For my project, I think I’m going to be mostly going into the impact of the implementation of highways after WWII. I think I’m going to be using a lot of the American Decades book in the resources available through Gale under the PSU library. So far, it’s given me a lot of information on automobiles throughout the decades, particularly in the transfer from more “gas-guzzling” cars to more energy efficient cars- I’m planning on referencing a particular article it has (I don’t know if this link is going to work as it requires login access, but it’s worth a shot) about the energy crisis from 1973-1974 where Americans, largely relying on foreign oil, struggled to get fuel for their vehicles and everyday life due to restrictions placed on oil by OPEC, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. I think it’s also important to take a look at the effects of WWII on the country- it’s largely the cause of the implementation of the Interstate (transfer of military vehicles/soldiers/equipment across the country). The GI bill is also something that I could study. I’d also like to take a look at the lack of public transportation and the minimization of the train system, but I’m not really sure where to find credible sources for that- I might be able to find records of when my hometown, Houston, decided not to try to make a better transportation system in and out of downtown (other than the HOV lane, which is only available at certain times of the day going one direction or another).
Month: October 2021
15: Yes, Another Pokémon Game
Typically, I tend to review games that I’ve either been playing recently, am playing at the moment, or find notable in my mind for some reason. Today’s no different! I’m being a little predictable and going for another Pokémon game, but it’s not in the main series line (and it’s not mystery dungeon!). This time I’m looking at the first installment of Pokémon Ranger (typically overshadowed by the second installment, Shadows of Almia), a game that until a few months ago I hadn’t played since 2008. In this game, you play as a ranger who captures and releases pokémon instead of battling with them (although you do get a Plusle or a Minun, depending on your selected character gender! Plusle was my favorite growing up, and I was and still am delighted to have it along with me). You capture them by drawing loops around them, and the difficulty varies with the movement of the pokémon and the number of loops you have to draw around them.
FUN RATING: 2/5. I hate to say it, but gameplay is pretty uninteresting in terms of plot. Capturing the mons is decent, but it’s not particularly challenging. There have been a couple of puzzles I’ve had to work my way through, though. I also enjoyed the aspect of interacting with the world of Fiore and its towns and areas (plus, the Ringtown music is incredible). You can also do timed races capturing pokémon, which is pretty fun and similar to the Safari Zone in the mainline games.
EASE RATING: 3/5. I’m giving it a 3 because I’m stuck between a 5 and a 2 for difficulty, and I don’t want to do halves. The area I’ve been stuck in for a week is apparently the hardest part of the game and it’s getting more frustrating. Bias, I know. Everything up to this point, however, has been incredibly simple. The difficulty spike is the issue that this game faces- either it’s too easy or it’s too hard. There’s not a lot of middle ground to feel things out. I’ve gone through so many tutorials and explanations, and I keep catching it and then it breaks my line right after I get the “OK” symbol for a completed capture. I am descending into hell carrying Ls.
REPLAYABILITY RATING: 2/5. I don’t want to rate this a 1, because I did end up replaying it from my 2008 save file. However, I’m gonna be honest- I’m doing this for the Manaphy egg you get at the end. Thank god for those people who put the codes up online so everyone can get it, because I don’t know if I would do this otherwise. That said, I’m enjoying my playthrough so far.
OVERALL: If you really want a Ranger game, probably try Shadows of Almia. I haven’t played it myself yet, but apparently it’s really good (and you can get a Manaphy egg you can transfer to Platinum directly, rather than trading it through Diamond and Pearl and then to Platinum later). This is kind of a nostalgia trip, and the music is pretty fantastic. I know the Pokémon Ranger audience is kind of niche, and it’s been kind of fun playing a different style of Pokémon. However, I don’t think I would recommend this game with glowing reviews outright. Again, if you want a Ranger experience, this would probably not be my first choice. That said, it’s pretty good for what it is- a spinoff Pokémon game. It doesn’t really pretend to be more than it is, and it’s a decent way to pass the time. I really wish I could give this a higher review, but it is what it is. Maybe I’ll update this when I finally get through the Flygon challenge. As an aside, DO NOT play this or any other Ranger game without a stylus. You will wreck your lower screen.
14: Sword and Shield- Acceptable Games?
This time, I’m going to be covering a Pokémon series game that got a lot of backlash at release, Pokémon Sword. I’ll be honest, I initially did not like this game that much. The gameplay was decent, but the plot was easily foreseeable and things seemed far too easy. The wild area, a huge natural area full of pokémon, trees, and raid dens, seemed too barren and uninteresting. But the DLC breathed new life into the game and, as I have been playing it more often due to the Pokémon club I’m in on campus, I’ve found myself liking it a lot more.
