Have you ever wondered what it’s like doing or being something you normally wouldn’t? Well, that’s what simulators are for. A simulator is a machine that projects a virtual reality with a set of controls that lets you do anything like flying a plane, maneuvering a ship, or even driving a garbage truck. Simulators can be played anywhere from places like an arcade or even at home on your computer.

“The Sims”

If you can’t have the perfect life and family in real life, then the Sims is just the simulator for you. You’ll spend hours upon hours making your Sim do things on the game you wouldn’t or couldn’t do in real life. The Sims is a life simulator where you make a family, build or buy them a home, set career goals, have a family, etc. The Sims is a way to escape the reality you’re in and jump into one that is the exact opposite. You’ll spend hours upon hours making your Sim do things on the game you wouldn’t or couldn’t do in real life. There are four installments of the “The Sims”; “Sims 1”, “Sims 2”, “Sims 3” and the latest version, “Sims 4“.

“American Truck Simulator”

Too afraid to drive the big-rigs in real life? “American Truck Simulator” can help with that. With this highly addictive simulator, you become a truck driver in hopes of making money and buying new trucks. That’s what this game is about.

As you drive down long highways, trying to deliver packages or getting to a designated area within a given time, you get to see what an everyday truck driver experiences. The game gives you the option to listen to live radio, add your own favorite channels and import MP3 tracks. You’d never expect truck driving to be so relaxing, but “American Truck Simulator” can be downright therapeutic.

“Zoo Tycoon”

“Zoo Tycoon” is a perfect game for people who are business savvy. It’s not hard to become addicted to this simulator because of the fact there are animals to interact with. It focuses on building the perfect zoo.

Players have to create or expand one of the zoos by buying various types of animals, creating their ideal habitat, and hire capable staff to help run the zoo and maintain the animals. There are three modes to choose from such as scenario, challenge, and freestyle.

“Microsoft Flight Simulator X”

Flying a plane or a jet in real life is a very difficult thing to learn and master. Thankfully, Microsoft created the ideal simulator to help you fulfill your dream of being a pilot. As the name implies, “Flight Simulator X” is the tenth version of the well-known flight simulators.

There’s a standard version and deluxe version of this game. The standard version incorporates 18 planes, 28 cities, and more than 24,000 airports. The deluxe version is still the same game except with six more planes and 10 more cities. With the easy controls and breathtaking views this game has, you’ll be addicted in no time!

“Minecraft”

“Minecraft” is an open-world, sandbox type of simulator. There are three modes in “Minecraft”: Survival, Creative and Hardcore. All of which you play as a character named Steve and create almost anything you want. You can farm, build houses, have a pet wolf, trade resources with villagers, go mining for coal and iron and even fight a dragon. You’ll find yourself playing this amazing open-world simulator for hours.
You can do anything in the real world and whatever you can’t do is what the simulator is for. Not only is it a source of entertainment, it’s also educational as you experience what it’s like being a pilot, business owner or even a truck driver. Playing simulators is a way find out more about the world as they are based off real life things.

