But first I have to apologize for the horrible Kanye West reference. Sorry.
Anyway, I wanted to talk a bit about the conversation interrupts in Mass Effect 2.
I love these things. I think they are fantastic. They feel immediate, visceral, and allow the player to feel like they can have an impact on the conversation. They are not Quick Time Events because they are entirely optional. They irrovocably change the conversation, sometimes for the better or worse of the player. The presence of these is the main reason I want to replay ME2 at least a couple more times. Every time I activate one, or choose not to, I feel like I'm directing the conversation, even more than picking a dialog path.
For the unfamiliar, here's a short description. As you are in conversation (or during other scripted sections) an icon may appear at the bottom corner of the screen. Paragon interrupts appear on the left, Renegade on the right. Pull the matching trigger button (on the console, not sure what the matching action on the PC is) to interrupt. If you wait, then life will go on as before. Sometimes only one option is available, other times both are (though not always simultaneously). These pop up all over the place, and have a wide variety of effects. Bioware has used them generously and they feel like an essential part of many conversations.
For example, the first time you meet the Salarian scientist, Mordin Solus, he begins this wonderful, breathless tirade. There are two interrupts during that first line (which runs on for quite a while), one Renegade and one Paragon. Interrupting him gets you into the real conversation much faster. I think. I couldn't bring myself to do either. I wanted to hear the whole thing, uniterrupted. But I also want to see how that conversation changes. I know that it won't really change anything right there, but the writing (and voice acting) is so wonderful that hearing all the options will be fun.
And sometimes the interrupts have real effects. You can save people, or kill them. There are all sorts of real in-game consequences that come from your conversational choices, and the interrputs add another chance (and a more active way) to make these choices and have them mean something to the player. It also plays into the larger Paragon/Renegade game of the conversation system. Now you have extra options to do good or bad, but at the cost of changing the nature of the conversation or derailing other options.
Of all of the improvements made in ME2, this is my favourite.
* Fun fact: Bioware had played with this idea for the first Mass Effect, going so far as to show it off some in development videos. It never made it into the first game due to technical issues and not being able to get the feeling of it right. I'm glad they worked it out. They sure got it to feel right.
Showing posts with label BioWare. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BioWare. Show all posts
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Maxwell Shepard is Dead
I've now had a little over 4 hours with Mass Effect 2 and I think I can reliably say this about it: Bioware is worthy of all the praise and acclaim they will certainly receive from reviewers and fans in the next while. ME2 is glorious. The story grips from the onset, gives you control, and the galaxy is far more alive than it was in ME1. I could probably gush about it for a several paragraphs talking about graphics, combat, interactive conversations, "Wow!" moments, and everything else. And that's just in the first couple of missions and some exploration of Omega Station. Perhaps in another post, after some of the glare has dimmed and I can clearly see again.
I will say that my only real complaint is the same one I have with 90% of modern gaming: I can't see it properly on my Standard Definition TV. This is less to do with the game and more to do with the unwritten convention that Next Gen Gamers all own HDTVs. An option to print your text at twice the size would make most of the games available right now that much easier to play. But I'm digressing again. I wanted to talk about a (minor) disappointment and a missed opportunity.
A Tale of Loss
I bought my first Xbox 360 a little over a year ago; partly because I'd been wanting one for a while (to play Mass Effect on), and partly because the Boxing Day sale was just too good to pass up. I never regretted it. ME1 was one of the first games bought. It took me a while to finally get into it and through it, but I managed. I struggled and fought against the Geth and the Reapers and I (Maxwell Shepard) prevailed. I was a Spacer, a War Hero, a Spectre, a Paragon, a Savior of Humanity, and Champion of the Galaxy.
And then I was robbed; my Xbox taken. Insurance replace the stolen hardware, but Maxwell Sheppard was lost.
Which means that I can't take advantage of the much touted character import feature in ME2. I can start a new character in ME1 and replay the game, trying to make the same decisions I made the first time, and then import it. I might. After I finish playing my Renegade run. But that either means I have to wait (as much as a month or more depending on how much I play), or start a new character to play ME2 now. This is a disappointing set of options, because I felt attached to Maxwell.
