Game News AoD Gameplay Video - Carrinas Assassination

[Crooked Bee]

Obvious troll is obvious.

 

[el Supremo]

You could at least have the courtesy of creating alts that develop the mere shell of a life of their own before they start the blatant trolling spree.

A spree. Exaggerating a little? Even if you consider a honest question to be trolling, one post is hardly a spree. Hovever I do apologise if I offended anyone.

 

[Lonely Vazdru]

A spree. Exaggerating a little?

"Start" was an important word there.

 

[Elhoim]

As for the track in the video (night battle music?) I think overall it's good. I like the drums. I guess the constant repeating guitar motive does get tiring.

I agree with you, told the composer too when I got it. He tried a couple of different versions (we have quite a few combat music variations now), but I liked how this one sounded the most (except for the strings). He will be sending me a stringless version soon.

First because I'd rather see a "I'm not going further with the guild, but won't become a guard either, there's only so far I'm only willing to go" option, and second because betraying and killing your former partner always felt like a proof that you "can't be" trusted to me.

We agree with you, that's why... Well, I don't want to enter into spoiler territory

 

[Vault Dweller]

killing his partner to prove his sincerity

That's the part I've never bought in that classic. I say classic because the in my post meant "hardly original", not stupid.

It's not a big story twist, it's merely one of the options, so it doesn't have to be original.

But if it comes to discussing that part, then I never felt that betraying your former partners and doing a 180° turn to go from "assassins" to "imperial guards" made any real sense.

First because I'd rather see a "I'm not going further with the guild, but won't become a guard either, there's only so far I'm only willing to go" option, and second because betraying and killing your former partner always felt like a proof that you "can't be" trusted to me.

And yet it's a very popular option that was taken quite often in the olden days. For example, Lu Bu, a Han warlord, (killed by the famous Cao Cao) got tired of serving under Ding Yuan, so he killed him and gave his head to Dong Zhuo as a "hai thare can i be on ur side plz?" gift. He was rewarded and elevated, although to be honest, he did end up killing Zhuo a few years later.

So, yes, it's true that someone who betrays once can (and probably will) do it again, but I guess that people in power expect their enemies to acknowledge their awesomeness and change sides, so they rarely question it (or they appreciate the delivered heads of their enemies way too much and see the betrayal as an acceptable price). I do recall a few leaders who executed traitors who tried to change sides, but I'm pretty sure that the majority was a lot more tolerant.

For the record though, Carrinas does question it and makes you jump through hoops to prove that your worth to him.

Also, you do have an option to simply walk away, if you so desire, so you're not forced to do anything you don't want to do. However, should you decide to play an opportunistic cutthroat, this option should be available as well, in my opinion.

 

[Forest Dweller]

Well, the guitar does give a melody to play on top. It's just very repetitive. I don't think cutting it out entirely would be the best solution.

 

[Hegel]

VD, why don't you ask some indie band to cover up the OST part. You get some cheap original music and the guys get some cheap advertising.
:evilmastermind

 

[Murk]

Awesome, 3 pages of complaints about the combat music.

 

[CraigCWB]

shihonage,

His requirements are only accurate in isolation. This type of underestimation is common among those who don't know what they don't know, because they never had to work on these things in the context of a project of this complexity.

I've been a professional programmer since 1991 and in case you don't know this, back then things really WERE complex because there was no such thing as "middle-ware" or game APIs on the PC.

Such a person does not understand the system of priorities involved in making the project (of which there are hundreds, all higher than picking font sizes and duplicating menues), and they do not comprehend that every single font size has to be hand-picked and tested (and, if necessary, adjusted for) in various parts of the interface, which may or may not scale to it depending on functionality and implementation of a specific part.


That's just the kind of blah-blah-blah I expect from a hobbyist type who is just winging it.

Perhaps the biggest clue to his cluelessness is that he's comparing the work spent on AOD to that of an ambitious Flash app

Flash apps are progressing a lot faster than this game is, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if it's cruder than what facebook devs can do with flash by the time it's released. If it ever is.

This naivete, the gross underestimation of any and all effort involved, is born of the same source from which comes great enthusiasm of creators of new RPG projects which end up dying off the next summer, with great enthusiasm.


Dude, this game started as a jagged Alliance 2/Fallout 2 knockoff. It's been 10 years and that's still what it is. Delusions of grandeur much?

The only thing that can deprogram such an individual is attempting such a project on their own.

I note the way you speak from on high referring to me in the third person and in ambiguous terms, as if you're the queen of england. I sense your future in the software development industry will be bitter and brief. Especially when you spend so much time explaining to somebody who actually knows how to do stuff why that stuff can't be done in any kind of sane time frame. Not done by you, maybe. Which is why you're unemployed, isn't it?

