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f13.net General Forums => E3 '05 => Topic started by: Samwise on May 18, 2005, 10:33:54 PM



Title: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Samwise on May 18, 2005, 10:33:54 PM
There's no Diet Coke at this thing.  THE HUMANITY! (http://www.f13.net/index2.php?subaction=showfull&id=1116480396&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&)


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures, Day 1
Post by: schild on May 18, 2005, 10:39:43 PM
^_^


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures, Day 1
Post by: schild on May 18, 2005, 10:44:32 PM
Lum, we'd give you a week of wages if you dressed up as one of these sluts. (http://www.f13.net/e3/day1/IMG_0101.jpg)

We're not kidding, cold hard cash.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures, Day 1
Post by: Shockeye on May 18, 2005, 10:45:26 PM
Lum, we'd give you a week of wages if you dressed up as one of these sluts. (http://www.f13.net/e3/day1/IMG_0101.jpg)

We're not kidding, cold hard cash.

Seriously. Real money. Lots of it.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures, Day 1
Post by: Trippy on May 18, 2005, 11:02:49 PM
Quote
And thus a powerful lesson was learned: test your product with someone who doesn't have girl arms before you make it available to the general public.
LOL


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures, Day 1
Post by: sidereal on May 18, 2005, 11:52:34 PM
one of these sluts. (http://www.f13.net/e3/day1/IMG_0101.jpg)

That image directory is chock-full of cheesecake.  Look at the games, goddamn you!   Not the tits, the fucking games!


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures, Day 1
Post by: Yoru on May 19, 2005, 12:46:27 AM
Mmm, thanks for the Movies shots. I think. I'm trying hard not to get into fanboi mode on another Lionhead title - I've still got scars from Black & White - but the press lately has been casting it in a very kind light. Perhaps that's to be expected about a movie centered around Hollywood.

Now dig up something on Spore. :-D


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures, Day 1
Post by: HRose on May 19, 2005, 01:52:54 AM
Now dig up something on Spore. :-D
Spore isn't being shown publicly.

Anyway, what about some mmorpg stuff? :)


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures, Day 1
Post by: Samwise on May 19, 2005, 07:36:31 AM
There were a lot of MMORPGS in Kentia, but they all looked more or less the same, which is to say asstastic.

I did get a chance to play DDO briefly and thought it showed some promise.  More on that tonight, hopefully.

Still haven't seen Spore anywhere.  Planning to go harass some EA guys.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures, Day 1
Post by: Hoax on May 19, 2005, 07:42:26 AM
Can you check on how the fucking combat works in Hellgate:London?  Like how it really works not that bullets are like spells but not and "Look over there shiney!"...

blah nice work though Samwise.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures, Day 1
Post by: schild on May 19, 2005, 08:42:57 AM
Anyway, what about some mmorpg stuff? :)

Not getting enough Imperator news, knobtard?


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures, Day 1
Post by: Merusk on May 19, 2005, 08:55:15 AM
I'd like to hear some Vanguard stuff, if any. The whole game, concept and fanbase fascinates me in that same way watching a 450# person devour a chicken can. You're repulsed, but you just  can't look away.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures, Day 1
Post by: WayAbvPar on May 19, 2005, 09:14:05 AM
Quote
I was far more excited about the demos they had going of The Movies. (image and image). This was the first really good look I'd gotten at the game itself, and I was pleased with the level of control it allowed in the filmmaking process. The dozens of actors you control can be customized more than the central characters in most RPGs, and it looked like you could edit together your movie scene by scene, with each scene having different tunables (such as the Violence Level in a fight scene). At the end, presumably, you have a unique creation. I'm looking forward to this one.

I can't believe this is the first I am hearing of this (or I promptly forgot about it)! I swear to God I discussed something very similar with my buddy like 5 years ago. I feel like Kramer with his 'Beach' cologne! If they do it right, it should be a shitload of fun.

Quote
The wayward bat half DESTROYED the screen, and the demo was brought to a hasty conclusion.

I wonder how many dumbasses got fired for that one! God I wish you had video on it.

Last but not least- hot chicks and all, but WTF is up with the footwear? Can they even walk in that silly shit?

