Facebook Friends

Facebook has been around a few years...
That means you've added friends from:

• High School
• College
• Grad School
• Work
• ...different phases of your life
• ...multiple jobs!

You're not honestly "friends" with all of these people today!

Facebook is interesting to me because it's become so pervasive, everybody has a Facebook account - it's easy to forget its core purpose, which in my opinion is: to supplement a real life outside of your computer.

• You post pictures of events you went to in real life
• You share things with the people you actually care about

Knowing that, there's really no reason to feel depressed that people who are not part of your life today don't give a shit about you or your posts, for example. Why should they? They're not part of your life today.

Is Facebook a directory of people you used to know?
It could be, but that's Facebook's role / the role of search, not the role of your friend list. Your friends are your friends. You can search Facebook and message people you're not friends with, if you're looking to reconnect.

I've over-thought the concept of "friends" the past few years because I did something not a lot of people are ever in a position to do...

Have you ever considered that "if you needed it", certain people would be there for you, no matter what?

Well I used to think that. And when my mom died, someone I thought would be there for me without a doubt was my girlfriend. She was NOT there for me. She was Mormon, and because I thought about religion and left my girlfriend's church when my mom died... she treated me like I was led astray by Satan. She made a lot of false accusations and I broke up with her... when my mom died.

So here's the thing I did that most people don't do:
I then systematically reached out to every person I ever felt would be there for me if I needed someone. I reached out to friends I used to teach RCIA with (because I was thinking about religion) - no reply. I reached out to my old best friend from high school. He confronted me and told me everything I read and believe is bullshit. I had bought him a book that meant the world to me... but I think he wanted me to respect his thoughts and beliefs, without reading one page of the book I bought him. I guess he didn't consider why maybe I wanted to open up to him about that book.

...it's frustrating being called closed-minded or a zealot, certainly by the people you at one time felt closest to, when I'm the one who turned Mormon, lived a faith other than the one I was raised in, and read books on science and comparative religion.

I admit, the topics I wanted to talk about (death and religion, harsh break up) were polarizing / difficult for some people to think about rationally, or to think about outside of the frame of reference they've been brought up on (ex. all religion belongs on a pedestal / you are always a dick to speak out against it). Some people just aren't equipped to talk about those subjects.

Fortunately, I have a small handful of friends who truly care about me. In reaching out, these friends have filled in pieces for me, and offered valuable advice. One wrote miles of text over email with me. One just hung out with me whenever I seemed like I could use it. You could argue that in reaching out the way I did, I actually did discover who my friends are, who I want in my life, and who I don't.

Some of my friends' advice has included:

• ...that "email" is difficult for some people
• ...that people can be unequipped to talk about certain topics
• ...that sometimes "fuck it" is the best attitude

I've also had friends recommend great books, movies, and podcasts to me:

• Understanding can sometimes mean: accepting things the way they are
• Sometimes you want to be understood, no one wants to feel alone
• A goal of any kind of communication / media can be to feel less alone
• Your thoughts can be justified, even if none of your friends understand
• Self-worth should always come from yourself

How do you feel about Facebook?
I personally think it's best to pare down your friend count. Your friends list should have mostly "friends" on it. But what do you think?

Dead Space makes me feel smart...

Dead Space is a game I've been meaning to finish.
I really like the game. It has a number of "features" that border on exploits... and discovering these makes me feel smart.

What do I mean by "exploit"?
An exploit is a way of playing / winning a game, that the developer's didn't intend.

So here are some scenarios in Dead Space:

1. Stasis Energy
Slows time, it's required to progress through certain areas of the game. Because it's required in some areas, Stasis Energy recharge stations exist, that can be used an infinite number of times...

The exploit:
Stasis Energy can be used as a weapon. Knowing that you will always have Stasis Energy when you truly need it, and knowing that you can use Stasis Energy to slow enemies / punch them to death, it's beneficial to conserve ammo, always use up Stasis Energy on enemies when you have it, and always sell your Stasis Modules that refill Stasis Energy. Certainly when you're near a recharge station, use Stasis Energy and punch your way through that area.

2. Low Health
The game developers never want to put you in a position where you "can't" beat a section, so on a continue / game reload, you are always given at least one block of health - even if you left off with less, a fraction of one block.

The exploit:
Rarely or never use health packs. Sell them and upgrade your equipment. If your guns are strong enough, you should be able to beat sections with one health block, and you'll ultimately conserve ammo, and be better equipped for later sections.

3. Health Pack Currency
Small Health Packs: 1 Health, $1000
Medium Health Packs: 2 Health, $2500
Large Health Packs: Full Health, $5000

The exploit:
If you need to use health, how many health bars do you have? 6 or more, maybe it's smart to use Large Health Packs exclusively, sell the others. Less than 5, use Small Health Packs exclusively, those are $1000 / one health block. It's better to use two Small Health Packs ($2000), than one Medium ($2500), you can sell the Medium and get more money at the store.

Ultimately, the game still feels challenging and balanced, so am I really cheating the game? Or is the game intentionally designed this way? Is it rewarding me with a "feeling" that I'm cheating the game because of the way it's designed? That I'm clever, and I figured out smart ways to play, without being told these strategies?

Regardless, the game is a lot of fun. Something to think about as a game designer! You can balance economies in this example, or design features that make the player feel that he or she is "cheating" the game and being clever. It's rewarding!

Was It Good?

I just watched Indie Game: The Movie...
It was great!

In my last post, I talked about how I think people should create - no matter what anyone thinks of them as individuals. People make choices, and say and do things you might disagree with. You can still enjoy their work!

I really liked Indie Game: The Movie first because, it humanized the game developers it followed. Phil Fish (Fez) especially, you realize went through a lot in his personal and professional life, from the moment his game was announced very early in development, to the time he was ready to release years later. He may come off hostile, for example lashing out at fans who want to see his game on PC, but you begin to sympathize with his story, the demands he already had on his time, while running out of money.

But what about developers who are less well known today?
Leading up to the release of Indie Game: The Movie, I was thinking about which indie games I would have liked to have seen covered...

Braid, Super Meat Boy, and Fez have all been massive successes. At least we know that now, and the filmmakers who chose to follow these developers must have seen their potential. You can see hard work and attention to detail, well in advance of these games' release.

It occurred to me though, what about games like The Binding of Isaac, which is my favorite indie game right now? It's a quality game, it just seems to be designed for a niche audience. How well was it received? It's about a kid who escapes to his basement (and explores dungeons down there) because his mom is trying to kill him, because god told her to, because she watches too much Christian programming. What would the development / release story be behind a game like that?



...well I was excited to find out, Edmund McMillen of The Binding of Isaac, was actually half of the team that created Super Meat Boy! So he IS featured in Indie Game: The Movie. The movie just doesn't address The Binding of Isaac, it's the project Edmund worked on next.

Anyway, it's a great movie. Check it out!