Star Trek Online

In Star Trek Online, the Star Trek universe will appear for the first time on a truly massive scale. In this massively multiplayer online game from Cryptic Studios, players can pioneer their own destiny as Captain of a Federation starship. Or, they can become a Klingon Warlord and expand the Empire to the far reaches of the galaxy. Players will have the opportunity to visit iconic locations from the popular Star Trek fiction, reach out to unexplored star systems, and make contact with new alien species. With Episode Missions, every moment spent playing Star Trek Online will feel like a new Star Trek episode in which you are the star. Immerse yourself in the future of the Trek universe as it moves into the 25th century: a time of shifting alliances and new discoveries.

Star Trek Online's official release date: February 2, 2010, in North America, and February 5, 2010, in Europe.

How do Star Trek Online and the new movie interact, and where does the timeline diverge?

(Click the above image to see the entire timeline.)

In the movie, two characters travel back in time from the year 2387. When Nero arrives in the year 2233, he disrupts the time continuum, creating an alternate reality from the point of his arrival. Star Trek (the new movie) takes place in this alternate reality. This is explained in the film in a conversation between Uhura and Spock on the bridge of the Enterprise.

Star Trek Online is set in the "prime" Star Trek reality. This is the timeline of the five television series and the first 10 movies. It is the world in which the Gorn attacked Cestus III, Kirk fought Khan in the Mutara Nebula, Picard explored the galaxy, the Federation fought the Dominion War, Voyager was stranded in the Delta Quadrant and Captain Archer and the crew of the NX-01 showed us how it all began.

Events in the movie that happened in the prime timeline (the destruction of Romulus, and the disappearance of Spock and Nero) have affected STO. You can learn more about the aftermath of these events in the Path to 2409 and in STO itself.

So how can the movie and STO be in different realities? When working on Star Trek, screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman referenced the theory of quantum mechanics, which allows for the simultaneous existence of parallel timelines and universes. Parallel universes are self-contained, separate realities that exist as a consequence of different choices and outcomes. This concept was explored in the TNG episode "Parallels," in which there were thousands of alternate timelines (and thousands of Enterprises!). It also is seen in the Mirror Universe, which is a darker take on the world of the Federation.

There are many, many stories to tell in the prime universe. The fallout of the destruction of Romulus and the upheaval that causes in the Alpha and Beta quadrants creates storytelling opportunities that we at Cryptic didn't even imagine when we first began working on STO. We're excited by the possibilities, and fans should be as well. The best is yet to come.

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Playing Batman: Akham Asylum

As a fan of Bob Kane's fictional hero Batman, I have always been wary of computer games featuring the Batman. Batman: Akham Asylum was a pleasant and enjoyable surprise for me. It was not as dark and frightening as the movie The Dark Knight especially with the new terrifying Joker. This game hearkens back to the golden age of Batman where good fights evil but with a delightful sense of make-believe comic book like feel. Even the Joker looks like the comic book character. I played the game on Xbox.

Batman: Arkham Asylum is an action-adventure stealth video game based on DC Comics' Batman for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. It was developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Eidos Interactive in conjunction with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Comics. The PS3 and Xbox versions of the game were released on August 25, 2009 in North America and August 28, 2009 in Europe., and the PC version was released on September 15th in North America and the September 18th in Europe.

Batman: Arkham Asylum, written by veteran Batman writer Paul Dini, is based on the long-running comic book mythos, as opposed to most other Batman games which are adaptations of the character in other media besides the source material. The Joker, Batman's archenemy, has instigated an elaborate plot from within Arkham Asylum where many of Batman's other villains have been incarcerated. Batman investigates and comes to learn that the Joker is trying to create an army of Bane-like creatures that threaten Gotham City, and is forced to put a stop to the Joker's plans. (Wiki)

The gameplay was easy with minimal training required. The storyline was also smooth and engaging. As in all Batman-Joker stories, there is good versus bad, good use of technology versus bad use of, virtues versus evil personality, and boils down to a mano-a-mano between two opposites of the same coin.

