Cifer69 Blog: 2015

Competence Leading to Improve Personal Life

Do you have the competence to improve your everyday living and overall humane existence, or do you lack this quality? To improve personal living you have to find competence to take control. Our life is the personal way we as humans life. It is our way of making choices, which contributes to our person. In life we have inner coaches, counselors, etc that help us to achieve in life. We also have helpful experts in the world who will take the time to help those who find it difficult to help self. You have many options and resources available to you.

How to use competence:
Competence is earned. You must learn how to build competence to use it. A person with competence will take what they learn and use it to solve different situations in their life. They will make what they learn second to the first nature they intend to acquire. A competent person always sees the new light at the end of each tunnel.

When a person has competence, he or she feels joyful. A joyful person will consider each incident, experience etc in life as something they can learn from, as well this person will not allow bad weigh him or her down. The person will take the bad, see new light and continuing learning from his or her mistakes.

We hear bad news each day. The US is battling hard with other countries. This is out of our control. Therefore, we must see the new light. For instance, you can say “I do not have control over the world, yet I have control over my actions.” Once you see that you can only change you, you will live happier and free of chaos.

You will need to learn how to suspend judgments of self and others. You are not the Man in control. Only one spiritual being has the right to call judgment down on anyone. Let this Man take the weight on His shoulders. You may need to pray often to cease judging self and others. since this is a common problem, we face in the world. It is habitually seen in nearly everyone you meet.

It is ok to have opinions, but when you do not have facts to support your claims, why speak. Too many times people suspect, offer opinions, speculate, or jump to conclusions, which has caused major problems in the world. If you do not have facts behind you, or to support what you say, shut up. Allow someone else in the world to make the next mistake.

If you want to live happier, you will need to build your energy. To build energy you will need to eat proper, exercise and take good care of you. You will need to associate with positive people and learn to help others as well as yourself. The more effort you put forth, the more you will get back from your efforts.

Next, you want to consider your health. Frequent doctor visits, exercise, eating right and avoiding harmful chemicals and substances are a start to bettering your health.

Once you get your health in check, you can move to build self-awareness. In fact, you should have a degree of this already built, since you needed it to see how to improve your overall life. Self-awareness is the process of evaluating self. When you can sit back and look at you, you have self-awareness. What can I do to change bad habits. How do my bad habits help me. Remember, laugh as you evaluate yourself to keep from going insane.

Why Online Role Playing Games Are In Demand

History

Online role playing games can trace its history back
to the 1970s, where the earliest multi user games
started to appear. Rogue, a very famous dungeon
crawler, was released in1980. Monsters, items, and
setting were represented by letters. This in turn,
inspired a whole genre of similar clones.

Dungeons and Dragons have long influenced the
development of role playing games. Console playing
games’, such as Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest,
success divided the genre into two: the console role
playing games and the computer role playing games.
This is because of the cultural differences where game
consoles are produced primarily for personal computers
in Japan and role playing games in the Western World.

Online Role Playing Games started as single player
games when it was first introduced. However, with the
advent of the internet, more and more improvements
were made on role playing games. What started as a
game for one now has all people coming from different
countries playing together in one game. Multiplayer
options have grown remarkably big that game companies
find ways to improve it over and over again. With
these improvements came massively multiplayer online
role playing games (MMORPGs) that continued to make
online gaming more popular each year.

RPGs

Role playing games are games where the participants or
players assume roles of certain fictional characters
and follow stories as the game process continues.

These characters are usually called avatars and can be
customized according to the player’s preferences.
Participants determine their character’s actions
whether it succeed or it fails. Like any other game,
online role playing games also have guidelines and
formal system of rules and mechanics that has to be
met. Within this rules, the participant can improvise
and shape the outcome and direction of the games.

Stories

The games are based around stories which are mostly
adventure and fictional in type. Online role playing
games centers around fantasy and mythological genre
were the participant has to achieve a certain goal to
advance further into the game. These goals are
sometimes called “quests” or mission. They involve
chasing of dragons from the city, saving a damsel in
distress, or fighting evil masters and wizards. How
one wins these fights depends on their character’s
strength, characteristics, and skill.

More About the Characters

Players are given options on how they want to improve
their character’s performance. They can modify this
through enhancing their character’s skills,
attributes, equipment, and special abilities. In most
RPGs, these improvements are offered as rewards for
accomplishing missions and overcoming certain
challenges. These rewards have to be earned.

Status Bars

Unlike traditional video games where health or a
character’s attributes are displayed on colored status
bars and meters, online role playing games have a more
complicated way in displaying status levels. Instead
of the simpler abstract graphical representation, they
make use of numeric values which are constantly
updated each time the character scores or takes a hit.
These numerical values are displayed on the status
screen of each player.

Multiplayer Options

Originally, role playing games were offered only a
single player experience. However, with the advent of
the internet, multiplayer modes gained popularity and
rose sharply during the middle of the 1990s. Diablo
was among the first to come up with multiplayer games.
And with that, these multiplayer games became into
massively multiplayer online role playing games
(MMORPGs). Everquest is an example of these.

Changing Habits to Improve your Personal Life

Habits, oh those nasty habits. Habits are developed from training, influences, observation, and practice. We develop many habits throughout our life, which some are good and others are bad. Good habits we can keep, but if one wants to improve their life the bad habits has to take a hike. Getting rid of bad habits however is not easy, especially if an addiction is involved. For this reason, we can take a few steps to learning how you can change your habits.

Making excuses:
People wander through life making excuses. Anytime a person sees something complicated, they will often make excuses why they cannot deal with the problem. “This is just the way I am.” This is a common problem in the world, which we’ve all heard billions of times. If you are out to improve your life however, you need to say, “This is something that hinders me from achievement and I have the power to change it.

The first key to success is stop making excuses. Learn how to tell the truth. The truth is the only answer that leads you to improve your personal life. Once you learn to tell the truth, you will need to commit self to learning new behaviors and habits.

You can commit by choosing a new habit. Today I plan to drink more water. Some of us detest water, yet water is our way of living healthier. Instead of detesting something that will save your life, start saying, today I will drink more water. Even if you start out drinking a glass for the first couple of days, you are making changes.

Today I am going to stop judging others and myself. This is a common mistake people make in the world. They spend time judging others and themselves. This gets them nowhere but in a world of chaos. You make your bed, you must learn to sleep in it, which is why you should change your ways. Judging is only for our Master in the sky.

Do you think negative? I can’t change this. My life is full of nonsense, I can’t swing it anymore. Why me? Who put a tag on my head, saying persecute me. If you spend your life thinking negative and saying negative connotations, try changing your ways today. For instance, say, I can change something and I am going to. Instead of saying life is full of nonsense, accept it as truth yet move ahead to make your life better. Why me is a common question, which no one knows why, yet we have to accept it, make better decisions and move ahead. If you feel persecuted, ask you what you are doing that makes you feel this way. Do you have friends or family members weighing you down? If so, then kick their butt down the road and make new friends. No one in life is worth you suffering ongoing. You have the power to make changes, yet you do not have the power to change other people.

When you start to make changes to improve your life, start small. Instead of jumping the gun, take baby steps to success. Too many times people try to change overnight. This only leads to frustration.

When you are working to change your life and habits make sure you seek support and feedback. You do not have to walk the road to success alone. Feedback is found at your library, the Internet, at colleges, and so on. You will find support along these channels as well. Ask someone you trust to support you and give you feedback when needed also.

What The Virtual World Has To Offer - ORPGs

The Online Role Playing Game

The venue is the virtual world. Numerous individuals
participate, meet, and play with each other. These are
the occurrences in massively multiplayer online
role-playing game (MMORPG). These are computer role
playing games which developed from continuous
improvement of online multi user games. It was Richard
Garriott who coined the term MMORPG. He is the creator
of the game which popularized MMORPG, Ultima Online.

A fictional fantasy world is the usual setting in most
role playing games. The gamers build their own
character (avatar) and take control of the avatar’s
skill and abilities. They can customize their avatars
to match their personality. Every game in the online
RPGs comprises of different characters with different
trait and responsibilities. They can be categorized
into melee, ranged, and magic users.

What Makes MMORPGs Different

Massively multiplayer online role playing games can be
recognized from the usual computer role playing games
by the number of players and the virtual world where
the game is situated. Computer role playing games can
only cater to single player modes whilst massively
multiplayer online role-playing games can cater to
thousands of gamers at one time.

