Article: Top 5 Ragdoll Effects

I was desperately trying to think of ideas for this week’s Thursday article when I happened to find myself watching my boyfriend gaming. Of course, he was in heaven – Xbox, 42 inch HD television (not mine, and sadly not his either, hence the excitement), and a trial shot of one of my latest 360 purchases – Timeshifter. The game, itself, was VERY impressive on HD… But the one point that caught my attention, as I was drifting off to sleep after a very late night and a very early start left me feeling the hypnotic daze of drowsyness creeping up on me, was his comment about how good the rag-doll effects were. Suddenly awakened by this revelation, I demanded his attention for a full-blown conversation on the subject that has now become my latest blog post – the 5 most convincing and entertaining rag-doll effects in the gaming industry.

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

The encorporation of these effects in a role playing game add dynamic and realism as you battle your way around the world of Tamriel. There’s something intensely satisfying in locating the source of the twenty or so arrows slamming into your back and watching the offending archer crumple under a well-aimed sword blow, or be sent flying by an explosion of flames from your hands.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

Being a Jedi knight is always going to pull the crowds, but if you were dangling an NPC fearing for his life by the very force of your mind and he WASN’T failing around like a cat held by the tail, you’d feel a little dissapointed. Then, to add to the sadistic pleasure of the battle, you can hurtle them through the air and watch them bounce lifelessly against the wall or into the numerous crates and debris conveniantly left around.

Modern Warfare 2

As a war game, it almost goes without saying. When the battles, the shooting, the story, the atmosphere… when everything else is as accurate as possible, it’d destroy the mood considerably if the enemy soldiers stiffly toppled over like a felled tree before vanishing into the ground. Ragdoll effects are an essential part of the war game expeirence for most modern fans.

Prototype

If it wasn’t for the occasional “whoops, I died” moments, it would be relatively easy to miss the ragdoll effects in Prototype. If you’re not watching Alex tumble to the ground on the back of a hunter’s vicious claws, you’ve probably missed the last 20 people you threw to the ground in your wake. Even being walked past is perilous – you practically throw anyone you shove by to the ground with your strength! And that’s just a gentle shove…

Grand Theft Auto IV

Probably one of the more well-known ragdoll producers, Grand Theft Auto IV has upgraded to the Euphoria effects. Flopping is no longer enough – now passers by stumble and fall, rather than just flying lifelessly through the air. Saying that, even without the added effects it’s never boring watching your own body plummet to the floor from a high place, or launch through the car window following a smash. And no game engine, be it GTA or Saints Row, seems to be able to remedy the age-old issue of suicidal NPCs… No, I WOULDN’T have hit you if you hadn’t jumped in front of me!

Admittedly, this top 5 isn’t necessarily accurate. I can only go off games I’ve seen or played personally, and have in no ways tried to decide on an order. However, I do encourage other suggestions of games that do it right, and of course it’s always fun to talk about those that get it amusingly wrong. The coding that goes into such an effect is extremey detailed and tricky to do, but it doesn’t change how funny it is when it doesn’t work like it should.

Kirsty Watkinson

Hidden Gem: Legally Blonde Is Pretty In Pink

This week’s hidden gem is reflecting on a firm favourite of mine, harking back to a film I watched countless times throughout university. There were times, when I was trying to keep up with assignments and course work, that I would find my motivations dipping. You know, that feeling where you just don’t have the spirit to keep working, the urge to procrastinate is looming, and the deadline wont stop racing towards you. When I start feeling the pangs of procrastination, I combat it by sticking Legally Blonde in the DVD player.

Now, many of you will insist that the action of playing a DVD when you’re meant to be working IS procrastination. And, technically, you’d be right. But for me, watching the film offers a renewed spirit. It’s light-hearted enough to relieve the tension, I know it well enough to easily dip in and out without losing the plot – and, most importantly, I always feel a surge of inspiration when we hit the montage.

Watching Reese Witherspoon’s character dash around, reading, working out, handing in assignments and participating in class with renewed zeal and action ALWAYS makes me feel energetic. She’s throwing herself into her work, proving herself to anyone who doubts her abilities and making sure that, whenever she applies herself, she does it in her own way.

This is illustrated to great effect in the first film, but the trend is carried on in the sequel, with some added effects. Doing things the “Elle Woods way” means tackling issues and confronting obsticals using her own style and methods, though these may be very unconventional. This has always helped me to work in my own way, knowing that it can sometimes be better to do things differently.

