Tag Archives: gaming

HeroClix & Fashion

May 3, 2012 Robin Leave a comment

For me, shopping for clothing and shopping for Clix are very similar. While it may be strange to think of shopping for Clix in the same mindset as shopping for fashion, I think the two worlds have a lot in common. For one thing, the tournament world is a lot like the runways!

As a Clix player, I often use nearly identical guidelines to trading and buying Clix as I do in buying clothing and accessories. Spending Clix “points” in building a team is, of course, not the same as spending real-world money to put together an outfit, but the result is often the same: a strong whole made up of many parts, a set of pieces that run well together.

The following 3 tips are geared toward building stronger teams and gathering more functional pieces for your collection…with fashion metaphors illustrating. Hear me out–this is actually a fairly apt connection!

Clix & Fashion Tip #1: The Cheaper Points It Is, The Better

There’s a reason I chiefly shop clearance racks and discount stores when shopping for fashion–I’m looking for the kind of fashion I want at the lowest prices. I don’t care about following the “latest trends” or having an outfit that has a big brand name stamped all over it. Instead, I prefer to have cheaper clothing that will still look good while combined with my existing collection’s pieces.

Case in point: I went to a discount store about a year ago and found a short-sleeved black shrug (like a shortened sweater or coat) for about $10. It went with just about every nice sleeveless top and dress I owned, so I bought it. A few months later, I spotted a similar black shrug being sold for $50 at a department store–I just chuckled and walked by.

I look at Clix the same way–I select pieces based on their point value as much as their abilities. Why spend 50 points on a Probability Control piece, when I have a perfectly good Rookie Destiny that’s 20 points? Anywhere you can save points can help you have more points left over to select other pieces.

This is why I have an assortment of Paramedics (8, 10, and 12 points, respectively) and Destinies (20, 23, and 26 points), just like I have an assortment of cheap tank tops and shrugs–they are cheap but efficient ways to upgrade my selected team (or my selected outfit).

Clix & Fashion Tip #2: Spend the Points on Long-Term Usage, Not Short-Term Trends

Every season the fashion world comes out with flashy, fragile pieces that don’t seem to be appropriate for any event, not even on a Las Vegas stage. Mostly, I ignore these and choose more wearable, neutral or modest pieces that are made of better material and will last longer.

Case in point: I shopped at a shoe store with a friend about two years ago and had a choice between a couple of pairs of ballet flats (they look like ballet slippers but have a stronger sole). One pair was bright, bright red and shiny, the other a pale, less shiny gold-tone with a small bow on the top. Because the red pair felt more constrictive on my feet, I chose the gold pair (even though they were a little more expensive), while my friend picked the red pair.

Though I wear my pale gold ballet flats for a lot of different events (from formal weddings all the way down to a trip to Walmart if I feel like), my friend ended up not really sure where or when to wear her bright-red flats after a while. They seemed too loud for everyday wear, but didn’t really go with anything besides a dress of the same color, or with a couple neutral pieces. They were awesome shoes, but once the trend faded…well, they had lost some of their patent-leather luster.

Similarly, I evaluate Clix for long-term quality rather than just cheap flashes in the pan. The new hot pieces in Clix tournaments do not interest me unless I see that they are truly quality pieces that would fit well in my collection. If the trendy new piece is only good in certain situations (just like the red ballet flats are only wearable with certain other colors), then why spend the points on them, when I can use a piece that serves its function better and maybe even multitasks in battle?

Clix & Fashion Tip #3: Sometimes You Just Have to Grin and Bear a Higher Point Cost

Occasionally, to get the correct fit, right color, and long-wearing fabric, you have to pay a little more than you’d like to otherwise. Such is shopping for quality pieces!

I’m reminded of the suit jacket I ended up having to buy at a specialty store, because of my broad shoulders and rather well-endowed chest. Though the jacket ended up being nearly 90 bucks, I have since been able to wear it to job interviews, workplaces, nice dinner events, and lots of other dressy places for the last five years. It’s served me well and shows no signs of wear like a cheaper jacket would have by now.

The same thing happens in Clix sometimes; you end up liking a piece but have a hard time fitting it into your teams because it’s just a wee bit too expensive in terms of point cost. But if it’s a worthwhile piece and would make your team a lot more potent in battle, it may be worth trimming down point costs on your other pieces to be able to fit that expensive-but-worthy piece in.

For instance, I would rather invest the 95 points in Saint Walker, for instance, than to spend a total of 92 points on 1 Rookie Destiny, 2 Experienced Destinies, and 1 LE Destiny. Reason? I know that Saint Walker can stand up to more pain in battle, and has both his Prob-like Trait as well as natural Prob. As much as I love playing Destiny, I know that if she’s hit with 4 damage, she’s gone, leaving me with one less Probber. Though that huge 95-point investment on a single figure hits me right in the gut, I know it will pay off in the long term.

Summary

Though this might be a funny way to think about building up your Clix collection and constructing teams, it’s an interesting and playful connection. Who knows, with these tips, your own teams might be walking the runways at your next tournament!

Thursday in the Zone

Where Can Magic: the Gathering Go from Here?

April 26, 2012 Robin 1 Comment

Looking at all the various and disparate worlds and planes Magic: the Gathering has visited since 1993, from today’s Innistrad and Zendikar to yesterday’s Ulgrotha and Dominaria, it’s quite a body of work. So many different settings, so many different moods (idyllic to demonic and everything in between)…

It makes me wonder, as a longtime Magic player, where the game can travel to next. It seems like MTG has innovated so much in its fantasy worlds that coming up with a new realm/plane seems very difficult.

