Has it come across to you that some brands are there but you are not noticing them and when you start looking, they are everywhere? Out of the blue, I have received a request to try out the Targus products. I seldom try out anything without knowing if it is good. Coincidentally I was in the Funan IT Mall and all of a sudden, I saw Targus brand everywhere! The laptop bags look stylish and of good quality. So I replied: Sure, hit me with a backpack please!
And inside the bag, there is a mouse. What a nice surprise!
Now, back to the laptop bag. I have recently used it for our Fraser’s Hill trip (more photos to share, I promise). It is surprisingly light, soft, comfortable to the shoulders, and it is built with water resistance materials too. Don’t take my words for it. Visit a store and check out the bags. It is great for everyday use. And if something more formal is what you would prefer, they have other ranges for just that. I have quite a few formal laptop bags. So I picked the casual sporty one instead.
It is said that Targus is the world’s top-selling laptop computer cases and accessories maker, renowned for quality and style. I have to admit that the mouse (picture above) does look stylish, small enough to carry around, and its battery life is supposed to last for 15 months. What impress me most is the tiny USB receiver. I can practically leave it attached to my laptop all the time.
The recommended retail price of the backpack is S$119.90 and as for the mouse, S$49.90. You may wish to check out its range of products here.
Avid readers may recall that not too long ago, I have written an article on Norton Internet Security 2010. I am happy to hear that Norton continues to be light and secure, does not require much tweaking (“set and forget” is their design philosophy), and in this new Norton 360, it has a new reputation service, improved anti-phishing, improved scanning performance, a new download insight, web-based access to backup files, as well as improved startup manager. To be honest, my previous Norton installation seems very fast and safe in my book. I can hardly feel the difference for this new product, which is great of course. Still fast, still safe. It better be!
What are improved, I observe, are the PC tuneup function and the online backup option. For the technologically inclined, PC tuneup may not be crucial. But for someone like me who is a regular PC user, PC tuneup is a great place for me to (1) decide which are the programs I wish to run at start-up and in what priority, (2) clean up my file system including registry, (3) optimize my hard disk (defragmentation), and (4) run a diagnostic report on everything I wish to know about my computer – from hardware to software. And I can say it with conviction PC tuneup has helped me a great deal. My computer startup time has improved. Seems to run faster too.
Online backup is an interesting feature. Norton 360 v4.0 comes with a 2 GB online storage. You can back up your Document directory or any directory in your file system securely online. And restore if need to. It does take some time for the first backup to complete, especially if you have a large backup set. At home, I have a Network-attached Storage and an external backup device permanently attached to my computer so, this online backup service may not be something that I rely solely on (no harm having extra backup, having said that). I can imagine that if you do not have a regular backup, this online backup can be useful.
Of the many great features that Norton products have, one of my favorite ones is Norton file insight (see below with file name masked). Whenever I download an executable from the Internet, Norton prompts me on how trusted this file could be. And based on the insight, I can make an informed decision on whether or not I shall risk running it. One time, while I was downloading the latest video driver from ATI website, Norton warned me that the file may not be trusted as not many users have downloaded that and it was very new. It turns out that that version of the file was corrupted.
I have got asked a lot how much the Norton products that featured in my website cost. For this particular one, the suggested retail price is SGD 129 for the three PC license.
Does this digital game copy of the new Mass Effect 2 mini-expansion worth US$7? Read on to find out.
I am a big fan of BioWare’s DLC (downloadable contents). They are often of the right length (read: not too time consuming) and are rewarding to play. Recently, BioWare has run into quality issue with the Dragon Age franchise and hence, I have stopped buying. Not until they get their acts together and patch up the game. Mass Effect, is another story.
“Kasumi – Stolen Memory” is the first DLC (with a file size of close to 1 GB!) outside the Cerberus Network. The Cerberus Network licence worth US$15 in value and most retail copies I believe come with it. Does it mean that this is the end for “free” downloads? I don’t know. Back to this new DLC, for the price of a movie ticket, it took me about 2 ½ hours to complete. That includes reading the new codex, going through the conversation options, and admiring all aspects of the game including standing by the hillside looking at the breathtaking scenery of the sea.
For those who have started or planning to start a new game, Kasumi the enigmatic master thief can be a good squad member option. Kasumi is distinctly different from the existing members because she can go in stealth and near one-shot the enemies from their backs. Almost like a rogue class in some role playing games. Because of that, most of the time I have no clue where she is when we are in combat and I have to pay attention to her voice cues. My character is a Vanguard so that seems to complement the play style (up close and personal). Too bad, I have already completed the game. It would be fun to continue grouping with her to develop the synergy.