And I wonder if Bioware couldn't have made a way for me to resurrect my lost character.
A Post Unfinished
I have a post sitting in draft format talking about how Dragon Age: Origins allows players the freedom to imagine their characters' motivations and personalities. I really should finish it, because I believe that the principles of that are the foundation to allowing players the agency to tell their own stories within a larger narrative. It all boils down to the Improv principle of "Yes, and".
In improv you are taught to never say "No" to an idea. No is a blocking word; it kills a scene by denying the input of the other actors and forcing them to guess or do only what you want. It wrests control away from people and shutters creativity. Instead, you are taught to accept the idea and build upon it. Yes, we are eating raw snails, and we only have these very long sticks to do it with.
In the same way games can proffer an idea and allow the player to add to it via gameplay input. Bioware did this in Dragon Age by giving you dialog choices that let you complain or elate about situations. Your character was then built up in your own mind by how you chose to react. Then the game would build again by responding to your choice and providing you more. In one origin story you are a City Elf about to get married. The marriage is an arranged one and you can be happy about it or sour. Your choices during the whole arc could tell a tale about how you dreaded the day, but were won over when you met your mate to be; only to see them killed and be on the run from the law soon after. Or it could be something else entirely.
The point is that Bioware has realized that your choices in dialog not only act as switches for the dialog tree, but also as input about how your character acts, who he is, and how you see them. And they can be used to collect all sorts of information.
Here There Be Spoilers
In a game that starts of with your death and resurrection, ME2 does nothing to try and ascertain your past. The game opens with the destruction of your ship, the Normandy, and your death in the cold harsh emptiness of space. Then you are painstakingly recovered and rejuvenated. If you start fresh it is only at this point, after the semi-interactive intro movie (read: movement tutorial), that you get to select your looks, origin, and class. However, by this point at least one major plot choice from ME1 has already been made for you.
As Maxwell Shepard, I romanced Liara T'Soni (the Asari), and subsequently felt a distance between me and Ashley Williams (the other possible romantic option). Later, I was forced to choose which of my Alliance crew members would sacrifice themselves. In a weak moment, I let Ashley die to save Kaiden Alenko. We had parted ways and I couldn't bring myself to save her. It was my choice, but not the default choice as a Male Shepard starting fresh in ME2. Ashley is a alive and well, and from the couple of line of dialog it seemed that she and Shepard were close. This is a universe where Maxwell Shepard could not exist without being imported.
Why not let me choose who lived? Instead of choosing for me, hide the face and let me address the character by name before showing them. Then the choice I made in dialog (Ashley or Kaiden) could inform the game about who I saved and who I sacrificed. The player could be allowed to inform all (or a lot) of the major plot decisions from ME1 by providing them (subtle) choices via dialog or other means. Some of them could be while talking with other crew members about past exploits. Maybe some could be choices offered when reviewing old reports. There are lots of ways that the game could have gathered the information about me (with me hardly even knowing) that would allow a veteran player to craft his character (or ever rebuild one) and yet allow a novice character to simply experience the story and the backstory more fully. An imported character wouldn't have to jump through the same hoops and might get slightly different dialog, skipping lines or allowing characters to have more dramatic entrances.
The Pitch
If anyone at Bioware thinks that this is a particularly good idea, then please use it. Or you could hire me and I'll do everything in my power to help you work it into ME3. Let the player build their character, not only visually or in the game world, but in their own minds. Allow them to graft intention and meaning onto actions, and then glean that information back into the world of the game. This can transform a simple narrative delivery system into an engaging, creative, and participatory experience.
I will say that my only real complaint is the same one I have with 90% of modern gaming: I can't see it properly on my Standard Definition TV. This is less to do with the game and more to do with the unwritten convention that Next Gen Gamers all own HDTVs. An option to print your text at twice the size would make most of the games available right now that much easier to play. But I'm digressing again. I wanted to talk about a (minor) disappointment and a missed opportunity.
