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| Maou 2444th Post
  
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
    
    
    
    
    
|  "Re(1):Random Thread: now with 50% less dragon" , posted Fri 26 Apr 22:56  
quote:
The only thing that disappoints me about DA is that the opening song was changed. Now that was a great way to start out a game.
Alas, that's par for the course with Capcom's questionable but extremely wonderful opening songs. Aside from the superior announcer, the main reason I want to play vanilla SF IV these days is to hear the dopey wonderful Exile song. I don't even care what language. Don-Don, don-don, don-don, DON-don, don-don, don-don, don-don, DON-don...
人間はいつも私を驚かせてくれる。不思議なものだな、人間という存在は．．．
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| chazumaru 993th Post
Red Carpet Regular Member++
| "Random Thread: now with 50% more proxy" , posted Sat 27 Apr 04:12
I am back in Kansai for a quick visit until Sunday night and once again, I cannot access MMC's board. All I get is this. Very white! Very strange! Same problem I have had in the last year or so when accessing the Café from Japan. I used to think it was my (previous) PC, or a server problem on Madman's side, or a compatibility problem with Chrome... But none of those explanations make sense now. This time I had the presence of mind of trying a web proxy (freshbypass.info) and it works fine, although icons take time to load. Could it be that one JP provider is somehow against the Cafe? Or have I just uncovered a secret that Prof secretly hates Hanshin Tigers fans?
Out of curiosity, I just bought the recently released first issue of Dengeki Nintendo.
Interesting stuff. Judging by the lay-out, the games covered and the timing, it's clear they are aiming at a new crowd of Nintendo users: ex-PSP players who are now on 3DS. There are a few pages on Wii U but they are clearly there to keep up the act. Out of the mere 100 pages, which feels a bit light, an astounding 40%, (indeed FORTY pages) are dedicated to Monster Hunter 4.
I was quite puzzled by Dengeki's decision to release a Nintendo-centered magazine when this has been a constant source of embarrassment for so many competitors to Nintendo Dream (including Famitsu). But now that I think of the current situation in Japan, Dengeki must have carefully monitored their audience and noticed most of their PSP readers are now playing on 3DS. This is the same magazine that so aggressively targeted the audience of card-based arcade game players with Dengeki Arcade, when it seemed a volatile market compared to fighting games / Arcadia, so they have a good track record for sniffing out such trends.
Back to MH4. The 40 pages have some new info and a lot of new screens+illustrations. It's obvious Dengeki were waiting to lock this deal and get the greenlight to publish it before they start the magazine; it makes me wonder if the delay of MH4 changed their plans (it would be funny to think that they have been sitting on half of the first issue for six months). By the way, I would not be surprised if the very generous space offered for Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen's promotion coverage in Dengeki PlayStation was somehow related to the nice gift provided by Capcom for the launch of Dengeki Nintendo.
The rest, as expected, is mostly news and guide/help for the heavy Nintendo hitters of Spring: Luigi 2, Animal Crossing and Tomokore. One of the news is about Conception II, also planned for Vita, which makes me wonder if Dengeki mutualized the articles for both magazines and simply swapped the screens.
Overall, very different focus compared to Nintendo Dream (or its past competitors from Enterbrain) as there are pretty much no columns, guest stars, comics, fan columns, etc. No interviews either, and I have the feeling those would be very different in style (and in the people interviewed) than Nintendo Dream.
It will be interesting to see if Dengeki will succeed in its plan to attract and cultivate a new audience of Nintendo consumers, miles away from the wonderful secluded world of Nintendo Dream. I would not be shocked if franchises such as Fire Emblem would use Dengeki as their promotional vehicle in the future, for instance. Unsurprisingly, the June issue (released on May 21st) is promising an extensive coverage of SMT4 (released May 23rd).
Oh! Speaking of SMT, I just saw an ad for Megaten Imagine's sixth anniversary next to a Youtube clip of The Bridge on the River Kwai. I am not sure I get the connection but, more importantly, who knew that game still existed!? I wonder how many active players and passive accounts it has today.
78… 78… 絵札はさすらい ♪ 78… 78… 秩序は廻る ♪ 78… 78… 絵札はさすらい ♪ 78… 78… 未来を示す
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| Maou 2452th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Random Thread: now with 50% more holy grails" , posted Tue 7 May 21:05:
Let's commandeer this thread right here right now: what impossible dreams/rumors and hidden features have YOU sought out personally over the years?
The FF VII Aerith revival rumors connected so well into the growth of the internet, fanart, and community. Even after knowing it was false, I recall taking my submarine and searching the seas for the fabled "underwater materia" that would somehow let the party revive her, or find her underwater, or get the guy calling himself the "General" in Midgard to help, or whatever it was. That tantalizing flicker of her sprite (ghost?) in the Midgard church always bothered me.
Mario 3, World 1-3 magic whistle: I was just a little kid, but even I wasn't about to believe that if I crouched on a random white block, I would fall through the scenery and end up getting a level-skipping item. This one turned out to be true!
Lunar~Eternal Blue (Mega CD only) had a sword that was dummied out but remained in the code, and which was inexplicably shown in the US manual, leading to serious hacking to obtain it, message board wars, and general mystique.
Colossus: Actually...even without the ardor of the message board mentioned above, I spent a long time trying to prevent my poor horse Agro falling to his doom when approaching the final colossus.
人間はいつも私を驚かせてくれる。不思議なものだな、人間という存在は．．．
[this message was edited by Maou on Tue 7 May 21:17] |
| maese 680th Post
Red Carpet Regular Member
| "Re(2):Random Thread: now with 50% more holy g" , posted Wed 8 May 11:37
quote:
Let's commandeer this thread right here right now: what impossible dreams/rumors and hidden features have YOU sought out personally over the years?
I remember the whole Aerith revival thing really well, although I wasn't a serious FFVII player or fan. It was everywhere on newsgroups at the time! On a related note, I recall some pretty serious rumors that General Leo could join your party permanently in FFVI, which I'm mostly sure ended up being false.
The other thing I vividly remember is the controversy over the negative levels in the first Super Mario, which while technically true ended up being much less exciting ultimately. My friends at the time were absolutely obsessed with the whole matter, and the claims they'd make about what the negative level(s) were grew and grew over time. Oddly related is the whole issue of percent hunting in Symphony of the Night; again, technically true and not a rumor, but not even remotely interesting.
Ah, the memories... I also remember spending a lot of time with my school buddies in search of that extra % of the castle in Symphony of the Night. In the end I think it was worth the pain, if only for the enlightening experience of digging out pieces of info through that strange territory called "the Internet" that was all the rage back then.
In other news, it seems Streets of Rage has lost yet another chance of revival. Looking at the concept arts maybe it is for the better, but one never knows.
Also, Amano Yoshitaka and Uematsu Nobuo are teaming up again for some JRPG goodness. For what/s worth, I admit my nostalgia goggles have beclouded a bit reading that.
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| Gojira 2921th Post
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| "Re(3):Random Thread: now with 100% demon summ" , posted Fri 10 May 07:22
quote:
Totally Random:
What is your "drop everything gotta read/watch/do this!" thing lately?
About a year+ ago for me, it was Kongou Banchou: the moment a new chapter of it was translated, I'd drop whatever I was doing and go read it.
From a year ago till now, it's been The Voynich Hotel. I don't like all of the author's works (though using the famous line from the most famous of MATRIMELEE songs as his pen name is props already), but his ability to make interesting characters seemingly nonstop inside our outside of Voynich Hotel is something that makes me reading anything of his that gets translated anyway.
For some of my friends, it's still been Game of Thrones; the moment a new episode is available on torrent, it's GoT time.
What about you guys?
Well I once watched every episode of Lost in the span of 2 months. I regret nothing.
In terms of things airing or yet to air, though: I'm very partial to the BBC Sherlock. Even though I wasn't entirely happy with season 2, that has not changed my desire to see new episodes. Perhaps because there aren't very many episodes?
In anime, I'm really into Shingeki no Kyojin right now. I haven't quite figured out why, but the soundtrack is probably a good place to start. Also this.
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| Pollyanna 3449th Post
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| "Re(1):Random Thread: now back with more DD:DA" , posted Sun 12 May 05:52
quote:
Not to retread or whatnot but I looooved Dragon's Dogma and am interested in buying Dark Arisen. Thing is I can't seem to get a clear assessment of whether the new content is worth the $40.00 price tag. I'm not adverse to spending the money but this is Capcom and I've been burned before (fool me once - shame on you. fool me one hundred times - shame on me....).
Can any DD vets who've played Dark Arisen confirm or deny it's value (to returning players) at $40.00??
I felt like the original DD was a hugely flawed experience that sometimes prevented me from enjoying its better ideas and fantastic battle system. The add-on is another story-it plays to its strengths very well. I'm sure you've read about this already, but it's about an 8+ hour splendidly-designed dungeon with lots of ass-kicking and some digging in nooks and crannies. My experience with it has been much more positive than my experience with the rest of the game.
However, I think one of its big selling points is that its challenging and well-paced. If you're already level 120, it might miss the mark. I started at 50 (on normal) and I still had Everfalling and some cleanup around the world to do, so I was in the ideal situation to enjoy the new content. If you were in my position, I would say you do not want to miss this.
Another thing, though...since you seemed to like the original DD more than me, I can't say how delighted you'll be by the approach to the new content, which reminds me a lot of Dark Souls. If you're looking for another large open world experience, this doesn't deliver it. The design in the new area is much more focused. Also, for the record, the effect on the core game seems very minimal.
I can answer more specific questions if necessary, but that's my opinion in a nutshell. It's excellent content and I love it, but I can't say if it's for you or not.
I am undressed from 80’s style and recreated with modern sexy and beautiful style that amaze you and feel never been experienced world before.
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| Mosquiton 1866th Post
Silver Carpet V.I.P- Platinum Executive
| "Re(1):Random Thread: now back with more DD:DA" , posted Sun 12 May 09:13
quote:
Not to retread or whatnot but I looooved Dragon's Dogma and am interested in buying Dark Arisen. Thing is I can't seem to get a clear assessment of whether the new content is worth the $40.00 price tag. I'm not adverse to spending the money but this is Capcom and I've been burned before (fool me once - shame on you. fool me one hundred times - shame on me....).
Can any DD vets who've played Dark Arisen confirm or deny it's value (to returning players) at $40.00??
Like Polly mentioned in her post, there is a bit of a Dark Souls feeling here, and if you're in the proper level range to enjoy it I'd say its definitely worth it. I started the DA content at level 74 and it was still plenty challenging. I also checked it out in another game file at level 50 which is certainly doable, but I would describe as a dangerous venture... know when to run when the flesh-eating beasts show up. One of my friends went in at 46 and felt underleveled when giant, bat-faced carrion hounds (Garms) ate him alive.
I spent 16 hours in DA easy, there is actually a lot of cool stuff to find, with the randomized cursed loot and all that. For example, there are 30 macabre statues, and every ten you find you'll receive a nice reward. I really had my eyes out for them and only found 21. When you get to the bottom of the dungeon and effectively clear it once, the entire thing resets and is stocked with more difficult enemies... which you'll be leveled up and better equipped to fight thanks to your first trip.
A lot of the challenge will also depend on your class, equipment (a lot of which has been balanced a bit stat-wise), and how you leveled up. If you hadn't used periapts before, DA will motivate you to get into your inventory. Magic Archers are way more viable on Bitterblack than they are in the normal game (ice element on sixfold bolt is handy here and ricochet seeker is deadly in close quarters).
