Ok, ok, I'm supposed to be reviewing games, not complaining about game companies, right? Whatever!
I just read this article the escapist:
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/92296-Is-a-Neverwinter-Nights-MMOG-in-the-Works
... That says Atari is working on a Neverwinter Nights MMORPG. The article states that one of the things that made NWNs so popular is that people were able to create their own worlds that were like mini-MMOs and thus "it only makes sense to make Neverwinter Nights into an MMORPG" [<-Not a perfect quote.]
I'm about to make a slight change in topic, but in a minute you'll see how it relates:
I grew extremely upset when I learned that Bioware is about to release Dragon Age as a Single Player Only game! I was chomping at the bit looking forward to creating my own PW in Dragon Age, and then had all my hopes and dreams shattered when I learned that despite having what will be probably a really awesome toolset the game will only be single player!
How does this relate? I'm upset because I wont get to create my own little MMORPG where I get to be god and everyone else is a bunch of little peons begging me for gold, magic items, and other treasures! See, what Atari and Bioware are missing is that some of us old-school roleplayers are DMs and that we have hungry god complexes that no amount of playing The Sims or Black & White is going to fill! We're not looking to toss around unfeeling little artificial intelligent people or make puppet people wet their virtual pants when we don't build toilets into their houses. We want to have power and dominion over real people through our virtual worlds! We want to know someone is really cowering when we threaten to drop a fireball upon them from the heavens above! Also, the only way we can get these kicks are through games like Neverwinter Nights!
The other thing Atari seems to be missing out on is that the "Mini-MMORPGS" are all as unique as the imaginations of the people who created them. Sure the main game may be Neverwinter Nights, but I've played on servers set in Harry Potter-like worlds, and I've seen PWs set in the Firefly Universe (See: Sci-Fi)!
There are several major reasons why the people who play on Neverwinter Nights PWs prefer Neverwinter Nights PWs, and all of these reasons are why a NWN MMORPG will likely flop on it's face!
Reasons:
1. Neverwinter Nights is FREE to play online!
a. Not everyone is willing to shell out $14.99 a month (or Whatever MMORPGs are charging these days) to play a game online. There are many people who've I heard say the phrase, "I will only pay for a game once!" (Meaning they don't like paying monthly for a game, right!?)
b. Not everyone can afford $14.99 a month! Especially in the current economical climate!
2. There's something for everyone!
a. Some people like games that punish them; They prefer it that when their character dies, they're dead! Gone for good! That's it, roll up another one baby!
b. Some people like games where when they die, they bounce right back up and are able to just keep on going like nothing ever happened!
c. And there are lots of people who like all the shades in between! (Can an MMORPG offer all the shades? - I think not.)
d. Some people love full PvP, some people hate PvP, and some people like the in-between! Can an MMORPG serve all of them?
e. Some people like Hack 'n Slash (generally available in every MMO), but others like to just roleplay... And the hard thing is: Those whole like "Hardcore Roleplaying" don't like to be surrounded by people who don't know what the word "Roleplay" means! (That's one of the biggies I believe for NWNs!)
3. Neverwinter Nights provided great (community made) single player adventures... And plenty of them!
The short of it is: Neverwinter Nights managed to provide nearly everything everyone ever wanted to nearly everyone who wanted it!
There's an old saying, "You can't please everyone all the time." And while Neverwinter Nights certainly wasn't able to please everyone even part of the time, it's probably the only game that's ever come close to doing so.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Fallout 3
I have been a fan of the Fallout games since the first time I laid eyes on Fallout (The First One). I've always enjoyed turn-based strategy games and C-RPGs, and fallout combined both of those into one very beautiful (if you can call a post-apocalyptic wasteland beautiful) game. I enjoyed the game play, the setting, and the stories the game told.
When I had first heard they were making Fallout 3 I became overjoyed, but then when I learned Bethesda was creating it I had become worried that Fallout 3 would be more like Morrowind and Oblivion than Fallout 1 or 2. Then when I learned that Fallout 3 was part turn-based and part-real time, I really became distressed and expected Fallout 3 to have terrible game play.
