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Rendelius
Critical Error
Joined: 06 Jul 2001
Posts: 16
Location: Austria |
| Ekim's Gamer View: Living in a Country Called Gaming |
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It's friday, and thus it's time again for our weekly editorial by Ekim. In his 25th article, entitled <a href="http://www.rpgdot.com/index.php?hsaction=10053&ID=531">"Living in a Country Called Gaming"</a>, he discusses the present and the future of CRPGs:
<br><blockquote><em>Recently I’ve talked about how the game worlds of CRPGs should make us feel more physically “present”. I’ve had some interesting debates and discussions with readers about the subject and I realized that although what I was asking for was interesting it might be far too demanding on developers. I was also reminded of the sad fact that we RPG gamers are far from being the majority of the gaming community, even though we forget it because we are so vocal. That started me thinking…</em></blockquote>Read the whole editorial <a href="http://www.rpgdot.com/index.php?hsaction=10053&ID=531">here</a>... |
Fri Feb 28, 2003 7:32 pm |
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TheMadGamer
High Emperor
Joined: 03 May 2002
Posts: 487
Location: Southern California |
This is a loaded topic.
"Gathering villagers"
Good analogy and let me add to it. CRPGs also tend to offer MANY more game features in comparison to action games. So there are a lot more elements that can be critiqued. And these elements are critiqued, to a nausiating level, because it's true that CRPGs are longer lasting games and since there are few competing CRPGs at any given moment, we tend to critique the hell out of things.
"Passionate is as Passionate does"
This section of your article brings up an aspect about the CRPG gaming community that I have felt embarrased about (and vocal about on other CRPG related boards) for some time now.
While the value of message boards is great, they also can become a heap of tired ranting. Here's a trend that repeats itself over and over and over again on most developer message boards.
1) A new CRPG is announced!
2) CRPG gaming enthusiasts flock to the board, posting questions and making comments.
3) This process continues, sometimes for years with each day passing, the expectations about the game grows relentlessly like a beanstalk.
4) Within a few months of release of the game, there is much irritation and fussiness about 'why isn't the game released already??!!??'
5) The game goes gold, the community begins to drool.
6) Some people start getting the game, and begin posting their initial impressions. Typically, these posts are upbeat.
7) The general population of CRPG gamers start getting the game and there is a noticable down-spike of posts - obviously because everyone is now playing.
 After a few days, some critisims are brought to light.
9) After about a week, there is a rampage of critisims, rumors of lawsuits, and sometimes even death threats made toward the developers.
I've seen this pattern repeat again and again and again. It's pretty tiring and somewhat embarrasing.
Bah, out of time... I'll try to write more later.
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The Poster Previously Known As NeptiOfPovar |
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Fri Feb 28, 2003 7:44 pm |
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corwin
On the Razorblade of Life
Joined: 10 Jun 2002
Posts: 8376
Location: Australia |
Nept, your thoughts mirror mine exactly. Perhaps it's the long waiting time that builds up the expectations, but it happens for nearly every game. NWN was a good example. No RPG is perfect, but with a few exceptions, I have enjoyed nearly every RPG I've played. Some were obviously much better than others, but I can recall only one or two that I thought weren't worth what I paid for them. Value is relative. Compare the cost of a book, a movie ticket, and a concert ticket, to that of a game. Well, in that context how would you rate the enjoyment/time value of the game you just bought? I think most games rate rather well by comparison.
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Fri Feb 28, 2003 11:52 pm |
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dteowner
Shoegazer
Joined: 21 Mar 2002
Posts: 7570
Location: Third Hero of Erathia |
I'd say you're dead right about bad titles branding an RPG developer, though. Think anyone will run out and get "Might and Magic 10" the day it comes out? How about Heuristic Park's upcoming release? Will people have forgiven them for "Wizards and Warriors" (even thought the publisher, Activision, may be the principle culprit in that case)?
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Sorry. No pearls of wisdom in this oyster.
RIP Red Wings How 'Bout Dem Cowboys! |
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Sat Mar 01, 2003 5:25 am |
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Dhruin
Stranger In A Strange Land
Joined: 20 May 2002
Posts: 1825
Location: Sydney, Australia |
Good points all round.
Corwin certainly has a point on value - I've enjoyed nearly every RPG I've played and the value compared to other forms of entertainment is outstanding.
Neptiofpovar's forum summary is right on the money. Take a look at our own Gothic 2 forums - people are starting to throw themselves from the cliffs. |
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Sat Mar 01, 2003 7:02 am |
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Val
Risen From Ashes
Joined: 18 Feb 2002
Posts: 14724
Location: Utah, USA |
quote:
Originally posted by Dhruin
Neptiofpovar's forum summary is right on the money. Take a look at our own Gothic 2 forums - people are starting to throw themselves from the cliffs.
That's why I've practically stopped posting there altogether. 
Only on the rare occasion do I post in those forums now.
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Sat Mar 01, 2003 9:50 am |
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Lord_Brownie
High Emperor
Joined: 16 Feb 2003
Posts: 575
Location: Unfashionable arm of the spiral galaxy |
My concept of the problem is this: You can play 3d shooters and actions games without much brain work, and its alot of fun; however, RPGs have a very analytical crowd following them. Because smart, analytical people can have vastly different ideas about a game, and all be correct, they have more to say about the games they play. They have lots to say about both the good and the bad about the games. Measage boards are a great way for the companies to be intouch with the public, and its up to the company to find a balence between ideas that aide thier concept and are true constuctive critques, and those comments that are from irrational nutz or out of context with the companies' ideas. Every company is going to have its detractors with or without an internet as a forum to convey them. It is the companies' responsilbity to make the product, dispite these distractions. Bad reputations are sometimes warrented. AO, from what I understand, was troubled game at launch, and if I wasted money on it and suffered through it, I might not buy anther game from them for years. Funcom has some make-up work to do to bring back customers: it is apart of the cycle all busnesses must go through. Is it fair? If you bought AO at launch it might be. Because I never played any Funcom games I can't say, I only use them as an example because someone already brought them up. AO was not realy an option for me because I dont care much for sci-fi rpgs.
Because I'm not a good writer let me sum-up:
1. The rpg crowd is full of critcal thinkers that other game crowds have a shortage of. Because of this, there will always be a large number of posts good and bad on rpg makers' boards.
2. It is the companies responiblity to take and leave what they will. Getting rid of the boards doesn't get rid of detractors-it only allows companies to ignore them-the posts should be use responibly by the company. Responibly defined by the company, and reviewed by sales.
3. Ups and downs of the business cycle is apart of business; Some will fail some will survive. Fairness is largely an aspect of perspective, unless you beleave free-market is wrong. Then the business cycle is wrong, too.
LB  |
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Sat Mar 01, 2003 12:25 pm |
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TheMadGamer
High Emperor
Joined: 03 May 2002
Posts: 487
Location: Southern California |
http://www.rpgdot.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=17611
There's a perfect example of what I'm talking about.
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The Poster Previously Known As NeptiOfPovar |
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Sun Mar 02, 2003 1:55 am |
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Ekim
Eagle's Shadow
Joined: 27 May 2002
Posts: 2365
Location: Montreal, Canada |
quote:
Originally posted by Neptiofpovar
http://www.rpgdot.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=17611
There's a perfect example of what I'm talking about.
That's a pretty good example I would say  Although what they're talking about happens for any genre in gaming I think. Some people get tired of waiting and they give up for some reason... But for RPGs, where some games take so much time to develop, this takes proportions that are kind of scray... Calling for a boycott just because they're frustrated of the wait??? Boy! 
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Mon Mar 03, 2003 3:52 pm |
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