Call of Duty: Ghosts is a 2013 first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. It is the tenth major installment in the Call of Duty series and the sixth developed by Infinity Ward. It was released for PlayStation 3, Wii U, Windows, and Xbox 360, on November 5, 2013. The game was released with the launch of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

The game acts as a standalone installment in the wider Call of Duty franchise in lieu of the World War II, Black Ops and Modern Warfare series that preceded it. Ghosts inherits much of the core gameplay and structure of previous titles, with a mission-based campaign and an open-ended multiplayer, but introduces a near-future setting to the series as well as an increased focus on tactical gameplay, including the addition of new "Squads" modes and orbital strike superweapons to the multiplayer. Ghosts also features an alternative co-operative shooter mode titled Extinction, acting as a spiritual successor to the Zombies co-operative PvE gamemodes introduced to the franchise in Call of Duty: World at War. The science fiction elements of the game's campaign and setting would go on to be further explored in Advanced Warfare and Infinite Warfare.

Ghosts received generally mixed reviews from critics, with most praising its multiplayer gameplay and for the introduction of Extinction, but criticizing it for its single-player campaign, rehashing of familiar concepts, and general lack of innovation.

Gameplay

Campaign
In Call of Duty: Ghosts, the story is mostly told through the eyes of Logan Walker, with several other playable characters, including an astronaut specialist named Baker; Sergeant Thompson; Elias Walker, member of Icarus and Logan's father; and the newer option to play as a German Shepherd, Riley, the first non-human playable character in the franchise.

Multiplayer
The multiplayer mode in Call of Duty: Ghosts features changes from previous Call of Duty games as some new mechanics have been added to it. Maps now have areas that can be altered or destroyed. There is a nuke-like kill streak reward, the KEM Strike. The player can get the ODIN kill streak by either getting a certain amount of kills or by killing the top player on the other team and then completing various challenges after picking up a blue briefcase that is dropped. The sniper rifle scopes also have new "dual render technology" allowing the player to see around the outside of the scope (although blurred) when zoomed in. On October 3, a new multiplayer type was revealed, called Squads. This features a squad that the player can build and the player can face other squads around the world. The player's squad can be leveled up and will act like a true individual. "Octane", "Prison Break", "Tremor", "Freight", "Stormfront", "Siege", "Warhawk", "Sovereign", "Overlord", "Flooded", "Strikezone", "Whiteout", "Stonehaven" and "Chasm" are the maps that are in Call of Duty: Ghosts so far. The dynamic map, "Free Fall", was a pre-order bonus. The game now features playable female soldiers.

Squads
Call of Duty: Ghosts introduces a new game type called Squads. This mode can be played either solo or with other players including friends. A squad consists of ten different customizable characters. Squads can be utilized in unique gamemodes involving AI controlled enemies and AI controlled squad mates. The gamemodes include Squad Assault, Safeguard, Safeguard Infinite, Squad vs Squad, and Wargame. All of these modes can be played while online or offline.

 Squad vs Squad: Two opposing players play team deathmatch using their Squads.
 Wargame: The player and five squad mates against a team of enemy bots in a mode.
 Safeguard: The player and up to three other friends in a wave-based survival match similar to Survival Mode from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, but with the addition of perks and scorestreaks.

Multiplayer game modes
Call of Duty: Ghosts features several staple multiplayer game modes, while introducing several new game types, including:

 Search and Rescue: A take on Search & Destroy, but rather than having a single life per round, in Search & Rescue a player's team can revive them. It combines that teamwork and communication from Kill Confirmed with the objective-based cooperation of Search & Destroy.
 Gun Game: Similar to versions in previous games, the player starts with a pistol and continues to gain a new weapon for each player they kill. The match ends when a player cycles through all of the available weapons.
 Cranked: In this team-based game mode, the first team to earn 100 kills wins. Once a player kills an enemy, becoming "Cranked", the player who earned the kill has 30 seconds to earn a subsequent kill. If they do not earn a subsequent kill within 30 seconds, they blow up. The detonation does not harm teammates or enemies. If a player earns a subsequent kill within 30 seconds, the timer resets to 30 seconds and the kill counts for two points instead of one. Once a player is "Cranked" their movement speed is increased, they throw grenades more rapidly, and they aim down sight more quickly, among other effects.
 Free For All: The classic gamemode from previous installments in the franchise returns, in which players must rack up a total of 30 kills to win the game against seven other opponents or rack up to most kills in a 10-minute time limit.
 Team Deathmatch: Team Deathmatch returns in Call of Duty: Ghosts: two teams, 10 minutes, 75 kill limit.
 Search and Destroy: A gamemode in which one side has five minutes to plant a bomb at a choice of two sites and the other team is tasked with defending the sites, the catch of this mode is there are no respawns and the game ends once one team wins four rounds.
 Domination: A gamemode where three flags are scattered throughout the map for players to take and control. Every five seconds a flag in controlled will gain a player's team a point, if a player's team controls two or three flags, they gain two or three points. The first team to 200 points wins.
 Team Tactical: A mixture of objective games involving four on four matches.
 Kill Confirmed: A gamemode in which two teams battle, similar to TDM, with the catch being that when a player kills an enemy they drop a dog tag, which is worth points when collected. If a player collects a fallen teammate's dog tag, no points are award to the enemy team; first team to 100 points wins the game.
 Infected: Similar to the mode in Modern Warfare 3, one player is randomly infected at the beginning and can infect other players until either all survivors are infected, or time runs out. Playlists will rotate between several different scenarios involving various loadouts. This mode allows up to 18 players on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC versions and up to 12 players on the other platforms.

 Blitz: This team-based game mode is similar to Capture the Flag in that the player needs to go to a portal located at the enemy's spawn point while preventing players from the enemy team from reaching theirs. These portals are temporarily closed for 10 seconds when they are captured to prevent players from rushing.
 Hunted Free for All: Players start with a pistol, two throwing knives, and a flashbang. Crates are dropped in random locations throughout the match that contains more weapons and ammo for the players to compete for. The game mode has a 25-kill limit.
 Ground War: Containing a rotating playlist with Domination and Team Deathmatch, but with 12–18 players and a 100-kill limit for TDM. This mode is only available for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC versions of the game.
 Drop Zone: Teams take turns capturing drop zones for points. For every 15 seconds a player holds down the objective, a care package will drop.

Extinction
Extinction is a 4-player co-op mode, which pits the player(s) against various types of aliens (known altogether as Cryptids) in a base-defending survival style map. The main goal is usually to destroy all of the Cryptid hives scattered across the map (with the exception of Awakening and Exodus; the former requires players scanning for obelisks in an area which need to be destroyed, while Exodus features generators which the players have to activate). Players choose from four different class types, with unique traits and customizable loadouts. The player(s) can level up their classes, unlocking more weapons and equipment for their loadouts. This mode is unlocked by finishing the first level of the Campaign.

The first map, "Point of Contact", is included within the base game, and serves as an introduction to the game mode. The map takes place in an abandoned city in Colorado, two weeks after the events of the campaign mission "Ghost Stories".

The second map, "Nightfall", is released as part of the Onslaught DLC pack, and is advertised as the first of the four episodic contents for Extinction. The map takes place in an Alaskan research facility, 14 weeks after "Point of Contact", and introduces two characters central to the story: Dr. Samantha Cross and Cpt. David Archer. The map also introduces two new types of Cryptid aliens, one of which (the Breeder) serves as a boss-type enemy. Players are also given access to a mysterious and powerful weapon: The Venom X. Players can unlock several pieces of intel, revealing details about the story revolving around Cross and Archer.

The third map, "Mayday", is released as part of the Devastation DLC pack, and is the second of four episodes of Extinction. The map takes place on board a Naval ship, 26 days after the events in "Nightfall", and introduces two more new types of Cryptids: The Seeder (Which looks like the red seekers) but is bright orange and spawns' plantlike turrets that shoot projectiles at the players, and the Kraken, the large, multi-tentacled boss at the end of the chapter. In addition to weapons scattered throughout the ship, players can access schematics to build powerful offensive and defensive weapons, including 4 variations of the Venom X from the previous chapter. Players can also find intel as well to learn more about the story of Extinction.

The fourth map, "Awakening", which is released as part of the Invasion DLC pack, is advertised as the third episode. The map takes place in an underground Cryptid hive, 36 hours after "Mayday", and introduces three new types of Cryptids: the flying Gargoyle, the explosive Bomber, and the powerful Mammoth. The Cryptids' masters, the Ancestors, are also seen in the map. The players have access to ARK attachments, which turn weapons into laser weapons, greatly increasing their power. As with the previous two maps, intels can be found to discover more information regarding the story.

The final map, "Exodus", which also acts as the final episode of Extinction, is released as part of the Nemesis DLC pack. The map takes place in a launch facility, 3 months after "Awakening", where the players are pit in a final battle against the forces of the Cryptids. Nearly every Cryptid type is encountered in the map, including the Ancestors. Players can choose their own paths in progressing throughout the map. The map also introduces two brand new weapons, the NX-1 Disruptor and the NX-1 Grenades, which are required in taking out the Ancestors.

Plot

Campaign

Setting and characters
Call of Duty: Ghosts is set in the near future that follows the nuclear destruction of the Middle East. The oil-producing nations of Latin America form the Federation of the Americas in response to the ensuing global economic crisis and quickly grow into a global superpower, swiftly invading and conquering Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico.

The game's main protagonists are the Ghosts, a force of U.S. Special Operations personnel trained to conduct clandestine missions behind enemy lines. The unit is led by retired U.S. Army Captain Elias Walker (Stephen Lang). He is joined by his sons Logan and David "Hesh" Walker (Brandon Routh), along with a trained German Shepherd named Riley, Captain Thomas A. Merrick (Jeffrey Pierce), and Gunnery Sergeant Keegan P. Russ (Brian Bloom).

