All Posts by frumbert
All Posts by frumbert - 148 found
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4/18/08 7:21 PM
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Viewed 4221, Replies 77
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The problem with developing such an MMO is preconception. You're developing into a well understood universe. This can work - look at Lord of the Rings Online: There's a world that has been fleshed out to the n-th degree over decades by fans, and then these ideas have been consolidated by a single developer team down to a playable game. But with Firefly there hasn't been the years of development in fleshing out the universe and all its nuance. I think it would be easy to overengineer this game - to dedicate time to building the things we saw in the film or series to a degree that we would recognise them, but forget that people play games based on such preconceived universes in order to explore the aspects of the universe that they haven't yet seen; they want to take the part of the universe that most resonated with them when they saw the film, say, and see into that apects history and find out more about its role in that world. Going back to the LotRO example, this is pretty easy since players have preconceptions about the game play universe - they have an idea of what to expect if they head down into a deep mine under a snow capped mountain range and therefore a game designer is able to simply generate a new "ancient drawven society". People will accept it because they expect it. In Firefly we have no such expectations - we land on a planet and the first thing we see is a horse tied up outside a saloon. So do we assume it's a "western" style world, or do we remember that in the series they also had quad-bikes and laser canons. I think each person who visits the world will come expecting their own preconceived view of the world is how it will be done, and then be disappointed when its not. I think this is the danger of taking on a concept based on what is essentially a small time show. The model iteself sounds good on paper. In theory, Multiverse is a great concept. The company handles all the fiddly bits of your business model - the servers, the account management, the update deployments, and so on. This leaves a developer more time to work on the important parts of a game, namely the gameplay. The web site has been touting many up and coming games and provides tools and software kits for developers to try out their plaform. But other than demo games and beta products, where are the fully featured, fully populated, fully finished worlds? Is Firefly being developed for an untested and unused polatform? Going with Multiverse seems to be a big gamble for a game like this, since there's no proven track record on an existing game on the things that can make or break it, such as a well managed support ticketing system, thorough and safe account billing, well managed real-world sale items (if that is your model; and it does seem to be the growth area), server load management, and so on. Firefly's engines may fire but this is no guarentee that it will get them off the ground. |
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4/18/08 6:56 PM
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Viewed 258, Replies 5
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a truly great sound designer knows how to use silence to best effect. I hate movies and games that think music and sound has to be clear and ever present and that it it assists to emote each and every situation. It will be interesting to see what kind of route this game takes, since they certainly seem to be touting sound design a fair bit at the moment. |
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4/14/08 3:19 AM
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Viewed 4470, Replies 149
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well, if you believe that 46% of all statistics are totally meaningless then this site shows the general trends of subscriptions in games, and not hard data. Nobody's every going to release hard data anyway because they are all scared of what it could do to their credibility. Weird, I reckon. I'm interested to see that he's now listing the trands of concurrent online users. The data's too vague to mean anything, but certainly something you could throw under the nose of a marketing manager, investor or hosting provider (e.g. someone so far removed from the real world it's a surprise the even exist) in order to dupe them into giving you more money, better equipment, etc. I like the site. I don't use it as a reference, more as a feeling. |
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3/29/08 6:01 PM
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Viewed 695, Replies 5
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Originally posted by Summoner2008Oh right, so I have to futz about sifting through fanboi posts and feature requests trying to work out the detailed list of features. If these things are answered, then it means they were asked. That means they should be in a freqently asked questions area. And they are not. Great example. You could provide more examples by answering the rest of my questions. It could become, what's the word, oh yes, a FAQ. |
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3/29/08 2:52 AM
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Viewed 695, Replies 5
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I have questions. A unique post-apocalyptic setting where the cloned remnants of mankind battle to survive and rebuild. Yet while humanity may have evolved, human nature remains as treacherous as ever… While I'm so totally over "post apocapyse" games (pretty much every sci fi FPS out there is set in a future where some catastrophe has taken place) I'm liking the screens and concept art that I'm seeing to some degree. Just for once I'd like to see a sci-fi world that hasn't fallen apart. Highly customizable characters with over 100 different skills, abilities, and tactics. No artificial "class" restrictions get in the way of making the character you want. Customisable how? I'm used to fantasy genre classing. I become a mage and learn fireballs and heals and lightning storm spells, then I switch classes to warrior and learn how to melee, then switch to druid so I can learn how to mind control my enemy. And I get to keep those skills I've learned regardless of the class I currently am. Is this what you mean here (just without the official switching of classes)? Fast-paced action combat featuring dynamic targeting, customizable power armor, huge mechanized exoskeletons, and hundreds of high-tech weapons. But I can still target what I actually want, right? What kind of weapons? It's the future, so I'm guessing laser cutting tools for searing through the armour, nanite swarms for infesting the armour and making it dissolve, trip mines for tripping on. Guns are so last century (Unless they are in swords - go final fantasy!).
