Breaking the Game: Super Mario World

Mario games aren't known for their quantifiable, exploitable mechanics, but somehow, this Mario title, among all others, is the one I found the most breakable. Several of the features of the game factored together while I played it and I got the feeling that I was preverting the system into something that wasn't quite what the developers intended. Here's a few of them:

Infinite Lives

There are a couple levels where you can get massive amounts of extra lives in short order, similar to the koopa bounce trick in the original Super Mario Bros, only much easier to perform. In one level in particular, after you pass a horde of enemies, there is a Silver P-block which turns enemies into special coins, which if you collect enough of them in a row they give you extra lives. If you ignore the setup nearby the block, which will only net you a couple lives, and instead carry it back to the horde of enemies you passed earlier, if you hit the block and run as fast as you can, you can grab over 50 lives. This takes roughly 20 seconds, though, since the lives rack up one at a time, it might take several minutes for the effects of your mad dash to fully rack up (if you quit the level, however, you get all the lives right away). Repeat this twice and you hit the maximum 99 lives right away.

This many lives makes it so that you don't have to worry about dying ever again, and you're free to approach any level however you see fit.

The Spin Jump

The A button on the controller is a jump that is remarkably similar to the normal jump, only much more powerful. It make you invulnerable to many things that would normally damage you, inluding spikes and some fire, and often will destroy enemies that normally are only temporarily incapacitated by a normal jump, such as koopas and goombas.

The downside of this jump is that it is located in an akward position on the default nintendo controller, which makes it hard to use regularly. Also, the spin makes the jump appear to have a different momentum than a normal jump - despite being exactly the same - which can be misleading when performing serious platforming. However, these downsides can be mitigated with proper timing, and ably intermingling the Spin Jump with your normal Jump can turn a grave situation into a victory in just a few seconds.

The Cape

Every Mario game has it's own unique powerups, but off all of them, the Cape perhaps takes the crown for the most game-breaking. Many, many levels can be bypassed entirely simply by flying over them (often offscreen, completely removed from danger), and while flying, if you have the misfortune of being hit, you get a free pass without taking damage (instead, you stop flying and fall gently to the ground) and even a few extra seconds of invulnerability. And, in case flight and temporary invulerability weren't enough, the Cape's attack, while limited in range, is as powerful as the spin jump, and can even remove enemies that any other attack cannot.

Yoshi

The last piece of the breaking-puzzle is the infamous Yoshi. His body is worth lots of things, mainly the free extra hit when damaged (he runs off and you are undamaged, and you can even go pick him up again, provided he doesn't run off a cliff), but also gives a nice emergency Super Jump when dismounting in mid-air and the power of the Spin Jump inherent in his feet. He can eat many things, including most enemies (even some that attacks can't destroy), and poops powerups on occasion. Yoshi can be a valuable, expendable tool. There are even a few instances where having Yoshi can turn a challenging level into an instant victory, and don't even get me started on the color-variants (the blue one is the best, as he can fly through levels as quick as the Cape).

Putting it all in one Basket

The funny thing about this game is when you break the game to beat the levels in a hurry, you only bypass the challenge that makes the game so enjoyable. While some levels are really annoying and worth the cheese, it is almost more fun to try and beat the level barehanded - with no powerups and just your skill and wits at your disposal.

Most of the levels in the game can be broken or diluted with the above bullet points, but this game is fun in it's own right, and breaking it only makes it feel more like a generic platformer rather than one of the legendary Mario games of yore. It is, however, the first game with which I really thrashed the in-game system, and it's an interesting begining to this series.

Game Mastery: Breaking the Game, Defined

In my last post, I mentioned that I played video games for two reasons, one to destroy and cause havoc, and one to break the system which the game is founded on.

This is not to say I cheat to break the game in my favor - rather, I use the system inherent in the game itself against the purpose it was designed for, and in turn become more powerful using the game's own system than that very system should allow.

It is similar to cheating in that it requires one to do what the creators of the game never intended for the player to do (though most "cheats" in games were put there by the programmers), but it is different in the fact that I primarily use the normal, unaltered system that has been built into the game against the game itself.

This is much easier to do in video game RPGs, where characters and enemies are given quantified statistics. Being raised by a mathematician, this becomes, to me, a simple manipulation of algebraic variables, in which I come out the victor.

In more complex or realistic (or Nintendo Hard) games, this becomes a less quantifiable manipulation, though many games can still be broken in the right hands.

Breaking games is a hobby of mine, though some might call it a perversion. I sit down with a game and make it do what I want when I want it, rather than adhering to the the developers' wishes. In other words, I make the game my bitch.

