It's a philosophy of mine that gamers should date other gamers, or at least some one involved in the industry. Not only for having commonalities, but for a level of understanding, too. I can't see a non-gamer understanding when I blow him off by not picking up the phone because I'm in a clan match, or not responding on MSN because I'm in the middle of an intense firefight. That being said, it should be pretty easy for a girl to find a gamer, right? Considering a large portion of the male population games. Wrong. Even though there's a much better ratio of guys for girls, it's hard to find a good one out of the bunch. All the different games have their stereotypes that go along with them, often rendering them undate-able. Lets take a look at these groups. [keep in mind this is from the perspective of one female, who is a hardcore console FPS competitor]
Casual Players - sure, he'll play Halo or Super Smash Bros with friends if they're bored and just sitting around, but he's not a hardcore gamer. He's gonna get jealous of your console/pc no matter what, and generally detract from your owning n00bs. Also, you'll most likely beat him when you're playing together, and that definitely won't help the situation.
RPGers - they're romantics, they love games like Final Fantasy and other popular Playstation titles, but they don't understand what drives you to want to annihilate others in the FPS world. He'll try to get you to play his type of game, take up all your time, and try and convince you that FPS games are just "point and shoot" and take no skill. WTF. He's smooth with words, says all the right things, but is very good at guilt tripping, too.
Sports Gamers - they go crazy when the new Madden comes out every year, and think the only games in the world are those you can also play IRL. Sports games. Bleck. They're partiers, drinkers, and will pay attention to you, but don't expect to have an in-depth conversation about video games with them - if it doesn't involve a ball of some sort, they don't care.
MMORPGers - mostly wow players, and they prefer the relationship to be "in-game". He'll e-mote his way into your heart, but it won't go much further than that. Whether he's into PvP, PvE, or raiding with his guild, you're gonna have a hard time getting him to pay attention to you IRL. Even those of us who prefer to sit in our rooms gaming most the time require a little quality time IRL. Also, beware, these guys are easily infatuated, and know how to say the right things, but they're all talk.
PC FPSers(1 v. 1) - They practice religiously, and a girl will never come first in their quest to conquer all. They tend to be a bit introverted, like many PC players, but can sometimes be coaxed to come out and have a good time. They're shy, and it takes a bit of effort to get them warmed up, and quite often they don't even realize when you're flirting with them. If you like a challenge, they're fun to take on.
PC FPSers(teambased) - They're the CS players, the COD players, etc. They're hardcore, talk shit, full of themselves, and general bad asses in that cocky-yet-alluring way. They'll pay attention to you, actually go out and party, though they will have to take the occasional night off to practice with their team. Beware, their teammates are pretty much their own flesh and blood, so and intimate details probably won't stay that way for long. Just beware, if they have a bad night practicing where they get destroyed, you're going to have to put up with a lot of bitching and cursing. Plan on spending the night soothing their ego.
Console FPSers - Being number 1 and all the fame and fortune that goes with it is their driving factor. If they're good, you're going to have to fight off tons of other chicks for them, but once you've hooked them, they're yours. These guys will keep you on your toes, and more importantly on your game. They're a lot like PC teambased FPSers, think they're the shit, but fun to be around and inexplicably alluring. They'll practice nonstop before a competition, but always make time for a few short, sweet texts to you, and won't annoy you when they know you're practicing, too. The only drawback is they often lay the blame on others, thinking the whole world is against them.
Game Designers - they make the games, and are surprised when you worship the ground they walk on for it. they're mature, sophisticated, though not often very experienced in the dating world. they don't exactly understand the concept of hard-core gaming, especially in competition, but are amused by the notion. They are quiet and observant, and will often surprise you with their thoughtfulness and quest to make you happy.
Media Gamers - these guys have taken their passion in gaming on the media route, whether they're shout casters, bloggers, community heads, or gamers turned celebrities. They're horridly flirtatious, fun to be around, but not often dating material. They're players and proud of it, and love having hordes of gaming chicks pursing them. They know how to smooth talk and make a girl swoon, but again have more than one girl at a time. They're also not always the best gamers, but still know what they're talking about, and fun to hang out with.
Gamers/Forum Mods/Etc - these are the sweetest guys you will ever meet, they will go to any length to make you happy, and are always there to help you with your tech problems. They're the shy guys who run forums, fix bugs, and are very supportive of women gaming. They often have trouble with girls because they're not assertive enough, or get burned by going after the wrong one. They will treat you like a princess, but are often walked all over, too, which can be a drawback.