The world that the game is themed from is another
factor that differentiates the two genres. A
repetitive and constant setting is found on computer
role playing games. Because of the way it is
programmed, each time the gamers in computer RPGs
plays a game, the same episodes are repeated.

On the contrary, MMORPGs’ provide an environment that
lives on its own. That means that even if the player
is away or online, the game continues to evolve and
“live”.

Increasing Revenues

Because of the popularity MMORPG has gained, it is not
surprising to know that revenues rose dramatically
over the years just so it could keep up with the world
wide demand of online gamers.

In 2005 alone, about half a billion US dollars have
been given to MMORPGs. Western revenues have been
allotted with about one million dollars.

Economics

Most online role-playing games feature living
economies. Virtual items and currency have to be
gained while playing the game and have definite value
for the players. Such a virtual economy can be
analyzed and has value in economic research and can
even have a dramatic impact on the economies of the
real world.

One of the early researchers of MMORPGs, particularly
Edward Castronova, stated that the supply-and-demand
market for virtual items is existing. It even crossed
over the real world as much as the virtual one.
Crossover requirements are some of the following: The
player’s ability to sell in-game items for virtual
currency, trading of items which have the similar
value, the purchase of game items with real money, and
the exchange of real money with in-game money.

The idea of exchanging real currency virtual currency
or in-game items has had a significant effect on both
the players and game industries. People who make a
living out of the virtual economies are termed as
“gold farmers” and can be employed through the game
shops or private forums.

Real currencies in exchange for virtual money and
in-game items are usually prohibited by game
publishers. However, because of necessity this
exchange cannot be avoided. An example of this is
“Entropia Universe”, an online game that allows real
money in exchange for game money and vice versa.

Building Courage to Improve your Personal Life

When you build courage, you start to improve your personal life. Building courage will help you take risks to a brighter future that you ordinarily would not take. When you build courage, you put fear behind you. courage is the process of admitting that you have fears, yet you are willing to find a way to defeat those fears and not allow these fears to take control of you. It is ok to experience your fears at appropriate times. For instance, if a bus is heading in your path, swerving you have a right to fear. There is nothing wrong with healthy fear. The problem is you have to put healthy fear in its place and unhealthy fear out of your life.

Once you build courage, you will learn to self-direct you in life. You will learn to accept punishment and rewards gracefully. A courageous person will often feel motivated to accept blame and responsibility while reviewing their actions and using what they learn to move forward. Courageous people will step to the front, rather than stepping back when opportunities come their way. On the other hand, a courageous person will step back and take a view at his or her mistakes gracefully.

Sometimes the courageous person is spontaneous. It is never good to plan each day, because no one knows what the next day will bring in. Think about it. How many times have you planned something all to see it shatter in your face the next day. For instance, I plan to go to the ballgame tomorrow. Come tomorrow a blizzard, hurricane, tornado, wind storm, or rainstorm could change your mind. You planned, but did you plan for the weather. Did you make a backup plan in case your first plan failed. As you can see, planning is not always in your favor, which is why courageous people are sometimes spontaneous.

A person willing to improve their life will relax. This person will relax even when plans fail. For instance, if it stormed the next day the person will find something else to occupy his or her time and feel just as happy about joining this adventure.

To become successful and improve your life you will need to learn how to trust you. When you trust you, you can trust others as well. Unfortunately, we live in a world where trust is hard to find, yet when you trust you, you can’t blame others when things go wrong.

Improving your life includes using your creative and critical mind. When you can create new ideas, you are off to the road to success. You have many options in this world, it takes you to pull up resources to find those options.

Sometimes in life, we feel uncomfortable. In fact, this is common. Are you willing to accept your discomforts? Perhaps at an interview you feel misplaced. Are you willing to accept this discomfort and find a way to deliver a good speech to impress the interviewer. Alternatively, are you willing to allow negative energies cost you the job.

Do you accept?
Do you accept the things you cannot change? Do you accept the things you have control over? Do you accept other people regardless of how these people act? Do you accept you for who you are? Do you accept the changes that life brings your way?

Acceptance is your key to happiness. When you can learn to accept the good with the bad, you can learn how to live happier and improve your personal life. If you cannot accept however, well, reread this article again.

The Internet and ORPGs - Pros And Cons

With the advent of the Internet, online games have
been played over computer networks. Over the year, the
online gaming has expanded and provided a large
influence to the overall expansion computer networks
from the popular growth of Internet access itself and
the local networks to the Internet.

These online games can vary from games that are text
based to complex graphical and virtual games which are
simultaneously populated by many players all over the
world. Nowadays online gaming has become a social
activity because of the online communities
incorporated into the recent online games.

The rising popularity of flash and java and internet
revolution made video streaming, audio streaming, and
a whole new set of user interactivity possible. When
Microsoft began including flash players as a
pre-installed component of “internet explorer”, the
Internet shift from a data/information source to also
offer on-demand entertainment.

Flash Players

When flash players were included into the internet
explorers, it gave way for web sites to offer games to
the web surfers. World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy XI
and Lineage II are among the most popular online games
to date.

These games charge monthly fees to their subscribers
so that they may be able to access the services and
avail the services they need. However, games such as
Guild Wars, do not charge monthly fees to their
subscribers.

Massive Multiplayer Online Games (MMOG’s)

With the advent of broadband internet access, massive
multiplayer online games were made possible especially
in developing countries. Using the internet, MMOGs
became very popular to children, teens, and young
adults because the internet allows thousands of
players to play and participate in the same game at
the same time.

Massive multiplayer online role-playing game (World of
Warcraft), Massive multiplayer online real-time
strategy (Mankind), and Massive multiplayer online
first-person shooter (Dark Fall) are one of the most
popular styles of MMOG’s.

Pros and Cons of Online Games

Because of the growing access to broadband internet,
gamers can play there favorite online role playing
games from the comfort of their own home while
interacting with the other gamers even without meeting
them yet.

Here are some advantages and disadvantages of playing
online games at home:

Pros

Online games provide privacy. Online gaming can be
played at home rather than go to internet cafés with
other people lining up just to play the same game.

Online games are cheaper. Because you can play from
the comfort of your own home, you can play for as long
as you can without paying for large amounts in the
internet cafés.

Online games are safe. Online gamers need not to go
out of their homes so as to guarantee safety. You also
need not to reveal your true identity to other players
while maintaining interaction with them.

Cons

Online games are time consuming. These games are quite
competitive and one needs time to think of strategies
and accomplishing their goals. They also need to spend
large amounts of time to keep up with other players.

Online games lessen social interaction. Because of the
large amount of time players spend in front of the
computer and interacting with other gamers mostly
through chat, they become impersonal in dealing with
people. They would rather spend the entire day
interacting through chat than actually meeting and
talking to individuals in person.

Online games can cause eye strain and head ache. While
most online games are fun to play with, they can
become very addictive to the majority of players.
Spending large amounts of time in front of the monitor
not only prove to be eye straining but can cause
prolonged head ache even if they stop playing the
game.

Accepting to Improve your Personal Life

Do you have the ability to accept the things you can change and the things you cannot change? Do you have the ability to accept that other people are opt to change them, rather than you changing them? Do you accept that you are who you are, regardless of what others think? Can you accept the many changes that take place in your life?

If you answered yes to one or all of these questions then you are off to the start of improving your personal life. If you are willing to accept, you have the ability to laugh, even when something is not funny. For instance, if someone pushed you, you could stand back and laugh. The push is only a threat to your emotion, which you will see, accept and find a way to gain control of the situation.

When you can accept things in life, including you and others you find a way to take control. When you are in control, it helps you to see how you can improve your personal life. When you learn to accept you will learn to discover you.

Individuality is personal, which philosophers over generalize this subject. Many people in the world believe that when we act the same way at all times, we have established our identity. Politically incorrect! We have emotions, thoughts, behaviors, actions, and have been plagued by a world of influences both good and bad. Each day we will feel something new, which causes our personality to reflect on these changes. Therefore, when you see someone laughing one minute and crying the next, you are seeing a shift in emotions, which is a normal pattern of identity for this person. Unless the persons eyes change, behaviors change dramatically, friends change regularly, etc, and you are seeing common behaviors.

We live in a world that desensitizes us. We are surrounding by billions of influences on television, in the media, on radio, in house-holds, government, schools and so forth. Each to their own, but everyone is judging someone at some time, which is something we have to accept. We cannot change these peoples behaviors and way of thinking, but we can change ours. This is a part of learning and accepting. The best way around the world is become your own influence and allow other influences to make someone else’s life miserable. Only rely on sources that prove truthful with their actions, behaviors and words. Positive reflections are the key to living happier.

