Mmorpg Graphics - Cartoony Or Realistic?

There are two fundamental graphic styles in most MMORPG games and they are Realistic and Cartoony. Some of the most popular free to play games today are anime inspired and thus fit into the cartoony model. Games like MapleStory and Scions of Fate have millions of players worldwide and one of their most attractive features is their graphic style. Even popular Western pay to play games like World of Warcraft benefit from the cartoony style.

Realistic graphics are generally pursued by Western developers though they are becoming more common in Asia too. Voyage Century is a clear example of Asian developers taking an interest in realistic graphic styles. Published by IGG, Voyage Century has markedly different graphics than other more traditionally Asian IGG games such as Zu Online and Tales of Pirates.

The FPS genre has long been dominated by realistic styled games. Shooters are considered to be on the leading edge in terms of graphical capabilities and it often takes other genres years to catch up. Even in the MMO field, games like WarRock, Soldier Front, and GunZ are all realistic styled. Recently, however, many developers have seen the wisdom of trying something new. A good example is the new game under development by DICE, Battlefield Heroes. Known for their historically themed Battlefield series, DICE has decided to offer a free to play, third person shooter with cartoony graphics that draw inspiration from Team Fortress 2.

As a personal preference, I tend to favor cartoony graphics. These games tend have lower system requirements yet can still look impressive. Most realistic games limit their audience by setting their system requirements too high which I feel is one of the reasons for the general decline of PC gaming in relation to consoles. My preference does change depending on what genre we're talking about. For RTS games I like realistic graphics over cartoony graphics.

Do you have a preference when it comes to graphic styles? Is it genre specific or game specific? Please share your thoughts with me by leaving a comment below!

Adjusting Row Appearance in Excel 2007

Just as you may modify the column appearance in Excel, the program also provides tools for adjusting row appearance in Excel 2007. Certain data - like text - may take up significantly more room than simple numeric entries do. In such a case, you may find that adjusting row appearance provides a more optimal viewing experience.

To adjust row height using the mouse, simply position your mouse cursor over the bottom border of the numbered row you want to adjust. Your cursor will change. Click the mouse and drag the row to the height you wish to use. Excel will indicate the point value (and pixel value) of the row. Selecting multiple rows will enable to you to change all selected rows at one time.

To specify a precise row height, select one cell in the row or rows you want to change. Select Home > Format > Height. Type in the new row height in points. Click OK. All selected rows will reflect your change.

Excel also provides an Auto Fit feature for adjusting row appearance in Excel 2007. To use it, click the header of the row you wish to adjust. Select Home > Format > Auto Fit. Excel will automatically optimize row height to accommodate the data in the row. Excel will return you to the active worksheet.

You may also apply appearance changes to non-adjacent rows within Excel. To select non-adjacent rows, press the Alt key and click each row you wish to alter. Drag one row to the desired height with the mouse or access the Row Height dialog box as described earlier. Enter your changes and click OK. All selected non-adjacent rows will be changed.

In addition, you may use the formatting buttons in the Alignment section of the Home tab to change the appearance of data within a row. Wrap Text, Merge Cells and Orientation are the only formatting controls that can affect the height of a row automatically when they are applied.

Hiding Columns in Excel 2007

When working with data sheets, you may create figures that are sensitive, or that make the worksheet look messy. Hiding columns in Excel 2007 is an easy way to clean up messy calculations, or protect sensitive data from public view. Hiding columns doesn't change or eliminate the data; they are still present. They are simply not displayed.

To hide a column in Excel 2007, select the entire column. Select Home > Format > Hide & Unhide > Hide Columns. The selected column is hidden, and you are returned to the active worksheet. Effectively, this action sets the column width to 0. You may also hide a column using the Home > Format > Width command. In the dialog box, set the column width to 0. Your column will be hidden.

You may hide multiple columns simultaneously by selecting all columns to be hidden and using the Hide Columns dialog box, or the Width command to set the selected columns' widths to zero. The columns you select can be adjacent or non-adjacent.

