Posts by Taylor

Quote from FrieChamp

That's not even a word.

I mean the OP, it just seems like scare tactics. They only stand to lose money if any publishers call it a bluff.

I don't see this threat going anywhere tbh.

Fair enough.

So you admit Bioshock does, at least in part, have non-linear sections? And not only are these playable despite supposed limitations with movement speed - that are so set in stone to say otherwise renders you unemployable - they actually are your favourite parts of the game?

I can't really think of many FPS developers that don't have a PC background. It is historically a PC genre and, in my opinion, still best platform to play them. Undoubtedly they have been altered by many factors, as we've discussed, but you’re not going to convince me that the increase in linearity comes from rotation speed. We can cap this whole Bioshock example off with Bioshock Infinite. From what we’ve seen it’s pretty much a straight line, but it's also a rollercoaster of expensive set-pieces, cutscenes and story making the linearity almost mandatory. Which was my original, if badly executed, point.

Edit: Having a linear opening level is usually going to be a good idea. Even in an open-ended game you want a controlled section to teach the player and set the scene. System Shock 2 started the same way, iirc.

I said there were differences; in fact I supplied one of my own. I disagree with the notion that capped turn speed means all games must devolve into straight lines, citing Bioshock as an counter-example. Luckily I already have a job and can retain my ideal of a world with junctions.

But yes, this was a misinterpetation of your inital post being a "bloody consoles, they come over here and simplify our games" post. Which is wasn't, and I apologise. So let's not get bogged down.

Fun fact, I didn't get a PC for a while because I clung to my A1200 (and later A1230). As such my first FPS was Gloom and the first time I completed Doom was on the SNES with a D-Pad.

It is nice being able to instantly turn 1080 on a dime, but I see no correlation with it resulting in entirely linear levels. Forcing you down dead ends with no point and having you turn around might be more tedious with slower turn speeds, but it is bad design on both. A level with good flow isn’t going to force you to do this. Bioshock, a game made with consoles in mind, has plenty of hub sections that work fine.

Quote from Patrick_H

Are we having a chicken or the egg discussion now? I am confused...how does something happen both suddenly and over a period of 10 years. Haha, don't kid yourself man. Although consoles have been around a long time, they are no doubt most of the sales pie these days, and design decisions are dictated by that.

To reiterate, it's the shifted demographic that dictates design decisions and, although this has moved many developers to them, blaming it on consoles is just lazy.

There are concessions being made as a result, no doubt. For example it’s reasonable to say there’s less vertical gameplay on a game whose target platform was the 360. But movement speed and non-linearity?

Or perhaps, instead of casual console movement speeds suddenly rearing their heads after over two decades, it's a product of games, across all platforms, becoming more casual orientated and having more of a focus on a expensive, cutscene-heavy, story-driven game structure.

GUWANGE.

Not Cave's best, but for 800MSP it's a steal. Also comes with a "arrange mode" where you get dual stick controls and don't have to try. Awesome.

Can't really recommend it to norms though, shikigami mechanic counter-intuitive at first and if you credit-feed instead of learning it you're going to spend 90% of the last two stages dead. Oh well, hopefully Capcom will let them release Progear soon.

All it needs now is some shooting.

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I know there's a bow

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":cz8ea3c1]

Yeap, you just grew 5 points in my consideration!

Hot piss, hopefully I'll be out of negative soon.

E1M6?

There’s a lot of places Notch could expand the game, but like you say it is still alpha. It would definitely be nice to add a few more enemy types with unique loot for clothing/weapons and tie them into the biome. May as well throw a little Monster Hunter addiction in there to go with the rest of the addiction, eh?

I think with Minecraft you need to think of a project to work on: water lift, house, castle, mine cart system, dungeon raids, etc. If you've no real objective in mind it'll be really boring real quick. I really liked the last update because I'm using a netherportal hidden in my house (though not very well because is constantly screams) that leads to a set of stairs and another netherportal that pops out on the floating death island. Well, that's the goal anyway; I've purposely only installed this at work so I can only do 1-2 hours a day.

Minecraft is way too addictive, and such an impressive game in so many ways. It's always nice to see someone do what they want, completely uncompromisingly, and do so incredibly well. Though I've managed to start a perpetual forest fire in my heavily wooded biome (I'm trying to justify it by building a floating death island out of hell tiles with lava streaming over the sides).

Also been playing Deadly Premonition, which I brought figuring it would be "so bad it's good," but I'm actually having a lot of fun with it. And I'm playing the new Deathsmiles Mega Black Label version 1.1 patch (of course).

Finished this last night, it's quite short but I think that works in its favour. No fat, just very cool and relayable scenarios strung together. God Hard is insane though, I might play it through again on Hard first.

The only thing I didn't like was the final level, actually.

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The story didn't make much sense, but then that's too be expected from Platinum Games. But the final boss was kind of lacking, especially compared to the Bayonetta ending fights. I was waiting for that entire space station to turn into a robot so I could punch it.

That's really cool.

For me all this means is my menus go right instead of right and back a bit, but I'm hearing a fair bit of rage about XBLIG.

I liked Batman Begins more, the Dark Knight would've been better if it hadn't tried to throw so much stuff in it. Both were good, though.

So not only is the PC the place where great innovative developers are born, it's also the sole distinguishable development platform. Well, blow me tight. Ken's statement is both undisputedly correct and undisputedly redundant; the only place where something happens is the best at making it happen!