Star Stuff

The video game experiences that constitute my gaming past are as innumerable as the stars in the galaxy. If we took the time to peer through the ether we will find contained in this galaxy many favorable memories. A large part of these memories have coalesced under the pressure of time's passing to form bright shining stars which in turn have brought about solar systems in this galaxy of my mind. The brightest of these stars belongs to a solar system I have dubbed, for lack of a more becoming name, 'Multiplayer FPS Experiences'. What is peculiar about MFPSE is the amount of planets contained within that support life. Planets such as Counter-Strike: Source, Team Fortress 2, and Left 4 Dead all support not only life but advanced civilizations: these planets are definitely ahead of their time in evolutionary terms. Other planets such as Call of Duty 4, Quake Wars, and Battlefield 2 support advanced life of their own as well. MFPSE truly is a rare phenomenon in this regard. The planets have a strong connection to the star they orbit and it is this seamless connection that allows this density of life.

Moving away from MFPSE back into the ether, we begin to spy a neighboring solar system. Our eye is easily caught by the system's star: it is extremely unstable. Star stuff is randomly ejected from it's spasming surface, creating solar flares millions of kilometers in length. Like MFPSE, this system contains many planets..but the similarities end there. Life hangs on by a thread on some of these planets. Instead of vast civilizations we find small pockets of colonies dotting the surface anywhere safety can be found from the brutal radiation of this system's star. Such is life in the 'Multiplayer RTS Experiences' system. The only connection these planets have to their star is one of pain. Planets such as Command & Conquer 3 do marginally better than their siblings. Poor Starcraft is tidal locked with its moon Brood Wars in a very close orbit to the star. This orbit moves at a crawl, lagging behind all of the others. Further out we find Age of Empires 3. It's planetary surface is quite beatiful: green and blue dominate the color spectrum. Due to it's esoteric orbit around the star, this green and blue is interspersed seemingly randomly with destruction wrought by the dangerous radioactive ejecta prevalent in this system. Just because an area of AOE3 has been safe for years is no guarantee it won't be a slag heap tomorrow. Because of this, it's inhabitants are nomadic: moving about the planetscape randomly in a vain attempt to avoid arbitrary destruction. Life in the MRTSE system is hellish indeed, but it's sundry inhabitants seem determined to make it work. We should all with them Godspeed.

My point is this: multiplaer gaming in FPSes is so well done. Why in the heck can't RTS multiplay gaming get it's act together? I love playing RTS games with friends, but there is ALWAYS some sort of hiccup, ALWAYS some blasted problem that keeps it from going so smoothly. Oh well, I'm going to go play some Left 4 Dead.

Van out.