Half of “Kasumi – Stolen Memory” is non-combat in nature, which is a breath of fresh air from the majority of the loyalty missions. My only slight grievance is that this DLC does not seem to be challenging enough and I have encountered a bug in the final boss fight (the boss despawned and the mission got stuck). Also, conversations with Kasumi inside the Normandy is similar to Zaeed (from the Cerberus Network), very one-way in nature. Other than that, “Kasumi – Stolen Memory” is a beautiful DLC – both in graphics and storyline. And if you are like me, who are just one level under the cap, completing “Kasumi – Stolen” will shoot you all the way to the level cap of 30.
This Nokia N900 I am using means real business and I am not kidding you. The improvement on responsiveness and overall user interface, the power of multitasking and the ability to open multiple full website simultaneously, this beast is everything that a Nseries user would hope for. I have read a good number of positive testimonies for this phone. Is this for you? Read on to find out more on what this phone is and is not.
Overview
On the evening when I received my unit, I vividly remembered one line the Nokia presenter said: Why use a mobile site [with limited functionalities] when you can open up a full site? It is so true. Mobile sites or mobile applications that are there because full websites are too taxing for most of today’s smart phones are things of the past. N900 is one big step towards what mobile computing is to be. With 1GB application memory (256MB RAM, the rest is virtual) and up to 10Mbps 3G data connection, I can open up multiple websites and applications at ease, and at the same time. Tired of waiting for a site to load? Toggle to another site or do something else, just like what you would do in your desktop environment.
N900 comes with 4 desktops that are fully customizable (see below slides for screenshots). It has a full QWERTY keyboard and a CTRL key that the Nokia community has been asking for. You can now do copy, paste, undo and more! N900 has the same touch screen size as N97 (3.5″) but with an even better resolution (800 x 480 pixel). It plays video beautifully (all my friends love it). Its touch screen is resistive. It works well with your nails or the supplied stylus for precise navigation. If you come from a cold country, you don’t need to take off your gloves to use the touch phone.
N900 is built using a new operating system: Maemo – a Linux based open source platform. Improvements can be made by the passionate developers – for profit or not, without the wait for Nokia to make it happen. The MSN plug-in for the Instant Messaging function is a good example. Developed by the community, available free for the N900 users.
First Look
What Nokia has done – from what I observe after first week of usage – is to revamp the product offering by focusing on what the majority needs. Functionalities such as dictionary, Chinese character input, message reader, audio recorder, content search, converter, and podcasting seem to have dropped. If you have not heard or seldom use any of these functions, it probably does not matter to you. What we have gained in return comparing to previous Nseries models are:
A sleek full web browser powered by Mozilla technology (we can now open new window!).
Innovative zone in and out of a web page by touching any part of the screen and circulate in clockwise or anticlockwise direction (no, you don’t need to use two fingers on the screen like some other phones). For existing Nokia users, double tapping on the screen not only toggle between normal view, zone in view, but also page-width view.
Internet Radio has returned (missing in N97)!
Easy management of Internet connection (oh yes, no more trying to configure destinations and different modes of connection in different applications).
Integrated chat and voice-over-IP (Skype, Google Talk, Jabber, SIP, and Ovi by default, MSN by community and more to come I bet).
Improved user interface with animation (OK, that is more for perception management on waiting time but hey, since every other smart phone is doing that …).
Much improved Media Player with (finally) an analog volume control.
Enriched notes function with style formatting.
Thumbing through the contacts by groups of ABC, DEF, GHI, and etc. (in portrait mode only). If your hands are free to pull out the keyboard, you can still type the name of the contact, as in N97 etc.
Control over 3G, GSM, and dual network mode (see later section as it comes quite useful for me).
A data counter to track network usage.
Simplified profile setting – General and Silence profiles with the option to turn on or off vibration, ring tone selection and volume.
RSS Feed.
Control-Z, C, X, V for undo, copy, cut, and paste. Control-O and S to open and save items. And … Control-Shift-P for taking screenshots! I bet there are more shortcuts beside these. Somewhere.
4 fully customizable desktop areas.
While I truly love these enhancements made by Nokia, I have the following observations to share. Again, some may matter to you, some may not.
N900 operates in the 3G frequency bands of 900/1700/2100 instead of 900/1800/2100 like N97. And because 1700 is not supported by SingTel (I have called to confirm that they only support 900/1800/2100), there may be locations that the 3G connection is not as good as your old Nokia phone (note: to be fair, not all smart phones in Singapore supports all three bands). For me to get a more stable data connection, I manually select the network mode of 3G and GSM if need to. Having said that, most of the time I leave the setting to 3G. When the 3G works (which is often), the speed is fast.