The game's main antagonist is Gabriel T. Rorke (Kevin Gage), the former leader of the Ghosts who works for the Federation after being captured and brainwashed by the Federation via torture and hallucinogens.

Story
In 2014, during the Tel Aviv War in the Middle East, an oil crisis occurs causing devastation for numerous nations including the United States and its NATO allies. As a result of the oil crisis, an authoritative military dictatorship known as the Federation of the Americas is established in South America, with its founding members being Venezuela, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil. Soon, the Federation intimidates the remaining South American countries into joining, officially uniting the entire continent under its rule. Three years later in 2017, U.S. Army officer Elias Walker tells his teenage sons Hesh and Logan the legend of how the Ghosts, an elite coalition of all U.S. Special Operations units, first appeared. Meanwhile, in space, the Federation hijacks the Orbital Defense Initiative (ODIN), an orbital superweapon that consists of a network of satellites that utilize kinetic bombardment. The Federation uses it to destroy several cities in the southwestern United States. U.S. Air Force astronauts Baker and Mosley sacrifice themselves to self-destruct the space station and prevent ODIN from launching other payloads further inland. The Walker family narrowly escapes the destruction of San Diego.

Ten years later, the Federation has expanded even further by invading and occupying Central America, the Caribbean and Mexico. Along with this, the war between the United States and the Federation has been a bloody stalemate along a front that comprises the destroyed cities (known as "No Man's Land"), which has become a war of attrition as more Federation forces attempt to break the frontlines. However, the U.S. stands its ground, fighting near the former United States-Mexico border. Hesh and Logan are part of an Army special unit under the command of Elias and are accompanied by Riley, their loyal military-trained German Shepherd. During a mission into No Man's Land, they spot Federation agent Gabriel Rorke interrogating Ghost member Ajax. The brothers meet and join Ghost members Thomas Merrick and Keegan Russ in an attempt to rescue Ajax, but he is killed.

The brothers return to Santa Monica, California, where U.S. Armed Forces hold out against a Federation assault, and reunite with their father, who reveals himself as the leader of the Ghosts. Recruiting his sons into the Ghosts, Elias tells them during the Federation's expansion into South America in 2015, the Venezuelan Armed Forces formal leader, General Diego Almagro, ordered any American-born citizens in Federation territory, imprisoned or executed. Because of this, Rorke, formally the leader of the Ghosts, convinced the United States government to send him and Elias on a military operation in the Federation's capital of Caracas to assassinate the general. Despite being successful in killing Almagro, Elias was forced to abandon Rorke to save himself and his other squad mates. The Federation soon captured Rorke and brainwashed him into becoming a Federation commander.

The Ghosts assault Rorke's base and capture him, but Federation armed forces destroy their plane and rescue him. The team lands in the Yucatán Peninsula, where they witness the launch of a mysterious Federation missile. The Ghosts infiltrate a Federation base and discover plans to create a new superweapon. Constructing a counterattack, the Ghosts make significant gains against the Federation by destroying their Atlas oil platform in Antarctica and sinking a destroyer guarding a Federation factory in the port of Rio de Janeiro. The team then breaks into the factory and discovers that the Federation reverse-engineered ODIN into their own orbital bombardment system named LOKI.

After destroying the factory, the Ghosts regroup at a safe house in Las Vegas, but are captured by Rorke and Federation armed forces and paramilitary forces, who executes Elias. In a last-ditch effort, the U.S. Navy pools all its remaining forces, including its last aircraft carrier USS Liberator, in a synchronized all-out assault. Hesh and Logan launch a missile to destroy the Federation space center in the Atacama Desert, while forces in U.S. Space Force take over the Federation space station. They seize control of LOKI and decimate the Federation armed forces by turning their weapons on them. Hesh and Logan then disobey Merrick's orders and pursue Rorke to avenge their father. Despite being shot by Logan and left to drown, Rorke survives and captures Logan, wanting to brainwash him into becoming a Federation agent.

In a post-credits scene, Logan is seen inside a caged pit in the jungle, presumably going through the same torture methods as Rorke.

Extinction

Setting and characters
The Extinction story takes place in an alternate reality following the events of the first mission of the Ghosts campaign, where the ODIN strike unearths ancient creatures known as Cryptids upon mankind. The player takes on the role of an elite unnamed soldier, whose appearance is carried from the player's multiplayer character. The story revolves mainly around two central characters: Doctor Samantha Cross (Ali Hillis), a researcher of the Nightfall Program who was studying Cryptid origins; and Captain David Archer (Dave B. Mitchell), leader of the Nightfall Program.

Story
Following the Federation's attack on ODIN Station and the strike that decimated a large portion of the United States, a stray missile hit Caldera Peak, Colorado, revealing a colony of ancient creatures called Cryptids lying dormant below it. The Cryptids' masters, the Ancestors, seized the opportunity by commanding them to awake, massacre the town, and destroy everything in their path. In order to contain the outbreak, a Task Force codenamed Specter was sent in to exterminate the Cryptids' presence. Though they were successful, remains of the Cryptids were collected by Nightfall, a research program dedicated to uncovering the origins of the creatures. The program's leader, Captain David Archer, implemented covert operations to breed Cryptids for experimentation, as well as deciphering of glyphs found within several sites where Nightfall was researching on Cryptid appearance. However, one of the doctors working at Nightfall, Samantha Cross, began to fall under the Ancestors' influence, and slowly became one of their hypnotic spies, capable of telepathic abilities. She caused an outbreak at the Nightfall facility, killing all members within it, except herself and Archer. An elite squad named CIF Team One was dispatched to help Archer and Cross escape, but Archer secretly snuck away on a destroyer vessel supplied by one of his mysterious contacts, in order to arrive at another Cryptid site.

For the following three weeks, Archer would experiment on Cross in order to learn of her abilities, realizing that she is capable of taming the Cryptids. Using her as a beacon, Archer guided the destroyer toward the remaining Cryptid Arks around the world. Cross fell into the Ancestors' control even more, and upon full possession, she began to summon the Ark's guardian, the Kraken, to protect the Cryptid colony and kill Archer and everyone aboard the destroyer. CIF Team One was sent in once again to rescue Archer, as well as eliminate Cross, per the deal between Archer and CIF Team One's handler, General "Godfather" Castle. However, Cross evaded their attempts to kill her and wound up in the Cryptid Ark. Archer and his men later arrived at the island where the Ark is located, however they encounter hordes of Cryptids, leading to Archer's hand being infected. Cross arrived and amputated his hand, then forged a temporary alliance with him, as she attempted to explain the Ancestors' true motives, and her reasons for not siding with them. CIF Team One was later dispatched by Castle to find Archer as well as retrieve the Cortex, a device containing tissue samples of an Ancestor's brain. The team succeeded in finding the Cortex, and Cross was extracted from the Ark, while Archer was left to die.

While on their way back to the United States, CIF Team One was attacked by Cryptid forces, and was stranded in the heart of the outbreak, while Cross escaped captivity. For the next three months, Cryptids would begin to overrun all military centers of the US, leaving General Castle as the leader of the surviving remnants of the country. He came in contact with CIF Team One, and ordered them to protect the Exodus launch site, allowing the remnants to escape Earth into outer space, away from the Cryptids' influence. In the midst of the operation, Cross regained contact with the survivors, reasoning CIF Team One must sacrifice themselves to activate the Medusa, a psionic weapon capable of eradicating all Cryptids within a three-mile radius, and give mankind a chance to overcome extinction. In a final order, General Castle commanded his men to defeat the oncoming Cryptid siege led by the Ancestors themselves. Now in safe passage to the space station, Cross acknowledged that her otherworldly powers were key in humanity's future retaliation, agreeing to be placed in a replica Beacon Amplifier to harness her gifts to benefit the future descendants of the Exodus program.

Development
On February 7, 2013, Activision confirmed that a new Call of Duty game was in development and would be released Q4, 2013. The publisher expected to sell fewer copies than the series' previous entry, Call of Duty: Black Ops II on seventh generation consoles (PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360) due to the transition to next-generation consoles.

The series starts a new subseries with Ghosts to coincide with Sony and Microsoft's eighth generation consoles entering the market. The game was supposed to debut an engine built by the developer, originally described as a new engine, but later clarified to be the same engine as used in previous games with "significant" upgrades. The game also utilized Umbra Software's rendering tool, Umbra 3, as a way to speed up the rendering process of large environments by an optimization known as occlusion culling – a method of filtering out hidden objects so they are not rendered.

The Wii U version of the game was developed by Treyarch.

Infinity Ward prioritized frame rate over display resolution during the development of Call of Duty: Ghosts, with the game targeted to run at 60 frames per second on each platform. While the game outputs at 1080p on PlayStation 4, the Xbox One can only manage 720p while maintaining the frame rate. Due to a "configuration issue" however, the PlayStation 4 version still required a release day patch to reach 1080p.

Soundtrack
David Buckley scored the game's original soundtrack. Rapper Eminem's 2013 song "Survival" is featured as the game's credit song.

Marketing and release

Reveal
On April 29, 2013, the official Call of Duty website was updated with a social media mosaic that filled up every time a user logged into the site via Twitter or Facebook. The next day, the mosaic was completed and the picture showed a skull along the text "the Ghosts are real." Some details about Ghosts leaked prior, especially when Tesco pulled the listing of the game for the PlayStation 3 after it was put up accidentally. Several other retailers, including Target, listed it for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The live-action teaser trailer for Ghosts, titled "Masked Warriors", features glimpses of people wearing historical battle masks, among them one of a group of soldiers putting on the skull mask shown on the box art. It was released on May 1, 2013. Ghosts appeared at the "Xbox Reveal" event on May 21, 2013. During E3 2013 the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions were promoted, and the Wii U version was confirmed towards the end of the event on June 13.

On August 14, 2013, American rapper Eminem's "Survival" featuring Liz Rodrigues, with production by DJ Khalil was premiered in the multiplayer trailer for the game. The music video for the song features various footage from the game's single player campaign, and other elements from the game.

