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Ross (3284 KP) rated Awaken Online: Catharsis in Books
Jan 4, 2019
Bloody loved it
Catharsis takes the ideas of LitRPG (see Ready Player One for the best known but lowest explored potential example) and goes to town on it, really showing how open such an online world would be to be exploited.
Jason has always been fairly downtrodden in his high-achieving school and is neglected by his parents. One day, Falling Down-style, events transpire to make him snap and shout at his teacher and headmaster, and is expelled. He rushed home and immerses himself in the brand new online world of AO (Awaken Online).
As with Euphora Online (Phil Tucker), AO has been designed with the help of AI to try and maximise the time gamers would want to spend in the game. We are treated to flashbacks by the developers/testers who are seeing the changes the AI is making to the game's code and are trying to assess whether it remains safe for release.
Jason starts the game from scratch but due to an unusual reaction to an initial test is aligned to evil, and is therefore treated with suspicion by the in-game characters meant to help him train and become familiar with his new surroundings. This begins the chain of events that lead Jason to the path of in-game evil, in true Walter White style as one slightly dubious decision after another sees him become embroiled in some very nasty events.
Over the course of the game, Jason is honest with himself and knows what he's doing is bad but hey its just a game, why not have some fun with it. And he does. As his power grows, so does the nastiness of his actions and he soon becomes very powerful in certain ways (but thankfully more strategically and directing the action than suddenly becoming a battle master or he-man).
The world around Jason develops as he does, and his actions truly start to shape his game experience, and that of other people. I can't really go into much more detail without dropping spoilers but there are some absolutely fantastic sequences.
The game supposedly uses time compression so that an hour in the real world will feel like 3 or 4 hours in the game. My one gripe with the book is that when the game developers notice Jason's unprecedented progress through the game they begin to watch his actions and this seems to be real-time - there is no real attempt to explain how they can watch it as it unfolds (or the fact that what they are seeing will have happened quite some time before and events will have continued from there).
This book has more interaction between Jason's real life and in-game life than Euphoria Online did, which helps to explain his motivation for decisions. His real life troubles and requirements drive his desires in-game.
As usual, there is the evil AI/conspiracy aspect to the world, but this doesn't yet feel quite as big a deal as in other books, but I think that is the groundwork laid for the next two books (plus two side-quests).
I heartily recommend this book, but readers should not expect something like Ready Player one, much more like D&D or The Witcher style gaming.
Jason has always been fairly downtrodden in his high-achieving school and is neglected by his parents. One day, Falling Down-style, events transpire to make him snap and shout at his teacher and headmaster, and is expelled. He rushed home and immerses himself in the brand new online world of AO (Awaken Online).
As with Euphora Online (Phil Tucker), AO has been designed with the help of AI to try and maximise the time gamers would want to spend in the game. We are treated to flashbacks by the developers/testers who are seeing the changes the AI is making to the game's code and are trying to assess whether it remains safe for release.
Jason starts the game from scratch but due to an unusual reaction to an initial test is aligned to evil, and is therefore treated with suspicion by the in-game characters meant to help him train and become familiar with his new surroundings. This begins the chain of events that lead Jason to the path of in-game evil, in true Walter White style as one slightly dubious decision after another sees him become embroiled in some very nasty events.
Over the course of the game, Jason is honest with himself and knows what he's doing is bad but hey its just a game, why not have some fun with it. And he does. As his power grows, so does the nastiness of his actions and he soon becomes very powerful in certain ways (but thankfully more strategically and directing the action than suddenly becoming a battle master or he-man).
The world around Jason develops as he does, and his actions truly start to shape his game experience, and that of other people. I can't really go into much more detail without dropping spoilers but there are some absolutely fantastic sequences.
The game supposedly uses time compression so that an hour in the real world will feel like 3 or 4 hours in the game. My one gripe with the book is that when the game developers notice Jason's unprecedented progress through the game they begin to watch his actions and this seems to be real-time - there is no real attempt to explain how they can watch it as it unfolds (or the fact that what they are seeing will have happened quite some time before and events will have continued from there).
This book has more interaction between Jason's real life and in-game life than Euphoria Online did, which helps to explain his motivation for decisions. His real life troubles and requirements drive his desires in-game.
As usual, there is the evil AI/conspiracy aspect to the world, but this doesn't yet feel quite as big a deal as in other books, but I think that is the groundwork laid for the next two books (plus two side-quests).
I heartily recommend this book, but readers should not expect something like Ready Player one, much more like D&D or The Witcher style gaming.
The Last Night
6.0
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Humans first knew the era of survival. Then they knew the era of work. Now they live in the era of...
adventure
Darren (1599 KP) rated The Island at the Top of the World (1974) in Movies
Sep 13, 2019
Characters – Professor Ivarsson is an expert on culture and language, he is almost forced into going on this expedition, where he gets to show off all the skills he has, while being wowed by the new location they find. Sir Anthony Ross has put together the expedition in hopes of finding his son, who has been missing for two years. He has always used his position of power and money to get what he wants and must learn to let his son live his own life. Captain Brieux is the captain of the zeppelin, he might have his own style which does clash with Anthony’s but he will take the risks others would consider. Oomiak is a local guide that is known as the most fearless in the land, he is the generic local figure that understands weak English.
