New preview!

[quicksilver_503]

here is a new preview:

 

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=191494

[Xard]

He's called Mike Thornton

 

 

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA

[Xard]

Why OE just couldn't believe EVERYONE would read his name as Thornton?

[Xard]

It looks like OE is't like all these other developers filling journalists mouths ( and every other hole ) with cash, because that actually offers us some insights and - heaven forbid - something else than omg hype hype...

 

Anyway, reason for my triple post...

 

The best thing about the shooting mechanics is that enemies will drop after only a few bullets, the worst and most confusing aspect is that you never run out of ammo - so why bother to sneak about when you've got this endless arsenal? Hopefully, we'll see a change before the 2009 release.

 

 

COUGH COUGH

[Xard]

Even previewers who most of the time care only about hyping are lukewarm towards infinite ammo (as showcased by this and previous's "potentially controversial decisions"), what does that tell?

 

hacking keypads via a selection of minigames,

 

 

AUUUUGGGGHHGHGHGHGH

 

Obz, when you can do a lot better why do you have to follow the most stupid ****ing trends around such as infinite ammo and freaking minigames? Seriously...

 

 

Well, apart from lulzing at Michale "Thornton", getting frustrated again by infinite ammo deal and being severely annoyed by "minigames" I liked all else what I read.

 

Gameplay holds a lot potential (loved the bit amout martial arts) but could you please stop sabotaging your own game with stupid design decision?

Edited June 29, 2008 by Xard

[Laozi]

alright, someone else? anybody?

[flem]

This is all part of Obsidian's vision of allowing you to play through the game like one of the three JBs - James Bond (suave), Jason Bourne (technical) or 24's Jack Bauer (ass-kicker)

Very clever.

 

so they may refer to you as being very technically gifted or simply 'crazy punchy-man'

Heh heh.

[Xard]

Aaahh, what's better way to make your 4,500th post than let some steam out?

 

so they may refer to you as being very technically gifted or simply 'crazy punchy-man'

Heh heh.

 

Please do not leave "or something" from the end of sentence next time. I had small heart attack for thinking "crazy punch-man" was from actual dialogue

[Wrath of Dagon]

I don't think srounging for ammo is such a fun game mechanic that it has to be in every game, especially an RPG, which already gives you lots of things to do. So long as you have to reload, you'll have to take aimed shots instead of spraying everything with bullets, which is the main function of limited ammo. I have to say I didn't miss limited ammo in Mass Effect at all, in fact it was nice to be able to use the sniper rifle whenever the opportunity arose, and not have to worry about running out of ammo. Ultimately limited ammo is just another thing which needs to be balanced with everything else in the game, and most games solve the problem by giving you too much, to the point you're never really in danger of running out anyway.

[Xard]

you know, Mass Effect didn't try to push sneaking as playing method

[Redfield]

I personally have no preference whether ammo is unlimited or not.

 

However, it is a bit disconcerting that even the gaming press is acting leary about it. If comments in previews like this keep popping up, it could serve to spread some negative hype about the game that would, at this point, be largely unwarranted (no one knows how everything fits together yet except Obsidian).

[Musopticon?]

Well, Invisible War got something right - it really made people wary of infinite ammo.

 

I'm gonna wait for a gameplay video or a demo to set my mind at rest about this.

[Xard]

Well, Invisible War got something right - it really made people wary of infinite ammo.

 

I'm gonna wait for a gameplay video or a demo to set my mind at rest about this.

 

enemm

[Wrath of Dagon]

I personally have no preference whether ammo is unlimited or not.

 

However, it is a bit disconcerting that even the gaming press is acting leary about it. If comments in previews like this keep popping up, it could serve to spread some negative hype about the game that would, at this point, be largely unwarranted (no one knows how everything fits together yet except Obsidian).

Exactly, gameplay mechanics all work together. As far as stealth, what about the guy who doesn't want to sneak and wants to go in with guns blazing? Giving him the same amout of ammo as the stealth guy would be limiting player choice. Different character builds should be able to account for stealth vs combat preferences.

 

Also Invisible War had the opposite of inifinite ammo, it actually doled out the ammo fairly sparsely. Games with dedicated ammo don't know which gun you prefer, so they give you lots of everything, with the result being that you're never in any real danger of running out of ammo, at most you might have to go to your second favorite gun.

Edited June 29, 2008 by Wrath of Dagon

[Musopticon?]

Oh, right. Well, ammo might as well have been infinite, since only when opting for the high-end weapons were you forced to be stingy with it, as the consumption rose.

 

I don't really mind it either way, if the limitlessness feels cheesy, I just won't use it. I'm a stealth player anyhow. And I still think there'll be consequences for just blasting your way through the levels. Maybe they respawn enemies and limit health items, maybe there's a roleplaying consequence or perhaps alarming everyone is just a Very Bad Idea, but I doubt Obsidian will just give you the "You win!" button by making spewing out more bullets the answer to all dangers.

 

And as for Xard, how would you go about the hacking? Just a skill check or something? Even SS2 had a minigame and it's usually held as a paragon for the fps/rpg genre.

[Diogo Ribeiro]

I'm not Xard (noshizzle?), but hacking should be like Uplink: Hacker Elite, only in smaller, concentrated doses. What I find fun in Uplink is that it's got several ways of hacking. An example I like is - make a prank call to the target's house, tape his voice and then play it back into an audio security system so that you can bypass it.

