons: consumes fuel over time. Needs to be lighted each time is selected.

4- Hand Grenade: EMP grenade – if Engineer knows how to build it, he knows how to destroy it. The explosion deals powerful damage against buildings (sentry slayer) and detonates Demo’s stick/pipe bombs. No damage against humans. It’s interesting now to see Engineers helping to breach the enemy’s defense.

Team Fortress 2 unlocks: Spy

1- Main Weapon: Dartgun – slows down the enemy movement. An “overdose” will put him to sleep (or kill). Funny effect: the voice of the victim is slowed down as well (though I don’t think this would be easy to implement).
• Pros: tactical weapon. Could be used to avoid chasing enemies.
• Cons: not as powerful as the revolver.

2- Secondary Weapon: Disrupter Sap – instead of destroying a sentry gun, this sap makes it go crazy, shooting members of both teams. The Engineer may still try to repair and fix it, but he can’t detonate it by the Destroy Menu. Until fixed, the sentry is “neutral” and can be destroyed by both teams.
• Pros: mass confusion in the defense line.
• Cons: affect only sentries. The sap could take longer to make effect (still could be taken off by the Engineer). Does not disable the sentry (can target on Spy’s allies or the Spy himself).

3- Melee Weapon: “Tropical Disease” Syringe – inspired by the Medic melee weapon in TF and TFC.
• Pros: slowly kills the victim, unless healed by a Medic. As additional, the victim affected by the disease could spread it to allied players with body contact.
• Cons: no instant kill. The Spy is very vulnerable after attacking.

4- Hand Grenade: Hallucinogenous grenade (the same as previous TF installments but with updated effects. This should be very fun.)

Although I have my own suggestions for the Spy, there is a great fake announcement for this class in the Web. Check it out. If Valve just made it, the Spy would be a much better class to play with.

Team Fortress 2 unlocks

The new Medic, Pyro and Heavy weapons and achievements turned to be a great step to make TF2 more challenging, to bring back players who got bored, to expand customization (and players’ satisfaction) and specially to extend the game’s life.

But how to think on 27 all new weapons keeping the balance, class personality and good game play? In the following posts I will give some suggestions.

As a bonus, I’m also suggesting the return of the hand grenades, so appreciated in TF and TFC. But each class would have only one unique type of grenade, and 2 units of it. This option could be unlocked if the player complete all the old generic achievements, for instance. 

For the classes already "upgraded", I would suggest these hand grenades:

- Medic: Concussion Grenade – small damage, but throws away and stuns the enemy. Can be used by the Medic for "Concussion Jump", allowing him to follow Soldiers or Demomans into the enemy base. Looks like the WW2 German stick grenade. ^^

- Pyro: Napalm Grenade – like in the previous installments, works for area denial. Look: the Pyro already have these grenades in his player model.

- Heavy: Nail Grenade – the hand grenade of the Soldier in TF1 and TFC. Although I feel a Smoke Grenade would be more useful, the problem with these is the lag caused by the smoke particles. 

Best and worst game expansion packs

BEST GAME EXPANSIONS

• All Blizzard expansion packs. They not only make the best games, but also the best expansions. Notably, the Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne (2003) is that kind of expansion you could pay the same price of the game. Gladly.

• Command & Conquer Generals Zero Hour (2003) – simply makes the C&C Generals the best RTS of its time. It’s so charming (specially the Challenge mode) that I’m still playing it.

• Warhammer 40k: Dark Crusade (2006) – this is what the poor Winter Assault should have been in the first place. A great expansion, awesome content, lots of fun. Pity the metamap game mode does not support multiplayer.

• The Battle for Middle-Earth 2: Rise of the Witch King (2006) – even if the Campaign could be made with more attention, the metamap game mode WITH multiplayer support from TBfME2 now enhanced and perfected is the best multiplayer experience in RTS I know.

• Medieval 2 Total War Kingdoms (2007) – this is one of the most valuable expansions I ever saw. It not only adds one new campaign, but four! Each one with countless of hours to play. It’s really impressive. By the way, I’m playing it now.

• Command & Conquer 3 Kane’s Wrath (2007) – Tiberium Wars is not one of my preferred games in the C&C saga, but this expansion kind of save it. Although the story line is the weak point, the Global Conquest game mode is very good. There are just two things that avoid this expansion to be perfect: the lack of multiplayer support in the Global Conquest mode and the Kane’s Challenge (from Xbox) missing in Windows version.

