Horizons Broadening Project - 2009

I call it the Horizons Broadening Project for 2009. Think of it as an Oprah’s Book Club for GWJ of sorts.

This project will not be a surprise to those who have followed my recent articles where I have belabored the general theme of ennui over the same old same old. If game developers can be accused of playing it safe over the past few years, then I share the blame as a dirty, filthy enabler. Complain as I might about the sameness of modern AAA titles, the fault lies also with me for failing to explore the full depth of gaming available.

If video gaming is an ocean, then I have been comfortable wading with pants rolled up in the safe waters of a secluded cove. Think of this project as the undertow that will either expose me to great new genres or potentially drown me for good. Who wants to go for a swim?

Elysium’s January HBP09 Game: Birth of America 2 – PC

How It Works: Every month I commit to playing a new game that I would probably have never considered in previous years. The project is currently limited to titles I can play on a PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Wii or DS. I commit to making an extended effort at playing the game, spending significant time in the tidal deep waters, and at the end of the month I’ll document my experience with the game.

How You Can Participate: So, if you’re interested in broadening your horizons, or mine for that matter, this is intended to be a community experience. While I am making my pick for the January game, I’m open to taking suggestions on what game should be next on the horizons broadening project. Send me a private message through the site or email me at [email protected] to vote for next month’s HBP game.

Additionally, you can play the game of the month and send me your thoughts on the game to be included in my end of month wrap up OR choose your own horizons broadening game, write up a paragraph on your experience with the game, and send that along. Again, all correspondence can be done through a private message on the site or by emailing me at [email protected].

Why This Game?: I think there are a few key elements that need to be involved in a good HBP game. For one, it needs to be a quality game and demonstrate a faithful following. I’m not looking for an excuse to play bad games in genres I don’t usually play after all, and I’ve heard the sequel to Birth of America spoken of quite highly. At the same time, the whole point is to expand from my comfort zone, and deep and largely unforgiving hex based strategy is a long way from Lumines and Portal.

I’ve always had a fascination tempered by intimidation for deep strategy games like this. I want to like them, but the barriers for entry usually require a long term commitment and it’s just so easy to log into a nice comfy MMO. But, with a full month to make a concerted effort, I’m interested in seeing whether someone with virtually no prior knowledge can break into this kind of game environment.

To help mitigate that, I’m picking an area of history I am relatively interested in and about which I have some knowledge. Will I get to reenact Washington’s retreat through New Jersey as the full force of British might pursues him to Trenton? Will I lead strike teams through the swamps of the Carolinas? Will I get to mount the guns of Ticonderoga on the heights above Boston? Or will I rewrite revolutionary history?

Look for my thoughts on Birth of America 2 at the end of January. How will you broaden your horizons this month?

Comments

I like to think of this as a community awareness program. In that Elysium bites the bullet and tries a new game that perhaps isn't all that well known, he writes a review on it and if it's decent enough many of us (the community) try it out and see if we like it as well. I for one am interested in this choice. I looked it over online and read about it and it sounds like a good strategy military game to me. Dependant upon the review I may just have to go out and get it to try it out.

There is a demo. It's 540mb, however, so if you don't have broadband it might be a problem.

Anyone else have the problem of being a jack-of-all-trades... i.e., pretty good / experienced at nearly all genres of games, but not especially badass at any of them? Hex strategy, real-time strategy, FPS, RPG (j & E), racing, old-school adventure, platforming, etc... nothing really seems TOTALLY fresh anymore.

I guess if I would have to choose something out of my element it would be a somewhat obscure sports title, like Rugby. Or maybe that Phoenix the Saucy Lawyer game I keep hearing about, that sounds like it has the potential to be strange and wonderful.

I finally found this on Amazon for ~$30. $30 is generally my "impulse buy" point, so I ordered it. Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Birth-America-...

I've been feeling a lot of the same frustrations lately that Elysium has, and the idea of jumping head first into a new experience like this is pretty exciting to me. I'm really looking forward to sharing my thoughts and impressions.

Duoae wrote:

I don't know, i mean. I read the top half of that particular post but it was a question from some unknown/random coffee grinder and i only care about people with meaning.

1) Everything has meaning! I'll finish overanalyzing this thread after I'm done posting.

2) I pay attention to your posts. What more could you want?

1Dgaf wrote:

While I applaud the notion of bettering yourself in gaming terms, it does seem rather like someone deciding to read Shakespeare because 'it's the done thing', without having any real interest in it.

If you don't like Shakespeare, then you're wrong!

WizKid wrote:
Elysium wrote:

Richy gets the idea. It's all about breaking out of the comfort zone with an open mind. I want to find something new to fall in love with.

Don't get me wrong I like the idea, I just wish it was something cheaper I could fall in love with.

Duoae has it right: the price for Birth of America 2 was outside the range that I felt I could comfortably afford, so I picked my own game for the January HBP09. I can swing $15 more easily than I can $50, so I'm all over Street Fighter 2.

