Random Gaming Thoughts II ~News Items Beware~

OrangeRakoon wrote:

Basically Paper Mario right?

Paper Mario did it to an extent, like the bit in TTYD where the fight goes into the audience. (The audience was the best mechanic the Paper Mario series has ever had, bring it back!) But nothing so radical as fighting in the actual menus, or game code, or what have you. I'm thinking that especially with offerings like Pony Island around, it's not too far-fetched to hope for.


Another random gaming thought, and a slightly worrying one: I'm starting to look at Google Maps like it's the map in XCX. So I'm thinking, "why take this roundabout route when I could just vault through the gardens/fly over the top?" Then I remember that I'm not in Mira, I don't have a Skell, and vaulting through people's gardens is both beyond my feeble frame and illegal. And I'm a bit sad.

Anyone else had similar worrying experiences, getting gaming and reality mixed up? Preferably while sober because it's funnier then.

In the correct thread this time:

Some RPGs, especially those by by Squeenix, have job systems. These usually fall into the genre's standard "black mage, white mage, attacker, defender" pots, with a handful of quirky ones you'll never use more than once. I was thinking that I want to see an Air Traffic Controller job, where you attack your opponents by flying planes into them. Or thematically appropriate equivalent.

Do you have any examples of jobs you really like? Or any jobs you wish an RPG would use that they haven't yet?

Inb4 Cappa responds with 2/10 again...

I just beat the Elite Four, so I'm calling it a day on Pokémon Red. I battered through this in just over fifteen hours, only cheating in the last half-hour because I couldn't be arsed with grinding after the eighth gym leader.

It's Pokémon Red: it's a wee bit dated and it's all very familar, but it's still a fantastic game. There's not much else needing said. 9/10.

Balladeer wrote:

I was thinking that I want to see an Air Traffic Controller job, where you attack your opponents by flying planes into them.

That sounds great. Do you reckon you could make a game like that and have it out in time for my birthday?

...Jimbob?

Otherwise, you might have to make do with these.

Balladeer wrote:

Do you have any examples of jobs you really like? Or any jobs you wish an RPG would use that they haven't yet?

Considering all I've been playing recently is the Ace Attorney series, a lawyer job would be interesting. Exposing inconsistencies in an enemy's attack to add debuffs or deal (emotional) damage.

Something like this...:

@Jay

Not a job in the traditional sense, but the Lifeguard character in Citizens Of Earth had some great attacks and healing spells, and was pretty subversive to boot. In terms of yer classic Final Fantasy jobs, I enjoy being the more quirky jobs, like Geomancer, though anything that's capable of giving enemies a good old fashioned kick to the nuts is always welcome.

I must have overlooked Jay's post when he first made it, but that is a top one. A lawyer would be excellent!

Anyway, the random thought I actually had (not so random actually) was agreeing that Nintendo turned away from the Wiimote too soon. There were some brilliant examples of motion control use just beginning to emerge towards the end of last generation, and it's a shame that we've seen basically nothing similar during this one.

The Mega 64 lads are fighting the good fight for OUR RIGHT to play volleyball with big titty anime girls.

Well I'll be playing it soon when ever my copy turns up.

Earlier today at lunch I flicked through an EDGE magazine. It reminded me of how much I miss the magazine scene, but the spell was broken when I ran across the word 'saponaceous' in one of the captions.

I've tried various games in the rouge-like genre, the most recent being Enter the Gungeon which I am enjoying but just like every other one I've tried I find it hard to keep playing if I'm constantly having a bad run.

Maybe I let the pressure get to me a bit too much.

I think with roguelikes you've just got to know when to quit for the day. Once you're off your game, you rarely come back.

Aye I don't want to end up hating the game because I can't progress, I feel like the genre is suited better to handhelds too since some runs can be so short.

Hmm Remote Play on VITA then

I was in HMV yesterday and I was looking at the new films when I spotted this



I know there has always been films that rip off other films, such as



but seeing something using a Video Game just seemed very odd to me, also I saw a film for sell which all in First Person which I swear had Hardcore in the title but was Zombies unlike Hardcore Henry but that was even more strange doing something before the thing doing it is even out.

