mikemariano

Gone Home from The Fullbright Company

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It doesn't address the financial aspect much, but http://www.quartertothree.com/fp/2013/08/21/qt3-games-podcast-gone-homecast-with-developer-steve-gaynor/

 

 

This is the part of the backlash that mystifies me. Fine, some people won't be interested in or won't like Gone Home. Some people won't feel the price is justified. But who the hell looks at the store page - which clearly says it's purely exploratory - and then bitches about the "lack of gameplay". And how do you buy the game without looking at the store page? My mind boggles.

There are a million ways to do "purely exploratory" gameplay that still use traditional mechanics to a great deal. For example, if you crafted a huge world that could be conquered through free-running or Crackdown-style superpowers, you could still classify it as "purely exploratory" if the only purpose was to explore the world and discover its secrets.

 

That said, I agree with everything else in your post! My response isn't even really contradicting you. Just musing to the nth degree. But, anyway, people are dumb; what're you gonna do?

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There are a million ways to do "purely exploratory" gameplay that still use traditional mechanics to a great deal. For example, if you crafted a huge world that could be conquered through free-running or Crackdown-style superpowers, you could still classify it as "purely exploratory" if the only purpose was to explore the world and discover its secrets.

 

That said, I agree with everything else in your post! My response isn't even really contradicting you. Just musing to the nth degree. But, anyway, people are dumb; what're you gonna do?

 

While that's true, I think the Steam store page (and I assume other places that Gone Home is sold) make it very clear what you'll be doing and that there's no combat or puzzles.

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While that's true, I think the Steam store page (and I assume other places that Gone Home is sold) make it very clear what you'll be doing and that there's no combat or puzzles.

Yeah! I agree with everything else in your post! My response isn't even really contradicting you. Just musing to the nth degree. But, anyway, people are dumb; what're you gonna do?

 

U; U; u; u; U;

 

I don't get that video at all Tycho. I guess it makes things creepier?

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I don't get that video at all Tycho. I guess it makes things creepier?

You need to play System Shock and System Shock 2, the two games that pretty much started the Gone Home genre (although Strife beat them to the punch I would say). System Shock is the reason the combination for the filing cabinet in the dad's office is what it is, for instance.

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This is mildly related to the topic, but I decided to craft the Gone Home Steam badge and got a Euro Trucking Simulator 2 discount, which I found amusing as an Idle Thumbs fan. 

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Ha. I've been reading the #gonehome hashtag on Twitter and seeing some similar stuff. CliffyB's sister wife is complaining about mouse acceleration.

 

I find it quite amusing that Cliff's wife, of all people, is complaining about unchecking a box for mouse acceleration when I've had to do fiddly .ini tweaks to fix the very same thing on every single Unreal Engine game I've played in the last couple years.

 

My favorite details so far have been the inclusion of Red Dwarf in the television listings, and what I hope is further obscure reference to X-Files in the "Red Right Hand" hair dye.

 

Also: https://twitter.com/GoneHomeGame/status/369743197913624576/photo/1

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My favorite details so far have been the inclusion of Red Dwarf in the television listings, and what I hope is further obscure reference to X-Files in the "Red Right Hand" hair dye.

 

I thought that was a Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds reference.

 

 

Edit: Oh, nevermind.

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You need to play System Shock and System Shock 2, the two games that pretty much started the Gone Home genre (although Strife beat them to the punch I would say). System Shock is the reason the combination for the filing cabinet in the dad's office is what it is, for instance.

Oh. Video game references. Got it.

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My favorite details so far have been the inclusion of Red Dwarf in the television listings, and what I hope is further obscure reference to X-Files in the "Red Right Hand" hair dye.

 

I thought it was weird that Red Dwarf aired on the same channel as, like, Diagnosis Murder or something. Maybe it was different in other parts of the country, but I've only ever seen Red Dwarf on PBS, never a network affiliate.

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That tattoo is incredible. 

 

I saw somebody tweeted at Steve about DLC, and he answered noncommittally. I hope he was just being amicable, as I feel like any more information would dispel some of the magic. Though, I think you could do something great with Daniel's story.  

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That tattoo is incredible. 

 

I saw somebody tweeted at Steve about DLC, and he answered noncommittally. I hope he was just being amicable, as I feel like any more information would dispel some of the magic. Though, I think you could do something great with Daniel's story.  

The DLC would obviously be Sam sneaking back home one day, and finding notes her sister left in response to hers, before mysteriously disappearing.

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About? I'm confused, now. I believe him!

 

Tycho's right that you should play the System Shock games (especially 2!)

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I respectfully disagree, but I also think it would be very difficult to play System Shock 1 nowadays for a variety of reasons.

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Oh, that. Well... maybe I should, but I probably never will. Old games are hard to get into with their archaic interfaces and whatnot, and new games that I want to play come out every day.

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I respectfully disagree, but I also think it would be very difficult to play System Shock 1 nowadays for a variety of reasons.

I played SS1 a few months ago and it worked fine.

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Oh, that. Well... maybe I should, but I probably never will. Old games are hard to get into with their archaic interfaces and whatnot, and new games that I want to play come out every day.

 

That is part of why I was saying playing the original System Shock might not be such a great idea regardless of which game is "better". System Shock 2 is a little archaic too, but I think it has an interface that is more in line with where games are today.

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I played SS1 a few months ago and it worked fine.

All games "work" (okay some games don't work, because they're buggy or were bad to begin with, but that's not what I mean). Doesn't make 'em pleasant or preferable. Old games are old. Some people have a tolerance for that, but I don't, and I have no desire to force myself through an old game when a new game more in line with what I like in terms of controls or interface is going to come out tomorrow or just came out yesterday. Sure, I might be missing out on some gems, but I'm never going to play all the games I want to play, as it is.

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