In the face of the decline, is Bethesda the least declined company?

[abnaxus]

What happened to Bitler?

Toronto

 

[Makabb]

Bitler was ahead of his time.

 

[Lazing Dirk]

What happened to Bitler?

Probably masturbating vigorously to VR Skrim with porn mods

 

[Kyl Von Kull]

As much as I hate Bethesda, they are not the avatar of decline; BioWare is. BioWare used to make really good, well-rounded RPGs. Now they make, what? Romance simulators full of endless cutscenes interspersed with FPS or MMORPG gameplay. That's a steep downward trajectory.

Bethesda has always made sandboxes and, IMO, even their best work wasn't that great. Sure, they've dumbed them down, stripped out most of the RPG elements, taken the coolest toys away and kiddie-proofed everything. Nevertheless, the sandbox is still there. And sandboxes just don't do it for me, which is why I never really loved Daggerfall and I disliked Morrowind. The core concept of a world that's a mile wide and an inch deep was always their thing. How different are Fallout 4's radiant quests from Daggerfall's random quests and procedurally generated everything? How different is building a meaningless settlement from buying a meaningless house?

You can only decline so far if you were never that elevated to begin with.

 

[Makabb]

Yea but Bethesda games aren't real sandboxes, most stuff is scripted and there is a story that you have to follow.

 

[Tito Anic]

Essentially if you look at what is Daggerfall at core, it's a first person action game where you mash the mouse buttons to attack.
Fast forward 20 years later and you get Skyrim, what is essentially the same formula.

True

 

[Serus]

Essentially if you look at what is Daggerfall at core, it's a first person action game where you mash the mouse buttons to attack.
Fast forward 20 years later and you get Skyrim, what is essentially the same formula.

True

Basic formula might be somewhat similar but not the execution.
I never liked the formula but Daggerfall at least had ambitions, tried to explore some new possibilities for the genre (even if the whole direction it took is not my favourite). The games made after it by Beth... not so much.

 

[Makabb]

Essentially if you look at what is Daggerfall at core, it's a first person action game where you mash the mouse buttons to attack.
Fast forward 20 years later and you get Skyrim, what is essentially the same formula.

True

Basic formula might be somewhat similar but not the execution.
.

While Daggerfall is 0.5+0.5+0.5+0.5 = 2

Skyrim is 1+1 = 2

Yea it's more complex but the gameplay is about the same thing, and the thread is about the decline of company, so in that sense, Bethesda is still making the same game, where as other companies that are defunct or are nearing being defunct, do not.

Look at Square for example, all fans wanted for them is continue to making turn based games, and look at latest final fantasy, everyone hates it.

 

[NotAGolfer]

Yeah ... Bitler was spot on. Why all the butthurt? Sometimes Codex hivemind is an embarressment.
Ok, Daggerfall still was a much better dungeon crawler and had deeper and more versatile gameplay systems. But it's still shallow as a puddle and if you were truly immersed into that gameworld for longer than it took to complete the main quest then I'm afraid you're a retard and that's the end of the story.
Mods can fix a lot of the gameplay issues for all the sequels, which still doesn't change a thing, because in the end these games are all pretty shallow in every possible sense. Only Morrowind stands out lore-wise. Too bad scavenger hunting for lore doesn't do it for me.

 

[The Wall]

It's like asking: In the face of Western Europe's decline is Sweden the least declined country?

Yes Sweden, Sweden Yes. If you consider halal incline for kids to play on break taharush instead of hide and seek, mail in no-go zones delivered by SWAT team and bombs being thrown casually like firecrackers.

The same is with Bethesda. If you consider incline being main contributor to watering down the meaning of RPG to level of Fallout 4 and Skyrim (meme museums) , in process your trend being followed and praised by all less declined players on market even Obsidian and CD Projekt, having tremendous influence on market and using it to promote in your games (either made or published) popamolery, dumbing downness and since late SJW infection then yes. Yes, Derpthesda, a meme company making meme museum games is the least declined of all. If we are to meme about it.

Also Bioware is more declined but almost dead and has very little influence and respect left. Bethesda and especially its Skyrim are still too much praised, compared and aspired to by way too many gamers and companies.

 

[Makabb]

Why all the butthurt?.

Because teh 'muh daggerfall is hardcore rpg' meme

 

[Mebrilia the Viera Queen]

Bethesda went in decline when they decided to streamline everything in manner even a brainless monkey could just beat the game.. In morrowind being part of a faction were a thing... Become a Vampire or a Werewolf were a thing... In skyrim you can make a single character able to become a werewolf then a vampire then join the companion and after become the archmage of winterhoold as a warrior with only the light spell then you could go and murder the emperor with the black brotherhood to then swear to protect the empereror after this while every single fucking npc knows what faction you belong what you are if a werewolf or a vampire.

So yes.. Bethesda declined by a LOT... Just look what they did at the fallout franchise.

