WIP: E-Portfolio

http://jeffreyromanoe-portfolio.weebly.com/

Nothing too fancy just yet.

So far I’m thinking I’ll include a few Passion blogs from the first semester (The Path is definitely one that I want to include), at least one War Diary (from my CAS 373 class), perhaps an essay I wrote for English 200H this semester. What I mainly wish to convey is my ability to write creatively, persasively, informatively, or however the situation may dictate. I hope my portfolio conveys not only good writing style and substance, but also flexibility and creativity in how I go about things.

War Diary #8 – Change

fallout_vaulttec_boyWhile a lot of games involve war directly, there are several, including a few of those that I’ve taken a look at for the purposes of this blog, that deal with the aftermath of war. Fallout is a series that has been near and dear to my heart for years now. It has some of the richest, most interesting lore to be found in any imaginary universe, and it has some fun aesthetics as well.

As the name suggests, Fallout takes place after a hypothetical nuclear war between America and China. The circumstances of the war are mostly unclear, and nobody really knows who was the first to resort to the nuclear option, but what we do know is that America was prepared for nuclear apocalypse. In the early stages of the war, the government contracted Vault-Tec to produce massive underground fallout shelters capable of sustaining entire populations for years until the country became inhabitable again, these were known as Vaults. As a Vault Dweller, your mission in the original Fallout was to go out into this post-apocalypse world and find a certain something that your Vault needs to survive. What’s more interesting, though, and far more applicable, is how the game begins.

Untitled-2a

War. War never changes. The Romans waged war to gather slaves and wealth, Spain built an empire from its lust for gold and territory, Hitler shaped a battered Germany into an economic superpower, but war never changes. In the 21st century, war was still waged over the resources that could be acquired, only this time, the spoils of war were also its weapons: petroleum, and Uranium…

Within this first section, brilliantly narrated by Ron Perlman, we have an interesting framing device for the rest of the game. War never changes, huh? More or less the central claim of the series, as every game’s opening narration begins with it. When we take a look at Handel and the works of Sun Tzu and von Clausewitz that he analyzes, we get the hint that there may be some truth to this, but what is it really saying?

In the Fallout games, we see a lot of bickering and combat (natural for a video game I would think). Various factions and tribes of different stripes all seek to preserve their meager shares of the wasteland that was once America. The wars that come up between them, as the introduction alludes to, are over resources, territory, power. There are certain things about war that never change, and the involvement of material concerns and resources is one of them.

Another angle that can be examined (and you’ve probably already picked up on from the advertisement pictures) is the satirical angle. Fallout is meant to take place in a fictional universe which is identical to ours up until World War II. After that, it essentially asks us to imagine an era in which the 1950s Cold War sentiment never ended. The mascot with the cheesy smile, showing everyone how to “Duck and Cover,” warning about the evils of Communism. Interesting imagery in that first image as well: identical smiling Vault Boy characters all marching into the distance and winking at the camera. Very soldier-like, no?

21985_2_1I believe that Fallout‘s inherent message of “War never changes” boils down to a more focused version of the old adage that “History repeats itself.” Wherever there are groups of humans in competition for resources, no matter what form they take or what the societal context is, there is always the potential for war. It’s a rather grim message, and one that the third game takes to an even greater level.

Since the dawn of human kind, when our ancestors first discovered the killing power of rock and bone, blood has been spilled in the name of everything: from God to justice to simple, psychotic rage.

In the year 2077, after millenia of armed conflict, the destructive nature of man could sustain itself no longer. The world was plunged into an abyss of nuclear fire and radiation.

But it was not, as some had predicted, the end of the world. Instead, the apocalypse was simply the prologue to another bloody chapter of human history. For man had succeeded in destroying the world – but war, war never changes.

No matter what technological auspices are added on to it, war remains the same thing: the shedding of human blood as means to an end. It is in this regard, above all, that war never truly changes. War, according to Fallout, is so strong that even the end of the world could not stop it. History repeats itself in the Fallout mythos, as new nations arise to mimic those of the old world, and then these nations in turn go to war. In a more dramatized way than that of our own world, every tribe and society in Fallout must be warlike to deter invasion, battles are common, and life and death struggle is a daily reality. In this way, the games begin to transcend war and move into the issue of human survival itself. In a world where might makes right, and violence is the law of the land, one must be prepared for war, or die. In that way, maybe war can never truly change.

But the tale of humanity will never come to a close, for the struggle of survival is a war without end, and war – war never changes.

 

WIP: Advocacy Progression

1. In the last few days, I’ve decided that my project will consist of 4 satirical articles, formatted in a blog post style with captioned images throughout. I’ve finished one of these, at about two pages in length, and I’ve outlined and gathered resources for two more.