Magic’s Fantasy Planes Thus Far

Dominaria – Time Spiral, Weatherlight, Onslaught, Odyssey, & Ice Age blocks; Fallen Empires set

Dominaria is one of the most oft-visited planes in Magic, having been featured in many sets over the years. It’s kind of a “home base” for Magic, full of many forms of recognizable fantasy flora, fauna, and humanoids.

Ulgrotha – Homelands set

Only visited one time in all of M:TG history (thus far), the hopelessly rural and isolated Ulgrotha serves as the backdrop for one of Magic’s most player-hated sets, Homelands.

Rath – Tempest block, Nemesis set

Built as a base for Dominaria’s enemy Phyrexian armies to build up, Rath has a gritty black/red feel to it, almost like a seedy Dominarian underground.

Mirrodin – Mirrodin block, Scars of Mirrodin block

As the setting for both the idyllic “artifact industrial revolution” of the original Mirrodin block, and the apocalyptic “demonic artifact takeover” of the Scars of Mirrodin block, the plane of Mirrodin has hosted practically the whole emotional gamut of hope and despair.

Ravnica – Ravnica block

Made up of 10 guilds within a huge city, Ravnica was the setting for the tussle between various two-color alliances (and lots of inter-mana politics!). Last visited in 2006, it’s rumored to be on the menu for later this year as well.

Alara – Alara block

Broken beyond recognition, Alara first appears as a fairly low-fantasy plane shattered into five pieces, each piece missing two mana colors, thus paving the way for tri-color decks galore. The plane gets re-unified over the course of the Alara block, and all spells become multicolored as a result.

Zendikar – Zendikar block

This plane is an oddity, a techno-fantasy landscape dotted with Hedrons (basically, big ole geometrically-perfect rocks). While “normal” fantasy beings live on Zendikar, it seems like another planet, too–almost like a Mars fantasy, almost but not quite Earth-like.

Innistrad – Innistrad block

If you love horror, Innistrad certainly has it in droves, with all sorts of high-fantasy, terrifying creatures brought to life. Not only that, but a grand conflict of good vs. evil tinges the whole plane–with evil much more represented than good.

M:TG Sets Based on Real Places

Not only has Magic explored lots of fantasy planes, but they’ve also visited fantasy versions of real Earth regions, such as:

Fantasy Africa (Mirage block)
Fantasy Middle East (Arabian Nights set)
Fantasy China (Portal: Three Kingdoms set)
Fantasy British Isles (Lorwyn & Shadowmoor blocks)
Fantasy Japan (Kamigawa block)

Popular and Unpopular Realms

It seems that Dominaria is most popular among developers, and many of the players as well. The traditional “fantasy” fare of elves, goblins, wizards, vampires, angels, and the like, plus landscapes that match such epic majesty, have captivated all of the M:TG world for a number of years. But what about the lesser-known planes and universes?

Many players didn’t go for the countryside of Lorwyn and Shadowmoor, and even less of the player base seemed to care for the other “Magic in real places” sets, especially Kamigawa (though that may have been less about the setting and more about the cards in the set itself). Mirrodin, though, enjoyed a good bit of popularity (at least among my local sect of gamers), as did Ravnica–the artifact-driven setting and the city-state setting seemed to resonate with players more effectively than other sets.

These days, Innistrad and Zendikar seem fairly well-tolerated, but many gamers’ focus is less on the setting and more on the card mechanics. (Are people really interested in the settings of various blocks, or is M:TG moving away from the fantasy-flavored landscapes in favor of stronger mechanics? A question for the ages.)

What Would I Like to See It Return To?

I personally liked the rural charm of Lorwyn and Shadowmoor, and wouldn’t even mind a return to Ulgrotha (since I wasn’t playing during Homelands and didn’t get a real feel for the setting). But then again, I’m a country girl, with a love for forested landscapes and lovely natural settings… 🙂

Possible New Ideas

With M:TG already having visited Western Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan, and much of Africa, perhaps now they can do a few sets/blocks featuring fantasy versions of the Americas. A South or Central American setting might be cool–maybe even an after-Ice-Age setting in northern Canada. Or heck, maybe they could get really crazy and have an Un-set take place in a real USA city or region somewhere, just for fun. (I could put in a few cards like “Walmart Overrun” and “Nobody Knows How to Drive on 74,” plus “You Can’t Fight, You’re In Front of a Church!” because we have about 1,000 churches in my town…LOL)

What Are Your Thoughts?

What are your most favorite M:TG planes and settings? Where would you like the game to “travel” to next? Leave me your thoughts in the comments–I’d like to get more player input on this.

Thursday in the Zone

Solutions for “Flyaway Dice”

April 19, 2012 Robin Leave a comment

If you roll dice like me, you often spend more time picking dice up off the floor rather than rolling them across the table. To get any kind of decent result, you have to throw the dice, or at least I do. Unfortunately, this often results in bowling over my miniatures figures and a momentary pause in the game while we search for a missing d6 or d20. (We joke that I go “bowling for Clix” on a regular basis.)

But, since a dice rolling off the table becomes invalid, how can we stop dice from going everywhere? I’ve tried a number of solutions for my flyaway dice, and have come up with “what works” and “what doesn’t work.”

What Works

Using a box lid to roll dice in
Rolling against a pile of books or the side of a game box
Playing the game on a table with a raised edge around the tabletop (1/2 inch to 1 inch in height)

What Doesn’t Work

Rolling the dice around in your hand in cramped motions rather than larger motions*
Trying to keep the dice only on one tiny part of the table
Rolling directly on the miniatures map (if not held down by plexiglas)

*This causes uniformly terrible dice rolls–more Crit Misses than average, and much lower numbers in general. A full-bodied throw results in more “average” or “high” roll results–more sixes, sevens, and eights on a pair of d6s, and more 10s, 11s, and 12s on a d20. I believe this is because the dice don’t have a lot of chance to move around and settle on different numbers when you’re not moving your hand very much.