Release
Call of Duty: Ghosts was released for Windows and current-generation game consoles – PlayStation 3, Wii U, and Xbox 360 – on November 5, 2013. Activision announced that the game would be available for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in time for each console's release date on November 15, 2013, and November 22, 2013, respectively. Despite the official announcement for next-generation systems, the PlayStation 4 version of the game was made available by some retailers ahead of the scheduled release date.

Downloadable content

Downloadable content (DLC) for Ghosts has been released. Pre-ordered versions of the game included a bonus "dynamic" map called Free Fall and also got Simon "Ghost" Riley and John "Soap" MacTavish from Modern Warfare 2 as playable multiplayer characters. However, Free Fall was excluded from the Wii U pre-ordered version, which was later released on the Wii U on March 4, 2014.

Four sets of DLC map packs were released in 2014. A Season Pass is available, which gives players immediate access to all four DLC packs.

The first map pack, Onslaught, was released for the Xbox 360 and Xbox One on January 28, 2014, and for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and Windows, on February 27, 2014. It contains an exclusive playlist for owners of the DLC. The DLC pack brings in 4 new multiplayer maps: "Fog", "Bayview", "Ignition", and "Containment". The map Ignition is a re-make of Scrapyard from Modern Warfare 2. It also includes two new multiplayer weapons: the Maverick assault rifle, and the Maverick A-2 sniper rifle; as well as "Nightfall", the first of the four Extinction episodic contents. On the multiplayer map Fog, Michael Myers from the Halloween film series appears as a playable character, obtainable by earning a care package by completing various challenges via Field Orders.

The second map pack, Devastation, was released on the Xbox 360 and Xbox One on April 3, 2014, and on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and Windows, on May 8, 2014. It contains an exclusive playlist for owners of the DLC. The pack introduces four new multiplayer maps: "Ruins", "Behemoth", "Collision", and "Unearthed". The map Unearthed is a re-make of the fan-favorite map Dome from Modern Warfare 3. It includes a new hybrid multiplayer weapon called the Ripper, which Season Pass owners received early. On the map "Ruins", Predator from the Predator film series appears as a playable character. Additionally, it includes the next installment in the Extinction episodic contents, titled "Mayday".

The third map pack, Invasion, was released on the Xbox 360 and Xbox One on June 3, 2014, and on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and Windows, on July 3, 2014. It contains an exclusive playlist for owners of the DLC. The pack introduces four new multiplayer maps: "Pharaoh", "Departed", "Mutiny", and "Favela", a re-make of the fan-favorite map of the same name from "Modern Warfare 2". It includes the third Extinction episodic content, titled "Awakening".

The final map pack, Nemesis, was released on the Xbox 360 and Xbox One on August 5, 2014, and on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and Windows, on September 4, 2014. It contains an exclusive playlist for owners of the DLC. The pack introduces four new multiplayer maps: "Goldrush", "Subzero", "Dynasty", and a reimagined version of the map "Shipment" from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, "Showtime". It includes the final Extinction episode, titled "Exodus".

Additional downloadable content includes Announcer Packs of Snoop Dogg and the Drill Instructor featuring R. Lee Ermey (who starred in Full Metal Jacket), Personalization Packs, Legend Packs and Special Characters.

Reception

Critical response
Call of Duty: Ghosts received both "mixed or average" and "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic. IGN praised the sequel for introducing "sweeping changes that breathe new life into the multiplayer experience" and called the campaign "lengthy, challenging, and varied". GameSpot went even further regarding the campaign, calling it "impressive" and "a terrific collection of shootouts and set pieces". Both also welcomed the new character customization feature and game types in multiplayer, particularly Extinction which was called "tremendous fun" and "an interesting strategic dynamic".

Conversely, PC Gamer dubbed the campaign as "exciting but only passively entertaining" and criticized the "whack-a-mole" feel in the game's multiplayer. VideoGamer.com praised overall gameplay, saying it "seems more refined and enjoyable than Black Ops 2" but criticized the campaign calling it a "po-faced, nonsensical rehash of greatest hits long past". Eurogamer was less critical of the campaign, commenting that "the Ghosts campaign can't help but feel like a step backwards", but that "it's still capable of being devilishly entertaining" and "moment-to-moment thrills are still there, if muted by expectation". Joystiq disparaged both types of gameplay, saying "It layers a fresh coat of paint over a tired design document; a document that brings players down a rote campaign path before landing them in a multiplayer mode that abandons many of the creative advancements seen in Black Ops 2".

Sales
Despite shipping $1 billion worth of units to retail channels within 24 hours of the game's launch, overall sales were down compared to 2012's Call of Duty: Black Ops II. Activision blamed the fall in demand on uncertainty caused by the upcoming transition to eighth generation consoles. As of February 2014, the game has sold over 19 million copies in physical retail.

References
Notes

Footnotes

External links

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Julie Wilson Nimmo (born 1972) is a Scots actress that trained at the RSAMD (1991–94) an is best kent for playin the role of Miss Hoolie in the BBC One, Two an CBeebies 2002-05 bairn's programme Balamory.

She is marriet tae actor Greg Hemphill that stars as Victor McDade on the popular Scottish TV comedy series Still Game.  They appeared thegither in earlier TV comedies Pulp Video (1995–96, her first major TV credit) an Chewin' the Fat (1999–2002) an aw, an hae twa sons.

Efter takkin a break frae actin, she returned tae the stage in Glesga as So-Shy in a production o Sandy Wilson's pantomime muisical Aladdin. She  briefly appeared in the Scottis comedy TV series Rab C. Nesbitt an played Elizabeth Macquarie in the docudrama The Father of Australia an aw. She plays 'Lovely Sue' in the Radio 4 comedy series, Fags, Mags and Bags. She played Katrine Trolle an ither witnesses in a radio dramatisation o the court case HM Advocate v Sheridan and Sheridan.

Freemit airtins

Interview with The Scotsman

1972 births
Livin fowk
Fowk frae Glesga
Scots radio actresses
Scots stage actresses
Scots televeesion actresses

Julie Wilson Nimmo


The Western is a genre of fiction. Western movies often include cowboys. The ancestors of  westerns came from Texas, because then people lived in the cattle industry began to thrive on the plains of Texas. The American West, usually in the period from the 1850s to the end of the 19th century. Westerns tell stories that are set mostly in the second half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. There are also stories about Western-type characters set in other times. These include Junior Bonner (set in the 1970s) and The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (set in the 21st century).

The genre has been popular since the beginning of the movie industry. One of the very first commercial movies was the 1903 silent western, The Great Train Robbery.

Examples
There are Western movies, television programs, books, and other things. Here are some examples:

  The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, a movie
The Searchers, a movie
Gunsmoke, a television series
Red Dead Redemption, a video game

Related pages
 Spaghetti Western

Western (genre)


The Scottish Oceanographical Laboratory was founded in Nicolson Street, Edinburgh in 1906, by William Speirs Bruce, who had travelled widely in the Antarctic and Arctic regions and had led the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition (SNAE) 1902–04. Bruce had originally studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh, but had transferred his studies to the natural sciences and, through his varied experiences, had established a reputation as a polar scientist. He had also collected a large number of botanical, biological, zoological and geological specimens, together with vast amounts of meteorological and magnetic data.  The laboratory, established in Edinburgh at premises in Nicolson Street, provided a place to examine, store or display these materials, an office from which Bruce could work on the SNAE scientific reports, and a base from which further expeditions could be planned.

It was Bruce's ambition that the laboratory should develop into a Scottish National Oceanographical Institute. A meeting to discuss this possibility was held in May 1914, and the proposal gained significant support from leading Scottish scientists. An organising committee was established, but the matter was shelved on the outbreak of war in August 1914 and was not revived. In 1919 lack of funding, combined with his failing health, forced Bruce to close the laboratory, donating the various specimens, books and other materials to the University of Edinburgh, the Royal Scottish Geographical Society and the Royal Scottish Museum. His illness ended with his death in 1921.

References

Sources

 Speak, Peter: William Speirs Bruce, Polar Explorer and Scottish Nationalist National Museums of Scotland, Edinburgh 2003

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Scottish Oceanographical Laboratory


Charles Spencer (born 4 March 1955) is a British journalist. He was the chief drama critic of The Daily Telegraph from 1991 to 2014, having joined the paper in 1988. On 1 September 2014, it was announced that he had decided to take early retirement, and his final review for the paper appeared on the same day.

He was educated at Charterhouse and Balliol College, Oxford. He began his career in journalism at the Surrey Advertiser, and subsequently wrote for the London Evening Standard, The Stage and Television Today, before joining the Telegraph. He won "Critic of the Year" in the 1999 British Press Awards. He has written three crime novels: I Nearly Died (1994), Full Personal Service (1996) and Under the Influence (2000).

In 2006, Compton Miller of The Independent wrote in a profile: "This convivial ex-alcoholic is best remembered for his description of Nicole Kidman's nude scene in The Blue Room as 'pure theatrical Viagra'."

In a review published in The Daily Telegraph on 6 September 2012, he revealed that the reason for his absence from the paper's pages for the previous three months was that he had been suffering from clinical depression.

Charles Spencer is descended from several generations of noted early aeronauts. His great-grandfather, Percival G. Spencer, made the first successful balloon flight in India, and Charles' third great-grandfather Edward Spencer helped to conduct an unsuccessful parachute jump from a balloon over Vauxhall Gardens in London in July 1837.

