Sulphur on 2/2/2019 at 07:53
Okay, that hurts. Almost all of the destruction tech's been chucked out the window, and that was the fundamental selling point of the game. It doesn't look like the rest of the components are going to make up for the loss in spectacle. I never thought it was smart to build a physics foundation on a set of cloud computing servers that could always be decommissioned/scaled down based on network load and business requirements in a game that deals with decommissioning things (with a decommissioner achievement! ooh, the irony).
As it stands, this now looks like a Tron-infused PS3/X360 game with a lot of really nice particle effects. And this is probably a bug, but outside of ambient occlusion, none of the characters cast shadows. When anyone's carrying an object, like a rock or whatever, it casts a ground shadow, but the entity carrying it does not. Bit of a weird thing to miss this close to release.
EvaUnit02 on 2/2/2019 at 08:20
The cloud-based destruction was always advertised as being a versus MP feature... even that's been downgraded. IIRC they hyped up an entirely destructible CITY and here all we have is arena maps.
[video=youtube;ssz26murV5Q]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssz26murV5Q[/video]
Sulphur on 2/2/2019 at 08:38
That makes sense, I only now remember that the much-hyped destruction video mentioned that it'd be multiplayer-only, so it's good that that ridiculous destruction is still there even if it's not at as large a scale as they initially showcased. I can see why they stuck it in PvP-only arena maps, because it limits the amount of persistent physics objects they'd need to track to a manageable sealed-off area. Pragmatic, but disappointing.
demagogue on 2/2/2019 at 13:30
Well (
https://store.steampowered.com/app/848450/Subnautica_Below_Zero/) Subnautica: Below Zero just came out. I didn't even know I was supposed to be hyped for this, but ... Subnautica + ice + more pretty scenery + more open sea exploration + more mysterious story. What's not to love? (All I know is the release trailer and skimming a few early reviews. So don't quote me on anything!)
[video=youtube;rA7BRa9_Lu4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA7BRa9_Lu4[/video]
EvaUnit02 on 2/2/2019 at 16:45
Quote Posted by demagogue
What's not to love?
The fact that it's an unfinished Early Access game?
Quote:
(
https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/product/subnautica-below-zero/faq)
How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?
Throughout Early Access, we will release a sequence of updates that add new content to the game. Initially, you will only be able to play in the starting zone and surrounding Biomes. Future updates will add new vehicles (like the Hover Bike), new biomes, and new story areas. Bugs will be steadily reduced and performance steadily increased.
What is the current state of the Early Access version?
Below Zero offers 1-2 hours of story play time. Starting environments are richly detailed, voice acting is present, and bugs are frequent but often not gamebreaking. Performance (frame rates) is poor relative to what we want in the finished game.
demagogue on 2/2/2019 at 16:57
Interestingly, Subnautica was the first game (for me, well ok, 2nd after Mount & Blade, ok ok, 3rd after Minecraft & M&B ... just the first one in a while) where the early access model worked for me. It was pretty fun even in the early versions, and each update kept making it better and better. What raised the red flag for me with this one wasn't that it's early access per se, it's some of the reviewers saying, yes it has what the original had and is adding more, but it doesn't have the same magic or charisma.
That's what kept me coming back to the original, even in its early versions, the mystery of you on this alien planet, the burning husk of your ship in the distance, and things seeming to happen around you without you fully understanding them (in a good way). If S:BZ doesn't have that same aura that pulls you into its world ... well it could still be a good game for exploration, base building, and have a good story ... I don't want to prejudge. But I don't think I'll be getting the early access version because of that. At least I have faith that it will really improve, because the devs were really good about regular & constructive updates with the original.
Aja on 8/2/2019 at 20:29
That is awesome. I've never played any of those games and have been recently thinking about getting Baldur's Gate. Now I'll gladly wait for this. Hopefully the prices are reasonable.
Sulphur on 14/2/2019 at 06:47
I was stoked, but then... a remake of a beloved Zelda game, but with a cutesy Animal Crossing aesthetic? Ooookay.