Author: Kino

Podcast Reflection: Battlefield 4

 

Battlefield 4 (13)

Battlefield 4 (13) by Videogame Photography

 

The whole process of podcasting seemed much easier on paper than it was to actually execute. Daniel Sperling and I did our episode on Battlefield 4, a first-person shooter game developed by DICE known for its high quality graphics, audio, and realistic gunplay elements. We figured that two terms in Bogost’s How to Do Things with Video Games were particularly relevant to this game: Drill and Empathy. Being immersed into an alternate reality where the player controls a soldier fighting for a specified faction in large scale battles evokes a strong sense of empathy. These battles not only consist of infantry but also vehicles such as tanks, boats, fighter planes, and amphibious assault vehicles. The environment also plays a critical role as it can be altered significantly at any time during a match whether it be through horrible weather conditions, breaking a dam and causing a flood, or collapsing an entire skyscraper. All these factors combine to create an immersive experience that the player can easily associate with. The accessibility of this alternate reality however promotes routine behavior and the implementation of certain tactics in order to make victory more achievable. For experienced players, a match becomes routine and drill-like the more hours one dedicates to the game. For some it is also a viable, engaging medium to learn about the ins and outs of warfare without resorting to a traditional training manual.

Initially Daniel and I tried to improvise the dialogue but in the end it simply wasn’t practical. Just “talking” about the game seemed easy at first but ultimately ended up consisting of long pauses and choppy thoughts. Writing a script made our podcast flow much better from idea to idea. Editing through Audacity also proved to be quite easy yet also time consuming since I decided to incorporate the main theme throughout the episode as well as the “sound of the battlefield” in the audio segment.

Wolf in White Van Analysis: A Reflection

I found Wolf in White Van a particularly difficult novel to dissect and analyze effectively due to its jumbled, non-linear narrative and frequent use of anecdotes. What Darnielle’s book conveyed well however was the everyday life of a trauma victim and the hardships and immense struggles associated with coping. Having gone through an episode of depression a few years ago I could really resonate with Sean at some points. His tendency to meticulously analyze every scenario while also appreciating the beauty in the mundane and ordinary struck a chord in me. Sean yearns for a connection in his world of chaos, and Trace Italian is his means of communication; it is his own language. Analyzing Wolf in White Van was definitely a challenging yet rewarding process.

I incorporated Mady’s feedback into my final draft here.

Kentucky Route Zero

Kentucky Route Zero blends elements of the role-playing game (RPG) genre and traditional point and click adventure games. Yet there is an ethereal quality pervasive throughout the game; motifs, patterns, and various symbols that denote a sense of disconnection and detachment with the real world. The game, while possessing a linear narrative, gives the illusion of choice and player freedom by presenting multiple dialogue options. The meeting with Shannon, for instance, represents a sort of break from Conway’s cyclical, working life as both characters end up spelunking through a mine. Dialogue options seemed tangential and sometimes not even remotely related to the current event unfolding, emphasizing the dream-like nature of the game.

Fiasco

The most interesting part of this tabletop role-playing game was the sense of freedom (or perhaps the illusion of it) provided to each player. The first hour consisted of rummaging through the rulebook attempting to comprehend vague and ambiguous terminologies and guidelines that seemed loose enough to break easily. As a group, we had no prior experience in playing tabletop RPGs; this as expected resulted in confusion and apathy during the set-up process.

This aimlessness turned into hysterics soon enough as we began to establish relationships with one another. The scenarios we all conjured were simply ridiculous. What began as a cliche crime drama with a tacked on “romance” in Antarctica transformed into a gruesome, macabre, and paranormal tale by the game’s end. I favored the Resolve role during good majority of game time but later tried my hand at Establish to create on of the major twists in our game. The black dice were highly favored – bad endings are almost never a bore.

Fiasco is definitely analogous to a writing process. Each player contributes a piece to the overall narrative while building off the scenarios of others. What makes this game hugely entertaining is our intrinsic temptation to establish dominance and make our side of the story the best, consequently resulting in mayhem for others.

Fiasco

The most interesting part of this tabletop role-playing game was the sense of freedom (or perhaps the illusion of it) provided to each player. The first hour consisted of rummaging through the rulebook attempting to comprehend vague and ambiguous terminologies and guidelines that seemed loose enough to break easily. As a group, we had no prior experience in playing tabletop RPGs; this as expected resulted in confusion and apathy during the set-up process.

This aimlessness turned into hysterics soon enough as we began to establish relationships with one another. The scenarios we all conjured were simply ridiculous. What began as a cliche crime drama with a tacked on “romance” in Antarctica transformed into a gruesome, macabre, and paranormal tale by the game’s end. I favored the Resolve role during good majority of game time but later tried my hand at Establish to create on of the major twists in our game. The black dice were highly favored – bad endings are almost never a bore.

Fiasco is definitely analogous to a writing process. Each player contributes a piece to the overall narrative while building off the scenarios of others. What makes this game hugely entertaining is our intrinsic temptation to establish dominance and make our side of the story the best, consequently resulting in mayhem for others.