References

1955 births
Living people
British male journalists
British theatre critics
People educated at Charterhouse School
Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford
Presidents of the Critics' Circle

Charles Spencer (journalist)


Warhawk was a multiplayer third-person shooter video game developed by Incognito Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. It was a remake of an aerial warfare game of the same name, which was an early title on the original PlayStation. Santa Monica Studio assisted on development. It was the first PlayStation 3 game to be available both for download on the PlayStation Network and for retail on Blu-ray Disc. For the United States, Blu-ray Disc and PlayStation Network versions were released on August 28, 2007. The PlayStation Network version was released in Europe, Australia and Japan on August 30, August 31 and October 4 respectively. The Blu-ray Disc version was released in Australia and Europe on September 20 and September 21, respectively, but was not released in Japan.

Warhawk was initially intended to have both single-player and multiplayer modes, however the single-player element was canceled during development due to concerns that it was inferior to the game's multiplayer component. The game was released with five maps (each with five possible configurations) and four game types, Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Zones and Capture the Flag. After the 1.4 update, the number of game types increased to six with the addition of the Hero and Collection modes. Three optional expansion packs for the game containing new maps and equipment increase the number of available maps to eight.

Warhawk was met with a generally positive reception by reviewers. However, for a few months after its initial launch it was plagued by connection and server issues, including ranking issues with players, which were subsequently corrected in updates. The player is able to rank-up though 20 ranks ranging from Recruit to General, unlocking new personnel and aircraft customization options at each rank. A spiritual successor, Starhawk, was released in May 2012.

Sony shut down Warhawk's online servers on January 31, 2019, at 8 am GMT, providing notice by email to PlayStation Network members. Since the shutdown, numerous players in the game's community have utilised third party tools and services such as XLink Kai and PlayStation Online Network Emulated to continue playing.

Gameplay

Warhawk is a third-person shooter set in a science fictional, perpetual war between the Eucadian Republic and Chernovan Empire (blue and red team, respectively).

There are two ground vehicles, a jeep and a tank, and an armored personnel carrier is added by the Operation: Broken Mirror expansion. There are two air vehicles, the Warhawk and Nemesis (which are only cosmetically different), both of which can use nine weapons, an example is the AS-3 Tow Missile system. That weapon is the only weapon in the game where the player guides the weapon, the players screen is devoted to guiding the missile and leaving the player open to getting hit. But the upside is that it does massive damage and is the largest explosion in the game. The Omega Dawn expansion adds a dropship, and the Fallen Star expansion adds a jetpack. There are three turrets available to the player (anti-air missile turret, anti-air flak turret, and the .50 caliber anti-infantry machine gun). The game uses the PlayStation 3 Sixaxis and DualShock 3 controllers. The game can be set to make use of these controllers' motion sensing function to allow the players to control aircraft and ground vehicles by tilting the controller in different directions rather than the more conventional methods of using the D-pad or analog sticks. However, a traditional control scheme is the default option. Warhawk offers online and offline multiplayer play. Offline allows for 1-4 players splitscreen (without bots).  Online features up to 32-player battles, with the ability to have up to 4 players use one PlayStation 3 in split screen mode (on non-ranked servers that permit it). Players 2-4 can enter or exit the game while a match is in progress.

The game uses medals and rewards, which are awarded for certain tasks. As of v1.50, the game supports trophies, which will be used in the online service PlayStation Home. Players are also able to customize their characters with armor squad markings, Warhawk paint schemes, and other accessories. More customization options are unlocked as the player increases in rank. Warhawk also allows the creation of clans, which may participate in online events and competitions. The game also makes use of arbiters, paid anonymous players who are tasked to find cheaters within the game. They are able to punish offending players in several ways, such as an email warning, a forum post, a kick, or a temporary/permanent ban. Arbiters can also request that the player's stats be erased.

PlayStation Home
Warhawk is one of many games that supports game launching in PlayStation Home. This feature allows players to host a game in Home and then launch it once other players have joined. The player may even invite friends to the game launch. Once the game has been launched from Home the players may return to Home at any time via the "Return to PlayStation Home" option that appears instead of the "Quit Game" option. On February 26, 2009, Incognito Entertainment and Santa Monica Studio launched the Warhawk space for PlayStation Home. Beyond its unique aesthetics, the space is functionally similar to those for Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and Far Cry 2, with one notable exception: the "Warhawk Sand Table". It's a place to plan in-game strategies using "VR" set-pieces—vehicles, maneuver icons, etc. - which can be moved around on 2D versions of any of the game's maps (and their variants).

The first person to access the table is in control. Here's where one of the problems arises: anyone can walk up and watch as a user plans their "secret" strategy. Furthermore, there's no way to share or use the finished battle plan within the game. It's all up to each player's memory (or notepad).

There is also a "Learning Terminal" (eight in all) that tells the users about General Hints, Weapons, and Flying.

Outso developed the Warhawk game space for Incognito Entertainment and Santa Monica Studio as well as the "Warhawk Sand Table" in the space.

On February 11, 2010, a Warhawk personal space was released in Home. It includes the Sand Table featured in the Game Space as well as a multiplayer turret mini-game.

As of July 2010, the Warhawk game space has been removed from PlayStation Home, due to lack of players actually using the space.

Game modes
Warhawk supports six separate game modes compatible with all variations of all of the maps.

Deathmatch. Every man for himself. The game ends when a player reaches the score limit, or when time expires.
Team Deathmatch. Same rules as a deathmatch except the player is automatically assigned to either the Chernovan (red) or Eucadian (blue) teams. Game ends when the combined score limit is met or when time expires.
Dogfight. A variation on Deathmatch/Team Deathmatch where you play only in the Warhawk/Nemesis planes.
Hero. A version of the team deathmatch where a hero is randomly selected on both sides for one minute, or until the hero dies. The hero gets a health boost, damage boost, and every weapon in the game (which the hero can keep if he survives the one minute). The key difference between Hero and TDM is that in TDM all enemy kills are counted to the team total whereas in Hero, only when killing the Hero or when the Hero kills an enemy are they counted towards the total.
Capture the Flag. This mode of game play is by far the most popular among Warhawk players. In this mode each team has a flag at their base which they must defend while attempting to capture the second flag in their opponent's base. You can only capture the flag if your flag remains at the base.
Collection. This mode features four "cores" scattered along the map. The object is to collect as many cores as possible. Once a core has been collected, a new one will respawn in the same spot as where the player got it. If a player dies, all cores are lost, and an enemy, or nearby teammate can collect them.
Zones. The object of this mode is to capture various control points on the map. Each control point has three levels for each team, and a neutral level. A player can do this in other game modes (except deathmatch) to earn points for yourself, but in Zones, their team gains points for the number of zones the player has, and how many levels each one has. The player will only be able to capture levels if the area around it is clear, or captured by their team. The game ends when the time runs out, score limit is reached, or if the player is able to capture all control points.

Development
Warhawk was first announced to the public in May 2005, with a working build shown at E3 in 2006. This version was the first PlayStation 3 title to be shown with the newly announced Sixaxis motion sensing technology. In February 2007, it was announced that the single player element of the game was to be pulled. This was due to concerns Incognito had over the quality of the single-player campaign, particularly when compared to the multi-player modes. Dylan Jobe, the game's director, stated, "If we were to continue down our single-player/multiplayer approach, it would have resulted in not as good single player or not as good multiplayer". The extra development of the multiplayer mode was used to improve existing elements such as in-game communication, and to implement new features such as On Demand Split Screen, whereby players can easily enter split screen mid-game. Split screen can only be used in battles that allow it. Only unranked servers have the ability to have it and even then, it is an option whether or not the host wants it on or off. It was also revealed at the same time that Warhawk would be made available for download over the PlayStation Network.

In August 2007, Sony Computer Entertainment America released news that PlayStation 3 consoles would be used as the dedicated servers for Warhawk. A photograph was released which showed a server room with several PlayStation 3 consoles in racks. Each server is able to support 32 players. The games developers have commented that the engine used in the game features technology which could not be easily implemented on any other platform, such as procedurally generated water and waves, as well as volumetric clouds.

Following the games release, many issues with networking and player statistics were reported, such as delays in receiving points and awards, failure to receive the points or awards, and "connection failed" and "connection lost" errors. To address these issues, Incognito released several server-side patches before releasing the game's first update, Version 1.1. This update addressed the majority of issues users experienced with the game, with others being addressed in the Version 1.2 update. A demo was released on the PlayStation Store on October 9, 2008.

Release
There was initial confusion as to how this game would be distributed to consumers, after the announcement that it would be a multiplayer-only title. Sony announced on May 16, 2007, that there would be two iterations of the game. The game alone is downloadable from the PlayStation Store for US$29.99 (£19.99, €29.99), with an initial download size of 798MB. This version is restricted to the PlayStation Network account that buys it. The second is a retail Blu-ray Disc version that sells for $59.99 (the standard retail price of most PlayStation 3 games upon release), bundled with a Jabra BT125 Bluetooth headset in America and the Jabra BT135 in Europe, allowing players to chat with other players online while playing the game. An additional third was later released on October 10, 2007 without the inclusion of a USB headset, which was priced at US$39.99. Both retail versions feature extra content such as behind-the-scenes developer interviews, concept art and trailers. Warhawk was re-released as a Greatest Hits title on July 28, 2008 for $29.99.

Updates and expansions

Additional downloadable content (DLC) has been released, with more announced, since the game's launch. Expansions include new maps, weapon upgrades and character customization options. The DualShock 3 controller became compatible with the game upon the release of the version 1.20 patch. Incognito has stated that any future development on the incomplete single player campaign would only be released as a separate product, and not as an expansion to the current game. Warhawk updates are free, but expansion packs are sold online for a price. Updates are mandatory installations that must be completed in order to play the game. Expansion packs are optional, and the ability to purchase expansion packs is available within the menu of the game itself, as well as through the PlayStation Store.