Until I played this, I did not realise how vulnerable Batman is. Even with his armour which one could upgrade during the gameplay, he is still vulnerable. This is more so in that he does not kill and he does not use a gun. Compared to other superheroes who can fly, have cosmic blasters and other weapons, Batman have to depend on his stealth and martial art skills. Sometimes during the gameplay, I wish he has something to shoot with.

Interestingly

The game received extremely high praise from critics, earning a 92% average on GameRankings, a game aggregator. This also earned it a spot in the Guinness World Records for "Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game". Sales were also high, selling over 2 million copies within its first two weeks of its console release. (Wiki)

This is a computer game with moderate amount of violence (but no gory scenes). I think I will play it again.

'nuff said!

Will Video Games be Better than Life?

Will Video Games be Better than Life?

Computer Games for Christians

Here is a wonderful list of computer games for Christians. Hmm, I don't see Halo, Gears of War or Command & Conquer.

100 Computer Games Especially for Christians

Whether you’re a parent of an impressionable child or an adult who’s fed up with lewd and violent themes in video games, there is hope for moral gamers. These 100 computer games promote Christian values, focus on Bible lessons and Scripture, and avoid the scandalous environments of mainstream games, without giving up on fun.

read more

Computer Games for Christians

Here is a wonderful list of computer games for Christians. Hmm, I don't see Halo, Gears of War or Command & Conquer.

100 Computer Games Especially for Christians

Whether you’re a parent of an impressionable child or an adult who’s fed up with lewd and violent themes in video games, there is hope for moral gamers. These 100 computer games promote Christian values, focus on Bible lessons and Scripture, and avoid the scandalous environments of mainstream games, without giving up on fun.

read more

Fighting the Halo Wars

I know, I know. I am supposed to be preparing my sermon, writing my PhD dissertation, teaching medical students and saving lives. However, I just cannot resist the latest offering of an X-Box game from the Halo universe - Halo Wars. Having enjoyed playing Halo 3 which is a third person shooter, Halo Wars is a real time strategy game, Command and Conquer style! Just what I need when the family is away overseas and I am home alone.

Halo Wars was released in Japan on February 26, PAL territories on February 27, and in North America on March 3, 2009. It is the last project to be developed by Ensemble.

The story is set about 20 years before the first Halo game, Halo: Combat Evolved (2001). It involves a war between humans and the alien Covenant and the introduction of the Flood.

I find the gameplay as good as Command and Conquer though this is the first time I am using the X-Box console. I have been playing Command and Conquer on my PC. Though the console is not a versatile as the PC keyboard, I do not find any difficulty adjusting.

What is impressive about the game is the cut scenes. The graphics are so good that it should be made into a movie and personally I felt it should be.

It is an enjoyable game, not too intense and adrenaline pumping as the Halo trilogy and is great fun.

Fighting the Halo Wars

I know, I know. I am supposed to be preparing my sermon, writing my PhD dissertation, teaching medical students and saving lives. However, I just cannot resist the latest offering of an X-Box game from the Halo universe - Halo Wars. Having enjoyed playing Halo 3 which is a third person shooter, Halo Wars is a real time strategy game, Command and Conquer style! Just what I need when the family is away overseas and I am home alone.

Halo Wars was released in Japan on February 26, PAL territories on February 27, and in North America on March 3, 2009. It is the last project to be developed by Ensemble.

The story is set about 20 years before the first Halo game, Halo: Combat Evolved (2001). It involves a war between humans and the alien Covenant and the introduction of the Flood.

I find the gameplay as good as Command and Conquer though this is the first time I am using the X-Box console. I have been playing Command and Conquer on my PC. Though the console is not a versatile as the PC keyboard, I do not find any difficulty adjusting.

What is impressive about the game is the cut scenes. The graphics are so good that it should be made into a movie and personally I felt it should be.

It is an enjoyable game, not too intense and adrenaline pumping as the Halo trilogy and is great fun.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3

Nate Ralph in his review of Red Alert 3 in WIRED (October 29, 2008) notes

For the most part, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 delivers the same sort of campy, alternate-universe take on real-time strategic warfare that the series' fans have grown to love. But this latest skirmish in the perennial war between the Allies and the Soviet forces lets you bring a friend to the battle.