2. I need to write the other 3 articles, and develop my cover sheet. Tomorrow and Saturday will consist of working on articles, and on Monday I can finalize the cover sheet given all of the information I’ve already compiled. After that, I will look over everything and edit it to make sure that no minor errors remain for the final submission.

3. A cover sheet, a word document with the 4 articles in it

4. How would you suggest that I make my project live in the real world? This isn’t something that can be easily hung out in public view, and there would be next to no possibility of getting public exposure on the internet on even a small scale, so is there anything beyond the advocacy fair and show and tell segment that I would be able to do to expose people?

Well here we are again…

It’s always such a pleasure, being able to write about what’s fun and inspiring for me. But my time… is up. If I have not convinced anyone yet that a video game is a useful medium for conveying not only artistic messages, but also unique and fun experiences, then I doubt I ever will be able to. I’m not certain whether I wanted to convert everyone who read my blogs so that they’d become a gamer as well. Rather, I wanted to let people know that there’s more to it than meets the eye. Every medium lately has to undergo a long period before it’s accepted as a true art in the same style as painting or writing. Film made that journey, and I believe video games will too. After all, we already have those that purport to be video game critics popping up all over the internet. Maybe one day we’ll have our own Academy Awards.

One of the best games from the old reviews, I think.

One of the best games from the old reviews, I think.

While in the beginning of my blogs, as you who read them will know, I wanted to show he unique artistic achievements that I believe have really put interactive media on the track towards acceptance in artistic circles. The PathDear EstherPortal, they all have unique stories, and tell them in ways that only games ever could. The sounds, images, and now interactive feedback so coalesce that the experience becomes truly unique and memorable. With the current state of gaming, independent development has become easier and easier. While the AAA studios continue to pump out sequel after sequel, sticking to safe investments and guaranteed returns, the indie developers with their small budgets and basement studios are pushing their creative limits to give us the next big innovation.

One of the most well-known and best-selling indie games.

One of the most well-known and best-selling indie games.

Out of all the media I follow, gaming has got to be the one that has me the most optimistic and exciting. While, as an avid enthusiast of both, I’ll never renounce books or film, neither of those media benefit as much from the emergence of new technologies and innovations as gaming does. Any small group with enough talent and dedication can make a game that will amuse for hours on end, and cost less than a fast food meal at that. The pool of great games is growing, and whether you just dip your toe in to take a look, or dive straight in, you’ll surely be surprised what you find.

WIP: Advocacy Progress

1) So, I didn’t have a very good idea to begin with about what my advocacy project should be, but once I took into consideration some of the suggestions that Anne made as a comment on my last post, I realized my original idea wasn’t going to cut it. I’ve decided to go a bit more with the satirical angle, and feature a few mock news articles. I developed one possible headline: “Creationists Thrilled at Discovery of Two New Gaps in Evolutionary Record” The intent of the article would be to point out the common tactic of evolution’s opponents to shift the goalposts of what is sufficient evidence for evolution. I’m currently working on how to word any satirical article such that it would remain informative and relevant to those who are not as familiar with the subject as I am.

2) Is this a sufficient choice? I know that you suggested this as a possible option, but I don’t know if you want me to be a bit more creative in coming up with it on my own. Apologies, I’m not very good at this.

Bioshock

Games with hidden artistic messages may be uncommon, but even more uncommon are games with less subtle views when it comes to political issues. Bioshock, as one might expect given the introduction, belongs in the latter category.

bioshock-bioshock-33811889-1600-900Better late than never, huh Reilly? Bioshock is the spiritual successor to System Shock 2, an old 1999 PC game (one of the best ever made if you ask me). In that it’s a first-person shooter with elements from role-playing games (upgrades, leveling up, etc.), and takes place in a derelict, dark environment with lots of people who’ve lost control of their minds, it’s pretty much an identical game. However, the strength behind Bioshock is the unique narrative framing that it establishes. Instead of being trapped on an advanced space ship like in System Shock 2our main character starts off on an airplane, when the plane crashes and he is forced to take shelter in some strange man-made edifice located on a nearby island. Once he enters the massive, bronzed doors, he finds

Bioshock_2009-01-09_04-43-59-78Well, he finds Rapture. Rapture is an interesting place. In fact, it’s one of a kind, an underwater city. In the calming bathysphere ride on the way down, a fellow named Andrew Ryan explains to you that, since he could not find a place for himself, where man is entitled “to the sweat of his brow,” he decided to make his own. Rapture was a place “where the artist would not fear the censor; where the scientist would not be bound by petty morality; where the great would not be constrained by the small!” I think you see where this is going.

