Yule love this...
Highlights
There's been all sorts going on lately, so rather than the typical long-winded blogs focused on one particular topic I'm going to mix things up with a few little snippets of information, or highlights if you'll humour my need to relate everything to football. Help me! I can't make it stop!!!
First 1190
A couple of weeks ago we completed our first 11-a-side 90 minute match, with Design facing off against QA/Community to test our match engine's stability to its limits. I'm delighted to say that FS passed the test with flying colours and the match turned out to be one my favourite gaming experiences ever. That's including any game, not just Football Superstars! 1190 matches will be the pinnacle of FS' range of match types and anyone willing to invest the time in such a match will be duly rewarded.
For those keeping score it finished 6-2 to QACom with no shortage of incident! Each side had a penalty awarded and QA Manager Adam 'Strafer' Courtney produced a contender for office Goal Of The Season, leaping like a salmon and a half to meet a perfectly placed cross and nod it home. It might well have been a bug relating to his artificially enhanced jumping stat but no-one can take that goal and five foot leap away from him!
Monumental Games Christmas party
Thursday night was the office party at the Monumental Games Nottingham studio and we all downed tools for the evening to take part in festive eating, drinking, and gaming.
Table football continues to be a popular pastime and the new office has brought with it a new table to christen. Many were uneasy about its pristine shine and rods that don't periodically fall out, but when the fancy rubber grips began to show early signs of wear and tear we were happy for it to join its worn-in ancestor in the canteen.
Twelve pairs signed up to take part in the inaugural tournament with the eventual winners being veterans Pete 'Caseus' Warnes and Andy 'Anima' Ross. It was a result that surprised none but the most foolhardy, with the successful duo crushing two challengers 10-0 on their route to the final. I believe Pete is working on the website now with his football-shaped mouse; the tournament's coveted prize.
With impeccable timing the pub quiz began just as the alcohol started to kick in and I think most of us involved would agree that we let ourselves down. I personally feel obliged to hand in my nerd badge and lightgun after failing to recognise fiendishly cropped screenshots of games including Link's Awakening, Assassin's Creed, and GTA4 in the pictures round. I did spot Half-Life and Portal though ;)
Rocco, sporting full Santa garb for much of the night, and his team put in a winning performance and put us all to shame.
Finally the office Rock Band kit was dusted off for a Battle Of The Bands. With those renditions of Radiohead's Creep I don't think anyone can be considered a winner, but it was a lot of fun and I fear that my Xbox hard drive might be spending more time at the office than in my flat if this lot get their way! That's what a burgeoning DLC collection will cost you... Well, that and the frightening amount of money spent on Microsoft Points of course.
What I'm playing
We've had many a heated discussion about games in #fstw this week with the Crazy Gang PMC's 'Skunk' polarising the Community on more than one occasion! Momentarily taken over by an alarmingly over-inflated sense of importance I thought you might be interested in what I'm playing at the moment.
Rock Band 2 is taking its toll on my social life and, let's be honest, my credibility as I spend night after night grinding my way to a rock wallet fat enough to pay for the Bomb Bass. Only then will my character, Igor Baasvik, be complete! The folks at Harmonix offer a service where you can have your in-game character made up into a perfectly replicated six inch statuette and I simply must have one. There's a Baasvik-shaped hole on my desk next to the Big Daddy and Vaultboy bobblehead.
The love of my life continues to be Team Fortress 2 and I always try and find time for a couple of hours a week on my favourite server. If you're a TF2 fan or fancy playing the best team-based first person shooter ever made then join the FS Community Steam group at http://steamcommunity.com/groups/TFSCGTF and see if you can find any of us in-game. Please! Do it now!
I continue to be unendingly dedicated to the CM/FM series and my current Football Manager game sees me managing Watford in the Championship. It's early days but I'm balancing the books nicely and hoping to set myself up for the opportunity to bring in some fresh legs in January. ‘mon The Hornets!
Lastly, I was chatting with my nephew Harry a couple of weeks ago and he told me he someday hopes to make video games. Swollen with pride that my nephew is a fellow nerd of the highest order (I mean that in the nicest possible way, Hazza) I quizzed him on his taste in games and recoiled in horror when he asked, 'Who's Valve?'
An early Christmas present later, Harry was head-first in the Orange Box and it's been a delight to see him having a fantastic time and learning about great game design in the process.
I know I go on and on about Valve but they really are putting on a clinic, and if there are any of you out there who want to learn about the craft of making engaging, exciting, and enjoyable games but haven't yet played games such as Half-Life 2 and Portal, then get yourself on Steam and pick them up.
A Community Team divided
Not with a bang but a whimper the Community Team derby of Boro against Arsenal passed this weekend.
There was feverish debate and talk of forfeits for the loser before kick off but unfortunately we got an excitement-challenged 1-1 draw. I think it's safe to say that Smog was the happier of the two of us for his team's showing as I continue to be a miserable sod over Arsenal's inconsistency and lack of heart this season.
I invite you all to join me in berating Wenger and chums in the Football Discussion section of the forums.