Once you learn to accept you will be eager to laugh. For instance, if someone makes you mad you will see the humor in his or her actions. You may see the humor in your actions if you make a mistake and feed into their stupidity.

Once you start to see the humor in life, you will feel better inside. We are involved in a unruly world filled with greedy people, envious souls, lusty tigers, and so on. We have to learn how to work around these people, accept us and move on. Once you learn to change to better you, other people may follow. Good conduct has proven far more effective than words to encourage others to change.

As you grow you will feel a new hunger, and that hunger will guide you to discover new ways to better you. In time as you start to feel better, you will see a need to exercise, eat right, and hang out with positive influences and so on. Once you feel this hunger, you will feel inspired to labor to achieve your goals.

The Development Of Online Role Playing Games

Background

The mid 1970s gave birth to a new genre of role
playing video games. Online RPG were the results of
early university mainframe text-based role playing
games on Unix-based computers (such as pedit5, dnd,
and Dungeon) and PDP-10.

When the 1980s came, Rogue, a very popular dungeon
crawler, was released. Because of this, a deep system
of gameplay was observed in the settings, items, and
monsters. As a result, new genres of “roguelike”
replicas were made.

One of the most influential among the role playing
games invented was Dungeons and Dragons. Ever since
its release, improvements have been made on online
role playing games in general. In 1988, SSI formed a
series of “Gold Box” Computer Role Playing Games with
Pool of Radiance. The rules were based on Advanced
Dungeons and Dragons. It also featured overhead
tactical displays for combat and a first-person
display for movement.

Initially, role playing games offered only a single
player mode of playing. But with the advent of games
like Diablo, multiplayer options of the games became
available and quickly became all the rage especially
in the mid-1990s. With more success, these multiplayer
games became massively multiplayer online role-playing
games (MMORPGs) with the advent of the internet. Games
such as Everquest where produced as MMORPGs.

Dungeons and Dragons and other traditional ORPGS
became the basis for the game mechanics and the
settings found in the new role playing games.

They all involve a team, group of characters, usually
called a “party” that join together to accomplish a
mission or quests. Challenges and enemies await the
players and they become more and more difficult to
overcome as the game progresses.

Some obstacles are dragons, monsters, or evil wizards.
Most of these are inspired by science fiction,
mythology, and fantasy.

Rewards and Points

The players themselves build their own avatars or
characters. They also have different options on how
they can modify these characters basing on their
skills, attributes, equipment, special abilities, and
personalities.

However, the improvements of their characters are
highly dependent on how they play the game. New
powers, equipment, and better health are given as
rewards and prizes for achievement of their goals and
accomplishment of quests. It can also be given as
reciprocate to the service they offer to the locals of
the fantasy setting.

Rewarding the characters may be done based on these 3
systems. The training system awards the characters
with proficiency in using equipment. With training and
practice, the character will become more accustomed to
it.

The skill point system rewards the character skill
points based on the quests he or she completed.

The experience system awards the player with
experience points upon winning battles and destroying
monsters in the game.

Complex Fun

Normally, status screens are displayed on the gamer’s
monitor to know the attributes and hit points of the
character. It uses a more complex abstract graphical
representation because bars and meters are not
utilized in describing the character’s status.
Instead, numerical values are designated to do the
job.

Multiplayer Experience

Single and multiplayer options are available with
online role playing games. These games allow you to be
part of a group or a team. They give chance for player
to player interaction through chat. A sense of
competition is also experienced during battles with
other teams.

With revenues exceeding more than a billion dollars
each year, it is then, with no doubt, that online
gaming encompasses other role playing game genres.

Optimism

The world is full of many different types of people. Some like to complain and stir up issues. Yet others will always search for solutions and hold out that better things are to come. These individuals are full of optimism and they can sometimes annoy those that like to wallow in self pity. Yet if you can try to think positive then you can learn to appreciate the things in life you already have. Too many people are always reaching for more when so much is right there in front of them.

It goes back to that timeless question of is the glass half empty or half full. Those that see it as half full are very optimistic. They will take what is there and make it as fulfilling as they possibly can. This is why they can be poor or they aren’t the most educated but they are happy people. They are able to count the blessing in their life and not take them for granted.

Being optimistic is a state of mind that a person chooses to have. You can decide if you are going to look for the good or focus on the negative. The reality of it is that you will find exactly what you are looking for. By this I mean if you are looking for how bad your life is you will find plenty of examples. Yet if you want to look for all of the good and the opportunities that you have you will also find them.

It is important to surround yourself with people in life that are positive. Those with a negative outlook can poison everyone so you need to be careful though. Challenge those you know who are continually unhappy to enjoy the good things that they have to cherish. You can also challenge them by asking them what they want to do to change the situation instead of simply complaining about it.

One of the greatest gifts you can give to a child is optimism. They will learn from example if you show it to them. They will have to learn that life is full of ups and downs but they can always find something to bring them joy. This outlook is going to help them to live a very full and happy life.

The Advent Of Online Role Playing Games

Background

The genre of role playing video game history can be
traced back to the mid-1970s. These were the results
of early university mainframe text-based RPGs on
Unix-based computers (such as pedit5, dnd, and
Dungeon) and PDP-10. The 1980s paved way for the
release of a very popular dungeon crawler, Rogue. A
deep system of gameplay was observed in the settings,
items, and monsters. Because of this, new genres of
“roguelike” clones were made.

Dungeons and Dragons is the most influential among the
role playing games made. Improvements were made since
its release. In 1988, SSI formed a series of “Gold
Box” Computer Role Playing Games with Pool of
Radiance. These were based on the Advanced Dungeons
and Dragons rules and featured an overhead tactical
display for combat and a first-person display for
movement.

The initial role playing games presented only a single
player experience for its players. However, with games
such as Diablo, multiplayer modes of the games quickly
became popular in the mid-1990s. These in turn, grew
to massively multiplayer online role-playing games
(MMORPGs) with the dawn of the internet. Everquest and
many other games were fashioned into MMORPGs.

The game mechanics and the settings found in newer
role playing games were derived from their traditional
counterparts, most especially Dungeons and Dragons.
Almost all game stories involve a party or a group of
characters that join forces to complete a “quest” or a
mission. Numerous enemies and challenges await the
players. As the game progresses, these challenges
become more and more difficult to overcome. Usually,
these obstacles are dragons, monsters, or evil persons
that are inspired by mythology, science fiction, and
more commonly, fantasy.

Character Building

It is dependent on the players how they want their
characters, or avatars, to look like and be like. They
can also modify them based on their skills,
attributes, equipment, special abilities, and
personalities. More often than not, improvements can
be given as gifts or prizes when the player or the
party achieved a certain goal or completed a mission.
In short, they have to earn these rewards in order to
for their characters to become a better player in the
next challenge.

There are different ways of rewarding the characters
of the game for accomplishing the tasks and achieving
their goals. These are based on: the training system
(skill-based system), the skill point system
(level-free system), and the experience system
(level-based system).

Progress Charts

Characters possess a variety of features such as hit
points. A status screen is traditionally displayed on
the player’s monitor. However, unlike the usual video
games, role playing games use numerical values to
describe the character or the game’s status. They do
not make use of the simpler abstract graphical
representations such as bars and meters that video
games utilize.

Interactive Fun

Online role playing games differ from it traditional
RPG counterparts in the sense that it offers both a
single and multi user experience. All online games
allow you to chat with each player no matter where he
or she is. Multiplayer games allow you to be part of a
group as well, playing with or against each other in
order to complete your quest or mission. However, if
you choose to be a single player, you will still be
part of a small group. Being an online player for
sometime, you will find yourself being the leader or
influential member of the group.

With revenues exceeding more than a billion dollars
each year, it is then, with no doubt, that online
gaming encompasses other role playing game genres.

Wishes

A wish can be something a child or even an adult wants to happen. It can be something very unrealistic such as a certain event never ending or a love one coming back to them who has died. A wish can be to get a date with the boy you have a crush on or to earn enough money to buy a car before you go off to college. Some wishes are out of our reach while others we can work to make happen.

There are many different types of events that occur in our world that lead a person to wish. Most of us don’t stop to question why such beliefs take place but we follow them anyway. There are wishing wells that you toss coins into and make your wish. Fountains of this nature are also found in many locations.

Some people say you should make a wish when you see a star falling from the sky. Another popular time is when you are blowing out the candles on your birthday cake. Most people believe that you should never share the wishes you make with others. They are yours and yours alone to believe in.

