Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with nonlinear

Does this game genre even have a name?

The Winsome Parker Lewis — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:18:17 -0800

What are some great computer games for people who enjoy non-linear privateering, combat, and risky missions? I've loved the Escape Velocity games for years. I recently got into Frontier (previously) and enjoyed it a lot, but it was way too short and easy. I'd like to try Transcendence (previously) but I'm on a Mac, and I'd like to try SAIS (previously) but I can't get it to run under Snow Leopard. Finally, I just discovered Skyrates (previously) and it's fun but so very slow.

All that build-up is to ask: What other Macintosh or Flash games are like these? Specifically I'm looking for games that feature trading, fighting, upgrades and customization, and a big world to explore. I especially love games that let you choose to be good or evil (or neutral) and to become a hero, villain, or impossibly wealthy merchant. Even better if there are a bunch of different factions to choose from besides "good" and "evil," with shades of moral ambiguity. If the game is free that's also a big plus. Any suggestions?

A good book for Final Cut Pro 5

philip-random — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:02:51 -0800

What's the best handbook for guiding my Final Cut Pro 5.1 learning curve? I've done a little non-linear editing in the past (Adobe Premiere) but am about to make a more committed leap into the land of Final Cut Pro. An editor friend suggested I pick up a good book to aid me in my learning curve.

Any suggestions? I'm not concerned with editing theory and the like, just the nuts and bolts of actually working with Final Cut Pro 5.1.

Nonlinar Music

Tlogmer — Wed, 02 Mar 2005 01:50:30 -0800

Nonlinear music: where can I find good examples? I remember the Final Fantasy composer talking about one of the scores for a boss battle that could transition several different ways, for example. I imagine game soundtracks in general are a good place to find this, but I don't have any console systems and I don't really care about the games, just the music. (For educational purposes; I'm trying to see how it's done so I can, hopefully, do it myself.)