Editorial RPGs of 2004 article on Silven

[Saint_Proverbius]

Tags: Beyond Divinity

<A href="http://www.silven.com/">Silven</a> has posted a little <A href="http://www.silven.com/articles.asp?case=show&id=83">article</A> about how much 2002 and 2003 sucked for CRPGs, but why we should look forward to 2004. One of the reasons is because of <A href="http://www.riftrunner.com">Beyond Divinity</a> per this:
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<blockquote>There’s no doubting it, Beyond Divinity is going to be one heck of a ground breaking CRPG. With American companies having dropped the proverbial ball, it seems that European companies have picked it up and slammed-dunked it. Not only will Beyond Divinity sport a re-tooled and bug-free engine this time around, but it will also attempt to create a “Random Quest Generator” that could become the most imitated gameplay addition in a CRPG since Ultima 4’s Cause-and-effect alignment system. Furthermore, Beyond Divinity starts out with your peace-loving character being permanently “bonded” to the soul of one of your black hearted enemies…and then throws you into another dimension where you are forced to work with this hateful beast in order to escape. The premise is so original that I’m shocked no one has thought of it before. Even the skill system is revolutionary in the way that you can actually create your own skills by modifying certain attributes of the generic ones. Although details have been sketchy, there is no doubt that character customization in Beyond Divinity will reach heights never before seen by any other CRPG. Even the artificial intelligence is said to have been reprogrammed, giving monsters the same spells and skills as your own and giving them the ability to hide and teleport away from you if their odds of survival dip too low.</blockquote>
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Random quest generation is new?
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Thanks, <b>DemonKing</b>!
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[Jung]

"Random quest generation is new? "

I've heard of dungeon generation, but quest? Maybe in early TES games... I don't recall. It will only be imitated if it works well.

 

[Voss]

Sacred is supposed to have it too. But it has been tried in the past, though never particularly successfully.

I found the article amusing, though a little trite, since you have the typical ignorant reviewer who decides that a) all hype is true. and b) if things are new to him, they must be new to everyone.

 

[Nightjed]

i can think of a lot of random quest generators, actually any game that has random level generators also has random quest generators (they are not "fixed", even tho they are similar and share areas/events) ejs : diablo, master of magic, master of orion, missionforce cyberstorm, most old mechdriving games that had "instant action" options (just to name a few old ones)

btw, if you check a few game boxes youll see the words "unique" and "original" on most of them, and let me ask you, whats the last trully original game youve played ? i cant think of any that isnt at least 3~5 years old, you shouldnt be surprised when they hype crap with those words

 

[Jung]

btw, if you check a few game boxes youll see the words "unique" and "original" on most of them, and let me ask you, whats the last trully original game youve played ?

http://www.garagegames.com/pg/product/view.php?id=17

 

[Nightjed]

bridge construction :shock:
isnt it a bit like the old tycoon games ?

hey, can you get your bridge to resonate with the wind and colapse ? :D

 

[Jung]

bridge construction :shock:
isnt it a bit like the old tycoon games ?

hey, can you get your bridge to resonate with the wind and colapse ? :D

It does have wind, but it hasn't figured prominenly in the scenarios I've played so far. You can create your own level and crank up the wind :D It is a purely an engineering challenge, not a financial/business simulation. Warren Spector's head would explode.

 

[Transcendent One]

Yes, Jade Empire sure is a CRPG

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Something original?

Safe Cracking Simulator

Vib Ribbon (console game)

Alter Ego

BlockCAD

Pontifex (sequel to Bridge Builder, apparently)

Charlie Chaplin

Cosmology of Kyoto

Dynamite Heady (console game)

EVO: Search for Eden (console game)

Princess Maker 2

Rekkaturvat

Stunt Island

Triple Triad Gold (fanmade remake of a console game's minigame)

Wonder Project J (console game)


There's also other things like Sega's Typing of the Dead, or Treasure's Ikaruga.

EDIT: Said Stunt Island was a console game . Fixed.

 

[Volourn]

Jade Empire is an action rpg which makes it as much a rpg as the action rpg known as Bloodlines. Just because one is on console and the other PC doesn't change tat fact. They are both crpgs.

*arf*

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Jade Empire is an action rpg which makes it as much a rpg as the action rpg known as Bloodlines. Just because one is on console and the other PC doesn't change tat fact. They are both crpgs.

Nope. One is a Computer RPG, the other one isn't :p CRPG is usually used to define computer RPGs. I've rarely seen CRPG being applied to console RPGs. Most people i've talked to prefer to label those as just RPG or JRPG (to denote their Japanese origin).

*arf*

:shock: Er... sit, Ubu, sit?

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

I've heard of dungeon generation, but quest? Maybe in early TES games... I don't recall. It will only be imitated if it works well.

Yeah, Daggerfall had random quest generation back in 1996.

 

[EEVIAC]

Since when did consoles not qualify as computers? All this time I thought they had PCB's and sticks of memory when in fact its a newt's brain in a vat, brought to life by a 13th century midwife. Why wasn't I told?

 

[Sol Invictus]

Good dog.

 

[Otaku_Hanzo]

Yeah, Daggerfall had random quest generation back in 1996.

Did someone mention Daggerfall?!?! Mmmmm........... Daggerfall.........

