Proteus

[youmeyou]

Dear Esther got tons of negative reaction and was still successful. (http://www.pcgamer.c...00-in-one-week/)

I wouldn't necessarily be too concerned about raging gamerbros complaining about lack of interactivity. They're standing in the way of a tidal wave struggling futilely to keep their shitty shooter sandle castles intact.

[MrHoatzin]

if any of you like me bought early access to the beta you get a free steam code on the page link in your order confirmation email.

Ah, thanks, there doesn't seem to be a way to get to that page from one's Humble profile section.

[Noyb]

Played this for the first time last week. Simply magical!

I'm so tempted to go the forums and tell everybody to ignore those who haven't played the game... Would it be suck a bad idea to make that post and actually ignore those hating on the game? This Fireflow has been posting NON-STOP!

I'd be wary of the Kotaku comment effect, where troll comments that get a ton of rebuttals float up to the top as popular discussions, but the system only shows the original troll comment unless you explicitly click to view the thread.

[42manZ]

What I've played of this game so far has been pretty fantastic.

[youmeyou]

This game is phenomenal. I'm feeling Journey levels of emotions playing this thing. Holy crap, everyone play this.

[Tanukitsune]

Played this for the first time last week. Simply magical!

I'd be wary of the Kotaku comment effect, where troll comments that get a ton of rebuttals float up to the top as popular discussions, but the system only shows the original troll comment unless you explicitly click to view the thread.

Actually this was on Steam, I tend to ignore Kotaku's existence as much as I can and scary part is my thread might have actually worked (Or maybe the haters just go tired) because the hateful posts are no longer on front page of it's forum and the haters and nobody really attacked the thread with much hate since I was also pointing out how both side were being jerks. There was one hilarious post from an alleged game designer who claims he's quitting his job since he can two of these games a month and we are "easy targets" so he'll be rich.

This is not how the Internet works... It's kinda worrying in a strange way.

[Gormongous]

I found the settings file in My Documents and was thrilled to see this line

DayLength 15 # Day Length in subjective minutes # Recommended: 15.

I'm thinking of doubling day length, because I have trouble crossing the island during daylight in the time I'm given. But I'm weirdly hesitant to fuck with the particulars of the game experience.

You can also hide the time-advancing pixie circle, I can't even imagine how that would play out.

[juv3nal]

So this pretty rad. I was surprised that

there's an ending of sorts

protip: the help says f9 takes a snapshot or something which I originally took to mean a screenshot, but it's actually a saved game allowing you to return to a particular time of day/season/island if you like.

[Tundra]

Ah, thanks, there doesn't seem to be a way to get to that page from one's Humble profile section.

scroll down and click on the "Humble key resender" written in bold, link.

http://www.visitproteus.com/news/

[Murdoc]

I can't help but thing there is a larger "game" here that I can't figure out, but I really enjoyed the ride. Super cute world, had a great experience through my first play last night. Going to try for a second today.

I'm sure everyone can relate certain parts of it to their life, but I really got nostalgic in certain areas/parts of my cildhood when I'd go exploring with no one around on the prairies or gold courses during winter,it really captured the feeling and sounds really well.

Super cool thing, Im hoping someone figures out if there is in fact something more to it, because theres some "clues" to say there is and even if there isn't, totally a pleasurable ride that's worth the price.

[youmeyou]

I know exactly what you mean when you say there is a larger mystery afoot in the game. That it feels this way is almost enough for me. I spent a good portion of Proteus with the hairs standing up on the back of my neck triggered by sensations of being watched.

And

When I spotted the fox peering out at me from behind a tree I audibly gasped

That kind of feeling of something living inside a jumble of code is rather unique, and quite an accomplishment. It reminds me of how Lost writer Damien Lindleof describes his process of writing characters: he gives them deep back-stories that never surface in the plot but make the characters feel real in his mind and allows him to write better lines.

Whether or not there is more to Proteus than the contextual clues it sprinkles accross its surface, it's an infinitely stronger game simply for alluding to that depth. From the dev's blog:

Proteus doesn’t have or even aspire to the same systemic complexity as SimCity, but it does have systems. It’s just 95% optional whether you engage with them and it generally doesn’t give you any confirmation when you do. There’s a design reason for this.

[SecretAsianMan]

Developer's thoughts on "What is game" (or as he puts it, "What are game")

[Erkki]

I beat the game in 41 minutes, therefore it is sport. According to my Steam stats, which are often wrong.

[Tanukitsune]

I don't know if the Tale of Tales guy were joking, but... they just said they released their game "Bientôt l'été" just to get the art game haters off the Proteus guy's back. But seeing that this game existed for MONTHS, doesn't have any special Steam features or anything. I think they might have done it for that reason, at least partially?

Obviously, the forums are now filled the exact kind of comments Proteus did.

