Editorial RPG Codex Report: PAX East 2014

[Crooked Bee]

Tags: Chris Roberts; PAX East; Star Citizen; Tim Schafer

Have you ever been to a gaming convention? You know, one of those events where gamers, cosplayers, and developers meet, and panels are held that no one really cares about? If you ever felt you might be missing out, don't: the Codex's most famous person with a disability, esteemed community member mindx2, has just recently returned from this year's PAX East (held on April 11-13), and is here to tell you why it proved to be a disappointment for him. Here's a Tim Schafer-related anecdote:

Then I noticed the sign behind the cashier stand stating that the one and only Tim Schafer would be there at 2:00. It was 1:45, and I had stumbled right into the head of the line to meet the man himself! I would be able to deliver my message of disappointment face to face, and bemoan the fact that he had failed to recapture the glory of Day of the Tentacle and Grim Fandango. Sure enough, about ten minutes later he was there, and I was climbing off my scooter to shake his hand. Granted, this was not going to be an in-depth conversation like I had with Chris Roberts. I would literally only have a minute to say whatever I had to say.

I walked up and explained that I had been tasked by the RPG Codex to report on my PAX experience, and he went “Who?”

“It’s a prestigious magazine/forum.” I said. He just stared blankly at me.

“We thought the game was too easy.”

He looked down at me, clearly not expecting criticism and said, “No it's not. You say that or they say that?”

“Well, the consensus was that that the puzzles were too easy,” I replied.

I will always remember his response to that. He said, “Tell them they're playing it wrong.”​

Read the full article: RPG Codex Report: PAX East 2014

 

[Humanity has risen!]

Like someone said in the other thread, gamers are horrible creatures, to be avoided whenever you can.

“Well, the consensus was that that the puzzles were too easy,” I replied.

I will always remember his response to that. He said, “Tell them they're playing it wrong.”

And here is the real reason for the decline: the old designers are burned out and feel like streamlining is progress because it allows them to enjoy games in spite of their busy lives and declining willingness to deal with annoyances and genuinely don't see anything wrong, and the younger one grew with streamlined games.

 

[Scruffy]

Have you ever been to a gaming convention?

lol no

cosplayers

lol

If you ever felt you might be missing out

no

 

[CWagner]

That Meat Tornado seems like it would make the whole thing worth it.

 

[set]

All gaming conventions are like this. Only social people (or desperate social rejects) go to these types of conventions, so naturally you won't find much of a PC crowd there (a group of self-described troglodytes and orcs). Games of any merit these days are open-source or so "independent" that they couldn't possibly afford a booth. Or, they're smart enough to realize their target audience isn't daft enough to waste their money going to a convention like this.

It's no surprise people over there have no idea what an RPG is nor what the "RPGCodex" is.

 

[mindx2]

That Meat Tornado seems like it would make the whole thing worth it.

Not so much on the ride home...

 

[Infinitron]

Good thing there are no reporters or game journalists here then

 

[Jack Dandy]

I don't think BA was bad because it was too easy (although it was part of it)

It was more about how short it was, what a terribly boring character Vella was, and the sheer feeling of "why the fuck should I care about all this" throughout her Chapter. It all felt so disjointed.

Playing Heroine Quest after BA really put things in perspective for me. BA is basically a dried up turd compared to that.

 

[mindx2]

I don't think BA was bad because it was too easy (although it was part of it)

It was more about how short it was, what a terribly boring character Vella was, and the sheer feeling of "why the fuck should I care about all this" throughout her Chapter. It all felt so disjointed.

Playing Heroine Quest after BA really put things in perspective for me. BA is basically a dried up turd compared to that.

Granted, I agree with that yet I literally only had a few moments to say anything. I wasn't even expecting him to be at PAX, let alone speak to him, and that was the first thing that sprang to mind as I walked up to him.

 

[Dyspaire]

You had me at Meat Tornado.

 

[Jaesun]

“It’s a prestigious magazine/forum.” I said. He just stared blankly at me.

 

[Scruffy]

the Codex's most famous person with a disability

*reads article*
*sees pictures*


so, now i'm torn between "how did you type this" and "did you cosplay a t-rex"
which is more offensive?

 

[mindx2]

the Codex's most famous person with a disability

*reads article*
*sees pictures*


so, now i'm torn between "how did you type this" and "did you cosplay a t-rex"
which is more offensive?

Take your pick and I'll laugh at both. :D

 

[Jack Dandy]

(Honestly tho, how DID you type out all that?)

 

[J_C]

I don't think anyone should condemn Chris Roberts for using a gamepad. Sure it is not a joystick, but simulators are the one genre that play well by a controller, since it has analog input.

(Honestly tho, how DID you type out all that?)

Seriously, I'm also interested in this. And how do you play? It is quite an accomplishment.

 

[80Maxwell08]

Great job mindx2. Hearing about Chris Roberts makes me want to get Star Citizen just for how cool he is.

 

[Ninja Destroyer]

There were, of course, plenty of cosplayers walking around in their homemade costumes, depicting characters from renowned classics such as FFVIII, MGS, My Little Pony, and Mass Effect, along with hundreds of wannabe Jedi, Lara Crofts (some women should not even try) and others from who-knows-what anime series

Nice reading, although it looks like there wasn't anything new on PC which could be remotely interesting. At least I know that you can play game in the wrong way. Chris Roberts should make a LP of single player mode of Star Citizen. It will be something similar to Arcanum LP .

 

[eremita]

Great read man! I sure was emotionally engaged.

 

[Black_Willow]

Props for mindx2 for a cool write-up!

 

[J_C]

I will always remember his response to that. He said, “Tell them they're playing it wrong.”​

I'm very dissappinted in this response. I expect this from Bioware or an EA schill, but not from Tim. At least he could say that "yeah, we made the first one a little too easy, but Act 2 will have better puzzles".

 

[FeelTheRads]

How in the hell can it be that if you find something easy it's because you're playing it wrong?

Unless.. of course... playing it wrong means playing it with your brain.

What a retarded reply.

 

[Mastermind]

I immediately recognized several people from the Broken Age video documentary produced by 2 Player Productions, and thought this would be a great opportunity to let them know how disappointed the RPG Codex was with their game.

 

[Zed]

nice write-up man. too bad there wasn't much RPG stuff at the show.

 

[Aeschylus]

Damnit Tim Schaefer, why are you doing this to me?! I loved you! I loved you!

 

[shiteatingnippledick]

Great write up. Such a shame about Schaefer but the Roberts seems very much like a good dude.
Though this again just solidifies my distaste for these events, too many people, too commercial and no real new or worthwhile information. Also mostly just full of uninteresting shit games.