Performances – The performances for the most part do feel very British, while that might be what the film was targeting, it does have a lot of, the idea that these people are better than anyone else, Donald Sinden is the highlight of this because he will get laughs from just how over the top he actually is in the performance. David Hartman doesn’t show that much charisma which might have made his character more interesting. Jacques Marin get laughs with his role, while Mako gets the laughs, he is capable of something much more entertaining.
Story – The story here follows four explorers that go in search of a mysterious island in the Artic, this will take people from different backgrounds to an unknown location with an unknown threat which they must survive. The story does feel like it is just another version of ‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’ or ‘The Lost World’ which can be entertaining to watch, but they aren’t the most challenging of films to watch once you have seen a few. This story does feel tamer, while trying to bring a more realistic balance with the threat being Vikings, which could work with the number of tribes around the world that don’t want human contact. The story does rely on how the visuals of the settings look with most of the running scenes which just takes more away from the story’s impact on us.
Adventure/Fantasy/Sci-Fi – The adventure side of the film is searching for a new world, this is always going to be appealing and once we see the new world, we are left with our jaw dropped at how beautiful it is. The fantasy sci-fi elements mix together as they show how a community of people could have survived in an isolated location away from the world for so long.
Settings – The film does rely heavily on the settings which do look wonderful, we have the open ice location before we hit the land which is a thing of beauty, even if certain parts involving peril could have looked even more threatening.
Scene of the Movie – The escape.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The dated special effects.
Final Thoughts – This is one of the most British attempts at a brand-new adventure idea, it is filled with stunning locations which only end up leaving us feeling like we have seen this all before.
Overall: The Brits will lead the way.
Performances – The performances for the most part do feel very British, while that might be what the film was targeting, it does have a lot of, the idea that these people are better than anyone else, Donald Sinden is the highlight of this because he will get laughs from just how over the top he actually is in the performance. David Hartman doesn’t show that much charisma which might have made his character more interesting. Jacques Marin get laughs with his role, while Mako gets the laughs, he is capable of something much more entertaining.
Story – The story here follows four explorers that go in search of a mysterious island in the Artic, this will take people from different backgrounds to an unknown location with an unknown threat which they must survive. The story does feel like it is just another version of ‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’ or ‘The Lost World’ which can be entertaining to watch, but they aren’t the most challenging of films to watch once you have seen a few. This story does feel tamer, while trying to bring a more realistic balance with the threat being Vikings, which could work with the number of tribes around the world that don’t want human contact. The story does rely on how the visuals of the settings look with most of the running scenes which just takes more away from the story’s impact on us.
Adventure/Fantasy/Sci-Fi – The adventure side of the film is searching for a new world, this is always going to be appealing and once we see the new world, we are left with our jaw dropped at how beautiful it is. The fantasy sci-fi elements mix together as they show how a community of people could have survived in an isolated location away from the world for so long.
Settings – The film does rely heavily on the settings which do look wonderful, we have the open ice location before we hit the land which is a thing of beauty, even if certain parts involving peril could have looked even more threatening.
Scene of the Movie – The escape.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The dated special effects.
Final Thoughts – This is one of the most British attempts at a brand-new adventure idea, it is filled with stunning locations which only end up leaving us feeling like we have seen this all before.
Overall: The Brits will lead the way.
Zombies Everywhere! Augmented Reality Apocalypse (Halloween Edition)
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Fight zombies in the REAL WORLD with your iPhone! You wont believe your eyes! How long can you...
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FANTASY ADVENTURE IN A BEAUTIFUL OPEN WORLD WILDERNESS Run, swim and fly through glistening...
Pocket Earth PRO Offline Maps & Travel Guides
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• Detailed worldwide maps and travel guides • Works completely offline even with GPS • Great...
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Wolfhound Century in Books
Apr 27, 2018
When I first started reading (well, listening) to this book, I got a little confused and disoriented. There were a lot of names and places that, although they were English, they weren’t words or names that I knew, so I had trouble keeping track of what was going on. Part of the problem was I listened to a chapter here, a chapter there. So I put it aside, listened to something else, and went back to it later when I had hours upon hours to invest into it.
Boy am I glad I listened to this story.
I cannot describe to you how beautiful this story was. It was exciting and nerve wracking and terrifying. It was totally new and different and unique from anything else I’ve ever read. It had a love story, but it was an epic love story, not a romance as defined by the modern-day genre. It was sweet and beautiful and enthralling. It’s fantasy, but it’s not “elves and dwarves and fairies” fantasy… it’s fantastical and imaginary and connected with nature, but there aren’t warlocks. Higgins has his own set of creatures, his own city and country, his own history, his own world, and I loved it (though I didn’t want to live there. Read the summary, you wouldn’t either). On top of that, the writing was descriptive and concrete, and I felt like I was a part of the world. I felt like I was Lom an Marucia and Raku (I have no idea how to spell their names because I listened to the audio). I seriously didn’t want it to end.
