Is a Technocracy in our Future? (part 3)

If you're still able to read this, then it isn't too late—robots, Artificial Intelligence, and the technocrats haven't yet taken complete hold! But in all seriousness, many of the characteristics of a technocracy have become evident in present-day society. Our culture has been developing towards a technocracy for years already, and some could argue it even began with the advent of the internet itself. We keep our smartphones with us everywhere we go, including our bedside tables, so we are constantly plugged in to the internet, subject to those who mold and shape the internet for us. The tech giants influence our search results, display what they think we want to read (and what they want us to read), and they monitor our social media posts. Some have questioned the ever-increasing amount of influence and power of certain big-tech companies in this country, and across the world. Considering that the most popular landscape humanity enjoys occupying is the internet, it makes sense that corporations would aggressively invest in something so profitable. But the massive success of some companies has given rise to the technocrat. While they police and monitor us, though, who polices and monitors them?

Is a Technocracy in our Future? (part 2)

Whether we like or dislike our elected leaders and representatives, they are the result of our democratic system. The protected rights we have that are set forth by the constitution and other founding documents are the gifts of our republic. But in a technocracy, the technical elite would make the decisions—not us. In a technocracy, people heading gigantic tech corporations would be deciding what we are allowed to know, and what we should never know. They would be deciding who should be punished and who should be allowed to act freely. They would be monitoring us and policing us, sometimes overtly, and sometimes from the shadows. In a technocracy, information would be controlled by the technical elite, and we would be fed only what they wanted us to think. In a technocratic future, maybe even the cars we drive would be monitored and controlled ostensibly through AI programs--programs designed by the technical elite. The technocrats might listen in on our conversations through various technological means, track our movements and purchases, and archive everything we do online. If any of this sounds familiar, then it's possible a technocracy is already rising...

Is a Technocracy in our Future? (part 1)

My posts this week are not politically motivated: today, a technocracy is still considered a science fiction term for a type of government based on technology. I am discussing technocracy because it is the fictional form of government that the Solar Echoes aliens, the Erwani, are using, and as I have read more about this fictional form of government, I began to wonder if we may already have a technocracy forming here in America. A technocracy is a government where the decision-making officials are those that are members of a powerful technical elite. Technical experts would make decisions instead of elected representatives, and these experts or professionals would perform individual government functions and design the laws. A technocracy shares similarities with a meritocracy, which is a form of government where the most capable and skilled people are in charge. Is it possible, then, that with the technological developments we see happening today, we may someday become a technocracy? Why would we ever allow ourselves to be governed by technical experts instead of by elected officials? The answer might not be science fiction...

Dragon Quest XI Review (part 6)

In RPG's, one of the big problems for me is that I can't get to them every single day. Depending on my work schedule and family, I might go for days before I can sit down and play again. Because of this, it is very important to me that an RPG have a quest system that lets me know what's next and what my goals are. DQXI does a great job at this! Every time I load up my game, there is a little summary I can read about recent events, keeping me up to date and immersing me in the story immediately before the game even starts! I can also select a party member to talk with individually, and that party member will mention our goals. Plus, when I pull up the map, there is a little text window where it gives me a short explanation about where I need to head to next. Other elements if DQXI I enjoy include amazing character and monster animation (the monsters are quite hilarious!), the ability to run, and the option to call my horse on most overland maps and ride quickly to my next destination. I only have a few minor complaints about the game—one is that each character has limited inventory space and I need to spend time sorting things once in a while, but so far, it seems my item bag and equipment bag might have unlimited space? It also would have been nice to have the option to group select items, rather than having to do one at a time, going through a couple different menu confirmations to get things where I want them. One last, minor complaint is save points—I've never liked this system and prefer a “save anywhere” feature because of the randomness of my personal lifestyle. Save points are fairly frequent and well-placed throughout DQXI, though, so I can't complain too much. Those are my only complaints, though! I haven't mentioned other aspects of the game like the fun skill system, the crafting system, Pep Powers, and much more, but suffice it to say that I felt like almost every aspect of this game far exceeded my expectations and really put DQXI among the best RPG's I've ever played!

