Game News Georg Zoeller sez turn based in multiplayer ain't fun

[Saint_Proverbius]

Tags: BioWare; Dragon Age; Georg Zoeller

<b>Goerg Zoeller</b> of <A href="Http://www.bioware.com">BioWare</a> replied to <A href="http://forums.bioware.com/viewtopic.html?topic=358713&forum=84&sp=15">this thread</A> about the fun factor of turn based combat in multiplayer due to a request for that in <a href="http://www.bioware.com/games/dragon_age/">Dragon Age</a>. Here's his two cents:
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<blockquote>A multiplayer environment where other players have to wait for the current players turn to finish is among the most "unfun" things I can imagine.
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Yes, it's nice for certain types of games (i.e. Civilisation) where you can spent hours watching the units move over the screen or those 1 on 1 games you can play in HotSeat mode, but not for a RPG with more than 2 players. Playing BG II in MP mode with just one pause-happy companion was annoying enough, full turnbased combat would drive me nuts. No, I think BG/KotOR worked pretty well with a real time based approach (and probably sold much better than ToEE), so I wouldn't see a reason to suddenly go full turn based.
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But that's my personal opinion, I'm sure at least the guys at RPGCodex would disagree.</blockquote>
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You're damned straight we disagree! I find it tedious waiting six seconds for me to watch my guy swing a sword.
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Thanks, <b>Dhruin</b> of <A href="Http://www.rpgdot.com">RPGDot</a>.
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[taks]

but 6 seconds is the round definition in D&D... a ruleset, btw, that was designed to "simulate" real time play. with multiple attacks per round, btw, you don't have to wait six seconds between, either...

taks

 

[Sol Invictus]

The 6-second round conversion to real time is a tad flawed because it's dependent on the speed of the sprite animations. The problem occurs when you want to cast spells like Alacrity or Haste and the animations don't allow you to do that accurately because of the breakdown in seconds/split seconds.

 

[taks]

uh, the animations didn't dictate the actual attack or spell casting per se...
yeah, it looked like the sucker wasn't doing anything, but that was it. i think they said the animations could only handle 2 or three per round not counting the dual wield "doubles."

taks

 

[Shevek]

That dev is just being a typical spinmaster. Though, to be fair, Dragon Age is going to be NWN2 from what I gather (toolset, etc). Many would be Dragon Age MP module creators want to make thier MMO/Diablo-like worlds and RT combat would work best for 30 people running around doing little else than hacking and slashing innumerable battallions of kobolds.

 

[Volourn]

1. This isn't news.

2. I already made my comments on this. I basically disagree with Zoeller.

3. DA is not NWN2. DA is not KOTOR3. DA is not BG3. It is DA. deal with it.

 

[Sol Invictus]

It's news. It might not be about the development of any game in particular but it's certainly a post about what a developer thinks about a certain subject.

Interviews (which are basically a dispersion of memetic spores) aren't 'news' either, but we post them anyway, don't we?

 

[Volourn]

Must I post what i think about you posting interviews as news then? Nah. i think ya can guess. LOL

Anyways, not abiggy. It's an interesting subject that alreayd has a topic about it here.


Meh. Nevermind. I should start a thread about what qualifies in news in the Feedback Forum. I should; but I won't. Starting threads is boring.

 

[taks]

given that most of the news coming out these days is reviews of old games, i'd qualify anythin related to crpgs as news... at least with interviews, we get a glimpse into the minds behinid our games...

taks

 

[Volourn]

What a scary thought... Some things should just remained unknown for all of our sanity 9or what of it we have left)...

 

[Voss]

You know, if you guys are going to do this, and put up a news item based on a thread thats already in existence, wouldn't it be easier (and better) to just put a link to the existing thread?
Why spawn a different discussion about somethings thats already being discussed?

 

[Country_Gravy]

Because that would make too much sense.

And Volourn:

You are right DA is not NW2, KOTOR3, or BG3.

DA is going to be a total piece of shit.

Deal with it.

 

[Volourn]

Possibly; but if it is a piece of shit it will be a piece of shit. Still doesn't make it any of the other games.

You lose... again...

P.S. Also, it's nice to know you have no original thought in your head simply stelaing others' material. What a lameo.

 

[Jed]

Volourn: What the fuck are you smoking?

 

[Volourn]

Stop spamming and post something that can be answered and has to do with games. I'm not this important. I, unlike some, at least try to stay on topic or at least on topic games wise.

P.S. My Exitium rants aside. LOL

 

[Spazmo]

What the hell? Volourn, did someone kick you in the nutsack today? Are you off your anti-dickhead pills? Did you get evicted? Or is this just a temporary spike of random stupidity and abrasiveness?

 

[Volourn]

Huh? Don't blame me for other sbeing rude. I have the right to return rudeness to those who are rude to me. Only difference is when i try to be rude; i don't play Fiddlesticks. Be op[nionated, and courteous to me and I'll return the favor. Some thing that some people seem to forget here.

Anyways, this is now off topic. That is wrong.


Back to the Bio dude's comments. i disagree with him. i believe TB can work in a MP game. that is all.

 

[Country_Gravy]

Possibly; but if it is a piece of shit it will be a piece of shit. Still doesn't make it any of the other games.

You lose... again...

How can I lose? I was agreed with you. I was just expanding on what you said. I figured that you just left that last part out in your post.

See if I try to help you out again.

 

[Volourn]

Ha. Good one. :D

P.S. I don't need help at least not the kind of help you can provide.

 

[Voss]

Personally, I'm curious why you think its going to be a piece of shit.
The combat system will be unusable? The writing will be done by the sick perverts that write for the Teletubbies?
Have you seen it, or do you just magically know these things?
Examples?

 

[Volourn]

It's Bioware. 'Nough said.

 

[Voss]

'nuff'.
'Nuff said.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go wonder about the possiblity of intelligent conversation.

 

[Country_Gravy]

Turn based would work in MP. The problem is that a bunch of people out there would not use it correctly. The wait times between turns would get to people and make them not want to buy the sequel. I think that it would turn enough people off that it would make the game less appealing to the masses and ultimately make the IP less profitable in the long run.

This is, after all, the games BUSINESS. These companies are trying to make the most money possible on the games that they create. You do this by making great games that appeal to a broad audience and then immediately pump out six sequels while the property is still hot. Look at KOTOR.

The whole thing kind of sucks, though, because the companies end up shooting for the lowest common denominator and then you just end up with games like NWN.

 

[Country_Gravy]

Personally, I'm curious why you think its going to be a piece of shit.
The combat system will be unusable? The writing will be done by the sick perverts that write for the Teletubbies?
Have you seen it, or do you just magically know these things?
Examples?

I wish I just magically knew things. I would be rich. :D

From the Bioware games that I have played in the past (I haven't played KOTOR, though), I think the combat will be disappointing. I haven't liked the combat in most of their other games and I really like turn based stuff, so I probably won't like it. I am under the assumption that since their other games have sold a ton, they are going to stick to a formula that works, so this game will have a lot of similarities to their other games. I bet the graphics will be good, though, because BioWare knows that good graphics will help sell the game.

It would seem a pretty sound business model that if you do something that makes you a ton of cash, KEEP DOING IT! I can't blame them for that, I just think that the game will not be something that I will get too much enjoyment out of.

 

[Volourn]

Which is fair, and it is why you shouldn't biy it. Unlike Spazmo who will.