Category: For the Geeks

There was a time when girls wanted to be Barbie and boys fantasied to take control of one of those robots as inspired by the Japanese anime series, fly high and kick some enemy butts (somehow I have this bizarre image of tomatoes and eggs flying towards my ways from the girls). “Supreme Commander” gives us exactly that.

The concept of “Supreme Commander” is unique, pretty like a game of chess. You are one of the Commanders (don’t you love a title like that?!) who take control of this monstrously huge robot of what looks like a 24 storeys high monument, walk into a warping gate, swish your way through space, and with a big bang, the ground cracks, you are landed right into the planet at war. Now, here is what I like about “Supreme Commander” – its sci-fi realism. How can one machine rage war towards another? Wouldn’t it be lame and boring?

Upon landed onto the war zone, you can start utilising the limited mass (something like materials) and energy you carry to build … ta-dah … mass extractors and power generators. How intuitive it is right? As you start gathering mass and energy and building your base, more and more schemata are downloaded onto your computer and before you know it, you have your team of engineers churning out one of the most formidable armed forces in the planet, top it up with a combined force of army, navy, and air force. This is not only boys’ childhood dreams come true but also grown up men like me and you!

Missions are varied (only cleared the first one) and when you manage to bring down the opposing Commander, he does just die but explode in the most spectacular nuclear-mushroom-look-alike’s fashion very much like the picture I have included in this blog. Like chess, once you checkmate your opponent, that is the end of the game.

I have a feeling that I won’t be able to get far into this game, like many from this genre that I have played. The games these days tend to get too hard too soon. Although it is likely to be another white elephant in my storeroom, it always excites me much experiencing yet another captivating game like “Supreme Commander”. For the geeks, this game is first of its kind to be able to utilise Windows Vista’s DirectX 10.0, multicore processing capability, and can be played with 2 wide-screen LCD monitors – one to see your war plan and another one is the actual execution of your commands. Your pocket must be pretty deep to play “Supreme Commander” in its full glory (as of 2 months ago, the machine without the LCD monitors would cost USD 7,000). For the rest of us, dream on!

Friends of mine must have found it odd that despite my passion with the online game World of Warcraft (WoW), I seldom write anything about it. Not even a review on its long awaiting expansion after its January launch. I was asked a number of times if I was one of those who queued up at SunTech on the launch day itself and to tell you the truth, I was not even keen to get the expansion. WoW and I have gone a long way – good and bad.

During the time when Cynthia was studying for her Financial Risk Manager (FRM) exam, she said she would try out WoW after the exam when she did not need to spend hours studying risk management books every evening. FRM must have driven her crazy. Imagine someone who does not play any video games at all and even when she did play Football Manager because she is crazy over football, she never gets hooked onto it wanting to play time after time. For the longest history of time I have tried various different ways to tempt her with my wide spectrum of computer games with no success. Over time I am more and more determined to find out if there is at least one video game somewhere for each of us. I am a computer engineer and scientist by training. Friends of mine know that I don’t buy a game to finish it. I admire how the images are being modelled; I am intrigued by how the artificial intelligence is being implemented; I observe how the user interface is designed; and I study the “fun” factors that the designers are putting into the games.

One evening Cynthia came up to me and said that she wanted to start a character in WoW. Very well, I said and walked her through the initial stage of character creation. Of all the classes that WoW offers, she chose to be a warlock – one of the most complex classes around. I tried suggesting some other easier classes but she wished to stick with warlock. Cynthia took no time in familiarising herself with the user interface and half an hour later, she was on her own exploring the World of Warcraft in her own way. Looking at Cynthia playing an online computer game baffled me. WoW is not exactly a simple game to pick up and definitely not one that I would recommend for first-timer. But the magic of WoW charmed her and till today, she plays the game occasionally when she has the time. Cynthia definitely plays more than I do after the launch of the expansion.

World of Warcraft is one of the modern commercial miracles that I admire. Created by Blizzard based on their award winning Real Time Strategy game Warcraft series, WoW is a MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game where tens and hundreds of players interact with one another within the same “realm”). A genre that is not new but Blizzard managed to turn it into a commercial miracle when the gaming industry was plagued with piracy (still do in a certain extend). For online games, players are required to buy the original game and pay a subscription fees. With the arrival of WoW, the MMORPG community has exploded and passed a recent 7 million mark. What does 7 million subscribers mean commercially? Imagine nearly all subscribers will buy the US$40 expansion pack in the first couple of months and that is a US$280 million sure-win business. For a US$15 monthly subscription fees, that is US$315 million per quarter. If that is not enough, Blizzard offers a paid service to transfer players’ characters from one realm to another realm (mainly to join their real life friends or their realms get too crowded) for US$25 each. Believe me, there are many characters get moved around for various different reasons.

There are many success factors to write about Blizzard. They have an active forum where players exchange and voice out ideas and Blizzard listens making improvements to the game gradually. New contents are being created and pushed out into the game in a regular basis. There are lots of fun things to do within this virtual fantasy world. Blizzard has made a game that pleases both casual as well as hardcore players for all age groups (the youngest I have met is 12 and 60-ish the oldest), different nationalities, and from all walks of life.

That is how some others appreciate the game. As for Cynthia, she loves the look of her character, the beautiful scenery, the vast area for exploration, and new abilities as her character progresses. And for me, well, I have been there done that and am glad that I have gotten detached from this time sink. WoW is a fun game but please exercise self-restrain when you play it. Try not to play more than 2 hours a day and have at least 2 days per week free from WoW. A friendly reminder from someone who has already clocked 3,000 hours in the game.

Related Link: World of Warcraft Official Site.

Having equiped my computer with 2 video cards, I have revisited the game Warhammer 40,000 (real time strategy game) and see what my cards are capable of. As I was taking screenshots, I thought why don’t I write a story about one of the missions that I partook?

The mission began with the Librarian and Inquisitor arrived at the base not convinced that there was another alien force in the planet other than the Orks.

As part of the advancement of the combat units, capturing strategic points is part and puzzle of the mission.

And look what I have discovered. The alien units!

My tanks – Whirlwind – have a super long range. See how they destroy the enemy base. Ground was shaking I swear.

What is Warhammer without an intense battle? (In fact, there were many of these battles.)

Alright, we have found an Orks base. Seek and destroy!

My scouts are the great infiltraters. One of the coolest looking units.

I was advised to build a second base so HQ (headquarter) here it came.

As soon as I have started building this second base, our base was under heavy fire.

Indeed, nothing we couldn’t handle. As soon as the area was secured, the Librarian and Inquisitor travelled in style inside the transport units – Rhino. (My own idea … thought it would be cool to have main characters travel in “limo”.)

Soon after the Librarian and Inquisitor have arrived, they have confirmed the existence of this alien race.

And of course, as for me, mission accomplished.