Hi Corrado, I just wanted to say a little about the game project I've been working on - a remake of a early 90's 8bit game. ((( I'm waiting for Arcadia(S.T.A.L.K.E.R) to download as I type and will probably still be waiting by the time I've finished typing...)))
( http://www.jwm-art.net/dark.php?p=XorCurses-0.0.5 ) This game based upon Xor is very simple gameplay, very simple graphics (which I made even simpler by resorting to ASCII/ncurses) but for me is challenging and difficult. I also find Crysis (Crytek 2007) challenging and difficult, but I've not played Crysis for several months despite the fact it cost me somewhere around £30. I just don't have the desire to keep going with it, simply can't be bothered. Yet I can be bothered to write in C this XorCurses game which uses ASCII characters instead of pixels for object representation - no shading, forget 3d, forget sound - it is satisfying and have learnt something while doing it. Have been working on an icon editor for it (the icons in the current version of xorcurses are embedded in the C code) and increasing the icon size but am now not really seeing any point, that it would add anything to the game. Today I finally figured out the red-player starting point in level 7, how to get the fish to explode the v-bomb. The solution was so simple it was devestating that I had spent so much time over the past two weeks unable to see it. (Sorry for rambling). >From working on this rusty old ASCII-icon editor thing I've started getting ideas about how to make something-else from the game. Just wondered if you'd care to comment on them: such as: using the c-code itself as ASCII-wall-texture AND/OR making wall textures for letters A-Z and then putting some sort of text into the map itself. i feel cautious about breaking the gameplay, as mentioned above, what is nice about the gameplay is sometimes the sollutions are simple and easy but so difficult to see, they can blind you to the extent it can seem almost impossible, the player could blame it on an error in the map or the code. when i began coding, i tried to make the way icon/object store data about contact/movement/reaction generic so that i could expand the game with new objects in future, but when it came to coding this contact/movement/reaction i came to realise having extra objects moving/reacting in different *directions* or ways would not actually add anything at all, possibly just confuse things - (aswell as make the code much more complex ;-) I was thinking it would be possible to create replays of specific areas in the game, just a little adjustment -- put a special flag in the array which stores movements and then store starting location, and loop. I dunno really, just seeing if this holds any interest to anybod. James. P.S. Aracadia downloaded before I finished typing. This is very different from a game. I wanted to see more happen - to see more evidence that it was a game engine creating the scene. On 19/2/2009, "Corrado Morgana" <[email protected]> wrote: >Hi Marc > >> So, by changing the nature of what it was 'originally' meant to be, >>changes its meaning. > >Guess so...or behaving and interacting in ways that are unexpected and >contrary. Think Carnival and Masquerade altho' that's a bit more temporary >and things return to their original state eventually, the peons go back to >wage slavery after parodying their masters and institutions. > >I think it's important that there is a significant act on the >institution/software/systems/environment that is contrary to the norm and >somehow that is fixed and documented. Meaning created through a frictional >dialog that gives up its new context but cannot escape it's original thus >commenting on it original state...phew > >Laters > >C > > > > > >-----Original Message----- >From: [email protected] >[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of marc garrett >Sent: 18 February 2009 12:27 AM >To: NetBehaviour for networked distributed creativity >Subject: Re: [NetBehaviour] Games Art > >Hi Corrado, > >One of the things I personally find interesting in this piece is the >contrast of real sound and the once virtual-visual plain. What is >unnerving for me is, the movement or the scanning which feels tranquil, >a natural scene; yet at the same time it is framed, trapped and the >movement of the panning across the frame seems caught, stuck and encased >within. I am aware of the illusion, and begin to wonder what is >elsewhere, but because the way that it is framed you know that there is >no outside just what you are presented. A suffocation, but a beautiful >one at that... > > >however using a game engine for anything > > 'other' than play is a very subtle detournement of the nature of a game, > > referring more to the virtual world itself and potential therein. > >So, by changing the nature of what it was 'originally' meant to be, >changes its meaning. > >If one takes or copies scenes or code from a traditional game-play >context, and then shifts it away from its original context with an >intention of detournement (whether subtle or not) is it this specific >approach or process which opens it up to the possibility of it becoming >an art work in its own right? > >marc > > > > Hey Marc > > > > In Arcadia (S.T.A.L.K.E.R.) was produced in collaboration with sound >artist > > Angus Carlyle and is somewhat atypical of what I normally produce. It > > doesn't directly involve any glitching or blatantly anti-game, or >mechanism > > exposing activity, for want of better terms! So in that sense it is >hardly > > a typical Corrado detournement, however using a game engine for anything > > 'other' than play is a very subtle detournement of the nature of a game, > > referring more to the virtual world itself and potential therein. >Machinima > > guys and gals have been doing this for years, using game engines for > > cinematic mis-en-scene so I can hardly claim any big idea there. > > > > The work is conceptually mostly Angus' in that it was his idea to examine > > the notion of a constructed idyll. The audio work is totally constructed > > from disjointed real world recordings. My experience shooting at >things in > > simulated landscapes useful in trawling through the potential location > > shoots from the virtual Middle East to Berlin, the Ukraine and various > > fantasy worlds. > > > > I find the audio eerie and unsettling...not sure what that cutting or > > digging sound actually is! > > > > However for me producing the piece was extremely helpful in getting a >grip > > on negotiating game space. I produced and published a paper entitled ' In > > Arcadia; Landscape filming in a toxic wasteland' that discusses the way a > > game engine functions like a virtual residency and how the game >affects the > > machinima artist/artist in much the same way as prior negotiations as a > > gamer, inseperable personas in the process of production-with the game > > engines internal logics a major actor > > >S It's good to talk > > > > Corrado > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [email protected] > > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of marc garrett > > Sent: 17 February 2009 4:24 PM > > To: NetBehaviour for networked distributed creativity > > Subject: Re: [NetBehaviour] Games Art > > > > Hi Corrado. > > > > I find 'In Arcadia (S.T.A.L.K.E.R.)' - > > >http://gamecritical.net/modules/wiwimod/index.php?page=InArc&back=ProJects, > > fascinating & peaceful, can I ask in what way in this work involves > > detournment from yourself? > > > > marc > > > > > > > Well, seeing as NetBehaviour is all about 'making it' whatever it is. > > > > > > I've finally posted to the list, the url of my website.. > > > > > > I've been 'negotiating' Games Art for some time, here are some > > 'negotiations' > > > > > > > > > > > > Machinam(art) not self executing works > > > > > > > > > > > > http://gamecritical.net/modules/wiwimod/index.php?page=ProJects > > > > > > > > > > > > mostly experiments, some finished works intended for gallery > > presentation and links to curation mainly in collaboration with HTTP >gallery > > > > > > > > > > > > off ya go.. > > > > > > > > > > > > Corrado > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > NetBehaviour mailing list > > > [email protected] > > > http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour > > > > _______________________________________________ > > NetBehaviour mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > NetBehaviour mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour > > > >_______________________________________________ >NetBehaviour mailing list >[email protected] >http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour > > > > >_______________________________________________ >NetBehaviour mailing list >[email protected] >http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour > _______________________________________________ NetBehaviour mailing list [email protected] http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour
