Quote: "you know what caught my eye on this game though? MULTIPLAYER
ive heard rumors that they are going to let people play on servers in that huge map, with plenty of places to fight. so i think that there will be plenty of baddies to fight in this game. just keep your mind open, most companys learn from their mistakes."
Multiplayer was also rumoured for Oblivion, then again with Shimering Isles add-on and again for the Nine Kings add-on.
This sort of game doesn't lend itself well for Multiplayer, especially given a large aspect of the gameplay is not only real-time; but also in a paused targeting RPG mode for queing up attacks and victims.
I would wager large on multiplayer being abscent, for a huge number of reasons as well.
As for companies learning from mistakes... yeah they do, but let's be bottom dollar here for a second. Oblivion sold damn well.
People all over the place still rave about it, despite me personally not seeing what they're all so hyped about.
Bethusda make good games, that are imo buggy/difficult to control and overall too damn complex for their own good. They've done this for over a decade, and somehow they will listen to those who liked their previous titles over those who just didn't find the game accessible enough.
Something I keep hearing over and over for Oblivion is once you get far enough in, it becomes a good game. Despite forcing myself through the first chapter (spending a considerable amount in the custody of the Kings guards mind you) I still found no enjoyment in it... but to be perfectly honest I would've probably been more annoyed with the game if it had hooked me like it seems to everyone else I've talked to and know.
To me a game needs to be enjoyable as soon as you start. There needs to be atleast something to keep you wanting to play on.
Now Fallout 3, appears right now to offer such; but then again we've still not seen or know much about the starting area inside the vault as you grow up.
Games shouldn't need mammoth tutorials that take you an hour to learn the game, or be so complex that until you reach the end you're still pretty much getting tutorial pop-ups all over the place. They certainly shouldn't hinder your gameplay with annoying forced 5minutes of reading.
Too many RPGs imo are taking all this new technology available and pushing the bar on just how irritatingly complex they can possibly be made. Personally I would prefer it if instead work that goes into having an extra 400 useless stats you have to manage, would be spend on battle systems that didn't feel like the bog standard "I hit you, you hit me" system.
Mass Effect did a nice job of a real-time system, which they seem to be trying to mimic in this; so I guess that is cool... but to be perfectly honest, I would've prefered in Mass Effect if the statistic system was more of a learning curve rather than directly related.
I've always found it extremely ironic that I find Half-Life 2 to be far more of an RPG than many of the traditional affairs. You might shout out saying "That's an FPS not and RPG" but think of it this way... You always feel like you are in the role of Gordon Freeman, as you progress you unlock new weapons to use and new abilities (via the Grav Gun, Portal Gun, etc..)
If they put in there the ability over prolonged useage of weaponry you became more adapt to it, and thus were more acccurate. Then bam! you have yourself an RPG.
This traditional "level" system to be honest is begining to feel extremely archaic now. GTA San Andreas realistically had a better RPG system than most RPGs do, that made sense to me as a player... although honestly it was very OTT on the extremes.
Another good game was Drakengard II. Because in that you leveled by using something more, you could use any armour or weapon (for you class unfortunately, I hate that limitation on class based crap) and if you weren't strong enough then you'd start by dragging the weapon, or walking slower (if it was armour).
That's how these games should work.
Oblivion was stupid, given you could carry a ridiculous amount of things; but what made it worse was if you were 0.1lbs overweight and BAM you couldn't move. You never even slowed down when you got to your max... which was just stupid.
Not to mention you're carrying all this equippment but the character never even had a damn bag!
Atleast they've given you a bag in Fallout 3, but still I doubt they've changed the whole "carry too much" and "stop moving when you have too much" aspects.
I honestly couldn't care less about a game being particularly long, or vastness to explore... what I care about is a good storyline, something that seems plausable, and I feel part of.
Sure put in enough variety so I can go through it a few times, but you get that enjoyable core gameplay and storyline; people will play that game more than they will a game that is designed to be 30-40hours long.
Hell, I've played through Mass Effect over 8x; the main storyline is incredibly short by RPG standards are a little over 6hours in total; but the extras can keep you playing a single game for up to 30-40hours. It also has some very good replay value as well.
The Force Unleashed alright not a traditional RPG, but still the story in that again is very short... BUT AMAZING! Again I and many others I know have played through it atleast twice if not more.
What's more is unlike Oblivion, you don't HAVE to grind some side-missions in either of those games just to complete them. Yet you still have that option to do so if you want to.
That is the difference between a good game, and something great.
I hope you are right, and they've learnt from Oblivion. Thing is given the following that game has, I doubt it. They're probably for much of it going with the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" mentality. I hope I'm wrong, cause I quite liked Fallout 1 and 2.
They were an awesome blend between social interaction and tactical gameplay...
You never had grindfests in those games, simply because often trying to would result in running out of food and water; then death. hehe
It is the tactical aspect of the game that make the originals fun. The VAC looks to sort-of bring that back, but I still think they're too deep in traditional RPG roots to think of a more interesting way that it could've been taken.