FUN RATING: 3/5. Originally this would have been a 2, but I have discovered the joys of hanging out at other people’s campsites. While I enjoy running around and battling things as much as the next person, I’ve really been enjoying making curry with other people and playing with their pokémon. While you can’t speak to other people directly, it’s a fun experience to have with other people and, when done well (people don’t leave directly after cooking, people actually cook with you, etc), it’s really enjoyable. I was on a quest to finish my curry dex (a collection of every type of curry you can make in the game’s camp “minigame” area) and have finally finished it! It took a couple of weeks, though. Doing max raids with other people online is also fun, and has resulted in a couple of random shinies. That said, without Nintendo Online, this game becomes a little limited in terms of features- you want to be able to connect with other people to fully enjoy this game.
EASE RATING: 5/5. This game is super easy. That’s one of the complaints that a lot of people have, and they’d be fair to make that assessment. In this game, you get experience crystals from beating max raid dens (you go to the rocks and the glowing pillar of light, you jump in with a couple of other people to beat a strong pokémon, and then you get rewards). These crystals are incredibly easy to access, making it easy to level up your pokémon if you so desire. This is the first game I’ve gotten my pokémon to level 100 before the Elite 4 (in this case, the gym leader tournament). The battles also aren’t that difficult. This really hammers home that either pokémon was tougher in the older generations (some of it definitely was, if anyone remembers the Cynthia battle in Diamond/Pearl/Platinum), or it’s really getting into the “marketing for kids” easiness. While Pokémon is a kids’ franchise mostly, it’s also something with a wide fanbase of adults who think that things are becoming too easy. I did not encounter any walls or problems progressing in this game, and beat everything on the first try, which was a little disappointing. I would have preferred more of a challenge.
REPLAYABILITY RATING: 3/5. There’s some side quests in the postgame after you complete the main storyline, as well as a slightly more fleshed out main postgame, but mostly you can just keep doing whatever you were doing before you beat the game- catching pokémon. You can run around doing raids, trading with other people, making curry, you can even go through the gym tournament again- it’s pretty endless. However, there is definitely a degree of burnout to this game, and I personally had to put it down for a few months to do other things before picking it back up again towards the start of the school year with club activities.
OVERALL: This game definitely is a little rocky in terms of performance. However, it still has some aspects that are charming, notably the camping options. In the DLC, they also made it so that your pokémon can follow you around (but I wish they didn’t have to do this through Kubfu. I’m really hesitating on finishing the Isle of Armor storyline, simply because I’d have to train the thing up, and I think it’s really ugly. Oof), and it’s better put together than the wild area is. Dynamax raid adventures are also a thing you can do with other people to possibly catch legendaries (with an increased shiny chance!), but I haven’t done enough of that to offer a concrete opinion on it. The battles are pretty average, although the inclusion of Dynamaxing (make your pokémon big and strong for four turns) is decently interesting- however, I think that they are leaving that in this series installment exclusively. The gym challenge aspect was new and interesting, and in my opinion is better than what they tried in Generation 7 with the island challenges (thank god, we have gyms back). I wish that they had done more with the plot than Evil Corporation Man Is Evil, too. There’s definitely a lot that this game can improve upon, but the DLC is like a breath of fresh air. I’d recommend it if you’re planning on getting the DLC and have Nintendo Online, but only as a decent game for your money’s worth. It’s not spectacular, but it is fun enough.
13: TED Talk and Possible Topics
This TED Talk about slime mold was super interesting to me! Mostly because I like mushrooms etc., this falls in line with that. I think it’s super cool that they were able to create mathematical models based off of the mold! I wouldn’t think that there was a group just for slime mold research, but there is. That’s super nice. I also thought it was funny that they gave the slime mold human experiment participants beer because they thought it’d make them work better.
Possible topics as (mostly) covered in class on Tuesday-
- Transition of the automobile industry from gasoline to electric. Could make a connection here with the fit people threw about seatbelts back in the day. Mostly would focus on the green energy movement in relation to this and how it’s better for the environment, and the challenges that users of electric cars have to deal with.
- The “9 to 5” work week gradually shifting to commonly accepted unpaid overtime- being available for your job 24/7, and the backlash that this has gotten from workers over time. Ties into the topic we covered of “The Great Resignation” where workers are getting fed up with their conditions. Could talk about working from home, but wouldn’t go too far into detail about it because that’d be getting off topic after hitting a certain threshold.