When Firaxis brought back the venerable XCOM series from the dead nobody could have predicted how damn good it would be, its turned-based tactical mayhem creating a palpable sense of tension. It was difficult, too, demanding that you contemplate every move or else lose your soldiers forever. XCOM 2 had a rough launch, but it still managed to improve on Enemy Unknown, refining various parts of the core gameplay. Unsurprisingly several companies have attempted to leap onto the bandwagon. Shock Tactics happens to be the latest game trying to capture the magic of yelling at virtual soldiers because they missed a 90% chance to hit. It’s also not that good.
But let us assume for a moment that you aren’t familiar with the turn-based genius of XCOM: the basic idea is that you’ll take control of a squad of soldiers and guide them through the level. During your turn you can move them, attack and activate special abilities, all of which are governed by an Action Point system. Cover is vitally important to surviving, and because of that flanking the enemy is key to killing them, otherwise you just end up trading mostly ineffectual shots. When it comes to firing at a foe the chances of hitting will be displayed above the target, which also means lady luck plays a big part in whether you live or die; sometimes a soldier will nail a shot despite having a mere 5% chance of hitting, and sometimes you’ll miss even though there was a 90% chance of hitting them right between the eyes. If all else fails you can just stick your squad into Overwatch which means they’ll open fire on the first bad guy who moves during the A.I.’s turn.
But the truly important thing to know is that if a soldier dies he’s gone for good. Shock Tactics embraces this aspect of the XCOM series, and while you do have a window of opportunity to rescue a downed squad member once that’s over they vanish into the nether realm. The only way to replenish squad numbers is by embarking on specific missions where you have to battle your way to them, of course meaning that you risk getting even more soldiers killed in the process.
Sadly, it’s hard to get attached to your little squad, so their death means nothing more than frustration because you’ll have to find somebody else and patiently wait for them to level up and thus actually become useful. In XCOM you could not only name your troops but also play with their color scheme and facial features, which combined with their unique abilities in the field made them surprisingly endearing. They had their own stories and histories forged through prior missions and their deaths actually made you feel sad. In Shock Tactics your troops are just faceless goons with only their armor color being something you can alter.
Still, within the turn-based tactical combat there are flashes of brilliance, moments where the game nearly manages to match X-com’s tension-filled battles as one of your troops lands a seemingly impossible shot or somehow survives a barrage of firepower that should have surely mown them down. Sure, there isn’t enough variety in enemy types nor enough abilities within your own ranks, and the different classes of soldier feel much too alike, but the XCOM core, which has not so much been copied as stolen outright, remains fun. It’s just flashes of brilliance, though, amidst a lot of….well, okayness. It says a lot that the only thing Shock Tactics does well is what it lifted straight out of Firaxis’ turn-based masterpieces.
The first problem is the level design which bounces wildly from being rather good to outright annoying thanks to what I assume is random generation. There’s a nice amount of verticality to play around with, although it and the thankfully uncommon interiors are marred by an awkward camera that frequently gets caught up on scenery or hides lines of sight. More annoying are the stretches of empty ground that force you to either leave troops out in the open at the mercy of the enemy or play a boring game of trading shots over long-distance that have minimal odds of actually hitting anything.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus may feature more blood, amputation and beheadings than most timeless works of art, but in its own way, that’s what Sweden-based developer MachineGames set out to do with its take on the Wolfenstein franchise.
In New Colossus, players – through the role of William “B.J.” Blazkowicz – are first transported to and then fighting against a tyrannical America – a place in which Nazis haven’t just taken root, but are its guiding light.
The game takes place in a 1961 Nazi-occupied America. But the occupation is, at least at first blush, mostly hospitable. Americans have taken to the fascist party like fish to water.
It can’t help but elicit the question: Is The New Colossus meant to be, in any way, a parable of modern times, a warning of what could be to come under a far-right American leadership. When asked, Matthies called the game “timeless,” and said it was certainly not meant to be commentary. According to him, he and the team drew more inspiration from films like Inglorious Basterds and Django Unchained than they did reality.

The Wheelchair

The two levels that press were granted unfettered access to included one in which BJ awakens in a sub, lying on a hospital bed. Nazis have discovered them, so he must pull himself from the bed and into a wheelchair.
The rest of the level is played from within the confines of that chair: BJ expertly maneuvering the chair around corners to pop off shots at encroaching Nazis, hurdling over bumps and down passageways in what can only be described as the world’s most handicap-accessible submarine in existence.

Nazi America

Once the wheelchair level wrapped up, we were pushed forward through the game, to a save point much later on. It opens with BJ, now walking, visiting a small town in Southwest America, deeply ensconced within, happily embracing the new order of Nazi rule.
BJ is here to blow shit up. But first, he has to wander this cozy little town to find his contact, a man who runs the local soda shop.
Matthies tells us that he and the team deliberately avoided watching the Amazon Prime series The Man in the High Castle – which also takes place in an America ruled by Nazis.

The Big Bomb

My final mission in my time with the game was to sneak into a command center and nuke the whole place.
Where the earlier missions were bookended with clever dialog and tight writing, this was more classic Wolfenstein: a steady, bloody churn through endless Nazi enemies using an increasingly diverse – but always lethal ¬– mix of weapons to part Nazi life and limb from Nazi body.
The melee death-dealing of a stealthy BJ is only less satisfying than BJ methodically mowing down Nazis with a weapon in each hand.
The developers spent a lot of time building out the gore system, which enables BJ to do things like grab a Nazi by the shoulder and then lop off his leg before killing him.

