Show, don't tell

[Llyranor]

Stop showing us gunplay and combat animations - it's not the game's strength. Keep this at a minimum.

 

Stop just telling us about choice & consequence, show us. I don't just mean Obs fans who know what to expect, I mean the potential audience out there who'd otherwise just write this off as a second-rate shooter or Mass Effect wannabe.

 

You've already spoiled us the two scenarios re: the armsdealer and Grigori. Go all the way. Make a dev diary where you show us the different various paths you can can take, fast-forward to the consequence, then rewind and go through other others. Don't just show the immediate effect; show off subtle longterm effects. Don't just give a few examples, go all the way with those specific scenarios (which you've already spoiled anyway). Skip to every single consequence interacting with Grigori could lead to (eg. your target being warned if you make him angry, etc). It doesn't have to be a very long video; you can just make quick shots in passing of expected consequences. What it needs to be, though, is comprehensive. It will show naysayers how in-depth even ONE scenario can be, with the promise that they can expect many others in the game.

 

If you just show limited simple consequences (smashing Grigori's face, as fun as that is, is very limited and is only one option), they can just shrug it off as something that's already been done (why should I care when ME already does that AND has better presentation/animations? lol). Show potential buyers why 'your weapon is choice' is so important in AP. Right now, you're all talk. Prove it.

 

I don't personally need it. I have some mild idea of what to expect. A lot of people out there probably don't, because you're simply not showing it. If they're not interested to begin with, they're not going to read your wordy blogs to get the info they should have.

Edited March 5, 2010 by Llyranor

[kirottu]

I agree. It

[Purkake]

Wouldn't that be SPOILARZ?

[WILL THE ALMIGHTY]

I think we can deal with spoilers about one mission.

[Pop]

They've talked at length in print about the Saudi Arabian mission, which is the first one, specifically choice and consequence w/r/t handling the arms dealer at the end. They've also talked at length about choices you can make w/r/t Sie in Moscow, and how prior choices influence whether or not you even meet her there.

 

I don't know how much more they can do. Certain things, like a change in enemy firepower when extorting or killing the arms trafficker, are difficult to "show". Hopefully we can have one of those 15-minute "preview" videos ala Brutal Legend.

 

But it would be nice to, say, see the beginning of a debriefing conversation with your handler, and all the variants that go along with how you handled your last mission.

Edited March 6, 2010 by Pop

[Slowtrain]

Ultimately, it would appear to be Sega's call on what to show and not show as far as previews go anyway. They appear to be handling pretty much all aspects of the game's release and have Obs pretty much 100% under thumb.

[Purkake]

I think we can deal with spoilers about one mission.

I prefer to stay spoiler-free, but if they want to do it, good for them.

[Llyranor]

They've talked at length in print about the Saudi Arabian mission, which is the first one, specifically choice and consequence w/r/t handling the arms dealer at the end. They've also talked at length about choices you can make w/r/t Sie in Moscow, and how prior choices influence whether or not you even meet her there.

 

I don't know how much more they can do. Certain things, like a change in enemy firepower when extorting or killing the arms trafficker, are difficult to "show". Hopefully we can have one of those 15-minute "preview" videos ala Brutal Legend.

That's the point. All they've done is talk about it. All talk. Talk isn't going to sell games beyond the core fanbase. All you need for each consequence is to show 5-15 sec of footage, but actually SHOWING it.

 

Yes, a lot of the information re: these missions are out there, between various different previews/interviews/blogs/diaries, but only the most devout of fans will go through all of those to get that and piece it together. What they haven't done is show one extensive comprehensive example of why 'your weapon is choice' is actually the game's motto.

[Tigranes]

That's right. A McDonalds ad doesn't go far enough - I mean, who cares what other people think it tastes like or where the stuff comes from? How does it taste? The ads should all be made out of edible synthetic material that tastes like a McDonalds burger.

 

God, now I'm hungry, and it's like, midnight. Anyway, it is a valid criticism, but it's not realistic I think.

[Enoch]

It's probably too spoilerific to happen, but the promo I want to see is one complete conversation, done twice.

 

Pick one that highlights both responses to the player's stance choice, and some feedback from earlier player action (high/low influence, stealth/force approach to the mission, completeness of intelligence dossiers). Show the NPC's reaction to an aggressive approach by a Thorton who just gunned down a few dozen guards, who is hated by the NPC's faction, and who prefers to spend his cash on shotguns instead of intelligence. Then show the same conversation with a suave Thorton who just slipped by everybody unnoticed, who has different factional alliances, and who already knows all the NPC's dirty little secrets.

[Starwars]

At this point, I'm not sure if I personally would want any more spoilers since the game is close to release anyways. But I agree though. The PR has not done a good job of painting a picture of the overall game and how it will play, at all. I think that Moscow mission video has been the closest the showing off how the gameplay will play out, but most everything else has been disjointed clips of gameplay.

 

For showing the game off, I think it'd be good to show a mission from start (when you get the mission in safehouse or whatever), go through the mission (maybe cut out some parts if it's too long) and then show off some different choices or maybe how a different character build would go about it. Have a competent dev or someone talk over it and explain a bit where it's needed.

 

Again, at this point, I'm not too bothered since I personally like that we don't know too much about the story and all that. But for PR purposes, I think creating such a video would be pretty good for the general public.

[Pidesco]

The ads should all be made out of edible synthetic material that tastes like a McDonalds burger.

 

 

You mean McDonald's ads should be an actual McDonald's burger, then. For free, and stuck to a magazine. And it would still be too expensive.

[Killian Kalthorne]

The ads should all be made out of edible synthetic material that tastes like a McDonalds burger.

 

 

You mean McDonald's ads should be an actual McDonald's burger, then. For free, and stuck to a magazine. And it would still be too expensive.

 

 

Oh, the other night I found a most wonderful thing! OH YES I DID! A bag of Doritos that tasted like a McDonald's cheeseburger!

 

OH WHAT FRAKIN' JOY IT WAS!

 

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

[Shinaju]

Mission walkthrougth are the most effective way to show people what the game is about. I don't think a demo mission or 2 would hurt =D