Music that you have purchased and downloaded from Nokia Music Store cannot be played in N900. It is not a Comes With Music device either. Nokia has to implement the DRM on the new operating system. I am unsure when, if ever, this will happen.
Maps in N900 does not have voice navigation, like the current Nseries phones. We have to wait for Nokia to port that over to the new phone, if and when.
While much of the improvement made to the Media Player is good, working with playlist seems tedious. And there is no repeat track function nor equalizer as well. No way to send the tracks via Bluetooth. Can I live with that? Sure I can.
MMS is currently not supported. I sure hope that it is in the road map for the upcoming patches.
N900 is relatively bulky, and heavy (181g). But that does not bother me as I need the computing power.
N900 is power hungry. There has been discussions that in the next patch, power consumption will be improved. As of now, for heavy users like I, it is best to keep it charging whenever possible. Again, that does not bother me for what N900 is capable in doing.
In Summary
N900 is one great phone that Nokia users (especially Nseries users) would love. And it is growing on me. It is clear that Nokia has taken the suggestions from the user community and implemented them into this new phone. Because N900 is built on an open platform, I have high hope that the developer community will help to take this phone and the future Maemo (or MeeGo?) devices forward.
Perhaps I am the minority here. I truly hope that Nokia will one day give us the option to activate any of our Nokia phones to be a Comes With Music phone (surprisingly not many of my friends know about this unlimited music download service). Quite possibly the best service Nokia has provided for the selected models. I wish that N900 has a Comes With Music option, something I miss most from my N97.
90 hours, I have poured into this game. This has to go into my personal record of one of the longest enduring gaming journey in the category of anything-but-world-of-warcraft. I seldom complete games these days. 50 odd hours into Mass Effect 2, I thought I was obsessive. 90 hours into Dragon Age: Origin, I reckon I could have read Iliad or Odyssey perhaps once.
You know how I am like when I get excited about something. Of many whom I have talked to – strangers and friends alike – some are into role-playing games (better still, Baldur’s Gate), just like Dragon Age: Origin, waiting for that one final push to jump down the cliff. Yes buddy, think no more. I’ve jumped. Now it’s your turn. Some have no clue what this game is about. Like my mother. One evening she tapped onto my shoulder and asked, “Is this a game? It looks like a movie.” I took off my headset and replied, “Yes mom. Computer gaming has certainly progressed since the day you and dad got me that Apple machine when I was a teen.” Some come from the world of Mass Effect and ponder if they would too love this franchise. And some have completed the game, like I do, and are eying on the expansion Dragon Age: Awakening, like I do.
In Short …
… Dragon Age: Origin sets in the fantasy backdrop of human and elves, dwarves and golems, dragons and dark magic. The beauty of gaming versus reading or watching a fantasy story is that you get to shape the story the way you want it to be, within the framework provided. You decide the beginning: a noble or a commoner. You decide the role you want to play: front-liner or supporter. You decide how the world should be explored, how to influence the people around you. There are sub-plots that keep on distracting you, that you may choose to ignore. And finally, a multitude of endings that you have to decide based on the little things you have done along your journey. Some gamers may prefer a clinical approach in researching online prior to what is to come in order to shape an outcome that they want. As for me, I prefer to shape my story according to my own decisions, even if there are sacrifices to be made along the way. Bearing and living with the consequences is part of the game.
Game Play
Coming from the action role-playing game background (like Mass Effect franchise), I was apprehensive if I would find the frequent game pausing to issue commands to four party members a turn off. Neverwinter Night turned me off. Curiously, this game does not. Though, when I showed it to Cynthia, she went “eeeewwww” because she swears by the real time game play of World of Warcraft. I guess the reason is that not every encounter requires us to pause and strategize. And if we do pause, it has to be something extraordinary that can turn the game to our advantage.
Another thing that took me a short while to get used to is that the conversation options chosen by the main character (a.k.a. you) are not read-out-loud. Like Mass Effect. Some say Mass Effect is an exception. I could also loop in The Witcher (by the way, the sequel is in the making) to argue my case. In any case, the conversation in Dragon Age: Origin has much depth and in a way, I am glad to click my options through.
The Things I Love Most
Character development is one. It is memorable and you get to hate and love certain characters, love and even more in love with others. Both the indoor and outdoor scenes are beautiful to look at. The control is smooth (not sure how the console players can live with only two sticks and that many buttons on the controller though) mapped nicely to recent popular games of similar genre. The learning curve is steep but one can persevere by trying out different strategies. The game mechanic appears simple with three distinct classes – warrior, rogue, and mage. But with different deployment of skill set and specialization, a rogue can play like a hunter and a mage can play like a priest or a warlock. Lots of reading within the game of course, in the form of codex.
