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Weekend Confirmed 69 - Ms. Splosion Man, Alice Madness Returns, Magic The Gathering
by Xav de Matos, Jul 15, 2011 2:00pm PDTWith Garnett Lee on vacation it's up to Jeff and Xav to drive the bus. Helping them keep the Weekend Confirmed bus out of the ditch is Totally Rad Show co-host Dan Trachtenberg and DJ Andy Reid from 44th and Filth. The crew talks Ms. 'Splosion Man, Alice: Madness Returns, Dead Space 2, Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012, and more. In Listener Feedback we talk about if Nintendo has aged along with its old school fanbase and whether or not Call of Duty is the media's favorite whipping boy, among a few other topics. Then we slow things down and tackle the biggest news of the week, including discussion on EA's acquisition of PopCap.
Weekend Confirmed Ep. 69: 07/15/2011
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If you're viewing this in the GameFly application, you can play Weekend Confirmed Episode 69 directly.
Weekend Confirmed comes in four segments to make it easy to listen to in segments or all at once. Here's the timing for this week's episode:
- Whatcha' Been Playin Part 1: Start: 00:00:00 End: 00:30:54
- Whatcha' Been Playin Part 2: Start: 00:31:26 End: 01:00:17
- The Warning: Start: 01:01:24 End: 01:31:04
- Featured music Andy Reid and YUG - "Vivacious" Start: 01:31:48 End: 01:35:20
- The Front Page news: Start: 01:35:20 End: 02:07:57
DJ Andy Reid's work can be found on the official 44th and Filth website and on Facebook. You can also follow him on Twitter and visit his personal website.
This week's track, "Vivacious" from YUG and Andy Reid is available exclusively on BeatPort.
Help Garnett's brother Andrew on his donation drive to ride for Children's Hospital. If you can, please give him a hand in supporting a good cause.
Original music in the show by Del Rio. Get his latest Album, The Wait is Over on iTunes. Check out more, including the Super Mega Worm mix and other mash-ups on his ReverbNation page or Facebook page, and follow him on twitter delriomusic.
Jeff Cannata and Dan Trachtenberg can also be seen on The Totally Rad Show. They've gone daily so there's a new segment to watch every day of the week!
You can also follow Dan Trachtenberg on Twitter.
For more information on the Play for Japan Charity Album, visit the group's official site.
Remember to join the Official Facebook Weekend Confirmed Page and add us to your Facebook routine. We'll be keeping you up with the latest on the show there as well.
Comments
It always came across to me as an opinion I share - that the fundamental gameplay formula for CoD has not evolved over time, and has grown stale. I'm personally fine at the game. I can jump in and hold my own in any game, and top the leader board in more than a few.
I choose not to play CoD anymore, because I'm burned out on the formula. The weapons and perks may change, and there are new maps to memorize, but the core 'whoever sees the other guy first wins' combat system limits any strategy or evolution beyond routes through the map and team coordination in objective modes.
As a Halo fan, I can say that while the core shoot/grenade/melee system at the heart of Halo as stood firm, the rhythm, balance, and tactics have changed GREATLY from Halo, to Halo 2, to Halo 3, to Halo: Reach.
As far as DJ Andy saying that 'oh people don't like it cause they suck at it', I'd argue it's much easier for a peron to jump in CoD and have some fun, simply because you can luck into kills much easier. Games like Halo, or Team Fortress, or even Crysis 2 require that you learn the ins and outs of the gameplay mechanics, which are much deeper than 'see enemy, aim, shoot'.
Thread Truncated. Click to see all 31 replies.
I was merely suggesting that the reason that press and hardcore gamers, who willingly and eagerly expose themselves to a large number of different gameplay experiences, are starting to lose enthusiasm for the CoD series because it has failed to evolve.
Doesn't make either group WRONG, just explains the disconnect between them.
As for the differences in Halo, I would write way too much going into it. So I'll try and bullet-point it.
- Halo CE established the shoot/grenade/melee trifecta at the heart of the Halo combat model, as well as the integration of vehicles into first-person combat.
- Halo 2 increased the pace of the game with dual-wielding, the removal of health in favor of a single recharging health bar. They also reduced the power of vehicles by introducing vehicle jacking as well as homing rockets (spiritually replaced by the laser in Halo 3). This allowed individual infantry players (or small groups) to stand a better chance against vehicles, whereas they were quite dominant in Halo: CE. The efficacy of dual-wielding and the versatility of the BR de-emphasized the importance of grenades, melees and map control. Of all the Halo games, this is the game that CoD fans tend to like most.
- Halo 3 changes the balance back to favor the shoot/grenade/melee model. Dual-wielding was de-emphasized, the starting weapon required use of grenades or melees to kill effectively. Map control returned as an important part of the game. The introduction of equipment threw new wrinkles into the combat, as teams could create cover, regenerate health, or shred the shields off enemies in one-fell swoop provided they coordinated effectively. Vehicles became slightly more powerful, so teams that made effective use of them were difficult to beat (unless you had the laser... goes back to map control).
- Halo: Reach takes the wrinkles provided by equipment and turns them into reusable abilities that players can use at any time. Each have their advantages, disadvantages (plus the opportunity cost of trading the advantages of one in for the other... you can only use one at a time). Each ability lends itself to a different role on the team. The 'bloom' reticule forces players to time their shots, rewarding players that are calm and skilled under pressure, but make it VERY difficult for a single player to prevail over a group. Vehicles are more powerful than they have been since Halo: CE, requiring either a power-weapon or a full team to take out. As a result of all these tweaks, Reach is the most team-oriented Halo of them all. Playing as a coordinated unit is key to success.
Those are general over-views, there's a lot more nuance that I didn't go into.
I prefer that kills take longer in Halo because I feel like it makes it MUCH harder for a less skilled player to 'luck' into a kill. If a player gets the drop on me, I can still turn the tide and win the encounter if I use my weapons appropriately along with the environment and grenades. Its simply a matter of 'guiding' the battle to my advantage, whether its a matter of adjusting the range of the encounter, the terrain, or the proximity to my teammates.
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