Don’t Forget to Actually Talk to Your Opponent (Nicely)

April 12, 2012 Robin Leave a comment

In very involved gaming, whether you’re playing an opponent on the other side of the Internet or on the other side of a table, sometimes communication can break down. Sometimes, you can forget you’re playing against another human being.

As many online gamers can likely tell you, there are some opponents who are so hardcore that they can’t lose a game without cursing you, your mama, the last breath you took, and everything you ate for supper. It’s like they forget they’re not playing a computerized opponent, and take out their frustration on another human being, who will react and remember what they said.

Other times, two gamers simply won’t talk to each other at all. A series of hand gestures (some vague, some rude in several countries) takes the place of verbal communication at a table; a series of acronyms and emoticons takes the place of typed words on a computer screen. Never have I seen the gulf between people widen so much as when they’re either talking heated politics or conducting a tooth-and-nail game.

We as gamers have to remember to treat each other like human beings, and part of that is communicating. To help us all communicate better while we game, I’ve listed some quick tips for improving how we talk to each other, so our games are fun rather than boring or irritating.

Tip #1: Opponents Aren’t Mind-Readers

Whether you’re playing a big game of Magic, an MMO like City of Heroes, or even a game over XBox Live, remember that your opponents (and your allies, for that matter), are not privy to the decision-making process going on in your head. If you want to charge ahead and pwn some bad guys way ahead of the group, that’s great–but no one else will know if you don’t tell them, and you might get everyone into an ambush that no one else is prepared for. If you’re playing your super-epic card or miniatures combo that allows you to win the game if no one else counters it, that’s great…but you have to speak it aloud to give someone else a chance to respond.

I learned this the hard way; a few years ago, I was playing in a giant 8- or 9-person group Magic game at our local gaming shop. I was playing a fairly basic life-gain and prevent-damage deck, as is my wont, while most of the other guys were playing cutthroat beat-butt decks. I had the card Test of Endurance in my deck, which I played on about turn 8; it would let me win the game if I ever reached 50 life at the beginning of my upkeep.

I played my turns quietly and without much comment, as the other guys at the table were busy thrashing each other and countering spells that seemed more important to them than mine. Thus, it was a complete shock to everyone at the table when it came round to my turn and I said, “Okay, I’m at 50 life, I win the game.” One of the guys especially, named Jordan, took special offense to what I’d done. “You didn’t even announce what you were doing every turn!” he said, indignant. “I had no idea what you were doing the whole game!”

Jordan’s rant was half typical-teenage-boy-nerd-rage, half real gripe. He hadn’t been paying attention to my strategy at all because he considered my strategy not worth his time, but I had made no effort to make him pay attention. I had not been communicating effectively, and thus he felt blindsided and cheated out of a good game. The fault lay with both of us, for not communicating or listening effectively.

Tip #2: Let People Know Clearly What You’re Doing

Another time, very recently, I was playing in a Clix tournament against one of my newest Clix buddies, a guy named John. During the game, I was using my Night Nurse character to do several Support rolls to heal up various members of my team, since John’s ranged-damage strategy was quickly ripping holes in my defenses. When it came around to my turn, I was feeling the pressure of the timed tournament round, and did not announce that I was making a Support roll before rolling the dice.

John stopped me as I gestured toward the dice, showing him the result. “Wait a minute, why are you just randomly rolling the dice?” he asked, his voice getting a little more heated.

“I was making a Support roll,” I replied, a little bit more tersely than I should have.

John’s response was to direct a question to my boyfriend, the resident Clix judge seated at the next table. “Can you just roll the dice without calling what you’re doing?” he asked, clearly annoyed.

My boyfriend did agree that I needed to make it clear what I was rolling the dice for before I did anything, but let this instance go in the interest of time. Thereafter, I clearly stated what I intended to do before doing it; John’s irritation, while mild and transitory, did remind me I needed to be better in my in-game communication.

Tip #3: If They Question Your Strategy, Don’t Be Offended

If a Magic opponent wants to read the rules text on a card or miniatures figure and question the validity of your strategy, do NOT (and I repeat, do NOT) take it personally. In order to have a genuine, good game experience, you need to make sure both players are on equal footing rules-wise. Finding out later that someone cheated during a whole game? NOT fun. So, if your opponent wants to see for himself or herself what your strategy is based around, then let them see your gaming materials.

This can go for all other games, too–make sure you’re following the rules of the game whatever you do, otherwise you’ll have some ticked-off opponents. Nobody likes to play against someone who’s cheating at everything; by the same token, you’ll have a better experience if you know for certain that your strategy is valid and it wins genuinely. (Don’t make the mistake I did and include too many copies of an awesome card in your Magic deck by mistake. Nor should you completely misread the rules text of a HeroClix figure, thinking it can move and attack like Hypersonic only to find out mid-game that it can’t. LOL)

Tip #4: If All Else Fails, Call a Judge or Game Official

If you and your opponent simply cannot work out a dispute on your own, it’s important to either look to online rulings resources for your game, or to talk to a judge/game official who knows the rules really well. (My boyfriend is pretty much the “rules guy” in every game he plays, so I often find myself asking him about various rulings that seem like they should work one way, but don’t really.)

Going to the source of information about a rulings dispute is important for resolving a problem–otherwise, the communication between your opponent and you is going to dissolve into a “I-said/you-said” argument. This way, you get a clear and objective vantage point on your disagreement, and you can quickly get back to gaming afterward.