To me, even though I bought the original DragDog, I had no problem shelling out $40 for DA. It comes with all previously released DLC, which is nice, even though I don't really consider any of it to be incredibly worthwhile... although for players starting a new game a lot of the DLC equipment could come in handy when fighting specific creatures, and there are a few stylish pieces if you're into battle-fashion.
So is it worth the money for you? I usually answer this question based on how much I like something more than anything else. Like you I loved Dragon's Dogma, and considering that I put something like 140 hours into the original, even if I were to take a math approach to determine how much value I were getting out of it, I'd say it still worked out to be an excellent deal for me.
It is typical Capcom style in a way, and there has been some judicious recycling here, but I think it at least feels like an honest and overall successful attempt to create something players will enjoy. When the choice is between "spend money on something I enjoy and let Capcom know that I'd probably buy a proper sequel" and "stick it to Capcom out of principle," I have to go with the former.
Anyway, if you decide to get it and you're playing on 360 I could hook you up with some goodies and free pawn rental.
/ / /
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| HAYATO 1086th Post
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| "Re(2):Random Thread: now back with more DD:DA" , posted Sun 12 May 09:49
quote:
Not to retread or whatnot but I looooved Dragon's Dogma and am interested in buying Dark Arisen. Thing is I can't seem to get a clear assessment of whether the new content is worth the $40.00 price tag. I'm not adverse to spending the money but this is Capcom and I've been burned before (fool me once - shame on you. fool me one hundred times - shame on me....).
Can any DD vets who've played Dark Arisen confirm or deny it's value (to returning players) at $40.00??
I found DD:DA higly enjoyable but, after clearing the whole dungeon at lvl 78, I became aware of the overwhelming grinding fest that awaited me in the second run (pretty much the same issue the main game suffers from) and I dropped it right away. I played DD twice in a row, and eagerly awaited for the DLC to be released but, once I completed it, I felt like I had to take a break. I may retake it in the near future though, but at a more leisurely pace, that's for sure...
tl;dr: If you ABSOLUTELY loved DD, this DLC is worth the dough. Otherwise, don't even bother.
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| Pollyanna 3456th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
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Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(2):Kinect Two confuses Kinect One" , posted Wed 22 May 19:33
quote:
After a quick glance at this XBoxOne's specs and the policies Microsoft intend to enforce in the gaming industry from now on, my worst fears have been put to rest: I won't have to worry about switching platforms. I'll keep betting on PS4's side as my next-gen console of choice, at least for the time being...
Yeah, I was really hoping it would suck and I wasn't let down.
Here's a failed attempt at spin when it comes to describing the online and resale issues. I love how he keeps saying it's no different than today, as if it will eventually become true if he says it enough.
I talked to a few people today who are casual gamers, but big TV watchers and they seemed pretty excited about the system and didn't understand anything about the PS4. Maybe internet sensibilities represent a "the weakest dog barks the loudest" situation.
Based on reactions, it doesn't look good for Microsoft, and Nintendo certainly failed to market the idea of "controlling your living room space" just recently, but I wonder if "Sweet. New Halo/Xbox" is all they need, details be damned. It seems like a lot of the "invested" gamers are moving to PS4, but I don't have a good grasp of how the seriously seriously casual pseudo-players think.
So what I'm saying is I'm just rambling and I don't have a damn clue what's going on.
I am undressed from 80’s style and recreated with modern sexy and beautiful style that amaze you and feel never been experienced world before.
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| karasu99 1130th Post
PSN: robotchris
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| "Re(3):Kinect Two confuses Kinect One" , posted Thu 23 May 04:49:
quote:
Yeah, I was really hoping it would suck and I wasn't let down.
Here's a failed attempt at spin when it comes to describing the online and resale issues. I love how he keeps saying it's no different than today, as if it will eventually become true if he says it enough.
I talked to a few people today who are casual gamers, but big TV watchers and they seemed pretty excited about the system and didn't understand anything about the PS4. Maybe internet sensibilities represent a "the weakest dog barks the loudest" situation.
Based on reactions, it doesn't look good for Microsoft, and Nintendo certainly failed to market the idea of "controlling your living room space" just recently, but I wonder if "Sweet. New Halo/Xbox" is all they need, details be damned. It seems like a lot of the "invested" gamers are moving to PS4, but I don't have a good grasp of how the seriously seriously casual pseudo-players think.
So what I'm saying is I'm just rambling and I don't have a damn clue what's going on.
I think that while all of the reactions I've seen online (my own included) have been overwhelmingly negative, it ignores the fact that the "Sweet. New Halo/Xbox" crowd is a huge part of the fanbase who will buy the One without question. Online friends aside, the vast majority of real life people I know in person are of that vast swath of video game players: the football/Call of Duty/Halo player who was a convert from PC gaming or just loves football games exclusively. It's a huge market-- at a previous employer every single male in a workplace of about 20 people (as well as almost all of the company's clients) all owned Xbox 360s and all played exclusively football/Call of Duty/Halo. I can even remember the look of pain/pity/homophobic panic on their faces when I asked a few of them if they had played Bayonetta.
These folks will be the market for Xbox One in all likelihood, so I have little doubt that Microsoft will be just fine.
On the bright side, it makes it all that much easier for me to avoid buying it.
As far as the used games controversy goes, it's a point that will probably eventually become moot anyway for the first generation of console that ditches physical media in its entirety. [EDIT] I have to laugh at the doublespeak and metaphorical stammering and flat out politician-style misdirection in that article you liked to Polly-- a paraphrase might be "You know how you can share your game around now by lending the disc? It's just like that only the person borrowing it needs to play it on your console." HILARIOUS!
www.secret-arts.com
[this message was edited by karasu99 on Thu 23 May 04:54] |
| Pollyanna 3458th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
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| "Re(4):Kinect Two confuses Kinect One" , posted Thu 23 May 05:36
quote:
Excited, but at what price?
I mean the question literally.
They're probably expecting $500, but these are people with houses and fancy TVs and living rooms big enough to accommodate the original Kinect. This is probably a "family purchase," so I'm sure $600 would be fine, too. Even if they have to take a huge hit, more than $500 seems like a bad decision and more than $600 seems like madness. (please don't mistake this as contempt for the "wealthy," I'm just describing their situation)
After Sony's price fiasco last generation, I would expect companies to bleed themselves as much as necessary to get an early foothold in the market.
I really wish we'd see some sort of digital backwards compatibility with the new consoles or a program like the Vita had in Japan where you could pay a smaller fee to download PSP disc titles on Vita. Otherwise, we're going to see some incredibly expensive, incredibly barren new consoles.
Also, entertainment center real estate is a very hot market for me right now.
quote:
As a TV surfer, I'm looking forward the the Xbox One because my cable provider (Comcast) uses an utterly awful UI on their cable boxes. It's ugly, unintuitive, and slow. I used to use Verizon and theirs wasn't much better either. If I can chuck their UI's in favor of the Xbox's, I'll do it in a heartbeat. If the XBO can also offer DVR services, I might just die.
Even if this isn't of interest to me, I can see it. If I had a cable box that could be replaced by a GAME SYSTEM, I'd be all over that. My friends were saying that its ability to replace one (or two if you have a bluray player) things in the entertainment center is a big plus.
Hopefully the system will have fast startup/sleep mode/background downloads like Sony is advertising so that the joys of simplicity aren't hampered by bothersome execution.
quote:
I have to laugh at the doublespeak and metaphorical stammering and flat out politician-style misdirection in that article you liked to Polly-- a paraphrase might be "You know how you can share your game around now by lending the disc? It's just like that only the person borrowing it needs to play it on your console." HILARIOUS!
He had a unenviable job. No one wants to tell you that you have cancer, but it is what it is.
I am undressed from 80’s style and recreated with modern sexy and beautiful style that amaze you and feel never been experienced world before.
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| HAYATO 1105th Post
PSN: Lord-Hayato
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| "Re(4):Kinect Two confuses Kinect One" , posted Thu 23 May 06:09
quote:
I think that while all of the reactions I've seen online (my own included) have been overwhelmingly negative, it ignores the fact that the "Sweet. New Halo/Xbox" crowd is a huge part of the fanbase who will buy the One without question. Online friends aside, the vast majority of real life people I know in person are of that vast swath of video game players: the football/Call of Duty/Halo player who was a convert from PC gaming or just loves football games exclusively. It's a huge market-- at a previous employer every single male in a workplace of about 20 people (as well as almost all of the company's clients) all owned Xbox 360s and all played exclusively football/Call of Duty/Halo. I can even remember the look of pain/pity/homophobic panic on their faces when I asked a few of them if they had played Bayonetta.
These folks will be the market for Xbox One in all likelihood, so I have little doubt that Microsoft will be just fine.
I'm afraid you are right, Karasu: this could be part of Microsoft's long-term strategy to capitalize on the living room media center segment, instead of aiming for gamers. Microsoft has enough money to gamble on this gen, so they should be fine, even if the XBox One ends up as a flop. On the other hand, if people gets used to XBox One as the media center every casual gamer desires, it could be far more profitable for MS than contending with Sony and Nintendo for dominance of the hardcore gaming market for half a decade or so...
And now, after borrowing Maestro Joao's salmon pashmina and Sandro Rey's gorgeous mane, I can accurately predict the gaming scenario for 2020:
- Sony: hardcore gamers and hack3rz. Because PS6 is L33t and superior japanese tech (assembled in Brazil or Uganda by then)
- Nintendo: children and all-time, nostalgia-driven Nintendo fans. Because every rehash of a rehashed rehash is a brand new game in Nintendoland!!
- Microsoft: everyone else. I'm fed up with those superbowl commercials so let's switch to gaming mode to kill some terrorists during the halftime. And bring a couple of Buds, man!!
Y que Dios os bendiga, que yo ya lo he hecho
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| karasu99 1131th Post
PSN: robotchris
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Red Carpet Premium Member+
| "Re(5):Kinect Two confuses Kinect One" , posted Thu 23 May 08:34
quote:
I'm afraid you are right, Karasu: this could be part of Microsoft's long-term strategy to capitalize on the living room media center segment, instead of aiming for gamers. Microsoft has enough money to gamble on this gen, so they should be fine, even if the XBox One ends up as a flop. On the other hand, if people gets used to XBox One as the media center every casual gamer desires, it could be far more profitable for MS than contending with Sony and Nintendo for dominance of the hardcore gaming market for half a decade or so...
SEGA, TAKE ME AWAY!!! These kinds of situations make me yearn for the simpler days, when pre-launch marketing and hype were at a minimum, and a new console hadn't been tested manufactured correctly focus-grouped to death before being shown for the first time.
Like the Sega consoles! Were things as icky back then, or have I just forgotten or let nostalgia cloud my eyes? Maou, I'm sure you've never stopped playing the Mega CD since first joining the Cafe crowd, but the rest of us may need to fall back on a slightly less antique machine to wash the Xbox taste out of our mouths.
www.secret-arts.com
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| Nekros 554th Post
New Red Carpet Member
| "Re(4):Xbox, turn on PS4" , posted Fri 24 May 02:48:
quote:
I think that while all of the reactions I've seen online (my own included) have been overwhelmingly negative, it ignores the fact that the "Sweet. New Halo/Xbox" crowd is a huge part of the fanbase who will buy the One without question.
Pretty much this.
This morning I went to my local game store and a random guy came over asking about the Xbone, COD and Tv services. It's really a big thing for the average consumer, because is not seen as a gaming system only. Microsoft is trying hard the way Nintendo went last generation: creating a new crowd, fidelized to became a rabid fanbase when time occurs. What Nintendo didn't reach is the core of the living room; Wii games for the casuals are about fun, but in its purest and innocent form, they're not able to catalyse any experience. Microsoft focus is not on simplicity but on redundancy: think about the average fps player, the average sports fan/supporter..they simply can't have enough, and use a lot of TV.
