Sunday, April 10, 2011

Black & White

Dear readers,


This blog has been on a 3 weeks hiatus. Been out to clear off some doubts, so, I glad to be back. Firstly, I want to say sorry to a friend, because I broke a promise: At least one article a week. I've been two weeks out, so, this is my article on the third week. Hope he doesn't mind. :D


Lets pick a small part of my gaming history and turn it into an article, shall we?





I once read a preview of a game. The ability to play as the invisible hand, the almighty one who guides his/her fellow followers to salvation or to doom. When you can choose to answer the prayers of someone in despair, or to put the same person to more agony by sacrificing him/her for added benefits. The correct term that the preview used is something like: Imagine yourself looking at an ant's mound. You watch them trying to carry a dead insect back into their nest. Do you choose to help them by moving the dead insect closer to their nest or do you choose to pour water over the ants and destroy everything that's scurrying all over their little home?





I liked that idea. The ability to change the lives of people. Even on the smallest account. Concept sounds familiar? Of course it does. You're practically playing God. Where your invisible hand pushes humanity to a life of wonders or a life of turmoil. It was the first game that piqued my interest enough to wait for it to come out. When it finally did, I had one of the best times on gaming on my aged machine. Black and White was gorgeous. It was new. It introduced what other games have not during that period. It was from playing Black & White that I went and research on the studio that made it, and also the person behind it.







I know that he was also in charge of the Dungeon Keeper series and also the Populous series. Having played Black & White, I have also went and locate Dungeon Keeper 2 for more invisible hand awesomeness, but lets save Dungeon Keeper 2 for a new article.


Generally, throughout my playthrough of Black and White, I was always the good deed doer. I was sometimes being mean, but most of the time, I'm helping. Black & White is a game that's really keen on the idea of the whole world being reflected in how you play the game. The world will look dark and gloomy if you're evil, and if you're the goodie-two-shoes, the world will look bright and happy. There are only two things you can do to your hand in the game. Left click and right click. One is the move button, and the other is the action button, where the action may vary according to the item in focus of your hand.






You can have a creature that acts as your avatar in the game, which is like a Tamagotchi in built into the game. Your creature's appearance will also reflect your aptitude in the game as you perform good or evil deeds, even when its behaviour doesn't appear so. In Black & White, you are provided the option to teach your avatar what's right and what's wrong, by the simple gestures of stroking it to encourage, and slapping it to discourage. You can teach your creature to poop on villagers or teach it to carry food from the field to the storehouse. All these are within your control.


Then comes the main focus of the game. Followers. All Black & White maps are islands, and on these islands, you'll find villages with people in it. These are the people who will be your followers. To gain followers, you need to influence these people in their villages to accept your presence. Most actions that you perform will increase this influence and when the target influence is fulfilled, you gain access to the whole village and its denizens.





Different villages will provide you access to different miracles. Miracles are like spells that you can cast to affect the world that you're in. Water, fire, healing, and the rest of the lot. Black & White have a whole lot of miracles that are offered. I'll leave it up to you to find out more. In order for these miracles to be casted, you'll need prayer power. There are two ways for you to gain prayer power. Your followers will need to pray at your altar for a gradual increase of prayer power, or you can drop them in the altar to sacrifice a soul for a lot of prayer power. It's all up to you.


Then you have the ability to make disciples as well, by placing them near resources and turning them into dedicated souls whose life is to perform that single task that you have dictate them to do. Foresters, farmers, fishermen and *ahem* breeders, for the long line of followers that are to come into your world.





The single player campaign of Black & White provides you with quests, most are with corny humour (which I enjoy), and the rewards varies from a beach ball to a new skin for your avatar. They are a fresh distraction to this already amazing game, and as your influence grows, the end game can become stale. This is where you can play skirmish maps with AI controlled opponents, and the cycle begins anew.


Black & White was a lot of fun. When I reminisce, the memories can still put a smile on my face. I've played the sequel as well, Black & White 2. They were some changes to it's mechanics, some good, some missing, especially those that I wished they retain. Both are equally good games, but, my best memories are with the first game. The one that sucked up hours of my life in exchange of awesome fun.


When you can play God, why not? ;)



See you next week, and enjoy the opening of one of my favourite games of all time!

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