To illustrate the individuality of Elle and her personality, one of the tricks employed by the film crew was the use of lighting. Her spirit is shown by having a very soft pink light shining on her, whether it be hints of tone on her face, some highlight to her hair… the hint of pink is a visual representation of her ability to identify with herself.

To the masses, this hidden gem is probably just a cheese sandwich. But I like the message behind it, and the way it’s represented in the film. If it inspires audiences, even just a little, then it’s worth a watch – and the pink light is doing its job.

Kirsty Watkinson

Internet Killed The Novelist

A few days ago, I read an article entitled “Is Google Making Us Stupid?“. This article rang true on so many levels -  for years, I’ve been complaining on occasion that I’ve lost my ability to sit for long periods of time and focus on one thing, whether that be a game, a film, reading a book, or working on a project such as story writing or drawing. Every time I’ve mentioned this before, the only response I received (on the odd occasion anybody was within earshot to respond) was that it was due to my age. Oh, the older you get the less you are able to concentrate…

Okay, I would understand such an excuse if I was thirty, forty, fifty… but at 22 years of age, I don’t think I should be worrying about loss of concentration! So I was thrilled to read this story and finally find an explanation that brought me some clarity.

When I play games, I spend half an hour, maybe an hour tops, trying to work through something before I get bored or frustrated. I usually change to a different disk, try another game, spend some time working through something else. I rarely sit for longer periods trying to tackle something that isn’t straightforward and simple. And this, if the article is to be believed, is because I am “browsing”. I’m skimming through the content, jumping from one game to another… using the internet as often as we do is encouraging us to reprogramme our brains in a way that destroys our ability to focus.

I, for one, am making a stand against this reprogramming. I know it’s not the internet’s fault, as such, but the way we use it is severely damaging our concentration. If this carries on, the quality of work we produce will be severely compromised because we won’t be able to stay still long enough to finish it.

This month’s focus hasn’t really been looked at yet, but in many ways July has been about balance. I took a holiday when I needed a rest, and it was timed perfectly because it gave me the renewed energy necissary to tackle the tasks ahead. This has also given me the chance to devote some time to my family, my friends and my boyfriend. I’m working on my appearance too, gaining confidence from eating more healthily, trying to exercise a little more, keeping up with my roots and getting a tattoo.

But, in preparation for next month and the tackling of this concentration issue, I have been reading much more, and trying to write regularly. In the past few weeks, I have read Jane Austen’s Persuasion, and I am currently ploughing through Emma. I haven’t read this since college, and even then I only skimmed it! While working on my review of Christopher Nolan’s Inception, I broke up the concentration by watching Clueless, a modern adaptation of the classic Jane Austen novel… which is another perfect example of how I can’t sit and focus. I never seem to watch films through without multitasking, working on other things at the same time or leaving them on while I try to sleep.

My aim is to try and read more books, using the time I spend travelling to and from work to build up my concentration. If internet browsing is killing it, all it takes is a bit of tlc to revive it. Once I’ve worked hard to retrain my brain, hopefully my work will get better and better, and I’ll be able to lose myself for hours at a time in some of my favourite hobbies again.

Or, if nothing else, I’ll probably blog more often – which is never a bad thing!

Kirsty Watkinson

Review: Inception

The sci-fi genre has tackled a bottomless pool of topics, from aliens to dinosaurs, technology to time travel, and all manner of themes in between. It can comfortably tie in with horror, romance, comedy, western… making it one of the most flexible and diverse styles of film on our big screens.

With so many of these areas already covered by the industry, it should come as no surprise that one of the most original films to hit the box office this summer hails from the genre. Delving into the subtleties of the subconscious, Inception looks at the complex mystery of dream manipulation.

In a world where technology has advanced in very different ways, the ability exists to explore the human mind through the use of dreams. Numerous people can be connected together and sent into a deep enough sleep to experience the same subconscious events, hosted from one person’s mind in a similar way to a computer server hosting a game on a console that everyone can play simultaneously. However, this leaves the mind of the “dreamer” vulnerable.

A tragic artist named Dom Cobb is our protagonist. Working as an architect, he once built the levels and environments for the dreamers to populate, using his imagination to create elaborate mazes so impressive that he was well renowned as one of the best. But following personal tragedy, he was forced to walk away from his former life, and now forges out an existence of crime with his closest friend, Arthur. Working jobs of “extraction”, they enter the dreams of people who have valuable information, and trick them into revealing it while they are unconscious.