The have a solid brand and lots of money, they're betting not on the profit but on investments: risky but clever. I sincerely hope they bomb hard, but aside the online friends (counting you cafers :*) I didn't encounter any real complain about the Xbone and its concept. To people -especially teens and mid 20s- voice command is one of the coolest thing you could expect from a home appliance, having TV, BRD and Games (FIFA, COD, Halo and maybe some uninspired RPG; in general anything creative and not different from the usual pc titles) at your commands' disposal. To me it's simply stupid, I tried that with 360 and found it absolutely dumb, is like talking to your washing machine or your fridge.. and has nothing to do with rocket science or cutting edge technology, but is more reminiscent about obscure fringe science experiments.
[this message was edited by Nekros on Fri 24 May 02:51] |
| Loona 698th Post
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| "Re(1):Bravoman has a cartoon now" , posted Fri 24 May 23:08
quote:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kLPzHha4f0
In association with the folks at UDON. You may recognize the voice of Bravoman (Rob Paulson) from his work as Raphael in TMNT 87 and Donatello from TMNT 2012. I guess this is written for little kids, but I found very little entertainment in this.
Been following the webcomic ever since I started being interested in the Namco X Capcom cast - Matt Moylan clearly did his homework on the game and its extended Namco history, but ultimately chose to go with simple gags and playing with the medium, which is understandable, but a bit of a letdown after seeing what NxC did with the whole thing (playe up the corporate attitude of Black Bravo in the villain alliances, had Dr. Bomb working for Heihachi, Waya Hime using Taki's style and having her see her deeds as an extension of the will of another, etc...).
I wish I could say the same for the guys writing for the Valkyrie and Galaga though - the former is kinda pitiable, and is going to clash terribly with the character's depiction in Prject X Zone, which would be easy to avoid with 10 minutes of research; as for Galaga, it decided to play with the idea of pixels, which would be fine if it wasn't a part of a huge setting covering several Namco games, feels like a wasted opportunity.
"Beat the machine that works in your head!" - Guano Apes "Open Your Eyes"
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| Pollyanna 3460th Post
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|  "SMTIV impressions" , posted Mon 27 May 20:33
Is anyone else enjoying Megaten 4? Iggy surely?
Since it was mostly new staff, my hype level for the game was very low. I didn't even watch any trailers after the first one, so I knew very little going in. Actually, I haven't played the game much (a few hours), so people who have been hunting for information might still know more than me. A few notes, though...
-Although I don't believe it ties into any other game directly, fans who haven't played SMT 1 and 2 might be missing out on a lot of the "fanservice" elements. They seem to be trying really hard to recreate the old feeling.
-Screenshots don't do the game justice. The 3D is cute and cleverly implemented.
-I thought that the extensive use of artwork was a cop-out (and maybe it is), but it fits well in the game. In the same way that the old games felt like a DOS prompt, there's a strong sense of "interface." A 3D frame overlaying a world that's both real and fantasy...organic and virtual. I can't quite put it into words, but it's striking in the game and feels really neat.
-The game is kooky. There's a lot of SMT3 in there, but it's not as "cool." Again, more like SMT2 or something.
-Mido, the demon fusion low-poly floating head is totally radical to the max. Fusion itself is easier than usual with different "filter" options (All fusions with this demon, all fusions WITHOUT this demon...)
-You can save the game anywhere, anytime. If you're willing to do this a lot, it significantly impacts the difficulty of the game. I don't know if I like that or not.
-The death scene (without spoiling anything, it's not "game over") is my favorite in any game ever. (Arcade Ninja Gaiden is still pretty awesome, though.)
Too early to say how it stacks up to the rest of the series, but I've been very pleased thus far.
I am undressed from 80’s style and recreated with modern sexy and beautiful style that amaze you and feel never been experienced world before.
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| Iggy 9528th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(1):SMTIV impressions" , posted Mon 27 May 22:09
quote:
Is anyone else enjoying Megaten 4? Iggy surely?
After being burned by DQ7, I was trying to stay away from it at all costs, by slowly persuading myself the game would be bad.
Unfortunately, all the impressions I have heard since release are at least warmly positive. The game seems hard, fair and hard, with a lot of hard angles soften here and there... You're not the only one saying it's closer to SMT2 than 3, which is a shame, but, well.
Amusingly, the only criticism I've seen is about a "level up quickly" DLC, which does exactly what it says it does. The sudden level boost you receive apparently breaks the whole game, it's quite funny (but it's good that they give the option to people who can't be bothered to learn a game, I suppose).
I'll probably crumble and buy it next week or so. I'd like to spend more time with Crusader Kings 2 though...
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| Pollyanna 3461th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
XBL: n/a
Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(2):SMTIV impressions" , posted Tue 28 May 07:14
quote:
Amusingly, the only criticism I've seen is about a "level up quickly" DLC, which does exactly what it says it does. The sudden level boost you receive apparently breaks the whole game, it's quite funny (but it's good that they give the option to people who can't be bothered to learn a game, I suppose).
This sort of thing doesn't bother me as long as its instituted after the game is properly balanced. Although it does make me wary whenever I see it, I've yet to encounter a game that makes me think "you're trying to get money for EXP out of me, aren't you?" when I'm playing it.
Also, what was wrong with DQ7? I thought the original was clever and challenging and I liked the job system, but the whole experience was a bit obtuse. Figuring out what to do often took too long and hurt the "flow" of the game. It would've been my favorite DQ if it wasn't so annoying to play sometimes.
But it sounded like they ironed things out in the remake without upsetting too much. Is that wrong? Did they over meddle, or is it the flaws of the original game that sink it?
(Also, although I was not convinced that SMT4 was any good, I was convinced that I couldn't resist buying it)
I am undressed from 80’s style and recreated with modern sexy and beautiful style that amaze you and feel never been experienced world before.
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| Iggy 9530th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "DQ7 impressions" , posted Tue 28 May 08:55
quote:
Also, what was wrong with DQ7?
I haven't talked about it here? I was probably too upset or disappointed...
3 main issues:
1) The camera is horrible. Far too close. It's horrendous. You cannot see anything. Monsters spawn instead of the random fights, but since you can't see where you're going, you just run into monsters even though you could have avoided them if you could have seen them (that spawning system is also quite bad, sometimes they just spawn on top of you). And when you're in a tight dungeon, you cannot even see properly where you are or where you are supposed to go, where are the treasures... It's so horribly frustrating.
2) Other consequence of the camera was that you see the character models from much closer then you should. They are SO UGLY, they made me want to play the PS1 version again. If they had pushed the camera back 50%, it would have solved so many issues. I don't understand why they let the camera like that.
3) Maybe even worse, the game became tremendously easy. Of course, it's DQ, not SMT, but after a while I didn't even go through the trouble of healing my characters before a boss battle, I was just rolling over everything the game was throwing at me. Plus it's DQ7, so no strategy is involved until you reach the jobs. There are some truly insulting moments, like a game where you cannot lose because people give you another choice until you succeed, and when you do, they rejoice saying your victory was legendary and you truly deserved the treasure of the village. It felt like these special schools where you can only get straight As whatever you do.
I stopped soon after that sequence. I thought maybe the game might get a little bit more challenging after a while, but a friend told me that once you start tweaking a little bit your jobs, you can steamroll absolutely everything if you know what you're doing. And that doesn't make the game any fun.
I.... really don't know. Maybe it's better to have a mild version because it's on portable? I'm not against the idea of shortening the lengthy parts or helping to find the tablets, but the camera and the lack of challenge are just shameful.
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| Pollyanna 3462th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
XBL: n/a
Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(1):DQ7 impressions" , posted Tue 28 May 09:16
quote:
I.... really don't know. Maybe it's better to have a mild version because it's on portable? I'm not against the idea of shortening the lengthy parts or helping to find the tablets, but the camera and the lack of challenge are just shameful.
Blegh. Glad I passed on it. I'm sorry to hear that "streamlining" meant "steamrolling" in terms of the challenge. Traditional RPGs aren't the most engaging thing to me anymore, since other genres have caught up in terms of complexity and storytelling, so if it isn't challenging, I get bored quickly.
The "spawn right on top of you" thing reminds me... that happens in SMT4 a bit as well, but I always laugh and think it's a typical "SMT Fuck You" to the player. Although it's not super difficult to hit the enemies (Persona 3/4 style) before an encounter, there is the anxiety that if you don't, or if you try to escape and fail, you could be in very deep trouble.
Oh! One thing that's a BIG DIFFERENCE is that if the hero dies, there's no consequence. I kind of miss having to protect him and constantly be in fear of losing, but its a welcome tradeoff to get rid of the random, rage-inducing instant deaths that have caused me to waste so many hours on Megaten/Persona games. Even in just a few hours, the hero has died in one hit like...10-12 times, so I can't help but think this was a good choice on their part.
Persona 4 (The Golden, especially) was moving in a good direction with the way that party members would cover for the hero sometimes to prevent an instant kill. I think a "you have 2 turns to revive the hero once he's dead" idea might work, or some sort of extreme penalty (entire party is struck with fear or something) that doesn't involve game over.
Anyway, even with that change, SMT4 is still challenging. It's the save system that makes it "easier." I'm a bit sad that it reduces me "don't want to die" anxiety that's such a strong part of the game for me.
I'm sure as the game progresses I'll be able to put together some abusive skill combinations, but that's half of the fun anyway.
I am undressed from 80’s style and recreated with modern sexy and beautiful style that amaze you and feel never been experienced world before.
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| Pollyanna 3466th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
XBL: n/a
Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(2):DQ7 impressions" , posted Mon 3 Jun 22:03
Excuse the double post, but short public service announcement...for those of you who, like myself, missed Thomas Was Alone and Hotline Miami, you can get them in the current Humble Bundle. (along with other games)
Also, while I'm at it, more SMTIV impressions:
-There are a LOT of demons. It's like...stupid.
-The tokusatsu monster designs are cool, but the art styles they're drawn in don't really fit. I think they look much better redrawn in the main illustrator's style (like on the cover)
-Demons are replaced very quickly (I don't like this). They only learn 2 skills and ALL SKILLS are transferable upon fusion. You can choose to not learn a single ice spell with Jack Frost and give him nothing but fire spells. When a demon levels, sometimes it'll do a "demon's whisper" event where you learn skills from them...any number, no limitations, excluding passive skills. Instead of passive skills, the hero automatically "powers up" any skill that he has the chance to learn twice (or more times) from a whisper.
-Instead of getting "down" after being hit by your weakness (like Persona), the character that HITS the weakness, dodges or hits critical sometimes gets an "evil grin" status as a bonus. It makes you difficult to hit and I believe nulls your weakness. Maybe it ups your crit rate or whatever else, but that's hard to tell.
-I used Google maps to help me when I got confused one time.
-The way the "real" world is introduced is kind of chilling and kind of comical. Just perfect!
-It feels like a good mix between SMT2 and SMT3 while doing its own thing well enough. I think it's a worthy sequel for now, but I may change my mind by the end.
-One neat new feature are "apps" for your Gauntlet (devil summoning device). You get points to apply to apps every time you level up and many of them are quite necessary (skill slot up for you, skill slot up for demons, demon slot up, different negotiation tactics, etc.). There's no way you can afford them all and certainly not at once, so prioritizing is fun and tricky.
-Demons want your items/money like crazy. They'll rip you off a lot, too.
