Jul 26, 2019 Question: 'Should a Christian play video games?' Answer: Completed nearly 2,000 years ago, God’s Word does not explicitly teach whether or not a Christian should play video games. But the Bible’s principles still apply today regarding the best use of our time. When God shows us that a specific activity is controlling our lives, we should break away from it for a time. It's a spinoff of the Yakuza games, but retained a lot of the things people like about those games, such as the map, animations and god tier combat. At first I was worried they were going to change too much for the spinoff, and even though I really miss playing as Kaz, I feel that this spinoff was so similar to a Yakuza game that I could still.
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A god game is an artificial life game[1] that casts the player in the position of controlling the game on a large scale, as an entity with divine and supernatural powers, as a great leader, or with no specified character (as in Spore), and places them in charge of a game setting containing autonomous characters to guard and influence.
Definition[edit]
God games are a subgenre of artificial life game, where players use supernatural powers to indirectly influence a population of simulated worshippers. It has also been categorized as a subgenre of strategy video games,[2] though unlike other strategy video games, players are unable to tell specific units what to do. The genre is also separate from construction and management simulations, because gameplay revolves around growing and utilizing their supernatural powers to indirectly influence their worshippers, such as by placing a target marker or goal for the worshippers to conquer, or affect those of their opponents, such as by creating natural disasters.[1] God games are typically single-player games played against a computerized opponent, but some involve competition between all rival players.
Game design[edit]
God games allow players to take on the role of a god with limited powers, similar to the gods from the mythology of ancient Greece. The player's power comes from simulated worshippers, who are usually simple or tribal in nature. It is common for most people in god games to look alike. Early god games only featured models for full-grown men and women, while Black and White introduced children. Players must economize quantities of power or mana, which are derived from the size and prosperity of their population of worshippers. The player consumes this power by using godly powers to help their worshippers, such as blessing their crops or flattening hills to make better farmland. This results in a positive feedback loop, where more power allows the player to help their population grow which helps them gain more power. However, more powerful abilities typically require more power, and these usually take the form of natural disasters that can damage rival populations rather than improve life for the player's worshippers. Games typically utilize an aerial top-down perspective, similar to a real-time strategy game.[1]
God games are classified as a subgenre of artificial life game because players tend to a population of simulated people that they control only indirectly. Although god games share qualities with both construction and management simulation games and real-time strategy games, players in god games are only able to exercise indirect control over their population. They cannot tell specific units what to do, as seen in strategy games, although players may sometimes compete against other players with their own population of supporters. Moreover, players are given godlike powers not seen in construction or management games, such as the ability to control the weather, transform the landscape, and bless or curse different populations.[1]
History[edit]
Although there are many influences on the god game genre, the first god game is widely considered to be Populous from 1989.[3][4][5] Developed by Peter Molyneux of Bullfrog Productions,[4] the game established the gameplay template where the player's godlike powers would grow in proportion to the population of their worshippers.[5] The game gives players supernatural powers over land and nature that could be used for good or evil,[4] and some of this gameplay was emulated by other real-time strategy games with more direct control.[5] Notable hybrids of the genre include ActRaiser for the Super NES in 1990.[6] It was also an influence on the real-time strategy hybrid Dungeon Keeper,[5] developed by Molyneux in 1997.[7]
Both Molyneux's Black & White and Godus were heavily influenced by the Populous series.[8][9]
References[edit]
- ^ abcdRollings, Andrew; Ernest Adams (2006). Fundamentals of Game Design. Prentice Hall.
- ^'The Next Generation 1996 Lexicon A to Z: God game'. Next Generation. No. 15. Imagine Media. March 1996. p. 34.
- ^Edge Staff (2007-11-01). '50 Greatest Game Design Innovations'. Edge. Archived from the original on 2010-09-24. Retrieved 2008-12-28.
- ^ abc'IGN Hall of Fame: Populous'. IGN. 2008. Archived from the original on 2013-11-04.
- ^ abcdErnest Adams (2008). 'What's Next for God Games'. Designer's Notebook.
- ^Lucas M Thomas (2007-05-30). 'ActRaiser VC Review'. IGN. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
- ^'Dungeon Keeper on PC'. GameSpot. Retrieved 2008-02-14.
- ^'Top 25 PC Games of All Time'. IGN. 2000-07-24.
- ^Farokhmanesh, Megan (2013-08-31). 'Populous to Godus: The rubbish-filled road of Peter Molyneux'. Polygon. Retrieved 2014-12-03.