Often as not, I find myself giving strange advice to my friends. If you do it this way, I say, you'll be golden for the rest of the game. They often look at me funny, but they do what I say, with promising results.

Anyways, this is the first of many posts about Breaking the Game, and in the proceeding posts, I will define explicit examples of how I Break the Game, starting with when I first ever broke a game on the SNES playing Super Mario World.

See you there.

Game Mastery: Lord of Blowing Sh*t Up

When a video game sucks me in and I spend hours upon hours playing it, I generally have two ways of going about it: I either break the system or I find a way to destroy everything and wreak the most havoc I can.

This post is about the latter.

It all began way back in GTA III, when we would spend hours on top of a building with a sniper rifle, playing the insane gunman and abusing the game's weak AI (they can't shoot up). This is one of the few times I condone cheats, as ammo is hard to come by in that game - however we found a couple of "cheats" made the game more fun, and a lot harder. After inputting the Everyone Has a Gun code and the Riot code, the game would enter a state we called Ragnarok Mode.

Standing in a safe place, away from the city traffic, an explosion would immediately go off, and screams would echo through the air. Gunfire would rattle eerily from the streets, and suddenly you would feel like you were in the middle of a warzone. You would run out into the street, past a burning man and an old lady with a flamethrower, and try to steal a car (lord help you if the driver had a rocket launcher, as he would fire it at you as you drove away), and tear off through the streets, fervently hoping a stray explosion, errant gunfire, or a zealous woman with a flamethrower wouldn't take you out - and it always happened within a minute or two. To make matters worse, as soon as you respawn at the hospital, you'd be assualted instantly, since you are 10 feet from the street.

We made a provisional rule: if you didn't survive more than 30 seconds, you didn't have to pass the controller.

The next game to pique my appetite for obliteration was Burnout 3, particularly the spectacular crash mode, which played out in slow motion with all manner of explosions. We would play the same crashes over an over, long since having beaten the high score, simply trying to destroy every vehicle on the map. The fact that you could trigger an explosion at any time (because, apparently, your vehicle is packed with explosives) made things all the more satisfying. The next iteration of the series, Burnout: Revenge, didn't have quite as much flair in the crash modes - they we more challenging to simply complete the first time, and it lost the addictive replay value of the first one.

Of course, there was always the old standby of the Worms Series, in which small invertebrates hurl a variety of explosives at each other, destroying the world around them in the process. I lived to engineer the largest explosions I could, and do the most damage to the most worms in the process - on more than one occasion, I have cackled with glee as I launch a banana bomb at my own troops, watching the chaos unfold. Oh the times I had with mad cows and old ladies.

But all of those have gone by the wayside in recent years, as newer yet less destructive games have taken root. Long has my appetite for destruction lingered dormant (while I still have my older systems, I'm too lazy to set them up), waiting for a new title to make an explosive entrance.

And then, lo and behold, Red Faction: Guerrilla debuted on the Xbox 360. We must have played the demo for hours, just to find new and interesting ways to annihilate our surroundings. A game that features realistic building materials, and gives you a sledgehammer to destroy them with? Pure awesome. Watching buildings collapse in real time, and being able to knock them over into each other? How could this get any better?

After playing for a couple hours, we realized this game features everything that drew us in to all the above games. The open sandbox environment encourages destruction on a wide scale, which is what we craved in GTA. When we load a car with a dozen remote mines and drive it into an enemy base and detonate it, we're reliving Burnout's crash mode. Taking structural supports out of large buildings with a variety of interesting and highly explopsive weapons and watching them slowly topple is the very spirit of the Worms series.

This truly is the Epitome of destructive gaming. I can only dream of what games will use this engine for in the future.

A side note here: when I played Mass Effect, the most entertaining thing I found in that game was driving around on the Moon's surface. I drove around for hours (no, really) doing donuts with the full Earth hanging over me, trying to get a glimpse fo the original lunar lander in the distance (I still believe it's out there, somewhere). Now, in Red Faction, I get to drive around on Mars! Awesome.

To sum it all up, Red Faction: Guerrilla is the best choice for satisfying one's appetite for desctruction. If you crave explosions, do not hesitate - this game is perfect for you.

Let's Not Meet in a Tavern

So a while back my friends and I were sitting around with nothing to do for an evening, and someone suggested we bust out D&D (3.0 edition, way back when). I volunteered to GM, having cursory experience in the past, and I was given explicit instructions not to use the “you all meet in the tavern” shtick.