-Battles do not give you money, nor do they often give you items that can be traded for money. Items you salvage in the environment give money, quests give money and extorting money from demons gives money. Negotiations often COST a lot of money.
-The mazes aren't at all like normal "cramped hallway" SMT mazes. They're very full environments. I've enjoyed every area that I've gone to and the sense of atmosphere is great, but I wonder if they'll leave me hungry for floor traps and teleporters in the end.
-The overhead map looks cool, but I find it confusing. It's hard to tell where you can and can't walk.
-It has the best use of 3D I've seen in a game, hands down, no competition. If every game on 3DS used 3D this well I'd be way more excited about the system. The sound design is very good, too.
-Despite the use of popular anime VAs, the script still feels "SMT" enough to me and they don't tend to talk in circles like they did in Strange Journey. It's much closer to my idea of "Megaten" than it implied from early trailers.
I am undressed from 80’s style and recreated with modern sexy and beautiful style that amaze you and feel never been experienced world before.
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| Pollyanna 3468th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
XBL: n/a
Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(3):Random Thread now with slightly more dr" , posted Thu 6 Jun 08:44
By the end of DD, I liked bringing a mage and a sorcerer with me, because I could tell when they were doing something. Physical attackers looked like they were keeping busy, but it was impossible to tell if they were actually accomplishing anything worthwhile.
I enjoyed hiding and holding a button down (then watching utter chaos) as a sorcerer for a while, but I eventually yearned for something more hands-on. Sadly, there are so many concepts and strategies in that game that would only be effective with a team of actual humans, not AI.
I've been very hot and cold with Dragon's Dogma, but after finishing Dark Arisen, my final verdict is that its one of the most incredible action games I've ever played packaged as one of the worst RPGs.
quote:
Yayyyyy. New Ikeno art! I'm considering running to Japan town to buy this issue so i can get a better look at it!
You might do better investing in this:
Dragon's Dogma Official Design Works.
It's absolutely overflowing with artwork. 300 pages and at least 250 are nothing but art. It's on par with the Okami artbook, if you've seen that one. I would've preferred a little less generic NPC art and more concept sketches for special moves, but it's an impressive book any way you look at it. I'd recommend it to DD and non-DD fans alike.
I am undressed from 80’s style and recreated with modern sexy and beautiful style that amaze you and feel never been experienced world before.
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| Mosquiton 1873th Post
Silver Carpet V.I.P- Platinum Executive
| "Re(4):Random Thread now with slightly more dr" , posted Fri 7 Jun 06:56:
quote:
By the end of DD, I liked bringing a mage and a sorcerer with me, because I could tell when they were doing something. Physical attackers looked like they were keeping busy, but it was impossible to tell if they were actually accomplishing anything worthwhile.
If you like to see things happen, you I find Striders put on a good show. The area-of-effect arrow attacks are easily visible (and cool looking) and well-trained individuals have a habit of clinging to enemies and wailing on their heads.
quote:
I've been very hot and cold with Dragon's Dogma, but after finishing Dark Arisen, my final verdict is that its one of the most incredible action games I've ever played packaged as one of the worst RPGs.
A pretty decent adventure game, though, isn't it? Games need sequels in ways that movies don't, so I very much hope that DD is at the least a bit less socially awkward. I'd really like to hear something soon regarding a proper sequel, but the free-to-play game seems at least to be a small vote of confidence in the franchise.
I wonder how Dark Arisen performed for them?
/ / /
[this message was edited by Mosquiton on Fri 7 Jun 06:57] |
| Pollyanna 3470th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
XBL: n/a
Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(1):Random Thread now with more CASTLEVANIA" , posted Fri 7 Jun 12:53
quote:
HAVE AT IT!!
My response to this was odd. It was "UGH. I probably am going to have to play this, huh?" Maybe I should wait for all the trustworthy Castevania fans here to tell me how it stacks up against the original.
That came out wrong. Let me dissect that.
1) Castlevania fans will buy it.
2) I trust the opinions of (most of) the people here.
3) However, being a Castlevania fan possibly makes your opinion on this game LESS valid.
4) That's why I say "stacks up against the original," because that's all that matters.
quote:
If you like to see things happen, you I find Striders put on a good show.
I may have worded this poorly. This is exactly backwards. I agree that striders put on a good show, but I have a difficult time quantifying how much good they're actually doing. However, I know how much it helps when I get an elemental buff on a weapon, when I get healed, or when someone casts maelstrom or bolide.
Well, whatever. I'm done with the game anyway.
OH! That reminds me! On the "real ending" I picked up the jester and killed everyone by throwing him at them. They all yelled out in pain (as they do) and fell dramatically. I am not tagging this as a spoiler, as it would make NO SENSE AT ALL to people who haven't played this part of the game.
quote:
A pretty decent adventure game, though, isn't it? Games need sequels in ways that movies don't, so I very much hope that DD is at the least a bit less socially awkward. I'd really like to hear something soon regarding a proper sequel, but the free-to-play game seems at least to be a small vote of confidence in the franchise.
It was a good "first game in a new series" for sure, though I constantly found myself saying "in the sequel they should do this..." Cheers to Capcom for out-thinking me with Bitterblack Island, though. Now, my greatest hopes for a sequel would be an abbreviated overworld with numerous dungeons like Bitterblack. Something like a Zelda game, then, I guess.
I could also see myself diving into multiplayer dungeons with some randomly-generated content over and over again.
I am undressed from 80’s style and recreated with modern sexy and beautiful style that amaze you and feel never been experienced world before.
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| badoor 310th Post
PSN: BadoorSNK/PSVITA:BadoorUSA
XBL: BadoorSNK/WiiU:BadoorSNK
Wii: 3DS:4253-3532-0341
Bronze Customer
| "Re(3):Random Thread now with more CASTLEVANIA" , posted Sat 8 Jun 04:22
quote:
HAVE AT IT!!
Is it Legacy of Kain? Is it Asura's Wrath? For such a long trailer it left me with more questions than answers. For a game that's due out this year I thought they would be a bit more forthcoming about how it plays. For crying out loud, I don't even know what century the game is set in.
It matters little: we'll play it nonetheless. My body is ready for a new Castillovania overdose!!
Yeah. That trailer was not good. Even with Kojima out, they seem to have inherited his "Long cutscene-filled" trailers but with none of his ability to tell coherent mini-stories within them.
Actually, the Lords Of Shadow 2 section in Konami's pre-E3 show had way more information in terms of gameplay, structure and level-design. It even had legitimate gameplay footage. Fast-Forward to 15 minutes:
http://youtu.be/jRvnyT1R8J8?t=15m26s
Basically it has an openworld level structure (or a 3D Metroidvania if you will), with no separate levels or even loading screens. And everyplace is accessible at any time as long as you can reach it with your abilities. Although, if the 3DS game is anything to go by, most of these abilities might just simply be "Colored Keys" that unlock "Colored Doors". Supposedly, it'll have 2 eras, one still in medieval-y times and the other in modern times in a city. I don't know if you can willingly jump in time between these two eras or not.
Anyway, I'm very excited for it. It's been 20 years since the last Kid Dracula game.
http://100daysofmegashock.wordpress.com/
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| Pollyanna 3493th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
XBL: n/a
Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(8):..... D&D Collection Talk" , posted Wed 19 Jun 11:35
quote:
Looks like the New Super Mario Bros 'Super Luigi' add-on is... is out for... the... Wii U... oh, nevermind, nobody's listening! 
I'm getting it at least. I don't much care for the game myself, but it's literally the only title I can get all of my friends to play with me and that's worth a lot.
I was thinking I wouldn't bite on D&D with Dragon's Crown just around the corner, but ehhh, it's cheap, so maybeeeee. (Also joystick lust)
Side note: Just finished The Last of Us which met and exceeded expectations. Really impressed with its depiction of America, consistent tone and surprisingly level of integrity. For something so violent, it's very subtle and doesn't shove its message down your throat. Instead of going to any game interrupting extreme to tell you that people are bad or that you may be a bad man, it puts you in situations where you think "it'd be a lot easier if I killed those guys." That's obviously a natural thought in a video game, but in this game's scenario, it was an "ah-ha" moment where I understood the slippery moral slope of the world.
Also
Spoiler (Highlight to view) -
I was impressed that without making a big deal out of it they worked in the ironic situation that in a zombie story, humans were eating other humans, but zombies were not. I can't believe they pulled that off gracefully.
End of Spoiler
I am undressed from 80’s style and recreated with modern sexy and beautiful style that amaze you and feel never been experienced world before.
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| Pollyanna 3494th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
XBL: n/a
Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(2):Xbox One...Eighty" , posted Thu 20 Jun 08:17
I was going to be vaguely happy about the Xbox thing, but looking at people's comments, evidently a "vocal minority has ruined it for everyone" and the Xbox One is now "no longer a next generation system."
This is hurting my head. I think I need to go back to bed. Uhhh...congratulations Sony for kicking Microsoft into the last generation, I guess?
quote:
They've got a lot of work ahead of them to rehab their image after such a colossally mis-played month or so. I KNOW, here's the perfect way to start!!!
YESSSSSSSSS!
Also, you can't do "Sticks to Snakes" in the D&D demo...you have to buy the game for that. I'm torn, because on one hand, without Sticks to Snakes, the demo didn't (re) sell me on the game...but on the other hand, if they give you Sticks to Snakes for free, then why pay money?
I am undressed from 80’s style and recreated with modern sexy and beautiful style that amaze you and feel never been experienced world before.
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| Pollyanna 3496th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
XBL: n/a
Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(5):Xbox One...Eighty" , posted Tue 25 Jun 04:57
quote:
Kinect
I've probably said this already like 5 times, but I thought it was interesting how Sony threw the PS Move under the bus for PS4 at E3 after trying to promote it before. Although we can't know what their initial policies were, I personally don't believe they had some evil DRM intentions that they reversed to screw Microsoft over. However, it seems obvious that they did that with the Move.
I understand the argument of "the Kinect is driving up the price of a system I want and I don't care about it." I can't convince someone to care about the Kinect. However, I do think it plays well into Microsoft's plan for their system as a "media center for the whole family."
The first Kinect was kind of a tragedy, because it sold well and had a lot of buzz but didn't get much support to back it up. Most of the titles for it were budget games. It was, after all, a peripheral that only a percentage of the player base owned. I don't know how many developers are going to fully commit themselves to Kinect stuff, but now it's there for everyone. It's a part of the console experience.
For those who want an Xbox One, but don't want Kinect...are you sure you shouldn't just get a PS4? Shouldn't there be something that differentiates the consoles?
quote:
Then again, all three consoles have weird luggage attached to them -such as WiiU's odd controller or Sony's insane insistence on trying to convince people that the Vita is cool- so this isn't a problem that's unique to the new Xbox.
Even if the companies have failed to completely sell consumers and developers on these things, I don't think they're bad in theory. It's not reasonable to hope for only one console to exist and what good would it do if all 3 were exactly the same?
I'm not trying to be argumentative, I'm just saying "if this is bad, what would be good, in your opinion?"
Also, what would make the Vita "cool"? Is the 3DS cool? What's a cool system? I don't think the Vita's problem is that it's uncool so much as it's overwhelmingly unnecessary.
quote:
In other news, has anyone here tried Hotline Miami? If so, any thoughts? Since it's popping up on PSN and Vita I'm interested in giving it a shot but I was curious to hear what others thought.
I liked the atmosphere and the music tremendously. The trailers don't accurately portray how strategic the game is, either. Well...it can be strategic, or if you're really good/insane it can just be murder.
