The Man in Blak

4: How is the multiplayer? 5: How many different ways can I play the game? And Halo and Bioshock were lauded for the innovations that they brought to those respective elements on the console platform.

1. Many studios use third-party engines and other middleware tools, such as Unreal/Quake/whatever or Renderware, to mitigate the complications of dealing with limitations of a given platform. Distribution and testing are still more substantive hurdles for console development, sure, but they can be overcome with the right tools and allocation of money at the outset. 2. What bearing (if any) do graphics have to do with gameplay innovation to begin with?

Uh, what?

I don't think Goldeneye's success can be solely attributed to the fact that it was the first decent console FPS. It was one of the first FPS games on any platform to offer context-sensitive hit locations, which made for a decidedly different multiplayer experience from many its FPS peers at the time. Goldeneye also emphasized stealth when many of its competitors (save for maybe Team Fortress) primarily focused on the typical run-and-gun deathmatch style, and it provided a robust single-player mode with varied objectives that actually leveraged the James Bond license in an effective manner. I'd wager that it hasn't aged well because of the first-generation 3D graphics rather than the gameplay, the latter of which is still in circulation today through the TimeSplitters series. (Try enjoying some of those early Saturn/Playstation games, if you don't believe me.) Even considering that, there's still a lot of quirky value to be had in a playthrough today (paintball, Oddjob, "Slappers Only!").

The New England Patriots: America's Team.

You'll notice that I said "arguably" there - FFX-2 is a nice counterexample and, if we were just comparing battle systems face-to-face, it would probably reign supreme as a balance of speed and strategy. (Of course, where CT loses ground in the battle system and graphics, it takes a mile in other aspects of the game.) As for CT vs. FFVI for speed, I'm not as convinced - the fact that you access all available character battle menus in CT asynchronously (and take two turns at once with combination attacks) goes a long way. No, what I'm saying is that, because the battle system is a real-time system built around speed, fleshing out the skills further would slow things down and muddle the overall execution. There aren't as many tactical options available to the player as there are any other games, but the streamlined nature of combat is an asset, especially for those gamers that usually find battles in RPGs to be tedious by default. If there's one genre where I am personally willing to be more forgiving of less gameplay complexity, it's a plot-driven genre like RPGs.

I don't know that I'd say that Locke's story was an "afterthought", though I wouldn't completely discard the idea that it's somewhat stereotypical. ("This one has a lot of regret! Let us now play the sad piano music.") However, I do feel that the reason for his angst is still strong, despite being straightforward - when many heroes in gaming are seemingly infallible, Locke is framed as somebody who was wasn't strong enough or capable enough to be the true hero, somebody who was unable to rescue Rachel when she was in peril. There is legitimate pathos in the fact that Locke can't quite let go of that part of his past (e.g. Rachel being "preserved" in Kohlingen) and the fact that we don't get the exact Happy Ending when Locke revives her much later on with the Phoenix magicite strengthens it further. Not sure what hidden cut scene you're referring to, but I'll emphasize the difference in tedium here - with a character like Shadow, who's not so intrinsically important to the game, fleshing out his story through additional effort is more like a bonus. (Compare and contrast against Square's later "bonus features" in the series, the Weapons.) If there's a cutscene that is absolutely required for the player to have a proper understanding of the plotline, isn't it a little unfair to ask them to "find" that (i.e. allow for a gameplay experience where they don't find that scene)? Ironically, I don't think you could be farther from the truth. I think people like Kefka because he was one of the first villains that actually showed some semblance of personality and wasn't just some imposing figure who simply wanted to destroy the world. I will grant that there is no fleshed out motivation for his actions but, rather than simply accepting them at face value, the game goes at length to demonstrate that, yes sir, this character is truly evil and insane. He's intentionally focused as a "one note character" because Square doesn't want any ambiguity surrounding that final battle - they want to frame that battle with the player as the ultimate good guy against the ultimate bad guy, the bad guy who's done all of these increasingly terrible things throughout the game, the bad guy that's always been just out of your grasp (the battle at Narshe, the Floating Continent). Any potential sympathy stands a chance of undermining the real catharsis of winning that final battle.

I would agree that the skill "palette" available to characters in Chrono Trigger is pretty short, even when compared to its contemporaries, and it could very well be the least impressive aspect of the game. But I think your observation may be more a matter of taste than an actual revelation of weak gameplay. The Chrono Trigger battle engine is built upon speed. It's arguably the fastest ATB system that Square ever put out there, with asynchronous battle menu cues and speedy ATB gauge charges, and I would imagine that Square kept the skill lists short to keep from slowing down the accelerated tempo behind the battles. There is still potential strategy to be had with the configuration of the party (not everybody can heal or use magic - what's the most appropriate party for the situation?) and the actual timing aspects of the combination attacks (can I afford to really wait around for Crono and Frog to free up for an X-Strike?). Does Chrono Trigger offer as much strategical depth as, say, Final Fantasy X? No, I wouldn't say so. But the battle engine moves much faster with more "action" taking place, which has a very distinctive appeal, particularly to those gamers that are not especially fond of the RPG genre. Whereas other entries in the genre are comparable to a sonata with complex structure and movements, Chrono Trigger comes in as a tightly wound pop song: short, but uncompromisingly sweet.