What’s Next?
From my research, Dragon Age: Awakening is the largest DLC (downloadable content) to date. Despite the price tag that is comparable to the original game, it will likely to take nowhere near to 90 hours to complete. Much faster. But if you are already a fan, shouldn’t you dive into Awakening right now? It turns out that for the PC gamers, you may be better off to wait for a bit due to reported game crashes caused by the latest patch 1.03 that you must apply in order to play the expansion. Some gamers suffer more than their fellow PC gamers. And for the console gamers, there are still in-game issues that may worth the wait to see if the developer BioWare is going to do something about them. When in doubt, check the BioWare forums.
Personally, I wish the experience was as epic as the one with Mass Effect 2. Unfortunately the experience was somewhat ruined due to the bad patch I have applied towards the end of the journey (if you are still playing the original game and if you could, stop at patch 1.02a). Game modding is a powerful tool, given to the community. But to rely on the community to fix some of the game issues using mods is just too strange for me to accept.
So what’s next? When all fails – and if BioWare doesn’t get the game fixed – we can always look forward to Diablo 3, can’t we?
While I am still far from completing the game Dragon Age: Origins (20% progress on 35 played hours), last evening, I have completed the three add-ons of this epic dark fantasy – a spiritual successor to Baldur’s Gate. If you are interested to find out if any of these add-ons worth your money, when the ideal time to begin these quests is and in which order, you have come to the right place.
Depending on the edition of your copy, the game may come with one or even all of these premium contents. For me, one is free and I have to purchase the other two. At present, I do not know if there are means to reinstall these paid contents in the future (like Mass Effect 2). I surely hope so. Some gamers comment that the add-ons are too short taking only a couple of hours to complete. Considering how lengthy the original game is and how much these add-ons cost, I can understand the general sentiment. However, since the price of each add-on is similar to a movie ticket or two, I have no qualm.
“The Stone Prisoner” (USD 15), that comes with the newer game edition, should be the first one to tackle as soon as you are comfortable with some basic combat techniques and crowd control mechanism. You should complete this add-on at the early stage of the game so as to gain access to a new companion. Shale is a golem and he (or it?) hits hard, works well as a tank too. “The Stone Prisoner” probably ranks high on puzzle solving but not too much on story and combat. The area is rather small and it does not take long to finish. The most tangible reward from this add-on? Shale of course. His dialogs can be hilarious at times too.
“Warden’s Keep” (USD 7) is perhaps the best Dragon Age add-on I have seen. It is rich in story and combat. And you get to unlock a new class specialization as well as abilities. On top of that, you have access to a party stash if you wish to extend your inventory space. That stash is the only place in the game – officially of course – you can stash your items (for a free stash made by one BioWare developer, click here for my forum post). Some complain that you have to travel to the castle to interact with your stash. But it is merely a click on the world map and so far, I have not been held back from any random encounter while travelling to the castle. The stash is right outside the castle some more. What’s there to complain really? As in when it is a good time to visit the castle, I would suggest visiting it when your warrior (or if you are not, one of your companions) has a buffed strength of 30. You will then be able to use the set item (massive gear). One word of advice: pay attention to all the details, including the Codex. If not, you may miss some great loot!
I have a mixed feeling towards “Return to Ostagar” (USD 5). The area is large, as it is a revisit to the original starting area that is locked after you have completed the prelude. The combat is not particularly hard (maybe by then I have one of the best tanking gears in Dragon Age?). Not too much on the story or puzzle solving. The cut scenes are not as fascinating as “Warden’s Keep”. But, you get to recover the King’s armours and weapons and more, recruit the dog if you have missed that out during the prelude, and perhaps seek some closure of where the prelude has ended. You will need a buffed strength of 36 in order to wear the King’s set (another massive gear). And if I have that buffed strength, wouldn’t I wish to equip the Juggernaut set (require 38 strength to equip) found in the Brecilian Forest instead? Personally, I wish there is a set item for the rogue or mage class instead, from any of these add-ons.
Looking back, because I have started to collect the Juggernaut set as early as when my warrior reached level 9, the armour reward of the add-ons does not seem to be that attractive. If I am going to reroll another character, I would dive into these add-ons as soon as I can.