The ability to engage in a cooperative campaign gives the game's hectic combat a welcome twist. For the first time in any strategy game, two players will have a chance to tackle a campaign side by side. This means constructing complementary armies, coordinating tactical strikes and fighting difficult computer enemies while working their way through the game's three campaigns and 27 missions.

I managed to buy the game on Friday. Unfortunately my human co-gamer has to go back to Australia the next day so I ended up playing the game alone. It will be interesting to play this game with my co-gamer. The interface is good and as I have souped up my VRAM to 8Gig, my computer gave me good performance without being 'hung-up.' It is an enjoyable game, similar to all other Command and Conquer. This time I get to play the Russians, Allied and Japan. Just finished the Japanese part of the game (9 missions).

It is enjoyable because it employs a gaming engine I am familiar with and challenging as I figure out the strategy of the game writers. Or as Nate Ralph commends, "the reason most people pick up a strategy game in the first place is to meet new and interesting people and crush them mercilessly." Hmm. That too.

read Nate Ralph's review here

Related Posts
Command and Conquer: Tiberium Wars
Command and Conquer: Tiberium Wars Novels
Seven Lessons I Learnt Playing Command and Conquer 3
Is Computer Games Bad for Your Kids?

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3

Nate Ralph in his review of Red Alert 3 in WIRED (October 29, 2008) notes

For the most part, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 delivers the same sort of campy, alternate-universe take on real-time strategic warfare that the series' fans have grown to love. But this latest skirmish in the perennial war between the Allies and the Soviet forces lets you bring a friend to the battle.

The ability to engage in a cooperative campaign gives the game's hectic combat a welcome twist. For the first time in any strategy game, two players will have a chance to tackle a campaign side by side. This means constructing complementary armies, coordinating tactical strikes and fighting difficult computer enemies while working their way through the game's three campaigns and 27 missions.

I managed to buy the game on Friday. Unfortunately my human co-gamer has to go back to Australia the next day so I ended up playing the game alone. It will be interesting to play this game with my co-gamer. The interface is good and as I have souped up my VRAM to 8Gig, my computer gave me good performance without being 'hung-up.' It is an enjoyable game, similar to all other Command and Conquer. This time I get to play the Russians, Allied and Japan. Just finished the Japanese part of the game (9 missions).

It is enjoyable because it employs a gaming engine I am familiar with and challenging as I figure out the strategy of the game writers. Or as Nate Ralph commends, "the reason most people pick up a strategy game in the first place is to meet new and interesting people and crush them mercilessly." Hmm. That too.

read Nate Ralph's review here

Related Posts
Command and Conquer: Tiberium Wars
Command and Conquer: Tiberium Wars Novels
Seven Lessons I Learnt Playing Command and Conquer 3
Is Computer Games Bad for Your Kids?

Playing Halo 3 on XBox 360

Since getting a Xbox 360, I have played Ninja Gaiden 2, a third person fighter and Gears of War 3, a third person shooter. Encouraged that a baby boomer can still play Xbox games, I next turned my attention to Halo 3, a first person shooter video game.

I soon discovered that playing a first person shooter is different from the others. It demands a more rapid respond time, lightning fast hand-eye coordination and good peripheral vision. I find that after a steep learning curve I was able to handle the game well. This is personally very encouraging. This means that my neuro-pathways are still malleable to changes. The old school of neurosciences taught that our brain have a fixed number of neurons and neuro-pathways at birth and the rest of our lives is a period of gradual degeneration of neurons and neuro-pathways. Newer findings now find that our brains continue to grow new neurons and develop new neuro-pathways throughout our lives. This is encouraging.

Halo 3 is a well designed game by Bungie for the Xbox 360 platform. The game play is good with seamless merging of game play and cut scenes. The graphic in the cut scenes are fantastic and I almost feel I am watching an interactive movie. I play the role of Master Chief who is a soldier in a Spartan body armour, a cybernetically enhanced supersoldier, as he wages war in defense of humanity, assisted by human Marines as well as an allied alien race called Elites, which is led by the Arbiter. The universe-building mythos of Halo is good though at times confusing. Halo 3's story centers on the interstellar war between 26th century humanity, led by the United Nations Space Command, and a collection of alien races known as the Covenant.I am glad I have read five Halo novels (The Flood, First Strike, Fall of Reach, The Cole Protocol and Contact Harvest ) before playing this game.