So it's PvP only? Can I carve my own bloody path through, say, game world monsters and expect to get anywhere? Or do I have to team up with a bunch of people who are just together so they can loot and level?
Great. I like letting anarchy reign.
Nice. Learned this from Eve Online, did you? Any more information on this?
The second mmorpg I played that claimed it had a deep crafting mechanic was Horizons: Empire of Istaria (the first was UO, which was, frankly, insane). And there was a game where almost everything you needed in game was something that another player could make for you. My guild members were crafting freaks so whether I needed a new set of green bronze armour or to complete furnish pergola next to my house with bench seats, then I could just call a meeting and everybody would run to their homes, change into their crafting clothes, grab tools and item instruction lists and go nuts (you could only carry so much at a time). Manufacturing unique items, as it says here, doesn't lead me to think that crafting is going to be big feature of this game. Pity, because I like to make stuff. |
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3/17/08 5:12 AM
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Viewed 1195, Replies 14
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Originally posted by GazMc I guess I should update that. It will read "I'm never pleased; games can always be designed better." While I'm doing that, why don't you go bugger off and log back into your game of choice and leave us people out here in the real world alone, because you're opinion doesn't offer anything. See how I expressed a negative opinion of you just then and you were momentarily annoyed? Suck. |
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3/14/08 4:40 AM
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Viewed 774, Replies 18
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hehe: I didn't see the red letter thing until I turned the stylesheets back ON for this site. Yes, I do mean what I say in my avatar. I have a special script in my browser that makes this site READABLE when I visit by changing the stylesheet so that it does not suck. I'm seeing a lot fo opinion here and that's is exactly what I hoped for. I'll download the demo, though since I'ce a casual gamer a demo really isn't a good idea since I'll play it, what, twice in the time frame. Once a week is about the total energy level I can dedicate to an online game (or offline: games on my pc sit there for months at a time some times). If LOTRO had a "pay what you play" subscription model then I'd probably just go for it right off the bat. But it's subscription model like the rest. Yawn. Ok, so it's not for everyone. It's pretty, its got a world that is at least explorable. I found this first time round in Anarchy Online (which was in Beta when I played it). Lots of vast and varied content, a consistent well thought out world and well accepted lore. But not actually deep, expecting me to know at least some of concept behind the world of lort to begin with - races, struggles, beleifs, and so on. But it's fantasy, western fantasy, so that's ok becuase it never really changes or explores new boundaries. But it sounds also like it's haunted by the usual mmorpg crowd too. I'll download it. I'll give it a very limited go in the highly restrictive time frame. If I join up, you'll see me here in the forums ranting and raving. Thanks to all who posted in this topic: I did read everything and I consider everything to be helpful in my decision (even the shouty guy half way up!).