(http://www.f13.net/e3/day1/IMG_0098.jpg)


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures, Day 1
Post by: schild on May 19, 2005, 09:15:55 AM
Blame Japan for that footware. I'm not joking.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures, Day 1
Post by: Merusk on May 19, 2005, 09:17:51 AM
Is that where that silly ass trend started?  I've noticed the "chunky" shoe thing going on for a few years now when I hit the mall, but couldn't fathom it.  Now it's all starting to make a bit more sense.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures, Day 1
Post by: HaemishM on May 19, 2005, 09:21:15 AM
Hey, thanks Blizzard, way to piss money away, putting a Real Doll (TM) in a Starcraft Ghost uniform (or is that a booth babe?) Either way, it's still a fucking waste. Douchebags. Didn't you see that C&C:the FPS didn't do all that well (mainly because it sucked copious amounts of ass)?

I am SO fucking jonesing for the Movies. Same goes for Call of Cthulu.

Quake can lick my knob. Rifts on the N-Gage is a game worth looking forward to, I think. Wow, that dance pad chick had some seriously thick thighs. That laying down in front of the TV thing? How much was that? Because that looks like exactly the kind of setup I need, since I'm so goddamn blind, I can't see the TV well from the couch.

There was an awful lot of ugly booth babes, with lots of cottage cheese. Were the strip clubs all raided out when the devs got there, so they had to go to the local pimps?


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures, Day 1
Post by: voodoolily on May 19, 2005, 10:18:04 AM
Is that where that silly ass trend started?  I've noticed the "chunky" shoe thing going on for a few years now when I hit the mall, but couldn't fathom it.  Now it's all starting to make a bit more sense.

No, it is not.

(http://www.sonymusicshop.jp/smdr/sms/img/goods/L/ESCA-5385.jpg)

(http://www.kelliali.com/assets/images2/kellibms.jpg)


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures, Day 1
Post by: voodoolily on May 19, 2005, 10:21:30 AM

I am SO fucking jonesing for the Movies. Same goes for Call of Cthulu.

Fuck yes. Do not fuck with Cthulu.

Rifts on the N-Gage is a game worth looking forward to, I think.

I haven't played Rifts since hi-skoo, and don't even really remember the gist. But it would be nice to revisit.

There was an awful lot of ugly booth babes, with lots of cottage cheese. Were the strip clubs all raided out when the devs got there, so they had to go to the local pimps?

God, thank you Hammy. I didn't wanna be the bitter bitch who always complains about the hoochies.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures, Day 1
Post by: Yoru on May 19, 2005, 10:28:00 AM
Spore isn't being shown publicly.

That's no impediment to a reporter worth his salt. It just means you need to get the appropriate staff drunk[er] first. Or jump some sucker from Gamespy in the vast, cavernous parking structure of the LA Convention Center for his badge. ;)


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures, Day 1
Post by: HaemishM on May 19, 2005, 11:35:20 AM
Spore isn't being shown publicly.

That's no impediment to a reporter worth his salt. It just means you need to get the appropriate staff drunk[er] first. Or jump some sucker from Gamespy in the vast, cavernous parking structure of the LA Convention Center for his badge. ;)

Sam should do that on GENERAL FUCKING PRINCIPLE.

Then go after IGN next.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures, Day 1
Post by: Evangolis on May 19, 2005, 01:25:18 PM
Thanks for saving me airfare and time.  I got a bit lost in the pictures, but they did give me all the flavor I needed.

St Gabe's review (http://forums.f13.net/index.php?topic=3348.0) mentions that the Jedi chick at Lucasarts as having best in show for cleavage.  Not that I would want to see a picture of a woman with really nice cleavage, or anything.

Looking at the picture of the Starcraft Ghost doll I noticed the sign between her legs that reads 'Please Do Not Touch'.  I wonder how many of the booth babes wish they had one of those signs?

Anyhow, thanks for the effort and the update.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures, Day 1
Post by: Strazos on May 19, 2005, 02:26:51 PM
Actually, Samwise has a better angle of those platform show-wearing girls in his rundown.

The Movies sounds and looks interesting, but for some reason reminds me of what I was thinking when I bought NWN...

And the booth babes, generally, have been of poor quality; a chubbed chick wearing CD's, ThunderThighs demo'ing an Eyetoy thing, and the chick from Starcraft Ghost has camel toe? WTF?


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures, Day 1
Post by: Margalis on May 19, 2005, 02:40:05 PM
The Hulk girls were hot. That is all.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures, Day 1
Post by: Yoru on May 19, 2005, 05:07:13 PM
Stolen shamelessly from Slashdot: there's now a Spore website (http://spore.ea.com) and certain lucky (http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/spore/preview_6125451.html) whores (http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/spore/616537p2.html) got a backroom demo from Wright.