Aside from acting and shooting as a soldier, I get to drive bikes, jeeps, planes and of course, save the universe from a fate worse than death. What more could a guy ask for? It was with a satisfied grunt that I finished the game over the three days of the Chinese New Year (my daughter helped a bit). I have not played the other two games but apparently Halo 3 completes the events started in the other two thus concluding the trilogy.

Playing Halo 3 on XBox 360

Since getting a Xbox 360, I have played Ninja Gaiden 2, a third person fighter and Gears of War 3, a third person shooter. Encouraged that a baby boomer can still play Xbox games, I next turned my attention to Halo 3, a first person shooter video game.

I soon discovered that playing a first person shooter is different from the others. It demands a more rapid respond time, lightning fast hand-eye coordination and good peripheral vision. I find that after a steep learning curve I was able to handle the game well. This is personally very encouraging. This means that my neuro-pathways are still malleable to changes. The old school of neurosciences taught that our brain have a fixed number of neurons and neuro-pathways at birth and the rest of our lives is a period of gradual degeneration of neurons and neuro-pathways. Newer findings now find that our brains continue to grow new neurons and develop new neuro-pathways throughout our lives. This is encouraging.

Halo 3 is a well designed game by Bungie for the Xbox 360 platform. The game play is good with seamless merging of game play and cut scenes. The graphic in the cut scenes are fantastic and I almost feel I am watching an interactive movie. I play the role of Master Chief who is a soldier in a Spartan body armour, a cybernetically enhanced supersoldier, as he wages war in defense of humanity, assisted by human Marines as well as an allied alien race called Elites, which is led by the Arbiter. The universe-building mythos of Halo is good though at times confusing. Halo 3's story centers on the interstellar war between 26th century humanity, led by the United Nations Space Command, and a collection of alien races known as the Covenant.I am glad I have read five Halo novels (The Flood, First Strike, Fall of Reach, The Cole Protocol and Contact Harvest ) before playing this game.

Aside from acting and shooting as a soldier, I get to drive bikes, jeeps, planes and of course, save the universe from a fate worse than death. What more could a guy ask for? It was with a satisfied grunt that I finished the game over the three days of the Chinese New Year (my daughter helped a bit). I have not played the other two games but apparently Halo 3 completes the events started in the other two thus concluding the trilogy.

Playing Gears of War 2

Completed the game Gears of War 2 in 4 days. Gears of War 2 is a tactical third-person shooter video game developed by Epic Games. It was published by Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox 360 . I am quite satisfied with our performance. My daughter and I played a two person team and we managed to complete the game without using any cheats or walkthrough (ahem).

No, I am not entering my second childhood or becoming senile. Though in a couple of years I will be eligible to watch movies at half price which may not be a bad thing. I want to understand the younger generation and one of the ways to do that is to do what they are doing. I have been exploring their use of the Internet (hence bloggings, Facebooks, etc). Now I have included exploring their computer videos games.

Gears of War 2 takes place six months after the detonation of the Lightmass Bomb at the end of the first game. Though most of the Locust Horde was destroyed, the explosion also caused much of the liquid Imulsion underground to vaporize, causing a fatal disease called rustlung to spread among the diminished human population. After months of peace, the cities of Tollen and Montevado suddenly and mysteriously disappear underground, leading the COG to suspect the resurgence of the Locust. Soon after, the once impenetrable Jacinto, one of the last remaining safe havens for humans, begins to show signs that the same fate awaits it. In order to stop the fall of Jacinto, the COG responds with a large-scale counter-offensive against the Locust. Senior Producer Rod Fergusson says "In order to save Jacinto, [the COG] have no choice but to take the war to the Locust." source

The gameplay is not easy. I find that I have to train myself to use the XBox console which consists of little colored buttons. It is also a high adrenaline fast moving game so in my excitement I always pressed the wrong buttons. It is stressful too and maybe I should check my blood pressure. Compared to my daughter I find that my response time is slower. I take longer to analyse fast moving color images and formulate a response. However that become easier later in the game as I completed my learning curve. I am gratified that it is still possible to learn to play computer games at my age. I guess the neuro-pathways I use will be different from those my daughter is using but we achieve our objective in the end.

