Magister Lajciak
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Posts posted by Magister Lajciak
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I did play X-COM and what an awesome classic franchise it was!
Based on the little blip in Kotaku, however, the new eponymous game does not interest me. I am not really opposed to them reusing the name of the franchise and stealing some of its lore, but they probably shouldn't expect fans of the classic franchise to buy the game on that basis given that it will be a completely different genre of game altogether.
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Ubisoft's current "persistent online" model
Yeah, I can't stand that form of DDRM. In fact, I don't buy any games that have online/server-based DRM, even if it is less draconian than Ubisoft's. I don't like the possibility that one day the authentication servers will go down (company no longer finds it economical to run them, company goes bankrupt, company wants you to move to a new version of the game) and the game will cease to function, so I vote with my wallet.
Agreed, some publishers have not given a straight answer to "What will happen if the servers go offline permanently or if the company is no longer around?" I no longer purchase titles that use this model of DRM, which kinda sucks because that means I don't play those games whatsoever... at all
A big reply I get from ppl who are in favor of DRM is "Don't be such a noob who plays games that are 5, 10 years old anyway?" To which I sincerely answer " I do... half life 2 is ~5 years old and I still play it... Deus Ex & System Shock 2 are 10 years old and I still play those titles. Just because something is old doesn't mean no one will play it... a great title is like art... it can be appreciated over time."
Yep, I also fire up old classics from time to time. Dark Sun: Shattered Lands, for example, is at least 17 years old (and the company that made it no longer exists), Heroes of Might and Magic 3 is 11 years old (yet again, the company that made it no longer exists), Civilization II is another classic that I like to return to once in a while - (yes, you guessed it - it is 14 years old and the company that made it no longer exists), Syndicate was made 17 years ago (the same story - the company that made it no longer exists), X-COM is another classic 17-year old game (yes, yes, the company that produced it no longer exists) and so on and so on.... OK, my age may be showing here, but younger gamers will also eventually be my age and will want to play the classics of their early gaming years.
So yes, old games, if good (and I try to buy only good games
are something I like to return to. Hence, any server-based DRM is unnacceptable to me. If all developers and/or publishers move in this direction, I will quit PC gaming (apart from the classics I already possess, of course). -
Does the same process work for archiving e-mail from Yahoo and Hotmail?
It should. Although with Yahoo you have to pay money.
Well, that sucks - the vast majority of my e-mails are on Yahoo...
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Does the same process work for archiving e-mail from Yahoo and Hotmail?
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Easy there, I'm just saying that there could be worse forms of DRM implementation for the game, say Ubisoft's current "persistent online" model. If they were to have some type of "Impulse DRM" that would be fine with that as well, since impulse includes an "offline" mode like steam. I'm not saying every game should come with it, but I would prefer SW/Impulse to other forms of DRM/copy protection software (Ubisoft/Bioshock 2's GFWL/Securom/C&C4 etc).
Look as long as publishers continue to believe that copy protection software curbs piracy *coughBScough* they will include some type of DRM along with there games. I would rather go with the lesser of 2 evils... say the one you can play offline if your net connection is craptacular that day.
Well, if you put it that way...
But it's just because things are getting worse and worse as time passes. I would say that, the only good thing, is that THERE IS piracy on PCs. Imagine DRM on consoles.
Oh well, I play on 360 anyway so it doesn't really affect me... but it worries me. A lot.
I think you are right to be worried. There is piracy on the X-BOX 360 too, I believe, though it is much lower than on the PC. Still, if 360 piracy rises or if the online DRM systems are deemed successful on the PC, it is feasible that they might be introduced for consoles too. I don't own any consoles, so it wouldn't affect me, but I would definitely sympathize with my fellow gamers if it happened.
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Ubisoft's current "persistent online" model
Yeah, I can't stand that form of DDRM. In fact, I don't buy any games that have online/server-based DRM, even if it is less draconian than Ubisoft's. I don't like the possibility that one day the authentication servers will go down (company no longer finds it economical to run them, company goes bankrupt, company wants you to move to a new version of the game) and the game will cease to function, so I vote with my wallet.
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I don't know, the story didn't seem particularly tied to the FR setting from what I remember of it (very little) so, while I don't believe they will re-use it entirely they could use idea, characters etc., like they're doing for New Vegas with Van Buren.
Coding was done in the NWN 2 engine, as were scripts, dialogues, character models and so on. The story might be detachable from the FR setting if you get rid of the names, placenames and FR or D&D specific concepts, but doing all that work and then making it fit into a new game they might be making - well it might be more viable to just start from scratch. Some ideas can serve as inspiration, but it seems unlikely to go beyond that.
Designing requires time too, if you have good designs that just need tweaking before implementation, why not use it?
It'd seem like a waste if the material really is as strong as Josh implied.
