What is Decline?

[Lemming42]

Decline was when consolisation occurred in the 2000s. It's more or less over now - you can say what you like about the RPGs of the last decade, and many of them are shit, but it's not uncommon for them to match 90s games in terms of mechanics and C&C.

I think it's more interesting to look at decline in other genres, since RPGs had a return to form after the whole Kickstarter/indie boom (again, you can argue that these games are subjectively shit because of boring stories/settings and a lack of innovation, but I think you'd have a hard time suggesting some of them are mechanical "decline" compared to many 90s cRPGs, especially post-Fallout ones which seem to be the most imitated type). FPS games in particular got utterly fucked, so badly that the only way anyone could think to rescue the genre was to desperately try to ape the visuals, themes, styles and mechanics of games from 20 - 30 years ago, which is pretty pathetic when you think about it - and I say that as someone who unironically enjoyed Ion Fury.

 

[CancerUnlimited]

At the beginning nerds(tm) were making games for other nerds(tm). And all was good.
Then some time passes and cashews and their peasants got into the hobby and started making games for the moneyz. Then DECLINE started.

 

[gaussgunner]

Tutorials are a hallmark of bad game design, good games teach players without having to interrupt the game to explain how the game works.

A tutorial is fine if it's just an honest tutorial and not the first three hours of the game pretending to be something else.

Deus Ex did it right, with a separate tutorial off the main menu. That was common practice for complex old games and simulators. What happened, some genius decided that all games should start with a few tutorial levels like Super Mario Brothers, even RPGs?

 

[Carrion]

Deus Ex did it right, with a separate tutorial off the main menu.

Yes, and it allows you to drop the player right onto Liberty Island, a starting level that would seem unthinkable in a modern game.

Action-packed "tutorials" are the worst, the ones where some great drama supposedly takes place and you're supposed to give a shit while learning exciting new things like how to move forward and crouch. You've got to grab the player's attention right away, I guess.

 

[Nos]

Decline was when consolisation occurred in the 2000s. It's more or less over now - you can say what you like about the RPGs of the last decade, and many of them are shit, but it's not uncommon for them to match 90s games in terms of mechanics and C&C.

I think it's more interesting to look at decline in other genres, since RPGs had a return to form after the whole Kickstarter/indie boom (again, you can argue that these games are subjectively shit because of boring stories/settings and a lack of innovation, but I think you'd have a hard time suggesting some of them are mechanical "decline" compared to many 90s cRPGs, especially post-Fallout ones which seem to be the most imitated type).

I think technological change, expanded audience and corporate consolidation are the key causes, after the 90s computing power had evolved to where every game had to be 3D and that took much more $$$s. So big companies took over and went after an expanded audience (of teenagers) that never heard of Civilization but love FPS games and are used to simpler console games. The small, creative companies went out of business (like Troika) or got bought out, then what few RPGs came out were made on the New Hollywood model of dazzling special effects and (very) simple stories and characters, involving images much more than text.

Now there's once again a niche for smaller companies and retro games (incline) but larger social forces such as increasing illiteracy and SJW movements are pushing the other way (decline). It's not a coincidence Eastern Europe is making the more interesting games nowadays, it's because they are somewhat behind the West in terms of cultural/intellectual decadence (but catching up fast...)

 

[Arbiter]

At the beginning nerds(tm) were making games for other nerds(tm). And all was good.
Then some time passes and cashews and their peasants got into the hobby and started making games for the moneyz. Then DECLINE started.

You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become Kotick.

 

[CancerUnlimited]

I must assume this Kotick is some kind of shill?

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

I must assume this Kotick is some kind of shill?

Bobby Kotick is the CEO of Activision, a post he has held since 1991.

 

[CancerUnlimited]

What is Activision?

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

What is Activision?

Activision is a prestigious developer of games for the Atari VCS/2600:

 

[Van-d-all]

Listing graphics as the first important element in cRPG.