Summary

Gaming together should be fun for you and your opponent, not a minefield of tension and anger. Keeping pleasant, thorough communication going the whole time helps a game feel…well, like a game, and not like work. Try some of these tips at your next gaming session, and feel for yourself how much happier the environment becomes!

Thursday in the Zone

A Plastic Swarm: A Different Way to Play HeroClix

March 29, 2012 Robin Leave a comment

Most of my opponents are very surprised if I pull out a more-than-75-point figure to play; they know me well, and know that most of my collection is made up of figures costing less than 50 points (and even many less than 30).

In a way, I pride myself on having little figures; I know that given the opportunity, all those little figures can be multiple Davids against their big 200-point Goliaths. I prefer to play a strategy called “swarm” in HeroClix, running groups of many figures rather than running two or three figures. In a typical 300-point game, I can often fit 6 to 8 characters in; you don’t want to see how crowded my start area can get when I play 600 points and above. 😛

The Benefits of a Swarm Team

Having been drawn to this strategy since I began learning Clix in 2007, I can say that there are several strengths to running a larger team of figures, such as the following:

Opponents using a smaller number of figures may have less maneuverability, because of adjacency rules (everywhere they step, they’re beside an opposing figure)
Opponents may not know which piece to attack first, because there are too many targets
You don’t have to push anybody to move unless you just want to–you can move fresh pieces every turn and allow the other ones to rest
Strategy allows you to cover more of the board, especially with ranged characters
Also allows hurt pieces to drop back toward any available Medic and get healed, while your front line of defense stays solid

I find that using many little pieces gives more team-building versatility, as well. For instance, I can pick characters that are basically “one-trick ponies,” such as Destiny, Night Nurse, Abbey Chase, Harley Quinn, etc., who give me first-click access to support powers without needing to risk them in battle. Not only that, I can pick multiple figures who do basically the same thing, so that if one gets hurt and needs to drop back toward good ol’ Night Nurse, there’s another one waiting in the wings to take over. (Multiple iterations of Cheetah and Shi for the win.)

Swarm teams allow for this kind of redundancy and long-game protection a little better than beatstick teams do. Playing a beatstick team (a small number of large-point-value pieces) always makes me feel like I’m wearing a hospital gown–no coverage where I need it most, if you get my drift. If rolls go badly and worst comes to worst, where is my support squad? Not available on such a small team. Swarm teams allow for better team cohesion and complex, subtle strategy.

A good analogy is a large musical group like a choir, versus a small group of soloists. If one of the choir members gets sick right before showtime, the choir can perform without that person if necessary, and the show is not affected. But if one of only four soloists gets sick before showtime, then the show is going to be delayed until that performer can get on their feet again, because the show will be very different with only three voices. Swarm teams are like choirs–they work together and cover for each other’s mistakes and problems much better than small groups.

Weaknesses

But I will admit, swarm teams are not the strongest option out there. These chief weaknesses come to mind:

Smaller-point-value pieces have shorter dials, can’t take as much damage
Swarm teams can get too spread out across the map very easily, leading to easy pick-off kills by a beatstick team
Smaller pieces have generally lower attack and damage values–may not be able to hurt larger pieces

In general, playing a swarm team that’s just combat and no support is about as bad as playing a beatstick team with no support–it’s folly. Making a swarm team practically necessitates the use of Probability Control, Outwit, Support, Perplex, and Telekinesis, because your figures need that support. You need that Outwit to get rid of Superman’s Impervious; you’ll need that Prob to reroll that one-off on Hulk, or Perplex to increase the chance of a hit. (And if Hulk manages to hit you, you’ll need TK to pull your wounded piece out of combat, and Support to get it back at least closer to top click. LOL)

But a swarm team with support that plays a little more closely together (without blocking each other’s lines of fire) can overcome these weaknesses, with a little bit more thought and planning. That 8 attack can be overcome by 2 shots of Perplex, a dose of Outwit, and a Prob waiting on backup; that 15 defense can be boosted by a friendly’s 18 defense with Defend. You just have to figure out how to use each piece’s strengths all together.

You also don’t want to space out a swarm team too much. Too far apart on the map, and they can’t help each other with support powers like Outwit, Perplex, and Prob, and they can’t run back as easily to the Support character (or get TKed back to the Medic, for that matter). Beatstick teams can spread out a little more easily since they have longer dials and better powers–don’t make the mistake of keeping all your support squad too far away from your main combat, or engaging your opponent in two separate combat zones. Keep it focused.

Summary

If you like winning in unconventional ways, or just want to try something new and more tactical, a swarm team is a great strategy–it’s customizable and fun for theme teams as well as non-theme teams, and for certain, it allows you to simply outgun or out-combat your opponent. Build a team with some small-point support pieces, along with some cheap and good combat characters, and watch your swarm take the field!

Thursday in the Zone

Funniest Game Reversal Ever: “Prevent All Combat Damage”

March 22, 2012 Robin Leave a comment

From the first time I played a Magic game, I enjoyed running Fog, Holy Day, and Darkness. Why?

Because it is hilarious to watch someone swing all out for tons of combat damage and refute it all with one green, white, or black mana. The “prevent all combat damage” line has saved me time and again from certain doom, leaving me with just one turn to come back from the brink–and sometimes, that one turn is all I need.

I really enjoy running damage prevention and have made it a large part of my “style” in Magic: the Gathering. Since I run a lot of Green and White, I came across Fog and Holy Day early in my M:TG career (I only later found Darkness when I tried my hand at building a Black/White deck), and soon included at least two copies in every deck I built because I found it to be so useful.