Told you you should've stolen a Gamespy badge.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures, Day 1
Post by: schild on May 19, 2005, 05:13:28 PM
EA doesn't deserve that much fun and innovation. And btw, Gamespot and Gamespy? That's not being a lucky whore. That's just plain being a whore.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures, Day 1
Post by: MrHat on May 19, 2005, 06:04:14 PM
I like 1up more:
http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3138792&did=1


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures, Day 1
Post by: Samwise on May 19, 2005, 10:00:35 PM
Bastards!  I even interrogated an EA guy and he swore that there wasn't a copy of Spore at the show anywhere.  Maybe it's just so top secret that not even the EA guys know about it.

I just must not be sucking enough cock or something.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Samwise on May 19, 2005, 10:23:18 PM
E3: The Adventure Continues. (http://www.f13.net/index2.php?subaction=showfull&id=1116566541&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&)


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Trippy on May 19, 2005, 10:30:09 PM
Quote
I somehow missed this yesterday: Mice shaped like guns are stupid. STUPID. (image) I can't believe these guys are still in business.
While I agree carrying around with a mouse shaped like a gun in this day and age is good way to get yourself a nice full cavity body search I do like the ergonomics on that thing where it has your wrist in a more neutral position.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: schild on May 19, 2005, 10:31:37 PM
EBGames already has the mice shaped like guns. Hell, they've had them for 2 years. And they're still stupid.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Strazos on May 19, 2005, 10:35:09 PM
Again, nice job giving us some nice highlights Samwise.

I know how much heat I'm going to take for saying this, but....

Since I'm not there, can you PLEASE try and get some hands-on with Imperator. I really digged the concept when I first read about it, and would like to kill my fanboi-ism sooner rather than later.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Trippy on May 19, 2005, 10:35:29 PM
EBGames already has the mice shaped like guns. Hell, they've had them for 2 years. And they're still stupid.
Really? I don't see one on their Website.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: schild on May 19, 2005, 10:37:05 PM
Since I'm not there, can you PLEASE try and get some hands-on with Imperator. I really digged the concept when I first read about it, and would like to kill my fanboi-ism sooner rather than later.

Are you fucking kidding me? Seriously. Are you just trying to be nice? I don't understand. The game and concept look like *shit.* DAOC has some of the worst PVE in the genre and Imperator is nothing but that.

Jesus.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: schild on May 19, 2005, 10:37:18 PM
EBGames already has the mice shaped like guns. Hell, they've had them for 2 years. And they're still stupid.
Really? I don't see one on their Website.

It's a defunct sku.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Trippy on May 19, 2005, 10:44:05 PM
EBGames already has the mice shaped like guns. Hell, they've had them for 2 years. And they're still stupid.
Really? I don't see one on their Website.
It's a defunct sku.
Ah okay. I'll probably give something like this a try (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0006IB1WW/ref=pd_cps_e_3/103-9978465-4899856?v=glance&s=electronics) then (my elbow's been bothering me lately and using a regular mouse is not helping).


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Evangolis on May 19, 2005, 10:49:33 PM
I don't think you missed much with Spore; those reviews sounded like it was the exact same demo as GDC, on better hardware.  Suggests that they are farther from ready than GDC viewers made it sound, which jibes with the 3 year development timeline Wright mentioned at GDC.

I think the complaints with booth babes were about quality more than quantity.  I can't help but think that the ridiculous standards we set for beauty in our culture are probably driving perfectly attractive women into plastic surgery long before it is needed.  Of course, it's not like I'm any more innocent than anyone else.

Since I'm not there, can you PLEASE try and get some hands-on with Imperator. I really digged the concept when I first read about it, and would like to kill my fanboi-ism sooner rather than later.

Are you fucking kidding me? Seriously. Are you just trying to be nice? I don't understand. The game and concept look like *shit.* DAOC has some of the worst PVE in the genre and Imperator is nothing but that.

Jesus.

Brace yourself.  Not everyone agrees with you on your most deeply held beliefs.  I don't have an opinion about Imperator myself, but this might be a good time to get used to the idea that even if the game is as huge a steaming pile as you expect, there will be people who like it.

Although it is entertaining to watch you foam at the mouth.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Furiously on May 19, 2005, 10:54:37 PM
Plus you are insulting the godfather for many of us. But I'm sure that was your intention.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Samwise on May 19, 2005, 11:00:47 PM
Quote
While I agree carrying around with a mouse shaped like a gun in this day and age is good way to get yourself a nice full cavity body search I do like the ergonomics on that thing where it has your wrist in a more neutral position.