So during the thirty minutes it would take for them to roll up characters, I had to come up with an intriguing, non-cliche adventure hook. As they made their characters, I asked them about their backstory and how they generally go about things. Shortly thereafter, we began.

The Sorcerer, who professed his wanderlust and vagrant nature, has spent the last few days on the road, headed towards a small town, hoping to find a soft bed after so long on the trail. He spots smoke on the horizon, and as he crests a rise, he sees that the town is on fire, and there seems to be some commotion going on.

He hurries into town, and he passes the City Guard building, from which he can hear someone shouting. Upon investigating, he finds the Barbarian, locked up.

Barbarian: Let me out! I can fight!

Sorceror: Why are you in there?

GM: Well, last night he had a bit too much to drink down at the tavern and caused a ruckus, so the City Guard came down and put him in the drunk tank to cool off.

Sorceror: Okay, I let him out.

While they figure out how to open the cell, we cut to the Rogue. He awakens with a start, just in time to see a small figure leap out his window with a sack of all the stuff he spent last night acquiring. Then a bottle of something with a flaming rag comes in through the window and lights the room on fire.

GM: Someone just ripped off the stuff you ripped off!

Rogue: The knave! I go after him!

One successful tumble check later, he’s in the street, spiked chain at the ready (yes, really).

The Cleric, who is actually a member of the City Guard, is already in the street. A group of goblins have cut him off from the rest of the Guard and are closing in for the kill, but then the Rogue, smoking slightly, hits the street ready for action.

A round of combat later - in which the spiked chain proves to be a deadly menace to both the goblins and its wielder - the Sorcerer and the Barbarian roll up.

Combat ensues.

Shortly thereafter the Captain of the Guard arrives. He explains that he does not know why the goblins attacked the city, but they made off with several captives. He wants the Cleric to lead a party to go find the goblin’s lair, kill them, and bring back the captives, and whoever goes will be richly rewarded upon success.

The Rogue, not having been able to recover his stolen and re-stolen goods, volunteers immediately - on the condition that he gets to keep whatever loot the goblins might have. The Barbarian, always ready for a fight, goes along with it. The Sorcerer, who was seeking adventure to being with, has now found what he was looking for.

Unfortunately, we were never able to continue this campaign, but I think I did a good job of pulling a party of disparate individuals together on the fly. It’s an example of how to flaunt cliches and provide a more interesting hook than meeting in a tavern. Feel free to use it or something similar in your game!

Chipin

So we're getting going on several projects, including Seasons Pass, a sci-fi tabletop roleplaying game, various works of fiction to back it up, and a couple comic projects. I'll use this space to post info and updates on these projects.

Also, I've created a Chipin fundraiser for those that feel they wish to contribute to our indie development movement, here. Click the image below and do whatever you like.

The Grand Experiment: Who Wants an Acid Bath?

Well.

Who waaaaaants.... an acid bath?
If you didn't just whisper to yourself "I do!", you either just finished one, or you are a liar.

I know, I know, not as funny as the Dr. McNinja gag, but I couldn't resist.

Anyways, in answer to my question: these guys!

A sploosh of Citrustrip and 30 minutes later equals

Ragnar, in the bottom left, still looks silly.

Yay! Naked marines! Kind of!

Now I can see details formerly hidden under seven layers of paint. It's been a few years, boys.

BASS, Ult: Session 1, Demons and Deathcurses

It all began way back at the 4th level, with Kaldich the Rogue, Blackstone Jones and I, Skargob ub Noknoggin ub 'Edbasha, wandering about, debating the future of the Company after a successful job.

I'm going to take a tip from Shamus Young's D&D Chronicle, and document out-of-character player and GM notes in a box like this one. We started the game here, at level four, and the GM decreed that we had already met and become formed the incipient Blackstone Acquisitions and Security Solutions, Unlimited. We have a little pet peeve about starting at level one, since most of us have rather grand visions of our characters. It would turn out later that D&D 4th edition gives a lot more at first level than earlier editions, and each level up is rather minimal in its bumps. More on this later.

Blackstone spotted a run-down cathedral in the distance, and smelled adventure. Kaldich proceeded to scout the area, and succeeded wonderfully in getting mauled by a pair of bears he managed not to notice. Perhaps what Blackstone smelled was the bear's lair...

After some dispatching, the Company explored inside the mostly fallen walls of the temple and found a locked door leading to a sealed room in the nave. Kaldich set to picking to lock, and a needle shot out of the door into his hand. He felt a little... off for a while after that.

The Company discovered a secret door leading to the underground catacombs, and the iconography of the temple indicated that this was a major part of the Dragonborn priesthood, long ago.