Making wishes can be fun and they can help to keep us young at heart. The amount of faith that a person has in such wishes though can often determine many things in their life. Some wishes you can be very optimistic about and make a conscious effort to work towards them. Others are merely things you wish could be even though it is very likely it will occur for you.

There are some organizations out there that work hard to make wishes come true for people though. For example they have programs to help families buy their first home. This may seem like a simple wish but if you don’t have one it is a huge thing to think about. For others it may be to get something for Christmas and that can happen through generous donations.

There are foundations out there for dying individuals who want to have one last wish. They work hard to make it happen regardless of what it is. This could be going to Disneyland, meeting a celebrity, or seeing their favorite professional football team playing a game. There is no limit to the wishes a person can have and most of us have a few we would like to see come true.

Role Playing Games - And The Fan Base Grows

Role Playing Games

Players or participants of Role Laying Games assume
the role of different fictional characters, more
popularly known as avatars, and try to make these
characters victorious with each challenge it faces.

These avatars can be customized and built according to
the preferences of the player. They may determine
where their character may excel. However, as the game
progresses, the character may built up more strength
and powers or otherwise.

Online role playing games also have guidelines and a
formal system of rules and mechanics that needs to be
met. Working around these rules, participants can
shape the outcome and direction of their games.

Background

It was in the mid 1970s when it all started. Online
role playing games was developed from its traditional
counterparts (computer role playing games and video
games). In this year, the earliest multi user games
started to appear. In 1980, Rogue, a very famous
dungeon crawler was released. It was quite different
back then because monsters, items, and settings were
represented by letters. Form then, development of a
new genre of similar clones.

One of the most influential games among all online
role playing games is Dungeons and Dragons. It has a
big effect in the development of online RPGs. The
success of Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest console
games divided the genre of role playing games into
two: the console role playing games and the computer
role playing games. Cultural differences are the
reason behind this classification. Game consoles are
produced primarily for personal computers in Japan and
role playing games in the Western World.

When it was introduced, Online Role Playing Games
began as single player games. However the arrival of
the internet and the virtual world made developments
in online role playing games. After that, players from
all over the world began to enjoy the games in this
genre. They were able to participate in multiplayer
games with players from all parts of the globe.

These games have grown to be an online gamer sensation
that RPG companies discover ways to make it better.
These improvements led multiplayer gaming into
massively multiplayer online role playing games
(MMORPGs) that continued to make online gaming more
popular each year.

Challenges

These games are centered on stories which are more
often than not, adventure and fictional in type. There
are also centered on fantasy and mythological genres.
Players have to reach a certain goal or complete a
mission in order to advance further into the game.
These missions and challenges are often called
“quests”.

Some of these involve chasing off dragons, fighting
evil wizards and masters, and saving damsels in
distress. The outcomes of these games are dependent on
the characters strengths, characteristic, and skills.

Little More About the Avatars

As stated, players have the power to customize their
characters according to their preferences. However,
the improvement of there characters are highly
dependent on the course of the game. Enhancing their
character’s skills, attributes, equipment, and special
abilities are important so as to achieve the goal of
the game.

Improvements and achievements are often given as
rewards for accomplishing their quests and overcoming
obstacles. In short, these rewards have to be earned.

Multiplayer Modes

Among the online role playing games, Diablo was the
first to come up with multiplayer options. Multiplayer
modes became popularity during the mid1990s. Then
after, they became massively multiplayer online role
playing games (MMORPGs) because of its popularity.

MMORPGs - What Are They?

Advent of the Internet

Online games are games played over a computer network.
Currently, the term online almost always means the
Internet. During the expansion of online gaming over
the years, it gave a large influence to the overall
expansion of computer networks from local networks to
the Internet and the popular growth of Internet access
itself.

Online games can range from text based games to
complex graphical and virtual games which are
populated by many players simultaneously all over the
world. Many of the recent online games have
incorporated online communities which made it a form
of social activity.

Internet revolution where websites could utilize
streaming video, audio, and a whole new set of user
interactivity was made possible by the rising
popularity of flash and java. When Microsoft began
including flash players as a pre-installed component
of “internet explorer”, the Internet shift from a
data/information source to also offer on-demand
entertainment.

Online Games

The inclusion of flash to internet explorers paved way
for web sites to offer games to web surfers. Most the
popular online games such as the popular World of
Warcraft, Final Fantasy XI and Lineage II charge
monthly fees to subscribers to access to their
services, while games such as Guild Wars use an
alternative scheme which offers a no monthly fee.

Most sites let their subscribers play for free by
relying on advertising revenues from online sponsors.
Others, like Runescape, offer people free play while
leaving option of paying for special services and
unlock new content.

Massive Multiplayer Online Games (MMOG’s)

With the growth of broadband internet access in many
developed as well as developing countries, massive
multiplayer online games were made possible. Using the
internet to allow thousands of players to play the
same game at the same time made MMOG’s very popular to
children, teens, and young adults. Massive multiplayer
online role-playing game (World of Warcraft), Massive
multiplayer online real-time strategy (Mankind), and
Massive multiplayer online first-person shooter (Dark
Fall) are one of the most popular styles of MMOG’s.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Games

The growing access to broadband internet has made it
possible for gamers to play games at their homes and
at the same time interact with other people without
actually meeting them. Here are some advantages and
disadvantages of playing online games at home:

Advantages:

Privacy. Players have the privilege of playing their
favorite online games at home rather than going into
an internet café and line with other people just to
play the games.

Cheaper. Players have the option of playing at home
rather than going out and pay for the hours they play.

Safe. Players can safely play their online games at
home at the same time interact with other players.

Disadvantages:

Time consuming. Online games are very competitive and
to compete means spending a large amount of the
player’s time playing online just to keep up with the
other players.

Less social interaction. Most of the online players
play at home and spend most of their time in front of
the monitor. Although players interact with other
players online, they still spend less time actually
meeting the person and interacting with them
personally rather than in front of a monitor.

Eye strain and the occasional head ache. Online games
are very addictive to the majority of the players.
They spend most of their time playing the game and
some even spend the whole day in front of the
computer. The strain on the players eyes vary on how
long they play the game. While spending the whole day
staring at the monitor, the eyes are strained more
often than usual and even after they stop, their brain
is over used the occasional head-ache is often felt.

Hope & Faith Quotes

Sometimes hope & faith can take a vacation from our lives and it is hard to reign it back in. One way to keep yourself on the track to thinking positive is with hope & faith quotes. There are many wonderful ones out there and you will find them to be quite inspirational. Some of them are even funny so you can get some laughter into your day right from the start.

There are hope & faith quote calendars you can place on your desk. Each morning you can wake up and read the new one for the day. Some will fit the day you are having and others will have more meaning later on in life. You can save those that really do mean something to you and pull them out again later.

You will also find books full of great hope & faith quotes. Many of them can even be explained in great detail. For those that are going though a rough time in life it can be very uplifting to read a book with hope & faith quotes. You can read a few pages of it each night before bed. This is a great way to drift off with some positive thoughts in your head.

The choice to start thinking more positive is often easier said than done. If you are serious about making this great change to your behavior then look for resources that can give you plenty of hope & faith quotes. The internet is full of sites too where you can get hope & faith quotes for free.

Many people like to include hope & faith quotes in speeches and writings that they give as a form of motivation. Make sure that you give credit to those whose work you have chosen to use for such purposes. This way you won’t be accused of plagiarism.

This type of material can make a wonderful gift for someone you know as well. They may really need something positive along those lines to bring some new meaning to their life. Most people will appreciate the amount of thoughtfulness that you have put into selecting such a nice gift for them.

Online Role Playing Games (2)

Introduction

A wide range of games comprises the Computer Role
Playing Games (RPG). These are types of games where
you are tasked to build a hero or character. As the
game advances, the character then acquires experience
which he or she will use to become more powerful and
obtain new abilities.

A broad genre under the video games category is
electronic role playing games. These games originally
came from the traditional role playing games such as
Dungeons and Dragons. These utilize both the game
mechanics and the settings found in such games.

Online Role Playing Games are RPGs that allows players
to interact with each other in a virtual world. These
interactions may be played either as a single or
multiplayer game. Other features of online role
playing games are similar to computer RPGs.

Characters

These types of games revolve on making or choosing
around one or more avatars and building its
characteristics and experience as the game progresses.
These characteristics then represents the skills of
the gamer himself and how he or she determine game
outcomes. Traditionally, a status screen is displayed
to represent the player’s attributes. It makes use of
numeric values rather than meters, bars and other
simpler abstract graphical representation video games
in general utilizes.

