Should they make a sequel to AO?

[Tir_McDohl]

First off, I liked Silent Hill way more than Resident Evil. It had a way of making things easy technically, but so damned creepy that it became difficult to continue at points. The radio "radar" function(where if a monster gets close, the radio emits static) is sheer genius. It warns you that something's about to happen, but that almost makes it even worse at times.

If I need to turn and run, I do the little 180 turn and high tail my ass outta there. ^_^

180 turn? That must be a new thing... I know full well that 1 and 2 didn't have that, and I'm pretty sure that Code Veronica didn't either. Speaking of which, I never did finish Code Veronica...though, that's what happens when you simply don't like a game, I guess. The fact that the PS2 version was bundled with a demo of Devil May Cry(a game which has some of the best control I've EVER seen) just seemed to make the control in CV that much worse. Nothing like expecting an enemy to appear, having quite a bit of time to do something about it, but your "highly trained" STARS member can't seem to aim the gun at the slow moving creature. Yeah, gotta love "cinematic" camera angles...

[Firia]

Everything past RE2 had the 180 degree turn. ^_^ Directors cut had it too.

I like those camra angles. Sure you can't see the zombies or whatever until they're on top of you. But that's a part of the game. You wank into a room and hear the wet gush of rotten flesh moving around, and you know there's something afoot.

It's the "scary Monster" principle. If you see a scary monster clear as day, it's not as scary. If you don't see the monster until it's nearly to late, it can be (granted not for everyone obviously) a jolt of suspence. It's a fright tactic. It's used in scary movies all the time (that have a monster). Even the GOOD scary movies. If you notice, movies that are supposed to be scary that have lots of CG shots of a creature, generally arn't very scary. ^_^ It's because your imagination isn't doing anything.

That's how Silent Hill can be so damn scary. It banks on the players imagination. The imagination helps cultivate an already freaky atmosphere into something more.

And I played that Devil May Cry demo (since I did pick up Code Veronica for the ps2). ^_^ I'm not to good at the game, but the controls are pretty neat. I'm not to sure how well they'd work for me in RE games. But I know Silent Hill 2 had a way to change the movement to the sort of movement Devil May Cry had. (just minus all the jumping off of walls and stuff. )

PS: Code Veronica wasn't very scary. Just kinda action'ish. RE3, and RE: revisited for the GC are the scariest damn RE's out there. My opinion anyway.

[Tir_McDohl]

I'm not to sure how well they'd work for me in RE games.

It's pretty simple...those controls simply wouldn't work in RE. At all. Do you realize how easy a Tyrant would be if you were playing as Dante? It'd go something like this.

Tyrant: Rawr.
Dante: ...yeah, right. *does a 30 hit combo, juggling it in the air with his pistols at the end*
Tyrant: *dies*

DMC was originally going to be a RE-ish game, but it wound up becoming something totally different...DMC2 looks like it'll be even better, except for one thing.

Dante needs to put his damn shirt back on.

[Firia]

That's not quite what I meant.
I meant left moves you left,
down moves you down, etc.
Like the Dante moves. ^_^
Minus the air combo thingys you speak of.

[Tir_McDohl]

I don't see how even that kind of control would work, though... The entire thing of RE is that you have to turn yourself around instead of just telling it "Ok, go that way now." and watching your character defy all laws of physics to go that direction. DMC is just an all-out action game now, that takes every single cool looking anime-ish and/or Matrix-ish move and slaps it all together in one single badass. Oh, and no other game has such cool boss music. Griffon and Nelo Angelo have the best songs EVER.

[Firia]

I don't see how even that kind of control would work, though... The entire thing of RE is that you have to turn yourself around instead of just telling it "Ok, go that way now." and watching your character defy all laws of physics to go that direction.

That's kinda what I'm saying. ^_^
But there's a way to get SH2 to change to DMC'ish type controls. Just, there's none of the jumping or physics killing stuff. I'm not entirely sure how well it works in Silent Hill 2 anyway. I never used it cause I like the RE'ish control scheme, so I never selected it. ^_^

[Tir_McDohl]

You know, this kind of thing is usually why I stick to fighting games and rpgs...in fighters, control has been so refined that it's not really an issue anymore, and rpgs don't really require anything special.

Though, I do sometimes wish that AO had something that at least let you participate in battles a bit...I don't mean making it an action game, but something akin to FF8(well, ok, more like Squall in FF8), Mario RPG, or Legend of Dragoon, where you'd do better if you can at least act like you're participating. I mean, if they managed to make the combat a little more fun, leveling really wouldn't be all that bad anymore. Just occassionally slapping the burst, brawl, etc button isn't cutting it. I literally hold conversations, not even looking at the screen, and just hit the extra attack buttons now and then.

[Tacz]

wtf!? you people abreviate too much rotflmao i couldnt understand an f'n word u bn sayin...
As my mom tells my (teenage) sister "A few less vould and a few more consenants please."

[bwallach]

I think alot of the newer games such as AC 2 are just taking whats old and copying the sucess of other games. It seem the realm vs realm idea of DAOC has made it into AC2 . Lets not forget shadowbane is on the horizion. I've noticed pvp has become a bit bigger now . I'll probally be flamed but I've seen real roleplaying fast be coming nothing.

[Lumin]

For me the recent MMORPGs are all to easy and first time player friendly, they lack the complexity that AO have.
You know that a game got potential when you still learn new things 2 years after you started playing it. and then im not thinking about new content in the form of new items. all games can add that.