Anyway, I thought the game was very clever and great in theory, but it wasn't "tight" enough for my liking. It seemed like, with every stage, I put together a reasonably thoughtful game plan that made sense within the world only to have it constantly foiled by AI oddities or frustrating little gameplay hiccups. Things that felt beyond my control. Eventually, I would end up finishing the stage doing something that felt stupid or just broken. There are a lot of different approaches to play with and if you enjoy that sort of thing, you might enjoy it more than me. Also, the game was well-received I think, so my problems might not be shared by everyone.
How much does it cost? That's an important factor.
I am undressed from 80’s style and recreated with modern sexy and beautiful style that amaze you and feel never been experienced world before.
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| Pollyanna 3497th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
XBL: n/a
Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(7):Xbox One...Eighty" , posted Tue 25 Jun 19:11
I just got Level-5's new ios game.
It's like Puzzle and Dragon (which is sort of a puzzle/RPG) only with slot machines and sexy girls. So far so good! It's more cute and sexy in a fun way than a gross way. All of the girls have professions (many of them mundane) and ludicrous "evolutions" as they level up. I love that the bartender girl starts out looking like she works at a biker bar, then "evolves" into a classier bar.
It's free to play, but money gets you more girls. (or the same girl to feed to herself to level her up or...whatever)
quote:
Vita Remote Play
Although I was pleased that Sony said this is something that happens automatically without extra effort from the developers, I'm not quite sure what its practical use is. Actually, I just plain don't understand it. I guess it's the same as playing on the WiiU controller? Not something I would ever use...
But hey, at least developers aren't burdened by it. I keep hearing people talk about incorporating tablets into games, though...which I guess people want? Maybe the Vita can also serve that purpose and interact with games in a meaningful, if unnecessary way.
quote:
The really good thing is that you restart immediately after dying, which tends to lower the frustration for dying too fast or to unjustly (at least on PC but I assume it's the same on PS3 and Vita).
Yes. Very good that you respawn quickly since you die so quickly and the tiniest, strangest thing can undo you instantly. The fragility of the main character made me cautious at first, but the continue system eventually made me wild and daring. That, combined with AI/system frustrations may make you say "screw this" and find broken and crazy ways to deal with things.
I am undressed from 80’s style and recreated with modern sexy and beautiful style that amaze you and feel never been experienced world before.
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| Pollyanna 3498th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
XBL: n/a
Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(9):Xbox One...Eighty" , posted Wed 26 Jun 17:32
quote:
On the main page the image of the leveled-up heroine has been flipped so her hair now parts on the wrong side. It's bad enough that they were too lazy to correct the picture but then they went and ran the image three times? Now there's quality control.
That's how it looks in the game, I think...proving that it's actually a POWER UP and that she evolves into a superior hair part.
quote:
blow up civilian cars
Those are CARS, not PEOPLE. Like if you use a laser gun, you're LASERING someone, not SHOOTING them.
quote:
I tried it out myself and I practically had to yank the hooks out of me. The feedback centers of my brain are going to need rehab. I did see that waitress you were talking about, very cute. I had started to level up the cop before I calculated my potential productivity lost.
That said I have no qualms trying to get my friend hooked on it. How do you get the girls to learn skills?
I can't figure out if this is any good or not! I know I like it, but it's barely even a game. There are a lot of aspects of it that compare favorably to P&D, but at the end of the day, it might be lacking a level of depth necessary to keep me playing. Somehow, those slots keep me going "Yes YES YES YES...NO!" and "YES YES YES YES YESSSSSS!"
I haven't figured out the skill system either, or rather, I haven't bothered learning yet. You mean like leader skills, right? I think there was a note that said you could learn them through powering up, but that's pretty vague. I didn't put much thought into the game because I wasn't sure if I'd keep playing or not, but I'm starting to get hooked.
I wonder if the game becomes prohibitively difficult in a way that makes you spend money later. As it stands, they give you plenty of girls and unlike P&D, you don't feel like you're stuck with "lame stuff." I wonder how it would do if they only gave you ugly girls and you had to pay money for the sexy ones.
I am undressed from 80’s style and recreated with modern sexy and beautiful style that amaze you and feel never been experienced world before.
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| Pollyanna 3501th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
XBL: n/a
Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(1):engulfed by the B-kyuu Kanojo" , posted Thu 27 Jun 09:05:
EDIT: There's a demo for Puppeteer in the Japanese PSN store. It's very very short, so it's hard to form an opinion. Something about the animation and character designs don't sit well with me, but the music is fancy-pants and the environments are impressive. They're rich in a way that defies the somewhat "budget game" look. Still not sure about this one, which is sad, because a puppet fairy tale game seems like something I'd be wayyyy more excited about.
A few early BQ Kanojo notes:
-Leader skills might be limited to rare gacha characters. Even after 2 evolutions, I haven't seen a common girl with one. The ones I have (on rare girls) are both sub-type attack up skills (for "elite" or "little devil" type girls).
-Battle Skill ups are likely achieved by feeding a character with the same skill to them.
-The limited-time beckoning cat special dungeon seems to be the best way to level characters early on? Other than that, it's just tanuki.
-After getting the high score bonus on each stage, it looks like you'll have to rely on limited-time dungeons for evolution materials.
-The game straight-up tells you what each non-player drop is good for. That's handy.
-I'm sad when girls "evolve" into a less-good artist. There are a lot of low-level designs I prefer to the maxed-out ones. Some of the "power up" designs just seem to take clothes away.
-The photographer girl's powers seem to be very JoJo inspired. Her ultimate form is pretty fanservicy, but awesomeeeee if you're into crazy poses, super boobs and stands.
-It's not really possible to get "better" at the game as far as I can tell, so I'm surprised it's held my interest at all.
-I love Ikemen Bat. I wish the enemies talked.
I am undressed from 80’s style and recreated with modern sexy and beautiful style that amaze you and feel never been experienced world before.
[this message was edited by Pollyanna on Thu 27 Jun 17:57] |
| Iggy 9571th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Sengoku Basara 4" , posted Wed 3 Jul 18:52
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BOOlyB5CIAEmLJZ.jpg?.jpg
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BOOmk_HCEAIZZzR.jpg?.jpg
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BOOm8wgCYAAfbK7.jpg?.jpg
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http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BOOoDJaCQAA94sM.jpg?.jpg
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BOOo0PyCAAA4NmB.jpg?.jpg
http://imepic.jp/20130703/560060
I am... not convinced.
OK, first, GJ for changing the base roster, I would never have thought Yukimura would take a step back, and Ishida seems a logical choice popularity-wise. And parallel Muromachi is probably the safest choice after Basara 3.
I like Ashikagaznable, as a historical character, a voice actor and as a design, even though he kinda remind Hideyoshi... I suppose he won't be playable until the 4++ (or the DLC if they decide to go that route with this game)?
It's already quite strange to pick Shibata, when you think of the Oichi in Basara... I suppose in Parallel Muromachi, she's still married to Nagamasa?
But the design... urgh. He looks like an old Musou character. At first I thought it was the non-playable enemy of Basara 3 that lives in a tree whose name I forgot, trying an unconvincing Masamune cosplay... And I suppose he's Shima Sakon's love interest?
As for Shima, he looks like a Midnight Bliss version of Yukimura.
It's strange for this series to start by showing 4 characters with traditional weapons (well... except Masamune). Where is the wacky? Even if I wasn't found of Basara3's new cast, where are the new Ôtani or Kuroda?
Oh, well. The most important is that they end up having at least some funny gimmicks, and have interesting and distinctive playstyles. There's still plenty of time until 2014.
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| maese 699th Post
Red Carpet Regular Member
| "No Xavi, No Life" , posted Thu 4 Jul 15:34
quote:
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BOOlyB5CIAEmLJZ.jpg?.jpg
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BOOmk_HCEAIZZzR.jpg?.jpg
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BOOm8wgCYAAfbK7.jpg?.jpg
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BOOnrLxCYAAOWWj.jpg?.jpg
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BOOoDJaCQAA94sM.jpg?.jpg
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BOOo0PyCAAA4NmB.jpg?.jpg
http://imepic.jp/20130703/560060
I am... not convinced.
OK, first, GJ for changing the base roster, I would never have thought Yukimura would take a step back, and Ishida seems a logical choice popularity-wise. And parallel Muromachi is probably the safest choice after Basara 3.
I like Ashikagaznable, as a historical character, a voice actor and as a design, even though he kinda remind Hideyoshi... I suppose he won't be playable until the 4++ (or the DLC if they decide to go that route with this game)?
It's already quite strange to pick Shibata, when you think of the Oichi in Basara... I suppose in Parallel Muromachi, she's still married to Nagamasa?
But the design... urgh. He looks like an old Musou character. At first I thought it was the non-playable enemy of Basara 3 that lives in a tree whose name I forgot, trying an unconvincing Masamune cosplay... And I suppose he's Shima Sakon's love interest?
As for Shima, he looks like a Midnight Bliss version of Yukimura.
It's strange for this series to start by showing 4 characters with traditional weapons (well... except Masamune). Where is the wacky? Even if I wasn't found of Basara3's new cast, where are the new Ôtani
-- Message too long, Autoquote has been Snipped --
Hmmmm, interesting... I was kind of expecting a "Bakumatsu Basara" or something along those lines, but at the very least I'm relieved they decided to retain the Sengoku setting.
However, I agree with Iggy and Ishmael: I see too much Sengoku and too little Basara on this one. It's OK to catter to the fujoushi audience, it's the core fanbase of the series after all. But I wish they'd dare to push it beyond the prettyboys too, as they did on Basara 1 & 2.
Come on, Capcom, throw us, poor Xavi worshipers, a bone or two!
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| Pollyanna 3508th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
XBL: n/a
Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(2):XBHell" , posted Sun 7 Jul 08:58
quote:
there's nothing wrong with your account, it's just a another day on XBL :)
HA!
quote:
reasonable way of solving it
Do you have a more reasonable solution? I've wondered for years if there's a good way to approach this, so I'd be interested in hearing your ideas. I mean that sincerely, not argumentatively.
I do disagree with the idea of this being "Xbox hell" in a way that's bad for the players, though. Ideally, you would be sent to "hell" because you acted like all the other people there. I don't think it's the least bit unreasonable to make people play with other people like them. If these people are so horrible that it's "hell" to deal with them, then maybe that tells you something about yourself.
I don't like the idea of "the world is full of shitheads, deal with it" or "if you can't take the heat get out of the kitchen." What makes it complicated to me is that if you try to create a safe environment for younger/more sensitive players or families or casuals, then that's kind of just putting a "kick me" sign on their back. The easiest way to get your ass kicked by a strong player in a fighting game is to make a "beginner room". From that perspective, I think Microsoft has the right idea. You can't give these players a choice because they've already proven to have abusive personalities.
I agree that putting a "bad child" with other "bad children" isn't going to make the child behave better, but in this case, what will? It's not like you can suggest counseling to these people or offer them an incentive to "play nice." Also, they aren't doing anything illegal...they're just making other people miserable. Putting them together isn't a punishment in that it doesn't invoke a specific penalty nor does it stop them from playing the games they like. Penalizing paying customers for what they say or how they choose to play a game is obviously a bad approach, so a reasonable alternative is to move them to a space where they can act however they like without consequence to the player base as a whole.
I wouldn't quite say I'm playing Devil's Advocate here, as I somewhat do support the idea in theory and I can't think of a better solution. Still, as I said, I don't think this is going to work as intended either way.
I am undressed from 80’s style and recreated with modern sexy and beautiful style that amaze you and feel never been experienced world before.