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=God_game&oldid=916678346'
Smite | |
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Developer(s) | Titan Forge Games |
Publisher(s) | Hi-Rez Studios |
Engine | Unreal Engine 3 |
Platform(s) | |
Release |
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Genre(s) | Multiplayer online battle arena[4] |
Mode(s) | Multiplayer[4] |
Smite is a free-to-play, third-personmultiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game developed and published by Hi-Rez Studios for Microsoft Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One.[5] In Smite, players control a god, goddess, or other mythological figures, and take part in team based combat, using abilities and tactics against other player-controlled gods and non-player-controlled minions.
The game has multiple player versus player modes, many playable characters, and has a successful esports scene with multiple tournaments, including the annual million dollar Smite World Championship.
- 1Gameplay
- 3Reception
Gameplay[edit]
Smite features many different game modes with the largest being Conquest.[6] Players are formed into two teams with five players on each team. All players begin at opposite sides of a map at their team's 'fountain'. Before the players enter the map, they are granted an amount of gold (usually 1,500) to buy starting items. These items grant special bonuses or abilities that enhance the player's god. There are three continuous 'lanes' running from one side of the map to the other. Each lane is defended by a 'Phoenix' which is accompanied by a pair of extra defensive towers. Phoenixes and towers deal a large amount of damage to any enemies that come too close. The goal of each game is to destroy the opposing team's Phoenixes and the Titan, a giant warrior who must be defeated to win the game. The players are accompanied by 'minions', small soldiers with a weak attack. These minions spawn at the Phoenixes every thirty seconds and run along their lane until they meet opposition and attack immediately. Minions will attack not only players and other minions, but also towers, Phoenixes, and the Titan. In fact, their presence is required for players to deal full damage to these objectives. Defensive positions will prioritize enemy minions over players, allowing players to attack a tower without receiving damage; however, towers will fire upon players if there are no minions nearby or the player attacks an enemy player under their tower. If a game is going badly for a certain team, they can decide to surrender after at least 10 minutes, though this requires a majority of the team (4 players to 1) to agree.
With every game, players have to choose a god or other figure to play as. Currently, players can choose between 105 characters from 14 different pantheons: Arthurian, Celtic, Chinese, Egyptian, Greek, Hindu, Japanese, Mayan, Norse, Polynesian, Roman, Slavic, Voodoo, and Yoruba. Each character is classified as one of the following classes: Assassin, Guardian, Hunter, Mage, or Warrior. Two players on the same team cannot choose the same character (with the exception of some Match of the Day variants, which rotate daily), although they are free to choose characters from the same pantheon.[7] The player controls the god in a third person perspective, which is a unique characteristic of this MOBA, as other games of this genre are typically played from a top-down perspective. Each god has a basic attack, a passive trait, and four abilities with varying effects, such as area damage, crowd control, buffs, and many more. These abilities are acquired and upgraded when the player's character levels up by gaining experience from being in range of minions when they are killed, taking down towers or phoenixes, and defeating enemy characters. The maximum level is 20 and each successive level is harder to reach. Gold, which is used to buy items that increase power, defense, and passive effects, potions, wards and abilities, is accumulated through standard periodic income, by slaying enemies (player and NPC alike), or by selling owned items.[7]
The large areas between the lanes make up what is called the 'jungle', where computer-controlled monsters such as packs of cyclops or Furies (the latter alternately referred to as harpies) periodically spawn at specific locations distributed symmetrically across the map. Killing certain monsters in said jungle causes a 'buff' to drop on the ground where it can be picked up by a player. This buff grants the player one of the following for a limited time, depending on which monster was killed: mana (mana regen & cooldown reduction bonus), damage (basic damage & power bonus), speed (movement speed bonus), attack speed (in-hand attack speed & power bonus) or protection reduction aura (negation of some of the protections of enemy players within 55 units). There are three special neutral monsters who spawn less frequently: the Fire Giant, Gold Fury, and Pyromancer. When killed, they grant the entire team who killed it a powerful damage buff for a medium length of time, set amount of Gold, and a speed boost when coming out of the base respectively. There also exist monsters which do not offer a buff, only experience and gold.[8]
Matchmaking[edit]
The matchmaking system uses a modified version of TrueSkill ranking system.[9] Around December 2013, there was a feature added that allowed players to choose between US and EU servers, but was later removed from the game due to issues with the matchmaking system. This feature was eventually re-added. Originally, most modes used to operate on queues with 3-minute match-making timers. Every three minutes, matches would be made from the group of people in queue at that time. In late 2014, that system was replaced with a more traditional non-timed one (a more popular format in many MOBAs) that look for an optimal match instead of just the best match ups at the present time. In this system, if it takes 5 minutes or more to match a player, the game will gradually lower its requirements until a match is found. A new matchmaking system similar to the original one was introduced in 2018, with different times for different modes. The system will prioritize the player's general performance over their account level.