In my humble opinion as an M:TG player, there are 3 reasons why running “prevent all combat damage” is an excellent choice for a Green, White, or Black deck.

Reason #1: Protection

When you run a longer-game deck (like most of the decks I build for casual play), stalling cards like Fog, Holy Day, and Darkness allow you to last one or two more turns so your deck can have a chance to go off. Especially when you’re playing against hyper-aggressive creature combat decks, these cards can provide you with one more turn to draw a Wrath of God/Day of Judgment, two more turns to put into play a Story Circle, or a turn to draw that last combo piece you’re missing.

Knowing I have a damage-prevention card in my hand is like a safety net or security blanket. I know that if all else fails and I’m about to lose this turn, I can possibly stave it off with one mana.

Reason #2: Mind Games

Imagine this scenario: I pretend to be weak and unable to play anything of import (except for leaving one green, white, or black mana open). Then, the hyper-aggressive opponent grows overconfident and strikes with full force, tapping all his/her creatures for combat. I play Fog/Holy Day/Darkness, and their full-strength strike is negated. Next turn, I counter-attack with nearly all my forces (I say “nearly” because I want to be able to block next time around), because in their haste to kill me, they left themselves completely undefended. Thus, I succeed in knocking their life points down by a good chunk.

Preventing all combat damage allows for these mind games, because you do look incapable and cornered, until they swing for lots of damage and you tap your last remaining land. (My boyfriend knows this very well now, and knows what I’m about to do when that last land gets tapped…LOL)

You can also leave one land untapped and one card in hand to fake an opponent out, so that they think you have a Fog/Holy Day/Darkness in hand when you really don’t. Believe me, it can work; it’s a psych-out move just like playing the actual card can be.

Reason #3: Board Control

I will admit, “preventing all combat damage” by itself is a stopgap move, a way to last just a little longer till your deck goes off. But if you add an Isochron Scepter…

…it becomes a board-control move. Suddenly, just by leaving 2 mana sources available every turn, you have a constant source of damage prevention. It may not completely save you against direct-damage decks, but for creature-combat decks, this reads “THE END.” Only your own player error or a good Disenchant/Shatter/Naturalize can wreck this.

I find this to be an excellent stall maneuver–with this combo, I no longer have to worry about combat damage, and I can focus on gaining back whatever life I lost before this combo hit the table. I can also frustrate the opponent and possibly force some player errors that wouldn’t normally have happened under regular conditions.

(Frustrating the opponent with a Teflon life total is just as much “board control” as it is “mind games;” you are subtly influencing how they play what they play, and as irritated as life-gain and damage prevention makes some players, they’re bound to start making mistakes. As the stall player, you can capitalize on that weakness as if it were a card on the field.)

Why Is This Funny?

Because it’s a less-expected way to win. Most M:TG players win by blatant control in-game, huge amounts of damage, or tricky combos; this, by contrast, involves subtle control/manipulation tactics outside the game, resistance to said damage, and simple but effective combos.

And because it’s unexpected, one can eke out a win, proving that ingenuity can triumph where brute force and “doing what everyone else does to win” doesn’t always work. I don’t know about you, but I find it hilarious and awesome when the perceived “underdog” wins…especially when that underdog is me. 😛

Thursday in the Zone

Choosing a Gaming Machine

March 15, 2012 Robin 1 Comment

Since I’m now in the market for a new gaming computer, I’ve been pricing models from all over–but more importantly, I’ve been looking for the functionality I need. I want a computer that can play City of Heroes without any graphic hiccups or performance slowdown; I also want one that handles longer sessions of gaming without harm. I know that if it can handle gaming, it can handle everything else I want to do with ease.

Knowing the number of people daily who are in the market for such a computer as I am, I thought I’d share some of my search tips and discoveries.

Beginning Your Search: Learning System Requirements

First, find the website(s) for the particular game(s) you’d like to play on your new computer. You’re looking for a page called “System Requirements” or something similar, something that tells you what kind of graphics card, hard drive, and processor are recommended to play your game. (You can also do a search for “[your game] system requirements” if the game website doesn’t have that info readily available.

Make a note of each game’s mininum, recommended, and maximum requirements, and then compare requirements across all the games you want to play. (Some games may require you to have a stronger processor than others, and some may need a better graphics/video card than others.)

Figuring Out Which Components are Strictly “Better” Than Others

If you’re like me and not exactly up on which model numbers mean better quality, you’re going to have to do some internet research to find out which version of each component is the best.

For instance, City of Heroes lists a couple of graphics cards on its system requirements list. Since I don’t know how those compare to any of the computers on the market, all I can do is compare the model numbers to that listed for any computer I’m looking at. Then, I have to find out from the various companies’ product lists whether the computer’s onboard graphics card is the same as or better than the one listed in the system requirements, or vice versa.

What to Look For/What to Skimp On

When you’re looking for a gaming computer, I have found that you should search for excellent quality in the following areas:

RAM: The more gigabytes of RAM you have, the faster your gaming will perform. Having a good quantity of RAM is more important to gaming than hard drive speed.
Hard drive speed: The faster your hard drive is, the faster your game will load initially, but this is not quite as important. (It is important, however, if you plan to do other things with your computer besides game.)
Dedicated graphics card RAM: For gaming performance, it’s recommended that the graphics card have its own store of RAM to work with, as well as the computer’s general RAM. Having had a computer with dedicated graphics RAM, I can tell you that it makes a wonderful difference in how the game looks and performs. Integrated graphics cards…just don’t. My second laptop’s motherboard was MELTED by an integrated graphics card–I gamed with it too much and too long.
Cooling vents: A gaming computer’s internal parts will generate lots of heat while providing you with the most awesome experience it can muster. It needs a lot of vents to get rid of that heat, otherwise it will overheat and even melt some of the components!
Processor: Having a processor that can run multiple things at once is a must for gaming. You don’t want to go for lots of RAM and cheap out on the processor–the processor is the computer’s true brain, its hardest worker.
Visual display: You don’t want to have a dingy or colorless display after you’ve spent all this money getting great components elsewhere. Make sure your monitor is up to the task of displaying all this gaming awesomeness.