A Tale of Loss
I bought my first Xbox 360 a little over a year ago; partly because I'd been wanting one for a while (to play Mass Effect on), and partly because the Boxing Day sale was just too good to pass up. I never regretted it. ME1 was one of the first games bought. It took me a while to finally get into it and through it, but I managed. I struggled and fought against the Geth and the Reapers and I (Maxwell Shepard) prevailed. I was a Spacer, a War Hero, a Spectre, a Paragon, a Savior of Humanity, and Champion of the Galaxy.
And then I was robbed; my Xbox taken. Insurance replace the stolen hardware, but Maxwell Sheppard was lost.
Which means that I can't take advantage of the much touted character import feature in ME2. I can start a new character in ME1 and replay the game, trying to make the same decisions I made the first time, and then import it. I might. After I finish playing my Renegade run. But that either means I have to wait (as much as a month or more depending on how much I play), or start a new character to play ME2 now. This is a disappointing set of options, because I felt attached to Maxwell.
And I wonder if Bioware couldn't have made a way for me to resurrect my lost character.
A Post Unfinished
I have a post sitting in draft format talking about how Dragon Age: Origins allows players the freedom to imagine their characters' motivations and personalities. I really should finish it, because I believe that the principles of that are the foundation to allowing players the agency to tell their own stories within a larger narrative. It all boils down to the Improv principle of "Yes, and".
In improv you are taught to never say "No" to an idea. No is a blocking word; it kills a scene by denying the input of the other actors and forcing them to guess or do only what you want. It wrests control away from people and shutters creativity. Instead, you are taught to accept the idea and build upon it. Yes, we are eating raw snails, and we only have these very long sticks to do it with.
In the same way games can proffer an idea and allow the player to add to it via gameplay input. Bioware did this in Dragon Age by giving you dialog choices that let you complain or elate about situations. Your character was then built up in your own mind by how you chose to react. Then the game would build again by responding to your choice and providing you more. In one origin story you are a City Elf about to get married. The marriage is an arranged one and you can be happy about it or sour. Your choices during the whole arc could tell a tale about how you dreaded the day, but were won over when you met your mate to be; only to see them killed and be on the run from the law soon after. Or it could be something else entirely.
The point is that Bioware has realized that your choices in dialog not only act as switches for the dialog tree, but also as input about how your character acts, who he is, and how you see them. And they can be used to collect all sorts of information.
Here There Be Spoilers
In a game that starts of with your death and resurrection, ME2 does nothing to try and ascertain your past. The game opens with the destruction of your ship, the Normandy, and your death in the cold harsh emptiness of space. Then you are painstakingly recovered and rejuvenated. If you start fresh it is only at this point, after the semi-interactive intro movie (read: movement tutorial), that you get to select your looks, origin, and class. However, by this point at least one major plot choice from ME1 has already been made for you.
As Maxwell Shepard, I romanced Liara T'Soni (the Asari), and subsequently felt a distance between me and Ashley Williams (the other possible romantic option). Later, I was forced to choose which of my Alliance crew members would sacrifice themselves. In a weak moment, I let Ashley die to save Kaiden Alenko. We had parted ways and I couldn't bring myself to save her. It was my choice, but not the default choice as a Male Shepard starting fresh in ME2. Ashley is a alive and well, and from the couple of line of dialog it seemed that she and Shepard were close. This is a universe where Maxwell Shepard could not exist without being imported.
Why not let me choose who lived? Instead of choosing for me, hide the face and let me address the character by name before showing them. Then the choice I made in dialog (Ashley or Kaiden) could inform the game about who I saved and who I sacrificed. The player could be allowed to inform all (or a lot) of the major plot decisions from ME1 by providing them (subtle) choices via dialog or other means. Some of them could be while talking with other crew members about past exploits. Maybe some could be choices offered when reviewing old reports. There are lots of ways that the game could have gathered the information about me (with me hardly even knowing) that would allow a veteran player to craft his character (or ever rebuild one) and yet allow a novice character to simply experience the story and the backstory more fully. An imported character wouldn't have to jump through the same hoops and might get slightly different dialog, skipping lines or allowing characters to have more dramatic entrances.
