@\NightandtheShape/@

I've often been extremely critical of bioware, I loved Baldurs Gate, but I have never been too keen on Baldurs Gate 2, a game which is often held up as some kind of golden classic of PC gaming history, sure it had some great things, but the art direction, and flow of the game often to me feels somewhat gut wrenchingly horrid... That's not to say its a bad game, but I sure as hell don't think its as good as the average fan makes out. Then along came NWN's, which was seriously dire, a step backwards you may even say, as a single player game it just never worked for me. I could never get on with the interface, it looked so tacky and weak, like it was bolted on by a bunch of n00bs, that's said NWN's isn't that bad I'd say "Don't ever play this pile of poo", its just not of an extremely high standard, as a single player game its the worst game Bioware have ever released. I can never help but think perhaps the issues surrounding the game, with the demise of interplay, switch publishers, and the five year or so dev cycle had a negative impact on the game and hence why it is not of the same kind of high standard. I'd certainly lost faith in ever experiencing anything like the original Baldurs Gate had achieved for me, though obviously in retrospect it's heavily flawed, but when I first played it it truely grabbed me. KoToR I merely picked up one day, I was never overly impressed with it... It certainly had this gimped NWN's feel in regards to its interface and general interaction. Jade Empire is another game that has actually totally and untterly failed to pull me in, probably due to my time constraints when I actually procured a copy. So if you'd have spoken to me about Bioware about a month ago I would have probably said something along the lines of "A once great company that somehow managed to loose its formula, and now produces average to above average games". Then I played Mass Effect... And then I played it again, and again, and again... And it felt the same as when I played the orginal Baldurs Gate, its like gears of war with a purpose, and much better level design. Now I don't expect that everyone will feel the same about the game as I do, but if anything its restored my faith in Bioware that they're still able to produce games which enthrall me. Mass Effect is probably the best game I have played since Baldurs Gate, there's just something about it that makes me tingle.

I said last-time REDHEADS

That's my Di! I must admit I'm open minded, games move forwards... I don't see why people can't take FO3 for what it is, opposed to thinking with the dreamy eyed memories of years gone by.

Art Direction seems nice!

General Statement: Movie Storytelling != Game Storytelling, Two seperate things entirely.

What a whore! Yeah... but SHE'S SERIOUSLY HOTT!

It is a good book mind... I think MCA should write a book on stories in games. He could do loads of doodles like he does in his blog it'd be great.

As interesting as that book looks, "Emotioneering"? He seriously uses that term? yes.

I like the concept of Red, the untouchable warrior maiden, like som kinda valkyrie. Also a total sucker for redheads.

I agree Kaftan... Fundemental story telling skills are indeed lacking. There are a few books written on the subject, a particular personal favourite, and good starting point (I recommend it to alot of people who are interested in design), and that would be : http://www.freemangames.com/idea/5_1.php.

Casual games are always simple, they lack plot, the don't NEED anything more than the simple game mechanics, which is what makes such games addictive. I wouldn't say they were pushing any bounderies, but they are making alot of money, from games which are simple. Are they dumb? Well that's a matter of debate for another time. I personally hate 90% of casual games and find them to be utter dross. My point was simple, casual games are for all intense and purposes incredibley simple, and simple is synonymous with stupid. Now the difference is that while they're dumb, they can infact be alot of fun for alot of people of varied skill levels. I think that is something that is important to remember, intelligent doesn't = fun nor does stupid = fun. Planescape : Torment is seen as a high point of story telling in games by many, but all's said I can assure you it wouldn't even be as fun to some people as others. IP == Sales. I make my opinion based on the product. I'll buy them both, if they both suck then more fool me, but frankly I imagine they will entertain me, and perhaps even make me think a lttle. If a product didn't appeal to me at all I would not buy it. Alpha Protocol is the first game of any type of RPG genre that is likely to appeal to my brother. It ticks all the boxes. It's certainly also a game AIMED very much at a male audience, much as such movies... That's not to say it's utterly sexist, just matter of fact. I'm interested in the Aliens games mostly because I'm curious about how they will deal with the combat, and how cross-product development will work out, hence I will also pick-up the gearbox alien game. I'm also hoping for some good gore in the Aliens game, I wanna see some really gut wrenching stuff... But I probably won't. What is bad, what is good? That's purely subjective... And in case of the gaming media, purely bias, but I vowed to stop picking on mkreku, it's not his fault. Every games developer I've spoken to, and there have been a few, big and small, they've all had different outlooks, and while that is so I don't think we'll ever get the whole Hollywood releasing the same crap over and over from development studios... Although any tendancy for remaking games is abhorant. The problem is also that some studios also get typecasted.