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3/14/08 4:24 AM
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Viewed 2123, Replies 20
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Originally posted by maerceyPlay at work? Wow, I'm an analyst and I look after programmers that are always coming at me for direction. I don't have time at work for my own stuff, which is a never-ending job queue that's a couple of million dollars of billable work long. It bleeds into my own time. So I'm generally exhauseted after getting home, but still riding the little bit of energy which sometimes turns into enjoyable online play time. I like the eploratory nature of some online games which lets me see into the heads of the designers and lets me experience their energy towards the game universe. Eve seems to be a success, filled with people who are really into it, and it's been around. I re-tried Anarchy Online recently and found it to be the same word and same old thing I experienced years ago when it was new (sideline: very odd experience re-walking that newbie path again, within a familiar world that had since evolved things such as in-game advertising). Will I experience eve in the same way? |
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3/14/08 4:13 AM
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Viewed 1195, Replies 14
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Oh , a post apocalyptic world. How... unique. And yes, that was sarcasm. |
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3/13/08 4:47 AM
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Viewed 2123, Replies 20
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A couple of years ago I downloaded EVE after a rave review from a friend. He doesn't have a job and sits at home all day plaing games, mooching off others. So he had had time to get right into it. I'm not that sort of player at all. I'm the sort of gamer who own and enjoys the Wii. It's got games that you just pick up for a while when you're between one bit of your life and the next. I've played quite a few mmorpg's over the years and enjoy games with a strong social aspect, more so that a solo grindfest or forced group atmosphere (yes, WOW, I mean you). I am wowed occasionally by prrty graphics and a great soundtrack, but I mostly go for exploring a world or universe without really trying to acheive any particular scenario. I like to see what the developers have come up with. I like to learn the lore of the world or universe to see into the heads of the designers. I like to hang about and assist and chat with people. Fighting and grinding is pretty boring to me. What can people tell me about Eve? Is it for the casal gamer? Why would I spend my money here and not somewhere else? |
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3/13/08 4:39 AM
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Viewed 774, Replies 18
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Here's my thing. I'm really sick to death of goblins, orcs, dwarves and the medieval look and lore of the whole western fantasy genre. To the point where I will walk out of a movie or return a DVD to the shop because of it. It sucks, it's dull as dishwater, adn that's my ongoing, honest opinion. However, people have been saying some pretty good things about LOTRO and I could be tempted have a go at it. Demos and quick trials aren't my thing: I do not dedicate time to a game. I'm definately a casual gamer these days. Is LOTRO going to be something that I should invest my time in? Existing players: Your feedback on the game would be appreciated. |
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3/13/08 4:31 AM
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Viewed 552, Replies 10
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Originally posted by Katashi-kun Funny, I've got Crysis and everything says "ultra high" and it runs like a dream... What's the problem? |
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3/12/08 2:37 AM
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Viewed 552, Replies 10
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I've been meaning to check that out. Sounds like the sort of challenge that you can get mindlessly in to. |
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3/12/08 2:35 AM
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Viewed 1964, Replies 45
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(Horizons) |
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3/10/08 2:07 AM
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Viewed 518, Replies 10
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If I had to prioritise my own list I'd put option 8 first. So this begs the poll: |
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3/09/08 3:33 AM
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Viewed 518, Replies 10
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Yep, that's right. I can leave it to you to arrange the details, then? Great. Bang it together, ready by Monday? An existing game that combined two or more of those elements would be good. |
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3/09/08 3:22 AM
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Viewed 5808, Replies 66
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Space: Above and Beyond. |
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3/09/08 3:03 AM
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Viewed 3163, Replies 78
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Goerge Lucas never did anything good for star wars except dream it up in the first place. The best thing to do in recreating it from scratch would be not to involve Sony. |
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3/09/08 1:49 AM
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Viewed 1686, Replies 45
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Bah, you don't want that in a game - you can do that IRL. I thought the day night cycles in Crysis were pretty and the atmospherics were all very bling bling but then I saw a butterfly casting beams of shadow through the atmosphere and it ruined it all for me. All that realism tossed away by one tiny little bug ... |
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3/09/08 1:45 AM
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Viewed 3016, Replies 32
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But this is a good thing. Someone will realise it and bring something for the remaining 10%. Everyone else won't get it, and we in that bracket get to prance about being elitist bigots. If they can't understand that their monitors aren't broken (they're just not turned on) then at least it stops them from trolling these forums :) |
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Ok,
Lol ..alright then.