I used one of the pistol mice at E3 last year, and thought it was the stupidest thing I'd ever heard of.  I remain firm in that conviction.  Using it to play a FPS is completely unintuitive, because the way that you move the "pistol" doesn't have the effect on your crosshair that you'd think it would.  You "strafe" the pistol to turn back and forth, and push it away from you to look up, rather than, you know, pointing it like a gun.  I just don't see the point.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: schild on May 19, 2005, 11:21:39 PM
Brace yourself.  Not everyone agrees with you on your most deeply held beliefs.  I don't have an opinion about Imperator myself, but this might be a good time to get used to the idea that even if the game is as huge a steaming pile as you expect, there will be people who like it.

Although it is entertaining to watch you foam at the mouth.

1. It's raging douchebag week.
2. MJacobs isn't only going to make a shitty PvE EQ derivative involving Romans in Space, he's now going to shit all over the Warhammer license, which makes me foam more.
3. I firmly believe that Mythic is not capable of creating worlds with the breadth and scope of Azaroth or the polish of Guild Wars. Sorry, but the money simply and drive simply isn't there. All I've seen of Imperator points to art that isn't up to snuff and design that's simply boring.
4. Tabula Rasa and Imperator will probably be considered competitors. That's the sort of stuff that roflcopters are made from.
5. Warhammer, despite my love for the genre is Just Another Fantasy MMOG (tm). RvR would be better if it were based in Feudal Japan anyway. A second tier company (anyone not NCSoft, Blizzard or SOE) making another fantasy MMOG is just bad juju.
6. Romans in Space could have been executed well had it been crusade like with good vs evil type PvP with you choosing an alien race or choosing to be a member of the holy roman empire. Oh, and it should be a space sim.

Bah, it's all just so half-baked. Please note, before the Warhammer announcement the other day I was content on simply writing Imperator off as a decent idea executed badly. After the announcement, I'm having trouble keeping myself from vomiting on my keyboard.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: HRose on May 20, 2005, 12:19:39 AM
Come on. The commentary sounds like written by someone touching a game for the first time.

About DDO we know that it's quest based, that you need to press hotkeys in melee and that to fire a spell you need to select the mob and press a key.

So?

Write about what's different instead of describing how EVERY OTHER mmorpg already works.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: schild on May 20, 2005, 12:34:22 AM
Come on. The commentary sounds like written by someone touching a game for the first time.

Comeon. Most of your commentary sounds like it was written by someone using English for the first time. Admittedly, you've gotten better, but guess what, MMOGs haven't for the most part. I'm just glad he only spent five lines on combat. If you'd prefer, I can stretch it into 4 paragraphs of gobbledygook.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: sidereal on May 20, 2005, 12:37:59 AM
how EVERY OTHER mmorpg already works.

I think that's exactly the point.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Yoru on May 20, 2005, 12:43:01 AM
Re: Movies. From what I read in a preview a month or so ago, you can get NPCs to write scripts and such if you don't want to go into a fine-grained level of control; apparently, you can even get them to do sequels by putting old scripts on their desk before asking them to write. Ignoring the financial side is apparently also possible; you can run up huge amounts of debt with no impact aside from on your scoreboard ranking, which probably doesn't matter to you if you're trying to play in a sort of "sandbox mode". Still liking what I hear here.

B&W2... it's sounding a lot better than the original, but the original was made to sound like Animatronic Chocolate Jesus back in '99. That said, it reportedly has a "fisting" interface (I am not making this up (http://pc.ign.com/articles/594/594826p1.html?fromint=1)), which alone should provide endless entertainment.

... Damnit. I can feel the creep of fanboy coming on. Thanks a lot.

Edit: Forgot the link. Oops.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Strazos on May 20, 2005, 05:01:03 AM
Since I'm not there, can you PLEASE try and get some hands-on with Imperator. I really digged the concept when I first read about it, and would like to kill my fanboi-ism sooner rather than later.

Are you fucking kidding me? Seriously. Are you just trying to be nice? I don't understand. The game and concept look like *shit.* DAOC has some of the worst PVE in the genre and Imperator is nothing but that.

Jesus.

Shut Up. We let you have your PSP nonsense thread, so let me have this until it is properly dead to me.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Samwise on May 20, 2005, 07:27:24 AM
Write about what's different instead of describing how EVERY OTHER mmorpg already works.

The main difference, as far as I can tell, is that you have to keep clicking.

The other difference, of course, is that it's based on the D&D license.  But you already knew that.