However, I think Bethesda pulled it off! I can actually say I really enjoyed Fallout 3 and am now looking forward to Fallout 4 (I'm told it will be called "New Vegas").
Alright, so here's my break down:
PROS:
* Well written story.
* Beautiful Graphics & Well Designed Scenery
* A very decent A.I. (with NPC that actually run for their lives when you blow one of their friends in half before their eyes).
* "Neat" sub-games (Hacking System and Locking Picking).
+ I especially like Fallout 3s Lock Picking system.
* Plenty of "Side-Quests" (I haven't even 'done' them all yet).
* A Turn-Based combat system that actually works (In my opinion. - I have seen others who've said they didn't like it.)
CONS
* Few weapons
* The main story can be played through very quickly, and players can be finished with the main plot before they even realize it.
Personal Complaints:
* I couldn't put together an old vehicle (like in the other fallout games) to help me carry more junk/loot back to my base of operations.
* Weapons and Loot is so plentiful that there's really no point of Pack-Ratting and I learned that too late. (That may seem like an odd complaint when following the first.)
* I didn't get to spend as much time as I would have liked running around in power armor.
* Some NPCs were too easy to kill (like Brotherhood and/or Outcasts).
* Supplies were so plentiful that I didn't really feel like I was in a wasteland.
* The music is great at first but becomes annoying after a while.
* The DJ (Three Dog) keep repeating himself over-and-over and it gets annoying. - It's very neat at first when he talks about you, but it becomes really annoying when you hear the same news story for the third time in an hour.
All and all I like Fallout 3 and recommend it to anyone who like C-RPGs.
If you prefer first-person shooters you might want to stay away from this one. Fallout 3 is more about character skill than player skill (although I did snipe a few bad guys with my scope and no "VATS" [Vault-Tech Assisted Targeting System]).
I'm looking forward to playing the expansions.
When I had first heard they were making Fallout 3 I became overjoyed, but then when I learned Bethesda was creating it I had become worried that Fallout 3 would be more like Morrowind and Oblivion than Fallout 1 or 2. Then when I learned that Fallout 3 was part turn-based and part-real time, I really became distressed and expected Fallout 3 to have terrible game play.
However, I think Bethesda pulled it off! I can actually say I really enjoyed Fallout 3 and am now looking forward to Fallout 4 (I'm told it will be called "New Vegas").
Alright, so here's my break down:
PROS:
* Well written story.
* Beautiful Graphics & Well Designed Scenery
* A very decent A.I. (with NPC that actually run for their lives when you blow one of their friends in half before their eyes).
* "Neat" sub-games (Hacking System and Locking Picking).
+ I especially like Fallout 3s Lock Picking system.
* Plenty of "Side-Quests" (I haven't even 'done' them all yet).
* A Turn-Based combat system that actually works (In my opinion. - I have seen others who've said they didn't like it.)
CONS
* Few weapons
* The main story can be played through very quickly, and players can be finished with the main plot before they even realize it.
Personal Complaints:
* I couldn't put together an old vehicle (like in the other fallout games) to help me carry more junk/loot back to my base of operations.
* Weapons and Loot is so plentiful that there's really no point of Pack-Ratting and I learned that too late. (That may seem like an odd complaint when following the first.)
* I didn't get to spend as much time as I would have liked running around in power armor.
* Some NPCs were too easy to kill (like Brotherhood and/or Outcasts).
* Supplies were so plentiful that I didn't really feel like I was in a wasteland.
* The music is great at first but becomes annoying after a while.
* The DJ (Three Dog) keep repeating himself over-and-over and it gets annoying. - It's very neat at first when he talks about you, but it becomes really annoying when you hear the same news story for the third time in an hour.
All and all I like Fallout 3 and recommend it to anyone who like C-RPGs.
If you prefer first-person shooters you might want to stay away from this one. Fallout 3 is more about character skill than player skill (although I did snipe a few bad guys with my scope and no "VATS" [Vault-Tech Assisted Targeting System]).
I'm looking forward to playing the expansions.
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