Badfinger

So, I feel a little bit guilty for making Sean possibly suspect he was being a baby in last week's thread! I am sorry, I do not think you are a baby! I do think we continue to have different viewpoints on how that scene could/should play out. The way you defined your position (what actions could I take if this was a point'n'click?) made sense. I just think an extra 5-10 seconds of exposition would have been enough to clearly define what you can and can't do. In an FPS, your only interactive options are "deplete health points of mans", but in this situation just a couple of lines will suggest attempting to deplete the health would be suicide. If your brother had said something like "come on, we have to go!" or "what are you doing, get back here?" or even "what good will that do", anything like that, it has made the expectations to me "if you keep doing that something bad will happen". If at that point you go bumble into that guy and he shoots you it is both 1) a valid outcome to your actions and 2) exactly what should have happened. It's something that's only crystallized for me in maybe the last 6 months or so, but I am willing to accept that death/failure as a legitimate option in games. If you put your hand on the stove, it's going to get burnt and I'm ok with that. I had the EXACT reaction to the turret sequence that Chris did. They were yelling about doing/not doing things that did not match up in the slightest with things I was actually doing. Both the above and this I think are failures of the scripting team to put hooks in the right places. Don't just yell random shit at 9 second intervals, and don't stare lifelessly at me when I'm doing something dumb and about to get killed. I'm starting to really dig into the story, and I don't think I like it very much at all. With that said, I still REALLY like Far Cry 3. I see all these direct parallels to FC2. It feels so, so incredibly similar. It is somewhat confusing to not hear those parallels being noticed immediately. Once I got going, it was "FUCK YES FC 2 BUT WITH WATER NOW." I had also honestly forgotten that Chris's opinion on Assassin's Creed and mine differ so much. AC2 and AC:Bro are two of my favorite games of all time. Certainly my favorite open world games. I definitely spent a lot (lot) of time collecting shit out of treasure chests in AC2, and I spent a lot (LOT) of time collecting all the diamond caches in FC2. I am about the opposite of a completionist/achievement seeker, too. The crafting in Far Cry is so much fun. The idea that you aren't ARTIFICIALLY limited to a certain weapon loadout, but that you have a real world limitation and literally do not have the gear needed to carry more than one weapon until you make yourself a holster is completely awesome and the Far Cry-est. Ok now you can holster 3 weapons, but you still don't have the ammo pouches and bandoliers to carry more than 30-50 rounds. But you CAN be self-sufficient and go make yourself new gear. The restrictions on what kinds of leather make what is totally video gamey, but I accept it the same way you need specific crafting materials to have someone make you shit in Dragon Age, or the Big Game Hunter quests in World of Warcraft. What's that? Oh no, not Young Tigers, Stranglethorn Tigers. Well... ok fine. I would also point out that the "unlock guns, ps there are gun spewing machines everywhere" was in Far Cry 2. They were just your Safe Houses, instead of a Coke machine that has ammo. How did all of your safe houses become identically stocked, everywhere? How did you keep them from being raided? How could you clear out a new safe area, wander around outside for 30 seconds, and then return to find it fully stocked with all the guns and ammo? How do you pay for all of it? The conceit that "it is a video game" is just as acceptable in that instance to me as this one, because they are literally the same. The difference is in one shit is lying on a table, and the other you might have to pay for ammo and they didn't model all the guns every time.

I don't disagree with your overall criticism of the game's story, but at the same time I would place FC 3's narrative PRECISELY at the level of FC 2's narrative, which is to say the thing that drives you forward is really, really dumb and not particularly connected to the game you're actually playing.

I've gotten a bit further in the story, and eugh did they bungle some of it. The last story mission I completed of note was a bog-standard turret sequence. Are there three difficulties or four? I'm playing on one of the middle ones. Regardless, it actually turned out to be one of the more scenic drives around the island I've had, because the NPCs are apparently much better drivers than I am. Jeeps would appear and then they would instantly disappear, because the game had given me a grenade launcher that exploded jeeps in a single hit. Unfortunately my character and the NPC did not react to THAT, instead yelling back and forth about how bumpy it was and holding it steady because I couldn't get an accurate shot off, when I hadn't been challenged by an enemy in over 10 seconds. It was really bad, I really didn't like it. They've done some crappy stuff with the story.

I like this discussion, because viewing the scenario as a different game type or different tutorial scenario didn't really occur to me and I appreciate both those viewpoints.

