Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Sergeant Jamison reporting for duty...


I've become some-what addicted to a computer game I got for Christmas from my brother.

Though, it isn't like other computer games in that once you "beat it" you forget it.

I am playing Battlefield 2... a sequeal (of sorts) to Battlefield 1942. It is, in its most basic terms, a war game. Set in present day. Teams compose of Americans, Middle Eastern folks, and China. The difference in this game and other computer games is that this game was entirely designed to be played online, against real people. It has a "single player mode" but the enemy is stupid and the maps are limited. They say the SP mode is just to "practice" in.

In some shape or form, this game makes its way into my dreams almost every night (of course I play it everyday) and there is just something cool about playing against (or teaming up with) REAL people around the world. I'll never think that a computer enemy is 'smart' again. Of course the smack talk to real people is fun too. Add in a microphone and headphones when joining a squad and youll feel like you are really in a battle (and a big time geek, but a geek having alot of fun).

This game allows one to do almost anything youve ever wanted to do in a game. If you see a jeep, jump in it and drive it. See a helicopter, take off in it, jet, tank, humvee, anti-aircraft gun, etc... if it shoots or moves, pick it up! Even better, if you chose to be an ant-tank specialists, and you see where a medic died below your feet, pick up his gear and use it instead.... However, if you want to be a sniper, find a nice hiding spot and pick them off.

But the real clencher... Ranks.

Your online stats are recorded on EAs servers. The more and better you play, the higher you are ranked. Im not JUST talking about your ranks as in "number one" (I am ranked at somewhere in the 385,000th place in the world, not too bad) but you get real marine rankings. You start off as a private of course. I am now a sergeant because my teamwork score and my combat score have reached a certain level. Even cooler is that during battle, if you perform certain tasks or are an outstanding soldier, you get ribbons, medals, etc... all of which stay on your record.

Care to see my up-to-date stats?

3 sad things about this:

1) I leave work every day at around 2 or 3pm. Go to a friends office and he and I get on the same team on some gaming server and 'rock the house' as they said in the 80s.

2) We, meaning he and I, two adults, have real discussions about which weapons we will unlock when we reach a certain score. We research these weapons and talk with others who may have an opinion on them.

3) there are 16, 17, and 18 year olds who dedicate their lives to a sport and become world-famous in the olympics. I am almost 30 and about 56 people know me as the guy who hosted wrestling matches in his dorm room.

12 comments:

bigsip said...

Well, just enjoy it, man. You still have that awesome newlywed, no kids, go hither and yon FREEDOM!

I haven't played a computer/video game in years. I don't miss it too much, but I remember the days of staying holed up in my dorm room, committed to conquering The Legend of Zelda II or III.

Twas fun! But, of course, I get to go home and play cars and stuff with Luke now. That's cool in its own great way.

bigsip said...

Oh, I do have a really great LOTR game, but I haven't played it in over a year now. I might fire it up again sometime!

mullinz8 said...

I picked up one of the Splinter Cell games and I love it.

I don’t get to play it much because I realized that staying up until 2am and having to get up for work the next day don’t mesh too well and I don’t like Isaac seeing daddy let several rounds fly into some bad guy no matter who he kidnapped.

I recently dumped a lot of things off the computer due to a virus and this game was one of the things removed. When I think of something that I “need” to put back on, it’s this game.

It’s just fun to snoop around sniping people or doing a room entry. I’m really bad at planning multi-team action but my five person unit is pretty efficient though I usually end with fewer members than when I start.

I’ll have to check out Battlefield 2 because I love the idea of on-line play.

I’d just hate to be in the middle of killing some bad guys and hear someone wondering where daddy is because the bathroom is too dark to go pee in alone.

If I didn’t have kids I’d be right there with you. Play all you want! Play during the day, play during the night, play it in your head when you can’t play it for real. Go man go!

JS said...

careful. I told larissa that I cant play past 7pm on a weekday night.

Last night I was almost asleep and then I head a loud BANG!

it was totally in my head, but i woke up with a start. It was the sound of a missle hitting the tank. It is the sound you hear when you are in the tank... and about to die...

bigsip said...

Those games are fun, but they horrify me.

The attack aircraft "Warthog" the US uses for anti-tank warfare uses depleted uranium armor piercing rounds.

When those rounds hit the tank, they're extremely hot and actually melt through the armor and melt anything inside the tank.

It's an awful, slow, painful way to go.

I thank God all the time I didn't have to go to war.

JS said...

(eyes wide, expressionless face, walking like a zombie, hands stretched out towards the computer)

But ... game ... is ... so ... fun ...

bigsip said...

LOL!

I wasn't saying not to play.

I just have difficulty playing them myself.

If I were one of those guys coming back from Iraq with PTSD, I'd probably wig-out if I saw that game.

Ryan F. said...

Nothing wrong with being known as an FWF promoter. I got addicted to Tiger Woods golf game a few months ago and would spend 2 or 3 hours a night playing it. My wife wasn't too happy, but soon enough I was through with it.

JS said...

thats the scary thing about this game... until I am at the highest online rank there is, I fear I may not grow tired of it. I am not playing 18 holes of golf, Im fighting real individuals.

Friends, a helicopter flew over our house last night. I was laying on the couch with my wife and i asked her "Is it sad that my first instinct when I heard that was to run and hide behind the couch until it flew over?"

She said "yes, maybe you game too much."

Itll blow over in a few months I am sure. Ive been hooked on online games in the past. But having high spped at home makes it hard to stop.

Mat Brewster said...

Just say no Jamison.

Tomorrow instead of just playing several hours of your game, why don't you take your wife out to a really nice dinner? Buy her flowers, rub her feet. Be the ideal husband.

Then over the weekend you can play for hours upon hours

JS said...

I manage to do most of that and game at the same time.

I only game in the mornings sometimes before work (when my wife aint at home) and after work, before she gets home... so the only time I play when she is at home is on the weekends sometimes...

so NYAH!

bigsip said...

FFFFFRRREEEEEEEEEDOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!!