The Errant Signal Thread

[Multi-headed Cow]

I'd actually be recording more awful gameplay videos for shits and giggles since I have fun doing it, if my hard drive didn't get the shits. From what I could tell researching it I'd ideally want a separate drive to record the video to, since otherwise it's pretty easy for it to hammer the drive too hard and fuck up the gameplay and/or recording.

Haven't tried live streaming though. And (I think?) them there streaming webpages don't actually go directly from the host to the viewers. I think it goes host, to streaming webpage, to viewers, and automatically records saves the video when it's done. My bandwidth may, MAY be able to handle shit quality on that, definitely couldn't if I had more than one person looking at it. And not sure how the other performance impact would be. Maybe I should try it some time and see how it works.

 

[Grunker]

at least television shows put some effort into production.

If you don't think these guys do, you know very little about video editing.

 

[Metro]

 

[Grunker]

 

[Jack]

 

[evdk]

Are you LARPing TV talking heads? Bang up job, lads.

 

[Jick Magger]

 

[handup]

The reason that Lara was the way she was in the old games is that she was supposed to be an audience surrogate. She raids tombs for the same reason you do, because of fun. Why does she shoot tigers? Because tigers are an enemy in the game and you shoot enemies in games. Why is she rich? So there's a justification for her lifestyle. Why is she an adrenaline junkie? So you have a justification for all the crazy shit she does. Her personality is an extension of the gameplay. The sex symbol Lara was played up by the media and the fans.
OTOH the gameplay in the new Tomb Raider seems to be an extension of Lara Croft's story and a poor one at that too. The game feels like it's about the main character's struggles. Which would be fine, except she is boring as fuck, the enemies are banal shit boring and the only time when the game tries to make us empathize with her is in cutcenes where she gets hurt in guesome ways. It really isn't that good from neither a gameplay nor a storyfag point of view.
I like setting guys on fire, though.

 

[sea]

"But considering the last Tomb Raider played like this..."

*shot of Lara from Tomb Raider: Underworld mowing down brain-dead enemies with pistols while shrugging off gunshots*

"It's hard to complain too much."

*shot of Lara from new Tomb Raider mowing down brain-dead enemies with bow while shrugging off gunshots*

I do sort of agree with Camster's overall point, however. Not having the game mechanics back up the narrative, specifically Lara's growth in ability and complexity of mechanics, along with her character, is a pretty big mistake (but not one I'm surprised they made given the demands of modern gaming).

And to be honest, the old Tomb Raider games, while possessing some very good puzzles and platforming, were definitely clunky and awkward and narratively bankrupt. Not sure why people are upset over him calling the games out over that, although built-in to his comments is the suggestion that in 2013 a game can't be "just a game" anymore, and that's something that probably deserves a lot more discussion than Tomb Raider itself.

 

[Gozma]

The old Tomb Raider games were so fucking terrible... I feel like that must have been the first time or thereabouts that a whole successful franchise was constructed purely from advertisement and media profile. Uncharted type games are at least throwing money in your face with cutscenes and fake parkour inside the game itself instead of on the covers of mid-90s gamershit.

 

[Ermm]

Is Chronicles worth a playthrough? I played it a few times when it came out, never got around to finish it. Also, don't remember much of it. I've heard it's bad, but if it has the good kind of ''same old stuff'', then I am OK with that.

From the first four TR's, I liked TR2 the less. Sure, it was a good game, but too many uninspired locations. Like you have 3 levels at oil rig, followed by 3 levels in a sunken ship.

 

[Infinitron]

Bioshock Infinite: http://www.errantsignal.com/blog/?p=496

 

[Metro]

 

[Borelli]

Why are the first two parts goddamn it?

 

[Metro]

No need to watch this guy's take. The best analysis of the whole Bioshock series was already done years ago after the first one by a YouTube user called 'antisocialfatman' who unfortunately died (I guess he really was fat):

 

[Infinitron]

The video is about BSI. It's also just a teaser for the upcoming full analysis.

You didn't watch it, did you?

 

[Metro]

No need to watch this guy's take. The best analysis of the whole Bioshock series

Obviously not -- don't really feel like giving this guy the page hits anymore. How different can any criticisms be about this game from the first two... unless he's doing some art-fag criticism about the story, tropes, etc. At that point it's not even about gaming and about shitty C-list movies.

 

[Infinitron]

No need to watch this guy's take. The best analysis of the whole Bioshock series

Obviously not -- don't really feel like giving this guy the page hits anymore. How different can any criticisms be about this game from the first two... unless he's doing some art-fag criticism about the story, tropes, etc. At that point it's not even about gaming and about shitty C-list movies.

How could the fat guy's analysis be valid for the entire Bioshock series if he's fucking dead

Also wtf, did Campster steal your girlfriend or something? Your grudge against him is beginning to seem a bit suspicious.

 

[Metro]

He is my illegitimate brother from another mother. Question: how much has the gameplay changed from Bioshock 1 to Bioshock Infinite? And to the extent it has changed -- how much for the better?

 

[AngryEddy]

No need to watch this guy's take. The best analysis of the whole Bioshock series

Obviously not -- don't really feel like giving this guy the page hits anymore. How different can any criticisms be about this game from the first two... unless he's doing some art-fag criticism about the story, tropes, etc. At that point it's not even about gaming and about shitty C-list movies.

Also wtf, did Campster steal your girlfriend or something?

Do you owe Campster money or something? Your constant promotion of him, and other pretentious political gamers like him is a bit suspicious.


There's many reasons why someone who enjoys videogames/writing/mechanics would not like Campster and co. but we've done this song and dance before.

 

[Infinitron]

Do you owe Campster money or something? Your constant promotion of him, and other pretentious political gamers like him is a bit suspicious.

Pretentious intellectual analysis of video games? On my Codex?

 

[Metro]

Here's the thing: I don't mind analysis of games. I encourage it. What I hate is analysis of games as movies/stories. This guy started off making good videos about mechanics, the industry, etc. but has devolved into blogging like a film school dropout.

 

[Infinitron]

Here's the thing: I don't mind analysis of games. I encourage it. What I hate is analysis of games as movies/stories. This guy started off making good videos about mechanics, the industry, etc. but has devolved into blogging like a film school dropout.

Okay, that's constructive. I think I'll send him a message informing him of this.

 

[Metro]

 

[Gurkog]

The Errant Signal videos seem ok to me. Some of the arguments are based on point of view, but that is fine since he tries to clarify that viewpoint. I hope that his next video rips Bioshock:Infinite a new arsehole.