The Pitch
If anyone at Bioware thinks that this is a particularly good idea, then please use it. Or you could hire me and I'll do everything in my power to help you work it into ME3. Let the player build their character, not only visually or in the game world, but in their own minds. Allow them to graft intention and meaning onto actions, and then glean that information back into the world of the game. This can transform a simple narrative delivery system into an engaging, creative, and participatory experience.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Space is Disease and Danger Wrapped in Darkness and Silence
Space, so I've been told, is a bleak and depressing place. There is a lot of nothing, and when you do find something (anything) it tends to be harsh, inhospitable, and dangerous.
Which is probably why exploring planets (the main activity of side missions in Mass Effect) is so bloody boring.
Warning! (Boring) Spoilers Ahead.
Just about every side mission has the following attributes:
If you happen to land on a planet you will always find at least one of each:
Docking with a ship reveals that all space-faring vehicles not your own were purchased from Bob's Discount Freighters. They have been loaded to well under capacity with large crates by a union of psychologists running human-sized rat maze experiments. The subjects of said experiments will be hiding behind the first corner. You will have to shoot them as they swarm you.
In fact, most of the other locations you visit will be stocked with similar detritus (box- and human-shaped).
Any terrain you are dropped into the middle of is guaranteed to be barren, dusty, extremely hilly, and difficult to navigate with a tiny radar display that has no topography information. Yes, the main map does have topography, but it's at least 3 clicks away, and then you have to zoom and pan to figure out which tiny dot is you and which is the next interesting thing you want to drive towards.
The planetary lighting does change, and on occasion you get some interesting and lovely sky effects. Which you will be able to enjoy for the next 5-10 minutes as you will be dropped on the other side of a large tench or mountain range from your destination. Going outside of the arbitrary mission zone will see you picked up and dropped back where you started. Yes, your pilot hates you. He can drop you on a dime, he just won't.
Mass Effect wants very much to be a cinematic game but every time I wandered away from the spine of the story I found myself faced with boring, repetative, and lack-luster side missions on generic and boring worlds. The goal was obviously to create an open and developed galaxy with many posibilities of exploration and exposition. All I want to do is stay wherever civilization has managed to huddle for warmth against the cold galactic night. Everywhere else is a pre-fab carbon copy world of bleak despair.
Which is probably why exploring planets (the main activity of side missions in Mass Effect) is so bloody boring.
Warning! (Boring) Spoilers Ahead.
Just about every side mission has the following attributes:
- (optional) Find a piece of Intel about a possible mission in a location (sector/system/planet).
- Arrive at location (by random chance or by design) and get a voice communication about the problem that updates your journal with the actual mission.
- Search the system.
- Find the one place you can land. There is only ever one. It is usually a planet. Sometimes it is an impossible to find moon. It may also be a generic freight ship. The rest of the system may or may not have interesting descriptions or collection quest items.
- Land on planet (or dock with space ship).
- (optional) Shoot some stuff from your inter-galactic space rover (only applies to planets).
- Shoot some stuff as it runs at you.
- (optional) Talk, get some exposition, try to reason with the madmen who are shooting at you.
- (optional) Shoot some more stuff.
- Get XP.
If you happen to land on a planet you will always find at least one of each:
- Debris
- Anomaly
- Hidden minerals
- Objective
Docking with a ship reveals that all space-faring vehicles not your own were purchased from Bob's Discount Freighters. They have been loaded to well under capacity with large crates by a union of psychologists running human-sized rat maze experiments. The subjects of said experiments will be hiding behind the first corner. You will have to shoot them as they swarm you.
In fact, most of the other locations you visit will be stocked with similar detritus (box- and human-shaped).
