Did you see My Facebook Page Yet?

   This is a little bit of a short post, because I'd like to draw attention to my new Facebook page. If you are on the web version of the blog, then you can probably see the like button at the side, right? Well, a huge percentage of my viewers use phones, and I respect all my viewers, but Blogger's design will not allow me to add a Facebook mobile Like button to its template so simply.

   The Facebook Page is www.facebook.com/HylianGamerBlog and has more frequent posts than the blog because I do not need to follow any format or add "quality" content (a long revised article takes time), and with Facebook I have more room for picture posts and flexibility in posting my opinion on things unrelated to the blog's theme. While that may seem successful, it is my first time talking to my blog's audience on a social network, so I'd like your co-operation in gaining the first wave of Likes. I see a lot of G+ likers in many of my posts, and that makes me happy too.

   A Twitter profile is up too, which is @BlogHylianGamer , which will have like campaigns and new blog post feed. I'd appreciate any follower (Twitter sounds like a religion with bird gods) but I am not really too comfortable with Twitter's 140 character "essays". After all, I started a blog because I am a talkative person with a sore voice, so I had to write it down somewhere, and here we are now!

   That was a joke. I don't have a sore voice. And I probably didn't start a blog because I'm talkative, although I do not recall a time when I was being silent except while sleeping.

   I wish I could write a success story and a brief How To Blog series, but I am only one step away from success, and that is writing about it. Not really if that would fit the theme, but it's almost time for the blog to grow and metamorphose, hopefully. That's why I started entering the social media world: not to reach a bigger audience, but to have more podiums to speak through.

   Anyway that's all for now, as this is a pretty rushed post. If there's anything else I may add it's that Shiki is not a gore anime, but it can draw you into it even though it's very boring. And the ending is disappointing if you are on the village's side. No spoilers here. For more anime related posts, check the anime label, and the previous post, which is about Attack on Titan. www.myanimelist.net is a great place to track your progress, in case you lose history, and find similar anime to your likes. Play More Zelda!

Why Attack on Titan Revolutionised Anime Entirely

Why Attack on Titan Revolutionised Anime Entirely

  You liked it. You watched it twice. You bought the figurines and the manga. You told all your friends about it. You printed the survey corps design on your jumper and wore it every day. Ever stopped to think why this anime held so much of a place in your heart?

   Actually, this anime has not only influenced you, and all of the audience. This anime has potential to shake the entire entertainment industry and bend its rules. Even though it hasn’t yet.

  First off, this anime starts with westernised theme: from clothing to naming, at first glance it seems like a typical anime aimed at audiences outside Japan. But with the introduction of their new mob of zombies, everything takes a whole new level.

   I believe the main thing with Shingeki no Kyojin is that it doesn’t hesitate to kill off a main character even though that may seem less elaborate on the manga, this anime is the only one that I know of so far that has been able to pull that easily and successfully, leaving you to create the emotions yourself rather than having a lot of extended screen time of repeating the same scene over and over to induce the grieving of the characters over one’s death to the viewer.

image from here

  Attack on Titan shamelessly destroys have its cast on each episode in real time. Let’s assume for a moment, that you were in the survey corps during the first unexpected titan attack. That you were one of the people who ran out of supplies and needed to go to the building swarmed by Titans just to get the gas for your escape. Now, Eren, Mikasa, Jean – your classmates, are “main characters” to you, right? That still does not mean that this is the perfect time for flashbacks since someone (your friend who is the center of those flashbacks) is about to die in this episode. During a time where you really needed to stay on high alert for quick reflex actions, it would seem irrational for you to start remembering things (for the sake of the viewer) and what a coincidence it is that Eren got eaten just when you remembered the time when he stepped on your paper boat! Because during the time when a titan is so close to you both, you just had to remember your childhood grudge on the “main character” that was about to die, and realize how foolish that was to not give him his share of cake as a punishment, right? And you didn’t feel any adrenaline rush because the people who made the anime are not ready to give up a main character so easily, no? 

   If this paragraph above really happened, then the fourth wall (you, bonus points if you are a girl with a Roman name) is very distant from the actual real time battle between the survey corps and the titans. Sadly, the assumption above is what happens with most anime, including long ones like Hunter x Hunter 2011, Naruto, Fairy Tail, One Piece, Bleach, Detective Conan, etc. These anime have always been known for success because they do not kill the main cast, and keep increasing and investing emotions into the protagonists’ personality so they’d all look like the role models, idols, and heroes of the viewers. 

