.Andy
Nov 25, 2005, 08:53 AM
Today I purchased Starcraft. I know what you're all thinking - .Andy it's the end of 2005 for crying out loud. Well yes it is and I'm all of a sudden living in 1998 and the weather is fantastic! Out of the blue this morning I slapped down $AU17.95 at JB HiFi, walked out (sans a placcy bag being an enviro friendly dude) and rushed home in the rain.
I've never got into strategy games before, a brief dabble with civilisation was enough to drive me screaming into the action-packed arms of my love of platformers and FPS'ers. And that's where I'd stayed. Safe and sound in my own familiarity, frequently passing mocking judgement at the near perfect 10 scores for every Blizzard release. "how can people play that slow old rubbish" I'd think and marvel at my own cleverness for seeing RTS games for what they were.
But occasionally they'd get to me. I'd be looking for games with high ratings and Starcraft was always there. There was the cult following. The in-jokes I was missing out on. A whole side of nerdom that I wasn't a part of. It had dug under my skin and pierced my subconcious. All of a sudden, even though I was standing there looking at the rack of Nintendo DS games, Starcraft was all I wanted. As soon as I picked it up I felt a nod of approval around me as my peers looked on happily. Their eyes were whispering You're doing the right thing brother, be strong, you won't regret it. But I was apprehensive. It'd probably suck and be a waste of cash - everyone's probably just on a self-deluded band-wagon.
Well I haven't regretted it. It installed in OSX like a flash and I found myself playing in no time. Although the graphics aren't the squillion polygon efforts of today, there is something extremely comforting about the familiar renderings that takes me back to my school day gaming. And the voices! Oh the voices! The fantastic over-acted synth-like voices are music to my ears.
So it's the end of day one, 12:50am. I'm tired. I'm hungry. I need a shower. I was meant to buy some new shirts for work and pay some bills. I said I'd ring my girlfriend and go out with her tonight but I didn't. The cat has given up and gone elsewhere for dinner. I know I'll be able to look back in 20 years and see where my life officially derailed.
But I've made it through about half a dozen levels. Blood and sweat stained exciting levels. I'd really like to nut out more but my body has failed me. If only I was sixteen again. Tomorrow it's in trouble though - I'm formulating strategies while I type. I'm going to get those zerg suckers that killed me tonight.
So my weekend's just planned itself and heaven help anyone who gets in my way. If I can tear myself away for 15 minutes the Brood Wars expansion pack will be mine. Although I don't want to give the enemy a head start mining those vespene gases.....
I've never got into strategy games before, a brief dabble with civilisation was enough to drive me screaming into the action-packed arms of my love of platformers and FPS'ers. And that's where I'd stayed. Safe and sound in my own familiarity, frequently passing mocking judgement at the near perfect 10 scores for every Blizzard release. "how can people play that slow old rubbish" I'd think and marvel at my own cleverness for seeing RTS games for what they were.
But occasionally they'd get to me. I'd be looking for games with high ratings and Starcraft was always there. There was the cult following. The in-jokes I was missing out on. A whole side of nerdom that I wasn't a part of. It had dug under my skin and pierced my subconcious. All of a sudden, even though I was standing there looking at the rack of Nintendo DS games, Starcraft was all I wanted. As soon as I picked it up I felt a nod of approval around me as my peers looked on happily. Their eyes were whispering You're doing the right thing brother, be strong, you won't regret it. But I was apprehensive. It'd probably suck and be a waste of cash - everyone's probably just on a self-deluded band-wagon.
Well I haven't regretted it. It installed in OSX like a flash and I found myself playing in no time. Although the graphics aren't the squillion polygon efforts of today, there is something extremely comforting about the familiar renderings that takes me back to my school day gaming. And the voices! Oh the voices! The fantastic over-acted synth-like voices are music to my ears.
So it's the end of day one, 12:50am. I'm tired. I'm hungry. I need a shower. I was meant to buy some new shirts for work and pay some bills. I said I'd ring my girlfriend and go out with her tonight but I didn't. The cat has given up and gone elsewhere for dinner. I know I'll be able to look back in 20 years and see where my life officially derailed.
But I've made it through about half a dozen levels. Blood and sweat stained exciting levels. I'd really like to nut out more but my body has failed me. If only I was sixteen again. Tomorrow it's in trouble though - I'm formulating strategies while I type. I'm going to get those zerg suckers that killed me tonight.
So my weekend's just planned itself and heaven help anyone who gets in my way. If I can tear myself away for 15 minutes the Brood Wars expansion pack will be mine. Although I don't want to give the enemy a head start mining those vespene gases.....