Everyone loves Grand Theft Auto (the games, not the actual crime). Whether it be for the storyline, the freedom of a sandbox city, or even just playing out the road rage you’d never get away with in real life, GTA has something for everyone. With so much freedom, it’s hard to figure out what you should actually do in-game, though. That’s why we put together a list of five things you’ve got to do in GTA 5 before dropping the control.

Ride a Plane

“Ride a plane? You mean go to the airport and steal a jet?” Not so, hypothetical reader. While stealing a plane or helicopter might be step 1 of this this 2 step plan, the objective is to actually ride on top of a plane. It will take a good amount of skill and timing to line things up properly, plus a lot of prep and luck to not die in the process, but if you can manage to jump on top of a plane in mid-flight, those multitudes of death will all be worth it.

Steal a Tank

It’s as simple as that. Go steal a tank and wreak havoc across the city. Deceptively simple as it sounds, there’s actually a lot of technique in getting a tank into the position for stealing it. The best and most fun way to do so is to get some friends to help. After enough attempts to try and steal planes and helicopters from the military base, the army will usually mobilize to come get you, including at least one tank. Once that happens, it’s all a matter of finding the hatch and breaking in without being shot a thousand times first.

Get Lost in the Woods

While it might sound unusual given the violent nature of the game, one of the most relaxing things you can do in GTA is to get lost in the woods. Either teleport to a random area of the forest or wander out, disable your map, and try to find your way back to the city. It’s a fun little journey that might uncover some Easter Eggs.

Moon Gravity Skydiving

Easily the most hilarious thing you can do in the game is enable the moon gravity cheat. Characters and cars slide all over the ground like it’s made of ice. But the most fun you can have with this cheat isn’t on the ground, but in the air. Piloting a plane or helicopter to the highest point in the game you can manage and bailing out is a sight to behold, your character falling to their death in slow motion, screaming and flailing the entire time. The only thing it lacks is the ability to dual wield some SMGs and fire them behind you.

Jump Off Mt. Chiliad

Similar to the last idea, jumping off Mt. Chiliad is fun all on its own. Aside from watching your character’s lifeless body tumble down slope (with multiple chances to do it again as you respawn on a lower point), it’s sure to be one of the highlights of your night. Optionally, you could just bring a hang glider and fly over the entire city.

Get to It

These are just five of the bizarre and hilarious things you should definitely try while playing GTA 5. With such a huge game and freedom to do basically whatever you want, there’s no end to the fun you can have. So get to it and start causing chaos.

In the world of gaming, your experience is often determined by your equipment. If you’re looking for ways to stay current with gaming, then check out these 5 pieces of must-have gaming gear.

A Gaming Keyboard

For PC gamers, a run-of-the-mill keyboard isn’t going to cut it. Instead, look at specialized gaming keyboards with ultra-responsive and tactile keys. These will allow your character to react faster than with your average keyboard, and should easily help raise your kill count.

Wireless Bluetooth Headphones

Regardless of your preferred console, wireless earbuds are a must-have for any serious gamer. Things can get intense sometimes, and when you’re jerking your controller around during a fight, you shouldn’t have to worry about headphones being yanked out of your ears. As an added bonus, wireless Bluetooth headphones will usually have a remarkably clear sound quality, which can be a huge help in letting you feel immersed in your gaming experience.

Gaming Glasses

It’s no secret that playing hours of your favorite game can lead to eye trouble down the road, but you no longer have to choose between mastering your game or having 20/20 vision. New, specialized gaming eyewear is designed to simultaneously reduce strain on your eyes while eliminating glare. This means that you’ll be able to play at any time of day, and for as long as you want without worrying about the health of your eyes. It’s important that you keep your glasses clean and clear for optimal vision, so invest in a specialized, non-toxic, non-scratching glass cleaner. You might want to try Melaleuca Clear Power, which does a better job than store brand glass cleaners according to online Melaleuca reviews left by customers.

Upgraded Mouse

For PC gamers, it’s all about how quickly you can react to what’s happening on the screen. Having good reaction time is a good place to start, but that can only take you so far. If you’re looking to take your gaming to the next level, invest in a gaming mouse with programmable buttons and a high-speed scrolling wheel. Otherwise, you’ll waste precious seconds scrambling to find buttons on your keyboard, which can often mean the difference between winning and losing.

