The Gamer's Quarter

Dracko · . Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 2613

I've always loved strategy games based on books. Sure, the only good one was Starship Troopers, and that was more based on the movie than anything else (Same goes for Dune, and it felt more like an adventure game to me). Now what kind of glorious gaming innovations will a title reputed for it's pop-religious stance and other poor sub-themes, with poor writing to boot, bring us?

I don't know about you, but I'm sort of expectant for this thing's release. I hope it will bring it's moot controversy to public light, like the GTA series, and result in all sorts of laughs.

Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour?
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"This is the most fun I've ever had without being drenched in the blood of my enemies!"

dhex · Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 12:27 pm Post subject:

the graphics look ok. armageddon is as good a topic for a game as any.

the first left behind movie is great. absolutely fantastic. the second was not so great, since the first didn't do what they thought it would. however, the company that distributes them makes great direct to video movies about the UN, the antichrist and Mr. T. there's some good corbin bernsen ones too. (i think judgement is the name of the best one, also featuring mr. t.)
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GSL · Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 1:24 pm Post subject:

Oh yeah, I heard rumors about this title a while back. I had hoped they weren't true, but looks like that's out the window.

I still remember reading the first two books way back in tenth grade. I'm not sure why I read the second one--perhaps I was feeling masochistic--but that was the shittiest writing I'd seen until I read Dan Brown. Not to mention the great creative liberties the authors bring to traditional doomsday prophecies by blowing their wad over the whole evangelical 'Rapture' concept.

I've picked up the more recent books a few times just to have a glance at the summary; am I the only one that thinks the things are starting to sound like the deformed love child of Tom Clancy and... well, a pair of hack writers?

dhex · Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 6:19 pm Post subject:

well, they do strangle some things for the sake of "plot" (left behind has plot in the same way an episode of the a-team had a plot, or [insert jrpg here]) but it's fairly in line with standard american fundamentalist eschatology. i don't remember hearing anything really out of whack with the exception of the wandering jew bit they worked into the movie. that was a bit odd, but these things are supposed to be teaching aids of sorts - in addition to being revenue producing flights of fancy - which is why the same authors have produced study guide books and other group event materials.

it's actually quite fascinating, really. i hope they make an fps sometime.
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simplicio · . Joined: 03 May 2005 Posts: 1091

I came into this thread cause I thought for a second Dracko liked a game and I wanted to see what it might be. Too bad.

Dracko · . Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 2613

I think if you go through my post history, you'll find that I've discussed more things that I like, love or simply acknowledge over any that I actively dislike.
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"This is the most fun I've ever had without being drenched in the blood of my enemies!"

TOLLMASTER · nippon ichi PR man Joined: 15 Feb 2005 Posts: 187

The reason I don't like Starcraft is probably based on Dune 2. Not only did Starcraft copy Warcraft 2, which was basically Warcraft 1, which was a watered-down version of Command and Conquer, which was an ignorant copy of Dune 2, but resource collecting is a lot more fun when giant worms are involved.

I won't play the Left Behind game because it's probably politcally incorrect. The political incorrectness wouldn't get to me, but the use of politcally incorrect ideas to further pseudo-Christian values would.

dhex · Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2006 12:09 pm Post subject:

but what could be more religious than the end of the world?

the idea that something can be religious without being metaphysical - and having metaphysical consequences - is one of the most unfortunate symptoms of the modern age. just cause something has a following or joins people together doesn't mean its a religion, or even a religious impulse. but the idea that our behavior on earth is destined to lead to a - very human, i think - conception of a great final battle between GOOD and EVIL is, at its core, deeply religious, because it posits an end to the age of man and the beginning of something else. since religion is the pursuit of "something else" above all else - the pre-rational attempts to understand stuff that doesn't make sense without some sort of conceptual framework, as opposed to most ideologies which claim to have a post-rational understanding - i can only say "hurrah" at this latest feet-wetting attempt.

besides, look on the bright side; if the hardline protestants of the world went on a true eschatological rampage - rather than indulging it through books, movies and games - most of the freaks, weridoes, heathens, queers, pagans and atheists will have been so disarmed by liberal gun control laws that we'll be easily rounded up and killed!

oh wait, that's not a bright side at all. boo!

as with all things, i blame martin marty.

but really, left behind is a poetic revenge fantasy in the vein of steven segal, but with 500% more book of john. it's great to see how like with all massive ideological works, the wicked evildoers come to receive their measure in the most hamfisted ways possible. it's so unsubtle as to be nearly transcendent.
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Harveyjames · the meteor kid Joined: 06 Jul 2006 Posts: 3636

simplicio · . Joined: 03 May 2005 Posts: 1091

dhex, that post, along with the recent IC thread on Defcon, makes me wonder what the hell the various religions would have made of global nuclear war, had/when it happened/happens.

actually, are there nukes (command & conquer style, I'm thinking) in the left behind game? or is that all too scientific?

someone should make a game where you play a communist superpower struggling to beat God to destroying the entire world. Any time the locusts come and ravage a city before you've nuked it you lose points.

GSL · Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2006 3:23 pm Post subject:

Dracko · . Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 2613

OtakupunkX · . Joined: 23 Mar 2006 Posts: 730

A friend of mine and I came up with a game concept we called "Religion Tycoon". It would be a cross between an RTS and a buisness management game in which the player would be trying to create his own religion. After a certain point in the game, the player would be able to take it online and battle it out, RTS style, with other players and their religions for control of the world.