When my mother first saw how my phone assisted me to navigate from Wheelock Place to The Big Splash on the road, she couldn’t believe her eyes. Hearing that all we need is the free satellite signal from above us even in the absent of mobile signal is enough to add that into her list of fascination on how technology has advanced. From my new rice cooker that has the options to select the type of rice and how soon we want to eat, to the TV system that … think about it, what happens to those good old days when you select what you want with a click of a button? Or two? I can only imagine how fascinated I would be in the not so distant future.
Recently, it was announced that Nokia’s Maps – branded as OVI Maps – would come with free navigation for selected phone model. You can also plan your trip on your PC and synchronize the bookmarks with your phone. I am happy to hear that N97 is one of them. Yesterday, I gave it a try, mainly because I had a genuine need. The first thing I have noticed is the new menu (see below). It took me a brief moment to download the guide (I chose British female voice!) and to log onto OVI Maps using my Nokia ID (not mandatory but it is nice, as you will read later). And it was good to go.
The map is on 3D and it rotates as I navigate (see above). In theory, there is no need for me to see the screen. But because at times the Global Positioning System (GPS) signal is lost, I may miss a turn (and the phone is smart enough to do re-routing almost instantly). So for best result, I reckon it is good to mount the phone somewhere at the windscreen and see where is your next turn, which is what drivers do for their GPS devices.
So, why is there a need to log onto OVI Maps? For the simple reason that you can now synchronize your bookmarks with your OVI account in the Internet. This is powerful. Because I may discover a new eatery place or a place of interest anywhere in the world, save the GPS data onto my phone for future use, and I can synchronize with my OVI account and continue to access this location for my future Nokia phones. Or I can share my locations on Facebook, via OVI Maps.
Another powerful feature is the ability to plan my trip using the computer. I have used Google Maps. And I am surprised by the user interface of OVI Maps. The transition is smooth. And overlay onto the different map modes (such as landmark etc.) is the real time traffic condition. At one glance, I can tell where are the areas that I shall avoid, if so I wish.
Route planning in OVI Maps is a breeze. Alternative routes are displayed and can be selected with a click of a button. I have no complain about OVI Maps for now, except that there are locations that I cannot find using OVI Maps in the Internet but able to find via my phone. To be fair, I can’t find these locations in Google Maps neither. Below is a screenshot of how, in theory, I can plan my route from my home to the Botanic Gardens. The deeper purple route from A to B is the optimized route. The red thin line along the highway CTE indicates that heavy traffic at that segment is expected. And the route in light purple is an alternate route via the highway. There is a third one also in light purple overlaid with the highlighted one for the shortest route in case if you wonder why the routing near the destination is a bit confusing. Selecting different mode – shortest route, fastest route, and optimized route – will highlight the route accordingly in deep purple.
In summary, despite the occasion lost of GPS signal during my first navigation experience, as a free service that bundled with selected Nokia phones, it is certainly one feature that Nokia users should cheer about. Imagine no more getting lost when you are overseas and in town. Looking at how far the maps function has progressed since the early days of Nokia putting maps onto their phones, I am keen to see what the near future will bring.
PS. I may try to mount the phone to the windscreen to see if the GPS signal strength can be improved.
After spending more than 50 hours to explore every aspect of the game, I would say that Mass Effect 2 is indeed a masterpiece. No spoilers here of course. In my over two decades of computing gaming, there aren’t many games that keep me engrossed, playing over a sustained duration. The Mass Effect franchise could well be one.
But change, can be hard to swallow. That applies to the world of gaming too. Mass Effect 2 (ME 2) has fundamentally revamped some of the gaming elements of Mass Effect 1 (ME 1) and you can tell from the fan base that some of these new elements may not go well with some. And I initially too. Having said that, now that I have played through the game once, overall speaking, the combat system is more engaging (more complex too!), some dialogs have more depth (you can interrupt them too), the story is a lot darker, and ME 2 is more visually pleasing.
Mass Effect can be classified as action role-playing game. I am not a shooter type of gamer. ME 2 is certainly more demanding than ME 1 when it comes to the lengthy combat scenes. But I live. I also enjoy the real time interruption to conversation that may change the outcome of the scene. As far as decision making is concerned, there are plenty in ME 2. From the very technical aspect of the game to the political influence that one can play, some decisions got me thinking hard on what I should do next. Judging on how some of the little decisions I have made in ME 1 affect ME 2, I won’t be surprised to see how these decisions I have made in totality will affect the upcoming ME 3 – the end of the trilogy.
It is frequently asked if one should start with ME 1 now that ME 2 is out. The answer is an absolute yes. The gaming experience of the two is different. And you get to experience the best of both world (there are still things I miss dearly in ME 1). Ideally, you should complete ME 1 fully – that includes all the side missions and planet exploration. Not only the decisions you have made get imported into ME 1, you will get a little boost in resources, character level, and paragon-renegade inclination (the equivalent of hero and badass).