If I've left out any crucial groups, I'm quite sorry, though these are the groups I run across most often! As for my preference - Console FPSers ftw! The only problem is long distance. = ( damn teh interwebs, huh?
Friday, August 31, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Apple Love [among other thoughts]
I have a 15" powerbook G4. I'm in love with it. In fact, I'm in love with all apple products. I love talking about them, using them, pretty much anything. So I finally did something smart and applied to the Apple store here in Des Moines, and I'm pretty psyched. I have an interview tomorrow, and I really hope it goes well. I've been getting quite burnt out on working retail, though I do enjoy working with people. I figure working at Apple will be a great part time job for a college student, and let me hang out with other nerds who share my mac love. It's been a while since I've interviewed for a job, so I suppose I'm a tad nervous as well. I have a really good friend who works at the Apple store in Kansas and loves it, so I'm hoping all goes well for me.
In the meantime, my first classes of the semester were today. I'm only taking 15 credit hours, so this semester shouldn't be too bad. I'm taking management 110, statistics 72, management 120, design for the web, and marketing 101. I dropped about $600 today at the University bookstore - it's highway robbery, seriously. But I found some of my books on amazon.com, so that'll save some money. Yay! I'm still thoroughly enjoying the Call of Duty 4 beta, and playing Luminous Arc while I wait for class to start.
WSVG Toronto and PAX were this past weekend, both of which I missed. I'm quite sad. The pure pwnage crew attended WSVG, and I would have given anything to meet them!!! QQ. Ah, well, I'll meet them some day, I'm sure. PAX looks like fun from the pictures I've seen, I just wish I could have gotten to see all my friends, and visit my favorite place, Seattle, again.
On another note, I downloaded a learners edition of Maya, and have been following some basic tutorials to teach myself how to use the program. It's really difficult, but quite interesting. I'm hoping to have a bigger portfolio built by GDC time this year, as I plan on attending game design school when I finish at Drake. So many things to do, plus n00bs to pwn online! <3
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Call of Duty 4 [detailed]
Now that I've been playing the beta for almost a week, I've decided this game has taken the number one spot on my list, beating out Halo 3. That's a lot, coming from a long-time halo fangirl. The rank cap is set at 11, so there are limits as to what one can obtain in the beta, but here's a full description of those features for those who aren't able to get in.
Gameplay: same control scheme as the previous Call of Duties, with a few tweaks. Up on the d-pad gives night vision, left on the d-pad gives access to RPGs/other nades, and right on the d-pad allows you to call in rewards for your kills. When you achieve 3 kills in a row without dying, you are able to get radar online for your team for thirty seconds. At 5 kills, you are able to summon an air strike on a particular location of the map you choose - if you're enemies don't take cover, they get blown the fuck up. At 7 kills, you are able to call in a chopper, which roves the map, gunning down enemies who aren't able to get out of the way fast enough. The chopper can only get taken down by an RPG, which is also a challenge you can unlock for xp. As in Call of Duty 2, there is the kill cam, and watching yourself get destroyed by the chopper is pretty cool, no lie. Spawns happen in opposite corners of the map, and it's the traditional race for cover. However, much like counterstrike, you can be shot through walls, how deep the bullets penetrate your enemies differs. It adds a new level of challenge to CoD, you not only have to get undercover, but make sure your enemies don't know where you are. In Call of Duty 3, a sprint feature was added, in which you could hold down the left joystick to sprint for a short distance. In Cod 4, this feature has been enhanced, as you not only are able to sprint longer distances, but you don't have to press down and hold, but only press once. Sprinting is dead useful for my favorite improved feature - the melee. You know are equip with a knife, which you can plunge into your enemy for a one hit kill, dead useful if you run around a corner into an enemy and don't have your steady aim perk.
Maps: There are only 3 maps available to play in the beta, but they are all well constructed and provide a diverse and intense battleground for each match. There is a variety of foliage to hide in, and buildings that sometimes seem to offer little more protection than tissue paper when facing an onslaught from the opposite faction.
Weapons(unlockable in the beta, anyways):
Assault - M16, Ak47, M4, G3
SMG - MP5, Skorpion
LMG - M249 Saw, RPD
Shotgun - W1200
Sniper - M40A3, M21
With each of these weapons you are able to unlock features by completing challenges, such as 150 kills or 75 head shots. some of the customizations/add ons for the guns are; silencer, red dot sight, grenade launcher, ACOG scope. In addition to these, you are able to unlock camo - digital, blue tiger, and red tiger.
