In recent times, newer technology has been used in the world of soccer. One of these devices is a measurement system around the goal, called goal line technology. It lets refs check and see if the ball has passed the goal-line and constitutes as a goal or if it was cleared beforehand. It is a bit controversial in soccer for one main reason. Referees have always been the deciding factor in this sport. If someone is pulled down or fouled, the ref intervenes. This is the reason why players often flop on the ground, they are trying to fake out the ref, hoping to get a free kick. The same goes for offsides. The ref may sometimes call things that are wrong, and that is just how soccer is, it is why it stays entertaining, it keeps the game human. Controversial calls are great fun to watch and experience so why take them away. This is why so many fans are upset about this technology, it would eliminate one of the human elements of soccer. In soccer one goal can turn it from a win to a loss, so this is a huge talking point. It's terrible when a team loses because of a goal that wasn't really a goal. An example can be pulled from a Bundesliga match recently. Stefan Kiessling had a header that looked like it missed the goal, but ended up inside the goal. As confusing as it was the referee called it a goal, only to later find a hole the ball had made on the outside of the net! Even though it was found DURING the match, the goal still counted. Bayer Leverkusen ended up winning off of that goal, even though it wasn't technically a goal.
That is why I am afraid of new additions to soccer like this. Events like that could easily go away if new technology like goal-line is added in. One of the cooler parts of soccer is that calls like that can be made, even if they are wrong, but I can see both sides of the argument. Do you think this tech is OK in soccer and is necessary to keep everything fair, or do you think it destroys something that soccer has always had, tradition. Feel free to leave a comment.
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Some Fussball Changes
I have put some thought into a new decision for this blog. So far, my 40plus blogs have pertained mostly to science fiction, hence the name Sy-Fience. Slowly and slowly I obviously run out of things to say or type about. I want the quality of my blogs to stay somewhat premium so at this point I may trickle in a few other posts that do not have anything to do with science fiction. Since I am a huge fan of soccer, it will be mostly soccer related things. I will still make science fiction posts, just not every single one will be syfy.
It has gotten progressively harder to write long, decent posts in the science fiction department and that is the main reason. The soccer posts will mostly stay in the realm of the German Bundesliga, since that is what I love following and watching. With constant action up until the end of May when the season ends, I am sure I will be able to keep a steady flow of posts coming into this blog. I doubt I will change the name of the blog due to this change. It is a pretty cool name, plus there is little need to change the name, who cares. Thank you for your understanding and stay tuned.
It has gotten progressively harder to write long, decent posts in the science fiction department and that is the main reason. The soccer posts will mostly stay in the realm of the German Bundesliga, since that is what I love following and watching. With constant action up until the end of May when the season ends, I am sure I will be able to keep a steady flow of posts coming into this blog. I doubt I will change the name of the blog due to this change. It is a pretty cool name, plus there is little need to change the name, who cares. Thank you for your understanding and stay tuned.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Lasers
Lasers are something that many people know, and are familiar with, or are they. Pew, Pew may not ACTUALLY be the sound a laser makes, nor does it create a giant red, luminous beam. Think of a Star Wars blaster. If that is what you think of when you think laser, I am sorry, but you are wrong. Not only are Star Wars blasters not lasers, a real world laser would function nothing like that. A laser would travel at the speed of light basically, because it is light. Unless it was heated an incredible amount, it would burn through things either. A perfect example of what a laser is, is just a laser pointer. The beam is nearly invisible, but you can see where it hits. Like light itself, so next time you think about lasers going pew pew, blowing stuff up, leaving burns, think of plasma instead, because that's probably what is really behind it all.
Sounds
Sounds are something that we dance to, laugh to, and maybe cry to. Sadly, someone who lives out in the vacuum of space would never get to hear or experience any of that. Music is plentiful here on Earth, but would be non-existent in space. The fact that nothing is heard in space is not only sad, it's kind of creepy. Like being deaf, it is a sense that would be greatly missed. Imagine watching Star Wars and all of the space battles had zero sound. Do it, it is eerie and just feels/sounds wrong, even though it would be scientifically correct. Isn't it odd that something that is true, would look or sound wrong. Curious.
Battlefront III
I know I don't do many video game related blogs, but there is nothing really science fiction about some video games and I do want to try and stay on topic. But I do blog about Star Wars quite frequently, and about a year ago, they announced that developer DICE would be working on my favorite video game franchise, Star Wars Battlefront. Now in case you don't know what Battlefront is I will give you some info. In Battlefront you are an infantryman (Clones, Droids, Stromtroopers, Rebels) battling on major planets in the Star Wars universe like Naboo or Tatooine. The game doesn't have much beyond that. The battles can be online or offline against AI bots. What I love most about this game is the scope of it. There aren't huge numbers of players on each team but it feels like you are fighting a battle with hundreds of people. The game still holds up and you could pick it up real cheap online or on Steam.