Now, it should be mentioned that it is common knowledge that the Dragons, the Dragonborn and their ilk were banished by the gods a couple of millenia ago. That we had found a relatively undisturbed temple... well, let's just say it set Kaldich's treasure sense a-tingle.

Brian, the current GM, made every race available except the Dragonborn, which had been banished to another dimension for trying to eradicate all other sentient life and becoming, y'know, omnipotent... or at least polypotent. Or sommat. This is the basis of the story in our campaign - but I'm getting to that.

So we trekked down into the darkness to see what we may. Kaldich did a good job "finding" traps - he set about four off in his own face, but that kept them from hurting us, of which Blackstone and I approved.

We found some Dragonborn skeletons, a bit miffed at being disturbed after their long rest, and we found a goodly amount of valuables in their resting places.

It was when we descended to a lower level that things began to get out of hand.

There was a green light coming from under a door. Of course we had to look, and lo and behold, a lady-demon was in a circle of green light, smiling at us pleasantly. Kaldich, being the sharp knife that he is, asked - in abyssal, damn fool - what the demon was doing here.

The lady-demon responded - also in abyssal - with the words, "Release me."

We had no idea what they were saying, but at that point Kaldich's eyes began glowing with the same green light, so we thought it best to restrain him. Kaldich broke free and spoke the words that he shouldn't as thought they were placed on his tongue.

Now I should point out that I, Skargob, am above average when it comes to my orcish physique, and orcs in general are known for their strength. Kaldich, a scrawny little tiefling, overpowered me.

The green circle on the floor disappeared. The demon lady simply smiled, a glint of green power in her black-on-black eyes, and said - this time in common - "You have my thanks, adventurers. We'll be in touch."

And then she patted the tiefling on the cheek and disappeared.

To say that Kaldich got a stern talking to about his not-letting-demons-out-of-age-old-prisons ethics is an understatement.

The Demon was improv'd, Brian later admitted to me. He had known that we would find something strange in the Room with the Green Glow, little did he or the rest of us know how much the demon, who would later be known as the Lady, would factor into the game.

I found some interesting-looking books in the same room, which looked to have been a study once upon a time. As to why a study would be located underneath the catacombs, I had not a clue. The books were written in draconic, a language few speak these days. I hoped they would illuminate me as to the demon, or possibly the disappearance of the dragons, or to the general purpose of the temple.

We noticed more light coming from a staircase leading deeper into the dungeon. We followed it down to a large, natural cavern where we found a person working a spell. The spell was a large sigil written in golden fire across the floor, and there was a glowing portal slowly opening on the wall, leading to another cave. The figure appeared to be a woman in armor, though being in the center of the dancing golden lights made her race difficult to determine.

We debated on a course of action for a few seconds, but I tired of the rogue's urge to simply murder the caster and had no want for Blackstone's complicated tactics.

"I'm gonna go talk to her," I said.

"Do that and you'll get a bonus," said Blackstone, not having faith in my orcish brashness. I stepped out of the dark hallway into the circle of golden light.

"Greetings!"

The caster reacted in a whirl of motion, and spinning she hurled a sword at me. It embedded itself to the hilt in my thigh.

"You will not impede me, the Harbinger of Tiamat, or my people's Return!"

I noticed now that the woman had distinct dragonlike features. So much for diplomacy.

The battle was a short one, and rather bloody. The Harbinger wielded divine power and martial prowess with deadly efficiency. We got in our share of hits, but she was hardly even slowed.

She must have been worried about the portal, because she kept an eye on it the entire time. She would have had us, but she dashed off through the portal, but not before imparting the final words to Blackstone, "Tiamat will have her vengeance upon your miserable soul."

That dealt with, Blackstone attempted to identify the nature of the spell. Aside from the obvious magical gateway, he met with no success. He had not seen the workings of such a spell before, though there were some scattered papers with magical notation the Harbinger had left, and he might find something in future study. However, we all felt rather uneasy at the menacing way the sigil kept growing, so we decided to get out.

We weren't about to let the Harbinger off so easy, so we went through the portal after her. It wasn't long after that that the sigil exploded on the other side of the portal, which promptly closed, but not before turning a portion of the wall to glass.

And so we found ourselves trapped underground in a strangely humid natural cave, with no way back.

Lucky us.

Here ends the first "session" of the game, though I think there was more than one actual sitting involved. This account is muchly abridged, and I left out several parts, including one completely fruitless trip to town and a couple players who did not return after the second session. I decided to simply highlight the interesting parts of the game, and link the sometimes dissociated and oft interrupted storytelling into a coherent narrative.