Footboards

Anyone who played video games in the early 2000s already knows that, historically, footboards have been underwhelming. Thanks to new technology, though, footboards can now be an excellent tool to up your game. Simply program in-game actions to your footboard, and you instantly free up your hands to perform different functions.

Game On

Gaming is only going to get more competitive, which means you’ll need the latest gear to keep up. Use these 5 gaming tools to make sure you’re staying at the top of your game.

It has long been thought that violent media exposure can lead people to commit violent acts. In fact, this it is not unheard of for a criminal defense attorney to include exposure to fictional violence – such as that seen in video games – in defense of a client. The belief that fictional violence is a corruptive force goes back to the Victorian Era when penny dreadful and explicit dime novels caused an outcry from the church, moral and government authorities, and many in the literary world.

The Case Against Exposure in Young Children

In the 1960’s, Stanford University psychologist Albert Bandura conducted experiments designed to test the connection between exposure to violence and aggression. In his experiments, young children were given a variety of toys to play with including non-aggressive options such as crayons and blocks and more aggressive items such as toy guns and punching bags. He found that children exposed to adults behaving aggressively with toys behaved more aggressively whether or not the aggression took place in person or via media. The shortcoming of this study, however, was that it failed to show a strong link between play violence and real-life violence.

Research Continues

This shortcoming, however, did nothing to dispel the belief that video game violence can cause real world violence, and several high-profile cases – including Columbine in 1999 – renewed the debate. In 2015, The American Psychological Association released a study noting that routine exposure to video game violence affects behavior and the ability to empathize with others to varying degrees. This, of course, depends on the child and his or her coping abilities in different situations.

That is not to say, however, that everyone who plays violent video games will commit criminal acts. It should also be noted that those who do not commit criminal acts may still suffer ill effects from violent video games. In fact, the effects of exposure may be seen in relationships instead. A child may exhibit verbal aggression or inability to cope well with frustration. In fact, emerging research suggests that whatever tenuous link exists between violence and video games might have nothing at all to do with how violent or non-violent the content is, but more to do with how frustrated the player becomes during gameplay. Who hasn’t thrown a controller after losing to M. Bison or the Water Temple for the umpteenth time? These findings would be more consistent with anecdotal evidence such as the nation of Japan, which has one of the lowest crime rates among developed nations despite being the undisputed epicenter of violent, pornographic media.

In response to the long-standing belief that exposure to fictional violence has a negative impact on children, many states now have laws on the books requiring someone over the age of 18 to buy violent video games, and parents are encouraged by lawmakers and psychologists to consider long-term effects when approving video games for kids.

References

Scientific American

Psychology Today

Houston Criminal Defense Attorney

University of Rochester

Civitas Crime

I’ll never forget the day I walked into the Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center as a starry-eyed twelve-year-old. I was a NASA enthusiast and a chronic sci-fi fanatic. I knew all the Star Trek lore up through the Next Generation, and I could quote the original Star Wars trilogy by heart. I knew that the Space Center was named after Christa McAuliffe, a school teacher who was on the Challenger VII shuttle when it exploded one minute into flight sixteen years earlier.

After a mission briefing by the Director of the Space Center, we were taken through a “transporter” (a darkroom door) into the Galileo – one of the smaller Starship simulators, where we began our mission. I was the navigation officer. I had to steer the ship through a nebula to try and rescue a disabled alien ship, which turned out to be a ship full of Klingon drug mules that turned on us. After dodging several photon torpedoes and coordinating closely with the tactical officer, we destroyed the enemy ship and returned to Federation Space victorious, having not only survived the ordeal but also shut down a major drug ring that was plaguing the Klingon empire, improving otherwise tense relations within the quadrant.

I was floored! To say that this was the most thrilling experience of a young geek’s life to date would not be hyperbole. How many hours had I spent fantasizing about cruising the galaxy at warp speed to seek out new life and new civilizations? My imagination was stimulated – a seemingly hopeless fantasy finally realized. The experienced was diminished only slightly by the technological limitations of the day. The Gallileo’s “control panels” were really cheaply-designed software on an old iMac G3. Any Trekkie knew that what the ship really needed was screen-accurate touchscreen controls. But that technology was only in its infancy in an age that still hadn’t fully escaped VHS tapes and dial-up modems.