PS: Americans keep pronouncing it similar to "Parodius" and I keep thinking I finally met another Parodius fan. :|

[MrHoatzin]

Such a gorgeous game! For those having a hard time figuring it out, I would suggest helping the experience along with something that would mellow you out, amplify your visual awareness, shift your lateral thinking knob to random mode, etc…

I think that people's problem with Proteus and these kinds of games in general (and the reason for all this semantic bloviating re what is game) is that they know how to interact with (what they consider) games and Proteus is a kind of subtle experience that is murdered by the kind of inflexible preconceived notions gamers are awash in.

It is a problem of education, but it is also a question that we reeeeaaaaallly shouldn't waste too much breath on since people with objections are so patently wrong that they don't deserve to be humoured; every one of these games (or un-games or anti-games or whatever the detractors insist on calling them) that makes it, proves them wrong and evolves the popular perception of what games can be.

[owenjones]

I wasn't going to buy this, I played the beta back in the day. Thought it was a cool experience, enjoyed my time with it; just wasn't super interested in seeing it again. Also if I'm remembering correctly the beta was not procedurally generated each time but just the same landmass.

Then I learned today on the cast that there was a cadre of haters disparaging it because it's the anti-game apparently. Proteus you are so purchased!

[elmuerte]

Bought it yesterday, and spend about an hour in it. First play was a short one because I needed dinner. Second playthrough was complete.

I understand it's more or less the same experience every time you play it? That's a real shame, I would have liked more exploring and more variation in the experience.

[shammack]

I think the island layout is procedurally generated, but it's always made up of the same components. There are a few hidden easter egg sort of things that you may not have seen, though.

[Roderick]

I start by looking at an ocean and white waves beating rhythmically. What is this magnificent world that drops me into the sea as a first introduction? Turning around, the outlines of an island appear. I seem to be floating on the water, but still I prefer solid ground underneath my feet. With a vague sense of inertia I hover to land. There an autumnal kingdom of shedding trees awaits me, in all the colors of the rainbow – if this rainbow were limited to a range of orange-to-purple. It's gorgeous.

 

I can do nothing. Nothing but appreciate the beauty of this world. I walk around with a deliberate pace and notice a shape on a mountain that is not a tree. Investigations start. Scaling a cliff is no harder a task than sliding down a beach here. This world is so unreal, and yet soothing. The object up close transpires to be a trunk-like tower, and as I approach it a sound builds up. So that is another property of this world.

 

Night falls and I am introduced to a grand spectacle. As stars pierce through the darkness, a comet crashes down and the landscape fills with fluttering lights. Delighted, I skip down, mouth agape, following the dancing will-o'-wisps. Then, amidst the falling leaves, a circle of light zooms before me. I step into it and am transported two seasons beyond.

 

It is spring. The world is bright green, yellow, blue and red. Before me hops a legion of weird pollen, each making a sound at their peak. Flowers bop on the airy tune. Insects buzz. My heart buzzes along. I dash out into the landscape, fleeing not into the cabin I come across, since staying indoors would be a disservice to this land that begs to be explored and witnessed in full. Before long, however, the lively circus of spring turns into a Fantasia-like nightmare. Nothing is quiet, nothing soothing. It drives me to madness and fright. Again, the moon rises and I am fortunate to relocate the mysterious portal of lights. Autumn suits me better.

 

My third night in this world is one I intend to stay where I am. No more skipping of time for me. I head out into the wilderness. It is dark. Clouds form above me, rain descends, but I don't care. I enjoy the sanctity and loneliness of this place.

 

I enjoy it, and then an unannounced gulf of light appears. A searing shine that chases away the dark. What charm is this? I turn around and see a wolf's head behind a tree. It's great and white and before I can reach it, the thing has vanished. Then, I witness the world ash. A giant surrounded by its lesser peers. It sings and I'm positive it's the source of the luminescence. Out from the foliage an owl peers at me and escapes into the night. Another wolf. I feel secure here, this is a place of great import.

 

But all things must end, and I head outside the tree's mighty grasp. Lightlessness falls on me again like a welcoming cloak. After a short trek, an orange sun peeps over the ocean's brink. Rain clouds fom above me and to circumvent their plodding drops, I flee up a mountain. There stands a single proud tree. Together with it, I look down upon the storm, the one that has no grasp on me. It's time to go, to return to a world of mundane rules and predictable circumstances. I will return to this wonderful land.

[Nachimir]

 

Some developers I know are working on an oculus rift version. Dying to try it.

[mikemariano]

Because I am a gamified slave to Valve, I had to start a Steam game in Big Picture Mode using a controller this Sunday night.  To do this, I finally installed Proteus after buying it months earlier.

 

I played for about ten minutes, the sun set, and I stared at the stars, slack-jawed.  This game is an amazing experience when you're half-asleep.  But realizing I was half-asleep meant I turned the game off to actually pass out.

 

Anyway, back to dull, gamified nonsense.  Please be my Steam friend! michaeljmariano

[ihavefivehat]

This game is fantastic.. I get the urge to go back and play it every so often and I appreciate it a little bit more every time.