Bioshock thoughts (part 2)

Bioshock is not only an inspiration to me but also to others as well. It is a critically a claimed game after all, and I dare say that it has aged well, because the relevant themes of the story, setting, and trilogy of games it has spawned. Bioshock is responsible for the creation of my favorite terms that are unique to video game discussions, ludonarrative dissonance. when the game play of a game and its story clash. This term was created by Clint Hocking in his blog.

• http://clicknothing.typepad.com/click_nothing/2007/10/ludonarrative-d.html

It is very much because of this blog that motivated me to write this on a NINE year old video game, if video games interest you I highly recommend his blog. Otherwise why are you reading this blog? Having these two very tangible levels of story telling is something unique to story telling and any game that can successfully utilize that is excellent in my opinion. 

The inspiration of this game was objectivism, as created my Ayn Rand. Simplified, objectivism is the belief that there is no faith or higher power but only reason that you should hold yourself accountable to, and that as an individual your goal is to achieve as much as you personally can. This is a much nicer way of saying the end justifies the means. (sorry teacher) In this fictional world Andrew Ryan creates a utopia on the bottom of the ocean in order to escape established government. The appeal of this city is finical growth not restricted by governments, no censorship for artists, and no moral limitations for scientists. The effectiveness of this philosophy is demonstrated in the fact that this city gets built, and the it does become inhabited, yet when you as the player see the city for the first time you see a hollow image of a city torn by civil war. So story for the player the becomes conflict between objectivism and just trying to do the right thing. This is implemented through a system where you either kill or help little girls who create supper natural power through a special genetic modification they have. The rest of the story is one hundred and fifty percent linear. The issue with this mechanic is that you benefit more in the long run from saving the little girls, where this choice should have put you in a disadvantageous situation and made the game significantly harder it does not. This defeats the moral conflict that the game is trying to create, where you can be the hero and the most powerful person possible, ludonarrative dissonance. Strike two is in the linear story, this is a particular issue because this game is set to the back drop of great men that created their own destiny, but you are the play have only one path you can follow. This first half of the game you as the play are trying to help the first man you come into contact with "escape" Rapture with his "family", by killing Andrew Ryan the founder of the city. You as the play have no choice in the matter because you were raised in a test tube to be a solider and had been brain washed to fill any command/sentence that ended in "would you kindly". (ohhhhhh, I should have probably put in a spoiler warning somewhere before this... ouch.. well too late now) The first of two cut scenes is used here to illustrate this point, you don't get to kill Ryan, you watch him die. Personally it was a moment of shock for me as a player because I wanted to believe in the good side of that one person (Atlas/Frank Fontaine) and myself that I was doing the good thing, but the manipulation was a good double take. On the other hand for the people that didn't want to do the good thing but rather survive and become as powerful as possible.... it was more of a slap to the face, limiting what was possible to do in the game. It seemed as if the game was created to appease the naive hope with in us, that says good will prevail and my favorite soccer team can win, because I root for it. Its a nice message, and the ending credits for a "good" ending are beautiful, but this concept goes against the objectivist ideals that should make the game thought provoking. Ludonarrative dissonance. After you discover that your character is being controlled, even though there are multiple characters that know about this and yet explain nothing to you. The story is STILL linear. Your goal is to find a way to take back control over your mind and kill the man how now runs the city (Atlas/ Frank Fontaine, same person, just has two different personas). Thematically this makes sense whether you want to gain control over the city and take as much power as possible or you want to save the children. Props to the games creators for finding one scenario that enables both actions to be taken, but again the linearity of the story goes against the message of objectivism. Unless the developers are trying to create the argument that the actions of the morally good and the ruthless are near identical, but it is much more likely that the reason is some sort of technical limitation. Bioshock is excellent game, but in addressing this inconsistencies you have to ask if it could have been better.

Thanks for reading.