The_Jaster wrote:

I've tried various games in the rouge-like genre, the most recent being Enter the Gungeon which I am enjoying but just like every other one I've tried I find it hard to keep playing if I'm constantly having a bad run.

Maybe I let the pressure get to me a bit too much.

Never been a fan of roguelikes.  Level and world design are massive selling points for me in any one-player adventure, and even knowing that they're randomly generated is a huge turn-off for me.  I had the same problem with Steamworld Dig.

Also I spent a good minute wondering how this tied into Zero's post. Yep, I miss them maggyzines too.  Not EDGE though, ones with a bit more humour in than that.

Good Roguelikes /do/ have very good level and world design though - the "random" level generators have to be carefully built to fit a difficulty curve, to be both playable and enjoyable with the game mechanics, and to fit together all of the elements in a coherent way. Binding of Isaac and Spelunky are both standout examples - Spelunky manages to be a randomly generated /platformer/ that holds together very well.

Then you have games like FTL where each run is randomly generated but every random part is hand crafted, which leads to a great world and feeling of place.

Balladeer wrote:

The_Jaster wrote:

I've tried various games in the rouge-like genre, the most recent being Enter the Gungeon which I am enjoying but just like every other one I've tried I find it hard to keep playing if I'm constantly having a bad run.

Maybe I let the pressure get to me a bit too much.

Never been a fan of roguelikes.  Level and world design are massive selling points for me in any one-player adventure, and even knowing that they're randomly generated is a huge turn-off for me.  I had the same problem with Steamworld Dig.

Also I spent a good minute wondering how this tied into Zero's post. Yep, I miss them maggyzines too.  Not EDGE though, ones with a bit more humour in than that.

It certainly isn't my favourite genre that's for sure but they remind me of old high score games except you're testing your skill on how far you can reach instead.

OrangeRakoon wrote:

Good Roguelikes /do/ have very good level and world design though - the "random" level generators have to be carefully built to fit a difficulty curve, to be both playable and enjoyable with the game mechanics, and to fit together all of the elements in a coherent way. Binding of Isaac and Spelunky are both standout examples - Spelunky manages to be a randomly generated /platformer/ that holds together very well.

Then you have games like FTL where each run is randomly generated but every random part is hand crafted, which leads to a great world and feeling of place.

Enter the gungeon definitely feels like FTL then as each chamber doesn't feel like it's randomly generated.


----

I also have to say that the devs of EtG clearly love their games as I've found a gun just like the NES zapper, proximity mines that wouldn't be out of place in Goldeneye 64 & I know of guns fashioned after mega man & Samus' arm cannons.

I'm sure there's a tonne of other gaming references to be found too.

ZeroJones wrote:

Earlier today at lunch I flicked through an EDGE magazine. It reminded me of how much I miss the magazine scene, but the spell was broken when I ran across the word 'saponaceous' in one of the captions.

I did the same with Retro Gamer recently and nearly subscribed off of the back of it. But it just lacks that "club" feel that the old Nintendo mags had. You felt a part of something mildly exclusive with your N64s/NGamers. It would be nice to bring that back, rather than just old games or Nintendo coverage (which sites like NintendoLife feel like). A fanzine or newsletter perhaps.

You got Nintendo Force gJones if you are looking a a Nintendo fanzine but with the internet being up to date as soon as stuff happens, I just don't see the point of a magazine as the latest NF maybe about the NX Controller Leak which we now know is fake for instance.

Also what happened to Nintendo's own online magazine?

masofdas wrote:

You got Nintendo Force gJones if you are looking a a Nintendo fanzine but with the internet being up to date as soon as stuff happens, I just don't see the point of a magazine as the latest NF maybe about the NX Controller Leak which we now know is fake for instance.

I don't care about the news. I care about the writing. I care about the permanence of the printed word. Articles, features and reviews in particular. I don't even visit sites like IGN or Gamespot any more, I just check out their YouTube channels on my phone because their immediacy makes them increasingly disposable. But if I want to actually read a well-written piece on a game or a topic related to gaming, a magazine is infinitely more preferable. I just find stuff like EDGE a bit too "Pitchfork-y", too snooty.

