Exitium

I loathe to think of the day when the pause feature will be an 'integral part' of the real time gaming experience. Pausing gives the player an unfair advantage against the AI, and I don't like that. I prefer a challenge. I'm sure most people worthy of calling themselves gamers feel the same way about this. After all, the pause feature was only implemented to make up for the shortcomings of a real-time combat system with D&D (turn based) rules. Annotation: Yes, bullet time is definitely a preferrable replacement to the unexciting 'pause and play' system.

Pure systems are much better than the derivatives (aka hybrids) that stem from them. I am of course referring to pause-and-play real time systems of which I am not a big fan of due to the inherent lack of the importance of strategy and the use of the spacebar as a failsafe. The solution to the 'rat problem' in FO could be dealt with in one of two ways (or both): 1) The implementation of TOEE's simultanious movement system. This can only be a plus to any turn-based game. There are absolutely no drawbacks to implementing this. 2) Don't put rats in the late game. That's a design mistake.

All this says is that 40 something women have nothing else to do with their lives.

Real time combat is too, for the most part - artificial. Damage done to the player is limited to small amounts in order to keep the game as a relatively bearable experience - hence artificial. It wouldn't be much of a game if it was too realistic considering the drawbacks of the experience of dying in a single hit of a sword. Most real time games do not occur in the same way a fight would in real life due to certain corresponding abstractions, such as the implementation of vital statistics (Strength, Perception, et al) and their relevence to the combat, as well as a breakdown of the player's own interaction (hand-eye coordination, player dexterity) to the game which often comes to play in real time strategy games that aren't fully automated. It should therefore be said that real time games are no less abstractions of real situations than turn-based games. The AI in real time games is often 'gimped' in order to make up for the player's lacklustre abilities as a gamer. The existence of magic may be relevent to a game, but that does not nihilate the importance of tactical implementations like Attacks of Opportunity which only serve to add to the whole gaming experience.

Fallout 3 is a dead game. Let's not talk about it anymore. Talking about it only gives raise to false hopes and false promises. Let sleeping dogs lie, as they say and move on to whatever Obsidian Entertainment has in store.

For once I agree with you, Hades. I think that all of this discussion of post-Project X is rather premature at the moment considering we don't even know what the game is yet, though it's highly suspected to be KOTOR2.

I should make it clear that Reflexive Studios are not on 'friendly terms' with Molitor and Caen these days, for failing to pay them. Yeah, you could say that they 'didn't deserve to get paid for making a bad game' but that'd be besides the point that Interplay contracted them to make Lionheart in the first place. I can't entirely speak for Eric but I don't think that any writer would be proud to get their name on a game most people consider as 'hazardous waste'. To the point, It was a combination of factors including IPLY's marketing department's constant meddling with the product as well as the changing of the original name (which I am not able to release on a public forum), the focus of a turn-based system such as SPECIAL in real time and its transition to real time in only a matter of months, the rushed state and Ion's and Lars's perpetual hard-on for wanting to make a Diablo-like action game. It should be noted that an actual 2/3rds of the game was left in an unfinished state. The original writing had been planned to span through the entire game, not limited to only Barcelona. Most of it was not laid out properly hence the imbalanced distribution of quests in the earlier part and the abundance of monsters in the later parts. The reason for this is because Molitor cut funding mid-development. I'd have probably done the same thing they did given the circumstances.

Mindlessly bored.

Welcome aboard, everyone!

Spamtheogenic Substance

Entheogenic

In line with the whole 'clean slate' proposal by Feargus Urquhart, I would like to recommend that Shadow Paladin NOT be made 'poster child' of the Obsidian Entertainment forums. That's the this place needs.

It's already there. Just press the fast reply button and a box will appear so you don't have to enter a new page.

I fail to see what relevence this has with the content of this thread. I would suggest keeping your childish quarrels private and not making attempts to pull the rest of us into issues best kept amongst yourselves.

Just as well, it should be pointed out that Megatron seems to be the only perpetrator of this so-called 'post count' race so I hardly think it's reasonable to accuse everyone else on those forums of participating in this 'event'. Nobody else is doing it, so there's absolutely no evidence of competition whatsoever. The certain 'people' you refer to would be more correctly address as 'Megatron' who is [ONE] person, and not any certain, unspecified number of people.

I've looked at both of the Obsidian-related threads at the Codex and found nothing to substantiate your claim. See for yourself: http://www.rpgcodex.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=3550 http://www.rpgcodex.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=3551 I would advise against making baseless accusations. edit: As for the posts I'm making - I have absolutely no intention of retaining 'top spot' nor had I any intention to attain such a position in the first place.

Can you link me to the offending threads? I wasn't aware of any of this, especially not at the Codex.

Definitely, Feargus. I completely disagree with Visceris's assessment of your future product as I'm not a person who is as closed-minded as he is. The way I see things, you guys could only have learned from your past successes (as well as mistakes) and take all of that experience into consideration in the development of the new game. It is doubtful that you guys would have started up a brand new company if you didn't have confidence in your abilities as game developers. I'm sure many of us will grow to have a strong sense of confidence in Obsidian Entertainment if you guys have confidence in yourselves. Hold your heads up high, and we'll stay along for the ride.

You're looking too deep into this, Tayl.

Way to contradict yourself again, Hades.

Looks like you lost this one, Johnny.

Very few games take 3+ years to develop. Projects that take that long are only undertaken by studio houses that have already made a name for themselves. It is doubtful that Obsidian will have that kind of leeway with their first project.

No, that's too big. It'd look like a mess and pages would take forever to load up.

Isn't it about time you ran to the candy store, Hades?

There is a lot of Japanese and Chinese tofu that is better than any you blokes have tasted. It's all about technique.