Comments on: Oystrygods Gaggin Oil God http://grandtextauto.org/2006/10/18/oystrygods-gaggin-oil-god/ A group blog about computer narrative, games, poetry, and art. Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:44:40 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: michael http://grandtextauto.org/2006/10/18/oystrygods-gaggin-oil-god/comment-page-1/#comment-99349 michael Sat, 28 Oct 2006 23:24:23 +0000 http://grandtextauto.org/?p=1333#comment-99349 When I first saw the comparison to Balance of Power (in Nick's concept equation), it made me think of rich and complex simulations, which actually seem inappropriate for a newsgame. To function as the game equivalent of an editorial cartoon, newsgames need to exhibit a "get-in-and-get-out" interaction that quickly communicates the point the game makes. When I actually played Oil God, however, it did indeed function as a newsgame. There didn't seem to be a complex Balance of Power-like simulation under the hood - you can make oil prices go up by raining plagues upon the oil producing countries, without thinking too much about which ones, why, in what order. Oil God communicates its point through the verbs it makes available to the player - the list of ways you can manipulate countries provides the commentary on how energy companies manipulate the market (and the callousness with which they do so). When I first saw the comparison to Balance of Power (in Nick’s concept equation), it made me think of rich and complex simulations, which actually seem inappropriate for a newsgame. To function as the game equivalent of an editorial cartoon, newsgames need to exhibit a “get-in-and-get-out” interaction that quickly communicates the point the game makes. When I actually played Oil God, however, it did indeed function as a newsgame. There didn’t seem to be a complex Balance of Power-like simulation under the hood – you can make oil prices go up by raining plagues upon the oil producing countries, without thinking too much about which ones, why, in what order. Oil God communicates its point through the verbs it makes available to the player – the list of ways you can manipulate countries provides the commentary on how energy companies manipulate the market (and the callousness with which they do so).

]]> By: eben http://grandtextauto.org/2006/10/18/oystrygods-gaggin-oil-god/comment-page-1/#comment-98957 eben Fri, 20 Oct 2006 17:45:56 +0000 http://grandtextauto.org/?p=1333#comment-98957 It should have been named "Hell of Oil" after the 'Hell of Sand' sandbox-style games. I Love it. But also suck at it. I had an idea for a 9/11 Truth game similarly based on the 'Hell of Sand' games; you are given a number of means to attempt to bring down the WTC and various other buildings in the NY skyline, planes included. Except this simulation accounts for the temperature that steel melts at and the temperature airplane fuel burns at- Geez, it's really hard to bring down those towers with just planes! In fact, it's nearly impossible to recreate the effects of 9/11 without using the "demolitions" function! So edgy... so political... so neccesary. The disclaimer that Gonzalo Frasca offers at the intro to his "Sept 12th" sim assumes higher meaning: "This is not a game." It should have been named “Hell of Oil” after the ‘Hell of Sand’ sandbox-style games.

I Love it. But also suck at it.

I had an idea for a 9/11 Truth game similarly based on the ‘Hell of Sand’ games; you are given a number of means to attempt to bring down the WTC and various other buildings in the NY skyline, planes included. Except this simulation accounts for the temperature that steel melts at and the temperature airplane fuel burns at- Geez, it’s really hard to bring down those towers with just planes! In fact, it’s nearly impossible to recreate the effects of 9/11 without using the “demolitions” function!

So edgy… so political… so neccesary.

The disclaimer that Gonzalo Frasca offers at the intro to his “Sept 12th” sim assumes higher meaning:
“This is not a game.”

]]> By: academhack » Blog Archive » Digital Games in Class http://grandtextauto.org/2006/10/18/oystrygods-gaggin-oil-god/comment-page-1/#comment-98943 academhack » Blog Archive » Digital Games in Class Fri, 20 Oct 2006 01:38:18 +0000 http://grandtextauto.org/?p=1333#comment-98943 [...] ng one of these texts. But in the meantime you can check out Ian Bogost’s new game, Oil God! Bogost has created a series of “political” games, of [...] [...] ng one of these texts. But in the meantime you can check out Ian Bogost’s new game, Oil God! Bogost has created a series of “political” games, of [...]

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