Custom Classes: Cod4 gives you 5 custom slots to create your own class. You are able to choose your primary weapon, equip it with a scope/silencer/whatever you choose. You then can choose your pistol. You are then able to choose from special grenades - flash, stun, or smoke. A new feature in this CoD is the perks you can add to your class. You get 3 perks with different ways to deck out your soldier.
Perk 1 - C4 x 2, Special Grenade x 3, RPG-7 x 2
Perk 2 - Stopping Power(increased bullet damage), Juggernaut(increased health), UAV Jammer(undetecable on radar), and Sonic Boom(higher explosive weapon damage)
Perk 3 - Extreme Conditioning(sprint further), Steady Aim(but accuracy without zoom), Last Stand(pistol enemies before dying), and Deep impact(deeper bullet penetration)
My standard class consists of the M4 with the red dot sighting, 3 special grenades, Juggernaut, and Deeper Impact. I've toyed with using last stand, it can be useful on occasion for last second kills, but I find other perks to be more valuable to my game play style.
Match Making: there are four matchmaking types available atm;
team deathmatch - 6-12 players score limit 750
free for all - 6-12 players score limit 300
team tactical - 2v2 or 3v3 score limit 500 [play team deathmatch and search and destroy]
team objective - 6-12 players score limit 150 [ play ctf, and different types of search and destroy]
Call of Duty 4 is an all around solid game, and I cannot wait for the release in November. If you're interested in the beta, you can check out http://www.charlieoscardelta.com, you may still be able to register to get a token to play in the public beta, starting the 27th!
Gameplay: same control scheme as the previous Call of Duties, with a few tweaks. Up on the d-pad gives night vision, left on the d-pad gives access to RPGs/other nades, and right on the d-pad allows you to call in rewards for your kills. When you achieve 3 kills in a row without dying, you are able to get radar online for your team for thirty seconds. At 5 kills, you are able to summon an air strike on a particular location of the map you choose - if you're enemies don't take cover, they get blown the fuck up. At 7 kills, you are able to call in a chopper, which roves the map, gunning down enemies who aren't able to get out of the way fast enough. The chopper can only get taken down by an RPG, which is also a challenge you can unlock for xp. As in Call of Duty 2, there is the kill cam, and watching yourself get destroyed by the chopper is pretty cool, no lie. Spawns happen in opposite corners of the map, and it's the traditional race for cover. However, much like counterstrike, you can be shot through walls, how deep the bullets penetrate your enemies differs. It adds a new level of challenge to CoD, you not only have to get undercover, but make sure your enemies don't know where you are. In Call of Duty 3, a sprint feature was added, in which you could hold down the left joystick to sprint for a short distance. In Cod 4, this feature has been enhanced, as you not only are able to sprint longer distances, but you don't have to press down and hold, but only press once. Sprinting is dead useful for my favorite improved feature - the melee. You know are equip with a knife, which you can plunge into your enemy for a one hit kill, dead useful if you run around a corner into an enemy and don't have your steady aim perk.
Maps: There are only 3 maps available to play in the beta, but they are all well constructed and provide a diverse and intense battleground for each match. There is a variety of foliage to hide in, and buildings that sometimes seem to offer little more protection than tissue paper when facing an onslaught from the opposite faction.
Weapons(unlockable in the beta, anyways):
Assault - M16, Ak47, M4, G3
SMG - MP5, Skorpion
LMG - M249 Saw, RPD
Shotgun - W1200
Sniper - M40A3, M21
With each of these weapons you are able to unlock features by completing challenges, such as 150 kills or 75 head shots. some of the customizations/add ons for the guns are; silencer, red dot sight, grenade launcher, ACOG scope. In addition to these, you are able to unlock camo - digital, blue tiger, and red tiger.
Custom Classes: Cod4 gives you 5 custom slots to create your own class. You are able to choose your primary weapon, equip it with a scope/silencer/whatever you choose. You then can choose your pistol. You are then able to choose from special grenades - flash, stun, or smoke. A new feature in this CoD is the perks you can add to your class. You get 3 perks with different ways to deck out your soldier.
Perk 1 - C4 x 2, Special Grenade x 3, RPG-7 x 2
Perk 2 - Stopping Power(increased bullet damage), Juggernaut(increased health), UAV Jammer(undetecable on radar), and Sonic Boom(higher explosive weapon damage)
Perk 3 - Extreme Conditioning(sprint further), Steady Aim(but accuracy without zoom), Last Stand(pistol enemies before dying), and Deep impact(deeper bullet penetration)
My standard class consists of the M4 with the red dot sighting, 3 special grenades, Juggernaut, and Deeper Impact. I've toyed with using last stand, it can be useful on occasion for last second kills, but I find other perks to be more valuable to my game play style.
