Melding Story with Mechanics: The Secret of Amalur
- Thread starter Greg Tito
- Start date
Not very well?Greg Tito said:
I hate being a Negative Nancy (I am named Shine you know, the happy kind), but this line-up is not awe inspiring to me.
Let's start with Curt Schilling. Great ball player? Sure. Video game maker? We have no idea. However, he did play Everquest for a bajillion years, and I am wary of how anyone who could play that uber-grindfest for so long and make a game that appeals to my tastes in games. And of course we all know everyone who loves games would like the chance to make a game, this doesn't mean that they have any talent or any idea of what they're doing in how to actually make said game.
Salvatore? His books for the past, about, 10 years now having been pretty lacking. Honestly, the stories themselves were never anything notable. His characters started off not too shabby, but he somehow manages to sap a sense of wonder and magic about a book set in a world filled to the brim in magical wonder. Not a great quality for a lead writer of anything, in my opinion. And lately his new characters tend towards the dull, flat, and easily predictable. I mean, the hunters blades trilogy? Transitions? Chock full of them.
Mark Nelson is responsible for "..one of the great CRPG's of this decade"? Well, in the sense that Oblivion is one of the best vehicles for community content since Neverwinter Nights or Baldur's Gate, you could apply that title to the game without much fuss. Though in the interest of full disclosure I'd say the game falls flat on its face in every respect except for a very good looking 'world' to 'explore'. What part of the game did he do, exactly? Can't find any information on what position he filled at Bethesda. If it was anything other than world-designer, this is a cause of concern.
Having rained on this happy parade though, what they've said about the game sounds pretty good. However, EVERYTHING can be made to sound good in previews. Also I must give kudos to the three big-wigs coming out themselves to comic-con and mixing it up with the fans to generate some first hand buzz. So I guess, color me wary, but optimistic?
edit: Reworked this more to a "here's my opinion on this", as opposed to being confrontational. I reread it after I posted and I think I presented my thoughts poorly.
edit2: English r gud.
I have to agree with MisterShine. While a new, awesome fantasy epic would be a fantastic edition to the industry, I don't fall for hype and fancy teams of people. When I see solid evidence that this is a game I want to play, then I'll be excited.
I'm more interested in the back story than the game. I wander if we get to read these history books, or at least a watered down version for the public in or out of the game.
I'm more interested in the back story than the game. I wander if we get to read these history books, or at least a watered down version for the public in or out of the game.
I agree with a point Yahtzee made in a recent Zero Punctuation, that no company is going to be able to out-World-of-Warcraft World of Warcraft. While this fictional fantasy world may very well be interesting, I don't see anything here to suggest it's anything other than standard extruded fantasy product.
If someone wants to come up with a new MMO that does something different, I think he has to create a game in which the world changes and grows over time in a realistic (or at least believable) way and in which the actions of the players have some actual consequence in the game world. We'll see if this one does that.
L.
If someone wants to come up with a new MMO that does something different, I think he has to create a game in which the world changes and grows over time in a realistic (or at least believable) way and in which the actions of the players have some actual consequence in the game world. We'll see if this one does that.
L.
Well, the escapist community sure loves pissing on the parade don't they?
Lighten the hell up people, we don't know anything about the game and it's a whole year from release. Just reign in the negativity and be at least tacitly optimistic, okay? Don't we at least owe them the benefit of the doubt? Wouldn't you want the same if you were taking a risky venture with a new in a new studio?
Lighten the hell up people, we don't know anything about the game and it's a whole year from release. Just reign in the negativity and be at least tacitly optimistic, okay? Don't we at least owe them the benefit of the doubt? Wouldn't you want the same if you were taking a risky venture with a new in a new studio?
Ok, this concept has almost never been pulled off well in single player games, how do you expect this to work in an mmo?hendersonl said:
Anyway, they can add whatever story elements they want, and they can even make constantly returning to life make sense, but in the end you aren't going to "rival" WoW anymore than any other mmo has been able to. No, the real trick it getting off the beaten track is to stop making WoW clones. Trying something besides the typical fantasy rpg would be nice.