Any terrain you are dropped into the middle of is guaranteed to be barren, dusty, extremely hilly, and difficult to navigate with a tiny radar display that has no topography information. Yes, the main map does have topography, but it's at least 3 clicks away, and then you have to zoom and pan to figure out which tiny dot is you and which is the next interesting thing you want to drive towards.
The planetary lighting does change, and on occasion you get some interesting and lovely sky effects. Which you will be able to enjoy for the next 5-10 minutes as you will be dropped on the other side of a large tench or mountain range from your destination. Going outside of the arbitrary mission zone will see you picked up and dropped back where you started. Yes, your pilot hates you. He can drop you on a dime, he just won't.
Mass Effect wants very much to be a cinematic game but every time I wandered away from the spine of the story I found myself faced with boring, repetative, and lack-luster side missions on generic and boring worlds. The goal was obviously to create an open and developed galaxy with many posibilities of exploration and exposition. All I want to do is stay wherever civilization has managed to huddle for warmth against the cold galactic night. Everywhere else is a pre-fab carbon copy world of bleak despair.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
The Many Lives of Commander Shepard
I mentioned in my last post that I recently finished my first play through of Mass Effect. I managed to cover a lot of the content, side missions, exposition, and general tooling around that the game provides. Yet I still hope to play it again. Twice if I can manage.
There's a small problem with many epic-sized games, specifically with the Western-style RPGs: multiple paths through the narrative elements in the game require multiple play-throughs to experience.
Well, sort of. Not really.
The main story arc tends to remain untouched. But choosing good or evil has certain repercussions on sub missions and specific dialog options. There are also multiple romantic story arcs to follow (at least in BioWare games). Trying to keep it all straight tends to get confusing. Epic RPGs used to be simpler. Or maybe it was just JRPGs.
I could re-play Final Fantasy VII today and still get all of the narrative and expositional bits that I got almost a decade ago when I first played it. There are no real choices in that game. The narrative drags you from location to location and feeds you information while you smack monsters of increasing difficulty with swords. It's very linear. And as such only needs you to play it once to get it all.
Not so with many newer games which bombard you with all sorts of shallow (and narratively meaningless choices) that affect how you play and which parts of the dialog trees you venture into. Boy or Girl?Good Nice or Evil Mean? Love Interest A or B? Who will be your faithful companions through the game? Small choices that mean you only get to see half (or less) of the results each time you play.
This first trip through the world of Mass Effect I played a male Shepard on the Paragon path, and chose Liara T'Soni (the hot blue alien) for the romantic sub-plot.
Next time I want to run the game as a male Shepard on the Renegade path, and follow the Ashley Williams (the hot space marine) romantic sub-plot.
A third play would see me as a female Shepard trying to balance Paragon and Renegade while persuing whatever romance seems most interesting at the time.
At 30+ hours per play, that's a lot of time for a single game. I suppose that makes for a good marketing bullet point.
And having these choices makes the game feel epic. You have to choose, and then you have to live with your choices for the rest of the time you play. Shallow as the options tend to be, they are still choices that you are forced to make that have lasting effect on how you experience the game world. You've invested so much time that restarting to alter a choice becomes daunting, and the idea of managing all the possible branches at once is mind-boggling.
These small choices force you to choose, and that makes for a good story. At least for me, because part of me wonders how it could have turned out differently. Good thing I can find out, given enough time.
There's a small problem with many epic-sized games, specifically with the Western-style RPGs: multiple paths through the narrative elements in the game require multiple play-throughs to experience.
Well, sort of. Not really.
The main story arc tends to remain untouched. But choosing good or evil has certain repercussions on sub missions and specific dialog options. There are also multiple romantic story arcs to follow (at least in BioWare games). Trying to keep it all straight tends to get confusing. Epic RPGs used to be simpler. Or maybe it was just JRPGs.
I could re-play Final Fantasy VII today and still get all of the narrative and expositional bits that I got almost a decade ago when I first played it. There are no real choices in that game. The narrative drags you from location to location and feeds you information while you smack monsters of increasing difficulty with swords. It's very linear. And as such only needs you to play it once to get it all.