Man, it’s been a good year for audiobooks! Guys, get this one asap. Give it thirty minutes of your time, and you’ll be sucked in.
Neil Dickson, the narrator, was also wonderful. He’s done a few other audiobooks, including the dramatized edition of The Importance of Being Earnest, and James Patterson’s The Jester. I’m definitely going to keep my eyes open for other work he does.
Content/Recommendation: Some violence, darker themes. Ages 16+
Boy am I glad I listened to this story.
I cannot describe to you how beautiful this story was. It was exciting and nerve wracking and terrifying. It was totally new and different and unique from anything else I’ve ever read. It had a love story, but it was an epic love story, not a romance as defined by the modern-day genre. It was sweet and beautiful and enthralling. It’s fantasy, but it’s not “elves and dwarves and fairies” fantasy… it’s fantastical and imaginary and connected with nature, but there aren’t warlocks. Higgins has his own set of creatures, his own city and country, his own history, his own world, and I loved it (though I didn’t want to live there. Read the summary, you wouldn’t either). On top of that, the writing was descriptive and concrete, and I felt like I was a part of the world. I felt like I was Lom an Marucia and Raku (I have no idea how to spell their names because I listened to the audio). I seriously didn’t want it to end.
Man, it’s been a good year for audiobooks! Guys, get this one asap. Give it thirty minutes of your time, and you’ll be sucked in.
Neil Dickson, the narrator, was also wonderful. He’s done a few other audiobooks, including the dramatized edition of The Importance of Being Earnest, and James Patterson’s The Jester. I’m definitely going to keep my eyes open for other work he does.
Content/Recommendation: Some violence, darker themes. Ages 16+
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! in Video Games
Nov 7, 2019
I, like many people my age, spent a good chunk of their childhood playing through Pokémon Blue and Red on the Nintendo Game Boy, and then not long after, Pokémon Yellow.
These games took the world by storm and it was easy to see the way. An top down adventure game, with light RPG elements, and the satisfaction of collecting different creatures, whilst the games tag line urged you to 'catch 'em all', it was a set of games that were enjoyed by adults and children alike.
All these years later, Pokémon Yellow has been given a new lick of paint, and re released as Let's Go Pikachu (or Eevee if you prefer).
It's the same in nearly everyway, just with modern graphics, and it's just great.
Firstly, seeing all of these beloved characters in full shiny 3D graphics is pretty special.
The game retains all of the simple camera angles and vibrant colour palette, and it really works.
The game mechanics are identical as well. It's a simple game to get used to, and one that takes a lot longer to master.
The music is also given update, but all the classic score is intact. This 'if it ain't broke' approach that has been applied works wonders, much like the recent Crash Bandicoot and Spyro re releases.
The Nintendo Switch format allows the player to dock the console, meaning that you can play Let's Go through a TV and turns the controller into a Wii style remote, enabling you to 'throw' Pokéballs if that's your style, or you can opt for a classic handheld approach.
Another feature allows you to import Pokémon from the Pokémon Go app, which is a nice touch
With games like Breath of the Wild showing off just what the Switch can do in terms of huge beautiful looking maps, im longing for a proper open world Pokémon game at some point, but Let's Go is a nostalgia filled and fun stop gap that will steal hours and hours of your time.
These games took the world by storm and it was easy to see the way. An top down adventure game, with light RPG elements, and the satisfaction of collecting different creatures, whilst the games tag line urged you to 'catch 'em all', it was a set of games that were enjoyed by adults and children alike.
All these years later, Pokémon Yellow has been given a new lick of paint, and re released as Let's Go Pikachu (or Eevee if you prefer).
It's the same in nearly everyway, just with modern graphics, and it's just great.
Firstly, seeing all of these beloved characters in full shiny 3D graphics is pretty special.
The game retains all of the simple camera angles and vibrant colour palette, and it really works.
The game mechanics are identical as well. It's a simple game to get used to, and one that takes a lot longer to master.
The music is also given update, but all the classic score is intact. This 'if it ain't broke' approach that has been applied works wonders, much like the recent Crash Bandicoot and Spyro re releases.
The Nintendo Switch format allows the player to dock the console, meaning that you can play Let's Go through a TV and turns the controller into a Wii style remote, enabling you to 'throw' Pokéballs if that's your style, or you can opt for a classic handheld approach.
Another feature allows you to import Pokémon from the Pokémon Go app, which is a nice touch
With games like Breath of the Wild showing off just what the Switch can do in terms of huge beautiful looking maps, im longing for a proper open world Pokémon game at some point, but Let's Go is a nostalgia filled and fun stop gap that will steal hours and hours of your time.
Pterodactly Multiplayer
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Your requests have been answered - Pterodactyl Multiplayer is here! ** Includes Live Chat ** Also...
Dr. Panda Veggie Garden
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**A Parents’ Choice Recommended Award Winner!** Plow, plant, water and harvest in Dr. Panda Veggie...