- The interstate highways that sprung up after WWII, taking the place of trains. It connects people, but at the cost of public transportation. Most places don’t have a metro system except for downtown areas, and the bus systems aren’t great. The highways also tie into the environmental impact of so many cars that run off of gasoline being used.
12: There’s Just Something About Medieval Fantasy
Today I’m going to be covering a game I really enjoy but that doesn’t seem to get as much hype, Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen. It’s a medieval open world game (similar to Skyrim, which is also fantastic) with online features that didn’t get as much content as planned, but is still great to work with and fun to experience. You can create your own character and a pawn to support you (complete with lore!), and your character gets their heart stolen (more like eaten) by a dragon, thus gaining the title of Arisen (basically you can’t permanently die without your heart), and has to go on a quest to defeat it in order to have the heart returned to them.
FUN RATING: 4/5. This game is definitely a lot of running around killing monsters, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s fantastic. There’s a bunch of different combat options to choose from, and there’s also a bunch of side quests to complete- however, I’ve taken a point off because of the lack of indicators about progression in the story. Certain quests get locked out as you progress through “stages” in the game, and you don’t get told this until you find it out for yourself. Definitely something to look up and keep in mind when playing the game- try to complete every side quest available to you before doing the big ones (as listed in stage progression link).
EASE RATING: 3/5. The base game quests are about 4/5 ease rating- you’ll do fine with other people’s pawns that you can hire to support you- a lot of them are specifically made to be “twinky”- underleveled with high leveled gear, in order to get lots of hires online by incoming players and make it into the top rankings. The other game area (technically made up of a bunch of other ones), Bitterblack Isle (my beloved, very similar to Dark Souls), is supposed to only be accessed after you beat the game- but obviously, nobody follows that. Even with decent gear or even gear that you beat the main questline with, you’re still going to get your ass kicked in here. This is about a 2/5 rating. It’s not as bad as Dark Souls, but you do literally just have to “git gud”. Post in the forums or on discord, see if you can’t get people to send you gear to purify for an extra boost or some RC (Rift crystals, part of the currency system in this game) to purify items, or pawns to hire that are at your level or above. That said, this will not carry you or get you guaranteed wins- you still need skill here, and to come prepared. This place is my favorite part of the game. Absolutely would recommend it if you don’t mind getting pounded into the dirt a bit.
REPLAYABILITY RATING: 4/5. The quest lock takes a couple things away, as mentioned earlier, so you can’t do anything anytime. But there’s a New Game Plus option for a reason, and it comes with some new things, like more customization options, keeping all your gear/levels, having new varieties of monsters to kill after the main quest, and getting to do the quests over again if you missed anything. There’s a Hard Mode and a Speedrun Mode, which are both pretty interesting and fun. You can aim to 100% your area knowledge or your bestiary, too, if you don’t have that already.
OVERALL: Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen, is in my opinion, a fun and versatile game that is vastly underrated. There’s been rumors of a Dragon’s Dogma 2 in the works for years now, and there’s another game in the making that’s taken inspiration from it (the magic system looks basically copied from the casting of DD:DA which honestly is not a complaint at all), and the Gamefaqs boards and Discord server are still up and running despite the 2012 release of the original (the Dark Arisen part, with Bitterblack Isle, was released in 2013). The armor does suffer a little bit from the “sexification” of women’s armor, but it’s not a huge problem. Some of the men’s armor also gets this, so it’s fair enough. There’s a love interest system that’s a part of the end of the main quest for added impact, which is pretty interesting, but you do have to fight a little bit in order to get the person you want when doing certain quests like those related to the Duchess Aelinore, the wife of the Duke who rules over Gransys, the country where the game is set. Having quests completed can up someone’s affection for you, so you have to be kind of careful if you really care about it. You get to choose different weapon classes that you can change at any time, and the open world is always a bonus, even though some content had to be cut due to budgeting in the end. Overall, this is a great game that I recommend to anyone who enjoys other games with medieval settings, like Skyrim, or just people who enjoy fantasy.
(Psst! If you want to add my pawn on Switch, here’s his listing in pawnguild)
11: Speech Reflection
I think that my points were fine- I don’t think that they were amazing, but they were at least decent. I was a little nervous about my pronunciation of kairos and I actually cannot remember how I pronounced it in the speech- I did about five tries before getting that particular slide finished how I liked it. I do agree with Chris’s comment that I needed better tonal indicators- that’s definitely something for me to improve upon in the future. I think that my breaking it up into slides corresponding to my topic in the parts of the speech was really good for me, as if I messed up something I didn’t have to redo the entire thing. I was worried about getting it up to snuff time-wise, but I didn’t have any issue and even went over into grace period.