Preview Oblivion - a game for Casual Joe

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: Bethesda Softworks; Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

Another <a href=http://previews.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/1211/The-Elder-Scrolls-IV-Oblivion/p1/>X05 Oblivion preview</a>. This comment was interesting though:
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<blockquote>The previous Xbox game was a fan favorite for the “Power of X” crowd, but proved to be a little intimidating to the more casual gamer. Oblivion is hoping to please both crowds by having all the depth that any role-playing nut would want, plus it will incorporate a more lenient interface and control system for Joe Gamer to enjoy.</blockquote>I must admit, the concept of a game made for those who were intimidated by Morrowind scares me. Literally.
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.rpgdot.com">RPG Dot</A>

 

[Twinfalls]

Oh come on, they're talking about the interface only. Morrowind's UI was clunky, items were largely unsorted. The new one looks much easier to use.

If this makes it less intimidating, fine by me.

 

[Twinfalls]

On a more interesting note, here:

http://institute.no.sapo.pt/quests.html

are the strings for every single one of the Daggerfall quests.

This is the kind of ambitious, bravura game-making that the Toddling called, and I quote:

'Tons of procedurally generated garbage'.[tm]

edit: okay, he was apparently talking about DF's graphics, but whatever.

 

[Gwendo]

Another <a href=http://previews.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/1211/The-Elder-Scrolls-IV-Oblivion/p1/>X05 Oblivion preview</a>. This comment was interesting though:

<blockquote>The previous Xbox game was a fan favorite for the “Power of X” crowd, but proved to be a little intimidating to the more casual gamer. Oblivion is hoping to please both crowds by having all the depth that any role-playing nut would want, plus it will incorporate a more lenient interface and control system for Joe Gamer to enjoy.</blockquote>I must admit, the concept of a game made for those who were intimidated by Morrowind scares me. Literally.


Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.rpgdot.com">RPG Dot</A>

Don't worry. They're talking about the XBox version of Morrowind. I must concede that playing it with a gamepad and with that interface must had been... Tough.

About the current interface, looks great.

 

[Tintin]

This thread marks one step closer to a 100% Oblivion fansite.

 

[Naked_Lunch]

How so? It's news, so they posted it. Cry about it.

 

[jiujitsu]

Morrowind sure did intimidate me at first, but it wasn't the interface that did. It was the vastness of the world and the real life type directions to places. "Make a left here. Go east from here." That's what kicked some ass, though. I kind of feel like playing right now... Hmm...

 

[Proweler]

Spoken dialog so you don't have to read those pieces of critical information.
A Quest compass that tells you where to go so you don't get lost anymore.
Fast travel so you don't have to spend hours walking the absolutly boring landscape.

At least they didn't put in a huge question mark ontop of a important NPC's head. So I guess they are listening to the more experienced gamers that can tell a Duke's a title of Nobility and probably important.

 

[MrSmileyFaceDude]

Is there a difference between a game that is more approachable to a casual gamer, yet still maintains depth and complexity that a more "hardcore" (for lack of a better term) expects and appreciates -- and a game that is, from beginning to end, tailor-made for a casual gamer with no depth or complexity, nothing more than meets the eye?

 

[Vault Dweller]

... a game that is more approachable to a casual gamer, yet still maintains depth and complexity that a more "hardcore" (for lack of a better term) expects and appreciates

That's one of them urban myths you are talking about, pardner

a game that is, from beginning to end, tailor-made for a casual gamer with no depth or complexity, nothing more than meets the eye?

Sure as hell sounds like Oblivion to me, at least based on what we've been told about the game so far. I know, I know, it's loaded with good stuff but you can't tell us because otherwise they will have to kill you. Well, I suppose we shall find out soon enough.

 

[One Wolf]

depends on what "approachable" means. if its interface tweaks, no big deal, everyone likes those. if its approachable in the sense that complex themes/character development/dialogue/plot are minimized so that people who don't like rpgs because of their complexity are happier, then it can spell disaster for those of us who love rpgs exactly because they intricate.

 

[Deathbane27]

Is there a difference between a game that is more approachable to a casual gamer, yet still maintains depth and complexity that a more "hardcore" (for lack of a better term) expects and appreciates -- and a game that is, from beginning to end, tailor-made for a casual gamer with no depth or complexity, nothing more than meets the eye?

Of course. Hardcore gamers simply dismiss the latter outright without a second thought, while whining intensely about the former because it "could have been better".

 

[One Wolf]

hey man, if someone doesn't whine about it then the the game devs think its fine to continue hackin the whole rpg genre to death.

 

[elander_]

Is there a difference between a game that is more approachable to a casual gamer, yet still maintains depth and complexity that a more "hardcore" (for lack of a better term) expects and appreciates -- and a game that is, from beginning to end, tailor-made for a casual gamer with no depth or complexity, nothing more than meets the eye?

POOWUUER CRYSTALLLS !!!

 

[LlamaGod]

From the way the 'casual appealing' games play and are designed and such, i'm guessing the casual gamer is something like this:

HAPPY FUN PICTURE OF HAPPY EASTER GIRL

 

[One Wolf]

HAH!

 

[Visbhume]

Speaking of streamlined interfaces... any of you old geezers remember the time when RPGs started implementing the automap feature ? Were there cries of "dumbing down" and the like from throngs of fanboy desperately clutched to their stacks of graph paper ?

 

[Proweler]

Arena had automap and you needed it because everything looked quite the same.

Is there a difference between a game that is more approachable to a casual gamer, yet still maintains depth and complexity that a more "hardcore" (for lack of a better term) expects and appreciates -- and a game that is, from beginning to end, tailor-made for a casual gamer with no depth or complexity, nothing more than meets the eye?

Somehow I can't quite imagine how you'd do that. Closest thing that comes to mind is opening a book of Sudoku puzzles. Easy accessible -open the book- and approachable -comes whit a tutorial- but still mind-boggeling difficult. Now I'm sure the experienced gamer will like that, but casual gamers will return the game whit the same ease as they bought it because they don't understand what is going on..

Unless you plan on putting all the drama in the story.

 

[Excalibur]

From the way the 'casual appealing' games play and are designed and such, i'm guessing the casual gamer is something like this:

haha nice one, so true

 

[Naked_Lunch]

don't discriminate, u elitist faggit

 

[JanC]

Oooh, sophisticated debate!

 

[JanC]

I think Bethesda would have to dumb Oblivion down a little more before some of you guys could understand it.

What is difficult to separate about:
-More sophisticated gameplay.
-Better Interface?

 

[Balor]

Features:
Bla-bla...
Xbox Exclusive

Shows how much you can trust those retards anyway.

 

[Claw]

Is there a difference between a game that is more approachable to a casual gamer, yet still maintains depth and complexity that a more "hardcore" (for lack of a better term) expects and appreciates -- and a game that is, from beginning to end, tailor-made for a casual gamer with no depth or complexity, nothing more than meets the eye?

Yes, you wake up after the first.

 

[Hazelnut]

Speaking of streamlined interfaces... any of you old geezers remember the time when RPGs started implementing the automap feature ? Were there cries of "dumbing down" and the like from throngs of fanboy desperately clutched to their stacks of graph paper ?

My cry was more along the lines of "thank fuck for that!" I do kinda miss it a little bit though... but not enough I ever want to try it again!

H.