In Ranked Leagues, players are matched by a variation of Elo, a system that rates players with a number that indicates how well the individual skill of that player is. The player will be matched with players that have a similar rating as them. The goal of this system is to have 2 individual teams that have a similar TOTAL Elo.
International expansion[edit]
On August 21, 2013, Hi-Rez Studios partnered themselves with Tencent, an online media company that publishes video games in China.[10] On June 5, 2014, Hi-Rez Studios announced they partnered with Level Up! Games to bring the game to the Latin American region.[11] In October 2014, Oceanic servers were added[12] and in August 2016 southeast Asian servers were added.[13] In October 2017, the Chinese client was announced to be merged with the international client, with migration taking place late November.[14]
Reception[edit]
Reception | ||||||||||||||||||
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Smite received generally favorable reviews from critics.[15][17][20][21] The game currently holds a score of 83 out of 100 on Metacritic,[15] based on a dozen reviews by all major video game critics.
Depiction of Hindu gods[edit]
In June 2012, some Hindu leaders became upset at the inclusion of several Hindu gods in Smite and the fact that they are player-controlled. The deities that were in question were Kali, Agni, and Vamana (the only playable Hindu deities at the time) and there was particular opposition to how Kali was dressed. Rajan Zed, the president of Universal Society of Hinduism, released a statement urging Hi-Rez to remove these gods from the game, claiming their presence is trivialized and in other words, offensive to the devoted. Since players control the gods, this is seen as offensive to the faithful.[22]
In response Todd Harris, CEO of Hi-Rez, had this to say:[22]
Smite includes deities inspired from a diverse and ever expanding set of pantheons including Greek, Chinese, Egyptian, and Norse. Hinduism, being one of the world's oldest, largest and most diverse traditions, also provides inspiration toward deities in our game. In fact, given Hinduism's concept of a single truth with multiple physical manifestations one could validly interpret ALL the gods within Smite to be Hindu. And all gods outside of Smite as well. Ponder that for a minute. Anyway, going forward Smite will include even more deities, not fewer.
Despite the response from Hi-Rez, in early July 2012, the Hindu leader who spoke out against the game had not given up on his quest to rid Smite of Hindu deities and since his initial statement he has gained new backers from other faiths that have come together in support of his stance that the game's content is offensive. Rajin Zed was joined by Rabbi Elizabeth Beyer and Buddhist Jikai Phil Bryan in condemning the game's content as offensive.[23] These leaders have labelled the old Kali model as being depicted in a 'pornographic style,' which appeared to be their main concern.[24] The Kali character went under a major art and gameplay overhaul in December 2013, which included more concealing armour. Despite the protests, Hi-Rez has continued to expand the Hindu Pantheon roster, with its most recent addition being Ganesha.
Professional competition[edit]
In mid-2014, Hi-Rez Studios implemented a system by which players could join professional leagues in teams of 5. Players first played in online competitions, then progressed to offline competitions. Next, the teams were ranked according to how well they did within these competitions, and finally, the top teams were invited to compete in the Smite World Championship. From January 9–11, 2015, Hi-Rez Studios hosted the first Smite World Championship.[25][26] Teams from North America, South America, Europe, and China traveled to Atlanta, Georgia for the tournament.[25] The $2.6 million prize pool for the tournament was at the time the third-highest in Esports, behind the third and fourth iterations of Dota 2's The International, and just slightly ahead of the League of Legends World Championships.[27] One of the North American teams, COGnitive Prime, took home the first place prize with a little over $1.3 million.[28]
In July 2015, Stew Chisam, president of Hi-Rez Studios, announced that after discussing the prizing structure of Smite esports with team owners, players, and members of other esports communities, Hi-Rez would be placing a cap on the prize pool for the Smite World Championships at $1 million. This decision was based to pay out more money to more players throughout the year instead of paying the bulk of earned prize money at a single event.[29]
In January 2016, the Smite World Championship was held, returning to Atlanta, with the total prize of $1 million awarded.[30]
Smite World Championship winner by year
Season | Champion | Runner up | Third place | Most valuable player |
Season 0 (Launch Tournament) | Team SoloMid | Team Dignitas | COGnitive Gaming | Gamehunter (Solo lane; Team SoloMid) |
Season 1 | COGnitive Prime | Titan | COGnitive Red | MLCSt3alth (Mid; COGnitive Prime) |
Season 2 | Epsilon eSports | Enemy | Cloud9/Paradigm | Yammyn (Mid; Epsilon eSports) |
Season 3 | NRG Esports | Obey Alliance | Team Eager/Luminosity Gaming | emilitoo (Hunter; NRG Esports) |
Season 4 | eUnited | Team Rival | NRG Esports/Obey Allience | Venenu (Mid; eUnited) |
Season 5 | Splyce | Team Rival | TrifectaGG/Team Dignitas | Cyno (Jungle; Splyce) |
References[edit]
- ^Hillier, Brenna (August 13, 2015). 'Smite makes its official Xbox One debut next week'. VG247. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
- ^'Smite on PS4 Launches May 31 – PlayStation.Blog'. PlayStation.Blog.