   But the viewers can never replace these main characters, or actually be with them in a canonical appearance. However, with Attack on Titan, the characters are actually there, no sudden moments of random emotions flowing, because in real life, nobody is a bland useless high schooler with no dreams (modern day setting anime stereotypes), but at the same time, nobody is a peacock with wings of infinite traits, who grows new traits to match the modern culture. These soldiers are human beings, each have their moments, their weaknesses, like we do. And if you were actually on a rooftop, the only thing you’d see of your friend is his kicking legs as the titan gobbles him up, then your pupil would widen in shock for a millisecond, before another scream behind you makes you look forward and press on with your maneuver gear. That is exactly what every other character does; not because they do not care about their comrade, but because they need to press on right now. The sun is boiling their shoulders with all that leather jacket on, and the air from the titans is just giving their bodies more energy to feel the situation and grieve later than stand there without a scratch nor a bruise.

   Speaking of bruises, they do not roll up their sleeves and raise their arms to show the world that they got hurt while working; since everybody is in the same situation, people change and don’t have to tell the viewer about it. Remember how Reeves was a selfish person but also held his own ideals close and took Levi’s side? The author does not need to explain how people change with every character, like the unexplained reason as to why Annie trained Eren and gave him a chance to learn more about himself. It’s like how an atom will remain an atom regardless of whether you understand it or not. This is how the world works, and how it was portrayed beautifully in Isayama’s work.

   This explanation might make Attack on Titan look realistic i.e. boring. But actually this realism is what puts you before the fourth wall and know more about the characters. Even some soldiers that are weak willed survived so far for a reason. Eren’s life is not only there to fascinate you, but it’s there because he wants to live and fulfill his dream of eliminating the titans.

  So instead of looking at role models, you look at people that you can relate to, and not high schoolers. Simply put, Attack on Titan is brave enough to let go of potentially useful characters and leave you to reflect on it on your own, trusting that you will get the emotions they imply.

   That said, why hasn’t the series influenced new anime yet? Why is the new male stereotyping consistent in new anime and the same boring personalities used over and over? Publishers still doubt that going out of the mainstream style will profit them, so they are waiting to see how many years Attack on Titan will survive. However, I do hope that the manga continues its own and does not fall into fanservice. Even the awesome-looking Tokyo ghoul will not be able to rise as much as Attack on Titan because it relied on using methods of success that are already out there: i.e. fanservice. If Isayama-san really decides to end Attack on Titan quickly, that will kill a great series, but that would protect it from becoming like Case Closed is now.

   Do you agree that Attack on Titan is a game changer? Do you believe that killing the protagonists should be used increasingly in the future? Tell us below, and Play More Zelda!

Where Hyrule Warriors Should Have Been in the Zelda Timeline

Where Hyrule Warriors Should Have Been in the Zelda Timeline

   Personally, I am convinced that Hyrule Warriors should be after Skyward Sword. The problem with this that there is not enough in-game proof.

   The main reason for this suggestion is that Skyward Sword is the only time when Hyrule itself does not have Zelda as its princess, i.e. the kingdom is not actually established yet. During Skyward Sword’s events, Zelda is a student in the knight academy, which means, she is training to fight. Let’s say after the events of the game, humans descend to Earth and make Hyrule Kingdom, just as the timeline says.

   When any kingdom is first formed, the king usually claims his land by conquering it, like a general of war kind of king. That would explain why Zelda is a PC like Link. That is what makes me believe that Hyrule Warriors is after Skyward Sword by quite a while.

   Another piece of evidence is this Link’s resemblance to Link in SS prequel manga. Link has a new look in every game, but Link usually looks similar to his image of hero at that time. At first, I thought it would mean that this game is way before Skyward Sword itself when they used to live on the ground normally, but Hyrule’s existence proves otherwise.

  The main problem this theory faces is Midna (also that it’s too short). Just like how the Impa tribe was living on the ground during the time of Skyward Sword, the shadow tribe of Midna’s would also be there, right? What about Midna’s lifespan? What about the events that lead to Majora’s Mask’s escape from that tribe? It’s too much of an assumption. Also, by that point in time, Midna has never met TP Link, so how did she know that she can turn a human into a wolf? Assuming she can, that is.

   As much as I’d like this theory, as much as I’d have to dismiss it. It does explain new Link’s design and the fact that Skyward Sword enemies are there (still no time for them to become extinct yet) but it has its holes.

