tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2199739115819035060.post7164760878086194999..comments2008-02-08T10:16:51.862-06:00Blatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09743198094881916379noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2199739115819035060.post-77392182648328743032008-02-08T10:16:00.001-06:002008-02-08T10:16:00.001-06:00Also, you make some very good points about the game. I did notice that the future is much clearer when you first start and that the past is much clearer as you age. However, I completely missed the fact that, during the mid-life portion of the game, the future and past are pretty muddled and the focus is solely on the present--just another interesting aspect/layer of the game I missed. The amazing thing about this simple little game is that I keep finding new things each time I play it, it's remarkable. I could probably write twice as much as I did, but I figured the article was already rambling and disjointed as it was.DJ T-Wanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07729031725938658524noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2199739115819035060.post-88594544583284887792008-02-08T10:08:00.000-06:002008-02-08T10:08:00.000-06:00Thanks for pointing out that I neglected to include the link to the game. I had the link, intended to put it in the first time I mention Passage, and I simply neglected to put it into the article when I posted it, nice catch!DJ T-Wanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07729031725938658524noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2199739115819035060.post-39422189556824807462008-02-07T23:51:00.000-06:002008-02-07T23:51:00.000-06:00Nice article, Anthony. In my first playthrough (of two), I was pretty bored... I had no indication of goals, the points system made no sense, I didn't understand why the image would randomly get fuzzy, and what in the world was wrong with the right side of the screen? It didn't dawn on me until I noticed my avatar's hair receding... then my wife's hair getting gray... then eventually, her passing and, soon after, mine. I couldn't just stop progressing right to stop time, like in a turn-based RPG like Ultima VI. I had no control.<BR/><BR/>And it was profound.<BR/><BR/>On my second playthrough, I grabbed my partner's hand and made a bee-line towards "the right". I passed what seemed like countless scenarios, some of which were different than my first time through... I did notice a lack of other items though, like obstacles or chests. At the end, the same thing. But death seemed to come on faster at the end... I'm not sure why.<BR/><BR/>One thing I want to point out is the game's portrayal of the future and the past. I'm sure you noticed that your avatar was on the far left at the beginning and at the far right at the end. But did you notice the compression of future to the right and past to the left? When you're first born, you see a sea of opportunities to the right - things to do, chests to plunder, experiences to be had. As you progress, those future opportunities become less numerous... perhaps signifying a loss of optimism or motivation? In mid-life, I noticed you could barely see the future or the past, perhaps suggesting a total focus on the present - managing your career, kids, etc. At the end, all you see is the past... and even then, only parts of it. Large blocks of the left side are one scenario or another. As you get old, you mostly remember the good times...<BR/><BR/>Well, I didn't think I would ramble this much but I just think there is a lot to this game. As the author (author? of a game? I usually say 'designer' or 'creator'...) of the game advises, don't give up in the first couple minutes. "Finish" then game and then draw your conclusions.<BR/><BR/>Oh, one thing you may have missed... a link to the game: http://hcsoftware.sourceforge.net/passage/EmreBFGhttp://openid.aol.com/EmreBFGnoreply@blogger.com