However, there are some computer features that don’t have to be super-upgraded for gaming performance. You can quite feasibly skimp on the following:

Laptop battery life: If you’re gaming with your laptop, you likely won’t let it run without plugging it into the wall, so you don’t need to worry quite so much about battery life.
CD/DVD/Blu-ray drive: Unless you plan to install a lot of older CD-driven games, you probably won’t need a high-powered optical drive.
Number of USB ports: Especially for online gamers, the number of USB ports is not as important. Take this into consideration only if you use a lot of flash drives or external hard drives at one time.
Appearance of computer: The glossy finish or bright color won’t matter as much as performance will!

But Wait, You Haven’t Told Us Brand Names to Buy!

Nope, because each brand has seemingly an equal amount of fans and haters. Choosing a “brand” of graphics card or processor, etc., doesn’t seem to be the most important–it’s choosing the type of functionality you want first, and then finding the brand that most people seem to get good results from (and which fits in your budget).

Lastly: Read Reviews and Talk to People

Before you up and buy a computer, make sure you read all the online reviews, positive and negative, and also talk to people who own either the exact model you’re looking at, or a similar one from the same company. Listening to the opinions and experiences of others will help ensure that you’re buying a reliable and well-made computer for your gaming pleasure.

Thursday in the Zone

Quoth Your M:TG Friends, “I’ll Play You Nevermore”

March 8, 2012 Robin 2 Comments

Nevermore, from Innistrad, and its predecessor, Meddling Mage (from way back in Planeshift), are both great cards in tournaments, highly competitive, especially against combo decks that rely on specific cards. When you are able to flatly outlaw a card from being played, that gives your deck a chance to catch up or a chance to nip the opponent’s strategy in the bud.

But notice I said “good in tournaments;” these two cards are part of a very competitive strategy. That doesn’t mean these and other cards like them are good in casual play.

Or rather, cards like these are TOO GOOD for casual play. Playing this kind of card against your M:TG-playing friends, when you know their decks almost as well as you know yours, is an unfair advantage at best, and a complete friend-trouncing move at worst.

When Winning Takes the Place of Friendship in Your Life

Winning Magic games (or any other kind of game, for that matter) is fine–everybody likes to win, everybody likes to feel good about themselves. But when your wins start superseding your friendships and your relationships with other people, you need to rethink how dependent your self-worth is on winning.

I’ve played against literally dozens of people in Magic, and I find that the most fun I have is with people who aren’t playing just to win. When the opponent’s conversation consists entirely of their moves, or bragging about how well their deck is doing, I get impatient for the game to end. “Don’t you have anything else to talk about, any humanity at all?” I find myself wondering in these games. “Or are you just some soulless Magic beast who finds fun in trashing others?”

Unfortunately, for many competitive players, an obviously-one-sided game IS fun to them, while it’s not very much fun for the other player. The “competitive player” type I’m describing is the kind who just can’t snap out of the competitive mode even while playing “friendly” games. Thus, they bring their cutthroat attitude to a table where it is decidedly NOT welcome. They ruin casual games with their 5-turn-win optimized decks and then walk off, leaving the atmosphere of camaraderie in tatters. Who wants to play more Magic after being soundly whipped at it? Certainly not this girl.

The Consequences of Playing “Hardcore” Competitive Magic

Playing Nevermore, Meddling Mage, and other “game-changing” competitive cards can lead to unintended strife between Magic buddies, leading to an eventual loss of opponents to play against.

For instance, it’s gotten to the point where I don’t like playing against my own boyfriend’s Blue/White counter deck because of its Meddling Mages–if he drops one of those, I know he’ll outlaw one of the cards that makes my deck run, because he knows my decks so well. At that point, I might as well just give up, because my deck isn’t going to run the way I designed it to, and I don’t like being controlled like that. Magic is not fun for me when my strategy is rendered absolutely unplayable, and I’d wager other Magic players feel the same way sometimes.

Thankfully, my boyfriend understands how frustrated those kinds of cards make me, and he doesn’t play them all the time. Therein lies the difference, between a person who knows how to scale back his playing to a friendlier level, and people who wouldn’t know what a real “friendly” game was if it bit them in an uncomfortable bodily region.

When someone who has a “hardcore” Magic playing style shows up, casual players cringe. We know what we’re in for–we’re just going to have to lie back and think of England while they’re getting their jollies. We have to wait for them to be done so we can go on to something else that IS fun, with someone else who isn’t acting like a feminine cleaning product. I hate to put it in such blunt terms, but there it is; competitive Magic has its place, and it’s not in my living room nor in my recreation time.

And, once they’ve alienated the casual players in the play group, other competitive players will likely be next to go, as strategies get even more cutthroat and even more “uber-powerful.” Soon enough, nobody will bother even sitting down at the table across from them, because the ending is a foregone conclusion. I’ve seen it happen a few times, and heard of it happening even more times; playing too competitively and focusing on winning alone can and will destroy friendships and entire Magic playing groups over time.

Are You Addicted to Winning and Forgetting Your Friendships?