Bioshock thoughts (part 1)

Bioshock is a video game released by 2k Boston in 2007. In the context of video games 2007 was a long time ago, and plenty of fantastic video games have come out since then, but this video game has caught my interest for three key reasons. The setting/ context for game, the discussion in how video games should be made and the fact that it is the most recent game that I beat. The 20ish hours I spent playing the game can't be refunded, but that means I do have a very good impression on the game. This is not a review or recommendation of the game rather an analysis where I can offer some personal opinions and ask some question about what the game could have been. Bioshock is an first person shooter, with horror elements, and minor rpg elements. This blend is very good and at the highest difficulty a blend of guns and super natural powers is necessary in order to succeed at the game, at lower difficulties you can get away with dominantly gun play. Some points of interest is that in the beginning of the game is where all the horror elements can be found, the game actively sets up jump scares and and each individual enemy is a capable threat. As you go through the game and gain power as the protagonist the horror element of the game vanishes. At this point as a player you are more familiar with the city of rapture, to this transition makes sense game play wise and from a thematic stand point. This is an example of what makes the game special. Another core concept is that every enemy gives you a negative return on investment, the amount of resources (ammo, "mana") you need use to kill an enemy is much higher than the reward you gain for the kill. This makes exploration necessary and resource management a constant struggle in the game. Each gun having projectiles that fire in various ways (i.e. machine guns, shotguns, and rocket launcher all fire different projectiles) and different types of ammo. All of this in combination creates a situation where the player needs to actively think about what is the most efficient combination of supernatural powers, guns and ammo to take down an enemy, with added intensity because of the scarcity of the resources. This is excellent, but unfortunately this emphasis on special guns and magic powers does detract a little bit from the importance of aiming. Where this game's core game play mechanic is gun play, the game is in first not third person for a reason, aiming and shooting is has to feel good and be satisfying. In Bioshock a lack of aim can be supplemented with tactical knowledge or guns that are easier to control, and this is excellent but it does take away from the importance of aim, which a first person shooter is built around. This being said, the trade of in Bioshock is worth while, and unique for the time, the horror element can only happen in first person, its not hard to say many games take some inspiration from this system. That being said we have to wonder if a dodge mechanic would benefit the game, and would thematically make sense for the character. I do not think it makes sense for this game, because the game benefits on not being able to out run your enemies so they must be fought.... but dodging could add another layer of complexity and skill to most game.

The fact that enemies have infinite bullets while shooting you but when you kill them they only have 5 is the one thing that does annoy me in this game, that I wished the game addressed.

Ange

Patterns of pointed peaks, and protrusions

Crafted intricately for us in mind

Yet its purpose offers no illusions

That with time they become harder to find

This path to obscurity deserves no sorrow

For walking through life takes a little toll

The struggle of a better tomorrow

Is shown by a worn sole

Success hides behind closed doors

Shoes allows motion; it's the doorhange

....

Crap. While I really do like the words in this poem nothing rhymes with doorhange, if I continue I will butcher the rhyme scheme and that is unacceptable. Doorhange has such a nice ring to it as well. I am a starving artist, and the English language needs more words that end in ange. Feed me, Merriam Webster, Oxford Dictionary!!!

It's been three days and still no response, very well I didn't need you wither Merriam Oxford. I can stand on my own two feet and make my own word. That's right it will be like frindle, but real, and cool. COLEMAN COOL, that's a brand of cooler if you didn't know. I bet you didn't know, that's because you don't have a PHD in cooler technology, technology that makes you cooler. If you did know, nobody wants you here, leave. Thlpange /thlp-ainj/ It's like somewhere in between right and left but not straight ahead. Ford Webster will be jealous, Ox Diction must be in a panic. Thlpange is brilliant.

Forget this poem, what i should do now is to go through all the books I own and artfully insert Thlpange where it is needed. Thlpange out of Compton, perfect.

Ignorant ramblings on music (part 2)

Ignorant ramblings, this title is needed to show that I have no formal knowledge of music, I don't understand music theory, I do not play an instrument, I can't remix a song, and I sing terribly. I do listen to a decent amount of music though, I have tastes that evolved over time, yet I still listen to a more synthetic, electronic style of music. While EDM is made for dancing I have come to appreciate it and genera that it helped create much like any other music. Particularly more mellow music still has a base line and some synthetic sounds like ambient, or tropical.

