I played my first online game of Pop-Pop today. Some of you might be interested in hearing how it went....
First I had to figure out the network game browser or whatever it's called. This was very frustrating at first. It's easily the most complicated and non-intuitive thing in the game, and yet the instructions don't have a word of explanation of how it works.
Most of the time when I try to join an existing game, it tells me I can't because that game is not "open" anymore. So... Why is it displaying them to me?
Anyhow, I hosted a game.... Now, I thought I was going to be at least semi-competent at this game. I mean, I had beaten all the computer pops straight through, twice. So, I figure I know more-or-less how the game is played.
I got stomped. I got stomped so hard and fast, I couldn't figure it out. I was playing against Bombastic, and about 20 seconds into the game I got hit with a ton of hollow bricks and at least two sets of bombs in quick succession. And I didn't think this was possible.... I mean, it takes time to build up energy, and it takes time to charge up a super power. Yet, this happened to me three times in a row.
When the game was over, my opponent opened chat with me. The conversation went something like this:
him: you a newbie?
me: Yah... Wow, how did you do that?
him: read the manual
him: and **** it
I've got to tell you.... That must be the worst possible introduction anybody could ever have to playing a game online. There are many people all over the country who don't play online games because they are afraid of having exactly that kind of experience.
Suddenly the whole idea of online gaming doesn't seem that wonderful.
Suddenly all the people clamoring for EV to be turned into an online game seem very misguided -- I can just imagine having my ship blown out from under me every 20 seconds while being cussed at by people who have no functioning shift-key. What fun. 
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*** Zobeid Zarathustra ***