 

[Volourn]

I'm with EEVIAC. I find both consoles and computers's have crpgs. To call console rpgs JRPGs is just plain dumb. Last I checked, JE is not being made by a Japanese company. And, sense when did bigotry come into play when describing video games.

*sits*

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

I'm with EEVIAC. I find both consoles and computers's have crpgs.

I don't really consider a console the same as a PC, so you'll have to excuse me if i fail to see where it had CRPGs released on it. Aside games which had dual platform release, like Morrowind or KoTOR, RPGs for consoles are quite different from PC RPGs. Console RPGs are not the same as computer RPGs, on their whole. You have exceptions like Anachronox or Septerra Core, for PC, but very few exceptions will change it.

To call console rpgs JRPGs is just plain dumb.

I rarely do that, but hey, they are mostly japanese. Its not like every console RPG would be japanese, there are exceptions after all (most blatant ones being Morrowind and KoTOR, after all). Its hardly dumb to associate something according to their predominant origin.

*sits*

Good dog

 

[Volourn]

Yes. Console rpgs and Computer rpgs are usuallyu different in style and deisgn; but note they'd technically be called crpg both sicne they both start withc rpg.

Sorry, just because the most console rpg is from Japan doesn't mean they should all be referred to as JRPG. Should all all computer rpgs becalled DRPG because Diablo is the most fmaous one (even though I don't think it is one hehe)? No, of course not.

*wags tail*

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Yes. Console rpgs and Computer rpgs are usuallyu different in style and deisgn; but note they'd technically be called crpg both sicne they both start withc rpg.

Even most console players usually don't use CRPG when refering to console RPGs. Very few actually use it, and those that do don't usually keep on using it for long.

Sorry, just because the most console rpg is from Japan doesn't mean they should all be referred to as JRPG.

And where does it say that JRPG would refer to all console RPGs?

Should all all computer rpgs becalled DRPG because Diablo is the most fmaous one (even though I don't think it is one hehe)? No, of course not.

Thats a bad anology and a wrong interpretation of whats being talked about. Most console RPGs are usually labelled as JRPGs because those that are refered to as JRPGs are actually japanese. People don't go calling MW a jap RPG. Most Diablo clones are called Diablo clones because they're trying to imitate Diablo in many instances. C'mon McFly, shape up!

*wags tail*

*gives cookie*

 

[Volourn]

Huh? Very people I know refer to console rpgs as JRPGS. In fact, most people don't label them that specifically. They just label them all as rpgs. Period. I just find it odd to refer to Jade Empire as a JPRG since it has to do with China not Japan, and is made by a non Japanese devloper and publisher to boot. Not to mention, other than they are both considered "rpgs"; they have very little in common.

What would you call JE, KOTOR, and MW? JPRGs? Or CRPGs. One must rememeber, that consoles *are* computers. Of course, EEVIAC has already pointed out this so it only makes logical sense to call them crpgs as well.

P.S. I hate cookies. Espicially Internet Cookies.

 

[Jed]

I just find it odd to refer to Jade Empire as a JPRG since it has to do with China not Japan, and is made by a non Japanese devloper and publisher to boot. Not to mention, other than they are both considered "rpgs"; they have very little in common.

I suspect there'll be a lot of mixing of different asian cultures in Jade Empire, which is typical if one looks at almost any other asian influenced RPG setting.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

I just find it odd to refer to Jade Empire as a JPRG since it has to do with China not Japan, and is made by a non Japanese devloper and publisher to boot. Not to mention, other than they are both considered "rpgs"; they have very little in common.

What would you call JE, KOTOR, and MW? JPRGs? Or CRPGs.

Ok. What part of some people name japanese console RPGs as JRPGs did you miss? I think it's the third time i've stated this in the thread, that its not about calling them all japanese.

One must rememeber, that consoles *are* computers. Of course, EEVIAC has already pointed out this so it only makes logical sense to call them crpgs as well.

A console isn't exactly a computer. Only the Xbox, until now, has blurred the line somewhat (and the PS2). Not only that, there's also the fact that consoles are basically media-driven machines; computers are still much more.

Also when you say "Console RPG" and "Computer RPG", you're basically pointing out the basic differences in game structure. Its not about which one is a computer or not; its about differences in games.

P.S. I hate cookies. Espicially Internet Cookies.

*replaces cookie with dog biscuit*

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

I'm with EEVIAC. I find both consoles and computers's have crpgs. To call console rpgs JRPGs is just plain dumb. Last I checked, JE is not being made by a Japanese company. And, sense when did bigotry come into play when describing video games.

*sits*

Let's see.. JRPGs have silly romances.. Check.
JRPGs have linear plot lines and forced and contrived storylines often with a twist.. Check.

 

[Otaku_Hanzo]

Look up CRPG in a search engine and what do you get? COMPUTER role-playing games. That's what it means. I've always known console RPGs as JRPGs as well. And the reason for it is because they all follow the same basic patterns, as SP pointed out, which is practically a trademark of the Japanese, hence the reason for the J.

 

[Transcendent One]

Well I don't know, I never seen CRPG as a reference to console RPG. And consoles may qualify as computers, but most people make the distinction between computer as in PC and console such as X-Box or PS2 or whatever. No, I have never seen consoles being referred to as computers.