Dragon Quest XI Review (part 5)

The gameplay of an RPG can really kill a great game for me. I have a number of games in my library that make me cringe with guilt and frustration because, though I really like the games, there is some element in the gameplay that ruins it enough for me to put the game down. For example, when it first released, Bethesda's Skyrim was amazing, but after putting many long hours into the game, I just couldn't tolerate the long load times anymore, moving between indoor and outdoor environments. Thankfully, Skyrim VR on the PS4 is much better and load times are fast, but the point is, things like that can ruin a game for me. I remember Dragon Quest VIII, and it had an element of gameplay that nearly killed the game for me, and that was the frequent, invisible, unavoidable random encounters. This is a staple of older RPG's, but I've always hated it, because I don't want to be in battle every 10 seconds of movement—I want to advance the story and not feel punished for exploring! Thankfully, Dragon Quest XI has done away with the random, unavoidable encounters, and instead there are little animated monsters that move around the landscape. You can run past them if you choose, and though you may occasionally get “caught” by a monster, most encounters are totally by choice. Like DQVIII, DQXI encounters are amazingly fun and bursting with character. The battle system has an added option to allow you to move your character around, and even though it is only aesthetic and has no bearing on the fight, it's a nice touch. I would have liked to see a monster/character order indicated so I can better strategize during battle, but in a way, the lack of it creates more tension: will I have time to heal my character before he/she is attacked again?! There are a few more nice elements of gameplay I'd like to mention...

 

 

Dragon Quest XI Review (part 4)

The story, characters, and gameplay of an RPG are really the factors that make or break a game for me. If the story is predictable or the characters are all stereotypical cliches, I end up focusing on other aspects of the game to find redeeming value. But DQXI delivers on every level, and the story and characters exceed expectations just like every other aspect of the game. I've played a LOT of RPG's, trust me, but even when I was only 10 hours into the game I was already surprised by some unusual twists and turns in the plot and character behavior. The story is engaging in an unpretentious way—it has a quality to it that feels like it was taken straight out of a classic, time-tested fairy tale. Although there are certainly a few elements that you'll be familiar with, it feels like a new story is being told and this is one of the reasons the game keeps me going: I can't wait to find out what happens next! The characters in DQXI are likeable and fun. For example, I found myself wishing I had an adventurous friend like Erik to hang out with in real life—someone curious to see what might be up on that roof or behind that locked door, and daring enough to figure out a way to discover the truth. Each character has his or her own, distinct personality, and the dynamic of the party changes with each new addition to the group. I almost feel like I have a group of online friends waiting on standby to continue adventuring with me! But how is the gameplay in DQXI...?

Dragon Quest XI Review (part 3)

The sound effects in DQ were fantastic. I don't normally take much note of sound effects, because they are usually the type of standard effects you would expect in any game. However, the sound effects in DQ further enhance the cartoon-like fantasy nature of the game, appropriately exaggerated just the right amount. The swipe of a sword felt a little bigger than you'd expect, and the swoosh of a boomerang gave it a bold presence. The sound effects even drew my eyes more quickly to the action, such as a moment when my character blocked an incoming attack with his shield—the “Konk!” sound caused me to notice his successful deflection and made me want to see it again just because it all felt so cool. The sounds of the monsters were equally exaggerated and very distinct. Whether it was the sound of electronics and grinding gears in a robotic chicken, the hollow, echoing laughter of evil clouds, or the deep, bellowing thumps of enemy taiko-like drummers, everything felt fun with distinct presence and personality. The background music also has lots of character, and familiar DQ orchestral themes returned along with some themes that were very effective for establishing and enhancing the mood for a scene. The voice-acting was excellent and embellished the text with character and nuance far beyond the written word. People from different towns and status levels in society even had different accents and expressions, which further enhanced their fun caricatures. The sound design of DQXI made the game even more enjoyable!