If you’re a competitive Magic player and have found your play group steadily dwindling, you might be unintentionally suffering from win addiction. Or, perhaps this article has proven to be more of a mirror than you ever expected. Ask yourself: is winning every single Magic game you sit down to really necessary to prove you’re a “pro?” Can you really not let go of competition long enough to just enjoy being with your friends and seeing their strategies work as well as your own?

If you can’t, then maybe you’re investing too much worth in your “pro” status, and less of your worth in the relationships you forge. Humans are social creatures, after all–this is why Magic: the Gathering succeeds the way it does. When you have no one to play against, the game loses much of its luster. Too many un-fun games, and you’ll find yourself out of opponents. No one wants to play a game they’re destined to lose, and no one wants to play against someone who can’t afford to lose a game.

I’m not saying that competitive Magic is “of the devil,” nor am I saying that competitive Magic should be excised completely from the game’s structure. It’s just that all the hardcore stuff has to be balanced with easier-going games, where the stakes aren’t driven up artificially high and the opponents are people who will go and get pizza together after this last round.

How to Recognize When Your Opponent is Not Having Fun

As a type of summary to this article, I provide two handy checklists (not entirely comedic, either). The first is for “reading” your opponent when you’re stomping them in a Magic game; the second is how to soften up your play and make it easier to bear, if not easier to win against.

You Know Your Opponent Is Not Having Fun When…

Their turns are quick: “Untap, upkeep, draw…pass.”
They aren’t talking unless you’re asking them something directly, when before the game they were talking animatedly.
There’s a certain glazed, dead look in their eyes, and their shoulders are as deeply hunched as if they want to disappear down into their chair.
The only time they look happy or excited is when someone outside the game asks them what they’re doing after they finish this game.
There are multiple player errors, done out of indifference rather than ignorance: “Oh, I just mistapped that land. Oh well.”
They haven’t looked you in the face since turn 2.
They finish your sentence when you play the final move that kills them–some, like me, might even add a bitter “Good” afterwards, such as “Yeah, yeah, I take 19 and that kills me. Good.”

If You See Any of These Signs…

Ask them what their strategy is about; if you’ve been stomping or controlling them, you probably haven’t seen their strategy at its best.
Actually listen to the answer, don’t just dismiss it as “inferior”.
Directly apologize if the game is clearly one-sided in your favor: “I shouldn’t have played this deck against you–sorry, this one’s my competitive deck.” This wins a lot of points with casual gamers, take it from me. It means you realize how much of a pain it’s been to play you.
If it’s truly a casual game, tell your opponent the key cards in your deck to beat; this makes you less of an uber-gamer and more human.
Take pressure off the current game by asking them what their favorite cards, colors, card art, creature abilities, etc. are. Talk Magic theory with them.Express interest in their trade collection. Super-competitive gamers playing casual gamers usually complete their conquest and leave like a man sneaking out after a one-night stand; staying around, even just for a few minutes to look at their tradebook, might help them get over the game and see you as a potential new friend.

Thursday in the Zone

Battling the Gamer Stereotype

March 1, 2012 Robin 1 Comment

When you think of the word “gamer”, what physical appearance generally pops to mind? What mindset do you associate with “gaming” as it is in modern culture? What goals, what habits?

For many people, the word “gamer” conjures up a person of the following description:

The “Gamer” Stereotype

Male
Age range: mid-teens to late forties
Caucasian or Asian, upper middle class
Likely unmarried, in the “forever alone” category
If not single, saddled with a girlfriend who hates that he games so much
No personal hygiene to speak of (hence the phrase “gamer funk”)
Fat, unshaven, wears ill-fitting clothes (especially pants)
Still lives with parents or relatives, usually in a basement
Eternally unemployed
Socially awkward/clueless
Misogynistic or otherwise highly skeptical of women’s prowess in gaming
Foul-mouthed
Follower of Satanism, Wicca, or other “pagan” religions
Eats nothing but junk food
Can’t save up money because of buying gaming expansion packs all the time
Immature, has no life goals except winning the next game
Knows little about anything else except his chosen game

How do I know all of these? Sadly, it’s because these “facts” are thrown in my face every time a non-gamer acquaintance hears that I “game” with people at a “gaming shop.”

I hear stuff like:
“Oh, you’re gonna go hang out with all those boys again.”
“Gaming again? Don’t any of ’em have a JOB?”
“What are you doin’ hangin’ out with all them devil-worshippers?”
“You’re probably the only girl they ever talk to, you know.”
“Well, don’t let any of ’em bum money off you when they’ve been buying all that gaming stuff.”
“I don’t think any of those boys are ever gonna grow up.”

Why the Gamer Stereotype is (Mostly) Wrong

I will preface this by saying that I have known and/or do know of gamers who exhibit some of the characteristics listed in the stereotype list. But I have yet to see or know of a single gamer who shows all these characteristics.

Firstly, not all gamers are male anymore. In fact, in the last ten years, more and more girls are doing more gaming beyond dressup games and Farmville. Magic: the Gathering and HeroClix have both seen an influx of female gamers, and more console and PC video games are bought by women today than ever before.

Secondly, gaming is not restricted by race or social class anymore (thankfully). Though gaming was in the past more accessible to upper-middle-class folks because of the expense of games and game supplies, now gaming on the cheap is possible, allowing people to play for lesser investment. And gaming is not just a “white” or “Asian” thing to do anymore, either, though this has been much slower to change than the social-class monetary barrier.

Thirdly, many gamers I know or have known over the past 8 to 10 years are happily married or in committed relationships, and most of them have either held jobs before or are currently employed. Rather than gamers not being “responsible adults,” in fact many modern gamers are contributing members of society and have families of their own, as well as doing a little gaming for relaxation. This also touches on the stereotypes of gamers living off other people and wasting their money–most gamers these days, in the throes of this economy, are learning how to spend more wisely, and they don’t all live in their mama’s basement.

