Is this Home....truly?

WARNING: DO NOT READ IF YOUR ARE A POLITICALLY SENSITIVE PERSON ;)
DISCLAIMER: This is no political thesis, just the writer's opinion on world affairs

What is a home? A place to rest? A place to eat? A place to welcome friends and relatives for reunions? A safe haven?

As I recover from diarrhea this National Day, I am forced to watch the National Day Parade whilst I lay on the sofa in my living room, unable to reach for the TV remote to off the loud noise that disturbs my sleep. Surprisingly, after watching for half an hour, the parade became a much needed distraction to take my mind off my physical aliment. Raising thoughts of patriotism and doing my part for my country....

I realised that Singapore is unlike many countries. We are very small, but in our smallness there lies a certain understanding amongst our forebears that that if we are not united in some way, we will fall. Their resilience and unity paved the way for today's Singapore but in our race to become a nation that can compete economically with the rest of the world, we have also sidelined the development of many things that make a nation livable for its citizens. I can't help but wonder, have we become a city state that favours productivity and positive results over long run profitability? We try to create things that are left to develop on its own in other nations and have so far been unsuccessful. Things like culture and national identity cannot be 'constructed' the way toy vehicles and buildings are constructed with the use of LEGO blocks. LEGO constructs, especially the really high end ones look impressive and almost like the real thing but inside, they are just dense blocks of plastic without soul, without the engines that real vehicles have, without the pipelines and structural supports that real buildings have.

Culture and its subset called 'National Identity' is the structural support of a nation. While such supports can be guided and built by man during the construction process, culture on the other hand, involves a more subtle and organic approach. I admit, I am no expert in this issue but if even a lowly peon like me can feel this, I bet those above me can too and are actively trying to resolve this problem. This probably explains the gradual change from authoritarian/technocratic rule to a more democratic government that we have today, where politicians take a more active role to understand the pains of the people, to lend a listening ear and attempt to solve their problems when they are able to. Sometimes, even educating the general public about new policies or to dispel old, negative views of the old way of governance.

Many countries have criticized Singapore for being run like a business corporation, where its 'unproductive' citizens are sidelined and left behind whilst the rest of the nation progresses ahead. That we lack the safety net that many countries have for their 'native' citizens. But the fact remains that if they were not so big and full of natural resources, they will not be enjoying such 'luxuries' that we native Singaporeans lack.

DISCLAIMER: This is no political thesis, just the writer's opinion on world affairs

Alpha Protocol (Game Review)

ALPHA PROTOCOL REVIEW

Imagine being immersed in the world of international espionage, facing betrayal around every corner and even backstabbing others on occasion. Welcome to the web of intrigue that is the heart of Alpha Protocol. From game developer Obsidian, whose short but impressive portfolio includes “Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords” and “Neverwinter Nights 2”. Both are role playing games set in the galaxies and fantasy worlds that are far far away from the world we live in. However, Obsidian has always succeeded in immersing gamers into their games with interesting stories and fantastic character interaction and Alpha Protocol is no different.

Alpha Protocol takes place in the semi-fictional present world of international espionage and terrorism. With you playing a pivotal character in the power struggles between the multitude of powerful clandestine organisations that shape world events behind a veil of secrecy. As Agent Micael Thorton, you are tasked to use whatever resources at your disposal to uncover and stop a devious plot to destabilise world politics. Though it sounds simple enough, the myriad of twists and turns in the story, plus the need to forge or break alliances with the various organisations and the people running them can lead to different consequences that may aid or hinder your progress. Aiding the players to guage how their relations with other parties fare is a Relationship scale from intense hatred (-1) to friendship (10), with ''0'' denoting a character with neutral disposition.

Of course, all spy thrillers also require intense gunfights, wooing pretty, capable and dangerous women, and Alpha Protocol also attempts to fulfill these two prerequisites. Unfortunately, in its haste to produce the game, Obsidian created an incomplete product riddled with software bugs that causes game ending events to occur, like getting stuck in walls while seeking cover in a firefight, causing your character to literally die standing or worst, not being able to proceed to the next portion of the game; forcing players to reload a previous save game and replay entire portions of the game. Firefights, especially the larger ones are prone to occasional jerkiness and game slowdowns, even on powerful game rigs, further reducing the impact of the immersive spy thriller storyline that Alpha Protocol boasts.

Alpha Protocol is indeed a decent game with an excellent story that rivals some of Tom Clancy's best action/political thrillers but inconsistent gameplay led to poor sales that may have ended a potentially enjoyable and lucrative interactive spy thriller that the gaming industry currently lacks.

Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising

Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising, supposedly the direct sequel of Operation Flashpoint 1, probably the first all round war game simulator has absolutely nothing in common with its predecessor. It covers a fictional near future conflict between the United States of America (USA) and The Peoples' Republic of China (PRC).

Decent graphics and authentic weaponry aside, the Artificial Intelligence of the enemy and allied soldiers have no brains and mindlessly shoot at each other 300 meters from each other on full automatic fire. For those unaware, any weapon on full automatic fire will fire continously once you squeeze the weapon's trigger; the resulting recoil will make it impossible to hit your intended target at any range other than at point blank. This means the player will most likely have to kill most of the enemies encountered while your squad merely serves you as human shields who occasionally hit their targets. The same goes for the enemy but they are so numerous and have a tendency to always target you once you are in sight makes it necessary to take cover and take carefully aimed return fire or flank (attacking the enemy's from the side or rear) them.

Criticism aside, the refreshing take on China's new advanced army is realistic and believable. despite the apparent ease the Americans boot them off the battlefield. In fact, due to the long ranged combat most often encountered in the game, some of the Chinese soldiers are better equipped than the US Marines who wield the standard issue US M16 rifles which comes without a zoom scope, making it a necessity to loot Chinese rifles from dead enemies; which makes it perplexing how the Chinese could lose in the first place. However, such illogical inconsistencies are most likely due to the developer's ineptness or lack of time to produce a campaign that can match or come close to the original's gripping tale of a deadly skirmish between US and Soviet forces in the 1980s that almost escalated to a full scale war.

Verdict: Either wait for it to go to the bargain bin or borrow from a friend but play for pure fun (it is satisfying to catch enemies unawares and blow up a few heads; plus taking out deadly enemy tanks with rocket launchers that take forever to set up is a commendable acheivement) and much silliness during combat situations (for all its problems, it is still much easier than the original, almost feels like an arcade game shooter). Serious, hardcore war gamers beware, it may whet your appetite for awhile but may frustrate you as the simplicity of the campaign is gradually revealed.