SiN (PC)

Developer:

Ritual

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Release Date:

1998

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Systems:

Win, Mac, Linux

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This week on Super Adventures I'm taking a look at SiN, the first actual game by Ritual Entertainment. Or 'sin' according to the box, title screen, menu, intro etc. (the manual just calls it Sin).

I used to play a lot of first person shooters back in the 90s (and every other decade), so if I haven't seen the full version of something, chances are I've at least played the demo. But SiN apparently slipped right by me. All I know about it is that it starts in a bank, I don't even know if it's 3D like Half-Life or 2.5D like Doom (though in my head I'm imagining it looking like Duke Nukem 3D).

Part of the reason I never got around to it might be that when the game came out it wasn't exactly firing on all cylinders. The game was full of bugs, it took minutes to load levels and save games, and a lot of people didn't even get sound. But now it's full patched up and it even runs on modern PCs! I hope!

(Click the screenshots to view the images at 800x600 res! I was playing in fake 3dfx mode so it's the best I could get.)
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Spring Flowers Poisionous to Pets

BY: Laurie Brzostowsk, President, Snaggle Foot Dog Walks and Pet Care-Round Lake, IL

Woo Hoo !  Spring is here.  I was sitting outside yesterday with my puppy Bandit and things are blooming !  Yay !

So while I was sitting outside with my doggie I realized we will now be shopping around for annuals to plant.  Some of these flowers can be extremely dangerous to our pets, so I thought I would list the top flowers that will be growing soon that are dangerous.

For more information about pet poisons, please check out http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com.

1. Tulips and Hyacinth: Tulips contain allergenic lactones while hyacinths contain similar
   
   alkaloids. The toxic principle of these plants is very concentrated in the bulbs (versus the leaf or flower), so make sure your dog isn’t digging up the bulbs in the garden. When the plant parts or bulbs are chewed or ingested, it can result in tissue irritation to the mouth and esophagus. Typical signs include profuse drooling, vomiting, or even diarrhea, depending on the amount consumed. There’s no specific antidote, but with supportive care from the veterinarian (including rinsing the mouth, anti-vomiting medication, and possibly subcutaneous fluids), animals do quite well. With large ingestions of the bulb, more severe symptoms such as an increase in heart rate and changes in respiration can be seen, and should be treated by a veterinarian. These more severe signs are seen in cattle or our overzealous, chowhound Labradors.
2. Daffodils:  These flowers contain lycorine, an alkaloid with strong emetic properties(something that triggers vomiting). Ingestion of the bulb, plant or flower can cause severe vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and even possible cardiac arrhythmias or respiratory depression. Crystals are found in the outer layer of the bulbs, similar to hyacinths, which cause severe tissue irritation and secondary drooling. Daffodil ingestions can result in more severe symptoms so if an exposure is witnessed or symptoms are seen, we recommend seeking veterinary care.
3. Lilies:  There are dangerous and benign lilies out there, and it’s important to know thedifference. Peace, Peruvian, and Calla lilies contain oxalate crystals that cause minor signs, such as tissue irritation to the mouth, tongue, pharynx, and esophagus – this results in minor drooling. The more dangerous, potentially fatal lilies are true lilies, and these include Tiger, Day, Asiatic, Easter and Japanese Show lilies – all of which are highly toxic to cats! Even small ingestions (such as 2-3 petals or leaves) can result in severe kidney failure. If your cat is seen consuming any part of a lily, bring your cat (and the plant) immediately to a veterinarian for medical care. The sooner you bring in your cat, the better and more efficiently we can treat the poisoning. Decontamination (like inducing vomiting and giving binders like activated charcoal) are imperative in the early toxic stage, while aggressive intravenous fluid therapy, kidney function monitoring tests, and supportive care can greatly improve the prognosis.
4. Crocus:  There are two Crocus plants: one that blooms in the spring (Crocus species) and theother in the autumn (Colchicum autumnale). The spring plants are more common and are part of the Iridaceae family. These ingestions can cause general gastrointestinal upset including vomiting and diarrhea. These should not be mistaken for Autumn Crocus, part of the Liliaceae family, which contain colchicine. The Autumn Crocus is highly toxic and can cause severe vomiting, gastrointestinal bleeding, liver and kidney damage, and respiratory failure. If you’re not sure what plant it is, bring your pet to their veterinarian immediately for care. Signs may be seen immediately but can be delayed for days.
5. Lily of the Valley: The Convallaria majalis plant contains cardiac glycosides which will causesymptoms similar to digitalis (foxglove) ingestion. These symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, a drop in heart rate, severe cardiac arrhythmias, and possibly seizures. Pets with any known exposure to this plant should be examined and evaluated by a veterinarian and treated symptomatically.