Naturally if there is no vocals then melodies have to be complex enough to hold the interest, and there is plenty of opportunity for intricate melodies, there is a wide range of sample sounds and ways to modify them when using a computer. If there are vocals they can be used as a centerpiece of a song or as another instrument similar to a Capella singer where the tone (sorry i don't know the proper terminology here) is used as an instrument. There are songs that certainly have harsh sounds with in them too, but not discord. Any harsh sound is really a foil to a melody, a good artist can and will use uncommon and uncomfortable sounds to contrast to their melodies and make a new sound. It demands attention. Vocals can also be used to contrast a more chaotic melody to calm vocals. More over this is reflection of modern life, the sweet songs of birds and rush of streams is becoming less and less common, they are replaced with traffic, garbage trucks, alarm clocks, and the occasional blender. The world might not be gentle on ears but there is beauty in taking a chaotic sound and giving it a melody. It's embracing reality, and has traces of more classical music in it. It should be no surprise that EDM is maturing in this time period. 

Admittedly most of these point are vague, so there are songs that prove these points for me. For example Scary monsters and nice sprites by Skrillex, excellently uses vocals as a instrument that grabs attention but there are no words. There is a great variety of sounds within the song but a similar style through out, a ever constant building and lowering pattern. Any spoken words are warped to exaggerate their meaning. Songs like Phat Brahms, by Steve Aoki and Flashbach by Savant are reinterpretations pieces done by classical composers. Toothless Hawkins (and his robot jazz band) by Varien and Razihel has this really cool abomination of jazz and dub step. Crave you Adventure Club Remix by Flight Facilities has a fantastic singer offset by dub step. Levels by Avicii is magical. Kygo makes fantastic relaxed electronic music. Even if you don't like these styles, listening to them can help you appreciate how music is still growing and evolving.

Actually some of the most prominent artists in these genera are skilled piano players Kygo and Nicky Romero. This is valuable to them because it helps them find melodies that can but used in there produced music, and kind of shows the over lap with classical of skills necessary to make this kind of music. I say this because it is not an unreasonable assumption that the average person appreciates classical music more than anything made on a computer, but people still use these chaotic sounds to make music. Reggie Watts is an incredible beat boxer, singer, comedian, and sociomusicologist. Sociomusicology, grossly simplified, is the study of how music impacts society. This man is capable and intelligent, I recommend watching his ted X talk where he offsets comedy with chaotic beat boxing. While it is by no means angelic, Reggie Watts still uses beat boxing s a form of communication.
Isn't that the goal of music in the most pure sense to be able to connect to others. Maybe by listening to a bit of music an emotion is conveyed that can not be expressed in words, a connection is made in appreciating a quirky melody. Really I set out to defend electronic music that is a big part of him life, but rather I find that I don't care what others think about it. I found my own way to appreciate music and that is a beautiful think.

Also this is titled ramblings, but is probably my most coherent blog post. I should title my next blog The Cow goes Moo so I can figure out time travel.

Ignorant ramblings on music (part 1)

Dude, I got this song you gotta listen to... no, this is too generic.

Bro listen to this song, its the shit... nah, why did shit become a good thing.

Have you heard X, really, its a great song that you should listen to... You know, this seems good.

Let me serenade your ears, with this melody of pure awesomeness....

There is a steady rumble of 65 mph beneath you as you go down the high way. Two other guys that are in the cars as well, a good friend is in the drivers seat, but the Liam who is 5'11, has black curly hair that bobbles an inch above his head and he smells of both axe and old spice some how. Everything else about him is a mystery. Conversation has died down four minutes ago, until "Let me serenade your ears, with this melody of pure awesome." With in a second a few buttons are pressed, and the dial adjusted. SHIT, its country.

Or shit its rap, its bubblegum pop, its flying squirrel funk , its heavy metal, its edm.

• (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7-0brYXKWw That's right its a thing)

The genera of the song is not important, rather the instant judgment that occurs. These judgement are made from of personal tastes, and what is considered poor taste is generally avoided. Of course some styles of music are in general thought to be less sophisticated than others. This is my personal reason that I appreciate EDM, electronic dance music, and similar styles. Yes, many un-natural computer generated sounds, synthetic vocals, one-liners, and maybe a cacophony or two. This is the style of music I am drawn to, while it is not the only genera, it is the one I personally know best. I feel that there are many misconceptions with EDM. If this sounds unfamiliar, dub step should not. There is a joke between me and a friend that dub step is three blenders being turned on at different times, and a boy slamming the refrigerator door and screaming. This is the point were we start scratching our heads and asking why would anyone listen to this?

Give me a second while I go rethink my life's choices.