The 1.1 and 1.2 updates were released on October 19, 2007 and December 19, 2007 respectively, fixing numerous exploits and stability issues. Update 1.3 was released on April 2, 2008 and included two new weapons, eighteen new player-made customizations for planes and forty-four new player-made custom insignias for both troops and planes, integration of PlayStation Home, and new in-game chat features, such as cross-team chat. Also in update 1.3, the "stat padding" issue, a bug that allowed game players to cheat by increasing their points cumulatively by dropping the opponents' flag off the level and having it respawn back into the players' hands to repeat, was resolved by completely removing the ability to drop the flag. Update 1.4, released on July 16, 2008, features two new game modes called "Hero" and "Collection," and introduced the Quick Join feature, which searches for a server that connects the user to matches that work with the user's current level. The next update, Version 1.5, was released on August 27, 2008 and includes trophy support, the winning entries from the European version of the paint and insignia contest, and allows the user to play music via the XrossMediaBar in-game.

Three expansion packs have been released. The first, "Operation: Omega Dawn," released on December 20, 2007, includes a new night-themed map, Omega Factory, and a new aircraft, the KT-424 Combat Dropship. The second expansion pack was released on April 17, 2008 entitled "Operation: Broken Mirror", which includes a new armoured personnel carrier equipped with an energy shield and the ability to boost, similar to a Warhawk, as well as serving as a mobile spawn point. A new map called Vaporfield Glacier was also included in the new expansion. It is the largest map to date, and includes 10 different layouts. In the PlayStation Store, there is also an option to purchase the first two Booster-packs for a reduced price, and there will be another combo pack with all three included. The latest booster pack, "Operation Fallen Star," was released on August 28, 2008 and added the Icarus MK1 Jetpack which allows troops to fire while airborne as well as a new map called Tau Crater. All three of the booster packs cannot be combined, nor can one affiliate with another, and people who do not own an expansion featured in a server they are attempting to join will not be able to join the server.

On August 27, 2008 the 1.5 patch was released and included the addition of trophy support. A total of 57 trophies are available in the game, 10 of which are retroactive and can be obtained based on previously recorded statistics without the user having to complete tasks a second time. A further 34 are based upon gameplay and so are not retroactive. The trophies can be attained Split-screen or Unranked as well. Each of the available expansions also feature an additional 4 trophies.

On May 13, 2011, game developer Dylan Jobe unveiled the successor to the game entitled Starhawk on GTTV. Starhawk was released on May 8, 2012.

Music
The music is composed by both Christopher Lennertz and Timothy Michael Wynn. Their scores for this video game were recognized as one of the best video game scores of 2007 by IGN.

Reception

Warhawk generally received positive reviews, with its aggregate review scores being classed as generally favorable by Metacritic and GameRankings. PSM provided the lowest review score officially qualified by the GameRankings website. The magazine described it as "a third-person shooter that never quite gets off the ground." Other reviews were more positive in their outlook. PSM3 described the game as "a masterpiece of balance, of design, and the jewel in Sony's online crown." UK magazine Edge described it as an "instantly gratifying experience", also saying that the lack of a single-player campaign was made up for by "its brilliantly implemented notion of flight and considered balance". Nick Costanza and Vin Acosta were largely critical of the game, saying "it can't be taken seriously".

1UP.com gave Warhawk a positive review, but said, "It's just not quite $40 worth," referring to the price of the downloadable version on the U.S. PlayStation Store. It was given the IGN Editors' Choice Award, calling it "a AAA experience that is an adrenaline rush for online fans." Game Informer described Warhawk as "better than they'd hoped for". GamePro stated that although Warhawk offers an intense online combat experience, being dropped immediately into the action leaves you "somewhat bewildered" and doesn't give you that "feeling of connection" to the game. GameTrailers described Warhawk as "simply fun, easy to compete, but challenging to shine." Adam Sessler from X-Play complimented the game's multiplayer only style saying "...I wouldn't have it any other way." Gaming Target selected Warhawk as one of their "52 Games We'll Still Be Playing From 2007" and awarded it "PlayStation 3-Exclusive Game of the Year".

Notes

References

External links

2007 video games
PlayStation 3 games
PlayStation Network games
PlayStation 3-only games
Science fiction video games
Sony Interactive Entertainment games
Third-person shooters
Video game remakes
Warhawk (franchise)
Multiplayer video games
Video games developed in the United States
Video games scored by Christopher Lennertz
Products and services discontinued in 2019
Inactive multiplayer online games
Incognito Entertainment games

Warhawk (2007 video game)


Lutheran Peace Fellowship (LPF) is an organization of Lutherans who work for peace and social justice issues.  It includes members and supporters in all the Lutheran denominations and more than a few people from other faith traditions. LPF is a nonprofit organization supported largely by its members as well as a variety of grants and honoraria from workshops, events, and trainings. Although not an official part of the ELCA, it has received funding from various units within that denomination.

History and priorities
Founded in 1941, LPF offers a wide range of resources, workshops, support, and encouragement. LPF's main priority is to support effective peace education and advocacy by its members and local chapters, networks, and congregations. Membership is open to any individual, chapter, or congregation.

LPF periodically plays a significant role in the most pressing issues of our time. In recent years, these have included world hunger, landmines, and Senate ratification of the Chemical Weapons Treaty. In 1999, LPF's national coordinator served as the U.S. delegate to meetings in India to help plan the UN Decade for Peace, the largest peace education program in UN history. LPF's top advocacy priorities have included challenging militarism, ending hunger and extreme poverty, federal budget priorities, opposing war and militarism, climate change, the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, youth and military service, nuclear weapons, and gender, race and economic justice.

Lutheran Peace Fellowship's leaders facilitate as many as 80 workshops and leadership trainings a year. Popular topics for LPF workshops include Current Advocacy Priorities, Biblical Peacemaking, Nonviolence for a Violent World, Leadership Training in Peacemaking, and How to Be a Bridge in a World Full of Walls.

LPF has written many highly regarded peace education and workshop resources. For example, it is currently updating one of its computer-based education activities, two of which were included in one of the largest critical thinking programs in U.S. public education. Its eleven "PeacePoints" leaders' guides have been used to present over 1600 education forums and workshop sessions.

The international LPF headquarters are located in Seattle, Washington, and there are local chapters and networks in many parts of the U.S.

See also
 List of anti-war organizations

References

 Official website
 "Lutheran Peace Fellowship: Acting on Scripture's Challenge,"  Aug. 2018 issue, Living Lutheran magazine (the official magazine of the ELCA, the largest Lutheran denomination, and the largest, most widely-distributed Lutheran publication)
1941 establishments in the United States
Organizations established in 1941
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Lutheran pacifists
Christian pacifism
Lutheran organizations
Christian nonviolence

Lutheran Peace Fellowship


An acoustic-electric guitar is an acoustic guitar fitted with a microphone or a magnetic or piezoelectric pickup. They are used in a variety of music genres where the sound of an acoustic guitar is desired but more volume is required, especially during live performances. The design is distinct from a semi-acoustic guitar, which is an electric guitar with the addition of sound chambers within the guitar body.

Usually, acoustic-electric guitars are fitted with piezoelectric pickups, requiring a preamplifier incorporated into the guitar body to amplify the signal before it travels to the main guitar amplifier. These preamps may also come with an integrated tuner and tone controls of varying types; equalizers with up to six frequency bands may be used.

History
In the 1920s, guitarists like Eddie Lang transitioned the acoustic guitar from a primarily solo instrument to use in big bands. However, in a big band, the guitar was outplayed by the horn section and drums, and the need for amplification became apparent quickly. Various experiments at electrically amplifying the vibrations of a string instrument date back to the early part of the twentieth century; patents from the 1910s show telephone transmitters adapted and placed inside violins and banjos to amplify the sound. Hobbyists in the 1920s used carbon button microphones attached to the bridge, but these detected vibrations from the bridge on top of the instrument, so the resulting signal was weak.

The first person to create the modern electric pickup for the acoustic guitar was Lloyd Loar, with his company Vivi-tone. In the early 1930s, Loar split from Gibson and founded Vivitone, where he created an early electric pickup for the acoustic guitar. Electronics were mounted in a removable drawer that slid out of the bass rim of the guitar. The signal was then transferred from a wooden bridge to a metal plate which allowed for an electric output and thus amplification. The first commercially available electric pickup however were Harry DeArmond's FHC pickups, released in the 1930s. They were widely adopted because they did not require any modification of the guitar.

In 1954, Gibson released the first commercially successful flattop acoustic-electric guitars, the J–160E and CF-100E.

During their MTV Unplugged performance, Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain notably used an acoustic-electric guitar in order to calm his nerves on being on a show known for its use of acoustic instruments, allowing for him to run his guitar through his pedal board and amp for a more familiar sound.

See also
 Electric guitar
 Semi-acoustic guitar
 String instrument

References

Acoustic guitars

Acoustic-electric guitar


is a PlayStation 2 game released by Sammy Studios in 2004. Its story and concept are based upon Akira Kurosawa's 1954 movie Seven Samurai. Rights for the production of the game were given by the Kurosawa production, with character designs by French artist Mœbius and the composition of the music by Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Seven Samurai 20XX is a re-telling of Seven Samurai in a futuristic setting. It takes various liberties with the original story to better suit the post setting and introduces anime and modern styled designs. The game follows seven samurai as they fight off an immense army of mutants, cyborgs and other inhuman creatures in an attempt to bring about a regime of peace for those in need. The player takes the role of Natoe, a samurai, and is sent through various locations of post-Japan to fight off hundreds of enemies with a twin-sworded fighting style known as Nitou-Ryu.

The year is 20XX and the setting is Japan. Humans and Humanoids, the latter being various mutants, cyborgs, and robots, maintain a delicate balance in a large, unnamed city (somewhat resembling a post-apocalyptic Tokyo) where the power and balance of the city is maintained by a large structure known as the Steeple of light. Its source of power is a young girl named the Child of Heaven. When the child is stolen by the humanoids in order to break the balance and initiate war, the child then goes missing from her inhuman captors and is held by several villagers to ransom the city for money. When the humanoids and various Agents of the city set out to retrieve her and her Sacred Jewel, the villagers quickly find themselves in danger and look for Samurai (known in the game as "hunters") to protect them.