Not so with many newer games which bombard you with all sorts of shallow (and narratively meaningless choices) that affect how you play and which parts of the dialog trees you venture into. Boy or Girl?
This first trip through the world of Mass Effect I played a male Shepard on the Paragon path, and chose Liara T'Soni (the hot blue alien) for the romantic sub-plot.
Next time I want to run the game as a male Shepard on the Renegade path, and follow the Ashley Williams (the hot space marine) romantic sub-plot.
A third play would see me as a female Shepard trying to balance Paragon and Renegade while persuing whatever romance seems most interesting at the time.
At 30+ hours per play, that's a lot of time for a single game. I suppose that makes for a good marketing bullet point.
And having these choices makes the game feel epic. You have to choose, and then you have to live with your choices for the rest of the time you play. Shallow as the options tend to be, they are still choices that you are forced to make that have lasting effect on how you experience the game world. You've invested so much time that restarting to alter a choice becomes daunting, and the idea of managing all the possible branches at once is mind-boggling.
These small choices force you to choose, and that makes for a good story. At least for me, because part of me wonders how it could have turned out differently. Good thing I can find out, given enough time.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Hoorah
Last weekend I finished my first play through of Mass Effect, the first installment of BioWare's epic Space Opera. It is a rare occasion that I get to complete a full-sized RPG like this, and I'm still feeling inordinately pleased about it.
When I play, I like to get immersed. I lean heavily towards games with lots of narrative elements and large storyworlds. This used to be adventure games. Still is, on the rare occasion that I can find them. More recently this also lends itself well to epic RPGs (BioWare being a favourite developer).
The problem with my desire for immersion is that I like longer play sessions. I like to sit down and get lost in a game. Play for hours, then look up after a grueling task has been completed (and the subsequent story dump has been given) and wonder where the last 5 hours have gone. This is difficult because I don't always have either the time to commit to these marathon sessions, or the mental desire to be locked into a heavy game for that long.
The casual game has had quite the effect on me. Playing browser games takes maybe 30 minutes (unless they're ridiculously long and/or hard). Episodic games, the new golden format for adventure games thanks to Telltale Games, only take a couple of hours of time and feel less like epic stories and more like episodes of television. And I love it. Only needing a few minutes to play means I can play when I only have a few minutes to spare.
But finishing these quick-pop games doesn't give me the same feeling of satisfaction that beating a huge time-sink of a game does. And I don't think they should. There has been a lot of clamoring about casual spectrum of gaming replacing the hardcore demographic. Assuming "hardcore" can be partially defined as "any game that takes a significant investment of time to play", this would require breaking down what used to be epic into bite-sized bits of play.
Which works for some things. Like for the newest Prince of Persia, which I'm playing as a palate cleanser before delving into the wasteland of DC. I'll expound more about the game as I near completion, but suffice it to say that the game could easily be played in a series of sittings each no longer than half an hour. And the game would be no less for it.
However, I think that there will always be a place for the games of such scale and scope that they defy your sense of time. Games so large that they demand immersion, despite their flaws. Games that take time and commitment to play becuase they are trying to convey a sense of time and commitment. Games that make you glow with pride when you finish them (for every story should have an end) because you have made it through the trials and bested all the challenges. Games worth playing hard.
When I play, I like to get immersed. I lean heavily towards games with lots of narrative elements and large storyworlds. This used to be adventure games. Still is, on the rare occasion that I can find them. More recently this also lends itself well to epic RPGs (BioWare being a favourite developer).
The problem with my desire for immersion is that I like longer play sessions. I like to sit down and get lost in a game. Play for hours, then look up after a grueling task has been completed (and the subsequent story dump has been given) and wonder where the last 5 hours have gone. This is difficult because I don't always have either the time to commit to these marathon sessions, or the mental desire to be locked into a heavy game for that long.