And don't forget about fertilizers.. almost ALL fertilizers are dangerous to pets.  Use them ONLY when your pets are not around and keep your pets off lawns and around plants that you have fertilized.  Even better, try and find pet friendly environmentally safe fertilizers to use in your yard.

Happy Spring everyone and let's just make sure we ALL enjoy the flowers !

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Syndicate (MS-DOS)

Developer:

Bullfrog

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Release Date:

1993

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Systems:

PC, Amiga, Acorn, Mac, PC-98, 3DO, Jaguar, CD32

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This fine Wednesday on Super Adventures I'm having a go of one of Bullfrog's most classic games, Syndicate!

It's about time as well, because for the last five years or so the only Bullfrog games I've had on my site have been Hi-Octane and Genewars. No Dungeon Keepers, no Theme Parks, and nary a single Populous (not even going to try working out the plural of that... or how to play it).

Syndicate and I have met a few times over the years, but we've never really got on. I'm not sure why, maybe I've been misunderstanding some aspect of gameplay, maybe it's just not my thing, but I've always found it to be finicky, frustrating and bloody difficulty to get anywhere in. Every now and again though I find myself wanting to give it another chance, because I love its particular remix of the 'Blade Runner' dystopian aesthetic and I'm always up for a bit of ultra-violent cyberpunk tactical action. But every time I load it up I end up putting in a cheat and firing Gauss guns at cars for a bit before turning it right back off again.

For some reason I always thought that the Amiga version was the genuine article and all others mere reflections, but this was actually the first Bullfrog game designed first for PC. Works for me, I got it off Origin a short while back when they were giving it away, so I'm all set up to give it another shot.
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Presentations at Klagenfurt (Austria) and Prague (Czech Republic)

Last week was awesome! I did two presentations in two great European universities, and I will talk a little bit about the experience and share the content in this post.

1. Klagenfurt

In April 15th, I did a presentation at the 3rd Klagenfurt Game Jam. The event happened at Alpen-Adria-Universität and had many serious discussions about games, gaming concepts, games and accessibility, gamification and much more. I want to thank my friend René Schallegger for the invitation and support in this amazing experience.

My presentation was about my new game, Rock Flickz (which will be in app stores by the end of April) and how we can use a mobile game for music advertising, entertainment and business. You can see the presentation below:



2. Prague

I took a train in Klagenfurt and went straight to Prague for another presentation. This time, I was invited by my friend Daniel Riha to talk to some students from the Charles University (Faculty of Humanities) about "Game Interface Design". Another excellent experience that I want to share in the presentation below:



I think my curriculum has just risen some levels =)



#GoGamers

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5 Signs of Pain in Your Pet

Our pets can’t outright tell us when they are in pain.  If your pet is limping or has a visible wound, then it may be obvious - but otherwise it is important to be aware of subtle clues that your pet is in pain.

1.  Verbal cues

Vocalization is a typical sign of pain in animals.  Your pet may start to whine continuously or respond with sound when a certain painful area is touched.  Verbal cues to listen for include whining, whimpering, howling, growling, and yelping.  Cats may purr with increased frequency when they are in pain.

2.  Changes in facial expression

Changes in facial expression can be subtle and are a good hint that your pet is experiencing pain.  Abnormal eye expressions include squinting or glazed vacant stares.  Pupils often stay dilated when pets are experiencing pain.  Ears may also differentiate from their normal upright position.

3.  Altered posture

Cats and dogs in pain can experience discomfort in their normal resting or sitting position.  Pets that are in pain tend to hunch or bend over to arch their backs and tuck their abdomen in.  Pets in pain may be reluctant to lift their head and therefore appear to have a ‘droopy’ body posture.

4.  Behavioural changes

Changes in your pet’s daily habits can be indicative of discomfort or pain.  Regular eating or sleeping patterns, and grooming habits may lapse.  Pets in pain may begin to act out of character and become withdrawn from social interaction or become snappy at their owners.  Caution should be taken if your pet is exhibiting behavioural changes as they could become abnormally aggressive as a self-protection reflex.

5.  Decreased activity

Painful conditions can cause pets to become lethargic and reluctant to move.  Animals with sore joints may have difficulty getting up from a resting position or performing certain manoeuvres such as climbing stairs due to a limited range of motion.

Cats and dogs can be good at hiding their pain because injuries or ill-health can cause them to feel threatened.  If your pet shows any signs of being in pain or simply doesn’t seem themselves, do not hesitate to contact your veterinarian.  The sooner the source of your pet’s pain is diagnosed and treated, the quicker your pet can return to being healthy and happy.

