Aliens RPG Needs You

[Lesifoere]

There was a screenshot of the lower half of the UI.

 

[Trash]

Gearbox is working on an fps in the alien universe that quite frankly looks and sounds goddamn awesome.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Oh, to have a new and improved version of AvP1's Marine and Alien campaigns...

 

[Darth Roxor]

Gearbox is working on an fps in the alien universe that quite frankly looks and sounds goddamn awesome.

It's called Colonial Marines, I think?

And indeed, I'm quite hyped for that one.

 

[Disconnected]

Alien: Resurrection aside, I'd say that Jeunet is a much more creative and innovative film maker than Whedon could ever hope to be.

The first movie of the series is my favorite, by far, but I liked what Cameron did with the sequel in that he just didn't try to copy Scott's formula and instead created it into something different and still very good. All the later movies have fucked things up, the less said about the AvP franchise the better.

I mostly agree, but although A2 is a good film on its own, I wish Cameron hadn't turned the alien into a retarded hive-puppy with an only slightly smarter and decidedly un-scary-looking queen. I mean, except for the Queen of Suck, it worked very well for A2, but it also killed the franchise.

On topicness: Desslock sort-of hinted the game would have tactical TB combat in a thread on Qt3 the other day. I guess that's a good thing, but honestly, I'm not sure I like the idea of level grinding in the alien universe. Not that there couldn't be plenty of shit to kill (including various not-Alien aliens, as implied in A2), but I'm worried about pacing & stuff in a setting so ideal for elaborate psycho-terror role playing.

 

[Hümmelgümpf]

On topicness: Desslock sort-of hinted the game would have tactical TB combat in a thread on Qt3 the other day.

Huh? Hasn't the game been called an action/RPG before by Sega?

 

[Disconnected]

Huh? Hasn't the game been called an action/RPG before by Sega?

Yes, and I'm not suggesting you should believe anything anyone says at this point, but this is what I was referring to:

Desslock said somewhere on QT3 several months ago that it was a "tactical" RPG and I believe suggested a JA2 comparison on some sort.

Yes - with an adventuring party that has a squad-like JA2 or X-com feel, although the game is definitely an RPG.

- Also why I voiced the worry about the role playing. No offence implied, but Desslock and I have wildly different opinions of what qualifies as role playing, and I'm hoping for something along the lines of Torment.

 

[OSK]

Please be turn-based…

 

[sportforredneck]

Please be turn-based…

Like that would ever happen.

 

[onemananadhisdroid]

Been there, done that.

Gearbox is working on an fps in the alien universe that quite frankly looks and sounds goddamn awesome.

Scripts and triggers galore, me thinks? I wish I was around when Aliens Online was still going strong. Sounds like one of those designs that did the idea of bringing colonial marines to your screen some justice. Actually, after having taking a closer look at Gearbox' game, this sounds fairly interesting. Good to see that it's not a console-only title, too.

 

[SuicideBunny]

Please be turn-based…

qft

Been there, done that.

incubation was fucking awesome. the fact that i can't even install it on my machine makes me a sad bunny.

 

[inwoker]

Incubation. My favourite tb squad based. I wonder why this game wasn't and isn't popular. Anybody got expansion pack? I have licenced version but it's russian published by Snowball.

 

[Drakron]

Honestly ... I do not think a Aliens RPG will work well.

If you go by the horror angle then a puzzle/adventure game with some action elements work very well as if you go by a tactical combat there is no need to move beyond a FPS or a isometric shooter.

The story for me looks easy compared to how the hell are they going to implement RPG elements beyond the bare bones we can find in Action RPGs, we could put the Mass Effect system on it and it would work pretty well.

 

[SuicideBunny]

if you go by a tactical combat there is no need to move beyond a FPS or a isometric shooter.

good games don't get made by people adhering to "no need for that".

 

[Drakron]

Good games also do not have superfluous gameplay mechanics (bad ones do) and yes, they are made by people that adhering to "no need for that" since they FOCUSED games.

In RPGs you have 3 basic archtypes ... the fighter, the spellcaster and the thief.

Now look at Aliens, unless you are going to add psyonics you start without the spellcaster leaving just the fighter and the thief, now how people were able to "slip by" the Aliens? one.

So right now you just have a system that requires FPS and a stealth element ... granted you could do more since Aliens is just not only the Humans vs Aliens but the moment you start with the notion its a game WITH Aliens and not a game IN Aliens you have the problem of knowing they will show up and many RPG mechanics will have not much use with then.

Granted many things can be done but it requires the game not being so focused on survival horror with Aliens, they set themselves up for this.

The only way this might work as it stands is making a system that have no classes, just skills.

 

[SuicideBunny]

Good games also do not have superfluous gameplay mechanics (bad ones do) and yes, they are made by people that adhering to "no need for that" since they FOCUSED games.

jagged alliance, x-com, incubation, quest for glory...
especially the first two give great examples of how tactical squad based games mix well with rpg elements, and the ja even includes character interaction.

In RPGs you have 3 basic archtypes ... the fighter, the spellcaster and the thief.

that's a standard abstraction of cliche fantasy archetypes, and nothing inherent to, nor in any way defining of rpgs.
it's the same kind of stupid as having dwarves and elves who love-hate each other in your fantasy setting, and is just a way of being lazy.

rpgs arent about classes, and the game being rpg implies meaningful interaction between, and ways to improve characters, not being full of fantasy cliches.