Don't get me wrong, I wish this new studio the best, and like I said above, the description of things do sound pretty interesting. Though, again, everything can sound interesting said the right way in the preview phase. My main point was the article had a "Wow, these 3 super talented people are teaming up to make something awesome!", and I had to respond to that with a "..wha'?"vivaldiscool said:
The game they're talking about here is the single player precursor to the MMO they're making, set in the same world. So we're getting our cake and eating it too, I guess? Assuming it will be goodcarpathic said:
From the article:
While overall it sounds promising I hope he doesn't get too carried away here. This "content" really plays to the Oblivion crowd over the Morrowind, as from a different perspective you can say the content goes from being spread out and interesting to oversaturated and repetitive.
You know, I popped onto this thread expecting to jump to the defense of R.A. Salvatore's writing ability, but instead everyone's just got these generally down outlook on the whole project. Hrm.
I, for one, am kinda looking forward to the single-player RPG (even if it is open world, meaning I'll need to be smart and wait six months for the community to mod it into something fun), but another MMO? Really? I can only get excited about so many MMOs at a time, guys. Cataclysm, The Old Republic, Guild Wars 2, DC Universe...I have my limits.
And Bob, if you really wanted to explore the consequences behind your Well of Souls thing, just write a book. You do that. That's your thing. And you're generally pretty good at it, especially when a certain dark elf isn't involved.
Hell, write another Highwayman/Zorro Meets a Thinly Veiled Pastiche Of Another Pulp Action Hero story about it. It'll be fun, I swear.
(Seriously, The Highwayman is the greatest thing ever and you should read it.)
(The Ancient...not so much. You'd think you couldn't screw up Zorro Meets Conan. You can.)
I, for one, am kinda looking forward to the single-player RPG (even if it is open world, meaning I'll need to be smart and wait six months for the community to mod it into something fun), but another MMO? Really? I can only get excited about so many MMOs at a time, guys. Cataclysm, The Old Republic, Guild Wars 2, DC Universe...I have my limits.
And Bob, if you really wanted to explore the consequences behind your Well of Souls thing, just write a book. You do that. That's your thing. And you're generally pretty good at it, especially when a certain dark elf isn't involved.
Hell, write another Highwayman/Zorro Meets a Thinly Veiled Pastiche Of Another Pulp Action Hero story about it. It'll be fun, I swear.
(Seriously, The Highwayman is the greatest thing ever and you should read it.)
(The Ancient...not so much. You'd think you couldn't screw up Zorro Meets Conan. You can.)
The whole "soul well" thing is pretty good.
Because I'm REALLY pissed off at a lot of fantasy and science fiction writers who just add completely life-changing objects or abilities to the their book/game's world without it at all affecting, well, everything - the culture, the religion, the language, the moral values, the artistic taste, and that's not even half of all the things.
Practically having no death is one of such big gamechangers, and I really appreciate Salvatore (who I do not really like because of that "Drizzt" character because I find his name retarded and his fanbase even worse) trying to address that.
No comment about the actual game, can't say that I care.
Because I'm REALLY pissed off at a lot of fantasy and science fiction writers who just add completely life-changing objects or abilities to the their book/game's world without it at all affecting, well, everything - the culture, the religion, the language, the moral values, the artistic taste, and that's not even half of all the things.
Practically having no death is one of such big gamechangers, and I really appreciate Salvatore (who I do not really like because of that "Drizzt" character because I find his name retarded and his fanbase even worse) trying to address that.
No comment about the actual game, can't say that I care.
I totally agree with the multitude of mmos coming out being a little overwhelming. I'll HAVE to get Cata, prolly get SWTOR on(or at least close to) release day, and Guild Wars 2 seems really promising. I doubt there's even enough hours in the day to actually play all three of those games. Don't know if this new game can carve out a place for itself... especially between WoW and GW, both successful fantasy games.Kavonde said:
To me this article said 1 thing.
Makers of Oblivion + R.A. Salvatore = EPIC WIN!
But then again Salvatore IS my favorite Fantasy writer.
I cannot wait for this game.
Makers of Oblivion + R.A. Salvatore = EPIC WIN!
But then again Salvatore IS my favorite Fantasy writer.
I cannot wait for this game.