The point of the project isn't to broaden your horizons by playing the game that Elysium is playing. It would be cool to play the same game as him and some of the other posters---and I've committed to doing that in the future when I can---but it's not necessary. To me, the group participation aspect of this project isn't that everyone is playing the same game but that everyone is going outside of their gaming comfort zones at the same time and discussing their experiences. So pick something for yourself that is outside of your personal gaming comfort zone that is also in a more comfortable price range.

Wanna play Street Fighter 2 with me? I can't be the only person around here who hasn't really ever played a fighting game.

I'm looking at breaking outside of the typical AAA titles that have the benefit of all the media attention and marketing campaigns. I've recently been introduced by a friend studying game programing to several 'fringe' or artistic games that I would have never been interested in otherwise. These include Passage and Gravitation by Jason Rohrer as well as Fez and Façade. None of these are deep enough for this project/experiment but well worth the time and harddrive space to try them out and definitely fit the spirit of the HBP.

One game I'm looking at trying, not for its different gameplay elements or features (not that I know what they are) but for its story/message/environment/unorthodox theme. That game is the Christian rapture game Left Behind: Eternal Forces. I want to see what cooky, crazy, religious preaching gets spewed out in it but also to see if there's a something behind the game and all its controversies. I'm going to give it a chance despite the crazy press it has received. Heck, Mass Effect got bad press for its sex scenes and was a great game, maybe this one has something behind the headlines.

I would like to get into "art-house" games as well.

Honestly, I'd like to play more of most games.

Duoae wrote:

I plan on sitting back and enjoying watchin Elysium squirm uncomfortably :twisted:

Quintin_Stone wrote:
Duoae wrote:

I plan on sitting back and enjoying watchin Elysium squirm uncomfortably :twisted:

:hump:

Not on me!! o_O*

wordsmythe wrote:

2) I pay attention to your posts. What more could you want?

Yeah, but you don't reply to one aspect of my post and then ignore the correction to the incorrect view of my post that i post in response to your incorrect post. Nor do you ignore my posts and say that someone who said the same thing with a different example or slightly different phrasing is a genius! (or something to that effect).

Plus, i want ice cream.

I want ice cream too!

Clemenstation wrote:

Anyone else have the problem of being a jack-of-all-trades... i.e., pretty good / experienced at nearly all genres of games, but not especially badass at any of them? Hex strategy, real-time strategy, FPS, RPG (j & E), racing, old-school adventure, platforming, etc... nothing really seems TOTALLY fresh anymore.

I guess if I would have to choose something out of my element it would be a somewhat obscure sports title, like Rugby. Or maybe that Phoenix the Saucy Lawyer game I keep hearing about, that sounds like it has the potential to be strange and wonderful.

I have that exact same problem. I play everything. But luckily this isn't just about trying a new genre, though that's the easy way to go about it if you have that choice. We can still find trends within the genres that we never really looked at and give them a try. Also, although I've played many kinds of games, there are some that I've been afraid to touch since it's been awhile. Like adventure games. I love the hell out of adventure games, but the newest ones I've played are Monkey Island and the like.

So I think my HBP is going to be multiple games. I'm going to pick up A Vampyre Story($30), which is a bit of a safe bet since a bunch of the old Lucasarts guys worked on it. Then I'm going to get World of Goo, because despite the fact everyone has told me it's great, I've been torn between getting the PC or Wii version, so now I think I'll be getting both

As another poster mentioned above, I'm in the position where I will play (and own) just about anything as well, short of Barbie Horse Adventures. In the past I've had a bit of trouble getting into the hardcore turn based games like Korsun Pocket, Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin, and Dominions II, which is odd since I absolutely LOVE games like Koei's offerings (Romance of the 3 Kingdoms, Genghis Khan, Bandit Kings of Ancient China, etc) and I heartily enjoyed Fire Emblem and Shining Force as well.

I also have trouble getting into many Myst-style adventure games...so I guess for January I'll take on the Argentinian release - Scratches (PC). Why that one? - It's already installed, but I haven't even made it past the 3rd screen yet, as my attention is wont to wander quickly.

Maybe for February I'll revisit Combat Mission

Anyone having fun with BOA2 yet? I did a run of the first year of the French and Indian War, just to get my feet wet on a big scenario.

I'm still getting used to Engagement Points. Looks like they accumulate pretty quickly. I'm spending some on militia and unit upgrades, but I they will be better late on, not sure if they are used for promotions or anything like that.

One thing I was wondering. Is there a screen to track new fort locations? I believe that they won't be set up unless you send troops. Are there consequences to missing these? Also, they do show up on the map, right? I got a message that Fort Edward was built, but still didn't see it as spearate from the local Indian village. Not sure how that works.

I like the new supply displays. Really helps you figure out where to path units. Also, the little strategic map on the left is great for spotting enemy units after they have moved. You can ignore quiet areas and concentrate on the active ones without having to look at every detail on the main map. Overall, I'm having an easier time with this than with BOA 1. This particular scenario is long enough that the ebb and flow of campaign efforts needs to be scaled to the seasons. I can see setting up one year to push deeper into enemy territory the next year. Good relaxing fun.

