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Family Video Gaming from Chris Jones Gaming

Creating a Healthy and Fun Family Video Gaming Experience


In today’s digital age, This doesn’t mean merely supervising screen time but actively engaging with the gaming world and providing guidance. Here are some tips from Chris Jones Gaming to get you started. 

Encourage Responsible Gaming

Setting clear guidelines for screen time and game content is essential to cultivate a responsible gaming environment. Not all games are suitable for all age groups, so review game ratings and content before they become part of your family’s library. Additionally, establish a balance between gaming and other activities like outdoor play, reading, and family time. This prevents excessive screen use and helps maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Encourage Communication

Open communication forms the backbone of a safe and enjoyable gaming environment. Encourage your children to share their gaming experiences, interests, and concerns. This open dialogue enables you to understand what they’re encountering in the virtual world and provides a platform to discuss the potential negative aspects, such as cyberbullying or inappropriate content.

Explore Diverse Game Genres

Video games are as diverse as books, movies, and music. Introduce your family to a wide array of game genres, from puzzles and adventures to educational and creative games. This broadens horizons, promotes diverse interests and skills, and ensures the gaming experience remains fresh and engaging.

Develop Problem-Solving Skills

In addition to being a source of entertainment, games can be fantastic tools for cognitive development. Choose games that challenge your children’s minds and promote problem-solving abilities. Puzzles, strategy, and adventure games not only provide fun but also contribute to improving critical thinking and decision-making skills.

Use Gaming as a Reward

To maintain a healthy relationship with gaming, use it as a treat or incentive for completing responsibilities. Whether homework, chores, or good behavior, gaming can be an effective motivational tool. This approach reinforces positive behavior while ensuring that gaming does not overshadow other essential aspects of life.

Highlight the Benefits of Gaming

While it’s easy to dwell on potential negatives, it’s equally important to recognize the benefits that gaming offers. Video games can improve decision-making skills, reflexes, and hand-eye coordination. They can even offer educational value, teaching everything from history and geography to complex scientific concepts, all in an engaging and interactive manner.

Design a Multi-Functional Gaming Room

Creating a dedicated gaming and entertainment space in your home is a fantastic way to enhance the gaming experience. This could be a multi-functional room that can also serve as a family movie theater or a chill-out zone. A dedicated gaming room also creates a specific place for electronics, making it easier to monitor usage and maintain a tidy home.

Track Home Improvements

If you do opt for a dedicated gaming room, keep a record of any enhancements you make. This not only helps in maintaining the room but can also add value to your home. Future potential buyers who are gaming enthusiasts will likely appreciate a well-designed entertainment space.

Creating a family-friendly video gaming environment can initially seem daunting, but following the above tips makes it much easier. Remember, moderation, open dialogue, and a wide variety of games can ensure that gaming becomes a positive, enriching part of your family’s life rather than a point of contention. So engage, guide, and enjoy the gaming world with your family, creating shared memories that will last a lifetime.

Chris Jones Gaming has all the gaming tips and information you’ve been looking for. Let us know if you have any questions!

Article by Micah Norris for Chris Jones Gaming

Image via Pexels

Chris Jones Gaming

Let’s Make a Game

Chris Jones Gaming was founded in Late 2006 by Chris Jones and Mindwipe. Chris Jones had been a well known member of the Star Trek Gaming Community for a number of years, modding games in the Starfleet Command series and 2002’s Star Trek: Bridge Commander.

It wasn’t long before Modders who’d known him in the past joined Chris Jones Gaming and began work on the Ultimate Universe Mod for 2006’s Star Trek: Legacy.

The team grew to a respectable size and the Ultimate Universe Demo was released just four months later. Over the next four years, the Ultimate Universe Mod and Chris Jones Gaming continued to grow, releasing expansion packs to the mod in between the feature installs, which were named Ultimate Universe Version 1.0 and Ultimate Universe Version 2.0, as well as attracting some of the brightest talents from other communities, their scratch-built models reaching professional standards.

The Ultimate Universe Mod is one of our proudest achievements. Through its various incarnations, it has been downloaded many thousands of times from various websites, in our own way greatly expanding and extending the life of Star Trek: Legacy beyond what would have been its natural life.

What’s Next? We are alive and well here – and are in the discussion stages for creating a brand new game! (as of June 4, 2022).

so.. Let’s Make a Game!

Chris Jones Gaming Let's Make a Game
Chris Jones Gaming SciFi

We are going to make a game

I feel the beginning of a month is a good time to announce something like this.

We are going to make a game.

Chris Jones Gaming is going to make a game.

What kind of Game?

Science Fiction – or SciFi.

We got the look..

I have a short story that will be published soon – I’ve been saying that for a while – but it is happening.

It will for sure be a PC Game, and we’ll discuss Console versions.

Update Sept 19, 2022 – The Short Story has been released on Amazon – Click this!!!

Heading up The Ultimate Universe Mod starting in 2007 was a fantastic experience, and I believe it to be the time right to create something brand new.

There’ll be more on this as it progresses.

Excited for the Future!

Kim and Ken Jones with Playstation T-Shirts

Does Chris Jones Still Game?