Also, I thought it was significant that I didn't have to run around a lot to get to my quest, which is what most MMOGs make you do.  So I mentioned that.

Other than that, I didn't see a lot to distinguish this from every other MMOG.  Are you surprised?


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: HaemishM on May 20, 2005, 08:10:06 AM
Hrose, shut your stupid whore mouth until you can come up with an original thought. Or even a cogent one. Your VIKLAS is weak.

He gave you his impression of what he was shown. Did you expect fucking class balance or something from what was probably no more than 1 hour at a booth with a bazillion sound effects going off around him? What he said was it didn't suck, but it's combat (you know, the part you'll be doing the most) wasn't much different from current MMOG's. That's a telling statement right there.

My fanboy is inwardly excited about the Movies still. It could be an entirely incredible experience, and an innovative take on the old "economic sim" style of strategy game. Oh, and you can make Machinima. In a game. That's fucking awesome.

Imperator. Come on. Seriously. The very concept was shaky to me from the get go. It got shakier when they announced it wouldn't have PVP, which was the best part of their previous product. The earth practically parted like the Red Fucking Sea when they released screenshots and mroe descriptions. It is a steaming pile of /meh. None of it sounds the slightest bit innovative, or even interesting, and I dig the concept of Romans in Space. I also dig Mythic a great deal, thinking that from a business perspective, they should be who many of the dev houses out there now emulate. From a business perspective, they ARE Robot Jesus.

But goddamn. PVEing Romans in Space fighting fucking Mayans? WHAT... THE... FUCK? I cannot even imagine what this game is supposed to offer the market to differentiate it from anything coming up. There are already a number of good and not-so-good games that do lots of PVE, with better (and more popular) settings, and most of them have PVE mechanics that are more interesting than those of Mythic's only big product.

In other words, Imperator will have to really BE Robot Jesus to get over the significant hurdles of disinterest I have in the project.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: MrHat on May 20, 2005, 08:10:38 AM
Re: Movies. From what I read in a preview a month or so ago, you can get NPCs to write scripts and such if you don't want to go into a fine-grained level of control; apparently, you can even get them to do sequels by putting old scripts on their desk before asking them to write. Ignoring the financial side is apparently also possible; you can run up huge amounts of debt with no impact aside from on your scoreboard ranking, which probably doesn't matter to you if you're trying to play in a sort of "sandbox mode". Still liking what I hear here.

B&W2... it's sounding a lot better than the original, but the original was made to sound like Animatronic Chocolate Jesus back in '99. That said, it reportedly has a "fisting" interface (I am not making this up (http://pc.ign.com/articles/594/594826p1.html?fromint=1)), which alone should provide endless entertainment.

... Damnit. I can feel the creep of fanboy coming on. Thanks a lot.

Edit: Forgot the link. Oops.

Bah.

Same here.

Peter has let me down in the past though.  But I will always pay for innovation.

And I'm a closet B&W fanboi.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Yegolev on May 20, 2005, 09:38:58 AM
Quote
Use the "Fisting" interface to indulge your most wicked fantasy

Well, I'm in.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Shockeye on May 20, 2005, 01:09:21 PM
Wired has a piece up with an interview with Wright regarding Spore. (http://www.wired.com/news/e3/0,2879,67581,00.html?tw=rss.TOP)


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: schild on May 20, 2005, 09:30:32 PM
His Last Day. *Sniff* (http://www.f13.net/index2.php?subaction=showfull&id=1116640480&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&)

PS. It has awesome CoV information.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: HRose on May 20, 2005, 10:08:25 PM
Is the building aspect of CoV similar to The Sims?

The PvP aspect doesn't sound really bright..


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Margalis on May 20, 2005, 10:51:50 PM
But goddamn. PVEing Romans in Space fighting fucking Mayans? WHAT... THE... FUCK? I cannot even imagine what this game is supposed to offer the market to differentiate it from anything coming up. There are already a number of good and not-so-good games that do lots of PVE, with better (and more popular) settings, and most of them have PVE mechanics that are more interesting than those of Mythic's only big product.

I think this is kind of silly. The most popular MMORPG today is Orcs fighting Elves without a single original mechanic. Sometimes the devil in the details. Video games are 95% about execution.

Maybe what will differentiate it is that the gameplay will be substantially better. That's part of what differntiates WoW from it's competitors, even though a one paragraph description of WoW sounds exactly like every other MMORPG out there. And in many ways the gameplay of WoW is a lot better than other games - but that's not due to a rash of awesomely innovative ideas.

