Monday, August 8, 2011

I've Been So Busy

I haven't posted in a while. For the last couple of months I've been pretty busy. First there was Global Game studies which required a lot of research, then there was Applied Math and Logic, which required quite a bit of studying. I figured I better find time to update this blog before I forget about it entirely.
Here is my final paper from my Global Game Studies class. I would include some other papers, but the topics get repeated for the class and that could lead to plagiarism temptations.

The Mass Effect 2 Genocide

The message Mass Effect 2 conveys is that genocide is a necessary act of survival. “Acts of genocide have been recognized by the United Nations nine times [in the 20^th] century. These examples include the purge of Armenians by the Turks beginning in 1915, Jews killed in the Ukraine in the late 1910's as well as during the Nazi regime, Cambodians under the Khmer Rouge in the 1970's, Bosnian Muslims in the former Yugoslavia early this decade, and the slaughter of the Tutsi minority by the Hutu majority in Rwanda in 1994.[1] While genocide is globally recognized as a crime against humanity, ethnic cleansing is not.” Genocide is the deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group.[2]

Mass Effect 2 is the second installment to Bioware’s Mass Effect series. It is an Adventure/Role Playing Game set in the year 2185. Mass effect has people confront the issue of genocide by presenting the issue in a science fiction setting which makes it easier for the player to digest through the rich environments and characters. The nemesis of the main story is the race of the Collectors. They are abducting entire human colonies. This is the player’s initiation to the topic of genocide. Within the game, the player may also play a series of side quests, some of which revolve around the team members Shepard recruits. There is Mordin Solus, the Salarian and Legion, a machine that uses logic to weigh the variables and gives the player the opportunity to make his own decision.

The Collectors are a species who have been genetically repurposed by the Reapers to collect specimens of other species. In a cut scene it is revealed Reapers view all life unlike their own as inferior and are intent on eliminating them. They do this to maintain the purity of the galaxy. As a result they care little for the lives they are destroying. The Collectors lack an identity of their own and are an extension of the Reapers. Whenever the Collectors are encountered in the game, they tell Shepard that his species is inferior. The Collectors abduct human colonists and convert them into genetic material in order to create a new Reaper.

Mordin Solus, a member of Shepard’s team, is directly linked to a later modification of the Genophage, a biological weapon used to cull Krogan numbers. It introduced a genetic mutation in the Krogan genome that reduced the probability of viable pregnancies. It was created as a response to Krogan military expansion. After centuries of the affliction, the Krogan are doomed to extinction. If the player chooses to have a conversation with Mordin while on the Normandy, Mordin presents the argument that the ends justify the means. The Krogan could not be allowed to expand their territories because it would lead to a massive galactic war.

Late in the game another character is encountered. It is a Geth unit, which is later named Legion. The Geth are a collective of machines with Virtual Intelligence created by the Quarians. The Geth were present in Mass Effect as enemies of humanity. However, this Geth seems different and if the player chooses, Shepard may take it onboard the Normandy.

If the player decides to keep Legion as a potential team member, the player learns from him through conversation that not all Geth are the same. There is another faction of Geth labeled the Heretics which worship the Reapers. Those are the Geth that fought humanity in the first Mass Effect. The Geth and Heretics have different philosophies and are not able to coexist. The Heretics view the “old machines” (the Reapers) as gods, where the Geth do not. In response to this schism, the Geth allowed the Heretics to leave their society and go out on their own. But it is discovered that the Heretics are creating a virus to force the rest of the Geth to join them. This assimilation could be construed as a form of genocide. The Heretics are imposing their own beliefs upon the Geth, thus destroying their philosophy and way of existence.

If Shepard recruits Legion, they have the option of going on a side mission to stop the Heretics from launching the virus. During that mission Legion discovers that the virus can instead be repurposed and the heretics can either be destroyed or can be reintegrated into the Geth collective. The player is presented with a choice. Should Shepard destroy the Heretics or should the Heretics be peacefully reintegrated back into the Geth collective. Both options would destroy the heretics as a race, but is necessary to ensure the survival of both the human race and the Geth. The outcome of the decision will not be immediately apparent, and probably won’t be until Mass Effect 3.

At a DC conference in 2009, Will Wright, the creator of Sim City, stated that he felt “designers are actually more responsible for furthering the medium than pleasing the players when creating games.” “Wright summed up the argument best, stating that showcasing the worst in games is actually the best way to affect change in people. He noted that, historically, social change through media almost always comes from cautionary tales. Moby Dick, written in 1851, can be seen as a warning against Nazi Germany (many good men following a charismatic, but obsessed mad man). People want their books, movies and games to "represent states we want society to avoid."”[3] As such, Mass Effect 2, in an attempt to further evolve the video game medium, brings the delicate subject of genocide to light in a creative way. In order to preserve one’s own species, the genocide of another may be necessary. The Reapers want to cleanse the galaxy of organics, the Salarians want to prevent a war with the Krogans and both the Geth and humans want to prevent the heretics from destroying them.