But back to Battlefront III. There hasn't been much information about the game since the announcement. A few trailers have come out but all we really know is that Hoth and Endor will be in it along with AT-ST's and speeder bikes. Not much. Since not much is known about the game, and it does have a 2015 release date, I think some speculation wouldn't hurt anyone.
One reason this game is so huge is it has been made before. We were promised a sequel after Battlefront II and Battlefront III was in development, but that was nearly 8 or so years ago. A third game in the franchise was nearly complete, and there are leaked trailers showing off the game and it looks incredible. Some fallout happened within the company and the game sadly had to be canned. So when EA announced they would be making it, that was a huge deal. From the trailers of the dead Battlefront game we can see some pretty cool things that hopefully will be featured in the new game.
First is ground-to-space combat. In the movies, along with a battle going on planet side, on was also occurring in space, so it would make sense (and be really cool) if you could get in a ship and fly down to help your allies on the ground and vice versa. It's every Star Wars fan's dream really. Another thing that would almost be necessary with ground-to-space battles is large amounts of people to fight. I am not talking Battlefield's 64 man teams, but 100 to 150 man teams. We have the technology and playstation exclusive MAG had 300+ people in games so it isn't impossible. Also, I really hope they add destruction. It is something that Battlefield creators, DICE, are famous for so you would think it is a given but we will see. Imagine for a second, a spaceship blowing up in the atmosphere, the plummeting and crashing into the ground, destroying everything in it's path, the thought is almost hyping this game too much but still. Lastly, a cool mode could be a jedi hunter-type mode. A small team of jedi have to survive a large team of stormtroopers or bounty hunters or something similar, kinda like Hunt from BF II. Really what would be nice is just a different mode. Battlefront II had the conquest, CTF, and the normal multiplayer game types, but I would like something different, in case I got bored with normal matchmaking. A mode like Hunt or Assault, but those modes could only be played on a handful of maps. Anything off this list is just a hope, the game could still be fantastic without these things.
Now just in case, I also want to talk about features that were in the old one that are important to me and need to make in to the next installment. These are things that deserve be in the next game. Obviously, 3rd person needs to be in the game. Battlefront is a game that could really only be played in the 3rd person. I know there was a 1st person, but nobody used it, and I don't care if they add in a 1st person, but just don't leave out the cornerstone to the game that is a 3rd person perspective. Along with that is another thing that you'd think is a given, but I am worried about. Please do not release the game with nothing at all from the prequels... The reason I say this is I have seen nothing in the slightest about the prequels from the trailers they have shown. The 2nd Battlefront focused on the prequels and thats not really necessary, just don't leave them out. I know and I have talked about peoples feeling toward the prequels, but they ARE Star Wars, even if some of you won't believe it, and that being said they must be in the STAR WARS GAME. Yes, they have only shown 2 trailers, but all of this focus on the original trilogy really has me worried that it will be skipped over entirely, or worse, thrown in as DLC! YIKES! Continuing from that little tangent, split-screen multiplayer should be showcased in the full game, hopefully 4 player. Not many games lately have had 4 player splits-screen and its a shame really. I mean you've got Halo, COD, a handful of party games, and that's really it. With less and less games having this feature, I think it would help the game stand out and stay at its roots. I spent so much of my childhood playing the split-screen with friends or family, so make it happen. Along with that being said, I would like it to continue to have an offline Instant Action against bots, whilst still boasting a better multiplayer. Since I played so much split-screen offline, I didn't spend much time in multiplayer. It wasn't bad, it was fine for it's time, but it doesn't have dedicated servers at all anymore and it's just a shame, and quite hard to find good matches these days. But I'm not worried about the multiplayer because matchmaking is a staple for games nowadays.
If you are someone who like me, has been dreaming of this game for almost a decade, don't worry, more official news is coming Spring 2015. Just the fact that this game is happening is enough for me, it's a miracle that it is coming out this year. The game still is shrouded in mystery, which could lead to delays (fingers crossed though). Think of Dying Light, that game is supposed to come out in a few days but it was shown off at E3 2013, so hopefully us Battlefront fans won't be waiting until late 2016 to get our fix. Until then, I'll just have to wait for what seems like forever for the greatest Star Wars game of all time.
But back to Battlefront III. There hasn't been much information about the game since the announcement. A few trailers have come out but all we really know is that Hoth and Endor will be in it along with AT-ST's and speeder bikes. Not much. Since not much is known about the game, and it does have a 2015 release date, I think some speculation wouldn't hurt anyone.
One reason this game is so huge is it has been made before. We were promised a sequel after Battlefront II and Battlefront III was in development, but that was nearly 8 or so years ago. A third game in the franchise was nearly complete, and there are leaked trailers showing off the game and it looks incredible. Some fallout happened within the company and the game sadly had to be canned. So when EA announced they would be making it, that was a huge deal. From the trailers of the dead Battlefront game we can see some pretty cool things that hopefully will be featured in the new game.