If only it was so simple. You ever have the mispleasure of playing a game such as peggle, or Bejewelled... Generic dumb casual games, and also one of the largest market shares. It's surprising that gamers recieve anything with even a mere amount of intelligence. You can stand up and I'll stand there with you as many others may and shout how games should be more intelligent and artistic! It won't make any difference, we really are too few by far. That's not to say that it won't change, it will. As is always said time and time again, the games industry is very young. It's just about coming of age, but it isnt there yet, it won't be for a while... I honestly believe that games will eventually be as intelligent as their users, as that kind of dynamic is infact the promise that games hold. But for now, we'll just have to put up with the likes of Cliffy B and GoW... Because it sells, and while it sells, and the demand is there things will stay the same. Sadly not every company is like Obsidian, I'll always give them kudos for the fact they're trying to push forwards story telling in games, instead of totally pandering to the masses, but even our humble friends have to make allowances for gamers of different levels. It's just the way it is... But hey what do I know, I'm just a programmer...

I don't think developers actually know enough about the mythology to do it true justice either....

Most game developers and publishers want to shift as many units as possible, this isn't because they think the whole entire fanbase of gamers are idiots, they merely acknowledge that idiots exist, and to increase game sales they have to appeal to as many intelligent and idiotic people as possible. Not everyone has the time to dedicate themselves to exploring every part of a game... Those extra bits actually cost

I've come to expect as much from game developers... I don't know why they do it, but Viking kinda looks fun, just seems stamped with the Mythology label for sales reasons its sad really, because I believe a more authentic setting would achieve two things, a better game, and more sales.

Still playing MSVS 2005, it's awesome!!!

I think it's awesome that the two studios are working togeather like this... I'd expect it can only increase a friendly and competive within each company, and produce two much more detailed games.

You know what they could do Kaftan, force them to convert MILLIONS of TGA images to DDS... That'd show 'em! Dirty Terrorists!

That seems like a silly limitation on Microsoft parts. They need to amend that. It's likely there are legal issues.

You sir, are beyond sick! Lets see, DXT compression, yes you can, but it is lossy, I believe the loss can be minimized. http://cache-www.intel.com/cd/00/00/32/43/324337_324337.pdf < May be useful

You sir are a very sick human being! And breasts, great stonking adorable ****!

Halo? Vehicles? Controls? Decent? Did we play the same game? <self - censored>

I think you misunderstood me, not all programmers are absolute slackers, some are, and they don't make things needlessly difficult, they tend to purposely use language which confuses designers, and managers alike. It's petty pointless and pathetic, but it does exist. I personally HATE the attitude. I personally know programmers who neither give a crap what designers design for a game, ignore it entirely, put what they want in, don't do anything challenging and basically slack off as much as possible. All the best coders dedicate themselves to either making a designers life easier through tools, to making the implementation as close to the design as humanly possible.

Urgh, that was certainly a extremely unfun experience, it just wasn't challenging and more or less it was purely frustrating and unfulfilling. Infact it's more unfun than that damnable first dungeon in BG 2!

I totally doubt them . I also don't know them mind, but there is always code to be written and new things to be learnt. Welcome to what can be the most hellish and most dull job you may ever do! This is actually a fairly common straight forwards approch, it's not pleasant but it does get the job done, its just not the most efficent and easiest use of said time. I can understand not being able to afford Granny3D, but you have pleanty of programmers claiming that there isn't nothing for them to do, yet right here you've mentioned a perfectly reasonable job... Far as I can see, they're doing what programmers do best, make everything seem overcomplicated so the average human doesn't have a choice but to believe what they say, that way they can slack and get all the work done at a later date. I'm critical, mostly because I know alot of programmers who take that exact approch, infact it's the ones that say "I'm not implementing that, its too much effort" that really really get under my skin. Without some sort of power structure, they will run riot.