bourrie on 3/3/2002 at 20:19
Yes, When you take the effort to learn the control system well, you'll notice that it's a good balanced one! Severance and gothic also had an unusual control system, but those games were fun to play! So the second time I was playing Arx fatalis the controls felt very good to use, and I was playing the game smoothly to its end! So before complaining give the controls a fair chance! Real gamers are playing a lot of games, and they all have a different control system, but different is not synoniem of bad!
Nethawk on 3/3/2002 at 20:19
Praetor, if the game ships close to its current state and the reviews start pouring in from different sources, it'll interesting to see how many thousands of gamers share that point of view - Darwinian insights or not. I liken Arx Fatalis' current control system to having a beautiful lingerie clad woman in front of me and having her tell me about etiquette and protocol before we can "do the nasty";
"Making love with you seems so appealing, but you're saying I have to fold the sheets a certain way before you can lay down on them? And then I have to turn around three times just to place my right hand on your shoulder? Sorry, I'll choose NFL football instead - less work for the same enjoyment. Let me know when you're naked and already in bed, maybe I'll come back."
Ok - poor analogy, but you get the point. Ion Storm Austin got it right when they stated that they wanted to make games more complicated on their end rather than ours . Great wisdom there...:tsktsk::tsktsk:
PraetorJudis on 3/3/2002 at 20:34
Quote:
I liken Arx Fatalis' current control system to having a beautiful lingerie clad woman in front of me and having her tell me about etiquette and protocol before we can "do the nasty"
It would be better compared to having in front of you a beautiful lingerie clad woman that had different tastes in love making and was going to force you to learn how to adapt and experience the pleasure of something you hadn't expereinced before.
Quote:
it'll interesting to see how many thousands of gamers share that point of view
I'm sure thousands will. I'm sure thousands more will vehemently disagree with those thousands, and I suspect this arguement will be repeated many thousands of times over on many hundreds of message boards. Lucky us, we get to argue it first, eh? ;)
Quote:
Ion Storm Austin got it right when they stated that they wanted to make games more complicated on their end rather than ours
I actually agree with you. I think developers would be wise to heed the clarion cry of interface conformity. At least they should if they want huge internationally best selling games. But I still think the incessant bashing of the game based on an interface that is extremely workable, but not to a player's taste to be small minded and resistant to change.
xman on 3/3/2002 at 20:40
Nethawk,
I can understand that if you don't like the interface of the game, then it can ruin your pleasure.
However, we are many here who find the interface really user-friendly after a few minutes (at worst an hour) of training.
And it's not that different from System Shock II's, which I liked very much.
Therefore, I do not want the interface to change. Well... maybe just about weapon drawing (I don't like the fact that you "attack" as soon as you draw your weapon).
Nethawk on 3/3/2002 at 20:52
An hour spent learning controls is a LONG time. If the average person can't pick up movement/action controls and become reasonably comfortable with them in the first five minutes, then something is drastically wrong. It took me about seven, but I still found it long. Look at Sacrifice; drastically different interface, yet it is both streamlined and easy to pick up with the quality tutorial it came with. It's interface is even compatible with Arx Fatalis'.
A [somewhat] universal system of movement controls for games isn't entirely a bad thing. How would it look if every nation in the world had a different way of entering a vehicle? Let's say South Africa chose only to enter via the rear trunk, while North America opted for the roof, while Europe and the Orient decided to enter through the front hood. Inconvenient isn't it? Humans evolve because life is continuously seeking for ways to make itself easier and hassle free. I believe the same philosophy can apply to games. Complicate the package, not the cover.:tsktsk:
Siftland on 3/3/2002 at 21:51
An hour too long?...awww...poor baby. Here's a guy that can't find the time to access the menu to save a game, but has plenty of time to prattle off about how game developers should cater to his standards. Don't you have....um....books to write...or whatever the hell you like to gloat about?
Raf: I have high hopes for the plot...I'm just a bit skeptical right now (because of the whole memory erasure bit)...A little soon to make judgements though I think.
Also, I thought the intro was really cool. Not only was the art stellar...but I found it totally hilarious: c'mon....the wise sage guy outlining your quest is killed mid-sentence.....that was so unexpected!
Nethawk on 3/3/2002 at 22:01
Heh heh - Sift - let me share a little saying with you in terms of designing items/products/services; cater to the classes, and you'll dine with the masses. Cater to the masses, and you'll dine with the classes.
If Fishtank wants to improve their marketing and sales, then they'd BETTER cater their game to how the majority of gamers out there play and how much free time gamers in general have on their hands to learn just how to move about - and not according to how the project leader or whoever it is likes to play his games. I may be anal when it comes to reviews and nitpicking, but it's for a reason.:tsktsk:
Le Magot d'Oz on 3/3/2002 at 22:23
Quote:
Originally posted by Fuinelen I also found the 2 runes I had missed on the first run (hmm .. and found another magic move and at least one spell, because I did the vertical run in the wrong direction ... too bad the game kept on saying I can't cast THAT yet ... I would have loved to know what I was doing;)
=> you were casting an other which you don't have the rune yet !
Quote:
Originally posted by Nethawk then they'd BETTER cater their game to how the majority of gamers out there as you said : the majority of gamers :rolleyes:
Siftland on 3/3/2002 at 22:43
Nethawk....your saying was all clever and everything like you had hoped, I'm sure...But there's a problem: You are not the masses! You might spout something about you being 'well-read' and in-tune with the opinions of the common man, or like nonsense, but in the end: Nethawk's opinion=One guy's worthless opinion...despite any maxim you've raked in your favor....and thank god for that.
...but it doesn't matter! Because I have surmised that you, with all your postings and follow-ups and ranting, are, in reality, hopelessly in love with this game....in its present state even! Like a bickering lover, you resist, finding fault in your quarry, but soon you lie together, arms embraced, never to be parted again. It's okay! really! It's all very transparent!
Nethawk on 3/3/2002 at 23:00
Sift - you read me right. I AM in love with the game. That is EXACTLY why I posted my opinions in here. I also have the ability to see things as they are in third person outside of myself, and formulate opinions based on what I feel others might think outside of the TTLG community. In terms of gaming, you have to admit we're a pretty elite bunch. I mean System Shock II, Deus Ex, Thief Gold and Metal Age - pretty hard acts to follow up for ANY game developer. Be as it may, I'm certain that Raf and others listen very attentively in here to what we have to say. Don't go easy on game developers man - they release their demos so that they CAN hear our rants and raves. I doubt Raf is dumb enough to think that everyone in here was going to love Arx Fatalis in the way the demo shipped. Why else would they release something in an incomplete state unless it was to hear criticism?
Ok - pant pant - I'm done.:tsktsk:
