The Tyranny of the Multiplayers

I was a big fan of the original 'Battlefield Vietnam'.  I noticed that Battlefield 2 'Bad Company' had a Vietnam expansion complete with music of the era!  "Nice!" I thought "Time to upgrade". 

Battlefield Vietnam originally had sandbox like maps in which you achieved objectives.  You could play it Multiplayer, or with Bots.  Generally, friendly bots tend to be pretty stupid...and the enemies tend to be much less so.  It's up to you to overcome the failing of your allies and win the game. 

As old as "Battlefield 2 Bad Company" is, it was still $20!  The Vietnam expansion for it was another $15!  "Fine" I thought "Battlefield Vietnam was a great game for how many years?  They must have done some work on those bots to make them smarter.  It should be fun".  Well, after spending $35, I found out that "Battlefield 2 Bad Company Vietnam" is "MULTIPLAYER ONLY"!!!   I guess I should have looked at the fine print.  Who does that?  I don't mind playing a computer game against people I know.  People I can reach over and smack in the head if they call me something obnoxious.  As long as women have sex with assholes (as they seem to do a lot of) there will be children who aspire to "Dad's" example.   I'm not saying that all Multiplayers are like this...in fact, most are not.  But, like I said before, it doesn't take much shit to contaminate the stew. 

So, besides the lack of social accountability, what else is bad about multiplayer?  Well, multiplayer turns any game into a competitive event.  To that extent, I play a game because it entertains me... not because I want to compete with other players.  If I play a game with another person, I generally prefer a cooperative mode that improves teamwork  and communication.  That's what I like.  Not everyone is the same.  A "Multiplayer only" game should say that in the LARGE PRINT...not the fine print!  I suppose this is EA's excuse to say "We just don't know how to make a better bot".   So it's a fucking map with ports!!?!?  Wow!  Don't break your brain making that, EA!!!

Time management:  When I play a game, my responsibilities outside of that game take precedence.  If I need to be called away...it is no problem.  Life, love and opportunity wait for no man.  Your wife, your boss, your parents, or the dinner you have heating up on the stove is not going to enjoy taking a back seat to your online game. 

I've been waiting over 10 years for a decent MechWarrior game to come out.  No sooner did Microsoft sell the franchise than they made their own MechWarrior game entitled TITANFALL.
MechWarrior 5 (Titanfall) - "Because our lawyers are better than your lawyers" - Is MULTIPLAYER ONLY.  This incredible looking game may generate much revenue amongst the Microsoft servers.  I've spent 20 years putting up with what only Microsoft (those slimy bastard) lawyers and well paid off judges refer to as "Not a monopoly" as they use manipulative market tactics that would make a pimp blush.  (enough of a rant on that).  Apparently Titanfall has a story...which you will never actually hear because your team will be a mile away by the time any dialogue manages to finish.  Microsoft is obviously using the same intuition that we've all come to know and love from their office products. 

In summary; there was a time when Multiplayers were off playing Counter-Strike... Team Fortress ... the Call of Duty Series ...etc.   Now, with the money going to online game services, Multiplayer is more lucrative than ever.  With less effort being spent on AI and game flow, more profit can be attained with less overhead.  Through the safety of anonymity with minimal accountability in some games, players can be excessively obnoxious.  Obsessive Multiplayers (92% of which are men) will find themselves single and unemployed a lot more than ever before.  This sedentary activity reduces the likeliness of healthy choices in diet and exercise.  Though all computer games generally have this aspect to them,   multiplayer games have the extra quality of not always feeling like you have the option to leave.  To a gamer it would feel like being a player and walking off the field in the middle of a game (Soccer, baseball, etc.).  

Just say 'No' to 'MMO'

Survivor Cagayan Finale

As Trish got up and walked away it created a gap between Spencer and the other three that were there.  Was this a strategic placement of people to highlight the analogy of a rift between Spencer and the rest of the tribe?  

I said before that it would be epic if Spencer were to be in a position to 'Pull the plug' on Kass (the Ass).   Despite being a victim of circumstance, Spencer has fought hard to remain in the game.  "Chaos Kass" as she likes to call herself, screwed him and 4 other members of her alliance over for no other reason than pure whimsy.  Playing both sides, she continued to lie to her original alliance and side with Tony and his gang...and screwed her original alliance over a second time.   With her emotional decisions being defended as "Strategy".  Her continuously having the gender card on standby where hatred for her random (Chaotic) behaviour can be so deflected as "because she is female".   I originally said that Kass was an idiot at the start of this season.  I have looked for reasons to contend with this original assessment and found none.  Kass is the worst kind of idiot...one that has a reason to believe she is smart.  It's like my ex landlord (who happened to be a doctor) who installed a deadbolt with the key port on the inside.

It is said that Kass is "The Goat".  An unpopular player that is useless in every regard.  You bring "The goat" to the end because you know that you will win against them. 

 

The immunity challenge was heartbreaking.  I'm a Canuck fan, so I'm used to all my seasons ending with a big kick to the nuts but wow.  4 remaining members standing on poles 13 feet above the surface of the water.  They have a small bucket on a rope that they toss down into the water and pull up to fill a tube that causes their key to rise up to them.  You take that key...unlock a chest and pull out some puzzle pieces to make a puzzle.  There are like maybe 12 pieces in all.  Kass is hopeless at the physical portion of this challenge.  All of the other 3 are doing their puzzles while she is still trying to get her key.  Yay!  Kass Won't Win!!! Hurrah!!!  But wait!  It's like Deja Vu  all over again (as if I was back to watching the Canucks in another playoff)...the men collectively look like chimpanzees trying to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphics.  This gave the spaz monster enough time to get her key... get her pieces and win immunity.  Scoring high with spatial representation is large with any IQ test and is largely responsible for mostly stupid people thinking that they are always 'Smart'.  However, in this case, she is specifically smarter than her fellow competitors and won it.  

 

Without immunity, though making an excellent case to Tony, Spencer is in trouble again.  Kass isn't even thinking about Tony's "Immunity Idol" being valid.  She's been wanting to vote Spencer off  forever, since he's the last member of her former alliance that she screwed over.  Tony isn't buying Spencer's "Plan" and, after fighting like hell to stay "Alive", He was sent packing. 

 

In the final 3, Kass talks to Woo.  They both agree that to "Not vote for Tony would be the stupidest thing ever"  (in Woo's words).  Could this have been her plan all along?  Cruise into the final 2 by being simply Goat - Tastic, and to be there with some doughnut who has cruised there on blind circumstance?  Two strong members eliminated and all that is left is the strategic goat and the mindless doughnut.  In this case, the goat should win it simply because being unpopular was her plan to be in the final 2. 

 

As it turned out, woo won final immunity.  It was entirely up to him who he was going to compete against in tribal council.  Despite what he said about "It would be the stupidest thing EVAR for me not to vote for Tony" ... He didn't vote for Tony.  His reasoning was that it was better to have someone there who "Deserved" to be there than someone who didn't.  He made mention of the 5 honorable traits of Tai Kwon Do and how they "served as his barometer" in Survivor.  What bullshit.  Did he happen to mention the "Honorable Traits" of a man who swore on his wife, baby girl and the grave of his father and then betrayed his oath 3 times!?  Don't get me wrong.  Tony played to win.  His words were his weapons and he would say ANYTHING to get things going HIS way.  Tony won because he lied and backstabbed his way to the end.  It conflicted with who he was as a person.  An actual decent person (in real life).  The only thing that "took Woo to the end" was circumstance. 

Tony won (as I predicted 6 episodes ago).  The hatred for the goat (Kass)  was so strong that she would not have won (given the votes at the end).  Woo made, literally, a million dollar mistake.  One of many that I seen him make through out this season.  I barely mentioned him before simply because he was so lacking in his willingness to play his own game.  He was simply a number that someone else was controlling.  In the end, he made the wrong choice.  Maybe he felt he couldn't compete against Kass either and just wanted to choose the person who deserved more to win. 

 

 

 

Survivor Cagayan Season 28 - Episode 12 - Post episode comments

Once again, Survivor entertains! 

Early in the game we see Spencer expressing his annoyance at Woo and Kass for entering into an alliance with him if they were just going to vote with their original alliance anyway!  Kass'  saying that it was part of a strategy fell flat after Spencer pointed out that they didn't need "a strategy" considering they were voting with the numbers ANYWAY!

By mentioning the defunct 'Counter Alliance' in front of Tony...and the absurdity for the reasons to have created it just as a 'Red Herring' as Kass suggested, Spencer has painted a target on the back of both Kass and Woo.  NICE! 

I love this guy!

 

Tony is quick to pick it up.  He needs his alliance to stay together so that they can take out Spencer.  He takes Kass aside and tells her basically:

'I understand what you did...I can forgive you for trying...but don't let it happen again'. 