BTW, since a laptop problem gobbled up my response to your post where you mentioned that FFVI's plotline was too straightforward and "archetypal" and that Kefka was as one-dimensional of a villain as you've ever seen, let me see if I can recreate my response. I whole heartedly disagree with you and, in fact, I'd say that FFVI is one of the more effective games at using nuance and implication to further their storyline. The background behind Edgar's ascension to the throne is not immediately played out; the vignette that details the coin toss is played on the second time around through Figaro (and only if you have Edgar and Sabin in the part). Furthermore, the real hook behind that storyline and a revelation behind Edgar's character - the fact that he used a two-headed coin for the toss - is implied later on when Edgar tricks Setzer into joining the party. The same approach is used for Locke's backstory - Locke is the second character that we meet in the game and his obsessive desire to protect Terra (and, later on, Celes) doesn't make much sense to us until we poke around in Kohlingen and discover his past with Rachel. Some of the most intriguing stuff behind the FFVI plotline doesn't even come up through the normal playthrough. Intrepid players had to spend what seemed like hours sleeping in the Jidoor Inn to try and unlock Shadow's nightmares, which detailed his abandonment of Baram. The Shadow/Relm connection isn't even explicitly noted through any vignettes - you may not even pick up on it unless you start fooling around with the Memento Ring and start considering some different things from his nightmares. (Nevermind the fact that you may not even have Shadow for the entirety of the World of Ruin if you leave the Floating Continent too quickly.) On a quick initial playthrough, Shadow can seem like a really cool, but ultimately disposable character...but he actually ends up being one of the more intriguing and tragic figures in the series when you finally take all of his history into account. As for Kefka, he's actually remarkable in the sense that, while he is undoubtedly evil, it's the extent of his madness that grows throughout the storyline, turning him from an obnoxious general into the ruler of a ruined world. His direct influence isn't simply distanced from the player until the end of the game but, rather, demonstrated through scheming and despicable acts that grow all the more deplorable as the game progresses. His genocidal poisoning of Doma ranks up there as one of the more unforgivable acts in FF history, and the repercussions of his murder of Emperor Gestahl and subsequent control over the statues are permanent - Kefka causes a real apocalypse in the world, which you have to sort through in the latter half of the game. There are no attempts made to try and humanize him and, frankly, they're unnecessary and would only serve to weaken the mania that drives his villainy. But that's not to say that his personality is left unrealized - Kefka utters some of the more hilarious lines that have been scripted in the genre (e.g. calling all of the characters "chapters from a self-help booklet" before the final battle). Taking all of that into one character and you have the best villain in the series and one of the stronger and most entertaining antagonists out there in the gaming landscape.

Well, I sincerely apologize if I missed the previous discussion. Would you mind linking me and the rest of the population who hasn't dedicated their lives to charting your every whim on TheSmartMarks.com to those clear and objective issues with Chrono Trigger, so that we may better understand your position? Here's to hoping that these observations that you so kindly mentioned earlier further explain how you could feel that a game that offers a fast-paced variant on the ATB battle system, combination attacks (which may have very well been a first), multiple endings through New Game+ (most definitely a first), and an actual non-brain-warping attempt at offering time travel comes in as "shallow." Well, then you're just not imagining hard enough. I wouldn't contend that Chrono Trigger is the best RPG of all-time, nor would I even hold the position that it is even Square's best release, but you would be hard pressed to find a stronger mixture of gameplay, graphics, sound, character design and storyline in one game, in my opinion. It easily grades out as "elite" in a genre that is absolutely stagnant from an unyielding flood of derivation, angst, and/or plucky young amnesiacs searching for adventure and/or love.

I've wasted more than enough time making long, drawn out arguments around this place, years before you even joined the community, so feel free to imagine somebody laughing hysterically in the background at your "superiority" whenever you read my responses. And I might add, even though you edited it out of your original post, disagreeing with somebody's opinion doesn't make it without merit. If your perception were as strong and as sharp as your own narcissistic banality, you might come to the startling realization that the sarcastic comments from "random idiots" are delivered with the same intent as your own; perhaps nobody thinks its worth responding with any comment at length to such a fucking ridiculous claim like "Chrono Trigger isn't an elite RPG".

No, actually, I think the burden of proof is on you, since you're the one with the dissenting opinion. I realize that you might not be as motivated to attempt actual discourse without Venkman swimming around, sprinkling Schrute bucks and other doubtlessly-hilarious inside snickers throughout the conversation but, believe it or not, somebody might have been interested to hear an actual explanation behind your position, rather than casual and ultimately lazy dismissal.

Unless, of course, you have a rational argument to support your implication that one of the Sony-era FFs is the best in the series. If that's the case, then you may fire when ready, sir.