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| Gojira 2944th Post
PSN: Gojira_X
XBL: Gojiraaa
Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(3):XBHell" , posted Mon 8 Jul 08:21
quote:
reasonable way of solving it
Do you have a more reasonable solution? I've wondered for years if there's a good way to approach this, so I'd be interested in hearing your ideas. I mean that sincerely, not argumentatively.
Of course I've thought about it, but there's not really a good solution to this other than "don't make it worse," and I find that statement repeats itself a lot. Problems of human interaction have never been solvable via system. You can improve the tools, build better locks and shut-out mechanics but fundamentally you can't predict who will bother who. Maybe you can do so for yourself, but we're discussing something created by others, to limit the interactions of people they don't even know. I'm surprised that this alone wouldn't raise anxiety.
You can't easily say that every tier of asshole from trash talkers to room intruders to troll messengers is the same thing, and that putting them together in a box would yield satisfactory results for all. The implications of this system are political by nature and I get the impression they will be underestimated greatly until it's an irrevocable mess. There are so many things that can go wrong: you're unable to communicate freely with others, you can't find a good connection unless you're on one side or the other, people game the system and put others in the wrong hemisphere (which they claim won't be possible, but they claim a lot of things), or the bad side gets too big and ultimately makes the difference useless with side effects.
And by side effects, I mean that this allows the assholes to get even more unruly by putting them on a side where it's okay to be a jerk, and allows the other side to get even more sensitive and un-rep the slightest behaviors, being different kinds of jerks in their own right. If they got forced backed together the resulting implosion could be historic. Which means if they do this, it kind of HAS to work or it will be hard to take back.
I wonder how moderation will even work when you're already in hell? Will there be a hell for the hell, or even layers upon layers for different levels of bad? While it might be fun to think of an Impel Down for assholes with Halo players deathmatching in the lowest level I just feel like this whole thing becomes a big clusterfuck that makes things worse and simultaneously stranger for everyone.
Anyway, rant over. I probably got off-course but it takes me too long to edit myself so I'll just have to leave it like this and hope it made sense.
Random shift: I've been playing the Project X-Zone and it's pretty much what I expected: long and... longer. What's strange is that a lot of the music changed, like for example Mexican Flyer is not Ulala's theme, tracks from SRW and God Eater are different, and some other stuff. I always knew that bringing this game over wouldn't go 100% smoothly but I'm just finding it hard to understand what happened there.
On the plus (?) side, I might try Resonance of Fate as a result, since the game flew under my radar some time ago. Not that I even like the RoF characters in PxZ (in fact I find them hilariously cheesy), but I hear the battle engine is very non-traditional so I'm curious now.
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| Pollyanna 3509th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
XBL: n/a
Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(4):XBHell" , posted Mon 8 Jul 10:56
I don't necessarily disagree with the points made about the Xbox thing, but as I said before, I don't have any answers to the situation. I'll be interested to see how it works out. If overall regulation really is doomed to failure, I hope game developers can pick up the slack and regulate the (gameplay) rules within their own games better.
quote:
Random shift: I've been playing the Project X-Zone and it's pretty much what I expected: long and... longer. What's strange is that a lot of the music changed, like for example Mexican Flyer is not Ulala's theme, tracks from SRW and God Eater are different, and some other stuff. I always knew that bringing this game over wouldn't go 100% smoothly but I'm just finding it hard to understand what happened there.
That is bizarre. How could they not have the rights to the God Eater music? Do you know if the replacement song is from God Eater? Very odd indeed!
quote:
On the plus (?) side, I might try Resonance of Fate as a result, since the game flew under my radar some time ago. Not that I even like the RoF characters in PxZ (in fact I find them hilariously cheesy), but I hear the battle engine is very non-traditional so I'm curious now.
The battle system was a blast. There is a huge wealth of really entertaining character animations that are effortlessly integrated into the action. The soundtrack is great, too and I really enjoy the way the battle themes change once the characters begin their attacks. I would love love love to see a modification of this system in another game.
I got quite addicted to the battles until the game got a bit easy and I stopped caring about the story. That is to say, I enjoyed my time with the game, but I didn't care to actually finish it.
I am undressed from 80’s style and recreated with modern sexy and beautiful style that amaze you and feel never been experienced world before.
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| jUAN 4571th Post
PSN: Buttermonster
XBL: Prepaidpenguin
Wii: WiiU:Buttermonster
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
|  "Re(2):XBHell" , posted Wed 10 Jul 00:08:
quote:
The new XBL rep system can damn you to eternal suffering
Damn, and here I thought Microsoft was done with the clusterfuck ideas.
There is absolutely no way that this is going to work as intended, but I like the idea in theory. In the ideal there are two scenarios:
A) Assholes want to play with like-minded assholes and get what they want.
B) Assholes, despite being assholes, want to play with non-assholes so they can make them miserable.
In other case, assholes should be delegated to matches with other assholes.
I've had so many online experiences ruined by rotten people. I always try to be as courteous as possible, but I'm starting to realize that maybe I'm the problem and the world of online gaming is not where I belong.
On a side note, I am so sick of people on mics carrying on conversations with people you aren't even playing with. I can't believe this is a thing.
If it is anything like the current system that the 360 has, people can label you as a dangerous criminal and give you a bad review just because they lost at a video game. I know people that have terrible account reviews and they have never bought a microphone or sent messages outside of friends.
The silliest thing, thought, is the company willing to trust the horrible community with judging who is nice or not. You would think microsoft doesn't know their own userba...oh
bonus: 
[this message was edited by jUAN on Wed 10 Jul 00:10] |
| Pollyanna 3518th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
XBL: n/a
Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(4):Return to the return to China" , posted Wed 17 Jul 10:14
So Dynasty Warriors 8 is out in the US today and my early impression is that without rebuilding the engine, it's as good as it can possibly be. That is to say, it builds on 7 nicely.
If you haven't been keeping up with it, the big new feature is a rock/paper/scissors system with weapon affinities. If you fight an enemy whose weapon is weak to yours, successive hits will result in a musou-esque auto combo. If you're fighting against someone with an advantage against you, parrying their attack by switching weapons does another cinematic attack and boosts your stats. I was not fond of the weapon change system in the last game (it was harmless, but didn't do anything for me), but this gives it a nice purpose.
3 Musou moves per character return and there is a second power gauge that ups your strength upon activation and gives you another musou-like super move. Altogether, there are just lots of ways to kick ass.
On the downside, the game is plagued with technical issues (nothing new, I guess) and story mode isn't nearly as strong as it was in the previous game. The level designs are good, but the presentation is just standard. I wasn't really expecting anything fancy and that isn't the point of the game anyway, but it's notably inferior to DW7 unless you didn't like switching characters in the middle of battle.
Also, in case you care, there's no Japanese voice track (it will be free DLC later, like the last game). In my opinion, the Japanese cast is pretty awful anyway, but the English cast gets on my nerves in a very special way. I have an extreme pet peeve for actresses that "do a girl voice" despite being female in the first place. It's like they're doing the same thing a man does when he tries to sound like a woman, creating this awful mockery of a performance that sounds nothing like any human being ever. Also, some segments that were voiced in the Japanese version aren't voiced in English.
Anyway, if you like Musou get this now.
I am undressed from 80’s style and recreated with modern sexy and beautiful style that amaze you and feel never been experienced world before.
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| karasu99 1164th Post
PSN: robotchris
XBL: robotchris
Wii: n/a
Red Carpet Premium Member+
| "Re(6):Return to the return to China" , posted Thu 18 Jul 02:56
quote:
Nuts, I was hoping I could postpone picking up DW8 but that sounds pretty good. Seeing as how we are supposed to be in the dry summer months during a period of transition to a new generation of consoles there still seems to be a lot of junk coming out that I want to play.
Argh, as if I didn't already have enough to play/buy! Well, the truth is, for Musou games I've long ago stopped getting them on launch day. That way, when a game drought is on a few months later, I can magically come across them at a reduced price and it's like I've hit the jackpot. $30US for 800 hours of play? Don't mind if I do! Clearly the games are popular enough that I'm not doing Tecmo/Koei any harm by passing on a full price sale.
quote:
Heheheh. I also love the technique-imitating by the crowd, especially Makoto's Seichuusen Godan Tsuki. Meanwhile, woah, that is...a lot of dudes. I did a Where's Waldo search and found one girl. Not "surprising," I guess, but I can see how the fighting game scene maintains these misogynistic undercurrents given the glaring absence of the other gender to actually keep the boys grounded in reality.
Maou, I found three distinct females in the photos and about five 'maybes' where it's hard to tell. It's not surprising to me personally, although I was recently shocked to find out that fighting games have quite a bit of popularity among women in Japan.
The photos are pretty interesting in a lot of ways. For one, I was interested to see how bare-bones the setup for the players is. I don't what I expected it to look like though!
www.secret-arts.com
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| Iggy 9589th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(2):Re(10):Basara 4 trailer" , posted Fri 19 Jul 17:18
quote:
Slow and unfunny. The dodge mechanic looks like it would be fun if the game wasn't so...I dunno...stiff and sluggish or something. Naturally, it doesn't look better than 3 which was essentially a Wii game anyway. Maybe I'm not the audience anymore.
Slow, unfunny AND bland. I mean, the colours. Shibata's green is Môri's but greyer, and Shima Sakon's is Yukimura's, but duller.
I still expect good things out of the game, funny stages/characters that they will reveal later on (after all, they still have 9 months or so, and the game already runs well, it's only a matter of adding more stuff to it).
The other thing I don't like is that basically, the new characters seem to be just new characters added to some Twilight fanfiction of Date and Ishida, who also happen to be named like famous historical figures.
I know looking for actual History in Basara is like expecting good taste from a bunch of DoA outfits, but this looks like they haven't even bothered to read the Wikipedia page.
I expect Ashikaga to have more jokes related to Gundam than to the end of the shogunate. Meh.
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| Pollyanna 3531th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
XBL: n/a
Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Dragon's Download" , posted Wed 24 Jul 13:30:
So I got Dragon's Dogma Quest, which is kind of neat, or WOULD be neat if the loading wasn't unbearable. I have been stopped 24 TIMES during the game to download more data. One of those sessions lasted 9 hours. Many of those sessions lead immediately into another donwnload session, or an "accessing server" wait. If you don't believe me, try it yourself. It's practically unplayable. Surely they'll fix this!
The game itself I like. For a free to play IOS game, it's quite meaty. You make your Arisen and your Main Pawn (there are only about 16 Arisen choices, but maybe 64 Pawn ones?), then recruit 3 more pawns. You pay rift crystals to summon player teams stronger than yours, and when you battle, you have an 8 player team. The battles are like turn-based RPG battles, only you have an "action" gauge that determines how much you can do that turn. You can have multiple pawns attack, or only one. The stronger the pawn, the more the cost. Each pawn also has a "cooldown" period, so you can't spam your strongest spell over and over again.
Pawns have equipment and jobs, which determine their attacks. There are tons and tons of jobs. The job illustrations you see are representational (as in they aren't characters), as your Pawns all have their same design and "equip" that job. Leveling up jobs. Leveling up jobs and finding monster parts opens up more jobs. Of course, there's a "pay real money for rare jobs" machine too.
There are towns with quests and people to talk to as well as an overhead map and dungeons. The dungeons are like board game boards where you choose from a hand of numbered cards to determine how many spaces you move. The idea is to land on healing and treasure spaces, of course and there are monster to avoid/fight.
On a side note, it has the same fantastic victory theme from the console game as well as the "downed a monster" song. So yes, you can hit monsters with certain attacks and down them. Their artwork even changes.