The Mass Effect franchise as a whole has a great replay value. After a game completion (“playthrough” as we called it), you may start a new career with a different class and or gender choice. You may create a new career from one of your existing characters and continue advancing from where you left off. There is a big boost to all your subsequent characters after you have completed the game in terms of experience gained as well as initial resources. I enjoy playing the character in either gender, preferably in either alignment. The voice over is different. The outcome of the story can be different (romance sub-plot as well as the “good” and “aggressive” decisions you make). Hence, the overall experience can be different.
Now that we have established that if you are an avid gamer, you have got to check out the Mass Effect franchise, the next question would be: Is the Collectors’ Edition worth it? For an extra S$20?
It has a mini comic booklet that is nice to have, but I can live without. A mini hardcover art book that is very nice to have, and I love to own. A making-of DVD, that makes me appreciate the game better. Access to Cerberus Network (a.k.a. a portal for the digital download of new contents) that at present has: 2 in-game collectors’ items that I use one but not another (I don’t like the look of the other), a mini-mission called Normandy’s Crash Site that fans would like, and a new squad member that comes with a new loyalty mission – very good to have. Free to be downloaded if you have the access. All in all, no regret in spending the extra cash for all of the above.
Below is the cinematic trailer, which I am sure some of you may enjoy watching.
“Pinnacle Station” is the 2nd downloadable content of the game Mass Effect. Unlike “Bring Down The Sky” – the 1st free content – “Pinnacle Station” costs S$9.99 to play. I have paid, played, and have completed the mission in the same day. Is it worth it? Read on and find out.
I reckon there is a renewed interest within the gaming community to complete the game Mass Effect now that the second installment Mass Effect 2 is due to be released later this month. Why? For one, you can continue the character progression in the upcoming installment of a trilogy. For those of you who are new to Mass Effect, it is a game with a high replay value. You can have multiple play through’s on the same character with higher difficulty level if hitting the level cap is your cup of tea. You can revisit all the side missions that you have missed during your initial play through. You can also try out the 6 different classes if you wish to experience a different play style. The beauty of the game is the achievement system. Each play through may enable you to unlock unique achievements that benefit the next time you start from the beginning again. Making your life a lot easier so as to speak.
The game play of “Pinnacle Station” is different from the rest of the game in terms of mission objectives as well as pace. Pinnacle Station is a training center equipped with combat simulators and it is opened only for the Spectres (i.e. you have to complete the first chapter of the game before heading to Pinnacle Station). There isn’t much story development inside the station. So, I suppose this downloadable content may appeal more to the shooters than the role players. There are 4 types of simulations: capture, hunt, time, and survival. And there are two different maps initially for each trials. Only upon topping the rank for all 8 trials will the third set of map be unlocked. My thoughts on the different types of trials are as follows.
In capture trial, your team has to defend a set of strategic locations against the virtual enemies. I enjoy this the most. You have to move fast, from one strategic location to another in order to beat the time.
In hunt trial, you have to hunt down enemies, with a twist. The clock is constantly on a countdown. Each enemy you take down, additional time is added to the clock for you to stay longer in the game. When the clock strikes zero, your game is over. Like capture trial, you have to run fast. On top of that, you have to kill fast too. I too enjoy this one.
Time trial, is hard. There is a sequence in the spawning of the groups of enemies. Your job is to secure the entire location by taking down all the enemies. That part is easy. The hard part is to beat the time. I often fail in time trial. Not only do I need to move fast and kill fast, I have to memorize where the enemies spawn. Not quite my cup of tea, to be honest. Also, time trial seems buggy. If an enemy is thrown into a wall, he may be stuck inside the wall and cannot be attacked any more. Fortunately there is a reset button in the simulation ground should this unfortunate event happens.
Survival trial is interesting. Maybe because it is my second play through and my team is near to the level cap (57 of 60) with superb gears and abilities, survival seems easy. In fact, in my first try, my team survived for more than 15 minutes and the game crashed thereafter (time to beat is under 2 minutes I think). In the second map, I found a location that I could literally stay there for a very long time. Worried that the game might crash again, I let the virtual enemies took us down. In the third map, survival seems more challenging due to the open space. Hectic, yes. I wish the game gives us extra achievement points for surviving way beyond expectation.