Excel provides a keyboard shortcut for hiding columns. Select a cell in the column you wish to hide. Press Ctrl + 0. The column will be hidden. Alternately, you can select the column header. Right-click to activate the contextual menu and select "Hide." The column will be hidden.

Excel will not display the column header for hidden columns, but you may still refer to hidden columns in formula. Searches will still be performed on hidden columns as well.

To unhide a column, select at least one cell on both the left and right of the hidden column(s). Select Home > Format > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Columns. Your hidden column(s) will reappear.

Excel also provides a similar keyboard shortcut to unhide columns. Select at least one cell on either side of the hidden column(s). Press Ctrl + ) to unhide the column(s). Alternately, you may right-click your selection and choose "Unhide" from the contextual menu.

Hiding Rows in Excel 2007

Just as when you are working with columns, certain row-based calculations or data groups may make your worksheet look messy. Hiding rows in Excel 2007 will improve or simplify the appearance of a worksheet, or protect sensitive data from public view. Hiding rows in Excel 2007 doesn't change or eliminate the data; they are still present. They are simply not displayed.

To hide a row in Excel 2007, select a cell in the row you wish to hide. Select Home > Format > Hide & Unhide > Hide Rows. The selected row is hidden, and you are returned to the active worksheet. By hiding a row, you have set the row height to 0. You may also hide a row using the Home > Format > Height command. In the dialog box, set the row height to 0 points. Your row will be hidden.

You may hide multiple rows simultaneously by selecting all rows to be hidden and using the Hide Rows dialog box, or the Height command to set the selected rows' heights to zero. The rows you select can be adjacent or non-adjacent.

Excel provides a keyboard shortcut for hiding rows. Select a cell in the row you wish to hide. Press Ctrl + 9. The row will be hidden. Alternately, you can select the row header. Right-click to activate the contextual menu and select "Hide." The row will be hidden.

Excel will not display the row header for hidden rows, but you may still refer to hidden rows in formula and search hidden rows for matching data.

To unhide a row, select at least one cell in the rows above and below the hidden row(s). Select Home > Format > Hide & Unhide > UnhideRows. Your hidden row(s) will reappear.

Excel also provides a similar keyboard shortcut to unhide rows. Select at least one cell above and below the hidden row(s). Press Ctrl + ( to unhide the row(s). Alternately, you may right-click your selection and choose "Unhide" from the contextual menu.

4 Things You Need To Know To Become A Video Or Computer Game Tester

Sure you have probably read all the different stories and sales letters out there on the Internet that tell you that they can make you a game tester earning $100,000 a year without any type of experience or education. But, do you really believe this? Of course, not. Game testing is a real job, with real requirements and real pay - not $100,000 a year. There are some things that you will need to know and have experience with before you can become a video or computer game tester. So, here are the top four things that you will need to know before you apply for a game tester job:

1. You have to know how to test software. When I say "software", I mean any type of software out there since different games will run on different types of platforms. You will have to know how to test software to get any type of game testing job no matter if you only want to test video games or computer games. By knowing how to test all types of software, you are almost guaranteed to get a better paying game tester job.

2. You have to know game programming languages. This means that you will have to learn all the jargon of the game development world, along with some basic computer language, such as C or C++, to help you truly understand the different things that are going on in the game. You can learn most of these different types of languages from online courses or from local schools.

3. You have to have a good working knowledge of PC hardware and software. This means that even if you want to be a video game tester, you will need to know how to work with computers and be familiar with everything about them. You will need to know different programs as well, such as databases, spreadsheets, and word documents.

4. You have to have a good working knowledge of the video or computer game industry. This does not mean that you need to know what titles are releasing next month, but you need to know how the developers go about designing a game, how the programmers, artists, composers, and others do their part of the game and so on. This will require that you do some studying on your own, and most of this knowledge you will expand upon after you get a game testing position.