 

[Melcar]

That's how The Codex rolls.

 

[quasimodo]

Quote

Dude, this game started as a jagged Alliance 2/Fallout 2 knockoff. It's been 10 years and that's still what it is. Delusions of grandeur much?


Unquote





If this game was a JA2/FO2 knockoff it would be the better than any game released in the last 10 years. Since it isn't (and I have a hard time imagining what gives you that impression) it remains to be seen how good it will be.

 

[Kz3r0]

And yet it's a very popular option that was taken quite often in the olden days. For example, Lu Bu, a Han warlord, (killed by the famous Cao Cao) got tired of serving under Ding Yuan, so he killed him and gave his head to Dong Zhuo as a "hai thare can i be on ur side plz?" gift. He was rewarded and elevated, although to be honest, he did end up killing Zhuo a few years later.

So, yes, it's true that someone who betrays once can (and probably will) do it again, but I guess that people in power expect their enemies to acknowledge their awesomeness and change sides, so they rarely question it (or they appreciate the delivered heads of their enemies way too much and see the betrayal as an acceptable price). I do recall a few leaders who executed traitors who tried to change sides, but I'm pretty sure that the majority was a lot more tolerant.

It's a matter of power, rulers that consorted with traitors did so because they were on a shaky ground not because they trusted them that much.

Awesome, 3 pages of complaints about the combat music.

Proof that Bioware got it right.

 

[7hm]

Who are you people complaining about the music? Since when is the merit of an RPG determined by the music? On the one hand... but on the other hand, good on the makers for that being the biggest concern from the trailer?

On to actual comment:

At the 1:45-1:55 mark in the video there is some weird AI movement going on. One of the archer allies just runs around getting stabbed. That would be my biggest concern from the video.

Edit:

He was surrounded and couldn't use his crossbow point-blank. He had to move and was attacked when he was "disengaging" and then attacked when he entered another NPC's zone of control. He failed to get close to the spearman (see the textbox) and had to step back, which made it seems like he was running back and forth. Basically, a spearman can make an attack of opportunity to prevent an enemy from getting close to him. A successful attack forces the opponent to step back. If there is enough AP left, the AI will make another attempt. Etc.

Reading the one page I skipped I see why. That said, it looks really wacky, regardless of reason. There should probably be a different setup or animation for that.

 

[Melcar]

Your face is wacky.

 

[Jora]

Dude, this game started as a jagged Alliance 2/Fallout 2 knockoff. It's been 10 years and that's still what it is. Delusions of grandeur much?

Five years suddenly became ten? And you don't think five years of part-time development is an acceptable time for an RPG? It took Bioware 7 years of full-time development to make NWN and they still failed to make a good game.

 

[Vault Dweller]

<snip>

You are STILL butthurt about that thread?

 

[Jora]

The egos of skilled and talented people are most easily bruised.

 

[denizsi]

Since when is the merit of an RPG determined by the music?

Goddamn alts / newfags.

 

[Vault Dweller]

It's true. RPGs are about music. The rest is just a candy wrapper. A true connoisseur will grind for hours to enjoy a delightful midi tune.

 

[MetalCraze]

A good game is a sum of its parts. Note how in Troika or LGS (or early UE) games which you do hold in high regards music always fits well with the rest of the game. And they were using in-house musicians mostly. Music is an important part of creating the atmosphere - and hey, I don't ask you to hire some Zimmer to do it - but damn at least make it not to annoy me after just 2 minutes.

 

[shihonage]

[...]you spend so much time explaining to somebody who actually knows how to do stuff why that stuff can't be done in any kind of sane time frame. Not done by you, maybe.

Craig, I love role models. They inspire me.

Please show evidence that backs up your claims of efficiency so that you can truly inspire the likes of me to be more efficient creators of games.

And by that, I mean a complex RPG you wrote from scratch, while juggling a real job at the same time, within an appropriately "sane" time interval, let's say, a year.

Sounds fair? Looking forward to it.

 

[Blind Eye]

The egos of people that think they are more skilled and more talented than everyone else are most easily bruised.

fixed.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

Just ditch the combat music completely. I don't remember a single time it was good, it added anything and that the games that didn't have one lacked nothing. Saying that you didn't "mind" or "notice" the music only adds to the argument; that it's useless.

 

[SimpleComplexity]

You can't judge the music until you like it.

 

[Konjad]

Just ditch the combat music completely. I don't remember a single time it was good, it added anything and that the games that didn't have one lacked nothing. Saying that you didn't "mind" or "notice" the music only adds to the argument; that it's useless.

 

[Tycn]

I like the music.