After completing the 12 trials, the last test is a scenario setup similar to the First Contact War when you are vastly outnumbered, with an objective to complete and a countdown before evacuation. Now, that is excitingly fun. Perhaps because I am already familiar with the game mechanic and working with my team, I made it in my first try (normal mode though). The gear reward of “Pinnacle Station” is not something worth mentioning. Certainly a disappointment in a sense. But to be able to earn myself a retirement apartment in a planet owns by me? That is priceless. That is as close to player’s housing as Mass Effect can get. I hope that my apartment stays in the next installment and beyond.
Given the fact that the full version costs US$50 (now US$20 and once US$5 on Steam’s specials), I personally think that this downloadable content is a bit too expensive. Fun though, no doubt.
I remember what school holiday was like. Or to describe my current sentiment more correctly: these two weeks of annual leave reminds me of what school holiday was like. In UK, the school holiday is long, very long. Six weeks of break in between terms (we call them Michaelmas, Hilary, and Trinity), more than three months of break in between the years. Maybe school holiday is long, everywhere in the world. Since staying in the college added extra strain to my student loan for my university education, I often opted to visit my relatives in Paris, just across the English Channel (note: today I learn that the same arm is called differently by the French and the Dutch … of course!). Or to stay with my friends in London, which till today, I am still thankful of their hospitality whenever I think of the good-old-days.
In retrospect, I suppose I could have made my school holiday more productive. Like doing an internship, finding an opportunity to help out the faculty or the graduates who may need an assistant, or even picking a voluntary work to do. Holiday in Paris was often more productive, comparatively. I would soak in the local culture familiarizing myself with every corner of the street, every significant piece of artwork inside a museum that caught my eyes. Holiday in London was often more – for lack of a better word – laid-back.
What does laid-back mean? Depending on which camp you are in, if you think that laid-back is a negative attribute, especially in the context of a work environment, the opposite of laid-back would be driven, motivated, all the wonderful descriptions that are likely to earn you a good bonus. But if laid-back is to mean relax, the opposite would be tense, edgy, and uptight. All the negative attributes you probably would not want to see in your partner, or your pet. Having said it, it is about the context, isn’t it?
Progress and mass expectation is extrinsic. It is always good to positively contribute to the community, even if it is in the expense of your internal happiness and well being. Society does not reward you on how happy you are. It does however have a multitude of goods and services that you can purchase to make you a happier person. Feeling relax and happy is intrinsic. Something you have to generate from within. The best of it all is to find someone as laid-back as you, when you want to be. Imagine the otherwise.
* * I * *
This holiday, I have done something unconventional. I am often someone who is loyal to brands and shops and spends a great deal of time researching on products and pricing before making a purchase. Since Cynthia is not as insistence on an overseas holiday as she is used to be and since my sister’s baby may pop out any time soon, I am happy to laid-back at home, for the entire two weeks.
I know in certainty that Cynthia and I would spend much time playing an online computer game. And I know for a long time that upgrading Cynthia’s computer would vastly enhance her gaming experience, visually speaking. So I took something from my computer and planted it into hers. That works great for that one computer game that Cynthia plays. But what about me? I got myself a pretty decent video card and an even larger wide screen monitor. Decision was made on the spot. It was a cash transaction so you could say that it was a premeditated move.
Funny if I think about how laid-back I had been in making that purchase decision and now in a laid-back holiday, I tacked the situation with motivation and drive, as oppose to the laid-back philosophy. What’s going on here?
* * II * *
I look forward to a day when economists write a book on the online game World of Warcraft. Its success story is much to be learned by other corporations. It is amazing to see how Blizzard – the producer of the game – is able to constantly evolve the game and motivate the millions of subscribers to keep playing a game that is now more than five years old. Premium contents are continuously commodified, made accessible by the mass players who may not have as much time to invest as the hardcore players, as new premium contents are produced. That way, there is always a chance for the laid-back players to catch up and at the same time, a strong motivation for the hardcore players to reach new heights. On paper, that is an easy thing to say. Blizzard executes this vision flawlessly by making changes on different aspects of the game simultaneously so as to bring forth a holistic experience that does not feel patchy. Putting customers with different aspirations at the center. So easy to say, so hard to do it right.
We know that we manage what we measure. That is the foundation of the management tool called balanced scorecard: measuring performance by key indicators. Cynthia and I are fortunate to have Mark – not sure if his wife would think the same – to immerse in this online game in this laid-back holiday of ours. Last night, we have re-installed a gaming component that enables us to view our in-game performance in real time. All of a sudden, I observed that Cynthia has turned insanely competitive. Against me, in a cooperative mission, with a team of 5 against our adversities.
Huh?! What’s going on here?