With all the drama in the headlines, it’s easy to forget how far we’ve come since then. For DIY-minded geeks like myself, the fantasy of a screen-realistic space adventure isn’t limited by 90’s technology or the whims of the Space Center Director. You have all the tools at your disposal to create your own Starship Simulator for the ultimate gaming experience!

The Bridge

A screen-realistic command deck requires a space large enough for a captain, a navigation officer, an engineer, and a tactical officer, bare minimum. The latter three should have a control console, but all the captain needs is a comfy chair. Depending on the complexity of the missions you want to design, you might also incorporate a science officer, a communications officer, and marines or security personnel. Ideally, a multi-teared space such as a home theater room could provide the frame for the bridge. Alternatively, if you are confident in electronics and air-conditioning, you could build your bridge into an exterior fort or treehouse.

The Controls

Tablet technology and the ubiquity of fan-built apps makes this once unconquerable hurdle much more manageable. Apps such as LCARS 47 run well enough on a Tablet PC. Alternatively, ADT Touchscreen Keypads lend a certain verisimilitude to the experience. Ideally, you want to set up a system to monitor and mirror the controls from a central location, so that you can manage the mission in real time. You’ll want to set up a microphone with voice-altering tools like Voxal broadcasting into your bridge, so that you can act as the computer or allies or villains on other ships. Finally, you should set up a large LED TV at the front of the bridge, tied to a graphics interface you control. This will serve as the crew’s main visual reference for what is happening outside the ship.

Boarding or Landing

If you want your mission to involve crew detachments leaving the bridge and exploring an alien world or an eerily abandoned space vessel, you need not be a world-class set designer. VR technology is becoming accessible enough that you could design your own 3D environments for your crew to walk around and explore. 3D Modeling is still a complicated, labor-intensive process, but the result can be immersive and flexible. Free tools exist for designing these environments to wow your crew with strange and unbelievable worlds. If you’re feeling really ambitious, pair your Daydream View VR Headset with a CPR Mask to create space suit helmets for your crew. Just tell them not to wear the red shirt.

The Weapons

Weapons for your mission can be very easy or very painstaking depending on the level of screen accuracy you’re looking for. On the easy side, Nerf guns and Super Soakers work great. If you want them to be a little less comic-book feeling, airbrush and spray paint the components silvers, blacks, and greys. For more screen-accurate weapons, novelty toys can be purchased, or DIY Prop Shop has some great DIY tutorials.

The Mission

Design of the mission is by far the most challenging piece of the simulator experience. The critical piece of mission design is the impressiveness of the experience, which requires each crew member to be constantly engaged. Everyone must have some task or crisis that requires their position. Maybe during warp speed, an antimatter explosion threatens the warp core, and the engineer must find a way to bypass the core to avoid a meltdown. Maybe the communications officer intercepts a coded transmission and must decipher it. Keep the captain engaged by constantly placing him or her in difficult situations that require courage and decisiveness to manage. This series of crises should follow a basic Aristotelian plot curve, in order to maximize the emotional impact of the narrative. At the same time, the story arc has to be a little bit responsive, because the crew is actually in command of the ship and should be able to control the direction of the narrative. All this immersiveness must be balanced against the difficulty of managing and multitasking on the back end, which can be labor intensive.

Space really is the final frontier. The explorer’s spirit is alive and well in the rising generation. A starship simulator is a lot more than a fun DIY project – it’s a way to get your kids excited about science and technology. Despite increasing competition on the world stage, the United States is still the world hub for innovation. If we hope to maintain that status, we need more students pursuing careers in the STEM fields – especially girls. We don’t do that with grants, quotas, and subsidies; we do it by exciting the imagination the way my imagination was excited in that 2002 Space Center. We can inspire the next generation to boldly go where no one has gone before.

There is a major shift going on in the culture of the entire world right now. Kids do not watch TV – they watch Youtube. Many like to watch people play video games rather than play the games themselves.

If you might be, or you want to be internet famous, how do you know? One of the most popular people on Youtube is Pewdiepie. He gets flow in in to America to appear on Jimmy Kimmel and other mainstream TV shows. Increasingly, the internet is creating celebrities and pushing TV and movie stars aside.

