Pictures of your games...

[Dark_Raven]

Cel Shading eh?

 

Hmh, bad guy screwed up )

 

Bunch of Neverwinter mages, Qara and Sand + bunch of enemies = Spell effect flood

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You monked Kelgar?!

 

No more wenching or axe-swinging for him.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Meditation and peace is all his life will consist of from now on.

[Sand]

And nursing waters.

[Dark_Raven]

A mercy kill for Hannah who has caught the plague from the Plague Bearer.

 

I lost a humanity point for it. :crazy:

[Diamond]

Then there you have your answer... all FPS Games are essentially the same, and not much has changed in 32 years.

 

Strip away the Shiny new graphics and what do you have? Not much.

 

Sure some FPS Titles have attempted to inject a modicum of plot into the games but even now it's the bare minimum.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I disagree on point 1. FPS changed a lot in game mechanics and interactivity. It doesn't seem like it if you don't play much of FPS games, but they do change. Don't tell me that Doom 2, Red Orchestra, and Thief are exactly the same or I'll call you a liar.

 

 

On the plot though, yeah, but it is not what this genre tries to achieve. Apples and oranges.

Edited December 2, 2006 by Diamond

[Mortis Nai]

I disagree on point 1. FPS changed a lot in game mechanics and interactivity. It doesn't seem like it if you don't play much of FPS games, but they do change. Don't tell me that Doom 2, Red Orchestra, and Thief are exactly the same or I'll call you a liar.

 

 

On the plot though, yeah, but it is not what this genre tries to achieve. Apples and oranges.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Doom 2 was one of the worst games ever made.

 

Red Orchestra is yet another WWII sim styled game that uses the Unreal 2.x engine.

 

Thief is more an Action RPG, and not really an FPS title.

 

I hear the point that your making, and yes they each have vastly different settings and themes and comparing Battlefield 1942 to Day of Defeat will show you very different types of game play on the same genera (One realistic, and one fast paced action based.)

 

But still at the very root of it all, Its still Guy or girl with guns shooting crap up in first person, and there are only so many times you can rehash that and make it feel unique.

[Wistrik]

No picture to post at the moment, but here's a LINK to a Half Life 2 music video called "I'm still seeing Breen" that's a little over a year old. It was shown on MTV2's video mods segment. Some of you may have seen it. I'm posting the link mostly for those who haven't. I enjoy watching it now and then. It's available in MP4 format or WMV format and you'll probably want broadband to download/view it. Thankfully he made the high quality video at 640x480 instead of in a tiny YouTube type window. Of course, the game looks much better at higher resolutions, but this gives the flavor well enough.

Edited December 2, 2006 by Wistrik

[Diamond]

But still at the very root of it all, Its still Guy or girl with guns shooting crap up in first person, and there are only so many times you can rehash that and make it feel unique.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Then using this logic, RPGs didn't change the slightest for the past 30 years. Solve quests, kill monsters, collect loot. (I won't even mention how much sport games changed for the past millennium, lol). The essence of every genre is stable over long periods of time, it is the details that matter.

 

It occurs to me that you just don't like FPS. Not a reason to say "X is the worst game ever" (though "I hate X" is reasonable).

 

FYI,

Red Orchestra is not a mere WW2 FPS, but the one that offers truly realistic environment (including realistic bullet and projectile ballistics). As much as I hate WW2 FPS games, this one stands out.

[Mortis Nai]

Strange thing is, I don't hate FPS Games.

 

I Have spent Countless hours Playing Unreal Tournament and Day of Defeat competativly online, I have played through all the Doom Games includeing Mods/Expansions and I have played a great number of FPS Games through the years from Wolfenstein to Quake to Battlespire to halo 1 & 2 to Fear.

 

I just try not read any more into these games than there is.

Edited December 2, 2006 by Mortis Nai

[Darque]

A mercy kill for Hannah who has caught the plague from the Plague Bearer.

