9 réponses à ce sujet

[daaaav]

Bioware essentially invented the Modern RPG through games like Baldurs Gate and KOTOR and continues to find success using the same formula in Mass Effect and Dragon Age. What I would say is the core experience of a Bioware game is party dynamics and intercharacter relationships. Unfortunately, it is easy to see that the only thing that has really changed since Baldurs gate and Dragon Age Origins is the "prettiness" of the combat. Very little has changed in the nature of how characters interact with each other. 

I almost hate to use The Witcher as an example but love it or hate it, I believe that CD Projekt is a prime example of game evolution and innovation. The differences between The Witcher 1 and 2 are emphatic in terms of how they managed to take a strong narrative in the Witcher 1 and deliver truly branching story lines in Witcher 2 along with a complete combat overhaul. Now, CD Projekt appear to be going big with the Witcher 3 by attempting to integrate an Elder Scrolls size world with strong characterisation and intricate hand crafted story telling (will they succeed? Only time will tell). They are also divorcing character development from combat by awarding no experience for killing which instead becomes an essential activity in terms of characterisation. The player is a monster hunter by trade, not some vampiric entity who needs to consume souls to "get stronger". Edit: I am not saying that Bioware games should be like CD Projekt games only that Bioware should keep building on their strengths and not simply deliver the same game with updated graphics and combat mechanics. 

As a fan of both franchises I am looking forward to what the future will hold, but I truly believe that for Dragon Age to be successful, it needs to drive the RPG genre forward and not merely update graphics and combat mechanics with new technology.

Any ideas?

Modifié par daaaav, 19 mars 2013 - 01:14 .

[Allan Schumacher]

"Niche market" is apparently a swear word in AAA development these days.

This is probably more true than you realize.

Go suggest to fans of a reasonably large kickstarter and suggest that they are just a niche.

[Allan Schumacher]

Touche.

But, to be fair, I think the reason Kickstarter fans would be angry at this is because the industry has responded to demands of the niche market with nearly dismissive attitudes.

I refer to them as niche because I feel that they are. I think it sucks when niches aren't considered because it isn't economically viable, which is why I love things like digital distribution and even movements like Kickstarter.

The barrier of entry in appealing to a niche is much lower now. This is a good thing.

People equate niche to irrelevant. I don't believe that a niche is irrelevant, but it's considered a pejorative for sure.

[Allan Schumacher]

I couldn't agree more. And I think niche will soon become a badge of honor thing again. "I play a game that involves permadeath and five party member creation with full customization. You've probably never heard of it. It's called Grimoire."

Eh, I'd prefer it to just be niche. I'm not a fan of any sort of "hipster" type badge of honor, because quite frankly I am very tired of the exceptional amount of adversarial positions between gamers on the internet. The last thing I want to see is people talking down to others because Project Eternity ends up becoming a huge hit and anyone feeling as though they are better simply because they backed it.

Like a game that I don't care for? That's awesome I'm glad it was able to be produced for you to enjoy. I think this strengthens gaming as a whole!

I'd like my niche games to be nothing more than niche. "I play a game that involves permadeth and five party member creation with full customization. It's called Grimoire" is preferred.

[Allan Schumacher]

This is almost certainly going to happen. I've seen the start of it already. "Oh, you like Mass Effect? That's not an RPG. I play real RPGs like Project Eternity" etc.

Oh I know. Lets try not letting it get us down and to keep paying it forward that it's okay for people to like different things!

[Allan Schumacher]

I think it's fair for someone to feel proud for backing/supporting anything they are interested in, be it niche or otherwise

[Allan Schumacher]

Noted. My gaming time is a bit limited (I mostly just sneak on for a bit of Sim City here and there lately), but I trust your recommendation.

[Allan Schumacher]

At least you didn't call me Allen! Hahaha

[Allan Schumacher]

Launch issues aside, it's been fun to play with some friends and family (I also got it for free ). Usually when something comical happens:

"Thanks for selling me that power."
/nextday
"WTF my buildings have no power now!?"
"Whoops sorry. I am using it all now and forgot you were buying it off me"
/FFFUUUUU


This is off topic now though, and I am totally PMing myself a warning.

[Allan Schumacher]

Bioware doesn't have the same excuse. Outside of ME3, which I personally think was an ambitious game, most of their games are pretty straightforward and linear in their approach. The "turn everything into a hallway" level design is horrible and I hate it. That said, I haven't run into that many game-breaking bugs in Bioware games. Most of it is just animations not working correctly and clipping. But I think those problems are mainly because they're sloppy and need to refine their dev cycle.

Put so nicely! :innocent:  It is true, though, that a gamebreaking bug is the type of thing that, if found, tends to block release, whereas stuff like animations and clipping are certainly easier to let out into the wild.

As linear as a game like ME3 may be compared to Skyrim, and as a QA member for an RPG studio, it's actually still quite a bit different than a more genuinely linear game (like a modern shooter or platformer).  Sometimes the most innocuous things can break simply because things are done in a different order, let alone a lot of the systems in place for reactivity and so forth.

It becomes more difficult to simply outsource the QA which a lot of games are able to do.