Recent content by Melkai

Thanks for your posts. From the sounds of it Heavy Rain is cast from the same mould as Indigo Prophecy (or Fahrenheit, depending on region). I really enjoy the idea of instant automatic saves instigated by the game itself in order to cement your decisions. Sephychu makes an excellent point...

I'd like to thank everyone for their posts. Addressing Lullabye's argument that there need not be consequences in storytelling. I think it is very true to say that there are no consequences for me personally when watching a film, reading a book, or indeed playing a game. In this regard you...

Morrowind provides an excellent example, one in which I share much experience/frustration. The narrative (depending on your playing style) can be quite sparse, leaving one free to create your own. For me this entailed daring assassinations under cover of dark. 'Daring' though wouldn't quite...

It seems you've covered in detail exactly the issue of contention. A stellar line-up of example games also, precisely the scenarios I called to mind in writing my post. It is somewhat ironic that excellent stories are hailed for their epic tragedies while in the world of gaming (and its...

Thanks for the story critique, I got a little carried away. You make some excellent points about game design, especially regarding life after 'sticky situations'. Good stories are at their best when the chips are down after a crushing setback, though this isn't really reflected in games...

Thanks for posting. I made this post after a realisation while playing Mount & Blade. I had been, for some time, saving before and after every major battle/event I encountered. Only recently it had struck me as a horribly damaging gaming behaviour, especially so in a game with such sparse...

'I hastily disguise myself in the rags of a beggar before sneaking in under cover of darkness. I feign a decrepit limp to give credence to my need for a walking staff, a conveniently inauspicious weapon. The guard wearily regards me as I pass through the gate, barely raising his gaze from my...

A little gem I stumbled upon a while ago called 'Unreal World'. The game basically tasks you with surviving in the wilderness in iron age Finland, which as it turns out isn't as boring as it seems.

5 bags of un-popped microwave popcorn.... assuming of course that I am to be executed by electrocution.

I don't agree with your assessment that individuals (or corporations/business, to go by your more customers qualifier) would take better care of them. They would only take care of those that suit their specific needs. Smaller 'individuals' would not have the funds to undertake a road...

I am not doubting the need for police to patrol, however I do question the need for police to be present in radar or laser speed targeting operations as such an activity requires them to remain stationary, hence not merely ticketing in the midst of their usual activities. As for the risk of...

I'm not certain the idea of total privatization of the road industry is the answer, no further motivation is required to encourage traffic infringement notices to wander from punitive measure to tools of revenue generation. As for other areas regarding the roads privatization may help in...

Very true, however I believe that the cost of utilizing highly trained and well equipped police officers would be greater than the cost of utilizing specialized regulatory officers whom don't require the training or equipment. My vision likens traffic officers to parking inspectors, the reason...

A thought occurred to me earlier today, would justice be best served if the police force no longer were required to police the roads?. If the task of enforcing the rules of the road could be passed to another organization could this possibly free police resources for the task of investigating...

Perhaps my concerns are of course misplaced given the flawless track record to date. However to the best of my knowledge the Higgs-Boson has yet to be uncovered by this device, as are many of the phenomena it was designed to explore, which leads me to believe that the full capabilities of the...