I know it's not a magazine but I feel videogamer have that "club" feel covered & had NGamer survived in an online sense that's how I'd imagine it being.

gjones wrote:

I don't care about the news. I care about the writing. I care about the permanence of the printed word. Articles, features and reviews in particular. I don't even visit sites like IGN or Gamespot any more, I just check out their YouTube channels on my phone because their immediacy makes them increasingly disposable. But if I want to actually read a well-written piece on a game or a topic related to gaming, a magazine is infinitely more preferable. I just find stuff like EDGE a bit too "Pitchfork-y", too snooty.

So few Internet news outlets actually put any effort into their writing.  Outlets that'll give you a perfunctory description of what has happened and describe/score games for you are ten-a-penny.  Sites that relay these in an entertaining manner are much harder to find.  Those that will also give you humorous well-written features with a videogames focus, in the style of NGamer and its forebears, are almost non-existent.  As for Nintendo-only ones, for the one-console Ollies among us - might as well look for a needle in a haystack made of needles.

I reckon that's why so many of our members are so damn good at writing: because we were all drawn together by a magazine (and briefly a website) that espoused these qualities.

gjones wrote:

masofdas wrote:

You got Nintendo Force gJones if you are looking a a Nintendo fanzine but with the internet being up to date as soon as stuff happens, I just don't see the point of a magazine as the latest NF maybe about the NX Controller Leak which we now know is fake for instance.

I don't care about the news. I care about the writing. I care about the permanence of the printed word. Articles, features and reviews in particular. I don't even visit sites like IGN or Gamespot any more, I just check out their YouTube channels on my phone because their immediacy makes them increasingly disposable. But if I want to actually read a well-written piece on a game or a topic related to gaming, a magazine is infinitely more preferable. I just find stuff like EDGE a bit too "Pitchfork-y", too snooty.

Your right I do like a good written piece, just take Balla's Bravely Second review it brought it to the forefront of mind and may have done the same for Zero who is now playing it as well. But let's say we had a Gintendo magazine and in April's 1st issue has all the reviews from the site, well you could of read that review for free ages ago online.

It's one of the reason I like Retro Gamer you bring up, I don't buy it often but it can review at any time for anything and it doesn't matter and can do cool features maybe a Top Zelda-Likes when it was Zelda's 30th Anniversary.

I do actually get a magazine shipped to my house in the VITA Lounge which has some cool interviews as well as reviews which due to them being on there website, I've ready seen but I pay $10 to have it in print where I could go for the digital version and do I really need it for just a few interviews here and there.

On the Club feel, I've not been on videogamer but things like this forum to me is that along with a certain ecosystem mine is Kinda Funny, I watch nearly all there content talk to people on the facebook pages and even went to a meet at EGX where we shouted Beyond during Shuhei's panel.

Balladeer wrote:

gjones wrote:

I don't care about the news. I care about the writing. I care about the permanence of the printed word. Articles, features and reviews in particular. I don't even visit sites like IGN or Gamespot any more, I just check out their YouTube channels on my phone because their immediacy makes them increasingly disposable. But if I want to actually read a well-written piece on a game or a topic related to gaming, a magazine is infinitely more preferable. I just find stuff like EDGE a bit too "Pitchfork-y", too snooty.

So few Internet news outlets actually put any effort into their writing.  Outlets that'll give you a perfunctory description of what has happened and describe/score games for you are ten-a-penny.  Sites that relay these in an entertaining manner are much harder to find.  Those that will also give you humorous well-written features with a videogames focus, in the style of NGamer and its forebears, are almost non-existent.  As for Nintendo-only ones, for the one-console Ollies among us - might as well look for a needle in a haystack made of needles.

I reckon that's why so many of our members are so damn good at writing: because we were all drawn together by a magazine (and briefly a website) that espoused these qualities.

This - all of this. There's a big difference between good writing and simply reporting and the former seems to be dying out. I read a book a few years ago that talked about how the rise of the Internet would mean hordes of amateur critics would drown out the professional writer; it seems to be coming true.

As for Gintendo, the writing keeps on getting better. Drunka raises the bar, Jimbob raises the bar, Balla raises the bar... it's all to the good.