Bibliography

Becker, K. (n.d.). MUNFW.org. Retrieved Jun 19, 2011, from Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing: http://www.munfw.org/archive/50th/4th1.htm

Dictionary.com Unabridged. (n.d.). Retrieved Jun 21, 2011, from genocide: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/genocide

Frost, R. (2010, Jan). The Ethics of Role-Playing Games. Retrieved Jun 19, 2011, from Philosophy Department Faculty Speeches and Presentations. Paper 3: http://digitalcommons.concoll.edu/philfacsp/3

Huizinga, J. (2006). Nature and Significance of Play as a Cultural Phenomenon. In K. S. Zimmerman, The Game Design Reader (pp. 97 - 103). Cambridge, MA: the MIT Press.

IGN. (2009, Mar 27). Retrieved Jun 20, 2011, from GDC 09: Do Games Shape Society?: http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/967/967424p1.html

ary.reference.com/browse/role%20playing%20game

Sam. (2010). IMDB.com. Retrieved Jun 19, 2011, from IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1540125/plotsummary

[1] Becker, K. (n.d.). MUNFW.org. Retrieved Jun 19, 2011, from Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing: http://www.munfw.org/archive/50th/4th1.htm

[2] Dictionary.com Unabridged. (n.d.). Retrieved Jun 21, 2011, from genocide: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/genocide

[3] IGN. (2009, Mar 27). Retrieved Jun 20, 2011, from GDC 09: Do Games Shape Society?: http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/967/967424p1.html

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Coat Of Arms

This week's assignment was on Heraldry. We had to create a coat of arms representing the world we created in our creation myth.

The blazon of the flag represents the world of *Moiya. There are a total of seven tinctures used, but the main four are: gules (red), vert (green), white, and azure (blue). They represent the four seasons (as written in the creation myth). The charges are images of the corresponding god-children controlling the four seasons. They are Drakke, the dragon – summer, Manne, the fairy – autumn, Snow, the snake – white, and Eel, the water snake – spring. The fifth Charge represents Golem. Created by the four god-children, he represents unity.

*Note: I used the name Moiya because that was the first one that came to mind. However, that may change in future versions.

Reference website used to create image:

http://www.inkwellideas.com/coat_of_arms/free_coads.shtml

Sunday, May 8, 2011

My Creation Myth

Currently I am taking a class on Mythology and Archetypes. As a homework assignment I had to create a creation myth. Here is what I came up with.

The Nursery

Before there was a world, there was Great Fire Snake. He would dance around the heavens, creating light wherever he went. One day, in the darkness, he met Water Goddess. She loved his light and his warmth and was tired of the darkness. Water Goddess asked him to stay with her. In time, they became friends and eventually fell in love. And like what happens most times when there are two beings in love, they had children.

The first born was Snow the ground snake, whose white body resembled Great Fire Snake’s. Then Drakke the dragon was born next. He had a long body like Snow, but also had arms, legs and wings. He could breathe out fire, as well. Next came Eel, the water snake. Whose blue body also resembled his father’s. The last to be born was a daughter, a faerie named Manne. She had arms, legs and wings like dragon, but her body was short and not like a snake’s.

The god-children would run around the heavens and cause mischief, as children often do. So Great Fire Snake and Water Goddess decided to make a nursery for their children to play in. Water Goddess created a vast lake where the god-children could play. They were delighted and played for days.

Eventually, with the exception of Eel, they got tired and wanted to rest outside of the water. Eel was better able to breathe in the water and preferred to stay. Great Fire Snake agreed that it was time for the children to rest, so he dove into the pool of water, creating great plumes of smoke, which rose into the sky, becoming clouds, and scooped up dirt from the bottom of the lake. He made a pile from the dirt and then dried it off from the heat of his fire. The god-children then rested on the new ground. As Great Fire Snake started to leave, the children cried out that it was too dark and that they were scared. So the Great Fire Snake took some of his flame and threw it across the sky. It scattered and became the stars. The god-children still complained that it was too dark, so Water Goddess also took some of Great Fire Snake’s fire and put it behind a small pool of water in the sky. This is the moon. And while the god-children slept, Great Fire Snake would check in on them. His light would fill up the sky, lighting the entire land. But this did not wake the children. This is day.