The casual game has had quite the effect on me. Playing browser games takes maybe 30 minutes (unless they're ridiculously long and/or hard). Episodic games, the new golden format for adventure games thanks to Telltale Games, only take a couple of hours of time and feel less like epic stories and more like episodes of television. And I love it. Only needing a few minutes to play means I can play when I only have a few minutes to spare.
But finishing these quick-pop games doesn't give me the same feeling of satisfaction that beating a huge time-sink of a game does. And I don't think they should. There has been a lot of clamoring about casual spectrum of gaming replacing the hardcore demographic. Assuming "hardcore" can be partially defined as "any game that takes a significant investment of time to play", this would require breaking down what used to be epic into bite-sized bits of play.
Which works for some things. Like for the newest Prince of Persia, which I'm playing as a palate cleanser before delving into the wasteland of DC. I'll expound more about the game as I near completion, but suffice it to say that the game could easily be played in a series of sittings each no longer than half an hour. And the game would be no less for it.
However, I think that there will always be a place for the games of such scale and scope that they defy your sense of time. Games so large that they demand immersion, despite their flaws. Games that take time and commitment to play becuase they are trying to convey a sense of time and commitment. Games that make you glow with pride when you finish them (for every story should have an end) because you have made it through the trials and bested all the challenges. Games worth playing hard.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
TPSRPG?
It's been a while since I blogged. I'll try to fix than. First, a short diversion.
I am hearing echos down the inter-tubes that Bioware's space opera sequel (Mass Effect 2, for those playing at home without a scorecard) will be a Shooter RPG. This worries me.
I am a self-professed Bioware Fanboy. Having a deep love of epic storytelling, and growing up in the same town, has had the expected effect of making want to play whatever they put out.
In fact, I'm playing Mass Effect the first right now. (I just bought a Xbox 360 after christmas this year, I have some catching up to do). I'm enjoying it a lot.
Except all the parts where I have to do a lot of shooting.
Now, Bioware has done a full-out shooter before. MDK2 would count, I think. Shattered Steel as well, perhaps. So they clearly have the capability.
Except that MDK2 was more about puzzles and right ammo, right time, right aim, than full-on shooter. And Shattered Steel was a big, slow, mech game.
They have a year or more before release of ME2. My biggest hope is that they'll consult some shooter level designers and AI specialists. What they need is tighter design.
If they give me the option to specialize in Sniper Rifles and then throw me into combat where 80% of the enemies rush me from behind full-size partitions and force me to resort to using my pistol most of the time (again!) then I'm going to be disappointed.
I am hearing echos down the inter-tubes that Bioware's space opera sequel (Mass Effect 2, for those playing at home without a scorecard) will be a Shooter RPG. This worries me.
I am a self-professed Bioware Fanboy. Having a deep love of epic storytelling, and growing up in the same town, has had the expected effect of making want to play whatever they put out.
In fact, I'm playing Mass Effect the first right now. (I just bought a Xbox 360 after christmas this year, I have some catching up to do). I'm enjoying it a lot.
Except all the parts where I have to do a lot of shooting.
Now, Bioware has done a full-out shooter before. MDK2 would count, I think. Shattered Steel as well, perhaps. So they clearly have the capability.
Except that MDK2 was more about puzzles and right ammo, right time, right aim, than full-on shooter. And Shattered Steel was a big, slow, mech game.
They have a year or more before release of ME2. My biggest hope is that they'll consult some shooter level designers and AI specialists. What they need is tighter design.
If they give me the option to specialize in Sniper Rifles and then throw me into combat where 80% of the enemies rush me from behind full-size partitions and force me to resort to using my pistol most of the time (again!) then I'm going to be disappointed.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Getting the Raw Deal
Please know that I'm a BioWare fanboy. A big one. They are my hometown heroes, and I can gush on about their corporate and game histories and achievements for longer then you'd care to listen. Everything they do seems to be done with their community in mind. They make games with care and detail, they provide their own support (and do it better than most others), and they encourage advancements in open and community generated content.