Maybe the game will be good. That's enough for me. You guys keep asking for good things but marketing differentiation is just that - marketing. Maybe there won't be any major bullet points that the marketing guys can use to spin it as something new, but if it's a good game that's good enough for us gamers no?

I'll just play the game and let the company that makes it worry about how to sell it.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: schild on May 20, 2005, 10:58:27 PM
I just go on track record. And the company that has only given us the PvE of DAoC doesn't excite me much about a PvE game with any premise. Let alone Holy Space Romans. I mean, maybe if this were the greatest RvR game ever and they went the turnbased or clan based combat in Warhammer I'd be excited. But as it stands? U-n-d-e-r-w-h-e-l-m-e-d and righteously pissed off.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Samwise on May 21, 2005, 01:45:54 AM
Is the building aspect of CoV similar to The Sims?

It's from a true 3d inside-looking-out perspective rather than a top-down isometric one.  I liked it.

(edit) Or is that the question you're asking?  It was otherwise pretty similar to the Sims, I'd say.  You pick a thing to build, you click to build it.  Pretty straightforward.

Quote
The PvP aspect doesn't sound really bright..

It seemed pretty reasonable to me.  The idea is to make PvP consensual (hence it's enabled by your acquisition of an Item of Power, which is obviously completely in your control), and not to place a constant obligation on the defenders to be logged in all day (hence the 1 hour of vulnerability per day, presumably with the defenders having a fair amount of control over when that hour is).

There are problems with that, of course, but it seems a good sight better than many of the alternatives (e.g. full open PvP).


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Jain Zar on May 21, 2005, 02:15:52 AM
Right now it seems as if City of Villains, and a couple of N Gage games are the only things to be truely excited about, with Molyneaux and Wright's projects a possible maybe.

That is so sad.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Murgos on May 21, 2005, 07:49:47 AM
I was listening to MMOGradio yesterday and there was a lengthy interview with someone from Mythic about Imperator.  Basically it boiled down to that they are going to try and reproduce WoW's success by aiming for something between Guildwars and WoW on the accessibility scale almost the entire rest of the interview, which was entirely forgettable, was fluff about backstory and the usual little twists and turns to standard gameplay ideas.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Shockeye on May 21, 2005, 08:21:27 AM
I was listening to MMOGradio yesterday and there was a lengthy interview with someone from Mythic about Imperator.  Basically it boiled down to that they are going to try and reproduce WoW's success by aiming for something between Guildwars and WoW on the accessibility scale almost the entire rest of the interview, which was entirely forgettable, was fluff about backstory and the usual little twists and turns to standard gameplay ideas.

So you're saying they've given up on the PVE only and now are putting PVP into the game?


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Murgos on May 21, 2005, 08:35:34 AM
Err, no.  PVE only.  Just PVE thats even more casual friendly than WoW's but maybe a touch more grindy than Guildwars.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Krakrok on May 21, 2005, 09:33:00 AM
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I'd also like to take this opportunity to compliment NCSoft on their stage show, which was far and away the best at E3, and possibly the only one worth watching on its own merits, even if it had nothing to do with the games. (image, image, image) Good music, good dancing, and no obnoxious mountebanks trying to rile up the crowd. I approved.

Actually that was the band doing the music for Auto Assault.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Llava on May 21, 2005, 12:41:15 PM
In your article you mention that it's "not yet clear" whether attackers, defenders or neither will set vulnerability times for bases.  It's set by defenders, I believe, as I recall some developers saying so outside the context of E3.  I can't find a quote right now, though.  Rather, I COULD, but don't feel like it.

Hooray for inadequately covered asses!


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Samwise on May 21, 2005, 03:01:38 PM
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Actually that was the band doing the music for Auto Assault.

I hadn't caught that.  Kickass!

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In your article you mention that it's "not yet clear" whether attackers, defenders or neither will set vulnerability times for bases.  It's set by defenders, I believe, as I recall some developers saying so outside the context of E3.  I can't find a quote right now, though.  Rather, I COULD, but don't feel like it.

The guy I spoke to indicated that they were sort of leaning that way, but it hadn't quite been set in stone yet.  I agree, having the defenders set the vuln time seems like the best/simplest thing to do, and that's probably what they'll end up doing.

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Hooray for inadequately covered asses!

 :-D


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Stormwaltz on May 21, 2005, 04:35:50 PM
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Rather than purchasing and dropping prefab buildings, players in City of Villains can construct their lairs room by room and in three dimensions.