Rapture represented the ideal libertarian paradise, where no government restraint of any kind would hinder free enterprise of all kinds. You reap all the benefits of everything that you do, no matter what, so nobody’s there to stop you when you succeed, or help you when you fail. The system produced some wonderful innovations, including ADAM (and this is where it starts to sound a lot like a video game), a strange element taken from a sea slug that has the ability to rewrite a human’s genetic code. While you’d normally think of curing diseases, or living forever, or something reasonable, the people at Rapture thought differently. Want to lift things with your mind? Fine. Want to light a fire with the snap of your fingers? You got it. Want to throw lightning as the human embodiment of Zeus? Sure.

Now, when you combine these freakish abilities with a laissez-faire system with lax laws and law enforcement… well you have a bit of a problem. Plasmids, the syringes of ADAM that rewrite genetic codes, became an addiction, and the entire underwater nation became embroiled in civil war. The “every man for himself” went from an ideology to a practical reality, and the whole system fell apart. Where, you might ask, comes the political message? Well…

atlas_shrugged

Atlas Shrugged was a book I read a very long time ago, having little reason to think a game would ever draw inspiration from it. However, the “libertarian paradise” concept draws heavily on this book. There’s also the matter of the writer, Ayn Rand. Andrew Ryan, Ayn Rand, see the connection? Atlas Shrugged is a story about a successful railroad executive named Dagny Taggart, who bemoans the increasingly overbearing government regulations against her business practices. Eventually she is taken to a valley deep within the Rocky Mountains where business is free (and somehow every necessary natural resource can be found), which is essentially what Rapture is modeled after. Bioshock, however, takes a more pessimistic view of how this libertarian scenario would turn out (albeit a much more dramatic one).

WIP: Advocacy Proposal

1) Solo

2) Misconceptions regarding Evolutionary theory. The topic is along the same lines as my persuasive essay, within the same realm, but it deals more with public perceptions than education. I chose this because I couldn’t quite make it into a 6-8 page essay, but it’s what I would rather focus on.

3) I’d like to make an elaborate poster with some common misconceptions about evolution, and the scientific data that responds to them. A sort of “point, counterpoint” system, along with a general overview of the scientific method.

4) Those in the community who have misconceptions about evolution and the scientific institutions that produced it. I hope to convey the simple understanding my studies have given me of the way science works to others who are relative outsiders to the field.

5) I’ll send my project to the advocacy fair like everyone else’s.

6) Is there any kind of minimum size for a poster? I notice others are doing posters as well, so I don’t know if there are standard rules about it.

War Diary #7 – Irrational

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Well, I certainly never thought this would come up in a war diary. Well, it is Star Wars after all, but a classic sci-fi adventure story is hardly what you’d think about when a sober discussion of war and its outcomes is concerned. This intuitive line of thought would have been correct, too, until about eight years ago, when Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords was released. The title, apart from being quite a mouthful, tells us that we need quite a bit of background. For the sake of things, I’m going to assume we all have a general understanding through simple pop culture of what Star Wars is at large: the Jedi, the Force, the Sith, etc.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic was an RPG released in 2003, and earned a large number of awards. Set thousands of years before the popular film series, the game centers around the story of a simple Republic soldier who suddenly becomes the only possible savior for the fledgling Republic against the Sith Empire that threatens to destroy it completely. This war is, in itself, born of another war that happened just before.

Just a few years before the game takes place, a unique tribal society known as the Mandalorians encroached into Republic space. A society entirely driven by the honor they gain through combat, the Mandalorians swept across the outer reaches of the Republic meeting very little resistance. The Republic begged help from the Jedi Council, but the Council refused. Claiming they needed more time to assess the threat before lending their aid. As more and more worlds began to fall, it looked like the Republic was doomed, until two Jedi knights, Revan and Malak, took the helm of their forces.

It turned out that Revan, Malak, and their followers were enough to turn the tide of the war in favor of the Republic, pushing the Mandalorians back into the unknown space they came from. Under the guise of hunting down the last remnants of the Mandalorian fleet, Revan took the fleet far into unknown space. When they returned, Revan was at the head of a conquering army of Sith soldiers, ready to take control of that which he fought to defend.

This is where the ruminations on war get interesting in the first game. Were the Jedi right to be cautious, when getting rid of the Mandalorians only created an even more powerful enemy, and one the Republic was less equipped to defend against? If they had become involved, would Revan and Malak still have been able to turn? This gets particularly interesting when members of the player’s adventuring party turn out being on different sides of the war: A Mandalorian, a Jedi, and a Republic soldier. You get to hear nearly every perspective on the war, and it’s an interesting question as to what should have been done in that situation, but this is just an appetizer compared to the questions the sequel asks.