With real time meter, she has turned into a committed player dishing out insane amount of damage against our common targets. I could not help but to peep onto her screen during our cooperative battle to see how I was doing in comparison. Why? Because she is tracking performance battle-by-battle while I am tracking how well we do by the sum of all battles. Her hunter beat my mage in both counters – hers and mine. And I conclude that tracking near-term targets yields a higher performance than tracking targets over a longer duration. An analogy would be if you have to clock in 40 hours of learning a year in your work, more likely so, you would defer your learning till the end of the year, which you may or may not be able to spend all that 40 hours. Setting a quarterly cumulative target would have yielded a better result.
Because we manage what we measure.
Back to last evening, I think I was the laid-back one. 4 in the morning and I was sleepy.
* * III * *
In a normal day, racing games are the least of my favorite. Because I suck so badly in this genre. Maybe I am simply not a good gamer. Maybe I am simply a laid-back gamer. I play games to experience something quite honestly speaking, if you seldom or have not played any computer game, you are missing an unique experience in life. An analogy would be you as a regular user of the Internet (which I presume you are since you are reading this) wonders what those people who have little or no exposure to the Internet would have missed. Cynthia’s mother from Indonesia was so amazed when she was with us in Singapore as she witnessed how McDonald’s breakfast can appear at our doorstep with a click of a button. That, to her, was an experience.
The game DiRT 2 comes with the video card that I have recently purchased. The delivery of the game is via STEAM – a service provider that streams games that you own into your computer via the Internet. That alone is an experience worth mentioning. Imagine no more game boxes that take up space (did I hear Cynthia cheering in the background?). OK. The download takes long. But the good thing is that you can re-download games that you own any time in the future and all the patches can be applied via the one source. Now, that is STEAM. But what about “Games for Window”?
The Microsoft initiative “Games for Window” has been around for ages. To be frank, I had no idea what difference does it make if I am to compare games that do not have “Games for Window” stickers to those that have. DiRT 2 is the first “Games for Window” game I have that saves my game progress into Microsoft gaming server, online. Combine that with STEAM, this is what the future of PC gaming should be like. As and when I upgrade my computer, all I need to do is to install STEAM, re-download my games in their latest versions, and pick up from where I have left off. No game boxes, no need to search for latest patches online, and no need to manually back up my game progress. Life is not only good, but great.
DiRT 2 is not only good, but great. One of the few games that utilizes the latest DirectX 11 graphics standard. And I have one of the few video cards today that support this new standard. Visually, the game is stunning. The dust, the water splashes, the smoke, and the day and night scenes. I suck at playing racing game. But once in a while, I am able to put up a heroic performance that involves teeth grinding overtaking moments, beautiful drifting in spacious corners, picking up from my mistake and fight back to the top of the grid. If only DiRT 2 allows us to upload our replay – which by the way, is very visually satisfying, realistically made – to YouTube for sharing, that would have been a dream comes true. For now, below is a video clip featuring Ken Block. And yes, it is that real.
* * IV * *
Computer gaming often delivers what we fantasize. It would not be a good game if it involves reading and replying emails, organizing and attending conference calls, like my real job. Space traveling is a different kind of fantasy. Unlike dragons and trolls that we know they do not exist, cars that we know exist but highly unlikely that we would be behind those wheels any time soon, anything to do with a probable future that involves space traveling has a certain charm. And that is the main reason why I enjoy playing Mass Effect. Therefore, I have decided to start all the way from the beginning even though I have lost my previous game progress when my hard disk crashed. Now, that would not be a problem had my game progress was saved online, would it? And since its sequel is due to be released early next year, in my mode of ‘laid-back-ness’, I better finish the game fast.
When Cynthia peeped at my screen one fine day, she commented that the game is like a movie, with dialogs and story development. Indeed, Mass Effect to me is like an interactive movie. An experience that is hard to describe (imagine how difficult it is to describe what Internet is and can do to those who have little exposure to the technology). Almost like directing your very own movie in your own home.
Back to the game, I have no clue how gamers can finish a game in 20 to 40 hours. I have no clue how anyone can finish any game these days. So many hours have been sunken into this game and I have yet to see the ending. That shows how laid-back I am with my gaming career.
Want to know what I am playing for? Below is the trailer of the sequel. Mouth watering. No less.
* * V * *
I reckon I can be an ambassador for PC gaming. And if you have the patience to read thus far, I have a message for you. Have a great New Year Eve celebration. Thank you for being with my site all these while and have a productive 2010, in a laid-back style.
PS. Of course, in this 2 weeks of laid-back holiday, beside computer gaming, we have also enjoyed watching the movies and dinning out. Come to think of it, just like how I spent my school holiday in London. Woot! I made it. This post has a word count of 2009!