I like the game and I would like to keep playing it, but Capcom is making it VERY DIFFICULT for me. Surely I've gone through most of the "downloading" screens by now, but the loading time is still unbearable Like...as much as 30-90 seconds between ANYTHING. The game is BROKEN AS HELL.
EDIT: So I reinstalled the game to test something and the super huge download at the beginning was considerably shorter (1 hour). I also found a "download everything" option hidden away in the "other" menu. So far, it's taking as long as it would take to download a read Vita game, not just one with still pictures, but whatever. It should prevent at least some of the crippling pauses in the game.
I am undressed from 80’s style and recreated with modern sexy and beautiful style that amaze you and feel never been experienced world before.
[this message was edited by Pollyanna on Wed 24 Jul 18:14] |
| Pollyanna 3532th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
XBL: n/a
Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(4):Dragon's Download" , posted Mon 29 Jul 05:11
quote:
Do you know what the original dialog between Fish and Gameinformer was pertaining to the
I'm not sure. I picked up what I learned mostly from the comment section on VG247.
I'm surprised at how many people are painting Fish as a tragic hero. "Like, no one should ever have to put up with what he puts up with and it's no surprise that he broke down. This Beer guy is completely at fault."
I can see someone loving Fez, respecting Fish's opinions and hating this Beer guy, but even then, it's hard to blame anyone but Fish himself for deciding to leave the industry. I think the nicest way to say it is that if he found the industry to be so toxic to him, he made the right decision by leaving. I can imagine he would agree with that.
People who condemn Beer for...I'm not sure what..."being mean?" have probably not been perfect ladies and gentlemen on the internet themselves and certainly aren't doing so by posting profanities about Beer now.
I tried to see it from the perspective of fans who are sad that they won't get a sequel to their favorite game, but the closest personal situation I can think of, is Kamiya's twitter pottymouth, which leaves me in stitches, but also thinking "oh god, Kamiya, please shut up and just do your job before you get fired or something." I think Kaz Hirai had the right idea in saying that if Fish felt so strongly, he should express it through his work.
I am undressed from 80’s style and recreated with modern sexy and beautiful style that amaze you and feel never been experienced world before.
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| badoor 331th Post
PSN: BadoorSNK/PSVITA:BadoorUSA
XBL: BadoorSNK/WiiU:BadoorSNK
Wii: 3DS:4253-3532-0341
Bronze Customer
| "Re(5):Dragon's Download" , posted Mon 29 Jul 07:37
I hope I'm not hijacking this thread by avoiding this whole twitter drama, but I want to talk about the game itself.
I thought Fez was not as good as I hoped. It just didn't have enough to hold me over for too long. The main view-shifting mechanic kind of bored me a bit since there's nothing else to do but jumping & view shifting.
And the second half of the game was filled with super-cryptic not-fun puzzles, ones that cannot be solved using internal clues, and seems to be only solvable by looking for answers on online forums or wikis. In fact, I think some of the puzzles were only solved through the crowdsourcing of 100s of fans who got together on forums & powered through them using sheer man power. It might have been a cool and clever social event to experience back in early 2012, but as far as what pertains to the game itself for now & ever, it's just a puzzle with an answer found on a website. This is unlike the cryptic puzzles in LaMulana, which, while hard, can be obviously solved using internally given clues, even if I do end up seeking online wikis every now & then.
On the other hand, I really do love the soundtrack to Fez. And it did introduce me to Disasterpeace, the composer, who I find to be my favorite chiptune artist, a genre I'm not generally a big fan of.
So in conclusion, I will miss the Fez II soundtrack, even if this all does smell like an elaborate PR stunt.
http://100daysofmegashock.wordpress.com/
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| Spoon 2477th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(6):Dragon's Download" , posted Mon 29 Jul 15:01
quote:
I hope I'm not hijacking this thread by avoiding this whole twitter drama, but I want to talk about the game itself.
I thought Fez was not as good as I hoped. It just didn't have enough to hold me over for too long. The main view-shifting mechanic kind of bored me a bit since there's nothing else to do but jumping & view shifting.
And the second half of the game was filled with super-cryptic not-fun puzzles, ones that cannot be solved using internal clues, and seems to be only solvable by looking for answers on online forums or wikis. In fact, I think some of the puzzles were only solved through the crowdsourcing of 100s of fans who got together on forums & powered through them using sheer man power. It might have been a cool and clever social event to experience back in early 2012, but as far as what pertains to the game itself for now & ever, it's just a puzzle with an answer found on a website. This is unlike the cryptic puzzles in LaMulana, which, while hard, can be obviously solved using internally given clues, even if I do end up seeking online wikis every now & then.
On the other hand, I really do love the soundtrack to Fez. And it did introduce me to Disasterpeace, the composer, who I find to be my favorite chiptune artist, a genre I'm not generally a big fan of.
So in conclusion, I will miss the Fez II soundtrack, even if this all does smell like an elaborate PR stunt.
I'm always astonished that anybody cares about what any non-developer personality has to say. I think there are few fields where "critics"/"journalists" matter less and have less validity than video games. And twitter! Why do people feel the need to care about inflammatory twitter comments! I see the utility in using twitter as a way to throw out PR and random stuff to your fans (heck, some people I know use twitter as their version of RSS for bits of info from various developers), but I can't believe that people actually try to have discussions on twitter; it's just the most hackneyed format for it, and one that invites obvious stupidity considering its publicity and the fact that some of these people demanding engagement are doing so in bad faith. It just seems like a bad idea for people to want to care about this as a two-way conversational form for all but the most casual/desperate needs.
As for Fish himself, if this isn't a PR stunt, I'm surprised that he hasn't learned not to give a damn. After the success of FEZ critically and commercially, he should've figured it out by now, and it's not like he's making the game in a Minecraft/Don't Starve fashion where the players are actively influencing the game development, either.
FEZ itself isn't exactly an action-packed platformer. I think that the cryptic puzzles that require going outside of the game are kind of charming, and I appreciate the thought that went into them. Now, maybe 30 years from now somebody will play the game and be totally unable to solve the QR code puzzle, but whatever. I like FEZ, even though its slow pace means that I can only play it in intervals. Sometimes it reminds me of the old Tower of Druaga game, which was designed to be so cryptic and difficult that unless you had a huge sack of quarters and a ton of time, it was almost impossible for a person playing alone to figure the game out.
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| Pollyanna 3533th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
XBL: n/a
Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(1):FFXIII-3 Lightning Returns for Sekuhara" , posted Tue 30 Jul 05:36
quote:
Vanille confirmed, bust size increased, there might be armpits
Not like I wasn't expecting it, but nothing like being interested in a game only to quickly have that interest turned to embarrassment.
"Embarrassed" is the word. I loved this quote:
quote:
As of now, thanks to the power of the gods Hope has been returned to the form of a young boy.
quote:
And the second half of the game was filled with super-cryptic not-fun puzzles, ones that cannot be solved using internal clues, and seems to be only solvable by looking for answers on online forums or wikis. In fact, I think some of the puzzles were only solved through the crowdsourcing of 100s of fans who got together on forums & powered through them using sheer man power. It might have been a cool and clever social event to experience back in early 2012, but as far as what pertains to the game itself for now & ever, it's just a puzzle with an answer found on a website.
This reminds me...recently Sakurai said that he wouldn't be putting any cinemas in the new Smash Bros, because people would just post them online like they did last time. Instead, he would be making cinemas beforehand (like the Megaman one) because things like that benefit from being shared online. I think this is very clever, but people seemed to interpret that as "we aren't getting cinemas" and just cursed Sakurai for depriving them of something and being lazy. They did something similar with Kid Icarus, though in any of these cases, I wish the videos would be watchable in-game.
Anyway, the point I was making is that its interesting to see developers consider the community in a way that extends past playing together online.
On a side note, I don't remember the exact quote, but Sakurai was specific about having all the narrative in Kid Icarus occur while playing the game. I believe he complained about games stopping and starting for cinemas/plot. I don't see a lot of developers take that approach, so it's interesting. What I DO see a lot of, in like, every western game I've played, are scenes where someone walks slowly with you, spouting exposition and eventually opening a gate for you, so you can't run ahead of them.
I am undressed from 80’s style and recreated with modern sexy and beautiful style that amaze you and feel never been experienced world before.
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| karasu99 1177th Post
PSN: robotchris
XBL: robotchris
Wii: n/a
Red Carpet Premium Member+
| "Re(2):FFXIII-3 Lightning Returns for Facepalm" , posted Tue 30 Jul 07:52
quote:
Vanille confirmed, bust size increased, there might be armpits
Not like I wasn't expecting it, but nothing like being interested in a game only to quickly have that interest turned to embarrassment.
"Embarrassed" is the word. I loved this quote:
As of now, thanks to the power of the gods Hope has been returned to the form of a young boy.
Truthfully, even before this I had pretty much figured that FFXIII-3 wasn't my cup of tea, but this really drives it home. Oh well! It's not like I don't have a ton of backlogged games to play.
Reading this has got me thinking about how dismissive I was of Phil Fish in my last post, and that I had carelessly assigned him to being a cry-baby. I suppose it's easy to say that he should have a thick skin and just accept that he's going to get asinine and sometimes violent comments from people, but not everybody can do it. I think that's probably the single biggest consequence of being an indie game 'name'-- when you're the only one making a game, the only place for abuse to go is toward you.
It really makes me appreciate how kind everyone around here is, given how much of a cesspool so much of the Internet is.
www.secret-arts.com
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| nobinobita 1200th Post
Red Carpet Executive Member
| "Re(2):FFXIII-3 Lightning Returns for Sekuhara" , posted Tue 30 Jul 09:09:
quote:
What I DO see a lot of, in like, every western game I've played, are scenes where someone walks slowly with you, spouting exposition and eventually opening a gate for you, so you can't run ahead of them.
Haha thanks for pointing that out.
I think cutscenes can still have their place in videogames. The problem with the contemporary focus on keeping everything realtime and vaguely interactive is that it makes everything feel very literal, which for me is even more alienating than passive viewing.
For instance, in the first 15 realtime minutes of Bioshock I went from being a civilian who just survived a plane crash to a murderous hobo eating out of trash cans. It felt like one of those Universal Studios Theme Park Video rides where crazy stuff just happens AT you in a very accelerated fashion.
That game's also guilty of my least favorite "I'm not a cut scene I swear" method of storytelling: locking players in small rooms and forcing them to listen to expositional monologues via video or overhead speakers. Bioshock Infinite was perhaps even lazier with its use of audioguides in place of world building through meaningful interactions.
One of the great things about cinematics is that they can abstract time much more comfortably. A few minutes of cinematics can move a story forward several hours, days, years.
I think The Last of Us does a great job of balancing the two forms of storytelling, especially in its first few minutes.
Though ... that game is especially guilty of long uneventful hallways full of expository dialog.
www.art-eater.com
[this message was edited by nobinobita on Tue 30 Jul 09:13] |
| karasu99 1178th Post
PSN: robotchris
XBL: robotchris
Wii: n/a
Red Carpet Premium Member+
| "Re(3):FFXIII-3 Lightning Returns for Sekuhara" , posted Tue 30 Jul 09:23
quote:
I think cutscenes can still have their place in videogames. The problem with the contemporary focus on keeping everything realtime and vaguely interactive is that it makes everything feel very literal, which for me is even more alienating than passive viewing.
For instance, in the first 15 realtime minutes of Bioshock I went from being a civilian who just survived a plane crash to a murderous hobo eating out of trash cans. It felt like one of those Universal Studios Theme Park Video rides where crazy stuff just happens AT you in a very accelerated fashion.