  This is a part 2 of the previous article, which discusses Hyrule Warriors' location in the timeline if it were canon. Play More Zelda!

Hyrule Warriors Timeline Position

Hyrule Warriors Timeline Placement

Spoiler Warning: Skyward Sword, Ocarina Of Time, and Fire Emblem Awakening are mentioned here. 

   It’s almost time for the first console Zelda game to be released after Hyrule Historia revealed to us the timeline. This game is a collaboration between Techmo Koei and Nintendo, where the games are slightly similar… actually, it’s a lie.

   As you are all aware Keoi’s Dynasty Warriors involves a single man against a ridiculously colossal mob of human enemies, accompanied by other generals of the same caliber. If you’ve never owned a Playstation, but have a 3DS, try Chronicles: Samurai Warriors. It’s the most recent Koei game I’ve played and will base the rest of comparisons on.

   Just from the beginning, it seems that this will be a very unique game. But judging from the screenshots, you’d probably say otherwise. The enemies Link faces are all demons, no humans here, but these demons are personified to have emotions like fear and retreat, as mentioned before. 

does this look like the face of mercy? I know it doesn't make sense.

   However, from just scratching the surface, what about the generals of the same caliber? The uniquely cool playable characters fill that role, right? Does that mean that these characters were, say, candidates for becoming the hero of time and bearing the triforce of Courage? At this late stage you’d think possibly not, but do not rule it out. Especially since Skyward Sword reveals that Zelda is Hylia. So it is possible that this Zelda chose all these as candidates. Because both Link and Zelda look like “fighters” such as the tactician of CSW. Which automatically means all other PCs have something special to be added. This is a very special roster, and their back stories have to be satisfying.

   You probably want to hear where it should land in the timeline, assuming a non-canon Zelda game would land there. Before we can get there, we have to observe all the other obvious differences that Dynasty Warriors and Zelda have, and see what the development teams have stitched those patches with. Only then can the story become clear.

from zeldadungeon

   Post-OoT:
    First in the background of earlier screenshots, it is very clear that there is a castle that looks exactly like Ocarina of Time’s castle, but from Zelda’s character art, it is impossible that OOT’s adult timeline is the setting because during OOT’s lifespan, it is awkward for the princess to do any fighting. Fighting princesses are fantasy in that era. We can clearly lock out the other two timelines because then none of the guards would know Link in the Child Era and the castle would be in ruins in the final branch of the timeline.

   The next obvious think is characters from Twilight Princess are there, so the setting is probably post-TP during the same Link’s lifespan, right? Then where is immediate wolf transformation button? Since this is a non-canon game that probably will make it to the timeline, all of the current Link’s possible powers and tools have to be fully utilized, in order to emphasize on which Link it is. However, this Link has a piece of clothing very similar to the pre-SS manga thus cannot be the same protagonist of TP. If he was, Ordon children would be present, and Ilia too.

   Another hint in TP is that there are reused characters in general. Skull Kid was originally of OoT but even though according to Nintendo hints outside the actual game plot (i.e. through Navi text and manga) that this is the exact same Skull Kid since he has a long life span, there is no indication that he truly is since he is greatly retextured.

   In Japanese culture, and throughout the Zelda franchise, people are re-incarnated, which is why Link, Zelda, and Ganon have the same role and similar looks throughout the series. It is highly likely that Agitha is an incarnation too.

   The main hint that we can draw a conclusion that it is likely not before Twilight Princess in any way is Midna. As other rumors speculate, the evil tribe of Majora’s Mask is the same of Midna’s tribe, which means, any sooner than OoT in the timeline and there is a chance that Midna was a human of that tribe at that time. Since this is true, and Midna was not revealed until TP, it is also slightly possible that Twilis have short life spans (though I do not believe it) so it has to be the same Midna.

   A rather paradoxical part that makes it actually not fit in the time line at all is the fact that these are Skyward Sword enemies. However thanks to a hint from Fire Emblem Awakening’s Risen and time hopping theory such a paradox can exist.

   Conclusion: If this game were to fit in the timeline it would be after Twilight Princess, but not during TP Link’s life. Unless it is outside Hyrule or somehow the Twilight Realm’s borders are able to warp the SS enemies that actually are living in a place outside Hyrule at that point in time. There could be a new era between TP and Four Swords Adventures. Play More Zelda!

The new article is almost ready, but doesn’t make any sense, so I decided to go with a Zelda rumor instead. I wish to publish my own story on my blog in parts, but the first few parts of the story have absolutely nothing to do with technology. That’s why I do not write articles. I may decide on publishing it eventually. There is a Facebook Page with more short content sometime, as well as a Portal 2 map.

