The Penultimate Question

One of the downsides to writing our questions for this challenge without knowing what questions would be coming the other way, is that one or two of the questions overlap a bit.  This is a case in point - Question 3: What's your favourite online game? - since Tim has already answered a question about which computer game he considers to be the best.

Well, in the version of the question which I have to answer, the field is narrowed somewhat, as it specifies an online game rather than the more general 'computer game'.  And since I don't play that many online games, this query could prove a tricky one to answer.

I like Portal.  So it would seem logical to say my favourite online game is Portal: The Flash Version, which is very very similar except in 2D instead of 3D.  Only problem with that is, it isn't my favourite.  It has problems.  Or at least, I have problems with it.  The main issue I have with that game is the difficulty curve - out of its 40 levels, I can walk through the first 30 with no trouble at all.  The next five are a bit more of a challenge, but nothing insurmountable.  Even the one which is labelled "may cause frustration!" isn't as hard as it looks, once you've assessed it and figured out the portalling sequence.  But then comes Level 36 - and as far as I'm concerned that's where it all goes to pieces.  I've attempted that level numerous times, and never passed it.  This coming from someone who's beaten the final boss levels in both of the official Portal games multiple times each.  The near-impossibility of getting through the last five levels leaves me deeply reluctant to cite this game as a favourite.

I've dabbled with a few other online games, but to be honest, most of them don't manage to hold my attention beyond a handful of levels.  A lot of them seem to fall into an awkward middle ground, where their basic logic is more complex than that of, say, Minesweeper, but without feeling as intellectual and without reaching a degree of complexity where it actually feels like a properly complicated game - if that makes any sense?

I've dabbled very briefly with some of the ones Tim mentioned in his post earlier this week, and one of them might emerge as a new favourite, but I haven't played any of them enough to make that sort of call yet.

So in short, at least for the time being, the answer is that I don't have a favourite online game.

Sorry to be so disingenuous.


Stats, for the next-to-last time:

• Last 10 for 17 status: 9 down, just 1 more to go
• Latest book read: still The Kink and I
• Latest film/TV watched: The Apprentice series 8 episode 8
• Latest music listened to: Requiem by Karl Jenkins, unless you count whatever was on Radio 2 earlier today
• Latest edible item eaten: chicken nuggets
• Programs and web pages currently running: Microsoft Office Outlook, Firefox (tabs: MatNav 6.1; Blogspot Create Post)
• Webcomics posted today: Cylinder and Miserable Episode 1477, Fort Paradox Episode 112

- The Colclough