- ^https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/smite-switch
- ^ abHi-Rez StudiosSmite http://www.hirezstudios.com/hirezwp/?cat=17 Smite Check
|url=
value (help). Retrieved December 10, 2012.Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^SMITE arriving soon on the Xbox One | Hi-Rez Studios, IncArchived August 17, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. Hirezstudios.com (August 12, 2014). Retrieved on August 15, 2014.
- ^Smite Stuff. Smite Stuff. Retrieved on July 21, 2015.
- ^ abSmite Wiki. Smite Wiki. Retrieved on December 10, 2012.
- ^SMITE Announced – MMORPG.com News. Mmorpg.com. Retrieved on December 10, 2012.
- ^View topic – MatchMaking, How does it work?. forum.hirezstudios.com. Retrieved on December 10, 2012.
- ^Tencent and Hi-Rez Studios Announce Worldwide Cooperation and Publishing for SMITE | Hi-Rez Studios, IncArchived August 19, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. Hirezstudios.com (August 21, 2013). Retrieved on August 15, 2014.
- ^Hi-Rez Studios and Level Up partner to bring SMITE to Latin America | Hi-Rez Studios, Inc. Hirezstudios.com (June 4, 2014). Retrieved on August 15, 2014.
- ^Pitcher, Jenna (October 26, 2014). 'Smite Oceanic Servers are Now Live For Australian and New Zealand Players'. IGN. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
- ^'SMITE on Twitter'. Twitter. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
- ^Tencent-TGideas. '神之浩劫合服公告 - -神之浩劫-SMITE-官方网站-腾讯游戏-3D动作团队竞技'. sm.qq.com (in Chinese). Retrieved October 29, 2017.
- ^ abc'SMITE for PC Reviews'. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 26, 2014.
- ^'SMITE for Xbox One Reviews'. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
- ^ ab'SMITE for PlayStation 4 Reviews'. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
- ^{{cite web |url=https://www.destructoid.com/review-smite-xbox-one--305026.phtml |title=Review: Smite (Sbox One)} |last=Carter |first=Chris |website=Destructoid |accessdate=January 24, 2019}
- ^Thursten, Chris. 'Smite review'. GamesRadar+. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
- ^ abHicks, Tyler. 'Smite Review'. GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
- ^ abJackson, Leah B. 'Smite Review'. IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
- ^ ab'Hindu Leaders Unhappy With Smite, Hi-Rez Responds'. rtsguru.com. Archived from the original on June 16, 2013. Retrieved June 27, 2012.CS1 maint: unfit url (link)
- ^Controversy Over Hindu Gods in Smite Not Over. rtsguru.com (July 2, 2012).
- ^SMITE Offends Hindus, Catholics, Jews, With Porno-Style Depiction Of Kali. Cinemablend.com (July 14, 2012). Retrieved on December 10, 2012.
- ^ ab'SMITE World Championships 2015'. Hirez Studios. Hirez Studios. Archived from the original on June 2, 2015. Retrieved January 23, 2015.
- ^Thursten, Chris (January 11, 2015). 'Smite World Championship 2015: Grand Finals in review'. PC Gamer. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
- ^'Top 100 Largest Overall Prize Pools'. E-Sports Earnings. Retrieved January 23, 2015.
- ^'SWC Results'. Hirez Studios. Hi-Rez Studios. Archived from the original on January 23, 2015.
- ^'Smite World Championship prize pool capped at $1 million'. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
- ^Fahey, Mike (January 6, 2016). 'The 2016 Smite World Championship Starts Tomorrow. Here's What To Expect'. Kotaku. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
External links[edit]
- Official website
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Smite_(video_game)&oldid=917930926'