I discovered that it is a fallacy that gamers are interested in the violence and the bloody gore. I do not deny that these are present. Nevertheless I discovered that gamers are more interested to achieve their mission goals or defeat the 'big boss.' They will try a many different approaches as possible until they have achieved their goals. I believe that this is a mode of learning, maybe different from the mode of learning we older folks are used too.

In the final analysis, it is fun and I get to do a team gameplay with my daughter.

.

Playing Gears of War 2

Completed the game Gears of War 2 in 4 days. Gears of War 2 is a tactical third-person shooter video game developed by Epic Games. It was published by Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox 360 . I am quite satisfied with our performance. My daughter and I played a two person team and we managed to complete the game without using any cheats or walkthrough (ahem).

No, I am not entering my second childhood or becoming senile. Though in a couple of years I will be eligible to watch movies at half price which may not be a bad thing. I want to understand the younger generation and one of the ways to do that is to do what they are doing. I have been exploring their use of the Internet (hence bloggings, Facebooks, etc). Now I have included exploring their computer videos games.

Gears of War 2 takes place six months after the detonation of the Lightmass Bomb at the end of the first game. Though most of the Locust Horde was destroyed, the explosion also caused much of the liquid Imulsion underground to vaporize, causing a fatal disease called rustlung to spread among the diminished human population. After months of peace, the cities of Tollen and Montevado suddenly and mysteriously disappear underground, leading the COG to suspect the resurgence of the Locust. Soon after, the once impenetrable Jacinto, one of the last remaining safe havens for humans, begins to show signs that the same fate awaits it. In order to stop the fall of Jacinto, the COG responds with a large-scale counter-offensive against the Locust. Senior Producer Rod Fergusson says "In order to save Jacinto, [the COG] have no choice but to take the war to the Locust." source

The gameplay is not easy. I find that I have to train myself to use the XBox console which consists of little colored buttons. It is also a high adrenaline fast moving game so in my excitement I always pressed the wrong buttons. It is stressful too and maybe I should check my blood pressure. Compared to my daughter I find that my response time is slower. I take longer to analyse fast moving color images and formulate a response. However that become easier later in the game as I completed my learning curve. I am gratified that it is still possible to learn to play computer games at my age. I guess the neuro-pathways I use will be different from those my daughter is using but we achieve our objective in the end.

I discovered that it is a fallacy that gamers are interested in the violence and the bloody gore. I do not deny that these are present. Nevertheless I discovered that gamers are more interested to achieve their mission goals or defeat the 'big boss.' They will try a many different approaches as possible until they have achieved their goals. I believe that this is a mode of learning, maybe different from the mode of learning we older folks are used too.

In the final analysis, it is fun and I get to do a team gameplay with my daughter.

.

Playing Ninja Gaiden 2 on X Box

My daughter received a XBOX as a birthday present after Christmas. I have always wanted to try out the XBOX and there is one game I really like to try out on it and that is Ninja Gaiden. Ninja Gaiden is a mixture of role playing game and first person shooter, only he uses ninja equipment. So my daughter got me the game software and I have been spending the last seven days playing the game.

I really surprised my self when I started the game because it is a difficult game requiring a lot of hand eye coordination, concentration and an ability to react fast to threats. Initially it was difficult as I was unfamiliar with the game console. However, as the game proceeds. I became better at it. I find that my learning curve is steep but effective.

It was hard work as I sat hours after hours in the adrenaline pumping game, under stress to perform correctly and to stay alive. The ninja have certain fighting skills I have to master; his weapons and projectiles, his health and chi powers.

The game play was enjoyable. It is like a interactive novel where you are a hero and the outcome of the novel depends on what you do. Although there is not much area for character development, I was gripped by the storyline, wanting to see how it turns out. The short clips of video between major section are good, equivalent to those you see on the cinema screen. The only problem I have with this game is the violence - ninja fighting involves killing and slashing. There are lots of blood and flying body parts. As I thought about it, this is no worse than watching Frank Miller's movie 300.