My copy hasn't arrived yet, and even if it did, I'm broadening my horizons in January. During the holidays I like my horizons just the way they are, thank you very much.

Which kind of makes me wonder if I have a disease or something. The list of games I really want to play that I never got around to over the years is already astronomical, now I'm trying to add games I don't really want to play to that list.

I've been checking out the demo. I played "Frustration in the South" about 20 times before I beat it as the British. This kind of game is very foreign to me, and I'm still trying to get my bearings.

Kuddles, hang in there. I feel the same way. The point is to try something you don't think you like, hoping to be surprised. If I play 12 games for the HBP this year, and I fall in love with 3, I'll consider the experiment a success.

That being said, if Elysium picks a JRPG, my resolve might waver.

That being said, if Elysium picks a JRPG, my resolve might waver.

I can nearly guarantee you, at some point, this will be inevitable.

Let me only assure you that my resolve will be in an equal state of flux.

Elysium wrote:
That being said, if Elysium picks a JRPG, my resolve might waver.

I can nearly guarantee you, at some point, this will be inevitable.

Let me only assure you that my resolve will be in an equal state of flux.

Can i suggest Crappity Crap: Capola en eterna? I hear they really raised the bar after they diversified the franchises' breadth.

Huge barrier to entry here for me, so far, but I'm resolute. I'm stymied on the Carolinas scenario so far that is recommended following the tutorial. This is going to take some concentrated effort!

I can feel your resolve crumbling. Come, just relax and play some WoW. Isn't it nice? Isn't it so easy? Like putting on well worn slippers. Ahhhhhh ...

Certis wrote:

I can feel your resolve crumbling. Come, just relax and play some WoW. Isn't it nice? Isn't it so easy? Like putting on well worn slippers. Ahhhhhh ...

You're on "Ahhhhh..." probation until you get your old avatar back.

Certis wrote:

I can feel your resolve crumbling. Come, just relax and play some WoW. Isn't it nice? Isn't it so easy? Like putting on well worn slippers. Ahhhhhh ...

Yeah, i heard that the game almost plays itself..... like you can mash buttons and it does what should be done when it should be done

I'll follow suit with Mr. Sands and dig into the deep strategy dish. I've played Sid Meier's Civilization series, but those bad boys pretty much play themselves too. And, since the not-updated release date for Birth of America still says it's coming out in "Q4 2008," I'll have to reach my arm back and grab: Europa Universalis III Complete. Oooh, even its Latin-like title makes me shiver a little.

EU3? If you have questions, ask in the Wargamer's Corner thread. It deserves a bump. Absolutely wonderful with the Complete, though.

For everyone broadening their horizons, AGEOD has released the 1.04 patch beta a few days ago. Recommended.

Ely, if that's the Carolinas 1776, it's one of the hardest in the game, because you're doing two naval assaults as the Brits. Try another one. Start with the Pequot War and then do the last rebellion one (the one just before the start of the Revolution). Those are pretty good to start with.

So, how goes the horizon broadening? Nearly halfway through the month and no updates?

I've been dabbling. I have yet to find time to really sit down and dig in for a few hours. My current impression is that this game makes you work for it. Elysium said he's going into this project "hoping to find something that he falls in love with." I'm with him, but so far I don't think this is it for me.

I'm not yet though. I don't think I've quite given this game the shot it deserves. I'll post more complete impressions probably later in the month.

I'm pretty much in the same boat as Elysium and Lex. I haven't given up yet, but so far my experience involves in me playing halfway through a campaign and stopping constantly to check the manual as I forget what a certain stat represents, which leaves me wondering how that might affect a different stat, which slowly leads to my war of attrition lose the gains I made as I realize I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing.

I think I'm too stupid for this game. As I feared, I think this type of game was one case where my horizons were narrow for a good reason. It doesn't help that as a modern day Canadian, my interest in American history is rather slim. I'm still not willing to give up hope just yet, though.

My HBP pick has been rescheduled for another month. My wife and I were hit for some pretty hefty car repairs, and so I can't get even the low-budget title I'd picked out. Maybe I'll see if one of my gaming friends has something outside of my comfort zone that I could borrow for the remainder of January.

Well... You guys are big on the War of 1812, right? I think that's in there.

I can see it, though. You have to have a strong interest in history to consider these games in the first place, so I can understand. They are designed for ease of use, but for people who've been wargaming for years... Sigh.

Just finished the first day-night cycle of Scratches. Creepy atmosphere, but a glacial pace...and I'm not a huge fan of "triggers" in adventure games when they make little sense. Why do I need to see a picture of something before I get the idea to look inside it?

Still, good sound design, a well realized, believable house, and playing this at night has made my hair stand on end a few times, and that's something I can appreciate.

---edit---

Completed the game a few minutes ago -
final impressions are in the January Pile of Shame thread.