Stones, glass house, etc.

The St. Louis farm system has a poor reputation from the earlier years in Jocketty's tenure, but the last few drafts for the Cardinals (w/Jeff Luhnow) haven't been too bad. Colby Rasmus, Chris Perez, Brian Anderson, Adam Ottavino, PJ Walters, and Tyler Herron all look like solid prospects at this point, with Rasmus and Perez likely having an impact on the big league club next season.

I think the take at Viva El Birdos is dead on: Ankiel needs to directly respond to these accusations as soon as possible. If he freely admits that he took HGH by prescription to recover from injury during his pitching days and that his usage stopped before the substance was banned by baseball in 2005, then he may have a chance at getting the benefit of the doubt; Ankiel has always had remarkable power potential, even as a pitcher, and cycling off of HGH in 2004 wouldn't likely have any impact on his current performance today. However, if he waffles or if the Cardinals step in (as they seemingly always have with Ankiel) and shield him from the media...well, then he's going to get fucked. And the fans will have every right to be suspicious of his current performance.

Dave Dymond's Deep Purple dissertation: http://www.thepitftw.com/index.php?showtopic=2157

It's looking like Rolen will be out for the season. I'm not really as concerned for 2007, because we wouldn't have even been in this position if the Brewers hadn't been trying so desperately to hand us the division. The real issue is Rolen's career and the Cardinals' long term plans going forward; this guy was on pace to the Hall of Fame before his shoulder ran into Hee Seop Choi's fat ass. The Cardinals had committed a lot of money over a long period of time to him and they don't really have any kind of organizational depth (Brian Barden?) to backfill this position. Brendan Ryan, a career second basemen, looks to be locked into the hot corner for the remainder of the year, unless Spiezio can make some kind of miracle recovery or manic escape from drug rehab. Maybe he can wear a fake mustache in the dugout like Bobby Valentine. (As long as it's not red.)

Jamie Foxx chimes in on the Vick case.

Locking the camera in line with the crosshair might cause vertigo for those players who can't keep their hands perfectly still. Of course, there's tuning that could be done in that case with the Wiimote sensitivity, but that's the only reason I can think of, right off hand.

I normally don't buy into locker room politics, but slotting your rookie QB as your week one starter after a holdout might send a poor message to your team. The Browns aren't in position to compete for anything this season, so why not wait until after Week 6 to name Quinn, let him and the team have the whole bye week to take reps, and then set him up to succeed against a lousy St. Louis pass defense in Week 8?

That's because Vick will be in jail by then and, as the saying goes, "out of sight, out of mind." I don't doubt that the 24x7 media that we suffer with today will find some new atrocity to rail upon at that time, but don't tell me that you wouldn't expect some of that outrage to return if Vick were to make a comeback years from now. There is a very loud section of fans out there who will continue to think that Vick's actions were despicable; they won't pay tickets to see him, and they won't buy merchandise. Different sport and, frankly, different expectations around their athletes. And, considering the state and perception of boxing right now, I'm not sure if its the strongest example for intelligent management and PR in sports. Different regime. Roger Goodell realizes (and is, perhaps, obsessed with the idea) that the NFL has to protect its image as a league, as a legitimate sporting association. Little makes for a poor and potentially irrelevant precedent, considering the suspensions that have been dealt out to Pac-Man Jones, Chris Henry, Tank Johnson, etc. I wouldn't be surprised if somebody gives him a chance - the sports world is rife with second, third, and even fourth chances - but his jail sentence and suspension (whatever it ends up being) will do a lot to hinder his ability on the field. He'll likely be able to stay in shape, but he'll have lost a valuable year or more of reading NFL defenses and making throws under NFL coverage. Expecting him to have the same impact as a quarterback on a potential comeback in the future is a real stretch.

Not to completely discount the possibility of injury, but last year's K/BB ratio is hardly dominating (especially considering that he worked over 200 innings) and he outperformed his career ERA by over a run. Why couldn't last year be a fluke, especially given his track record leading up to it?

"Dress Up in You" by a country mile, personally, but I come back to "White Collar Boy" and "Act of the Apostle" frequently. I agree with Czech, though - the second half of the album is a bit weaker than the stellar stuff up front.

Yeah, so McDonalds and a couple of other sponsors dumped their endorsement contracts with Kobe for the hell of it, right? I'm not going to contend that the media's reporting of Iverson's domestic dispute was flawless, but the man was busted for marijuana and for carrying a concealed weapon. He's hardly a saint. You seem to be incapable of discerning the different contexts behind each of these events. Michael Jordan punching a teammate in the middle of a practice isn't even in the same league as having one of the most famous stars in the NFL getting raided by federal investigators for an illegal dogfighting conspiracy. Peyton Manning mooning some girl in college is not going to have as much impact on the newswire as a Pro Bowl franchise quarterback getting dragged into court on federal charges. For you to throw those incidents out there as counterexamples for how Michael Vick should be treated in this case is really naive, if not completely and altogether ignorant of reality. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...001&sc=1000