What the Hell, Gearbox?

[gyroscopeboy]

They had no time limit and nobody was waiting for the game to be released

Well, no one HERE but i'm pretty sure the investors would have been! Haha

 

[Lesd3vil]

Perhaps a decent mechanic would be to incorporate regenerating health up to a certain point, say about 30% of your hits, yet still have secret nooks and crannies with health packs; that way, a developer could easily anticipate how much health a player would have at any given time.

Also they could allow for more challenging rooms the same way Half-Life does: by placing health and power outlets (or just medkits and armor/batteries) before the major encounters. Does NOBODY else remember walking into an antechamber with medkits, armor, and clips for every gun and absolutely bricking yourself because you just KNOW there's a boss coming? Because that used to be a major part of FPSes that everyone else seems to have forgotten

But to be fair, the 'developer can know how much health you have' argument for regenerating health is a logical fallacy; surely it can't be that difficult to program a formula into the game build that runs thus: IF player health >50% THEN spawn 2x enemies (or something similar)? Admittedly, this would be difficult IF your mobs were set in their behavior to move 'on rails' as t'were, but as far as I'm concerned... They're not...

I've played plenty of games where the enemies may have 'predictable' patterns (IE, move towards player character whilst shooting, keep cover between player and self whilst shooting) but they don't use 'scripted' actions... Isn't this the basis of 'enemy AI?'

Final thought: I'm kind of rooting for the 'Demo is a lie' theory, because if the demo really is just a humungous joke, and DNF is some kind of epic throwback to the days of OTT R'n'G FPSes of yore, it would have been the single largest and most brilliant trolling in history, ever, no contest. More than anything else, this would make me happy

 

[DaHero]

Well, looks like we have one, final hope.

Spoiler

I'm game for it, got a good PC? I've never run the first two (HD) with a buddy before.

 

[TheIronRuler]

They're doing it because these things evolved FPS play, and going back is insane, unless you're Valve.

Valve? oh you mean the GREATEST FUCKING GAME MAKER ON THE PLANET!!!
never heard of them

Yes, I mean the GREATEST FUCKING GAME MAKER OF THE PLANET!!!
No sarcastically.
Now piss off.

 

[Awexsome]

Perhaps a decent mechanic would be to incorporate regenerating health up to a certain point, say about 30% of your hits, yet still have secret nooks and crannies with health packs; that way, a developer could easily anticipate how much health a player would have at any given time.

THAT'S WHAT HALO DID WHY IS IT GETTING SO MUCH FLAK OVER THIS!? ahem. Excuse me.

The problem wasn't the mechanics. It was the developers who implemented them. Halo's my favorite franchise but this game isn't Halo. It's Duke Nukem. It should've played more like the old Duke Nukem more than Halo like it's sounding like it is.

 

[Projo]

Halo didn't had regenerating health. It had rechargeable shields. I don't see no rechargeable shields in Call of duty or Duke nukem.

Minor technicalities in little more than what they call their health bar. Since DNF's demo plays nothing like the cover based shooter that is COD, one can assume it leans closer to the run and gun Halo sort of things. Have you played any of the games we're talking about?

 

[Vibhor]

Halo didn't had regenerating health. It had rechargeable shields. I don't see no rechargeable shields in Call of duty or Duke nukem.

Minor technicalities in little more than what they call their health bar. Since DNF's demo plays nothing like the cover based shooter that is COD, one can assume it leans closer to the run and gun Halo sort of things. Have you played any of the games we're talking about?

Have you even played the demo?
You cannot run and gun. Your ego is so short in the beginning that if you do run and gun, you would fall flat on your face. You need to take cover while shooting or else you are dead. Also there is a huge difference between rechargeable shields and health regen. It seems you haven't even played Halo.

 

[Choppaduel]

I know right. wtf were they thinking? It sounds like DNF is as much a Duke Nukem game as Mario Kart is a Duke Nukem game.

 

[dfphetteplace]

Thankfully I know we can always mod the PC version so that there is no weapon limit. I really can't wait to see what mods come out of this game.

 

[Tonimata]

The "two weapon arsenal" idea is merely meant to limit player's options when conronting a certaing situation, thus forcing them to adapt to said situation and overcome it using brains rather than overwhelming firepower or having every single weapon at all times, thus not posing a challenge at all.

Yes, because Duke Nukem is all about using your brain and being tactical.

I'm not saying that you're wrong, I'm saying that this sort of system doesn't fit a Duke Nukem game.

It isn't difficult to make it so that you can carry more than two weapons at a time, just look at Ratchet & Clank for example.

Point: My little deviation really has nothing to do with Duke Nukem directly, I'm just responding to the accusations that say the 2 weapon arsenal idea is bad and shouldn't be utilized.

 

[DaHero]

Why is it every fps developer these days feels the need to incorporate self-regenerating health and the 2 weapon arsenal. Why won't these mechanics die? What the hell was wrong with health packs? Why do they feel to the need to force me to carry only 2 weapons at a time? What's the point of this mechanic, and don't tell me realism.

I assumed Duke Nukem Forever would pay homage to the forgotten, arcadey, over-the-top first person shooters of the past. I was looking forward to climbing up a ladder backwards, holding an rpg, kicking with both legs at the same time. I was looking forward to experimenting with cool weapons on my own terms. But no, it's just another generic, brown, halo clone with a shrink ray. Thanks gearbox.

If you're that itching for a gaming orgasm, replay Half-Life 2. It has way too many weapons and health packs.
They're doing it because these things evolved FPS play, and going back is insane, unless you're Valve.

This is more de-evolution than anything. Regenerating health makes the game WAY too easy, while just having 2 weapons for the man with balls of steel is pathetic. By that logic, Duke is no better than the common soldier.

 

[TheIronRuler]

Why is it every fps developer these days feels the need to incorporate self-regenerating health and the 2 weapon arsenal. Why won't these mechanics die? What the hell was wrong with health packs? Why do they feel to the need to force me to carry only 2 weapons at a time? What's the point of this mechanic, and don't tell me realism.

I assumed Duke Nukem Forever would pay homage to the forgotten, arcadey, over-the-top first person shooters of the past. I was looking forward to climbing up a ladder backwards, holding an rpg, kicking with both legs at the same time. I was looking forward to experimenting with cool weapons on my own terms. But no, it's just another generic, brown, halo clone with a shrink ray. Thanks gearbox.

If you're that itching for a gaming orgasm, replay Half-Life 2. It has way too many weapons and health packs.
They're doing it because these things evolved FPS play, and going back is insane, unless you're Valve.

This is more de-evolution than anything. Regenerating health makes the game WAY too easy, while just having 2 weapons for the man with balls of steel is pathetic. By that logic, Duke is no better than the common soldier.

But I remember that in the trailer he said power armor is for pussies... that's something, right?

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

they didn't even NEED health packs. Just make a system where Duke's health recovers as he does Ego boosting things (kill enemies, throw poo at them, boot them, find girls, etc)

That could have really worked.

Also, they could have put 4 weapons. It's not like there's this thing called a D-pad that many other games have used to map weapons to! ...Oh wait. There is!