Backstory: From December 2006 until December 2008 I coordinated a team of 7-20 people (varied from month to month) in the extensive modification of an online computer video game known as Star Trek: Legacy.

This required top notch people skills in handling different talents, skill sets, and personalities from people across the world via the Internet. Our project was released in October 2007, and still, in 2022, gets several downloads a day.

I stepped down from the top position in December 2008, but continue to this day (2022) as a consultant. Our project, known as The Ultimate Universe, has garnered Tens of Thousands of downloads, and is a success story. ‘Chris Jones Gaming’ is ongoing with gaming industry news of the day.

Does Chris Jones Still Game? Moving Forward, I would very much like to ‘Make a Game’.

Would it be Science Fiction? Likely Yes.

I keep saying there’s more news coming on my gaming exploits. Once a Gamer, always a Gamer.

Safe to say there is more to come from Chris Jones Gaming.

Virtual Reality is alive and well!

Golf Club: Wasteland

This is no ordinary golfing game: it’s a surrealist post-apocalyptic golfing game.

You walk and jetpack your way around the remainders of life on earth as you play ball.

To be released on September 3 by the publisher Demagog Studio on Steam.

The story of Earth’s last hurrah is told from multiple points of view, building as the game progresses.

The Game has 3 different modes, from casual to expert.

The art style has a dream-like vibe, with the haziness and destruction of the background fitting perfectly with the depopulated planet that used to be our own

From the Steam Page

START AGAIN: a prologue

How do you feel about Time loops, dear reader? Does the monotony of the same day over and over and over bore you to tears? Or does the hope to fix your mistakes blind you to the truth that the loop is whispering?

START AGAIN: a prologue has multiple endings, and is based on a series of short comics.

Providing a swift kick in the chest and eyes full of tears, you follow Siffrin in this story in the second person, and meet friends to help you on your quest.

Defeat monsters as you learn about the loop that has trapped you in it’s claws!

The game is available here!

From the Creator’s Tumblr

How to make a Feats-Based RPG

What are Feats?

Feats are, boiled down, unique actions or abilities that one can do/have. A game that relies on feats over anything else generally has less reliance on stats or items, and is more about the imagery that comes from a more verbally-based adventure. Some videogames have them as part of a “talent tree”, in that feats have to be unlocked in  a certain order. In these games, some trees are blocked off if you’ve chosen a certain role or path. Games can use feats to boost base skills, or allow more flexibility in the actions your character can take.

Why Feats?

Feats let players do another level of customization, and lets them use something that isn’t for numbers, necessarily. Feats can allow for more fun and can create unique Interactions between other characters and the environment around them.

How do I make ’em? 

Feats tend to have limits of their usage in a certain time frame. That can help with balance in your game. A much stronger/ impressive feat will be given a longer time between uses than some thing simpler/weaker.  One can also have a limit per game of times each feat (or all feats as a whole) can be used.

You can bring Balance to your game through keeping things consistent, watching the usefulness of the feats, and allowing the feats to have in-game importance. Consistency can refer to the description used; keeping the feats at a similar level of power and/or versatility will help keep the players at a compatible level. Usefulness is also a factor in balance and also, consistency. Are your feats tied directly to the gameplay? Are they more for Aesthetic purposes? How you choose to integrate those will be based on the type of play you and your players are looking for. A more light-hearted game for comedy reasons may choose to have silly, more aesthetic-based feats, that do more for conversation than plot, because that is what players are looking for. 

Themes:

Themed around subject: What is unique to the chosen genre? What can only be done or be seen in the genre you choose? What tropes do you enjoy that can be integrated into your game?

Themed around the character’s species, for example, if the character is a merperson(triton, mermaid, generally aquatic),  a feat can be “Once a day, the player can issue a command to nearby lake or sea creature. The creature must do a wisdom saving throw of at least 15 to resist”. The feat is unique to the specie’s upbringing and environment, and can lend flavor to an encounter.

Themed around the character’s job. Things that only that particular class can do, even split into subgroups of effect types. For example, a wizard. A Wizard feat could be being able to duplicate a spell, or change the effect type from fire to ice. Subgroup examples include: feats that effect weapons, feats that affect the Player, feats that affect other players/NPCs, feats that effect the environment.

Your game can be themed around the players. People enjoy things that are unique to them; it makes them feel empowered and even loved! Including something specific about those that you care about can be a way to make that connection be brimming with joy, adding a sparkle in their day!

What do I actually write down?

At the heart of it, you want a name and a description.

The name should be an accurate summary that piques the interest of the player.

The Description should be clear and concise.

It can be helpful to add in any identifying traits (like if the feat is specific to the species/job) beside the name.

Ultimate Universe

Ultimate Universe Mod

The Ultimate Universe is/was a total conversion modification of the PC Game, Star Trek: Legacy (released in Late 2006). It is a collaboration of many individuals driven to make the best of Star Trek Legacy. 

 

You MUST start with a Fresh Clean unmodded Legacy install. If you try installing over UU1.0 or 1.5 you will CERTAINLY have problems! This is part 1 of a 2 part installer. Be sure to grab Part 2 of 2 as well, both are required!. UU2.0 is a FULL INSTALL.