WORST GAME EXPANSIONS

• All “The Sims” and “The Sims 2” expansions – not only the expansions don’t worth the money you pay, but they degrade the game, making it very slow. These expansions are a factory of making money, but they compromise the quality of those great games.

DVD REVIEW: APPLESEED EX MACHINA

I’m not the best guy to talk about Japanese stuff but this Appleseed Ex Machina (2007) I watched yesterday really make its stand.

I had several opportunities before to rent this DVD, which I was hoping it was just another weird anime. But, luckily, I ran out of options and bring this DVD to home to get the most gladly surprise.

The anime is not just beautiful, its breath taking. The story is well made (and easy to get, even for those who don’t know the manga or the first movie), the characters are well developed and – what can I say – the movie is flawless. Appleseed Ex Machina will be now in my altar of animes, alongside with Akira, Macross Plus and Katsuhiro Otomo’s Memories.

Rate 9/10

Wow moment: the gorgeous city view.

Best scene: the combat in the church.  

COUNTER STRIKE 2

COUNTER STRIKE 2 – AN OVERVIEW 
A game for PC and Xbox 360 
By Fernando A. C. Prado 

INTRODUCTION

This is an initial concept plan I made for the sequence of the popular game Counter Strike. In this document 4 points was taken special care:

• Similar gameplay: all the major gameplay features of the original CS (and CS:S) was kept, so the old fans and players can start playing CS2 without a long learning curve.
• Realism: there is a tendency in the market to value the realism. When CS was made, it was a water line in terms of realistic action. Now it is dated. The gamers are today much better informed, through and demanding.
• Evolution: why to buy a sequel? Because it is bigger and better. It's not enough to just update the graphics.
• Game value: there are 2 ways for keep people playing a game (besides the quality of the game itself): rewards/rank system and high customization. There will be support for both in this document.

NEW FEATURES

- Custom a Unit: the player can build a CT unit. When building a unit, he can choose which weapons it will use, but that weapons will cost 10% more to buy in game. Otherwise, if he chooses a standard unit, he can access the weapons of that unit for the regular price. Unit customization includes set of the uniform, country flag, name and unit’s badge (import image file). It’s important to allow the player to save its units (for sharing with other players). This feature in the game not only will make the fan community very happy as will increase exponentially the value of the game. Players all around the globe will make their custom units for their countries CT units.

- Statistics: like in TF2, there will be a statistics panel for the player. The player can earn medals for the completed achievements. Additional suggestion: military ranks and unlocks (this make wonders with Battlefield 2).

- (Optional) Mods: To reward those CS fans who make new weapons and player models, CS2 could have a simple and easy mod support. Using scripts, the modder can add this new art to the game. Of course, to play with these new features, a server running the mod is needed.

- Game modes: Campaign, Challenge and Classic. Each could be played alone (with bots) and/or with other players. Steam friends where never so precious.

- CAMPAIGN GAME MODE

• Counter Strike meets Rainbow Six (at least a very light version of Rainbow Six).
• The player chooses a standard or custom unit.
• The player will fight slightly modified versions of the classic maps, following a sequence of events. Additional suggestion: the Campaign could starts with a video showing a big terrorist attack to the country, so the CT unit is called to hunt down the terrorist cells around the world.
• Some maps would be for Rescuing Hostages, others for Defusing the Bomb (the bomb starts armed and there is a time for the CT to defuse it. Of course, the Terrorists will be on their way), VIP Escorting or even "Don't let the Terrorists escape" maps.
• The player will have bots (and/or other players) in his team. (Optional) He can buy the equipment and weapons for his bots.
• The enemy bots will be lightly armed in the early maps, and better armed in the last ones. The AI difficulty is also increased. To make things more challenging, there could be more enemy bots than CT team mates in every map.
• Only one round, so if all players are dead, the map ends.

- CHALLENGE GAME MODE

• The player chooses a standard or custom unit.
• The gameplay is similar to the Classic CS.
• The campaign starts with a random map. The bot AI is set for easy for the first map and increases for each map is played.
• In campaign, the objective is to win a certain number of rounds before the AI. For instance: 10 rounds.
• After winning all maps (the last will be in the Expert difficulty), the challenge mode ends. This could be recorded in the player statistics (rewarding a medal for that unit, for instance).