 

[Kyl Von Kull]

So yes.. Bethesda declined by a LOT... Just look what they did at the fallout franchise.

Bethesda didn’t make the originals so this is not actually an argument for Bethesda = decline. If they’d actually made Fallout 1 or 2 then you’d be right, but at no point in its history has Bethesda been able to make something that good. They ruined the Fallout franchise by doing the same thing they always do.

Oblivion and Skyrim would still be shit if they brought back meaningful build decisions. They would still be shit without a quest compass. That’s because they are full of shit tier content. And, sadly, the content of their earlier games was pretty low, too.

The fact that Morrowind would be truly awful if made with the same mechanics as Oblivion is an indictment of BOTH games.

 

[Mebrilia the Viera Queen]

So yes.. Bethesda declined by a LOT... Just look what they did at the fallout franchise.

Bethesda didn’t make the originals so this is not actually an argument for Bethesda = decline. If they’d actually made Fallout 1 or 2 then you’d be right, but at no point in its history has Bethesda been able to make something that good. They ruined the Fallout franchise by doing the same thing they always do.

Oblivion and Skyrim would still be shit if they brought back meaningful build decisions. They would still be shit without a quest compass. That’s because they are full of shit tier content. And, sadly, the content of their earlier games was pretty low, too.

The fact that Morrowind would be truly awful if made with the same mechanics as Oblivion is an indictment of BOTH games.

No about fallout we have to say the 3 was still crap but at least it had still some bland roleplay elements compared with the 4... I loved the old fallouts as well and i am aware they are not made by bathesda.. My point is.. Bethesda is dumbing down already dumbed down franchises.

 

[Micormic]

I always thought Bioware was substantially worse then Bethesda, not that I'm a fan of either.


I never played skyrim, but Oblivion and F3, F4(and to a lesser extent Morrowind) offended me way less then either Mass Effect or DA or even kotor did. Bethesda games always felt to me like they're designed for idiots, the games are easy,level scaled, dumbed down writing ect most of us have played them and have the same opinion. Bioware games on the other hand always felt to me like they were designed specifically for lonely virgins, the romances, cringe worthy dialogue, ridiculous over dramatic villains(starting in BG2). Everything about the way Bioware games are designed always felt to me like they're specifically made to appeal to people with inferiority complexes, I guess all games are like that to an extent but I basically consider Bioware games the nerd versions of say, call of duty(which to me cater to thuggy kids who would piss themselves if they handled an actual firearm or somehow found themselves in a war zone).


Yeah I def hate Bioware more when it comes to RPG designers, Bethesda is easily 2nd or 3rd though lol.

 

[Makabb]

Bioware games were ok up to Mass Effect 1

 

[Silva]

Bioware was always shit.

 

[Astral Rag]

Bungie started with MDK

 

[Frozen]

You cant decline when you were always at the bottom.

 

[Tovias]

Sick meme title.
I really hate how Bethesda is such a half assed piece of shit company and yet it has this position of big company in the RPG world that every single person out there looks up to. It's like whatever shit they produce is bound to sell like hot cake and get other five releases with a different adjective which will also sell like hot cake.

 

[DosBuster]

Amazing vistas

Yes, this is what an open world game built for 360/ps3 tends to look like. You expect games to render high poly models and detailed geometry far out as the eye can see?

 

[DosBuster]

Yea but Bethesda games aren't real sandboxes, most stuff is scripted and there is a story that you have to follow.

I mean, everything in video games is technically scripted?

 

[Makabb]

Yea but Bethesda games aren't real sandboxes, most stuff is scripted and there is a story that you have to follow.

I mean, everything in video games is technically scripted?

Sandbox is a game like cities skylines where there is no objective and you just build with what developers created.
RPG's are not sandboxes because you have to follow a story, the 'do whatever you want' is just a meme, because you cannot do whatever you want, you can only do what developers have created.

A real sandbox RPG would be helluva complicated, it would be basicaly simulating real life in a fantasy setting, it would require real intelligent AI too work, so it's pretty much impossible to make or rather no one sane would ever spent the time and resources to make it.

The closest to a sandbox RPG any game ever came close is Daggerfall.

 

[DragoFireheart]

Bethesda may not be the source of the decline but they sure as fuck declined like some asshole going Full Retard.

 

[Swampy_Merkin]

Sandbox is a game like cities skylines where there is no objective and you just build with what developers created.
RPG's are not sandboxes because you have to follow a story, the 'do whatever you want' is just a meme, because you cannot do whatever you want, you can only do what developers have created.

A real sandbox RPG would be helluva complicated, it would be basicaly simulating real life in a fantasy setting, it would require real intelligent AI too work, so it's pretty much impossible to make or rather no one sane would ever spent the time and resources to make it.

The closest to a sandbox RPG any game ever came close is Daggerfall.

Try Mount & Blade.