Then you also got the MMORPGs in first person view and a quake lookalike feel to them. Those games are a total turnoff for me, mainly cause I like viewing things in 3rd person. and I never really liked FPS games as its all about being the most trigger happy (in most cases)
Also if your in a first person how are you supposed to see what clothes you got on ? its not like those games got any mirror effects implemented yet.
but again it might be smart from the developers view as you got to have 2 accounts to view yourself

Still AO is one of the best games I have played. especially since i like turns and twists in game play, the same rules for 4 years would have been utterly dull.
And shadowlands will add a religious metaphystical feel to the game which looks so far to be "teh sweet"
I have a thing for the religion around the theory and its rules.

I will like most people try SWG (in general I dont like SW at all) and other new MMORPGs but so far they dont look or feel like sticky too me. maybe WoW will, but that is mainly cause alot of my friends that play everquest now will move for certain as they like the idea and feel ofthe game (so far). and its always nice to be a big gang

[Nurgle]

I am addicted to RolePlaying and being involved in the world I play in.

No game. And I mean NO game lets you effect the world around you like AO. We RPers grip about the story cause yeah we wanna see the ball rolling for once as it would mean things are going well for a change at FC HQ, at least enough so to actually move ahead with the original plan...

As for new MMORPGs... ShadowBane was to be on the shelf over 4 months ago, from those around the Beta I here things still aren't working and well I imagine you may not see this for a while.

I think SWG will roll out before ShadowBane, honestly.

SWG beta has swung into about 3rd gear now and is burning up a storm. The servers have started to come online every other day and staying up almost the whole day (they go down for changes and are put back up).
Word is that 50k people are going to be let in within 2-3 weeks for Stress testing. So if you signed up for testing keep your eye out for an email...

The biggest probelm I see for SWG is RP... I mean how can you RP in a world that is locked into a continuity fit? Will you have to approve your scripts and ideas with GMs to be sure you don't muck up SW continuity? Oh and forget interacting, including, or using the main SW characters as they may be around but little more than stationary NPCs, probably good for a quest or too... I just don't see SWG as a huge dynamic world to grow in explore and develop. After fueling up on your SW fantasy to walk over endor, or hover across tatoonie whats left?

WoW... I love Blizzard I have everyone of their games. I like the wackiness of WC & WC2 from Peons to the Death Knights however the game they are rolling out as a MMORPG seems hugely simple. Simple gets old, gets boring. Really though I have seen some of the world and got the intro bit of the story... but where is the mean story? wheres the huge conflict fueling players to do somethin other than level?

I mean sure the new MMORPGs are shiny, they have some good game mechanics (emulated or modified versions of other MMORPGs but that is expected) and interesting play methods, but will they hold us? Will they entertain and draw us in? As Lumin put it, will they feel sticky enough to grasp our attention and earn that $12?

(SWG is rumored to possibly try $21.95 a month)

[Ichyro]

HAHA! Bullshit!

Is anyone going to spend 21 fricking dollars a month on a MMORPG? One that could crash horribly, and demands a perfect system?

A developer of WC III Said this somewhere...

A great game has great gameplay, originality, fun, and replayibility. You cant just have a nice graphics setting, in fact thats the least needed thing.

[Nurgle]

Well I think SWG is going to score on game play but originality, fun (to me this is content), and replayability will somewhat lacking.

So far I haven't heard of any in-game quests, no epic struggle over anything, and definitely nothing that interacts with content from the original series.

BTW the settings for StarWars is post destruction of the DeathStar...

Meaning for those not as geeky as myself that its after Luke blows up the DeathStar (A New Hope), but before HanSolo is incased in carbonite (Empire Strikes Back). So well you already know the past and the future. heh, how exciting!

[Tir_McDohl]

I don't mind the setting so much...I played UO for years, and it was set in between Ultima games. So those who had played the games(fewer than you'd think) already knew what'd happen in the future...which lead to a few rp problems(people rping about the Guardian before he was even supposed to be known about, people talking about the Avatar even though he didn't exist in UO, etc) but they were usually ironed out with little difficulty. Also, the SW timeline is plenty more well known than Ultima's, so I have a feeling people will be a little more open to working within the restraints...

But...yes, there was a but coming...

What I don't like is that it sounds like the developers are underestimating powergamers, technical players, and those who want to achieve goals in the fastest way possible. Prime example is how to become a Jedi. They honestly think people won't get it down to a science? Give me a freaking break. They aren't kidding anyone...I bet within a week of launch, it'll be on 20 websites telling you almost exactly how to achieve it as fast as possible.

I'm sure that they weren't nearsighted in just one area, either. When developers underestimate the player, even if it's just in one aspect(albeit a pretty crucial one), that means they've PROBABLY underestimated them in just about every facet of the game. Combine that with the fact that their feature list reads more like a wish list, and you've got possibilities for serious problems before the damn thing even starts.

[Ichyro]

I've been thinking of Taking Up AO again, with RPing. My only thought is itd be hard to actually RP With anything (Basically a hard-ass tough guy, like Alucard or Alexander Anderson with an Original name),

Should I try, or not? I have nothing but WC III and CS right now, and I have no reason to try AO again.

[Tir_McDohl]

Heh, I did a guy who was originally inspired by Alexander Anderson...but he wound up being nothing like him. He just wound up being a crazy Omni priest doctor.

[Nurgle]

Well I dunno how they will work Jedi, however I know that the skill system is set in such a way that becoming a jedi will most likely mean being a gimp as you will have very little skills in anything else, and will have to rely other players for just about everything.

However on the other hand the way the skill system works it really seems like you won't get a title claiming "jedi"... just doesn't seem to fit the system.

As far as developers being nearsighted...

If you walk up to a group of people fighting a beast, and you just start shooting at it and your in combat when it dies, you get the full amount of experience as if you had killed it by yourself.

How screwed up is that?!