Taking us to a time after the conclusion of the Jedi Civil War (that is, the one after the Mandalorian wars), the second game follows an exiled Jedi who served as a general in Revan’s fleet, whose connection to the famed Force has been severed. How this came to happen is the question that drives most of the game forward.

Malachor_V

And that question leads us back here, to the charming place pictured above, Malachor V. It was here that the final decisive battle of the Mandalorian Wars took place, and here that the Jedi exile lost their connection to the Force. Many, many people died, and the entire planet became a scarred wasteland.

Does anyone remember the scene in Star Wars: A New Hope when, after the destruction of Alderaan by the Death Star, Obi-Wan says “I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced.” Something similar happened to the exile there, except he felt the full force of it. As I understand it, the Force is more than just a set of psychokinetic abilities, it’s some kind of conscious energy that binds every living thing in the galaxy. When so many people die, it disturbs the balance that the Force attempts to bring.

How a being like the Force is handled is an interesting subject, philosophically speaking. It’s as though the galaxy has a consciousness of its own, and can even react to events that occur within it. The utter devastation at Malachor was something that could not be borne by the Force. It created an echo, reverberating outward into the endless vacuum. So powerful was this echo that the exile was forced to turn away from it, or be consumed by it.

“What does any of this have to do with war?”, you may ask. Well, what I get from it is that war is inherently senseless. A deity, a being like the Force, simply cannot reconcile war’s existence. It cannot restore the balance that such a terrible loss brings, or make any sense of it, because there is no sense to be made of it. It’s as though the galaxy itself was an enormous being, and the hollow spot produced by the war is like a massive scar, unable to heal. There’s no sense in asking why it’s there, it simply is.

X-COM: UFO Defense

Xcom_1

Just last week, I was surprised to find that I’d received a gift over Steam (Valve’s online PC gaming platform) of X-COM: Enemy Unknown, a re-imagination of one of my favorite old games, X-COM: UFO Defense. I took a liking to it right away, but I thought for the blog that I’d take a look back at why the original was so good.

X-COM: UFO Defense was released all the way back in 1994. Originally known as UFO: Enemy Unknown, the game received widespread critical and public success (yes, there was a time when that above image looked good). The game casts the player as commander of the newly founded X-COM project, humanity’s first line of defense against the impending alien invasion. It is your job to equip, train, and tactically coordinate your soldiers to respond to alien incursion, as well as allocate resources for researching the alien menace in an attempt to combat it.

xcom_geoscapeWhat you’re looking at now is the game’s main screen: the geoscape. This allows the player to do all the behind-the-scenes work behind the X-COM project: detect UFO activity, prioritize the research your scientists do, and dispatch forces to deal with alien threats. X-COM displays one of the greatest qualities unique to video games: it’s organic. No game of X-COM is exactly the same as any other. UFOs of random types appear in random places for random missions. Sometimes you can have multiple UFO missions in one day, and other times you’ll go weeks of in-game time without seeing one. Encounters themselves are also extremely varied, and differ depending on where in the world you are. It could be rural farmland, a major city, an arctic tundra, or a desert.

xcom-1994

X-COM is another game that manages to be challenging but also fun. You start off facing an enemy you don’t quite understand, with severely inferior weaponry and soldiers barely out of boot camp, but as you go along your force will become stronger. As you research new technology, your soldiers will start to get better, but so will the aliens’, who will also adjust both their strategies and tactics according to your weaknesses. The enemy is smart: if you start shooting down too many of their UFOs, they’ll try to find your base and destroy it. As you get stronger, they also get stronger, sending out more powerful aliens of all different kinds to face you, and using the terrain to their advantage more. X-COM can be a difficult battle, but it is nevertheless an extremely satisfying one.

Perhaps one of my favorite things about X-COM is the conversations I have with others who have played it. Since every scenario is unique, everyone will have stories about the time they used some clever tactic to outwit the enemy, or the time their soldiers just couldn’t hit a shot, or the time in which they first encountered the Chryssalids (you’re in for a surprise if you ever play the game). X-COM is great because the final result of the game is one uniquely your own, shaped by all the little choices you made throughout the course of the game. There’s a unique connection there that no other game can really match for me, and which lets me pick the game up again and again without getting bored. Check it out if you can, and if you’re a fan of strategy games.

Persuasive Essay Draft

Persuasive Essay (Draft)

For the rest:

– Elaborate on final paragraph a bit more

– Integrate more sources and evidence into what remains

– Discuss the merits of the scientific process in general, and how it consistently produces results

– Discuss evolution controversies and how they relate to state-level science education and standards