The Neverwinter Nights Premium Modules were a great step into the age of online distributed content. For a nominal price you can buy new content, professionally produced, that includes additional audio, textures, and other details not usually included with free, community created, content. Chances are you've read about this somewhere, so I'll not go into too much detail here.
I must tell you that I am now worried about the direction they are heading with online content. After a great start they seem to have fallen into the trap of offering bad deals in the name of online distribution. Here's the quick breakdown: Jade Empire Special Edition (for PC) comes out in a couple of days. EB Games is listing the game (with Bonus for preorders) for $40USD. BioWare is listing the Digital Download of the same game (no mention of bonus) for the same price.
Why am I paying the same price for just the data as I am for the retail packaging? They even warn on the information page:
But all of that isn't what got me frazzled enough to write this post. I know that A-List games are suffering from content bloat. I realize that someone has to pay for the bandwidth to push 6GB several thousand times. I understand that they can get a better ROI by not having a disc, box art, and shipping costs. What bothers me is what I found in the FAQ section:
I don't know about you, but I play a game and then I generally uninstall it if it doesn't have a lot of immediate replayability. Some games get the privilege of a permanent spot in the Games folder. They are usually the ones that I can play for 15 minutes anytime, or can play online with others. Just because a game is story focused doesn't mean that I'll never play the game again. I'd certainly like to have that option.
Please don't buy the Digital Download of Jade Empire. Doing so would encourage the publisher-centric mentality that has gotten us this kind of raw deal. We need to send the message that they cannot confuse the consumer by offering something that sounds convent but really isn't. When you spend your money on content, you should have access to that content without the worry that you'll extend the limits of its use. This is not how online distribution of content should work, and we need to say so.
The Neverwinter Nights Premium Modules were a great step into the age of online distributed content. For a nominal price you can buy new content, professionally produced, that includes additional audio, textures, and other details not usually included with free, community created, content. Chances are you've read about this somewhere, so I'll not go into too much detail here.
I must tell you that I am now worried about the direction they are heading with online content. After a great start they seem to have fallen into the trap of offering bad deals in the name of online distribution. Here's the quick breakdown: Jade Empire Special Edition (for PC) comes out in a couple of days. EB Games is listing the game (with Bonus for preorders) for $40USD. BioWare is listing the Digital Download of the same game (no mention of bonus) for the same price.
Why am I paying the same price for just the data as I am for the retail packaging? They even warn on the information page:
This is a downloadable purchase. No product will be shipped.Well, at least I know. But I'm guessing that the 6 gigabyte download (and 15GB install!) is going to take longer to get than a return trip to my local BestBuy to grab the meatspace version. From personal experience, 6GB is an overnighter. Which is probably why they are encouraging fans to pre-order now so that you can pre-load the game.
But all of that isn't what got me frazzled enough to write this post. I know that A-List games are suffering from content bloat. I realize that someone has to pay for the bandwidth to push 6GB several thousand times. I understand that they can get a better ROI by not having a disc, box art, and shipping costs. What bothers me is what I found in the FAQ section:
A full version digital game can be installed up to three times. If you have exceeded this limit please contact support with your account name and the reason the limit was exceeded. [emphasis mine]Three times! There are many games that I've installed more than three times. The reason? I wanted to play it on more than three occasions. I've bought a new computer. I had to reinstall my OS. I simply don't have hard drive space for a (15GB!) game when I'm not playing it.
I don't know about you, but I play a game and then I generally uninstall it if it doesn't have a lot of immediate replayability. Some games get the privilege of a permanent spot in the Games folder. They are usually the ones that I can play for 15 minutes anytime, or can play online with others. Just because a game is story focused doesn't mean that I'll never play the game again. I'd certainly like to have that option.
Please don't buy the Digital Download of Jade Empire. Doing so would encourage the publisher-centric mentality that has gotten us this kind of raw deal. We need to send the message that they cannot confuse the consumer by offering something that sounds convent but really isn't. When you spend your money on content, you should have access to that content without the worry that you'll extend the limits of its use. This is not how online distribution of content should work, and we need to say so.
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