How do you know if you are internet famous?

1. You Have a Lot of Subscribers

Whether streaming on Twitch, making videos on Youtube or chronicling your life on Instagram, once you have a certain number of loyal viewers, you’re in. You will know you are a big deal if Youtube starts featuring you on the front page or if they invite you to use their facility in California to make videos and hone your craft. With Twitch, once you are featured on the front page, you’re big. The donations will fly in and your chat room will explode.

2. You Will be Invited to Conventions

All year long there are conventions for video games, streams, you name it. TwitchCon gets bigger every year. League of Legends finals are shown in a stadium. Stars like ProJared go to a few cons each month. Commander Holly has appeared at cons in Australia. Your travel and hotel expenses are paid for and you can sell merchandise while meeting fans.

3. You will be Invited to do Crossovers

When other internet celebrities contact you to team up on a project, you are big time. This has happened from the early days of Youtube with the Angry Video Game Nerd and the Nostalgia Critic. It happens regularly today and is part of reaching thousands of new viewers who will probably like you. Remember to return the favor when you find an up and comer that you like.

4. You are Mentioned on “Drama Shows”

There are shows run by personalities that actually focus on internet celebrities and keep up with what they are doing. Some of these shows are quite toxic and off-putting, like Keemstar. Others are more measured and mature. If you are mentioned on these shows, you are on the radar.

5. Someone Made a Wikipedia Page of You

In this day and age, having someone you don’t know take the time to research and create your wikipedia page is quite an honor. You have fans who care enough that they are helping to promote you unsolicited. Remember that wikipedia reputation management is very important. Trolls like to leave a little comment in them if they can. Some wikipedia entries are inaccurate or incomplete. You can touch it up when you like and there is a system in place to handle 4chan and other trolls.

6. You are a Meme

Memes come and go, sometimes in the span of a few days. If you see people on the internet reference you in some way as a touchstone in a conversation, you are internet famous. When people online can refer to you as a reference point that everyone instantly recognizes and understands, you have broken through. When people use your catchphrases or sayings as their signature or to make someone else laugh, that means you are a part of someone’s life. They identify with you.

Internet stardom isn’t for everyone. Achieving this kind of fame requires a weird combination of tenacity, ingenuity, and charisma. But the internet age has made it possible to reach a wider audience with even less of a start. If you aspire to digital greatness, begin by creating high-quality, valuable content and putting yourself out here. These benchmarks can be yours with enough time, effort, and luck.

Let’s be real here. Gaming is an endurance sport. A true gamer spends hours playing, whether its a video game or board game.

Such dedication to the gaming arts requires stamina, and in order to maintain healthy energy levels, one must feed. But what to eat? Pizza and sandwiches are messy, time-consuming, and difficult to eat when your hands are otherwise occupied with controllers, playing cards, and game pieces.

Here then, are the five best snacks to nosh on while gaming:

1. Licorice. The best thing to do is get one of those giant tubs of Red Vines. They are easy to grab and eat, and they don’t make a mess—they aren’t sticky or crumbly, so they are the perfect go to treat when you need a sugar rush to keep you on high alert. Do not ever go for black licorice, because that is just gross.

2. Peanuts. Protein is essential to maintaining proper stamina when those intense battle scenes erupt. However, the worst thing you can do is try to shell your own peanuts. It takes too much concentration and work, which distracts you from the game. It’s also a huge mess. That’s one reason why we shun pistachios as well. Instead, get nuts that are pre-shelled. We like the honey roasted variety. However, you can also go for Peanut M&Ms, which are convenient and tasty.

3. Crackers. So here’s the thing: chips are great, but they are so messy, and they leave a disgusting greasy film on your fingertips. That’s a cardinal sin in gaming circles. Crackers are much more manageable, as they are baked and easier to pop into your mouth whole (most small varieties anyway). You can choose whichever kind of crack you want, but we like the baked crackers from Melaleuca. There are two varieties of Melaleuca crackers: multi-grain and seven-cheese.

4. Beef jerky. Again, you need protein to keep up the high energy needed for serious battles, and jerky is so damn tasty. It’s a bit expensive, but for special gaming events it can be a great treat. so go ahead and splurge.

5. Bottled water. No, this isn’t a food; but you have to stay hydrated to be at your best.