Wolf in White Van – Imperfection

John Darnielle’s Wolf in White Van is a tale of alienation and disconnection. Protagonist Sean Phillips’ reconstructed face from a self-inflicted wound is both a blessing and a curse – it is the primary element behind his estrangement from society yet also his driving force to seek escapism through his mail-based game Trace Italian. As a result, Wolf in White Van‘s narrative weaves back in forth along this dichotomy; its narrative presented out of order and in a rambling manner.

To Phillips, “imperfections are like tea leaves” (Darnielle 20); his detachment from reality grants him an alternate perspective on the ordinary. Subtleties and nuances are quite significant to him, whether it be a lone crack on a hospital ceiling or a stealthy hand gesture mid conversation. Through Trace Italian, Phillips draws his bridge to the real world with the actions of his devoted players. Every turn is player-specific as no route, sequence, or “questline” to the game’s end is deemed perfect. He absorbs fragments of players’ lives through their turns, an ability that lets him foster human connection.

Unpacking Manuel’s Tavern: A Final Reflection

My analysis began with the deconstruction of New Belgium’s artwork.  A meticulous observation of the painting reveals a strong, implied message: the pure enjoyment of life amidst desolation and bleakness. This implicit analysis parallels the mission of Manuel’s and thus the overall controlling idea of my review: the use of camaraderie and merriment associated with drinking as a means of social change. This social change can simply be cathartic, a cleansing of past burdens and hardships, or a significant milestone, such as the formation of a new relationship. The addition of a central idea that ties in closely with the Tavern’s promise to supply grounded and fruitful conversation between individuals from all backgrounds made my final draft much stronger than my initial one.

This particular assignment helped me better understand writing as a process. Drafting was never really a concept I incorporated fully in my writing process, making this assignment quite unique. I found that drafting is quite beneficial in terms of outlining ideas and formalizing structure. Researching Manuel’s Tavern, New Belgium, and even the watercolor artist was undoubtedly interesting and heavily informative. Revision and editing were particularly emphasized in this project, skills that are always useful to bolster even though they come natural to my writing process.

Unpacking Manuel’s has been an eye-opener for me in numerous aspects. Through meeting with Professor Morgen I have learned to establish a central idea that allows my work to become much more cohesive instead of having multiple ones scattered throughout the piece. Visualizing Unpacking Manuel’s as a whole instead of simply focusing on my object through close reading was the most fruitful part of this project for me. Linking numerous components in order to compose a single, significant whole is an extremely useful analytical asset to master.

 

 

 

 

Retro

Space Invaders is the quintessential arcade game – the score counter, flashing colors, the increasing, pulsating tempo of the ominous alien invaders approaching your ship. The main objective of this game is simple: destroy rows of strange foreign creatures while dodging their deadly projectiles and using the defensive barriers provided to your advantage. Like many of its contemporaries, the game is accessible to learn yet difficult to truly master.

Space Invaders is somewhat nostalgic to me. Playing the Game Boy Color version with my brother along with Pokemon, Tetris, and other cult hits signified my very first explorations with the medium. It’s simple yet addictive nature kept me hooked for hours on end. The Stella version is slightly disappointing since the pulsating beat of the invaders is surprisingly absent, but it is still very much of the same experience nonetheless.

Empathy – A Journey Through Depression Quest and dys4ia

Depression Quest is advertised on its official website as an “interactive fiction game where you play as someone living with depression”. The vagueness of this description aligns harmoniously with Depression Quest‘s intent: to provide a substantial account of one individual’s struggle with this mental illness. The process of playing the “game” itself evokes a sense of desolation. Walls of texts seem to endlessly appear click after click while the combination of a repetitive piano theme and bursts of frequent static make for an almost near-miserable experience. Dialogue options in red are presented to the player but purposely crossed out – a metaphor for the actions of a “normal” person that a victim of depression simply cannot follow through. Though I would not particularly classify Depression Quest as an actual video game, it presented me with choices that I as the “player” must fulfill in order to achieve an end outcome. This sense of interactivity, knowing that your choices did make an impact and alter events however slight, evokes substantial empathy. I personally decided to seek a therapist, take medication, adopt a kitten, and spend time with Alex as much as I could possibly can – identical choices that I would make in real life scenarios. In the end, a great burden was lifted and an optimistic future seemed to be ahead, yet the lows still lingered in day to day activities.

dys4ia evokes empathy in an aggressive, colorful, and arguably obnoxious manner in contrast to the painstaking, insinuating way that Depression Quest does. Though much more of a traditional video game than Depression Quest, there is still a lack of control and player agency due to its extremely fast-paced nature. Perhaps a metaphor for the roller-coaster that one undergoes through hormone therapy, dys4ia did not really offer me a chance to reflect on the current situation. Slurs and enlarging breasts were rapid, fleeting sensory events on-screen; they were assaulting and hyperbolic in a way that significantly highlights many of the struggles of the transgender community.

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