Match Making: there are four matchmaking types available atm;
team deathmatch - 6-12 players score limit 750
free for all - 6-12 players score limit 300
team tactical - 2v2 or 3v3 score limit 500 [play team deathmatch and search and destroy]
team objective - 6-12 players score limit 150 [ play ctf, and different types of search and destroy]
Call of Duty 4 is an all around solid game, and I cannot wait for the release in November. If you're interested in the beta, you can check out http://www.charlieoscardelta.com, you may still be able to register to get a token to play in the public beta, starting the 27th!
Saturday, August 25, 2007
08.25.07 "Team Deathmatch: Let's Do This!"
So I was lucky enough to have a friend who got me into the friends and family beta testing of Call of Duty 4. After Call of Duty 3 being a bit of a disappointment, I was a bit apprehensive as I began the beta download. My fears were quickly assuaged, though, as I got into my first team deathmatch. It's nice to have finally gotten away from the World War 2 setting, and Activision's take on Modern Warfare is amazing. They've stuck with the different classes you can play as, like Call of Duty 3, but have added features you can unlock, such as 'create your own class' where you gain the ability to choose you primary weapon, then equip your pistol and other features from there. I do enjoy the fact that as you rank up, you unlock new abilities, guns, and all sorts of other goodies. There's a lot more about the game, but I kinda wanna go play it instead of write about it right now. I do have to talk about my favorite feature, though, the new and improve melee. KNIFING FTW! I giggle audibly as I run around the map sneaking up on people and stabbing them as they try to snipe my teammates. Or as I run around a corner and lunge, plunging my knife into them as they struggle to raise their RPG. Does that make me sadistic? Hmmmm. Anyways, that's my brief insight into Call of Duty 4. I'm gonna go knife some nubs, now. Kthnxbai.
Friday, August 24, 2007
08.24.07 Sooo clutch!
So I was in a Call of Duty 4 match today, and the kids on my team were fucking terrible, like, no joke. Anyways, we were getting our asses beat the whole intense match on Overgrown, until we finally started to make a comeback. (This is when I stopped chatting on AIM and started playing hardcore) We finally got neck and neck around 650, and would jump from leading to losing every kill. It was so freaking intense as we would spawn, racing around the map, trying to get better coverage to take out the other team. The score stood with us at 730 - them 740, when I spawned again and saw the opposite team at the gas station, laying down to snipe my oncoming and unsuspecting teammates. I steadied my M16 and boom! headshot! boom! headshot! Won the match. So freaking clutch. Gaaaah I love this game!
p.s. I just unlocked my m16 blue tiger camo. Fucking hawt.
p.s. I just unlocked my m16 blue tiger camo. Fucking hawt.
08.24.07 Luminous Arc!
When I got my wii, I of course went to register it and check out other goodies on Nintendo.com, where a pretty banner caught my eye. It was an advertisement for a new game, Luminous Arc, coming out for the DS. Immediately I was intrigued by the beautiful scenery and interesting characters, so I went to the website, and began to read up on it. The game is a tactical RPG with interesting battle sequences. It's been out a little over a week, and it took me a while to track it down, but I found it at a Gamestop in a nearby town. I've been playing for almost an hour, and I'm already in love. My trepidation of this game - an RPG(not my thing) - is long gone, as I've gotten into the story line, become entranced with the characters, and serenaded by the music. Everything about the game is pretty, but it's also interesting. I'm playing as one of the children of the Evergarden, who is training to fight witches, who are said to create monsters and wreak general havok in an otherwise-peaceful world. Aside from the plot development, the characters are very in depth, as well. I found myself laughing out loud at the antics of, Leon, a wanna-be player. I couldn't help but smile as little Theo chattered to his older brother about the upcoming battles in his cute little voice. The game is just purely entertaining. After pretty much beating Pokemon Diamond, I've been needing a new DS game to get into, and this was a great choice. (The other was Rune Factory: Harvest Moon) While the game isn't my type, and definately can't distract me from Cod4 and my other shooters, it's perfect for my DS needs: break at work, waiting to get my hair cut, going to the doctors, taking a dump(hahaha, jay kay), and anywhere else my 360 won't fit. ;)
Also, does it make me a dork if I want to buy the soundtrack to this game? Seriously, it's amazing. And I love the into. Yeah, I think that makes me a dork.
Also, does it make me a dork if I want to buy the soundtrack to this game? Seriously, it's amazing. And I love the into. Yeah, I think that makes me a dork.
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