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Kaze Kiri: Ninja Action (TurboGrafx-CD)

Developer:

Naxat Soft

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Release Date:

1994

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Systems:

PC Engine Super CD-ROM²

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This week on Super Adventures, a game called Kaze Kiri: Ninja Action that came out in Japan and nowhere else.

I'm not sure I've played a Naxat Soft game before so I've no idea what to expect. Maybe it'll be an incredibly slick showcase for what the humble PC Engine can do in the hands of experts, maybe it'll be an unplayable piece of crap, I can't even guess. It's a Super CD-ROM² game so it has the potential to be at least as good as Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, but I won't be getting my hopes up.

One thing I know for sure is that I hate how long it takes to get to the title screen. First you have to wait through a flickering five second movie countdown and then another ten for the title to form. C'mon game, I've got ninjas to kill or maybe play as!
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How To Find The "Right" Pet Sitter/Dog Walker

By:  Laurie Brzostowski, President, Snaggle Foot Dog Walks and Pet Care-Round Lake, IL

This is a topic I am well versed in.  I have owned Snaggle Foot Dog Walks & Pet Care in Round Lake Illinois for almost 7 years.

But, I remember when my dog (Sebastian) was just a puppy and I had to drive home every day at lunch to let him out because we all know in order to potty train a puppy they have to stay on a consistent schedule.  It was really hard.

I was working full time in Gurnee so every day I drove to Round Lake Beach to let my puppy out. Back then there really weren't a lot of "pet sitters" or "dog walkers" but if there were I would have jumped all over that service.

If you are in a situation where you need pet care there are now a lot of pet sitters, dog walkers, house sitters, out there that can help you.  Whether it be a daily dog walk, puppy care, senior pet care, overnight pet sitting, vacation sitting, etc.  Which is a good thing because as pet parents we may need help on occasion or every day.

If you are in this situation and are looking for a pet sitter or dog walker, there are a few things you should be looking at.

First, decide what type of you care you need.  If you need a daily dog walk or puppy care or vacation visits or cat care, you want to try and find a pet sitter who does all of the above.  This will make it easier if you have multiple species of animals and you may need all the services.  If the pet sitter can do it all you won't have to go searching for separate pet sitters who do separate activities.

Do an internet search in your town.  You will find there a lot of pet sitters like me out there.  Once you find a couple give them call or email them and ask them the following questions:

• Are they bonded and insured?  This is very important, it protects you and it protects the pet sitter.
• Do they have a backup system, this means are they the only pet sitter or do they have a staff. This is also very important in case the primary sitter/walker goes on vacation, falls ill, etc., you can then have the backup put into place.
• If they do have a staff do they run background checks on the staff?  Also very important since these sitters will be entering your home.
• If they do have staff, are they Independent Contractors or actual Employees (Snaggle Foot Round Lake hires "employees").
• How do they schedule the visits and what is included in the visit.
• Cost.

You notice I put cost last that is because there are so many other things that are important in choosing a pet sitter "besides" the cost of hiring one.  For your peace of mine just don't look at who is the cheapest.

Once you decide on the sitter make sure they conduct a inhome consult. This is where you get meet the pet sitter and they can meet you and the animals they will be taking care of.  The logistics of the visit are also usually explained during this inhome consult (where are the food and water bowls, pet food, leashes, litter box etc.).  You may even ask if they provide other services, like bringing in your mail and newspapers and watering plants.

Once you are all done with that you now have your very own pet sitter/walker. Usually once you become a client they are there for you for however long you need them which is a wonderful service to have.  

So go ahead and do what you normally do during the day, it's okay because you now have someone to help you with your pets.

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Sword Coast Legends (PC)

Developer:

n-Space + Digital Extremes

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Release Date:

2015

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Systems:

Windows, Mac, Linux

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This week on Super Adventures I'm playing a few hours of shiny new RPG Sword Coast Legends! Well it's pretty new, as it came out in October 2015.

I'm really curious about this one as it's the first proper Baldur’s Gate-style 'Dungeons & Dragons' RPG since Obsidian's Neverwinter Nights 2 a decade ago. The thing is though, it's by n-Space, the people who brought the world games like Mary-Kate and Ashley: Crush Course and Hannah Montana: The Movie, when they weren't busy porting first person shooters to the DS. But Dragon Age: Origins director Dan Tudge joined the company to lead development on the game, and that's got to be a good sign. It also means I'll likely be typing 'Dragon Age' a lot.

Sadly it seems like n-Space may have been better off on their path they were on, as this was their last game. After 22 years of game development, the company closed down last week.