Settings

Another special feature of role playing games is its
fictional high-fantasy setting. Usually, these are
derived from science fiction themes or space opera.
There are only a few that take place in modern or
historical settings. However, games such as Bloodlines
(”gothic punk”), Arcanum (steampunk), Darklands (a
combination of medieval German legend and history),
Fallout (post-apocalyptic), and Mount and Blade
(Medieval Europe with no magic or fantasy) are
exceptions to these trends.

Missions

A group of characters or a party, usually different
players, join forces to accomplish a “quest” or a
mission. Challenges and enemies, usually inspired by
science fiction, classical mythology, and more
commonly, fantasy fictions, are faced by the
adventurers along the way.

Examples of challenges are defeating the evil boss,
rescuing a princess, or clearing a dungeon of
monsters. To know and receive his quest, the player
might find it necessary to talk to an NPC. Missions
may also include item fetch quests, locational puzzles
(such as opening locked doors by means of a hidden
lever or a key), or engaging in dialogues.

A number of games are made up of smaller quests in a
predetermined sequence and are played as a linear
narrative. However, games such as Fallout, contain
nonlinear gameplay and multiple quest solutions
through multiple endings and branching plots. How the
quests are approach varies on different character
builds. Methods such as violence, bribery, subterfuge,
or diplomacy may be used depending on the character
divergent of its skill.

Developments

It is difficult to affirm definitely where this genre
will be headed because of it rapid development and the
different numerous titles within the genre. However,
developments have been made. One of these improvements
is the “raid”, or the raid group quest. Large groups
of players (twenty or more) are able to participate in
the “raid”.

Another online role playing game improvement is the
use of instance dungeons which keep the group isolated
from the rest of the game world. This reduces the
amount of data that is sent to and from the servers,
thus decrease lag. It also lessens competition.
Instance dungeons can be found on World of Warcraft
“raids” as well as all of the Guild Wars combat area.

The Online Role Playing Game

Massively multiplayer online role-playing game
(MMORPG) is a computer role-playing game where a large
number of players meet and play with each other in a
virtual world. Richard Garriott coined the term
MMORPG. He is the creator of Ultima Online, the game
which popularized MMORPG.

As in most role-playing games, players take roles in a
fictional fantasy world. In the virtual world, the
player takes control of the character and his
abilities. In every game there are different
characters with different traits and abilities. Most
MMORPG characters are categorized into melee, ranged,
and magic users. Players have the option to choose
from these variety characters to match their
personality with the avatar. MMORPG’s Difference From
The Average Computer Role Playing game

MMORPG can be distinguished from normal computer
role-playing games by the number of players and the
virtual world where the game is situated. While
single-player computer role playing games is limited
to one player, MMORPG can host thousands of players at
a time.

Another difference between the two is the world that
surrounds the game. Computer role-playing games are
situated in a setting which is repetitive and
constant. Each time the player plays the game, the
same event is repeated since the game was programmed
that way. On the other hand, the MMORPG’s environment
continues to evolve whether the player is online or
away from the game.

Cost of Online Role-Playing Games

Since MMORPG has become very popular over the world,
revenues have risen dramatically over the years to
keep up with the demand of online gamers world wide.
As of 2005, about half a billion US dollars have been
allotted to MMORPG and about one billion dollars have
been allotted to the western revenues alone.

Economics on MMORPG

Most online role-playing games feature living
economies. Virtual items and currency have to be
gained while playing the game and have definite value
for the players. Such a virtual economy can be
analyzed and has value in economic research and can
even have a dramatic impact on the economies of the
real world.

Edward Castronova, one of the early researchers of
MMORPGs, demonstrated that there is an existing
supply-and-demand market for virtual items, even
crossing over with the real world. Some of the
crossover requirements are the following: The player’s
ability to sell in-game items for virtual currency,
trading of items which have the similar value, the
purchase of game items with real money, and the
exchange of real money with in-game money.

The idea of exchanging real currency virtual currency
or in-game items has had a significant effect on both
the players and game industries. Some people even make
a living out of the virtual economies. These people
are termed as “gold farmers” and can be employed
through the game shops or private forums. Game
publishers usually prohibit the exchange of real
currencies with in-game items or virtual money
however, these exchanges are hard to control and due
to the necessity of an item or virtual money, many of
the players offer real money exchange. There are some
online games which offer a direct link between virtual
economy and real-world economy. A perfect example is
the game “Entropia Universe”. In this online game,
real money can be deposited for game money and vice
versa.

Getting To Know Computer Role Playing Games

Overview

Online Role Playing Games, or sometimes refereed to as
Computer Role Playing Games, are a wide range of games
that requires the player to build a hero or a
character based on his preferences and fancy. These
are types of games where one interacts with other
players in the virtual world (usually in groups).

As the game advances, the player’s character should be
able to acquire experience as he or she will be
needing this in order to succeed with other rounds or
quests. The character must be able to become more
powerful and should be able to obtain new and advanced
abilities.

Electronic role playing games is a broad genre under
the video games category. These were the early
beginnings of inline role playing games. These games
were originally from Dungeons and Dragons, a
traditional role playing game which had been the basis
for advance online role playing games nowadays. The
game mechanics and the settings of the games were
formatted from this game.

Interactions in online role playing games are done in
the virtual world using the internet. These may be
done individually (single player games) or with a
group of friends or team mates (multiplayer games).
Computer role playing games offer almost identical
features with online role playing games.

Avatar

Online role playing games revolves on making or
building your own character. These characters are also
called avatars. More often, players find it fun and
put effort in choosing their avatars. There are
different abilities that your avatar can excel on.
However, the abilities and powers of the characters
depend on the progression of the game.

The characters represent the skills and abilities of
the player himself. It shows how he or she decide or
control the game outcomes. A status screen displays
the attributes of the player and his character. It
uses numerical values instead of meters, bars, and
other simple abstract graphical representation that
the usual video games utilize.

Fantasy Setting

A fictional and high fantasy setting is another
feature of online role playing games (and other RPGs
in general). These settings come from science fiction
or space opera themes. However, some online RPGs also
utilize historical settings and backgrounds.

Exceptions to these trends are online role playing
games such as Bloodlines (”gothic punk), Arcanum
(steam punk), Darklands (a combination of medieval
German legend and history), Fallout
(post-apocalyptic), and Mount and Blade (Medieval
Europe with no magic or fantasy).

Quests

Team members or a group of characters (usually called
a party) join forces to complete their missions
(usually called “quest”). However, a single player may
also do this by himself with the help of other
players. These quests are usually fantasy fiction
inspired. But classical mythology and science fictions
are also used as basis for the missions.

These missions comprise different adventures along the
way. Some challenges are defeating the evil boss,
rescuing a princess, or clearing a dungeon of
monsters. Some games require the character to talk to
a Non Player Character (NPC) to know and receive his
or her mission or quest.

Fetch quest, locational puzzles (such as opening
locked doors by means of a hidden lever or a key), or
engaging in dialogues are some of the requirements to
proceed to the next level or challenge.

Majority of the online role playing games are played
as a linear narrative. Meaning, one plays the game in
a predetermined sequence. They just have to comply
with the requirements for the next level to complete
the entire mission.

Hope

Hope is a feeling that a person can have for a particular outcome. It can be something very minor such as hoping it doesn’t rain or that tickets to the movie they want to see isn’t sold out. Other forms of hope are more serious in nature. For example you may be hoping that your dog makes it out of surgery without any complications so they can make a full recovery.

The hope that we have is something based on our personal believes. It is often tied into our own faith and religion as well. For example many people have family member’s right now in Iraq fighting the war. They hope and they pray each day for that person to return safely. They hold on to their faith as it is a way to get though difficult situations.

The benefit of having hope and a positive outlook for a situation is very important. Many people will tell you they just had a feeling that everything was going to work out alright. There has been plenty of research to indicate individuals who have hope recover from cancer and other types of illnesses faster and more often than those that don’t.

Some people keep their feelings of hope to themselves and they do engage in prayer. Some religions openly tell their congregation to engage in hope for themselves, those they know, and the world as a whole. Others give very emotional and motivational appeals about how to reach for hope and what it can offer you.

There are some great books out there that offer great information on how you can become more hopeful. Sometimes life throws us for a loop and we aren’t sure what to make of it. We can change our outlook though by finding things to hope for and to motivate us to keep striving for better things ahead.