I disagree slightly. I think they should have taken maybe 10 extra seconds and heavily reinforced that you're actually in no position to subdue a man with a knife and a gun, even with his back turned. If they'd put say a fence between you and him, something you could easily see through like chain link or a post fence, I think that lowers the tension. He's right there. If he turns and stretches, that knife is only about 10 feet from stabbing you. It will be interesting to see how Tomb Raider addresses that once it's actually released. They have a similar task but presented differently, because they've been up front with the character arc. e: wrote and posted that before I saw your reply Sean. Would what I proposed work for you, building just a bit more characterization into Jason and his brother? Or would you have not approached having an open space without the application of the appropriate action "kill man" at all? I've also noticed I have a fundamental difference of opinion when it comes to dying/killing as a valid outcome from games. I have no problem with being a scared tourist who gets killed when he bumps a pirate instead of sneaking, just like (I remembered) I had no problem with the Dissolved Conspiracy screen in Dishonored if you stabbed one of your housemates. I do agree with you that SOMETHING needs to be there w/r/t feedback besides just bumping into the character model and then getting shot.

Actually, my first reaction to Sean saying "Why can't I strangle a man?" is "Would you, Sean Vanaman, strangle a man moments after you recoil in horror when your brother attacks a different man to allow you to escape from pirates that captured you after you went off course while skydiving on vacation?" The game attempts to establish that you have no business handling a weapon in those first moments, it's only after you have rad mysticism done to you that things like that happen. I don't want to make too fine a parallel because Jason Brody is a rich dick, but it's "suburban white man from the west coast attempts to escape from kidnapping pirates". I, suburban white man from the east coast, would be terrified and want the madness to stop at almost any cost. Perhaps I shouldn't project on to you Sean, you may have strangled many a man in your spare time and I don't wish to insult you. In those early moments you are a vulnerable kitten, and only later do you become Far Cry.

Literally spent 50 straight minutes attempting to get into a car to drive to a place so I could hunt a certain type of animal, only to see a goat and try and grab a quick skin, hunt a komodo dragon, get distracted by a loot pickup, get jumped by pirates, attempt to stalk another set of pirates 100 meters down the road only to have them attacked by a komodo dragon, clean up the mess, see another goat, and then get stuck in a loop of continuosly shifting goats, pirates, and komodo dragons arriving and battling until the in-game sun set. This happened with one weapon slot unlocked, 90 minutes or less after the game let itself be itself. I know the first impression was a little lackluster, but this game is Far Cry as hell. PS: Holy shit play spaceteam.

On Writing is an excellent book, even if like me you haven't written anything longer than about 1000 words since it was assigned work. Insightful and funny.

It is similar to FTL in that you think everything is completely fine and then suddenly everything is on fire and there's no oxygen (from laughing), yes. Besides being intuitive, and the fact that yelling is fun, some of the interactions are straight out hilarious. Some of them are general babble like ACTIVATE SPACE CRANE, but there's also stuff like "Eulogize the departed" and "Buy Insurance". It can be harder to bark that out than to set the flange bobber to 4. Plus if you get far enough, there are levels that are PICTOGRAM ONLY. No words, just symbols. Good luck. Play this game. Hopefully it comes to non-iOS devices soon.

I can proudly state that I've never contributed to this forum. This seems like a sincere question with a somewhat strange phrasing, so I'll contribute a sincere answer. 1) Understand what the forum is, and how to be a member of it. 2) Have a conversation. A natural one. Post about a thing you like. Bring a counterpoint to a thing that you have an interest in but maybe don't like. If there's a salient point buried in a discussion about something else, derail that sucker! Back up your observations. Sometimes don't back up your observations but at least be clever about it. 3) I have a feeling devs might be speaking about getting recognition on forums on or about a specific game. Example: theorycrafting with a conclusion, relevant contributions to bug/hotfix discussions. If you are having conversations with subjects that will involve game devs/GMs responding, guess what? Those guys are going to be talking with you. If you repeatedly make positive contributions, they're going to recognize you. 4) Welcome to the internet, snark is all around you. It's your job as curator of your brain to spin it or disregard it.

Skyrim is Elder Scrolls V v v

Mind sharing what it is? I actually have a guess as to what it might be. vvv That's what my guess was, yeah. I also wonder if

Of course. That's what being a ninja is all about.