Oh I should mention that I'm only playing the single player campaign. A big deal was made about the game's innovative multiplayer Dungeon Master Mode, which lets one player guide a group of others through their home-made dungeons, so be aware that it exists and I'm just ignoring it. Because I do that.

(Remember: clicking images will display higher resolution screenshots.)
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What we can learn from the old RPG solo adventure books

If you are an old school gamer and a RPG fan like me, you have probably played in the 80’s or 90’s some of the classic solo adventure books created by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, named Fighting Fantasy Collection. These authors disseminated a very unique kind of entertainment in the form of books. Using the idea of non-linear narrative they materialized some stories where the reader (or the player) could take decisions, combat enemies (rolling dice) and obtain different kinds of equipment for his/her journey (that could be controlled using a special character sheet). One of my favorite books from this collection is The Temple of Terror (LIVINSTONE, 1985).



This narrative fits in the idea of ergodic literature, proposed by Aarseth (1997, p.1), because of the unusual effort readers/players must put in text to advance in the story (roll die, take notes, read the pages without logical order etc.). In Temple of Terror the player will be a warrior entering an adventure inside the Temple of Skelos to fight the evil sorcerer Malbordus. Using a clever system based on choices and number of pages, players must use their memory, solve puzzles and get lucky in the dice to defeat the monsters until reaching the dungeon of Malbordus.



Entertainment aside, rests a question: what lessons this kind of ludic experience can teach to us to develop or study games? Here are some points to think about:

1) This kind of book is perfect to deconstruct. To learn from failures is essential to draw a map. This map is the game’s script. Through it, it’s possible to understand the complex “decision trees” created by the author.

2) After playing the same adventure a number of times, you’ll see strong points and weaknesses of the narrative. You can mark the frequency of combat, dialogues and achievements to have a notion of how to balance your game between different features.

3) Temple of Terror, specifically, is an exercise of suspension of disbelief. Can you imagine a dungeon full of goblins, demons, skeletons, dragons and other fantastic beings living in a healthy way? Makes no sense if you think rationally, but in this format it makes all the sense. The script is a little bit naïve, but, on the other hand, it is an exercise of fantasy fiction for young audiences.

4) There’s a crisscrossing between how a book like this is created and how a complex videogame script is created. Basically, both are narratives. So studying different formats will help you have “fuel” to compose new ideas for new games.

5) IT’S FUN! So don’t waste time. If you have never played a solo adventure game, buy a book and try now. During the experience, ask yourself: why books like this one made such success in the past? Where’s the fun factor in them? How we can use them to create games for mobile phones, consoles or board games?



The challenge is yours.

#GoGamers

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Reference:

AARSETH, Espen. Cibertext: Perspectives on Ergodic Literature. The Johns Hopkins University Press: Maryland, 1997.

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3 Disaster Planning Considerations for your Pet

BY: Laurie Brzostowski

Serious storms, earthquakes, floods, and power outages can be unpredictable.  Preparing a disaster plan for you and your pets can save a lot of unnecessary stress during a serious crisis.  Some things to consider include:

1. Identification

Frightened animals tend to exhibit the flight response and flee when scared.  Current identification is vital in case your pet becomes unexpectedly lost during a disaster.  All dogs and cats should possess identification tags with up to date contact information.

Permanent identification methods are also useful in case your pet loses their collar.  Microchip implants are painless and sit under your pet’s skin for life.  If your pet is found, they are scanned by workers at animal shelters or clinics to be traced back to you.  Make sure to keep contact information updated on the microchip register as well.

2. Retrieving your pet

If you are not at home with your dog or cat when a disaster occurs, you will need to go back and retrieve them.  If you are not able to make it back to your home safely, it is a good idea to establish a contingency plan with a family member, neighbour, or friend for someone to go and check on your pet.  This should be a person who your pet is familiar with and who you trust to gain emergency assess into your home.

Another useful tool is a pet alert sign.  Pet alert signs inform emergency workers who may be first on a disaster scene that there could be animals trapped inside your home.  The sign should be placed in a front window to be easily visible.

3. Evacuation kit

If evacuation of your home is necessary, you will be responsible for your pet’s food and supplies.  Your pet evacuation kit should be assembled in advance and should contain at least a one week supply of pet food and water as well as an extra stock of any medications your pet requires.  It is important to regularly check the expiry dates of food and medication.  Restock supplies when necessary.

Other essential items to include in the evacuation kit are first aid supplies, copies of medical and vaccination records, items for restraint, waste supplies, blankets, and towels.

Following a disaster, observe your pet for signs of stress including restlessness, vomiting or diarrhea.  If you have any concerns about their health, contact a veterinarian.

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