 

I lost a humanity point for it.  :crazy:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

She was dead anyway.

 

So your actions were pointless.

 

You evil person.

[metadigital]

Doom 2 was one of the worst games ever made.

 

Thief is more an Action RPG, and not really an FPS title.

 

I hear the point that your making, and yes they each have vastly different settings and themes and comparing Battlefield 1942 to Day of Defeat will show you very different types of game play on the same genera (One realistic, and one fast paced action based.)

 

But still at the very root of it all, Its still Guy or girl with guns shooting crap up in first person, and there are only so many times you can rehash that and make it feel unique.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

As Diamond said, you are making an absurd generalisation. (You are also making up classifications to suit your argument.)

 

Half-Life 2 uses team tactics, for example (with both humans and ANTS), whereas the Dooms don't. (Not to mention the "gravity gun" zero point energy device to grapple objects and interact with the virtual world.)

 

Also Doom 2 was a much better game than the original.

[Musopticon?]

Seeing that meta has HL2-base covered,

 

Why is Thief more an action rpg than an fps? Of course you can argue about the nomer semantics(like replacing 'shooter' with 'sneaker'), but it pretty much has all the genre-defining features of an fps.

[Diamond]

And don't even bring in Deus-Ex as it will spawn endless boring rants on its genre definition.

 

 

Now that I think of it, I don't see Thief as RPG either. Mortis Nai, care to explain?

Edited December 2, 2006 by Diamond

[Dark_Raven]

A mercy kill for Hannah who has caught the plague from the Plague Bearer.

 

I lost a humanity point for it.  :crazy:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

She was dead anyway.

 

So your actions were pointless.

 

You evil person.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

HAHAH. I lied, no mercy killing. I put two bullets in her head for not telling me about Locke. Wacky Malkavians.

[Musopticon?]

And don't even bring in Deus-Ex as it will spawn endless boring rants on its genre definition.

 

 

Now that I think of it, I don't see Thief as RPG either. Mortis Nai, care to explain?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hahhahaa! "It's an fps/rpg-hybrid! No! It's first person action rpg!" That's gotta be the one of the oldest fights on the face of the Internet. I didn't like it in TTLG, I absolutely hated it in ISA boards and a year ago it was just stupid here.

 

 

On Thief, I can understand where MN is coming from with his argument, even if it's a flawed one. He probably thinks that Thief differs enough from regular fps' with it's heavy focus on story and narrative and the relative lack of fireworks to not condone with the definitives of the fps genre.

 

The sad thing is, a few years back I would have strongly agreed with him. Yes, it would be wrong to clump Thief together with such games as Skynet or Quake, or even the recent Far Cry, but the fps genre is so broad that it can easily include genre-bending games too. Sneaking and a store model don't make an rpg. Thief has absolutely nothing to do with them. Nothing.

Edited December 2, 2006 by Musopticon?

[Hell Kitty]

Thief is only an RPG if you use the "you play a role" definition of RPG. Which is stupid.

[Diamond]

I heat effect in the Temple of Seasons.

 

[Volourn]

This is the first (and only) time I've seen that screen. :ph34r:

[Diamond]

It is not a cutscene, I removed HUD to take a screenshot.

[Xard]

Cel Shading eh?

 

Hmh, bad guy screwed up )

 

Bunch of Neverwinter mages, Qara and Sand + bunch of enemies = Spell effect flood

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You monked Kelgar?!

 

No more wenching or axe-swinging for him.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Yeah, that's sad. He really owned with Re's Redemption (or whatever that Greataxe was which gave +2 strenght). But he is even greater killing machine now. Sadly I haven't found any good clothes for him yet. I don't want to use Old Order robes. Robes doesn't fit with Khelgar IMO.

 

What irritates me with Mortis Nai's statements he still didn't answer question which is better game. It has only two answers. A: HL2 B: Doom

 

Oh, and there isn't C: They're equal since they aren't.