Hope can provide a person with the strength they need to handle any situation regardless of what is taking place. Many professionals feel that hope is nothing more than a coping mechanism. Yet for many individuals it is a feeling that is much stronger and much deeper than that. What is agreed upon though is the hope a person has and the depth of it varies by individual.

Your Own Virtual World

Play God - Be God (Even If It's Only Electronically)

Part of the appeal of video games is the visual eye-candy that splashes across the television screen. But even the addictive imagery is only half of the equation. The remaining half is the magic bestowed upon our eyes when this imagery comes to life. Animation that's controlled by a gamer is all it takes to escape into a different time and place - a time and place brought to you by virtual reality.

As you can imagine, virtual reality is a hypothetical three-dimensional visual world created by a computer. Players can enter and move about in this world and interact with objects as if inside it.1 Some of the games that are already on the market give a pretty good idea of what virtual reality is and can do. Video games like Zelda, Halo, or Harry Potter allow players to enter into an environment and interact with objects, but they don't allow the player to create an environment and that's what virtual worlds are all about.

Without a single ounce of programming experience, anyone can create a virtual world and have loads of fun doing so. All one needs is an idea.

To begin, you'll want to construct a plan that maps your idea of the perfect world, the craziest world, or the oddest world that you can imagine. Some virtual world software will give you a template of sorts (a "starter" world) that lets you make additions and ultimately build a world that you've always dreamed of. A good example of template use is inside Maxis' SimCity or SimTown games. Both games provide pre-designed environments that provide plenty of space and opportunity to shape them into one that you prefer.

Of course, you could always start from scratch. The only problem with starting with scratch is that it takes more time and knowledge to add some of the features that virtual worlds provide. Either way (from scratch or from a template), most users build a world by adding objects and scenarios - even deleting some until they've reached the perfect balance.

A good place to find examples of what you could build in virtual world gaming is online. Every virtual world program available offers sample environments that players can download and install into their own system. Some manufacturers of these games even hold contests and award winners with free upgrades. Other suitable places to find ideas are from fiction books: -historical, -fantasy, -futuristic, you name it. Science fiction movies are a good resource for ideas as well.

Just understand that virtual gaming takes time. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither will your virtual world. There's no rush and this is a relaxing hobby. Take your time and have fun. Don't fret over not knowing how to build an object or lay down a map - you can learn how to do these kinds of things in due time. Your goal is to create a world of enjoyment and it won't help if you find yourself frustrated all the time.

When ready, you can add characters with their own unique histories, habits, strengths and weaknesses. You can even give them goals or small tasks to perform throughout the game. Giving your characters goals and tasks will help you give the game a plot.

To get started, look for RAD (Rapid Application Development) Tools. RAD tools will help you bang a virtual reality game together in no time and with little difficulty.

Living Your Passion

Living Your Passion

We all begin thinking about what we’re going to be
when we grow up at a very early age. As we grow and
learn more about ourselves and life, those career
ideas change and grow.

As we experience new relationships, hobbies and events
in our lives, we develop interests and ultimately we
become passionate about some of them. It’s these
passions that make the stressors of life dissipate.

What may have been a passion in our twenties may very
well change in our forties or fifties or beyond. We
may find that the career we chose in college no longer
satisfies our needs, once our basic needs have been
met.

While once our passion was making enough money to pay
the bills, our passion in our fifties may become a
desire to help others. As we’ve developed personal
skills, we may find that we are gifted in public
speaking; what could be better than talking about your
passion and making money at the same time?

Unfortunately, many people fail to live a life filled
with passion. Fearful of rejection or of success keeps
many people from pursuing their dreams; many people
simply don’t have enough faith in themselves to reach
for the stars.

What makes you happy? Do you have a hobby that you
just can’t get enough of? Take the step of writing
down any way that you could make money at doing your
favorite thing and try it in your spare time. You
might find a new career doing exactly what you are
passionate about!

What Makes A Great Game:

A Gentle Reminder for Programmers

It's easy to get lost in all the details of building a great video or computer game - so easy in fact, that we can forget the parts of a game that make them fun to play. The following serves as a gentle reminder of what prompts players to play games in the first place. Refer to this reminder in the event that you get bogged down or distracted with confusing C++ syntax, or lines and lines of Visual Basic statements and DLL structures.
1. Remember the player is the main character. Here's a secret between you and me: People play games to gain a sense of control. If you can manage to program your game in a way that puts the player in control, then you've already won half the battle. This doesn't mean to suggest that the game should be easy. It simply means that when a gamer runs home from school or drives home from work to play a video game, she wants to feel the control that she didn't have during the hours between nine and five. The outcome of a game - whether it's a win or a loss - should never be random, but the result of a good, controlled game play instead.

2. KISS. Remember that acronym? It stands for Keep It Simple Stupid. We all know that programming a game is hard business, but believe us when we say we don't want to be reminded of it. The difficulty of programming a game should never be part of the game play so when possible, make the game easy to start, easy to navigate, and of course, easy to play. We're not asking for pre-school strategy here, but on the other hand, we don't want to feel as dumb as a pre-schooler either. Forget the hundred page manual. Nobody except the truly obsessed is going to read it anyway. Build your game for the average Joe and everyone will be your fan.

3. Add plenty of action. And add lots of it too. The more action you add to your game, the more attention players will pay attention to it. And the more that players pay attention to your game, the more addictive your game gets. For every action that a player's character makes, have the game react and then prompt the player for more.

4. Make the story a good one. Nothing is worse than playing a game only to wonder what you're doing and why. Purpose is and always has been a human obsession. But without it, we're left wandering... in the darkness... wondering bizarre things like how the house would look in a coat of bright pink paint. Don't give your players the opportunity to waste time like that. Give them a mission and make sure your game reminds them what the mission is at opportune times and why they must complete it.

5. Give us eye candy. But make it relevant. The graphics in a game shouldn't be distracting, they should make our eyeballs glaze over with satisfaction upon seeing them, and then salivate for more. Graphics should contain clues and entice us further and further into the game until we've beaten the thing.

6. Make it real. Fantasy games are okay, but what makes them cool is the fact that they're realistic. It's hard to get into something that isn't familiar or that there's no way we could ever experience. But if you can implement some reality into your games, players will appreciate it and relate to it on a whole new respectable level.

Is Your Glass Half Full or Half Empty?

You miss so much if you look at life through the
half-empty glass. Taking the negative slant on life
leads to a life of negative thinking that never sees
the good things that life has to offer.

Take a moment and write down all the things that are
wrong with your life. Then, on a different piece of
paper, write down all of the blessings you have. For a
negative person, this can be hard. Did you wake up in
a warm bed this morning? Was your bed warm? Was there
someone on the other side of the bed? Did you have
breakfast? Did you go to a job? In a car? Did you have
clean, decent clothes to put on?

Each any every one of these things are blessings and
are a positive part of your life. It can be so easy to
think about the negative things: I don’t get paid
enough, my car is old, and the cereal wasn’t fresh -
come on! Half the world would love to have the things
you took for granted just this morning!

What do you ever get out of life by looking at the
negative aspects of your life? Are you a complainer?
Are you a complainer because of your circumstances or
do your circumstances make you complain? How much
worse could things be? When you really think about
your life, aren’t you truly blessed compared to others
around the planet?

Try thinking positively as a way of finding happiness
and satisfaction in your life. Complaining does
nothing except make others around you feel bad, and if
that’s your intention, you need to re-think your
relationship.

Video Games in the Future

A Gamer's Plea

With video game technology advancing so fast and so far from where it started, one can't help but to entertain the idea of where it's going to go from here. After all, that is part of a larger creative process and we'd like to think that our writings contribute even in some small way. One of the earliest video games that we can remember is Commodore's "Pong." But never did we think the industry would have reached the point where it is today. One thing is for sure however, and that's the gaming is pushing full force ahead.

Today we did a little fantasizing to see where our imagination and desires would take us.
The following offers some suggestions of what could be done short of a little thing called, "impossible."

We're a little intrigued with the "Sun Game Glasses" idea. Wearing a pair of dark sunglasses and using the technology implemented by Nintendo's "Wii" system, we could literally watch a game take place right before our eyes and then interact with it using a device that's about the size of a pen. Since this isn't exactly a new idea, we're curious to watch what develops from University of South Australia's 'ARQuake' project1 - a springboard for this kind of gaming to develop in the near future for sure.