However, when offered the chance to complete one last job in return for a way back home, Cobb recruits a team to attempt the impossible. Forced to face his ghosts, he and the team delve deeper into the human mind than any of them expect, in a race against time to complete their task and escape before they are sucked into a void of dreams.

Following a thriller-esque performance in Shutter Island, Leonardo DiCaprio gives a memorable performance as protagonist Cobb. Combining the athletic moves of a criminal desperately fighting to survive with the tenderness of a heartbroken man mourning his situation, DiCaprio plays his role to perfection, keeping you hooked on the story from beginning to end.

Cobb’s instabilities are balanced against the sensible criticism of earth-bound Ariadne, an architect rivalling his own abilities. Played by Juno‘s Ellen Page, she offers an astute, sensible edge to his selfish isolation, mixed with a keen, sometimes perilous curiosity that sharply reminds the audience that she is still only a student, and much younger than the rest of the team. Page gives the character the fragility of youth, while maintaining a steely sense of morality and a mature determination that makes her invaluable to the job at hand.

A testament to Ariadne’s personality is how quickly she cuts through Cobb’s defences when he hides so much of his difficulties from his best friend, Arthur. Played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt (who, until recently, I knew only as Cameron from 10 Things I Hate About You), he is seen to be fiercely loyal, defending Cobb when his stability is questioned without knowing for sure if his companion is right. Gordon-Levitt gives a stunning performance as the long-suffering character, creating a convincing emotional depth and interaction with the other members of the team, alongside some of the most breathtaking acrobatic scenes of the film.

The film also boasts an impressive cast. Michael Caine plays Cobb’s father, Miles, demonstrating to the audience where Cobb learned his trade as an architect and introducing him to his student, Ariadne. The team also includes Eames (Tom Hardy), a forger who can modify his appearance in the dream to mimic other people, and Yusuf (Dileep Rao), the chemist responsible for the sedation.

In keeping with the sci-fi genre, Inception enjoys toying with the laws of physics and reality. Some of the more impressive scenes include crashing waves from the ceiling, flipping and inverting cities, and even some combat with altered gravity. Though this may sound tacky, the use of these effects is perfectly fitting with the style and narrative of the film, linking delicately with events to create a sense of realism.

The film is so refined and engaging, it’s no surprise to find that it was crafted by the intuitive hand of Christopher Nolan, director of seductive mystery The Prestige, provocative thriller Memento, and the latest two Batman films, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.

With such an impressive directive lineage, and boasting an impressively strong cast, Inception is one of the most inspired films of this year. Combining the strengths of a malleable genre with the subtleties of a subjective narrative, it’s unlike anything else on the big screen. This is one of those films that makes you think, and stays with you long after you’ve left the cinema… Take a friend, share some popcorn, and schedule some time afterwards to talk it over!

Kirsty Watkinson

Window On My World

Those of you who follow my blog regularly may have noticed I’ve been a bit quiet for the past month. I have had a lot going on recently, and most of the time I try to keep the personal details to a minimum when I explain my absences. But, as this has been a particularly long absence, I felt like it might be a nice change to share a little more of my story with you. This post also happens to be my 50th, so it gives me a chance to do something special to celebrate the milestone.

Last year, I was set to graduate from the University of Central Lancashire, where I have studied journalism. However, due to a number of health issues and other obsticles, I failed to pass my shorthand, and as such I was forced to attend the job centre for a few months and try to complete my course at the same time. Through the job centre, I landed the position of community researcher in the Preston area, employed by Contour Housing and working in partnership with the university’s Bespoke project and with People’s Voice Media, a not-for-profit organisation based in Salford.

The first reason for my distraction is easily the workload. I enjoy my job thoroughly, but the commute between Darwen and Preston can get tedious and tiring, and the number of different projects active at any one time is often quite overwhelming. In order to catch my breath, I took a holiday last week and enjoyed a break from worrying about the office. I’m now back, with renewed energy and motivation, ready to tackle my latest list of tasks – the most engaging of which has to be organising the end-of-contract showcase event we are holding next month.

But wait, I know you’re thinking – didn’t she just say holiday? So why couldn’t she carry on blogging while she’s away? This brings me nicely to the second distraction. After 4 years of tireless stressing, with all the blood, sweat and tears thrown in for good measure, I have at long last passed my degree! As of this Friday, following a fancy ceremony in front of hundreds of people, I will be a graduate from the University of Central Lancashire.