 

I love many old games (nostalgia has huge part in this) but do I want games to be like so many years ago? Hell no.

 

Mostly games have got better and better due time. NWN2 is better than BG1 (PS:T is still much better, BG2 is better too but not that much IMO), Twilight Princess is better than Legend of Zelda, nearly any recent FPS is better than older ones. And about graphics: What about such games like Silent Storm, are graphixes main thing in them? No. Or what about Sims? Or Jagged Alliance? You can't compare shooter from early 90's/end of 80's to e. g Red Orchestra. Metal Gear Solid is better than Metal Gear. List goes forever on.

 

Even though my fav. games consists games such as (all time favorite) PS:T, Fallout2, Sam & Max, SS2 and BG2, it also has newer games such like Kotor1, Silent Storm, Total War series and many others. If NWN2 continues to be this good (I haven't finished it yet) it propably makes its way to this long list.

 

End of the rant and pic:

 

edit: And about new games: I have high hopes for such titles as Dragon Age.

Edited December 2, 2006 by Xard

[BicycleOfDeath]

DooM in Widescreen for the win.

[@\NightandtheShape/@]

It is not a cutscene, I removed HUD to take a screenshot.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Yeah it's the H key!

[Darque]

A mercy kill for Hannah who has caught the plague from the Plague Bearer.

 

I lost a humanity point for it.  :crazy:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

She was dead anyway.

 

So your actions were pointless.

 

You evil person.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

HAHAH. I lied, no mercy killing. I put two bullets in her head for not telling me about Locke. Wacky Malkavians.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

[mkreku]

DooM in Widescreen for the win.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Did you also get that mouse-control mod for Doom? I dont remember what it was called, but it added jumping and WASD + mouse and made the game feel.. modern, almost. That and the OpenGL mod plus sharper textures helped.

[Mortis Nai]

*Holds up his hands*

 

Point I was attempting to make originally, is that in many cases older games are more focused on game play, newer Games are focused on graphics, in the hope of getting a little retro vibe and fond memories going.

 

Someone brought up the FPS Genera, I mentioned that it evolves very slowly and is the personification of a genera placing all it's focus into graphics.

 

OK, fine... anything not released as of 2006 and is not a FPS Game is the work of the devil, I am Satan's little helper come to swallow your soul with my lies and spreading of filth and ignorance.

 

All bow down to the holy trinity...

 

Doom the Father

Half-Life the Son

Halo the holy spirit

 

Nomine patri spiritus shooticus...

 

My humble apologies for still enjoying the games I grew up with.

[Wistrik]

Even without the hi-res texture mod, HL2 is beautiful. I'm only running it at 1680x1050 due to my monitor's size limits, but I managed to get 8xFSAA and 16xAF (with all else at max settings) and still have playable FPS on a 6800GT and a 2Ghz processor. (Yeah I'm taking my time upgrading, now considering a whole new box instead of just internal parts.)

 

 

This is one of my favorite hallway scenes. You can't see it, but there is steam rising from where the sun's rays are hitting the floor. Also these images are compressed from a 5Mb TGA to a <1Mb JPG (forum attachment limitation) so the quality is a bit lower than what I see in the game. The lack of animation also impedes the overall effect.

 

 

I wish my gaming area looked like this. Again, you can't see the animated monitors, and liquid in the tanks, which make this scene come alive. Notice that the magnifying glass actually works when you look through it. Even though it's a couple years old, this game has features we'll probably never see in NWN2. HL2 Episode 2 is going to make NWN2 look like a cartoon.

 

Note that if I had the horsepower to run the hi-res texture mod (Cinematic Mod), these screenshots would look even better.

 

Edit: decide to post two more pics. I just restarted the game so haven't yet reached the really nice looking areas yet.

 

 

Ah, the Citadel.

 

 

Attic escape route.

Edited December 2, 2006 by Wistrik