Why Oculus opened RakNet

Why Oculus opened RakNet

image from digitaltrends

   My predictions were right on the spot, again as expected. Allow me to use this entire paragraph as proving that my fortune-telling skills were right and to celebrate this yet again.

   Now that boasting is over, let’s get right back on topic. Why did Oculus make RakNet open source the moment they bought it? Well, the obvious benefit is encouraging more developers, which would bring indie developers, more attention from developers’ fans and novice developers, and more importantly, modders. These are the groups of the gaming society that usually come first, then gamers come hurrying along, but only a good bunch of them have gathered like bees on nectar.

  Expanding the games library is very crucial step towards actually becoming the new Xbox or DS. Speaking of Xbox, RakNet is also what Sony’s Virtual Reality headset, Project Morpheus uses. Cross-platform online games could become more powerful, more interactive, more always online. This would also mean ease in cross-platform releases, so that Oculus can reach Sony’s fanbase too, since developers will be encouraged to make games for Oculus they’d also be willing to make it compatible with Japan’s dominant gaming console (even if VR doesn’t catch on now, by logic, there is a huge existing dedicated gamers for Sony more than Oculus). Xbox has a lot to catch up on now!

  Here lies a question that only you can answer: can Oculus be trusted? After Facebook bought it, Facebook probably want to expand its test subject base to a group that will not escape so easily. After Facebook’s famous psychology experiment involving two colleges, can we really trust them?

  It is a shame to admit, but we gamers have problems with “escaping” a game, because most people who play games at some point say they use it to escape reality. If you begin to play this virtual reality game, you escape reality even more than just the screen. Even without the screen, gamers can go to extreme levels just to make sure that at the end of the day, they’ll have 4 hours of gameplay uninterrupted, even going into fire to save one’s Xbox. A single player life simulation game can easily let me lose track of time, but multiplayer is worse, because it involves real human rivals for resources.

   Simulations were always used in special training, pilots being one good example to test these equipment, thus assessment criteria was obviously well established a long time before we even heard of virtual reality. Consequently, it will be so easy to test your reactions, train you for more puzzle solving, or just simply make a gigantic maze game that is the exact replica of a lab rat’s and measure the differences in speed of figuring out that you needed to push the ball uphill or something (bonus points for fMRI).

   Even in an MMO, everyone eventually passes by the same quests, and it is easy to draw a pattern in the sequence of these quests, and from them give a conclusion on what kind of test would suit this user more than the next. It would also say a lot about behavior, cleverness (been so long since I used that word) and potentially expose you to be “sold” to other scientists who only want a certain group for testing (e.g. people with higher IQ, people who didn’t flee the first time they entered the boss room, etc.) or more realistic stuff, like whether you are fit in real life, real life depression, age group, smoking, sensitivity to loud sounds (that’s actually a thing) and so on. 

  The best part of this to the scientists is that they can zip through all the legal stuff and test. Gamers are like real prisoners now, because they are actually there in real time, with all external factors excluded. Imagine this: would you look away when you see something twice your size, or did you accidently click on the controller because your brother threw his toy at you? Most probably the former, because your parents won’t even leave you disconnected so much for you to even get that far in the game to become worthy of holding the title of Test Subject in the first place. Unlike social media, logging out is not so simple. There will probably be so much to lose when you do that: hourly events such as Bonus Time in Happy Wars, penalty for death.

I am using the word test subject for a reason!

   These little little candy are what keep us continuing on and on, because in online games, it’s a race, and usually the one with less life wins, gets to spawn kill higher level monsters all the time and boss around a group of midgets to PK anyone who gets close to his hunting grounds. Then when he’s done, he PKKs them and comes back to town as the rich hero of high reputation, and anyone who says the truth are just haters who will be treated like mute criminals forever.

  Other players are aware of that, and won’t give up the race so easily. That’s why they’ll grind and grind in a real time system that would feel like labor and go on for real life days. These people are the most vulnerable to testing, because we all know that even when they realize that the game is messing with them, they are not ready to log off and check the forums, because they are willing to forgive the game for this “bug” and that “glitch” just because he’s grown attached to his new toon and has to make it stronger as soon as possible before surprising others.

   Going back to the original question, will we really trust Oculus after Facebook acquired it? Let us know your opinion in the comments. Don’t forget to read the last choose-your-death article, because there might be more. Play More Zelda!