Finally, gaming does not indicate a Satanist lifestyle. This infuriates me when others typecast gamers as devil-worshippers, as if we’re some sub-human sect of beings that doesn’t deserve to live. While it is true that many games do have threads of dark storylines going through them, most of the time human gamers play the role of the hero, more like a King David, a Joshua, or a Daniel than any ancient Ba’al worshipper. Gaming, like any form of recreation, can get in the way of a Christian lifestyle if too thoroughly pursued, but in moderation it certainly does not pose a threat to the gamer or his/her family and friends.

A Small Caveat

I will admit that hygiene does sometimes go by the wayside for some gamers, and sometimes we gamers can seem hyper-focused on knowing all about the games we play. And I will say that I’ve run across my share of misogynistic idiots who think I will be easy to defeat because of my female anatomy. While much of this stereotype is overdrawn, there are some kernels of truth in it, unpleasant as they might be to acknowledge.

Summary: Gamers ARE Normal People

But a few outlying gamers who only partially fit the stereotype do not speak or act for the majority of awesome gamers I know who manage to play well and still carry on normal conversations; they game like pros and still enjoy their normal, productive lives as well. Gamers, contrary to this stereotype’s concept, are normal people who choose gaming as their way of recreation.

In a way, it’s similar to a football fan watching a game on TV or playing a casual game with friends. It’s just that our games involve character sheets, impromptu acting, a few sets of dice, some decks of carefully-chosen cards, and generally less tackling. 🙂

Thursday in the Zone

David King and Jack Krauser: Brains and Brawn

February 16, 2012 Robin 4 Comments

In the Resident Evil: Deck Building Game world, there are plenty of characters to choose from, and hundreds of ways for you to play them in Partner mode.

Recently, while preparing for a game, I was dealt two random characters…and I stumbled across a combination that is surprisingly awesome (and hilarious) to play. It involves characters you wouldn’t think would be all that great, and they aren’t–by themselves. But together, they have the potential to rock any boss in the Mansion.

The Brawn: Jack Krauser

One of the more basic characters to play comes from the first game box:

This is Jack Krauser, and he’s pretty much just a Knife guy. You get Knives for free once you get 1 Decoration, and at 7 Decorations, you add 5 damage to each Knife you play before you Explore the Mansion.

There aren’t too many frills here. You get a few Knives, you explore the Mansion, you kill a Zombie, you get more Knives, you Explore some more, rinse & repeat till game is over.

It can be hard to ramp up damage with Krauser, because he deals with Knives that are only dealing 5-10 damage each (excepting the Survival Knife, which does more and has the special effect of giving all Knives +5 damage). Thus, why he’s not often used except as a Partner (and only then when you have to).

The Brains: David King

For a while, Krauser was the only character who really specialized in Knives, and Knives remained an unpopular weapon type. Then, from the Outbreak set came David King.

David’s Level 1 ability, gained after 2 Decorations, is interesting–fun to use with a Pump-Action Shotgun to gain 2 Explores without having to actually put down the 40 Ammo needed to use the gun, for instance. (It’s also fun with many of the special weapons, like the Burst-Fire Handgun, the Survival Knife, the Signature Special, etc.)

But it’s his Level 2, gained at 6 Decorations, which is the fun one for this scenario. When you play a Knife, you can get a Knife from your Discard Pile. So, if you play 4 Knives this turn, you can get up to 4 Knives from your Discard Pile…and you can use them again to Explore the Mansion, arming you with up to 8 Knives instead of just 4.

(Images from BandaiCG.com)

The Two Together

Separately, Jack Krauser and David King are passable characters to play, nothing world-rending, but okay. Together? …Mwahaha. 🙂

Jack Krauser’s Knife-gaining ability and damage boost with Knives is great, but both abilities fluctuate too much per turn–one turn you get a handful of Knives, and the next turn…well, you may not. David King’s Level 2 ability lets you get back the Knives you used last turn, effectively Dumpster-diving for extra damage.

David King’s natural affinity for Knives and for putting new text on Weapons is great, but it doesn’t really work well on its own–there’s no damage boost. With Jack Krauser as his partner, King is suddenly a powerhouse, getting back multiple Knives a turn (which have the potential to do 10 damage apiece!).

Maximizing the Knife-Recycling Strategy

Incorporate lots of card draw, like Umbrella Corporation, Fierce Battle, and Mansion Foyer.
Trash out all Weapons that aren’t Knives and don’t have special effect text.
Remember to try to get Special Weapons if you want to be able to use David King’s first ability to its fullest.
Once you’re finished buying stuff for your deck, Trash out the Ammo/Gold, preferably using Shattered Memories so that your unnecessary Actions get Trashed out, too.
Don’t forget, once Krauser hits Level 1, to Gain a Knife every turn. David King can use that Gained Knife once he hits level 2–he can pull it back from Discard Pile to play!
Use Deadly Aim or Desperate Escape for boosting damage to all Knives; Deadly Aim costs less, but Desperate Escape doesn’t take up your Action for the turn.
Make sure to get the Survival Knife (the Special Knife weapon). You can Discard the Survival Knife with David King’s level 1 ability, giving another Knife its special ability, and then pull it back into play with his level 2 ability when you play another Knife. You’ll be getting 2 Survival Knives for the price of 1!

Summary

Try this strategy out in the Resident Evil DBG the next chance you get. I guarantee you’ll be laughing out loud with how much damage those “little” Knives can do when in the hands of King and Krauser!