Gameplay
Seven Samurai 20XX is a hack and slash video game, as the protagonist of the game is faced with the task of destroying overwhelming hordes of enemies with his swords. Like many others of its genre, it utilizes a combo system, showing the player how many uninterrupted hits they have inflicted upon their opponents.

The main point of the game is to constantly utilize the second sword which is carried in the protagonist's sheath, allowing the player to achieve a larger combo score. Skill-related battle commands such as the Nitou-Ryu mode allow the player to wield a second katana for a limited time, or increase the speed, range and power of the player's combos.

Battle maneuvers

Nitou-Ryu mode is a duration of time engaged when the player presses the L1 and R1 triggers on the PlayStation 2 controller. It permits the protagonist to use a second blade for a limited amount of time to increase attack power and range of the weapons. As the player progresses in the game, the length of the bar can be increased.

A Just Guard allows the player to deflect an enemy's attack with skillfully timed uses of the triangle button. It allows the player to avoid damage and generates a counter-attack opportunity. This move also fully refills the Nitou-Ryu timer to 100% of its capacity.

A Just Step is executed with proper timing of the X button and allows the player to avoid an enemy's attack and "step" (in-game, it looks more akin to a teleport) behind the enemy for a counter-attack. This move partially refills the Nitou-Ryu timer. A Just Attack allows Natoe to travel in the direction of one or more enemies at great speed, breaking their defense. This move also partially refills the Nitou-Ryu meter. The game also incorporates various Street Fighter-like combos and "Charge attacks" which occur when holding the square button at various combos and when dashing with the X button.

Plot
While the story is based on the film Seven Samurai, its story and plot have more in common with its animated counterpart, Samurai 7. The storyline is divided into chapters:

The game begins as a young samurai known as Natoe is passing through the town during the humanoid invasion of the city. As he passes through the ruined city, he encounters several humanoid foot soldiers, defeating them. He then encounters the Humanoid known as Zex. After seriously wounding him, he meets the fleeing villagers who inquire if he can help protect their village from future humanoid attacks. Natoe declines, and leaves the villagers, fighting more humanoids along the way.

After encountering his childhood friend Jodie, Natoe works his way through the city, finishing off the remaining humanoids from the prior invasion. He eventually meets up with Kanbei, who convinces him to help out the villagers or they will be overrun by the next invasion of Humanoids. Natoe reluctantly agrees.

However, Kanbei realizes that they need more samurai to defend the village. They venture out into various areas to recruit 5 more skilled warriors. Natoe eventually finds the thief Totsuma in the city's Scrapyard area. Natoe defeats Necryl, earning Totsuma's trust and place on the team. Kanbei now tells the team of his former war ally Rojie, and the team set out to the main part of the city to locate him.

Natoe and the others arrive in the heart of the bustling city to find the whereabouts of Rojie. Discovering his occupation as a bodyguard for a female mob leader named Salla, Natoe goes off to find him, defeating leagues of street thugs and the drug dealer Kyric in the process. He meets the friendly warrior Eight before leaving the district.

Rojie now on the team, Natoe recalls the man Eight and suggests to the others that he be enlisted to join the team. Noticing Eight descend into the City's underground sewers, Natoe follows. Much to his surprise, he encounters the humanoid White Fox and battles him on several occasions. At the end of the sewers, he meets the mysterious "Man in White" and discovers Jodie and Eight are both agents of the city. Saving Eight from the Man in White, Natoe convinces him to join the team.

Leaving the city, the encourage of Natoe, Eight and Rojie make their way to the village to rendezvous with the rest of the team. Along the way Natoe encounters a team of agents from the city, as well as the enigmatic Zwei.

Reaching the village, Kanbei and the samurai become suspicious of the villagers withdrawn behavior. Natoe decides to investigate, finding out in the process Hinata's true origins and the villagers deceitful motives. Afterwards, the team come to the conclusion that Humanoids attack on the village will be occurring soon. Natoe leaves the village in an attempt to find one last samurai to help in the ensuing battle.

Natoe arrives in the wilderness to find an angry Zex and the humanoid Fen waiting for him. Zex's massive strength causes the ground to collapse, and Natoe finds himself in an underground city called the "Town of Warriors". Here he encounters Ein, a humanoid able to defeat his opponents using magic. He saves the female humanoid Cue in the process, offering to help her find her lost memories in return for her assistance. Afterwards he finds Jodie who apologies for having deceived Natoe, she then tells him to find "the traitor" and runs off. Sortly after he is reunited with Eight who, being the traitor of the city, has had his eyes cut out. Eight returns to the village with Natoe, confident he can still fight to protect the child.

Deciding to take the offensive, the team of Natoe, Cue and Totsuma leave the village to infiltrate the humanoid Drei's Fort, where he has been constructing new humanoid experiments using captured test subjects. Natoe also discovers the immense newly upgraded "Zex Beast" creature and destroys it. However, Totsuma is caught in a trap and killed when the fortress collapses.

Returning to the village, the samurai proceed to go on the defensive and protect the city from the massive Humanoid attack. During this attack, Eight sacrifices himself by blowing up one of the entrances to the village. After the ensuing battle of thousands, Natoe works his way to a fight with Zwei, defeating her and her three warriors before she retreats.

The village safe for the time being, however, the "Man In White" informs them that the city no longer need the sacred child and that Jodie has been kidnapped by the humanoids. Natoe and Cue team up to face the last of Humanoids at a facility called the "Library of Avalon". As they walk through the Library, they encounter several horrific creatures called "Guardians", along with Cue beginning to regain her lost memories. She is eventually kidnapped by Ein however, and Natoe fights through several Humanoids, including the "Ultimate Zex" incarnation and the immortal Fen. After defeating them, Natoe finally confronts the powerful and mysterious being known as Ein, who battles Natoe in his original humanoid form, then absorbs Cue to become the powerful god-like being called Almana. Finding its only weak spot to be its angelic like wings, Natoe destroys them, then is able to attack its vulnerable body.

Now having rescued Jodie, Natoe returns to village, but is confronted by the humanoid Zwei, in her last attempt to gain the power of the sacred jewel and the child. Natoe tries to fight Zwei but on a bridge and Jodie is knocked over the edge. Natoe grabs her in an attempt to pull her up but he is stabbed in back by Zwei. He succeeds in stabbing and killing Zwei, but the bridge collapses and he and Jodie fall to their death, leaving only two samurai left. After the aftermath, Kanbei quotes the original movie pertaining to their situation: "So again we are defeated. The farmers have won. Not us."

Steeple of Light

The Steeple of Light is a tower located in the middle of the city in the game's setting. It houses various clones of the Sacred child along with the current girl herself who prays with the sacred jewel, and provides power to the surrounding city and areas. When the child and jewel are kidnapped, the tower loses its power source and sends the balance of species in to a war over her power.

Reception

Seven Samurai 20XX received "mixed" reviews according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.

The game was criticized for its poor pacing, lack of voice acting, and linear gameplay with a lack of sufficient depth. GameSpot complained that the combat system was too direct, only requiring the player to use the square button to defeat enemies and that the combo system was unnecessary for progression. Other websites such as GamePro complained about the game being average merely due to the lineage it had to live up to due to its predecessor, Seven Samurai, and did not live up to expectations for such a legendary film.

References

External links

2004 video games
Action-adventure games
Adaptations of works by Akira Kurosawa
Dimps games
Hack and slash games
PlayStation 2 games
PlayStation 2-only games
Sammy games
Science fiction video games
Seven Samurai
Video games about samurai
Video games based on films
Video games developed in Japan
Single-player video games
Polygon Magic games
Video games set in the 21st century
Video games set in Japan
Video games scored by Ryuichi Sakamoto

Seven Samurai 20XX


Aktobe Region (kaz. the Aqtobe Oblysy) is one of the provinces (or regions) in the Western part of Kazakhstan. It's the second biggest oblys in Kazakhstan, by being 300 629 km² (which is 11% of the whole country's area). The population consists of 895.1 thousands (1 Jan of 2020).

Aktobe Region


The spectacled flying fox (Pteropus conspicillatus), also known as the spectacled fruit bat, is a megabat that lives in Australia's north-eastern regions of Queensland. It is also found in New Guinea and on the offshore islands including Woodlark Island, Alcester Island, Kiriwina, and Halmahera.

The spectacled flying fox was listed as a threatened species under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. They were considered vulnerable due to a significant decline in numbers as a result of loss of their prime feeding habitat and secluded camp sites. It has also been reported that spectacled flying foxes skim over the surface of water to drink and are sometimes eaten by crocodiles.  The species was classified as endangered by the IUCN in 2020.

In February 2019 the Australian government upgraded the threatened status from vulnerable to endangered, after almost a third of the bat population died in a severe heatwave in Queensland in late 2018.

Description

The head and body length is 22–25 cm, forearm 16–18 cm, weight 400–1000 g. A large spectacled flying fox has pale yellow or straw-colored fur around its eyes. The mantle is pale yellow and goes across the back, neck, and shoulders. Some have pale yellow fur on the face and top of the head.

Habitat
Spectacled flying foxes are forest dwellers and rainforests are their preferred habitat. They prefer to roost in the middle and upper canopy strata in the full sun. Colonies of the spectacled flying fox can be found in rain forests, mangroves, and paperbark and eucalypt forests. There is evidence of increasing urbanisation.

Diet
The spectacled flying fox's natural diet is rainforest fruits, riparian zone flowers, and flowers from Myrtaceae (primarily Eucalyptus and Syzygium species) and fruits from the Moraceae (figs) and Myrtaceae (primarily Syzygium).