Another cool idea we'd like to see erupt within the gaming industry is the ability to talk to the characters inside a game. Some games allow players to textually speak to game characters already, but we'd like to see this pushed a little further. We'd like to be able to orally interact with characters: ask questions, joke around, warn and speak to them as if we were speaking to another human being. And we'd like to hear these characters talk back! It's the ultimate artificial intelligence opportunity and although it would probably be years before this technology would be available on a wide scale, we're sure it would be a hit.

Will we ever get to the point where we can play inside a simulated environment the way the characters in Star Trek: The Next Generation could play? Virtual reality is getting close, but the reality of the simulation is gone the moment we put on the silly-looking goggles and gloves. In order for simulation of this sort to work, there has to be as little a barrier between gamers and the game as possible. We don't what to just think we're inside a game, we want to feel that we're inside a game and to be honest, we don't want to have to go somewhere outside our home to do so.

The television or computer screen will suffice for now, but in the future, we're going to want to be surrounded with the elements that make gaming the wonder that it is today. We're going to want to transform our dens or bedrooms into a virtual alien ship or simulated jungle. In short, we want a new world.

One possible obstacle to bringing this fantasy into our living rooms is public acceptance. Would the public be ready for such a high level of entertainment? And could the public handle it? Immediately following Nintendo's Wii release, customers were ready to complain that they wanted their old controller back! So as with any new development, there will surely be unintended consequences and although we're gung-ho for these types of advances, we also share concerns about the impact it would have on an audience that isn't "virtually ready."

As a result, we can certainly envision a few laws introduced that restricted the use of our fantasy gaming. We already have some laws that attempt the same now and in our opinion, that's a good thing. The last thing we want to encounter in gaming is physical harm - especially when we're trying to enjoy virtual entertainment!

1 Source: http://wearables.unisa.edu.au/projects/ARQuake/www

Giving and Taking

Is there anything that gives us more joy than giving
of ourselves? I’m not talking about giving gifts; I’m
talking about giving time and effort to make a
difference in another person’s life. Putting some
effort into giving is so much more rewarding than
taking.

Time is the most wonderful gift you can give anyone.
Anyone who has or had a great parent will tell you
that the greatest gift their parent gave them was
time. Time to read, time to play, time to talk and
time to listen is fantastic gifts to children and is
never forgotten.

Do you give enough time to your loved ones now that
you’re an adult? Knowing that it is a precious gift
that costs nothing at all makes it so easy to give!

Now, make an actual effort to give someone your time.
For example, call a friend, or a Church member you
know, or your sister-in-law and invite them to coffee;
not someone you’ve invited before, but someone new.

Or go visit someone who is cooped up at home or in the
nursing home. Bake someone cookies, or take a plant or
a bouquet of flowers from your garden. Make a
connection and make an effort to keep that connection.

Giving, in lieu of taking, is so much more rewarding
and will be a huge source of inner happiness for you,
not to mention those lives you will touch. Giving is a
true win-win gift!

This Game Sucks!

A Guide To Giving New Games a Chance

It's hard to get into a new groove once we've settled into a favorite pattern of doing something and that includes playing new games or trying a new game system. It's important to remember however that just because you're not used to the way a new game plays or the way that a new system runs - it doesn't mean that there's something wrong with it. The following offers some advice on how to get over the hurdle of giving new games a chance.

1. Accept the errors of your ways. Nothing is perfect and that includes video games, the system that it plays on, and dare we say - even you! While trying a new game, you're bound to trip all over the place and make even some of the most goofiest mistakes that anyone could ever make. Try to remember that flaws are inevitable and the even the master of all masters (that's you) can blunder your way through a new game. Mistakes don't make you a terrible player. On the other hand, they don't make the game stupid or dumb. In fact, it's quite the opposite. If you find yourself making mistakes during a new game, it's time that to slow down and give this game a second and more serious look. If something in the game tripped you up - you, the master of all masters - then the game couldn't be as bad as you first thought.

2. Play a new game when you're "in the mood". What a fast-paced world we live in! So fast, that we mistakenly expect to understand a game within the first 5 minutes of putting into the console! Then when we're not sure of what to do, the game becomes confusing, or just dumb. Never try a new game when you're not in the mood to or when you're in a rush. New games require patience and a thorough read of its manual.

3. See the positive. There's something good about every video game - even the more violent ones (although we're not prepared to defend violent video games). While checking out a new game, think about what you like about the game as opposed to what you can't quite figure out what to do yet. A positive attitude will carry on to other aspects of the game and before you know it, you'll be encouraged to carry on with it and make some real progress.

4. Don't be such a know it all. In other words, don't be blinded by your own conceit or skills in a particular genre of games that you close yourself off to new ways of accomplishing tasks. The biggest room is the room for improvement and your room is no exception. Understand that the game you're playing may have something new to teach you about gaming as a whole. Then revel in it.

5. Continue to play. It's highly doubtful that anyone will like a new game in one day. Keep playing a new game until you're absolutely sure that you don't ever want to see it in your console again.

6. Play by yourself. It's quite possible that if you play a new game with a friend, you'll be vulnerable to accepting your friend's feelings about the game as your own. Play a new game by yourself so that you can interpret your own feelings about the game and not anyone else's.

Facing your Fears

To many people, fear is a part of life. Not the
typical, well-known and talked about fears like
claustrophobia and hypochondria, but the fears that
keep you from going after the job you know would make
you ecstatically happy.

Our own self-esteem issues can keep us from taking
steps that could help us make the big step from being
a paralegal to a lawyer, or an online writer from
penning a book.

We are often our own worst enemy. Negative self talk
keeps us in our comfort zone. The fence that surrounds
our comfort zone is our fears. Some fences are bigger
than others, but fences nonetheless.

Take the time to think about what would make you
happy. Clue: it is not something you can buy!

Is it a promotion in the field you are presently in,
or something totally different?

Will it require you to go back to school?

Is it marriage?

Start with a written list of exactly what you are
looking for; looking for a mate who is a Christian?

Visit different churches or Church dinners. Life can
be just what happens to you; living is those
purposeful steps you make to make your passion happen.

Think about what you are afraid of. Do this when you
are alone and can think without interruption. Be
honest about your feelings.

Why are you afraid of that?

Where do those feelings come from?

What is the worst that could happen to me if I faced
this fear head on?

Will you die, or will you come out knowing that you
faced a fear that will forever change your life?

Playing Old Games on a New Computer

It's a Hoot!

Admit it - you still crave a good game of scrolling Super Mario or Dig Dug just like you did "back in the day." We all do because playing them brings back some of the fondest memories. But it isn't easy to play these games the way we used to. Unless we've kept the systems and cartridges of the past in good working condition, our only trip down this jagged pixel lane is through a little known gem called emulation.

Through emulation, you can play some of your favorite games from the past including games made for Commodore, Atari, and Nintendo. Emulation refers to the ability of a program or device to imitate another program or device and it tricks the software into believing that a device is really some other device. It is also possible for a computer to emulate another type of computer. For example, there are programs that enable an Apple Macintosh to emulate a PC. 1

All that gobbledy gook doesn't really mean too much until you discover that with the right emulator, your computer can play all your old favorite games. And the news gets even better. You can download emulators from the Internet - free. You can download Amiga, Commodore, GameBoy, Playstation 1, and Nintendo emulators plus you can download the games (ROMs) that these machines play.

Our favorite emulator is the ZSNES Emulator. This particular program emulates the old Super Nintendo console and you can learn more about it yourself by visiting http://www.zsnes.com. This program comes with an extensive help file and walks you through the process of setting up a copy on your own PC. At the very least, your system needs a 486/100 processor, 14.5MB of RAM, a VGA card, and a Sound Blaster or 100% compatible sound card. However a system with a fast P200 or higher Pentium processor, 32MB of RAM, VGA card, and Sound Blaster 16 or 100% compatible sound card yields the most realistic results.

But don't think that just because a console is on the computer - you can't enjoy your favorite gaming accessories. The ZSNES Emulator let's users maneuver around games with the keyboard and a joystick. But enough about the emulator - You probably want to know what kind of games you can play, right?