First is ground-to-space combat. In the movies, along with a battle going on planet side, on was also occurring in space, so it would make sense (and be really cool) if you could get in a ship and fly down to help your allies on the ground and vice versa. It's every Star Wars fan's dream really. Another thing that would almost be necessary with ground-to-space battles is large amounts of people to fight. I am not talking Battlefield's 64 man teams, but 100 to 150 man teams. We have the technology and playstation exclusive MAG had 300+ people in games so it isn't impossible. Also, I really hope they add destruction. It is something that Battlefield creators, DICE, are famous for so you would think it is a given but we will see. Imagine for a second, a spaceship blowing up in the atmosphere, the plummeting and crashing into the ground, destroying everything in it's path, the thought is almost hyping this game too much but still. Lastly, a cool mode could be a jedi hunter-type mode. A small team of jedi have to survive a large team of stormtroopers or bounty hunters or something similar, kinda like Hunt from BF II. Really what would be nice is just a different mode. Battlefront II had the conquest, CTF, and the normal multiplayer game types, but I would like something different, in case I got bored with normal matchmaking. A mode like Hunt or Assault, but those modes could only be played on a handful of maps. Anything off this list is just a hope, the game could still be fantastic without these things.
Now just in case, I also want to talk about features that were in the old one that are important to me and need to make in to the next installment. These are things that deserve be in the next game. Obviously, 3rd person needs to be in the game. Battlefront is a game that could really only be played in the 3rd person. I know there was a 1st person, but nobody used it, and I don't care if they add in a 1st person, but just don't leave out the cornerstone to the game that is a 3rd person perspective. Along with that is another thing that you'd think is a given, but I am worried about. Please do not release the game with nothing at all from the prequels... The reason I say this is I have seen nothing in the slightest about the prequels from the trailers they have shown. The 2nd Battlefront focused on the prequels and thats not really necessary, just don't leave them out. I know and I have talked about peoples feeling toward the prequels, but they ARE Star Wars, even if some of you won't believe it, and that being said they must be in the STAR WARS GAME. Yes, they have only shown 2 trailers, but all of this focus on the original trilogy really has me worried that it will be skipped over entirely, or worse, thrown in as DLC! YIKES! Continuing from that little tangent, split-screen multiplayer should be showcased in the full game, hopefully 4 player. Not many games lately have had 4 player splits-screen and its a shame really. I mean you've got Halo, COD, a handful of party games, and that's really it. With less and less games having this feature, I think it would help the game stand out and stay at its roots. I spent so much of my childhood playing the split-screen with friends or family, so make it happen. Along with that being said, I would like it to continue to have an offline Instant Action against bots, whilst still boasting a better multiplayer. Since I played so much split-screen offline, I didn't spend much time in multiplayer. It wasn't bad, it was fine for it's time, but it doesn't have dedicated servers at all anymore and it's just a shame, and quite hard to find good matches these days. But I'm not worried about the multiplayer because matchmaking is a staple for games nowadays.
If you are someone who like me, has been dreaming of this game for almost a decade, don't worry, more official news is coming Spring 2015. Just the fact that this game is happening is enough for me, it's a miracle that it is coming out this year. The game still is shrouded in mystery, which could lead to delays (fingers crossed though). Think of Dying Light, that game is supposed to come out in a few days but it was shown off at E3 2013, so hopefully us Battlefront fans won't be waiting until late 2016 to get our fix. Until then, I'll just have to wait for what seems like forever for the greatest Star Wars game of all time.
Monday, January 19, 2015
The future of the future
The future is something that will never go away. New things will always be created. New tech will always push the limits. Science will forever be expanding, right? It would be sad to think of a future where everything that could be made, has been made. Obviously way into the future, but still. Would life be more boring, without any wonder or what ifs? And would all this tech be good or bad for us. Would we be lazy and fat, all sitting around on floating chairs like in Wall-E. Or have AI be doing all the tough tasks while humans just have a good time all day. We all have a vision of the future, huge cities, flying cars, space travel, bright lights, the whole thing. But whats the future of that future. I have an idea of what it could be. Over population could be a concern in the future, it sort of is now. There are so many people in the world, not everyone can be number on, living a luxury life. But we all want to. An interesting idea is something almost out of the matrix. Possibly at birth we all put on virtual reality devices and live our lives in them. Each persons virtual reality is whatever their dream is. Luxury life, lazy life, the whole life is lived out virtually. Think of when neo gets out of the matrix for the first time, something like that. To me that is the end game for the human race. Its kinda creepy because noone would actually know eachother but it doesnt matter because each person is living the best life they possibly could. Isnt this the future of the future? The ultimate end game?
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)