Anarkos on 26/11/2003 at 00:07

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...are starting to really annoy me.

People complain about it not running on GF4MX cards and pre-GF3 cards. I disagree. They wanted to create a game that rendered shadows in real time, and did it well. They did so, using some DX8-level shaders etc. So, non-DX8-complaint cards don't work. Boohoo. Anyone who read any GF4MX reviews would know they aren't DX8 compliant. It's not Ion Storm's fault if you buy an updated GF2...

People complain about the lack of skills. Fine, I agree, but let's look back at DX1; how many people complained about never being able to hit anything at the start? How ridiculous was it that a trained anti-terrorist agent couldn't hit the side of a barn at point-blank range? And the non-combat skills; were they balanced? Did anyone use environmental resistance or whatever it was?

People claim that ISA have turned DX away from its RPG side. Did the skills really mean that much? What about the more complex biomod system? Was anything in DX1 as cool as the scavenger drone thing? And, remember that ISA have claimed that DX2 will be able to be completed without shooting or killing. Admittedly, in this demo, the non-violent approach doesn't work (not much space to sneak, and the cash requirement forces you to kill a greasel for money), but when you consider that in the full game, you'll probably have some more cash at the start of the level, well...

People complain about the graphics. Uh, people, the models are detailed enough, and the textures, like with the UT2003 demo, are a lower resolution than in the final, in order to shrink the download. And I suggest that you turn "bloom" off. And turn detail textures and volumetric lighting on in the *.ini file.

Aha!

And, then, there's the floaty movement. Solvable by changing one value in the *.ini. The huge consolised text? Fixable in the *.ini. The intrusive interface? Turn it down to 0% in the options, tweak its location in the *.ini. Easily fixed. These are the problems you get in the pre-release build that's over a month old...

And this brings me to the *.ini files themselves. Can't save key settings? That's 'cause one is set to read only. Think it looks all X-Box-ey? Yeah? Look it Default.ini. It is tweaked for X-Box, not PC. They got the X-Box version gold before the PC one, and this demo was before the PC-specific tweaks.

Annoyed about weak weapons? Complaining about a lack of locational damage? Tweak up the weapons' damage in the *.ini! And, look, there is locational damage!

This, however, comes as a result of one of the two whines I see as partially valid. The crosshair no longer expands when you move. Guns are always accurate. This means that if headshots were instantly lethal, then firefights would be very, very short, so they tweaked down the pistol's damage. We'll see how it is, really, in the full version, but I hope to be able to kill in silent single shots again.

The other partially valid whine is, of course, the universal ammo. A unique move, but not necessarily a bad one. Did anyone else find it odd that a nano-aug like Denton could make his skin bulletproof, but not turn a 10mm round into a much needed 30.06 one? Now, in DX2, 15 years later, with nanotech integrated into the weapons, they do it for you. Entirely plausible. Makes game balance easier in some ways, and it allows you to easily specialise RPG style. In DX1, a "cop" playing non-lethal (bow, prod) would have too little ammo and ridiculous amounts of pistol, rifle and shotgun ammo. A heavy weapons specialist would...

Just silly. Now, whatever your playstyle, all ammo can be useful. However, it has obvious downsides, like the lack of reloads. However, I'm neutral to it overall. It doesn't warrant the "OH MY GOD DX2 IS AN SHITTY DUMBED DOWN CONSOEL FPS!!!! IT SUXSORZ!@!!" response that it has recieved...

Deus Ex 2 does not suck. It is not DX1 with a new engine. There have been some changes. Deal wid it, kiddies...

Fat Thief on 26/11/2003 at 00:42

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I don't have to deal with anything - especially since I won't be buying it.

Secondly your opinion does not supercede anyone else's as right or factual. It is just an opinion.

Thirdly, it is a bit hypocritical to complain about "whiners" while whining yourself.

Anarkos on 26/11/2003 at 00:46

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It is not an opinion that, for example, the movement issues can be solved in the *ini files. It's a fact. Other things, like that RPG issue, I concede are opinions. However, I have supported my position. Opinions, if well supported, are far from worthless.



WTFU? :weird:

Anarkos on 26/11/2003 at 01:01

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I agree, however, we don't have publishers screaming down our backs and dealinesl looming. That's easy enough for us to say.

JonahFalcon on 26/11/2003 at 01:26

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I did, a little, and used it with the biomod. The one ability I never used was swimming - though I know some people who used THAT a LOT.