You are correct, designing takes time, but best designs are those not ported from somewhere else, but those that take the holistic picture into account from the get go. Good design is therefore impacted by the idiosyncracies of the setting, the engine and so on. It is possible Obsidian might be able to reuse some isolated elements of the work, but I am pretty sceptical that a significant amount will be reused (though I certainly wouldn't mind seeing TBH appear as another NWN 2 expansion, I doubt it is feasible). Inspiration and using it as a learning experience is another matter of course.
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I would have certainly bought this if it was released as a NWN2 expansion and I am sure I wouldn't be the only one. Maybe Feargus should think about it...
Although I too wouldn't mind seeing another high-quality, story-oriented NWN 2 expansion, I think it is unrealistic to expect it for several reasons:
1) NWN 2 has been out for a while now and game is ageing while the fanbase is probably shrinking.
2) Atari is, I believe, in a legal dispute over the D&D electronic license, so it might not want to risk new games or expansions based on D&D - notice how there haven't been any new D&D games even announced since then.
3) WotC would be unhappy to see another non-4E D&D game (though I would be happy to see another 3.5E game)
4) There were supposed to be major changes to the ruleset, so even if WotC and Atari were willing to allow another 3.5E expansion, they might not approve of the non-canonical rule changes in an official product.
5) There were supposed to be more mature elements in the game, if I remember correctly, which would raise its rating and decrease the audience and likely lead to non-approval by WotC and/or Atari.
As for the mature content, WoTC/Atari seems to be forgetting that games are not just for children anymore. There's a huge crowd of gamers that are over 40+ or even 30+ that would like mature games with good stories to play. The success of DA: Origins, MW2, and other Mature rated games prove this by far, I find.
I agree that games are not played just by children anymore, but I think their logic goes along the lines of that if the game has a lower rating than it can be played by both 'mature' gamers and by teenagers, while if the rating is higher, it might still be successful, but you are limiting the size of your market.
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I think this will not be up to Obsidian Entertainment to decide, but it is still a good question - they might at least know. Or somebody else here might know.
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I would have certainly bought this if it was released as a NWN2 expansion and I am sure I wouldn't be the only one. Maybe Feargus should think about it...
Although I too wouldn't mind seeing another high-quality, story-oriented NWN 2 expansion, I think it is unrealistic to expect it for several reasons:
1) NWN 2 has been out for a while now and game is ageing while the fanbase is probably shrinking.
2) Atari is, I believe, in a legal dispute over the D&D electronic license, so it might not want to risk new games or expansions based on D&D - notice how there haven't been any new D&D games even announced since then.
3) WotC would be unhappy to see another non-4E D&D game (though I would be happy to see another 3.5E game)
4) There were supposed to be major changes to the ruleset, so even if WotC and Atari were willing to allow another 3.5E expansion, they might not approve of the non-canonical rule changes in an official product.
5) There were supposed to be more mature elements in the game, if I remember correctly, which would raise its rating and decrease the audience and likely lead to non-approval by WotC and/or Atari.
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I don't know, the story didn't seem particularly tied to the FR setting from what I remember of it (very little) so, while I don't believe they will re-use it entirely they could use idea, characters etc., like they're doing for New Vegas with Van Buren.
Coding was done in the NWN 2 engine, as were scripts, dialogues, character models and so on. The story might be detachable from the FR setting if you get rid of the names, placenames and FR or D&D specific concepts, but doing all that work and then making it fit into a new game they might be making - well it might be more viable to just start from scratch. Some ideas can serve as inspiration, but it seems unlikely to go beyond that.
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Note that Steam and Source-based games being translated does not necessarily mean we'll see AP or other newer games ported.
What it means is that the tired argument that the Mac isn't financially viable as a game platform is baloney and can be put out to pasture permanently.
I know Obsidian probably still can't be bothered but meh.
We've actually looked into options for Mac versions before. Even if it hasn't been a viable platform in the past, it sure could get that way.
Indeed - I think Apple is gaining market share, so at some point it might reach a level at which it would be viable to make a port of many games. Also, the bigger the game (in terms of expected sales), the more viable a port becomes.
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Yeah, all the the interviews were probably recorded waaaaay back when the first dev diary came out. Then they probably splice that footage together with gameplay footage from the latest build.
For example, didn't Fryda Wolff move on from Obsidian quite a while back?
Heh, that means leaks about the unannounced game are unlikely.
? I don't understand the connection TBH.
Well, I guess I was hoping they might let slip a design example or two from the unannounced game.
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But seriously guys, I'm screwing a gamer chick. It's awesome. Give me high fives.
Yeah, sure it's great now - but in 2 weeks she'll try to convince you to put on a starfox suit and proclaim that all the cool people are into furry.. seriously dude, get out while you can!
Are you sure you don't just want to steal her from him?
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So, any update on this? Is this still functional, or has it died down as the initial hype has withered away?
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The story, plot, character assets are probably quite re-usable.
Maybe as inspiration, but I doubt that are reusable beyond that...
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Yeah, all the the interviews were probably recorded waaaaay back when the first dev diary came out. Then they probably splice that footage together with gameplay footage from the latest build.
For example, didn't Fryda Wolff move on from Obsidian quite a while back?
Heh, that means leaks about the unannounced game are unlikely.
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In the back of my mind, I am still hoping for KOTOR 3, but I know it is highly unlikely.
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Am still a bit astonished though that they don't get sick of all these Civ games.
Why would they get sick of them if they are selling well? Civilization IV sold over 3 million copies by March 2008. That's not too shabby for a PC only game that caters to the turn based strategy market!
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It certainly looks good! And according to the website, it will not only have online play, but also have LAN and Hotseat Multiplayer, which is great !
That said, not much information is available yet to assess how good the game will actually be. Still, I find it likely they will do a good job with it.
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Well, it should be interesting to see what this is. Hopefully, we will not have to wait too long for the announcement.
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I dislike it when the PCs are voiced in CRPGs. To each their own, but for me it detracts from, rather than adding to the experience. I would only like it if they made a huge amount of voices available to allow for customization - similar in number to the choices we generally get in CRPGs for the appearance of the character. That may be possible one day, when voice generation technology advances sufficiently and becomes inexpensive, but for now it is necessary to rely on voice actors and that makes it simply not viable.
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I think this was expected. While it would have been nice module to have, it was never really realistic for a person with a fulltime job to do something of this sort, so I really cannot blame the guy for giving up on it. What is a pity is that he cannot leverage the work into something else, such as NWN 2 Expansion 3.
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I can't even begin to fathom what an assload of work DM'ing a scenario, let alone a campaign like Paizo Adventure paths, would be, but so many people seem to be doing it so maybe there's a secret recipe for patience somewhere. I've actually contemplated on taking a bunch of stand-alone adventures available and DM'ing to my heart's content, but it takes such a massive amount of time that I doubt I ever get the thing launched.
If making sure you got all the numbers and charts correct and still doing coherent narration to excite people is getting you down, there's two very easy ways to help yourself: DM fiat and more narrative-oriented roleplaying. Instead of checking and double-checking, accept that you are the boss of the gaming table and can maneuver and rule as you see fit. Or just play something less rule intensive. Hell, like the rpg I'm gonna play next(after the Sunday Runelords sessions), Veggie Patch, a totalitaristic rpg about vegetables.
I am mostly (well, overwhelmingly) the DM and I mostly agree with you that DM fiat is important.
Here are some tips:
1) Think of the rules as your toolbox, rather than absolute law. Apply only the rules which you feel are relevant. There is no point tracking encumberance, for example, in normal situations. I only track it if I feel it becomes important to do so, such as if the players want to abuse it by carrying out the entire dragon's hoard from the remote lair, or if they want to go to through a desert and it is important to know how much they can carry. In fact, scarcity situations (or preparations for them) are the only ones in which I will track food and water too. I also don't usually bother tracking gold for daily expenses (maybe at 1st or 2nd level) - in fact, I have justified it by saying that the rich parents of the PCs are providing them with an allowance for living expenses. If they want to buy something expensive, of course, they have to use their gold. So, I ignore these kinds of rules until they become relevant to the game, but I still appreciate that they exist, because I can lean on them when I need to do so to resolve a situation where they make a difference.
2) If you don't like some rules (too complex, too slow, too unrealistic, too boring, too...), change them! I implement a lot of changes to the rules to forge the game to my vision or to the flavor I want the campaign to have.
3) Find aspects of DMing you enjoy and concentrate on those. If you hate creating the numbers for NPCs (assigning skills, etc.), use one of the generators available online for free to do this for you and concentrate on doing something else. If you dislike inventing a story, use an adventure path. If you dislike world creation use a published campaign world. And so on... then DMing will no longer feel like work, but like an enjoyable activity.
There is much more, of course, but even by following just the above three points, you will be a much happier DM!
Question About Copy Protection (PC version)
in Alpha Protocol: General Discussion
Posted
Same here, though I probably wouldn't have bought the game anyway, because I prefer fantasy or sci-fi CRPGs, so I am most likely not a lost sale.
This DRM is doubtlessly far better than Ubisoft's, but it doesn't solve game longevity being tied to server dependence issue, which is the crucial distinguishing factor for me as to whether I find the DRM acceptable or not. I find it increasingly frustrating to follow PC games due to DRM. As a result, I think the time is approaching very fast when I will quit PC gaming (apart from playing old games I already own from time to time). The next bellwethers for me will be Civilization V and Starcraft 2. If these two have server-based DRM, I will no longer follow games apart from those from Obsidian and BioWare, since BioWare seems to have secured an expemtion from EA's online DRM policies. Should BioWare also get on board with the server-based DRM trend, than I will no longer follow or buy new PC games at all (unless Obsidian somehow found a publisher that doesn't use it).