But, as everyone who knows me at all will be well aware, that’s just too easy! There has to be a hitch somewhere…

The first problem was my accounts. I had to go to the univeristy building for my results on the day they were released, and even then I was convinced I hadn’t passed. Then I discovered why my accounts had been blocked – the univeristy thought I was paying my own tuition! And, as this was now June, it was of course well overdue. So, after waving forms from the student loands company at them, I managed to get my accounts unblocked… only to find out I wasn’t properly registered to graduate. So I had to sort all of THAT out, which took a few days. Finally, after I was properly registered, all that remained was ordering my gown. A simple task? Of course not! The website wouldn’t work, and by the time I managed to get in touch with the organisation, they’d closed the orders. So, on Friday morning, I shall be running around The Guild Hall at 8.30am, looking for a spare gown and hat. But I’ve always had to work hard for this degree, and even if I have to keep working right up till the ceremony, I’m going to keep at it! Nothing’s coming between me and graduation!

The other issue that arose from the ceremony is that, due to a number of factors, none of my family will be able to attend. At first, I was a little upset by this. Not at those family members in particular, but I felt a little despondant that not only would I be missing the members of my family who aren’t with us anymore, but I’d be missing all of them. Still, ever the unconventional one when it comes to everything, I struck on the perfect way to use my tickets. I invited two very special people to come and support me on my big day.

The first of these people is my very best friend, Alex. I’ve known him for 6 years now, and in all that time he’s remained one of the people I fight with less often than anyone else. He always understands me, even when I’m being a head case, and if anything ever goes on in my life I can never resist telling him to see what he thinks about it. And, 99% of the time, he says exactly what I’m thinking. But I still like to hear him say it anyway.

I’ve never had a friend I’ve loved so fiercely and loyally in all my life, and I doubt I will ever find anyone else who will understand me the way he does. I can’t think of anyone else outside of my family that I’d rather have at my graduation. After all, to me he is family.

The second person invited to my graduation is also my third distraction. I’ve never been particularly lucky in relationships, whether that counts as friendships or more. I know I’m a handful of a person who can’t be taken in large doses or I tend to cause headaches in those around me. So when I find somebody who seems to be immune to my intensity, such as friends like Alex, I find myself highly respecting of their patience.

Three years ago, I wasn’t in a good place for a number of reasons. But during that spell of disaster, I met someone who made me feel different… I found myself watching him with such fascination. He looked so handsom, and his personality was incredible. We could talk for hours about nothing, and yet had so many things in common. But back then, we were both in relationships of our own, and though I felt a strong connection with him, I settled it into a comfortable, trusting friendship. I believe in fate, and I knew if it was meant to happen, it would.

Well, 3 years later, I admitted to him how I felt. And I was delighted to find out he felt the same. Me and Ben have been seeing each other for just over a month, and I can honestly say I’ve never met anyone in my life who is more like me. We get on so well, and I love spending time with him. I trust him completely, even enough to let him take care of me after my birthday party. That happens to be my fourth distraction, as I spent ages collecting my costume. I dressed up as Jen from Primal, and had a brilliant time! But I was extremely drunk afterwards, and Ben took perfect care of me. He also drove me and a few others down to Alton Towers the weekend after for some theme-park fun. This meant a huge deal to me, as I had previously arranged to go on a number of occasions and hadn’t made the trip. Spending time with Ben, Alex, and so many of my other friends, has made some of the happiest memories of my life.

However, it can’t all be play, and now things are starting to look busy. My job ends on the 25th of August, and so it’s the perfect time to look to the future. I aim to spread my list of contacts as wide as I can over the next few weeks, and that involves more blogging, more reviewing, and a lot more work. This ties in well with Ben, as he is just about to start nights, and so I will have much more time during the week to be proactive.

My next goal is to move to Manchester, or somewhere similar. My life in Preston has been fun, but I’m not a student anymore. I’m more mature, more focused and much more experienced in so many ways than when I started university. It’s time to take that to the next level.

But, in the spirit of taking each day as it comes, my first point of concentration is this week. I wish luck to Alex, who has his own graduation on Wednesday. He’s worked hard, and deserves the reward. I also send my love to my mum, Susan. She passed away 19 years ago this Sunday. I know she would have loved to be there this Friday, and I believe she will be in spirit, along with my grandma, Eva, who also passed away a couple of years ago. They are two of the bravest, strongest and most inspirational people I know, and I hope that I can live up to their memories.

Wish me luck on Friday, and with the future.

Kirsty Watkinson