I preordered both Far Cry 2 and Far Cry 3 on Steam. http://store.steampowered.com/app/19900/ I agree with RPS and several other comments here. The little DO A MISSION popup is horrendous. No, fuck you. I'm killing dragons over here. Do you understand? dragons.

I detested The Great Gatsby when I first read it, which is possibly because I was a dumb child. Willing to give it another shot. It's always been interesting to be on the other side of a discussion about what is universally regarded as obviously a timeless classic.

I guess as my real/first ending I chose: Here are all the endings that I know of. Just gonna list 'em:

It's somewhat ironic that the game had to be mechanically mediocre enough that I died often enough to see all the interesting loading screens towards the end. By the way, and this is not a spoiler, there are multiple endings based on your decisions. If you got to the end of the game and didn't know that, the last autosave should be at a place where you can make the choices you need to see them. I highly recommend it.

I played a text-based MUD way back in the dark ages of AOL pay-per-hour called Dragonrealms. It was never a huge game community-wise, but absolutely one of the deepest and most interesting in terms of things you could learn and do outside of killing things (also one of the broadest range of killing fantasy internet things). I played that game for a long, long time. It migrated off AOL and onto the Internet at large, and many people migrated with it. The people who posted on its forums were the most avid and fervent players. Every once in a while, I get the urge to drop in and play it again even though a lot of the mechanics and systems (AND TIME NEEDED) have been passed by in the last decade and a half. The game was close knit enough and the forum community close enough that there is a subforum just for people saying goodbye both in and out of character. I went back last week on a whim to see if the damn thing still exists. It does! They're about to introduce entirely new experience systems! Just like 10 years ago! And the first dozen posts I read are from the same people that were always there, commenting on the things they always comment on. It was strange, and comforting, and kind of scary all at the same time. I also almost reactivated my account, too. Terrifying.

I want to play this right now, holy crap.

It was ridiculous and tasteless. And purposefully hyperbolic, which made it over the top and funny.

The discussion of whether Halo 4 is a good/fun game reminds me of some of the comments made by Lead Designer Walt Williams on Spec Ops on one of the spoiler casts done for that game. He said something along the lines of "The opposite of fun in video games isn't UNFUN, the opposite of fun is BROKEN. The game stops being fun when it doesn't work." He was talking about thinking about is the game "engaging" rather than is it "fun". So if the game is competently made but you feel unfavorably about your time with it then it didn't engage you. I don't think about that all the time, I do like having rad explosion fun often, but I do reflect on it from time to time listening to people talk about, and talking about, games. The Bombcast this week came to the realization that Halo, Assassin's Creed, and Mass Effect are all exactly the same game with different presentations. It's frightening. And like them, I don't know if I can do better but I know someone out there who is good at writing could do a better job. Not everything is a hero's journey.

Give and/or don't give money to people you do want to have it, including other game studios, friends and family in the form of either cash or goods and services that were exchanged for cash, or perhaps a worthy cause such as the Red Cross or the Food Bank. If you are chilly I hear that paper money is excellent tinder.

I guess that IS that! Basically, my point is that if you like a dude that pulls strings for no reason whatsoever that's totally fine and has its place in games, but the way it was implemented in THIS game was pretty terrible. Which means I think we agree? Just not about the Outsider in Dishonored specifically. ANYWAY, the reason I have resurrected this thread from the dead is because word just came out that Dishonored sold a face-butt load of copies and they're making a sequel. Let the weird speculation recommence! http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/11/28/dishonored-sold-an-awful-lot-of-copies-franchise-born/

According to Steam I've only played 99 minutes of Far Cry 2, when I know I have over 30 hours of playtime. I was dangerously close to collecting all whatever the little hidden nuggets were. Diamond caches? Steam is hiding something from us.

I feel like I answered your questions, but to be succinct: not everything has to be important, which I agreed with. However, if you present something as a major subplot and it ends as a zero-sum endeavor where its inclusion means nothing and changes nothing, then it wasn't really a major subplot was it? I also agreed with you that the concept is not flawed. Its presentation and execution is flawed in large ways. It's fine that you were entertained by a man who was amused by the insects in his world, but there's no player agency in it. I think if you had moved the Outsider's introduction to when you were still in prison (before your entire story was completely locked in place) that would eliminate most of my qualms with it. The acting and animation would still be cruddy though. I guess contrast The Outsider, a man who likes to prod people randomly to see what happens, with the Daedric Princes' quests from Skyrim, a group who like to prod people randomly to see what happens. They do mischief right.