Called ROMs, you can play any game on your PC that you played on the Super Nintendo System including:

* Bomberman 5
* Super Battleship
* Beavis n' Butthead
* Bustamove
* Clue
* Dragonballz
* DreamTV
* Final Fantasy 4
* Frogger
* The Great Waldo Search
* Inspector Gadget
* Jeopardy Deluxee
* John Madden Football
* Mariokart
* Marvel Superheroes
* Megamans Soccer
* Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
* Monopoly
* Mortal Kombat 2
* Pinocchio
* Power Rangers
* Race Driving
* Carmen San Diego
* SimAnt
* SimCity
* SimCity 2000
* Super Mario RPG
* Sonic
* Space Football
* Starfox
* Streetfighter 2
* Super Black Bass
* Super Ninja Boy
* Super Punch-Out!!
* Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
* Themepark
* Troddlers
* Utopia
* Vortex
* Wacky Race
* Wheel of Fortune
* Wings 2
* Wordtris
* World Soccer 94
* Yoshis Island
* Zelda 3
* ... and tons more.

Downloading these games is a simple matter of finding them online and there are plenty of websites that host them. Try http://www.everyvideogame.com for starters.

Be aware that there's an issue with downloading these games and it's a legal one. Basically, you're not allowed to download and play any game that you don't already own on a cartridge. If can abide by this law, you can revisit the past, in the present, on your brand new PC.

1 Source: Mecklermedia Corp.

Endorphins the Happy Hormone (NSFW R18)

Endorphins are natural hormones that your brain
releases when it senses happiness. These endorphins
give you a sense of happiness, satisfaction and
well-being; they tell you all is well with your body.

It’s that relaxed sense after a good meal, a good
workout, a good laugh or great sex.

Endorphins are produced in the pituitary gland and the
hypothalamus gland and release an opioid-like
secretion that masks pain with a natural analgesic and
tells the body that all is fine with the world.

Acupuncture has been found to have the ability to
release these compounds and relieve pain, at least for
the short term, and to leave you with a wonderful
sense of wellbeing.

Exercise, extreme happiness, good food and orgasm
releases natural endorphins, and endorphins make you
feel happy and satisfied with life.

The more often you can stimulate your brain to release
these natural hormones, the better you will feel, and
the easier it will be to put yourself into this happy
state of being.

Endorphins cannot be bought; only through your own
effort can you bring them into being.

There is no downside to putting yourself into the
position of happiness, either through laughter, sex,
food or exercise.

Happy creates happy; it is a cycle that you should
never break and you should take every chance to spur
these hormones on. Let them do what they do naturally;
light their fire and reap the benefits!

Playing like a Pro... ... Even if you don't know what you're doing...

One of the most intimidating parts of getting started with online gaming is getting over the fear of screwing things up for other players. It's one thing to play a game and make mistakes at home, but it's an entirely different thing to play a game and make mistakes that can cause failure in the game plays of others. But there's no reason to let this fear stop you or another gaming newbie from having fun. This article will give you the in's and out's of online gaming so that you can start with the confidence you need to continue on.

The first step anyone new to online gaming should take is to first, learn how to play offline. You can read the game's manual and save yourself from seeing the infamous acronym, "RTFM" scroll across your screen. Know what that acronym stands for? It stands for "Read The Fu**ing Manual" and its spewed by serious gamers to vulnerable newbies who interrupt a game with questions like, "What is this place?" or "What am I supposed to do?"

You could search the web for game related discussion groups, FAQ's, and walkthroughs. And you could learn more from game specific Usenet newsgroups. In other words, you could do your "homework." Some of the kind of information you want to learn includes how to play, how to create characters, how to gather equipment, and how to implement some smart strategies. Trust us when we say your gaming comrades will appreciate it!

In addition to reading how to play an online game, you can familiarize yourself with the game's interface. Just as you searched the net for a game's textual instruction, you can additionally search the net for a game's screenshot (or series of screenshots). Having a graphical representation (.gif or .jpg image) of a game on your screen gives you a chance to memorize where all the game's controls are. Knowing where everything is on a game before you play will speed things up not only for yourself, but also for everyone else. No one wants to wait for you to search for an inventory panel or message screen in a game when the location of these items is obvious to everyone else.

Once you start with a game, don't let the pressure of staying in the game prevent you from doing the unthinkable: dying. A character dying in a game is inevitable at certain points, and unless you willingly let go of a lose-lose situation, you'll run the risk of holding the game up for everyone else. It's like a game of chess. If it's checkmate - it's checkmate. Call it a day and start anew. Whatever you do, don't hang around waiting for some magical fairy to come to your rescue. Please let your character die with dignity.

On the same token, you don't want to take dying personally. Remember that online gaming is still just a game. A character that dies in a game is not representative of your character as a person. Turn a death into learning experience. At the very least, you'll learn your way around an online game by learning all the things that you aren't supposed to do!

Above all else, ensure that your computer has what it takes to maintain the current pace of an online game. Don't try to play an online game with a slow computer or slow Internet connection. In fact, if you're still using dial up, find another hobby. A slow processor and connection will ensure instant death because other players aren't going to politely wait for their own defeat. They're going to squash you like a bug.

Hunt around for a computer that was built for online gaming and get a DSL or ISDN Internet connection. You'll need a fast processor, a high quality graphics card, and a sound machine to match.

By following these simple suggestions, you will have passed the "newbie" test and earned respect as a serious gamer much more quickly than if you stumbled your way through what others pride as "the ultimate hobby."

Circumstances Beyond Your Control

Being happy is easy when life is going well; but what
about when circumstances spin out of control and bad
things happen one right after another.

We all have times when we feel that we just can’t get
out from under the storm clouds. How do people stay
happy during the tough times?

It’s been said time and time again that when the going
gets tough the tough get going, but some people don’t
find that at all easy to do.

Positive attitudes can help, but knowing that there is
a higher power that controls the chess pieces of our
lives lets us know that this hard time is only a bump
in the road and will soon pass.

This deep acceptance of faith is called joy; and hard
times simply can’t compete with pure joy.

We may not understand why bad things happen to good
people, but we know that they do and always will. Bad
things happen to bad people too, just as good things
happen to good people.

It’s just the way it is. If we can simply understand
that we can’t know certain things on this side of
life, which will help us get through life here.

Try to look at everything as part of God’s plan and as
a positive experience; find joy in the simple
pleasures in life and don’t let the circumstances of
the day (or week) get you down!

Playing Nice

A Few Suggestions for Gaming Etiquette

No, it isn't Ms. Manners to the rescue, nor is it Polite Polly knocking at your noggin. We just know how easy it is to get frustrated or even angry while playing a difficult game, but if we're not careful, that anger and frustration could lead to some butt-ugly moments during a time that's supposed to be amusing. The following is offered in an effort to keep everything fun and entertaining during a session of group play.

1. Encourage each other. Even if you're competing with each other in a boxing match or car race, take time out to congratulate another player for making a smooth or cunning move. There's no need to be a kiss-up, but when tensions are high, and the desire to impress is high, you can help relax any stress just by throwing out a few compliments here and there.

2. Be patient. Your gaming comrades may not be as fast, as coordinated, or as smart as you. So when you notice your regular game pace slowing down, don't criticize. You could quietly plan your next move or you could offer to help if you notice that your buddies seem lost. This will encourage cooperation and relive some of the stress involved with playing a difficult game.

3. Take some breaks. Permitting that your group finds appropriate places in a game to pause, take advantage and get up to stretch, snack, use the john, talk about school, or catch a few silly commercials on television. A long stretch of game play is tiring and stressful at the same time.

4. Play an inclusive game. By that we mean to make efforts to ensure everyone in the group contributes to the game's completion. You never want to make another person feel left out or just hanging around to fill the space. Create opportunities for everyone involved to participate and help play.

5. Listen to others. You may think that you know all the answers about a game or game system, but listen to what others in the group have to say. You just might learn something new.

6. Invite the "weird guy." This bit of advice of course comes after the horrid Virginia Tech massacre. Tales circulating this news event indicate that the young man responsible was a loner and the victim of bullying during his teenage years as well. Sometimes, all it takes to prevent things like this is a simple effort to reach out to someone. We're not suggesting that an invitation to a gaming party would have saved the lives of 33+ college students, but we are suggesting that making an effort to make others feel welcome and wanted is a huge step towards eliminating the isolation known to cause these kinds of senseless acts.

7. Vow to keep the voice level and cursing to a minimum. That almost goes without saying, but to prevent arguments, agree beforehand to not cross the line when it comes to debating about a particular strategy or selecting a game to play. Some of the most serious fights stem from the silliest arguments. But you can prevent a flare up within your group just by maintaining a cool composure during the entire session.

Now see? That's not too bad a list. All the things that we suggested are certainly "do-able" and they really do work to create a calm and enjoyable environment.

Cifer69 Blog

Site Navigation

Recommended Video Game System Best for Kids