A delusional Kass decides that Tony is 'A Bully'; 'A Mafia Don' ... and no one likes him.  Therefore she is 'Surely' to win at the end!  The actual fact is that Tony is playing this game with all the tools in his massive tool kit (and that's not a double entendre so don't get weird XD).  The man can lie with sincerity!  His Charisma keeps his Alliance together despite all his trespasses against it!  He is quick to collect and engage with those he suspect might sway.  His ability to find Idols?  He must be half blood hound.  He can tell if someone is lying.  This guy is detective material.  He can step it up in challenges if he needs to.  His influence over his alliance NEVER includes any overtones or undertones of violence (unlike Russell Hanse).   This guy?   He's the man!  Kass has pissed Tony off but he returns it to her confidently and playfully in observed ridicule to her social mind games.   NICE!   Despite barely being able to tolerate Kass, Tony also understands that she is useless in challenges and everyone really hates her.  For him to not only bring himself to the final vote, but to bring Kass there as well?  What a feat of social engineering that would be!  I, however, would hate for that to happen.  Spencer BELONGS in the final 2 for the fight he has had.

 

(Trish and Kass respectively)

 

Kass?  She's just good at pissing off people.  Most of her 'Strategies' (though I'm loathe to call them that)  are questionable and defy reason.  I've never seen anyone so sure of her position in any disagreement and so wrong at the same time.  Though a general failing of academic types everywhere...this fault she has taken to 'Tea Party' extremes.  I have to believe that this woman isn't as evil as Survivor portrays her to be...I HAVE TO!

 

 

In the reward challenge, Tony filled his bucket to the point of overflowing  (Maybe I should point out that it is mud in that bucket XD).  I figure, compared to the other 4, he's got the most surface area.  He selected Trish to join him for pizza - flown in by helicopter - on the beach.  Pretty cool!  While they were off chowing down; Kass, Spencer and Woo were discussing their options.  Trish has been like a wife to Tony...but he has clearly taken the strategic lead.  The other three figured that they needed to break up this alliance or hand the game to Tony without a fight. 

 

Spencer, being Tony's biggest target needed to win immunity.  Not only is he external to Tony's original alliance...the only one left, in fact...but he's a powerful player in both challenges and the ability to understand and undermine Tony's advantage.  Tony has been making brief statements here and there about Spencer's ability to win challenges...keeping in the forefront of everyone's minds the fact that "If you never beat this guy...he's going to win".  The almighty target is on Spencer. 

 

This guy has survived the wars!  He has used his words to rattle Tony into actions that were counter - productive to the integrity of that alliance.   He has survived all the odds arrayed against him.  It was Kass' betrayal that made every day a survival situation for Spencer.  It was out of his hands and yet he has used his mind to further him into the game.  No one deserves more accolades for how hard and smart this guy has played the game.  His struggle has been...epic.  I would LOVE to see him 'pull the trigger' on Kass.  I'm now one more episode closer to the possibility of that!

 

In the Immunity Challenge, Tony establishes a decent lead but gets stumped on the final puzzle.  This allowed Spencer to come from behind and win it.  One more day for Spencer (Yay!) and one less number from Tony's alliance. 

 

Kass pushed Trish too far and she (Trish)  'Went off' on her.  Well who could blame her?  Kass is the person Tony is 'Taking along' with him to guarantee his win.  That's it!  She may get to the final 2...by way of the simple fact that she is the most naturally obnoxious person there... but she will only win in crazy land...and she is the only person who can't see it.  Yet Trish went way over the edge.  I suppose she couldn't hold it in any longer.  Kass doesn't just lack in 'people skills', she is acutely aware of any subtle slight against her while completely oblivious to her own bullshit.  The perfect 'Victim'.  Once again, this is a failing of some intellectuals who believe their point of view being superior to 'those of lesser intelligence'.  They also believe that they can both argue and judge the same argument, oblivious to their own partisan hypocrisy.  (Diverting a rant here)

Earlier, Tony told Trish that he has both idols.  The regular idol can be used only when there are 5 people left.  His 'Special' idol can be used when there are 4 people left.  The reality of it, and Tony already knows this; after the 5th person is voted out...neither idol holds any power.  With the rest of the team thinking that Tony is 'untouchable' for another vote, and assuming the rest of the team doesn't get filled in, Tony's perceived immunity becomes real...he's going to have a good laugh after the next vote!  That's just - The guy is just pure chutzpah!

Interestingly enough, Spencer called it.  Several episodes ago he said that Tony was just "Lying all the time."   I love that guy...I repeat for emphasis!

At tribal council, not surprisingly, Trish is voted off.  Surprisingly, however, Tony was one of the people who voted for her.  Tony is setting himself up to spin his decision and reinforce his deception with the 'Special Immunity Idol' (that is no longer special).

With a keen understanding of the game, that we've known and have come to expect from Kass, she realizes that every vote counts and waves 'Goodbye' to Trish using only one finger.  

In the words of Jeff Probst: "...Wow..."