As the god-children got older, they would create playmates which they would refer to as their children. Manne created other flying creatures and flew across the sky with them. Drakke created trees that he could eat to fuel his fire. Snow created all the creatures that burrow into the ground. They would chase each other through underground mazes. Since the other god-children didn’t like the water as much as he did, Eel created creatures in the great lake to swim with. Even though the god-children had plenty to play with, they agreed that they wanted another sibling. Great Fire Snake and Water Goddess felt they had enough to handle as it was and told the god-children they did not plan on having another child.

The god-children were so determined about having another sibling, they decided to work together and create one. Snow brought dirt and sand to Drakke who used his flame to melt it down. It was difficult work for him, so Manne beat her wings created wind to make Drakke’s flame even hotter. When his siblings were finished, Eel brought water to cool the body made of metal and glass. And together, they breathed life into their new sibling, Golem.

Golem mostly resembled Faerie, except he had a longer torso. He had a metal body with arms and legs, glass eyes and glass wings. The god-children tried to play with him. But when Golem jumped in the water, he sank straight to the bottom. Dragon and Eel had to carry him back out. Dragon and Faerie tried to get him to fly, but he was too heavy. Dragon once carried Golem as high as he could and let him go to see if Golem could glide down. But golem just fell. He hit the ground so hard; the land shook and broke into pieces. Golem’s fall also created a deep crater that filled with water, and mountains around the crater’s edge. And worst of all, Golem’s beautiful glass wings were shattered.

Wanting to know what happened, Great Fire Snake and Water Goddess checked in on the god-children. They were very angry that the children had created a sibling on their own and damaged their nursery. They told the god-children what they did was wrong and that they needed to destroy Golem. The god-children said they would, but when the time came, they took pity on Golem and decided to hide him in one of the forests. Great Fire Snake saw through this deception and told the children they could not return home until Golem was destroyed. Angry with the mistakes they had made, Drakke, Snow and Eel decided to look for Golem and destroy him. Manne decided that they should live with their mistake and protect Golem. Outnumbered, Manne went with her brothers to destroy Golem. But when they went to the spot where they had hidden him, he was gone. Drakke said, “I will take to the mountains created from his fall and search for him there.” Eel said, “I and my children will search the lakes.” “My children and I will search the caves and below the ground,” replied Snow. “And I and my children will watch the forests,” said Manne. And they all head off on their separate ways.

Although Manne said she would watch the forests, she did not say she would do so looking for Golem. One day, while tending the forests, she did come across Golem. “Please do not destroy me sister,” he pleaded. “I have no intention of doing so little brother,” she answered. And she kept him hidden in the forests which she and her children now tended.

Lonely, Golem too tried to make children. His toiling would create thunder and lightning across the sky. He was not as good a creator as his siblings were, and most of the time he was unsuccessful. However, occasionally he created lovely creatures. But many times he created terrible monsters. One day he created a beautiful creature. It looked very much like his faerie sister, with the exception that it had no wings. It was, by far, his best creation. He decided to repay Manne’s kindness by naming this creature after her and called it Man.

Appendix I

Seasons

As Snow got older, he did not get larger like his other siblings, Drakke, Eel and Manne (this is before Golem was created). He was very unhappy about being the smallest one of the group. One day he decided he would try something. He decided to peel away his white skin and see if he would get larger, which he did successfully. But the attempt left a horrible mess. His old skin turned into dust and covered the entire nursery. It blocked out the light and made everything colder. His siblings were very unhappy about this. Not only was it getting cold, but the plants and trees were dying. Snow was very sorry, but explained he didn’t want to remain small as the others grew. Feeling bad for Snow, the others cleaned up his mess. They agreed that it was unfair that Snow couldn’t grow like them, so they made an agreement. Every year Snow could shed his skin. Manne would put the trees and plants to sleep so that the coming cold would not kill them. Then Snow could shed his skin. Eel would then wash away Snow’s old skin with rain, which would also wake the trees and plants from their slumber. And Drakke would warm the air with his breath, melting any remaining skin, thus creating the four seasons.

Appendix II

God-child Associations

Name	Creature Type	Element	Color	God of
Drakke	Dragon	Fire	Red	Fire, summer and mountains [later on] money / greed
Eel	Water Snake	Water	Blue	Water, spring, birth sea creatures
Snow	Ground Snake	Earth	Brown / White	Earth, winter, land animals, death
Manne	Faerie	Wind	Green	Wind, forest, autumn, flying creatures, life
Golem	Construct	Metal	Gray	Metal, lightning, tools, monsters and man

Friday, April 22, 2011

Live Healthy PSA

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

I was a little bored today

I was a little bored today, so I entered in Cracked.com's photplasty contest. The theme was: What if Michael Bay remade the classics. Here is my entry.