Life cycle
Spectacled flying foxes have one pup annually. Females are capable of breeding at one year of age. Males probably do not breed until three to four years of age. They are polygamous (similar to the grey-headed flying fox, Pteropus poliocephalus). Female to male ratio may be as high as 2:1. Conception occurs April to May. Sexual activity is continuous from about January to June. Females give birth to one young per year in October to December. Juveniles are nursed for over five months, and on weaning, congregate in nursery trees in the colony. The juveniles fly out for increasing distances with the colony at night and are 'parked' in nursery trees, often kilometres distant from the colony, and are brought back to the colony in the morning.

Life expectancy
Spectacled flying foxes typically live to be around 12 to 15 years old, but in captivity can exceed 30 years of age. Natural causes of mortality include predation mainly by rufous owls and pythons, death by paralysis tick when bats climb low to the ground to feed, and the death of babies that are born too early when either something goes wrong in the fetus' development, or the mother suffers from prolonged stress. Flying foxes are also frequently killed in human-related incidents such as landing on power lines, and getting entangled in nets or barbed wire. Most wild flying foxes are assumed to live much shorter lives.

Conservancy
In 2012, the Queensland Government reintroduced the issuing of permits which allows farmers and fruit-growers (with permits)to kill limited numbers of flying foxes in order to protect crops. The shooting of bats had been banned by the previous Qld Labor government after advice from the Qld Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (AWAC) that the practice was inhumane.

In February 2019, the Australian Department of the Environment and Energy announced that the national status of the spectacled flying fox was going to be revised from vulnerable to endangered. This was in response to heat waves in the 2018-19 summer that resulted in mass die-offs of the species, resulting in the deaths of over 20,000 individuals. It is estimated that a third of its total population was lost during the extreme heat waves. Humane Society International had nominated the species for an endangered listing some years earlier.

Gallery

References

Further reading
 Birt, P., Markus, N., Collins, L. & Hall, L. (1998) Nature Australia, Spring, pp. 55–59.
 Churchill, Sue. (1998) Australian Bats. Sydney: Reed New Holland, pp. 84–85.
 Hall, L. (1983) "Spectacled Flying Fox." In Ronald Strahan (ed.). The Mammals of Australia, Reed Books, Chatswood, p. 282.

External links

 Tolga Bat Hospital, Australia
 Don't Shoot Bats ~ Flying fox protection campaign
 Nighttime audio recording of a colony of Spectacled Fruit Bats at Freesound
 Australian Government Threatened Species database

Pteropus
Bats of Australia
Bats of Oceania
Mammals of Papua New Guinea
Mammals of Western New Guinea
Mammals of Queensland
Fauna of Halmahera
Trobriand Islands
Woodlark Islands
Mammals described in 1850
Vulnerable fauna of Australia
Vulnerable fauna of Oceania
Bats of New Guinea

Spectacled flying fox


A cast member is:
 An actor who performs in a theatrical production, movie, or television program. These actors as a group are called the cast.
 Anyone who works at any of the Disney theme parks. These include the Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California  and the Walt Disney World Resort. The use of this term comes from Walt Disney's use of theatrical terms when referring to park operations.
Anyone who works at Chuck E. Cheese's, inspired by the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts term.

Television
Most television series have a "regular cast" or "main cast". These are the actors who are regularly on the show each week. They are commonly called just "regulars" or "main characters". Programs will often need other actors to play smaller roles in the series. These are called "guest stars". A guest star may only be used for a single episode or they may be used for more than one. This often happens if the character's story goes on for more than one episode. Often, a character will be used for many episodes, but over a long period of time not for episodes shown one after the other. These are called "recurring characters" and are characters that are not "regulars", they are not part of the main cast, but are used many times during the series.

Etymology
The word cast comes from the Old English word ' casten ' or ' kasta '(c.1230). The Old English means to throw in, to consider, plot, imagine, and design. This led to its meaning when referring to a "group of actors in a play" (c.1631).

References

Performing arts

Cast member


Shotei Ha'nevua (שוטי הנבואה), or The Fools of Prophecy, was an Israeli musical group selected as Israel's "Band of the Year" in 2005. The band described its music as a fusion of dub with hip-hop and dance music, with an eastern Mediterranean flavor. The band toured the United States in 2005, performing at major colleges and universities.

History

The band's founders Roi Levi and Gilad Vital – childhood friends from Metulla, started their musical activity under the name "Shotey Hanevua" (The Fools of Prophecy) in 1994. During 1995 they recorded two singles and performed in small clubs in Tel-Aviv. In 1996 they recorded five demos produced of original songs by Amit Carmely. These recordings were sent to different Israeli record companies but went unnoticed.

In 1998, Amit Carmely officially joined the band as bass guitarist changing his status from an external musical producer to a full band member.
Soon afterwards the band was completed with the addition of Assaf Givati (on guitar), Avraham Tal (on vocals) and Amit's younger brother Idan (on drums). With the full line-up, the "Fools" began working on their debut album, in DB studios in Tel Aviv, whilst performing extensively throughout Israel, establishing a solid fan-base.

In 1999, with the album almost complete, they signed a recording contract with Helicon Records- one of Israel's leading record companies. The album was completed few months later. During the summer of '99 the band appeared at  two of Israel's big music festivals, "Shantipi" and "Bereshit".
The album, which included the hit songs "Ain Ani", "Fanan", Ma Kara Lach" and "Kol Hayeladim Koftzim Rockdim"  was released in 2000. The songs on the album dealt with faith, peace and love – as well as the occasional political message such as these lines from the song "Prilli": "Nobody here is going to leave, so start loving" or: "Palestinian Arab, Argentinian Jew it doesn't  matter they are all human beings".
The album was very successful, reaching Israeli "Platinum" and sold more than 40,000 copies.

In April 2004 the band released its second album "Mehapsim et Dorot" (Looking for Generations ) which "went gold" selling more than 20,000 copies. The album Hit song was "Yedia" (Knowledge) written and composed by Roi Levi. Other well known songs from the "Dorot" album were "Kol Galgal" (Voice of a Wheel) based on words from the holy book of "Zohar" –and "Mi" (Who), both composed by Avraham Tal.
In 2005 the band collaborated with Izabo, another Israeli band which resulted in the song "הוא" (Hu)(Him), which won the A.M.I award for "Israel's best song of the Year".

Shotei Hanevua broke up on August 12, 2007. Singer Avraham Tal started a solo career. Meanwhile, the majority of the band continued to play together under the new name "Pshutei Ha'am" or as literally translated from Hebrew "The Simple People".

Discography

Studio albums
 2000 Shotei Hanevua (Helicon)
 2004 Mechapsim Et Dorot (Helicon)

Collaborations
 2006 Hu (with Izabo), 2nd-place winner of the 2006 Music 24 Song of the Year award.

Notes

Israeli pop music groups

Shotei Hanevuah


(DI) (English: The German Inscriptions of Medieval and Early Modern Times) is one of the oldest collections of historical inscriptions. The series tries to collect, to describe and to explain a huge number of inscriptions. The inscriptions used date from medieval and early modern times. The Inscriptions are in today's Federal Republic of Germany, Republic of Austria and South Tyrol. The project was instituted by the German linguist Friedrich Panzer (from Heidelberg) in 1934. The historians Karl Brandi (from Göttingen) and Hans Hirsch (from Vienna) helped him with his effort. The scientists planed the task as an interacademic venture to publish writings concerning epigraphy. By now 81 volumes have been published. An individual volume contains usually the inscriptions of a single city, of a German district or an Austrian district. Several of the Academies of Sciences work together to publish the volumes and to push the project further. The German Academies involved are in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Heidelberg, Leipzig, Mainz, Göttingen und München. Also the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna is involved. The Reichert-Verlag is the publishing house of the scientific editions.

Deutsche Inschriften Online (DIO)
The Academies of Sciences in Mainz and Göttingen planed and carried the project "Deutsche Inschriften Online" (English: German Inscriptions Online) out. The project's ambition was to digitalize the volumes DI 66/45/56/58/61 and make them available online. The realisation is based on a database who was developed by the Inscription-offices in Greifswald and Mainz. The venture has an innovative character. It is seeing itself as a broadening of the project "Inschriften Mittelrhein-Hunsrück (IMH)" (English: Inscriptions of the Middlerhine-Hunsrück). The IMH-Project was worked out in 2008. The "Institut für Geschichtliche Landeskunde an der Universität Mainz" (English: Institute for Regional History at the University of Mainz) took part in working out the IMH-Project. The project digitalized the volume "Die Inschriften des Rhein-Hunsrück Kreises I (DI 60)" (English: The Inscriptions of the Rhine-Hunsrück District) edited by epigraphist Eberhard J. Nikitsch. In the meantime the website of the IMH-Project has merged into the DIO-Web portal. In the long run digitalization and making available online of further volumes is scheduled. Also a translation of the DIO-Website into the English language is projected.

Besides the digitalized volumes DIO features an elaborated search interface, news concerning epigraphy and series of articles. The series featured are "Epigraphischer Tipp" (English: Epigraphical Hint) and "Inschrift im Fokus" (English: Focused on Inscription). There are also a glossary and a list of topical weblinks. Additionally the site presents a wide array of photographs and pictures of inscriptions or things alike. By this means the publishers try to interweave different alternatives of presenting information to the public.

Today twelve volumes including more than 4170 items and more than 4000 illustrations and photographs can be retrieved by the user. Currently online available are the volumes DI-19 Göttingen (City), DI-28 Hameln, DI-36 Hannover, DI-42 Einbeck, DI-45 Goslar, DI-56 Braunschweig, DI-58 Hildesheim, DI-60 Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis I, DI-61 Helmstedt, DI-66 Göttingen (District), DI-46 Minden, The Inscriptions of the City of Mainz. First Part: The Inscriptions of the Cathedral and the Museum of Cathedral and Diocese ranging from 800 to 1350.