Now that’s out of the way. You will find a new menu structure, more
races, enhanced missions, the new Vs Armada, and Instant Vs modes. As
well as the new “Exploring History” mode which is a mostly non combat
mode that explores Earth and Mars development from the NX-01’s time to
the NCC-1701F.

Great new intro, loading screens and main menu
graphic by Mindwipe. Three interviews with the CoWriter of the Stock
Campaign Derek Chester done by Mindwipe himself and a TMP Theme music
vid with Mike Shaw. Rebuilt main menu by Muldrf. Enhanced Explosions and
weapon effects by Miri as well as some nice new glow work on some of
our favorite starships.

Here’s my Favorite Miri Explosion sequence!

New Terran Empire ships by Nix and new Section
31 by Gan as well as some other offerings. Additional ships by Maxloef.
New Map Editor menu structure with easier navigation setup by Tjoz with
nearly all flyable 2.0 ships as well as the stock components.

A fair number of ships by MRJohn have been added. And lets certainly not
forget DJ Curtis’s beautiful Century and Vivace Class starships.
Enhanced UUTools utility and the new LMTools Modding Utilties have been
released as well, also the Legacy Mission Editor is included although the
LMTools has full mission building abilities built in. I have included
the Modinstaller for good measure for any aspiring modders out there
who might find use for it.
Ultimate Universe 2.0 - Part 1

————————————-
Nov 27th, 2009 – Part 2 of 2
You will find a new menu structure, more races, enhanced missions, the new Vs Armada, and Instant Vs modes. As well as the new “Exploring History” mode which is a mostly non combat mode that explores Earth and Mars development from the NX-01’s time to the Ncc-1701F.

Great new intro, loading screens and main menu graphic by Mindwipe. Three interviews with the CoWriter of the Stock Campaign Derek Chester sone by Mindwipe himself and a TMP Theme music vid with Mike Shaw. Rebuilt mainmenu by Muldrf. Enhanced Explosions and weapon effects by Miri as well as some nice new Glow work on some of our favorite starships. New Terran Empire ships by Nix and new Section 31 by Gan as well as some other offerings. Additional ships by Maxloef. New Map Editor menu structure with easier navigation setup by Tjoz with nearly all flyable 2.0 ships as well as the stock components. A fair number of ships by MRJohn have been added. And lets certainly not forget DJ Curtis’s beautiful Century and Vivace Class starships. Enhanced UUTools utility and the new LMTools Modding Utilties have been released as well, also the Legacymissioneditor is included although the LMTools has full mission building abilities built in. I have included the Modinstaller for good measure for any aspiring modders out there who might find use for it.
Ultimate Universe 2.0 - Part 2

————————————-
April 7, 2011 – Hosted by Moddb
Ultimate Universe 2.2 Update (Build 2) – This release includes updates to a fair number of existing ships to add features to them such as breaking nacelles with plasma effects, animated bussards, reduced torpedo circling, bump maps, and some torpedo circling prevention work. There are also a number of new ships, Wagaugusto’s Olympic Class. Phoenix’s TOS Proxima which was released to public in December is now included. The ole Marauder from BC ported by Muldrf with Acidfluxxbass’s take on it’s textures and Miri and Gan’s effects and weapons. Galaxy X (Evolution) Class, The Icarus Class. There are also numerous ships by Rudianos. Additional texture work by Gan and Acidfluxxbass on various ships. Great new effects work by Miri as usual. New Destruction Damage work by Gan making it a bad idea to get to close to a dying ship..

Ultimate Universe 2.2 Update (Build 2)

Please note that this does not represent (yet) the full extent of the mod. This site will, when time permits, contain credits and readmes for the many great talents involved in the making of the mod.

See the Full Mod with more notes at MODDB!

Thank you for years of Support!

Ultimate Universe
Click for BIG Picture!

 

Chris Jones Gaming - 2008 Logo
Ultimate Universe Mod by Chris Jones Gaming
Chris Jones Gaming

Passionate about Gaming and want a place to write?

I Love Gaming! I Love E3, Gamescom, and anything related to new games and the industry as a whole. I Love reporting on games and hearing about them. Alas, I do not have time to pursue that passion as my life has taken a different turn. Chris Jones Gaming came into fame when we had a team modifying Star Trek: Legacy. I will not ever shut down Chris Jones Gaming – and on that note I am making the following offer:

I want to give someone FULL CONTROL over this website with regard to gaming news and reviews. No Gambling sites, lol. Seriously – If you are passionate about the gaming industry and want to write reviews, talk about new releases, or ANYTHING related to the video game industry for any Platform – please call me 518-223-6044 or email chrisjones@chrisjonesgaming.net.

I am very serious about this, and will conduct interviews. You would need  to be familiar with WordPress – if you have a theme suggestion I am all eyes and ears. 

Again – I am 100% Serious – call me 518-223-6044 or email chrisjones@chrisjonesgaming.net.

 

Passionate About Gaming
Gaming News and the Ultimate Universe