 

I'd certainly enjoy a variety of methods, as opposed to having to play something reminiscent of Frogger to bind nodes and unlock a security terminal.

[Xard]

And as for Xard, how would you go about the hacking? Just a skill check or something? Even SS2 had a minigame and it's usually held as a paragon for the fps/rpg genre.

 

Oh yes, SS2 style (and level of quality) minigames would be fine

 

But somehow I can see them going more in vein of Bioshock's, Oblivion's and other newer and retarted minigames

[fastpunk]

Well, Invisible War got something right - it really made people wary of infinite ammo.

 

DX:IW didn't have infinite ammo. Though weapons did use the same type of ammo. Anyway, infinite ammunition is a potentially game breaking feature and I hope Obsidian will drop this idea. Otherwise, the preview was encouraging. Can't wait for AP!

 

Oh yes, SS2 style (and level of quality) minigames would be fine

 

But somehow I can see them going more in vein of Bioshock's, Oblivion's and other newer and retarted minigames

 

Hope not. Something like Vampire: Bloodlines' hacking mini-game would be nice.

Edited June 29, 2008 by fastpunk

[Xard]

...there was no minigame in Bloodlines

[fastpunk]

...there was no minigame in Bloodlines

 

Well, whatever that thing was. It was cool accessing someone's computer and getting the needed info or unlocking doors or whatever. I'd love to see something similar in AP. It would work wonderfully with this setting.

[Xard]

Oh yes, the whole computer deal was great. But the hacking itself was simple matter of pressing Control + C and watch if your skill is good enough.

 

Yet even that was strangely interesting. I remember many times when it started to generate first few letters that seem to make sensible word... and then comes something like K7i6x and soon afterwards "hacking failed"

 

I loved the whole computer thing. But I wouldn't call it minigame

 

Damn it was funny to hack that porn shop's files (I still lol at j-pron entries)

Edited June 29, 2008 by Xard

[fastpunk]

Oh yes, the whole computer deal was great. But the hacking itself was simple matter of pressing Control + C and watch if your skill is good enough.

 

Yet even that was strangely interesting. I remember many times when it started to generate first few letters that seem to make sensible word... and then comes something like K7i6x and soon afterwards "hacking failed"

 

I loved the whole computer thing. But I wouldn't call it minigame

 

Damn it was funny to hack that porn shop's files (I still lol at j-pron entries)

 

Oh yeah, that video shop in Hollywood! The dude at the counter was also hilarious... in a dry and creepy kind of way.

 

Anyway, I guess you're right. The whole computer thing can't really be called a minigame. But it just worked, and the idea would fit AP. Plus, a skill check is one of the most RPG-ish things you can find in a game. :D

[Xard]

Oh yes, the whole computer deal was great. But the hacking itself was simple matter of pressing Control + C and watch if your skill is good enough.

 

Yet even that was strangely interesting. I remember many times when it started to generate first few letters that seem to make sensible word... and then comes something like K7i6x and soon afterwards "hacking failed"

 

I loved the whole computer thing. But I wouldn't call it minigame

 

Damn it was funny to hack that porn shop's files (I still lol at j-pron entries)

 

Oh yeah, that video shop in Hollywood! The dude at the counter was also hilarious... in a dry and creepy kind of way.

 

Anyway, I guess you're right. The whole computer thing can't really be called a minigame. But it just worked, and the idea would fit AP. Plus, a skill check is one of the most RPG-ish things you can find in a game. :D

 

Well, there was somewhere talk about (interview or developer comment in here) whole internet etc. section of game which seems to be Bloodlines's computer thingie ^3

 

So we should get goodies like that.

 

 

It's funny how much Troika put care in these emails. For example I wasn't aware (until my recent playthrough in which I've currently reached nosferatu caverns) that in Santa Monica hospital if your hacking skills are good enough you can find about one of the docs having relationship. It doesn't have any relevance to anything but you can go and blackmail money from the dude, threatening to expose the thing to his wife.

 

Or in Hollywood comments left in some machines at internet cafe. Or "YOU ****IN' AWP WHORE" "NO U U ONLY OWN WITH NEWBCANNON" stuff found on computers in Chinatown (at that firm where you must sneak in if you take Gary's quest)

 

edit: Oh, and that ridiculous (and on purpose) badly written geek flaming actually serves purpose and if you read between the lines you find valuable bits of information related to quest.

 

Those are just some examples (though porn shop was unbeatable IMO. The creepy dude who spies his residents and their - ermm - activities in Downtown was great too...)

Edited June 30, 2008 by Xard

[Xard]

I'm not Xard (noshizzle?), but hacking should be like Uplink: Hacker Elite, only in smaller, concentrated doses. What I find fun in Uplink is that it's got several ways of hacking. An example I like is - make a prank call to the target's house, tape his voice and then play it back into an audio security system so that you can bypass it.

 

There was this one excellent puzzle in Kotor 2 that was basically just like that, although you'd have to run all over the place in search for good soundbits

[Xard]

I'm not Xard (noshizzle?), but hacking should be like Uplink: Hacker Elite, only in smaller, concentrated doses. What I find fun in Uplink is that it's got several ways of hacking. An example I like is - make a prank call to the target's house, tape his voice and then play it back into an audio security system so that you can bypass it.

 

There was this one excellent puzzle in Kotor 2 that was basically just like that, although you'd have to run all over the place in search for good soundbits