That game's also guilty of my least favorite "I'm not a cut scene I swear" method of storytelling: locking players in small rooms and forcing them to listen to expositional monologues via video or overhead speakers. Bioshock Infinite was perhaps even lazier with its use of audioguides in place of world building through meaningful interactions.
One of the great things about cinematics is that they can abstract time much more comfortably. A few minutes of cinematics can move a story forward several hours, days, years.
This touches on my concern that games in general are almost always trying to be VERY literal, with the result that we get things like cutscenes and QTEs (and Bioshock's expository rooms I'm guessing are those guys trying to figure out a way to give exposition without having it be some long cutscene). What I'd love to see is a game where the player draws their own conclusions based on what you come across or choose to ignore. As it is, I'm prone to spending hours clicking on every tiny detail in some games, 99% of which makes no difference game-wise, but which has been lovingly crafted to try and make things seem realistically done.
I think this is why games like Shin Megami Tensei end up being so appealing-- by only handing me a very pared down game interface, I don't expect the kind of crazy detail being handed to me by games like Bioshock Infinite. And by extension I then don't get pissed off when the game suddenly won't let you step over a low wall into an area where you're not supposed to go!
But yeah, speaking of murderous hobos digging through trash: that's pretty much me in every 'open world' game ever made.
www.secret-arts.com
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| Mosquiton 1895th Post
Gold Carpet V.I.P- Platinum Executive
| "Re(3):FFXIII-3 Lightning Returns for Sekuhara" , posted Tue 30 Jul 10:59
quote:
I think cutscenes can still have their place in videogames. The problem with the contemporary focus on keeping everything realtime and vaguely interactive is that it makes everything feel very literal, which for me is even more alienating than passive viewing.
For instance, in the first 15 realtime minutes of Bioshock I went from being a civilian who just survived a plane crash to a murderous hobo eating out of trash cans. It felt like one of those Universal Studios Theme Park Video rides where crazy stuff just happens AT you in a very accelerated fashion.
That game's also guilty of my least favorite "I'm not a cut scene I swear" method of storytelling: locking players in small rooms and forcing them to listen to expositional monologues via video or overhead speakers. Bioshock Infinite was perhaps even lazier with its use of audioguides in place of world building through meaningful interactions.
One of the great things about cinematics is that they can abstract time much more comfortably. A few minutes of cinematics can move a story forward several hours, days, years.
I think The Last of Us does a great job of balancing the two forms of storytelling, especially in its first few minutes...
I agree with all of this!
quote:
It really makes me appreciate how kind everyone around here is, given how much of a cesspool so much of the Internet is.
I very strongly agree with this as well.
quote:
But yeah, speaking of murderous hobos digging through trash: that's pretty much me in every 'open world' game ever made.
And I empathize with this. There's a point in many games where I'll start to do things in a very methodical way that isn't necessarily enjoyable as a consequence of exploring what's possible in the game.
About 30 or so hours into a certain game* my wife asked me why I was always digging through junk and whacking giant bugs. No, sometimes I talk to people, I said... but it's true that I had just spent 45 minutes methodically clearing a playground of mines and rummaging through filthy abandoned houses, calmly executing giant cockroaches with a flaming sword. Soon after the game came to be known as "Roachworld."
The name of the game:
Spoiler (Highlight to view) -
Fallout 3
End of Spoiler
/ / /
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| Maou 2525th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(10):Dragon's Sekuhara" , posted Tue 30 Jul 11:21:
quote:
It's like FFX-2 all over again. If the next reveal is Lightning' J-pop Idol ensemble complete
Ignoring the stupidity of FF X-2's legacy (I cannot believe the world was not more freaked out about XIII being done by the same director, and it explains so much), I actually love the idea of RPG characters' appearances finally reflecting the items they have equipped. BUT BUT BUT Lightning wearing Yuna's outfit somehow seems so very, very cannabilistic of the series and universe-destroyingly weird. The logical extension of this trend and the whole Lightning thing in general is a Cloud outfit and sword for Lightning. It would be a wonderful Poison-like item of sexual confusion for all the boys who loved Cloud and finally could realize that love through a female Lightning, but hey. quote:
Mosquiton's glorious OCD questing
You know, the last game I played in such a methodical manner really was FF VIII. I sure did get all the Triple Triad cards. ALL THE CARDS. Played matches around that virtual world, with Random selection. You are rewarded for your stupidity by getting a little star next to the Card entry on the menu screen, nothing else. It's as if the desingers were out to say, "Look at what you have done, and how little has come of it! Repent!"
人間はいつも私を驚かせてくれる。不思議なものだな、人間という存在は．．．
[this message was edited by Maou on Tue 30 Jul 11:57] |
| Pollyanna 3534th Post
PSN: Lilly_Dopamine
XBL: n/a
Wii: n/a
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(4):Re(10):Dragon's Sekuhara" , posted Tue 30 Jul 15:42
quote:
It really makes me appreciate how kind everyone around here is, given how much of a cesspool so much of the Internet is.
YES. I had written some long, personal rant about hate-speech leveled toward my work and drama queens/tortured artists in my profession and all that, but I deleted it, because...well...this is more important. Yes. Everyone here really is nice and reasonable and I am constantly appalled at how terrible people are. I think I've ranted enough about people I don't like already, though.
quote:
I think The Last of Us does a great job of balancing the two forms of storytelling, especially in its first few minutes.
It's almost unfair to use Naughty Dog as a "this does it right" point of comparison, because they're such obvious champions in that field. The Last of Us did have some of those "walk and talk" scenes, certainly, but they were used sparingly in a sea of both playable and non-playable scenes that played our brilliantly. I think a good question to ask when it comes to using or not using cinemas is "am I keeping the player in the game, or am I robbing them of a cinema?"
The things you mentioned in Bioshock, I found very annoying and very obvious, but you're the first person I've seen complain about them. Maybe other people don't feel this way, but I think Bioshock sometimes does a poor job balancing its budget/storytelling/gameplay issues into a sensible package. It's not that I don't enjoy Bioshock, but because I enjoy it that these things are irritants. It's like "come on guys, this game is smart. Can't you do better than that? I dunno, maybe it's an East/West thing.
I am undressed from 80’s style and recreated with modern sexy and beautiful style that amaze you and feel never been experienced world before.
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| karasu99 1179th Post
PSN: robotchris
XBL: robotchris
Wii: n/a
Red Carpet Premium Member+
| "Re(4):FFXIII-3 Lightning Returns for Facepalm" , posted Wed 31 Jul 01:27
quote:
To be honest, let's remember the average age of this forum is much higher than most places on the internet, and it hasn't always been the case, yours truly being amongst the worst offenders.
Old age gets you.
I'm particularly surprised that you used to be such a hell-raiser, Iggy. But then I'm used to excitedly reading your enthusiastic Jojo talk. I think everyone is guilty of having been a muck raker at one time or another.
quote:
It's actually the same dude who insulted George Kamitani that is defending fish from those nasty games journalists who shamelessly ridicule game developers hahah.
To apologize you need to either believe that what you said was in error or inappropriate. I'm sure that guy still believes everything he wrote about Kamitani. As it is, I'm guessing it ended up being good for Dragon's Crown by brining it more to the notice of Western game players.
quote:
Well you can also see How fish presents himself vs indie games developer Pixel.
But fish is still the guy who said "your games just suck!" with a smile on his face to a games devleoper asking him a question. The question asker is Makoto Goto (here's his twitter). The game he's currently working on is "Heart Boiled", a two player shootemup where each of you control a cupid and you have to make happy couples.
What was Makoto Goto's reaction to Phil Fish's words and a room of laughter at his country's expense? He tweets:
"I was remembered everything at that time so real. After watching this, I want to make good game more than before."
While I'll be the first person to suggest that this illustrates a fundamental difference between Western and Japanese self-promotion, I'll also note that Phil Fish's bad behavior kind of speaks for itself, and let's face it: it stinks for anyone to have to hear a bunch of abuse.
Anyway, like Pixel, he's clearly doing something right since Fez has been remarkably successful. Unlike Pixel, his game came out at a time when an individual could make a handsome sum by bringing out their own game. I've been careful to send some money Pixel's way by buying some of the for pay versions that have come out in recent years.
quote:
What has Pixel been up to lately anyways?
Well, Ikachan came out for the 3DS with a few changes and updates (and is just as fun as it ever was), and he appears to be working on a new game, although it's mentioned as coming out in 2012, so...
www.secret-arts.com
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| Spoon 2478th Post
Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master
| "Re(3):FFXIII-3 Lightning Returns for Sekuhara" , posted Wed 31 Jul 03:36
quote:
plane crash survivor to murderous hobo in 15 minutes or less
It was a bit jarring, though in the overall context of the story it actually doesn't totally not make sense.
quote:
Bioshock Infinite was perhaps even lazier with its use of audioguides in place of world building through meaningful interactions.
I HAVE to chime in on this one!
So I don't know if you ever played the original System Shock, which was made by the legendary Looking Glass Studio, which was a game studio that basically redefined what a first-person game could be with EVERY GAME THEY MADE. I don't think any studio since has dared to do what they did; there were certainly sequels, but they were literally going from RPG to squad shooter to stealth and it was amazing.
Anyway, enough gushing about that. System Shock was the first of the "Shock" games, and it famously used the audio/text logs because you weren't so much a survivor as somebody who was in cold storage who got woken up after everything had gone to hell and everybody died. So the audio logs ranged from stuff like daily check-ins, research notes, last words of cornered people about to die, etc. and it made sense! On the other hand, a lot of the audio logs in the Bioshock games... I can't see why they exist. Like, it doesn't make sense to me that some of the recordings that exist exist as recordings, and not as say, writings in a diary. System Shock also featured a charismatic villain, the space station AI named SHODAN, who had a fantastically unique voice and was written in a way just short of totally over the top, and she would chime in on you at all kinds of moments. As a result, the feeling of the world in System Shock was very coherent, and even though you couldn't say anything back to SHODAN, there was an at-the-time very interesting character dynamic between the lost hacker trying to survive and figure out what happened and the ever-taunting, ever-present SHODAN, while all the human interaction he'd get is one-way because it's from dead people.
Bioshock Infinite is a game that has a bonus mode that is the OPPOSITE of the bonus mode I want. It has a "1999" mode which makes the combat way harder. I want a mode which removes the combat entirely. I think the Bioshock Infinite world is lovingly crafted, but the combat sequences are so numbing that it distracts and deadens me to the experience of the world.
I feel like the audio logs don't fit into the Bioshock Infinite game, whether or not they justifiably fit into the Bioshock Infinite world. Even if the System Shock HUD is garish and cumbersome by a variety of standards, being able to pull up a log recording and read/listen to it in your cyberpunk headgear while you go about your business fit the game and fit the world. Stopping to watch the motion pictures in Bioshock Infinite fits the world. Grabbing an audio log is weird. Stopping the game and going into the menu to read/listen to the audio log is clunky.
They love some of the System Shock stuff, and they have writing that they want to squeeze into the game, but the logs in Infinite feel like a crutch to that end. They made perfect sense in System Shock 1/2, they made decent sense in Bioshock 1, and they are lolwat in Infinite.
quote:
the people at the cafe vs. the rest of the internet
I like that over the years the cafe has really gotten the feeling of being... a cafe. A little corner in the world where you can pop in and see some familiar faces and chat a bit about things that matter to the cafe-goers.
Alternatively: a highly obscure subreddit.
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"Re(5):Random Thread: now back with more DD:DA" , posted Thu 16 May 06:26
Thanks for becoming the 
MESSATSU
kbye 