- CLASSIC GAME MODE

• Basically the Classic CS game modes. Defuse the Bomb, Rescue the Hostages, Protect the VIP, etc.
• (Optional) After a certain number of rounds, the teams are swapped. This is a very interesting (and fair) feature of the Team Fortress 2 (in maps like Dustbowl).

- CLASSIC GAME MODE (Clan battle)

• This could be done with simple server side settings.
• Each clan will play with its custom unit. This will greatly value the clans (Counter Strike golden years will surely be back).
• One team will play as CT and the other as Terrorist.
• (Optional) After a certain number of rounds, the teams are swapped.

GAME PLAY CHANGES

- Each map is played by a specific CT faction versus a specific Terrorist faction. For instance, the map de_dust should be Seal Team 6 versus Fundamentalists. Instead of choosing between the Seal Team 6, SAS, etc., the player will choose between slightly different versions of bodies for the same unit.

- Each unit is unique. Each unit has, for instance, 4 types of handguns (with one silenced and one heavy handgun), 4 types of smgs (with one machine pistol and one silenced), 2 types of shotguns (one pump action and the other semiauto), 4 types of assault rifles (at least one scoped), 2 types of sniper rifles (one bolt action and the other semiauto) and 1 type of machinegun.

- The weapons each standard unit has are based on accurate and updated information. No more SAS using Desert Eagles, for instance.

- The price of the starting handgun is discounted from the player starting money, for balance.

- There will be slots for the total of hand grenades. Suggestion: 2 or 3 slots (so the player may buy 2 HE grenades, for instance). This could also be done for equipment (defuser, extra ammo, medkit, lockpick, etc).

- Secondary mouse bottom (right bottom) will bring the iron sights/scope. Firing a weapon without aiming will make it much less accurate.

- The fire-mode of the weapons can be selected (for instance: semi-auto, burst, full-auto). How? Pressing the weapon number more times will scroll between the fire mode options (the standard in the full-auto).

- A tertiary bottom is needed (for putting a silencer in the weapon, for instance).

- Improve a weapon option (aka "Pimp your favorite gun"). Add laser aiming module, silencer, flashlight, etc. to an existing weapon. New modules could be unlocked by accomplishing achievements.

- Realist ballistics (very important). Each weapon fires a projectile in a certain velocity. Long range shots need to worry about projectile drop. Silenced weapons have projectile speed decreased.

- Weapon collision. So, in smaller spaces, handguns are more recommended than long rifles. This would add a complete new deepness to the game.

- Improved AI: Bots can't see clearly through smoke (from smoke grenades) and get confused when shot by silenced weapons (as human players do).

- Server customization: the server can choose a wide range of options, like the CT and Terror units of each map (good for clan servers), the allowed weapons and equipment, turn on/off Realistic Damage, Dynamic Prices, etc.

- More destructible environment. A challenge for the mappers BUT if you want to impress the gamers (and critics) today, you need to push the envelop.

- More realistic grenade behavior, physics, detonation time (can be cooked) and throw distance. A real grenade could be shot, kicked or thrown back.

- More player model hitting regions, like hearth (as critical as head).

- The players earn points for killing assistance (like in TF2). There isn't more annoying thing than you lost your frag just because other "finished" the target. Besides that, assistance points strength the team play.

- Player animations for climbing ladders. He can’t fire a weapon when doing this.

- To avoid the bad habit of jumping and shooting (which have nothing to do with reality), the crosshair should enlarge a lot when the player jumps.

- (Critical) Better Anti-Cheat capability. In CS, one guy using cheats may ruin the entire match. Question: Why TF2 has virtually no cheaters and CS:S has lots?

- (Optional) More realist damage. A wounded soldier would walk slower, leave a trail of blood, etc.

- (Optional) Locked doors. This lead to new equipment: lockpick tools. Of course, shotguns could be used to breech closed doors.

- (Optional) Medkits. This could be equipment for the Campaign game mode.

- (Optional) Unlocks. Better weapons could be unlocked trough achievements/ranks.

STANDARD CT UNITS:

I made a list of the small arms for each standard CT team, based on the real weaponry they use.