Very cool. The "non-prefab" bit is a stylistic choice, albeit one that works especially well with CoH. In most MMGs I've played, the exteriors of buildings reflect the interiors, and the interiors are integrated on the landscape - i.e. you can look out the windows. That increases immersion IMO. CoH's missions have always ignored the shape and size of the supposed building exteriors with TARDIS-like abandon. That their "housing" should do the same is consistent.

I'm looking forward to this. I haven't been able to indulge my inner virtual interior decorator since ACDM.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: schild on May 21, 2005, 04:38:50 PM
I liked stacking fish and resources as furniture in SW:G. It was the best interior decorator sim evar.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Samwise on May 21, 2005, 04:51:22 PM
I liked stacking fish and resources as furniture in SW:G. It was the best interior decorator sim evar.

It would have been if you could actually stack them instead of having everything sit at floor level and clip through everything else.  NRRGH!


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: schild on May 21, 2005, 04:52:39 PM
I hear Vin Diesel could utilize the Z-Axis in SW:G.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: MrHat on May 21, 2005, 05:56:16 PM
I hear Vin Diesel could utilize the Z-Axis in SW:G.

He could also wrestle elephants.


Siugh friends don't let friends post drunk


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Hoax on May 22, 2005, 02:39:20 PM
@Sam:  Thanks for the write-ups and the asses.

I think there should be a list of mmog's we just dont talk about.
Imperator should be on that list.

This is the end of my thoughts, it was good to hear Conan seems to be out of the vaporware stage but I sure wish I had more info on Auto Assault and/or Tabula Rasa.

I will play Hellgate:London, DiabloII didn't do it for me while the original was the first online game I played and basically changed my life.  I would like to recapture that magic and wield large guns customized with randomly generated power-ups.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Calandryll on May 23, 2005, 06:50:30 AM
If I may point out a few things about DDO:

  • You don't have to click on the monster to hit it. Lift-clicking initiates your attack. If you are facing the monter and it is in range, a D20 roll is made. You don't even need a mouse-cursor at all to fight things. There is no auto-attack. Works the same for ranged attacks as well.
  • You can block and avoid attacks. This means if you see that giant lifting it's foot to stomp you, you can either hit the shift key (to block) or try to move out of the way. If you avoid the attack it automatically misses. Holding down shift and moving makes your character tumble (if he can tumble) - another way to avoid an attack.
  • Did you not get a chance to adventure with a group? The dynamics of the game change a lot when in a party - and not just in combat. Rogues can pick locks and disarm traps. Fighters can bash down doors, etc.

Also, did you get a chance to do any of the puzzles in the dungeon? A lot of the strategy players used to defeat the dungeon was using the environment (such as the traps) against the monsters.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: AOFanboi on May 23, 2005, 08:31:01 AM
it was good to hear Conan seems to be out of the vaporware stage
Speaking of strange Norwegian developers making MMORPGs, the company Running Games (http://www.running-games.as/rga/index.html) are doing pre-production work on of Medieval Kingdoms, apparently made in cooperation with that grand old man, Richard Bartle. (He has joined their advisory Board.)


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Samwise on May 23, 2005, 09:08:58 AM
You don't have to click on the monster to hit it. Lift-clicking initiates your attack. If you are facing the monter and it is in range, a D20 roll is made. You don't even need a mouse-cursor at all to fight things. There is no auto-attack. Works the same for ranged attacks as well.

There is no auto-attack, but you have to click to attack, but not on the monster?  So if I click on empty air then I'll still take an attack, at the last thing that I attacked, as long as I'm still facing it?

I remember trying at one point to figure out whether it was necessary to keep clicking on the bad guy, and I found that if I didn't, my "targeted creature" indicator emptied and my toon just stood there getting wailed on.  Maybe I'd accidentally turned away, though - the default key setup kept throwing me off when I was trying to move around in combat (QWES to move instead of WASD).

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Did you not get a chance to adventure with a group? The dynamics of the game change a lot when in a party - and not just in combat. Rogues can pick locks and disarm traps. Fighters can bash down doors, etc.

Unfortunately, no - I never saw any other players in the game world, so it wasn't clear to me how I'd go about forming a group.  I expect that once it's properly massive it won't be an issue.  I did get the picture about multiple ways to handle a door, though - when I played as a barbarian, I bashed it down, and when I played as a cleric, I flamestriked it.  Cute.   :-)

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Also, did you get a chance to do any of the puzzles in the dungeon? A lot of the strategy players used to defeat the dungeon was using the environment (such as the traps) against the monsters.