What amazes me in the hours I spent on the game is that the game itself has many built-in principles of learning especially self directed learning. Though I have been an advocate of computer games as a medium of learning, I did not realise that in a game like Ninja Gaiden, the need to utilise the principles of learning is required before one can play the game well. And I think that is the beauty of the game. One can have a lot of fun without realising that one is learning or developing learning or problem solving skills.

Here are my five observations:

(1) To play the game, one need a satisfactory eye-hand coordination. It is a fast moving game so what the eyes see must be translated into hand movement quickly. Learning to do this takes times but it is a pre-requisite to play the game. So it is learning by doing. Repetition until your eyes coordinate fast enough with your fingers.

(2) The second principle is persistence. A game player can only finish a game by being persistent. He or she must be willing to spend hours repeating the same number of moves until they get it right. This is essential because the game will not allow you to proceed until one has done so.

(3) Game play require thinking about strategy. This is reflection in learning. When an approach doesn't work in the game, the player will think of another approach, and another, and another, until he or her hit on the correct one. The player is taught not be afraid to fail but to try try again until successful.

(4) During the game, players have to be observant for clues and items they can pick up which will lead to the next level of game play. In other words, they are being taught data collection.

(5) Playing this game need high concentration, commitment and focus. I believe this is the same with intense study.

I find it interesting that playing an XBox game involve the pedagogy/teaching principles of repetition, persistent, reflection, observation and commitment.

In seven days I finished 10 chapters out of 14. This my daughter tells me is pretty good. I guess you can still teach an old dog new tricks.


.

Playing Ninja Gaiden 2 on X Box

My daughter received a XBOX as a birthday present after Christmas. I have always wanted to try out the XBOX and there is one game I really like to try out on it and that is Ninja Gaiden. Ninja Gaiden is a mixture of role playing game and first person shooter, only he uses ninja equipment. So my daughter got me the game software and I have been spending the last seven days playing the game.

I really surprised my self when I started the game because it is a difficult game requiring a lot of hand eye coordination, concentration and an ability to react fast to threats. Initially it was difficult as I was unfamiliar with the game console. However, as the game proceeds. I became better at it. I find that my learning curve is steep but effective.

It was hard work as I sat hours after hours in the adrenaline pumping game, under stress to perform correctly and to stay alive. The ninja have certain fighting skills I have to master; his weapons and projectiles, his health and chi powers.

The game play was enjoyable. It is like a interactive novel where you are a hero and the outcome of the novel depends on what you do. Although there is not much area for character development, I was gripped by the storyline, wanting to see how it turns out. The short clips of video between major section are good, equivalent to those you see on the cinema screen. The only problem I have with this game is the violence - ninja fighting involves killing and slashing. There are lots of blood and flying body parts. As I thought about it, this is no worse than watching Frank Miller's movie 300.

What amazes me in the hours I spent on the game is that the game itself has many built-in principles of learning especially self directed learning. Though I have been an advocate of computer games as a medium of learning, I did not realise that in a game like Ninja Gaiden, the need to utilise the principles of learning is required before one can play the game well. And I think that is the beauty of the game. One can have a lot of fun without realising that one is learning or developing learning or problem solving skills.

Here are my five observations:

(1) To play the game, one need a satisfactory eye-hand coordination. It is a fast moving game so what the eyes see must be translated into hand movement quickly. Learning to do this takes times but it is a pre-requisite to play the game. So it is learning by doing. Repetition until your eyes coordinate fast enough with your fingers.

(2) The second principle is persistence. A game player can only finish a game by being persistent. He or she must be willing to spend hours repeating the same number of moves until they get it right. This is essential because the game will not allow you to proceed until one has done so.

(3) Game play require thinking about strategy. This is reflection in learning. When an approach doesn't work in the game, the player will think of another approach, and another, and another, until he or her hit on the correct one. The player is taught not be afraid to fail but to try try again until successful.

(4) During the game, players have to be observant for clues and items they can pick up which will lead to the next level of game play. In other words, they are being taught data collection.

(5) Playing this game need high concentration, commitment and focus. I believe this is the same with intense study.

I find it interesting that playing an XBox game involve the pedagogy/teaching principles of repetition, persistent, reflection, observation and commitment.

In seven days I finished 10 chapters out of 14. This my daughter tells me is pretty good. I guess you can still teach an old dog new tricks.


.