hanselthecaretaker said:
True, board games do the competitive mode better with certain genres similar to how books almost always do things better than the movies based off of them, but there are still limits and trade offs. The depth of mental strategy and camaraderie amongst those circled at a table will always be greater than those staring at a screen, but on the other hand there really isn?t a board game equivalent or superior for something like fighting games, where mechanics and move sets are the main draw. MK takes it a step further with the outlandish and brutal presentation, along with tons of unlockable content to find.
Even for games like MGS or SoulsBorne the biggest draw for me is the kind of tactile feedback found when controlling the player character, and the options available when dealing with both opponents and the game world itself. A sense of experimentation in the former and exploration in the latter are also key to their enjoyment. The story and lore are merely gravy on the meat and potatoes.
In short, any medium can be seen as superior depending on the mode of stimulation the user is seeking.
Anything turn-based really. And the problems of videogames is fucking bizarre. Like if you ever get a chance, play Gloomhaven and compare it to X-COM. Just how fucking smart Gloomhaven's mechanics are, how it handles character progression, how it handles combat ... just the attack modifier deck customization. Argh. And the random battle goals? How you unlock new classes? World customization? Its legacy aspects? Abilities customization? Items and item usage?
And there's no reason for X-COM to be as comparatively fucking stupid as it is. But lo and behold, 9.5/10. The X-COM board game is better than X-COM.
I am not being hyperbolic when I say literally everything barring set up time is better in Gloomhaven than X-COM. Barring perhaps premise, but even then Gloomhaven is gothic fantasy done pretty well. Trust a videogame company to make a new RPG system and you end up with the incredibly shitearse Pillars of Eternity. And guess what? 9.5/10...
And before anybody pulls out the 'oh, but the writing!...'
"The mighty Aumaua are the largest of the kith races and are commonly found in or near oceans. Though not truly aquatic, they have an affinity for water and many of their civilizations, such as Rauatai, are based on naval dominance. They are known for their unparalleled strength."
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"The godlike are children of the kith ("civilized" races) who have been blessed with physical aspects associated with the gods (though some do not consider it a blessing). These aspects may take many forms and often come with mystical powers. Aberrant head shapes are typical, and godlike are unable to wear protective headgear as it is near-impossible to find anything that fits. Because of their unusual nature and their inability to reproduce, godlike are often viewed with fear and wonder."
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It's like a cryptic language that apparently lesser mortals like myself might merely consider childish, and only videogamers can recognize its transcendental brilliance.
This shit is not what I expected from the people that made New Vegas in a year.
This is just character creation... but oh boy, reading novels worth of this quality of writing is going to be fun. Really puts you in the mood, right?
Take something like this from the 3.5 PHB of D&D...
Humans typically stand from 5 feet to a little over 6 feet tall and weigh from 125 to 250 pounds, with men noticeably taller and heavier than women. Thanks to their penchant for migration and conquest, and to their short life spans, humans are more physically diverse than other common races. Their skin shades range from nearly black to very pale, their hair from black to blond (curly, kinky, or straight), and their facial hair (for men) from sparse to thick. Plenty of humans have a dash of nonhuman blood, and they may demonstrate hints of elf, orc, or other lineages. Members of this race are often ostentatious or unorthodox in their grooming and dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, body piercings, and the like. Humans have short life spans, reaching adulthood at about age 15 and rarely living even a single century.
Did they learn absolutely nothing doing Neverwinter Nights 2? Granted, their studio personnel has probably changed but did they bother at all to review their previous works or other game systems? This description isn't good, but it's at least functional.