I only saw one trap area (that one big hallway full of traps), but I didn't get the puzzle aspect, other than seeing the dead bodies and figuring out that the area I was about to walk into was dangerous.  I tried to handle the traps like a jumping puzzle (hopping over the spinning blades, timing the spiky things and running over them when they were down), but I took damage even when nothing was visibly hitting me, so I gave up on that and just ran through each room, healing myself up at each resting point.  I figured that I was probably supposed to have a rogue in the group to be able to do anything more sophisticated.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Calandryll on May 23, 2005, 11:10:14 AM
If you click the left mouse button, you swing your weapon. If that weapon connects with a monster then the system rolls a D20 to determine hit or miss. You CAN target a creature, but you don't have to. In fact, I generally play the game in mouse look mode as I don't need the cursor during combat.

The puzzle I was referring to was a floor puzzle where you rotated tiles on the ground to complete an energy flow from one side of the room to another. I took a "shaky-cam' video of it during the show. http://www.ddo.com/files/52/30/56/13/204.mpg

Completing this puzzle spawns blade spirits that kill all of the monsters in the room below you. So smaller groups of people could use the puzzle to help them through the dungeon while larger groups could skip the puzzle and just kill the monsters themselves.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Samwise on May 23, 2005, 11:16:12 AM
Was there more than one dungeon being demoed at the show?  I played through the entire "kill the bad guy before he summons the bad thing" mission (except that I couldn't kill the bad guy because nothing I had left by the end would damage him, so my elemental just held him off me until the timer ran out and the mission failed) and don't remember anything like that, and I didn't see any hooks into any other missions.  Or did I just somehow skip some section of it?


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Calandryll on May 23, 2005, 11:37:10 AM
Was there more than one dungeon being demoed at the show?  I played through the entire "kill the bad guy before he summons the bad thing" mission (except that I couldn't kill the bad guy because nothing I had left by the end would damage him, so my elemental just held him off me until the timer ran out and the mission failed) and don't remember anything like that, and I didn't see any hooks into any other missions.  Or did I just somehow skip some section of it?
There were two quests demoed at the show, but it looks like you played the one in the dungeon with the puzzle. My guess is after fighting the undead, you went into the door on the right - directly into the room with the hellhounds. The door to the left led to a drow scorpion (similar to a Drider, except it's half scorpion - in Eberron the Drow worshop scorpions) and then to the puzzle room. You can actually look down through a window from the puzzle room and into the Hellhound room and watch as the bladespirits chew up the hellhounds.

Note that you can complete the quest going in either direction. Which is one of the cool things about DDO quests. There are often more than one way to solve them.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Samwise on May 23, 2005, 11:45:51 AM
Ah, there was an alternative to getting chewed up by the doggies?  That would have been nice.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Raph on May 23, 2005, 03:31:43 PM
Spore was up the stairs on the right hand side of the EA booth. Will was booked solid showing it, but I snuck in anyway. I think it was the same as the demo from GDC (which I didn't see).


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: HaemishM on May 24, 2005, 08:16:37 AM
The DDO stuff sounds interesting. Multiple solutions, some of which don't involve combat... much gud. Letting fighters bash down doors. SUPER GUD. I always hated that door bashing was never included in MMOG's as options for locked doors. It was either have a thief, have the key or you are SOL.

The CoV stuff sounds fantastic, except that my enthusiasm is tempered by the possibility of having to pay for a second goddamn subscription to play it. I say thee NAY to that.

Also, that asses pic... just wrong. The one wearing the white panties has an ass so flat, it looks as if an inverse thongage is happening. I would not be surprised to note that you had to brace yourself when taking the shot to avoid being pulled towards it.


Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: voodoolily on May 24, 2005, 09:24:24 AM
The DDO stuff sounds interesting. Multiple solutions, some of which don't involve combat... much gud. Letting fighters bash down doors. SUPER GUD. I always hated that door bashing was never included in MMOG's as options for locked doors. It was either have a thief, have the key or you are SOL.

I hate it when you can't do shit that humans could actually do. Especially stupid shit like jumping on a rock that's a foot away

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Also, that asses pic... just wrong. The one wearing the white panties has an ass so flat, it looks as if an inverse thongage is happening. I would not be surprised to note that you had to brace yourself when taking the shot to avoid being pulled towards it.

Ah, the much-maligned 'pancake ass'. IMO, much worse than having junk in one's trunk.



Title: Re: Samwise's E3 Adventures
Post by: Yegolev on May 24, 2005, 12:45:32 PM
Ah, the much-maligned 'pancake ass'. IMO, much worse than having junk in one's trunk.

I will second that.