References

Bibliography
 Schrade, Torsten: Epigraphik im digitalen Umfeld (=Epigraphy in the Digital Field). (URN: urn:nbn:de:0289-2011051816). In: Skriptum 1 (2011), Nr. 1. ISSN 2192-4457. (Article available under Creative Commons-Licence; the article overviews birth and development of the DIO-Project in German)

Other websites
 The German Inscriptions of Medieval and Early Modern Times (DIO) - Mainpage (German)
 Epigraphical Research- and Documentation-Center Munich
 Inscription-office Bonn
 Inscription-office Greifswald
 Inscription-office Göttingen
 Inscription-office Mainz
 Inscription-office Vienna
 Excerpts from the Hessian volumes of the Cenotaph-Project

History of Germany

Die Deutschen Inschriften


Incremental games, also known as clicker games, clicking games (on PCs) or tap games (in mobile games), are video games whose gameplay consists of the player doing simple actions such as clicking on the screen repeatedly. This "grinding" earns the player in-game currency which can be used to increase the rate of currency acquisition. In some games, even the clicking becomes unnecessary at some point, as the game plays itself, including in the player's absence, hence the moniker idle game.

Mechanics

Progress without interaction, or very limited interaction
In an incremental game, players perform simple actions – usually clicking a button or object – which rewards the player with currency. The player may spend the currency to purchase items or abilities that allow the player to earn the currency faster or automatically, without needing to perform the initial action. A common theme is offering the player sources of income displayed as buildings such as factories or farms. These sources increase the currency production rate, but higher tier sources usually have an exponentially higher cost, so upgrading between tiers takes usually about the same time or even increasingly longer.

This mechanism offers a low-pressure experience (one does not have to be constantly playing), no loss condition, and constant growth and feedback, which is ideal for social or mobile play patterns, and often result in a very high player retention. It often relies on exponential growth (or perhaps high-degree polynomial growth), which is countered by diminishing returns.

Rapid growth
The rapid growth of cost, power and rewards is what makes incremental games fun and satisfying. They often incorporate very large numbers in their calculation of rewards/power, either using scientific notations (1x1034/10E 34), shorthands (1M, 1T, etc.), shorthand (1a, 1b, 1aa, 1ab), or invented words (e.g. "duoquadragintillion"), which sometimes make recording high scores a problem for the server.

This mechanism, in its core, involves a loop: the player logs in, spends all their currency, and logs out for a few hours. This is similar to (or even derived from) the "energy currency" concept in social games, where a player gets one energy per hour, for example. The difference being that in idle games this mechanism is natural, whereas in other social games, it is a construct intended to constrain the players.

This mechanism may be more palatable to core gamers who dislike social games. It resonates with real world dialog (e.g., "I'm out of cash; I need to come back when I have more.") and gives players more control over their decision.

Many goals and achievements
This mechanism provides moments of joy spread out throughout the gameplay, to counter boredom and grinding feeling. The mechanism could also be tied to the previous mechanism of giving more power/rewards upon achieving a goal or achievement, which lead to optimization decision and meaningful direction.

New Game Plus
As a late-game or advanced mechanism, some games feature a reset-based system or "New Game Plus", a term coined by Chrono Trigger (1995), where the player resets the progress of their game and gains another form of currency (prestige). This new currency is normally used to gain global bonuses that do not disappear after a reset, allowing the player to go further than the previous reset, or let the player replay the game with a greater power, often with several choices upon restart. This eventually would create an infinite game replays and various strategy of playing. It creates another layer of loop: players play from the start. Tap Titans (2014, by Game Hive) is a pioneer of the prestige mechanics in mobile games.

This mechanism is mostly optional; player could choose to "prestige" once they feel they hit the wall and felt their progress is getting slower (compared to the cost). This mechanism gives players a sense of a rush of progress, which feels very rewarding. Some games include multiple layers of prestiging, thereby making new content, meta-currencies or gameplay available. Realm Grinder by Divine Games (2015), introduced abdicating, reincarnating, and ascending.

Open-ended or closed gameplay loops
Incremental games vary as to whether they have a victory condition: games like Cookie Clicker allow the players to play indefinitely, while games like Candy Box! or Universal Paperclips feature endings that can be reached after a certain amount of progress is made.

Monetization
Pioneered by AdVenture Capitalist, developers may sell premium boost such as instant currency infusion (usually a percentage of current rate of income) or sometimes wrapped as a "time-warp" (instantly gain x-hours of future income), permanent boost multiplier that persist after each prestiging, instant prestige (claiming prestige without starting over), protection against negative events, gacha system (random draws of a character or a permanent bonus), and event currencies.

On the other side, they may also deliver advertisements for players to receive minor rewards, such as short burst of cash, doubling offline earnings, small amount of premium currency, brief powerful boost/medium-length small boost, extra prestige points upon prestiging, relief of a negative status, etc.

History

According to Anthony Pecorella in his GDC summit talks, the first idle game was attributed to Progress Quest (2002) by Eric Fredriksen, which is a parody of MMORPG's stats and auto-attack. He argued that Kongregate was an early breeding ground for the genre, as some people just want to chat, so, the first game of the genre was aptly titled Kongregate Chat (July 24, 2007, by John Cooney), where the game just run by itself, and people are just chatting in the chat section of the game. While one of the first visual idle games ("rudimentary RPG" according to Pecorella) was Ayumilove's HackerStory v1 (2008, by Ayumilove), which was a parody of bot grinding in a Maple Story game, a famous MMORPG from Korea at that time.

The early pioneers of idle games also saw some games parodying idle games, such as Anti-Idle (2009, by tukkun) which has both elements of active and idle games, and is extremely complicated, content-rich, and constantly updated; it helped popularize the genre. An idle game in Facebook platform, called Cow Clicker (2010, by Ian Bogost), which according to the author, "a satire and playable theory of social games circa that era, ... Facebook games distilled to their essence.", was the first to receive mainstream media attention. Another parody of idle games (and parody of capitalism) called AdVenture Capitalist (2015, by Cody Vigue / Hyper Hippo Games) also saw success as a browser game and was subsequently made available in many platforms. It was one of the first games to implement monetization, as well as offline earning which calculates the progress of a player during the time they are offline, unlike previous browser-based idle games which only run when open in a browser window.

Some idle games did not follow the infinite ending, and instead opt for finite ending, more like puzzle-like and exploration based, for example A Dark Room (2013, by Doublespeak Games), and Candy Box! (2013, by aniwey).

Incremental games gained popularity in 2013 after the success of Cookie Clicker, although earlier games such as Cow Clicker and Candy Box! were based on the same principles. Make It Rain (2014, by Space Inch) was the first major mobile idle game success, although the idle elements in the game were heavily limited, requiring check-ins to progress. In 2015, the gaming press observed such games proliferating on the Steam distribution platform with titles such as Clicker Heroes (2014, by Playsaurus).

Other idle games that have become classic includes Sandcastle Builder (2013, by Eternal Density) which was based on the xkcd comic 1190: Time, Shark Game (2014, by Cirr), Crank (by FaeDine), and Kittens Game (2014, by Bloodrizer)

During the evolution of the genre, monetization (through ads or other venues), premium contents, and other game mechanics are slowly being added in.

Reception
Nathan Grayson of Kotaku attributed the popularity of idle games to their ability to provide unchallenging distractions that fit easily into a person's daily routine, while using themes and aesthetics of more sophisticated games so as to be appealing to a "core gamer" audience. Grayson also noted that the genre allowed for a wide variety of game mechanics and themes, such as fantasy, sci-fi and erotica, to provide sufficient perceived depth to avoid boring players.

IGN's Justin Davis describes the genre as being tuned for a never-ending sense of escalation, as expensive upgrades and items rapidly become available, only to become trivial and replaced by more. This leads to the player feeling powerful and weak at the same time in pursuit of exponential progress.

Julien "Orteil" Thiennot (creator of games such as Cookie Clicker) described his own works as "non-games". In early 2014, Orteil released an early version of Idle Game Maker, a tool allowing customized idle games to be made without coding knowledge.

Commenting on the parodic nature of the genre, Pecorella commented that "[idle games is] a genre that's almost doesn't want to exist; it's a joke, but despite itself, keeps being really successful", and on popular idle-games in general, "a lot of these are just glorified spreadsheet with some really neat mechanics in it."

Influence
The idle games genre has in many ways influenced other genres. Pecorella (2015) identified several genres that includes idle elements in their mechanics:

 Real-time social and strategy games: Hay Day, Mafia Wars, Game of War
 Chinese MMORPGs (skipping the early games through "AFK mode" and going straight to end-game): Mythborne using auto-path mode, Wartune, among others
 Launch games (tight-loop prestige/newgame+ mechanic, not the idling one per se): Curl Up and Fly, among others.

Shooting games, RPGs, and other genres also starts to introduce short prestige loop or mini idle games within, while some introduces offline progress to entice players to return, allowing for genre blends, from idle rhythm games to RPGs, to puzzle and dating sims.

Auto clicker
An auto clicker is automation software or a macro that is generally used to automate the clicking (or tapping) process in idle games. A number of idle games employ clicking as a method to gain currency while active (to complement the idle element), and players may sometimes employ an auto clicker to automate this part, thus getting resources/currency much faster. Pecorella, in his 2016 GDC summit talk, argued that auto clickers are considered necessary by any "serious" idle game players, and that it's not cheating, but rather an exploration of an error in design.

References

Further reading

Video game genres

Incremental game


The Kepler conjecture is a problem in math. It wants to know the best way to put spheres together so there will be only a little bit of room between the spheres. That means the spheres are put together very tightly, meaning they are dense.

Details
The Kepler conjecture is about Sphere packing in three-dimensional Euclidean space. It is named after Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) who first had this idea. Kepler supposed that the ways to pack spheres of equal size that result in the packing with the highest density are face-centered cubic or hexagonal packings. Those two things are crystal structures, meaning ways to put things together in a repeating pattern. These packings have a density of slightly over 74 percent, this means that they fill about 74 percent of space available.

Conjectures
Geometry

Kepler conjecture