Captain's Log: Nebula blues

Captain’s Log 03.04.2114

With the rebel fleet appearing on the edge of our sensors we jumped from the sector. The crew wanted to travel next to the safer civilian sector. But me, in my wisdom, thought it would be better to head into the uncharted nebula. We would be harder to find in the system damaging gases. Wait, maybe… no, I’m totally doing the right thing.

Safe route or dangerous route. Safe route or dangerous route.
I think dangerous, that makes sense.

Dear DayZ: Stalked by murderers

Dear Murderous Bastards,

You are bastards, I hate you. Having finally managed to escape the well-trodden coast of Chernarus me and Neil headed inland. It had taken not an insignificant amount of time to avoid the rampant zombies and stave off the threats of hunger and dehydration. We had learnt a lot and made many mistakes but we had finally begun to make some progress.

At one point we stupidly thought this was 'tooled up'.

We were still very new to this place but had found a factory and discovered fire axes, the first effective weapon we had come across. Then as Neil had turned a corner there it was, a shotgun. It was glorious. We had a gun, we were invincible we could survive anything, we believed. That confidence was short lived. When testing my new axe, swinging it enthusiastically around my head, I accidentally buried it in Neil’s temple. He crumpled to the ground. Why am I telling you two murdering bastards all this? Because I want you to know the pain you caused.

A Betrayal of Pride: Why this game?

I have played better games of NP, more fun, more betrayal, more fighting. For example during one game I befriended another player who was falling quickly behind. I helped them expand and become a potential threat to the other players and together we agreed we would go for a joint victory, with me winning and her coming second. It came down to the wire with us co-ordinating our attacks so that she had just enough systems to steal second place. Our opposition were fantastic, sticking it out to the very end, even though it was obvious I was going to win! They fought us every step of the way, and eventually just outwitted us. My ally missed out on second place by one hour. Our opponent had recognised what we were trying to do and sneakily sent a counter attack at my rear systems, timing it just right. It was a fantastic game and one of the best I have played.

The future really is Orange...

So why did I choose to talk about this game instead? Well… for a few reasons.

Captain's Log: So lonely...

Captains Log 25.03.2114

So it turns out these faster than light drive things need fuel. Who knew that? I'm starting to think my Captain's training wasn't all that useful. All we did was complete trust exercises and make tall towers out of paper. Apparently it was 'team building' but I haven't found a single situation where I can utilise my natural ability to role an egg down some guttering without it breaking.

I'm sure I filled up at the last planetoid...

We’ve been drifting in space a while now, waiting for rescue. All we have to eat is a tin of dog food and a pot noodle. For entertainment we have a deck of Happy Families, a game of scrabble missing all the ‘e’ tiles and a copy of ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ with all the naughty bits ripped out. Obviously we are getting on each other’s nerves and tensions are boiling over. At first the crew were pissed with me, they thought it was my fault we ran out of fuel. I quickly put them right though and let them know that I had given Nelis the task of fuel management. Well the guy never speaks anyway, and the crew hate him already so he may as well get the blame.

ODE to DayZ: The trials of Gerald

Gerald finds himself alone

His belly rumbling with hunger,

The apocalypse has taken hold,

The old world exists no longer.

His throat is parched and cracked,

And he is suffering from thirst.

He decides it is the pressing need

So he looks for water first.

But before he can find a single well

Or even a little drop of hydration,

He gets lost in the expansive forests

And he dies of dehydration.

Gerald wakes to the sound of crashing waves

And groaning zombies in his ear

And he realises to survive this hell,

He will have to find some decent gear

A Betrayal of Pride: The tyranny of orange

In hindsight there was a chance, when Orange had moved his ships to the frontline, when I could and should have attacked. But I couldn’t, it had no longer been about winning. When faced with honest decent players I found I could not betray them, even though they were faceless opponents. So I didn’t do anything, and in doing that betrayed them both anyway. In an effort to find contrition I sent both the following message.

My large fleets sit motionless, I don't even summon the
energy to move them out of sensor range.

Hi Both,

I feel bad. I would like to thank you for a great game. You are really good opponents and you both stick to your word.

So much so that I actually formulated a plan to try and win, and then bottled it in the end because I couldn't carry it out. I told you both I was going to go to war with the other. I then intended to attack the person who was winning, which was most likely to be [Orange]. It was a long shot but the only real way to win.

My Top 5 Favourite Games of all Time... Ever!

I read a lot! Like all the time, I always have a book on the go. However I very rarely read a book more than once. Only those that I truly love have I gone back to enjoy for a second time. Master and Commander, Northern Lights, Pride and Prejudice, these great novels I have... what was that? Yes, of course Pride and Predjudice, it is a amazing so shut up! These greats I have read many times. It is the same with games, only those I truly love will I give a second run through and those rare treasures are below. I may have mentioned them once or twice in the past.

5. Freelancer.

I don't know what it is about freelancer. Jennifer Hale helps, but otherwise the story is fairly standard sci-fi, the combat most simplistic and arcadey, the world open but ultimately empty. Something keeps pulling me back though. Once you have completed the story you are free to roam at will but other than the collection of more and more wealth there is little to do. Pretty soon the waffer thin effect of a living world crumbles away. Despite it all though, it just works. It is accessible and enjoyable and you are given the opportunities to do what you want! Every time I play as a smuggler, dodging police patrols to supply drugs to the wealthy youth in liberty space. I think I like the game because I can make that choice, and actually succeed. I have played X3, but I would never survive as a pirate or smuggler in that game, it is just too vast needing such an investment of time that it intimidates me. But with Freelancer I know I can sit down and enjoy it right from the first flash of laser fire, and have fun.