Review Bard's Tale lubbin' from RPGDot

[TheGreatGodPan]

[devil'sadvocate]It could be that they don't bother to review games that would deserve a sub 50 percent rating[/devil'sadvocate]

 

[Sarkile]

It could be that they don't bother to review games that would deserve a sub 50 percent rating

That's disproven by the fact that they reviewed Sudeki.

 

[Twinfalls]

Zingers

 

[Dhruin]

That was an overly general comment meant to take advantage of two commonly held beliefs:

1. That FPS gamers are idiots.
2. That more games are becoming FPS-like (actiony combat, linear, storyline that's set in stone, combat focus of the game).

Therefore, I'm implying that as more FPS-like games get (eg: Oblivion's supposed actiony combat, DS2's 'all combat, no story'), RPGDot is moving more and more towards becoming a fully-fledged FPS gaming site by (not just covering these games but) heaping praise upon them and giving them "92%!" scores.

As a somewhat relevant) side note, review scores make much more sense when you realise it's not a score out of 1 - 100 or 1 - 10 but rather a score that STARTS at 50 - 100 or 5 - 10. Often, games given "60%" are awful and very rarely does a game ever get below half marks. Think about games that do get below half marks too. A game that gets 40% is crap. A game that gets 20% is also crap. On the other hand, a game that gets 80% is good and a game that gets 90% is somehow so much better.

If you think of them as scores that start at the halfway mark, a score of 7 suddenly doesn't look so good.

You're taking a big leap there. I'm definitely not going to preempt Oblivion just because it has action combat, so using DS2 as an example...if it's good at what it does, why the hell shouldn't it get a good score? In general, Saint's review of FATE seems pretty positive to me and that has no story etc - it's just a graphical roguelike with a good interface. If DS2 sets out to be a linear action dungeon crawl and succeeds at it (haven't played it much so this is just an example) - why shouldn't it be judged as such?

Review scores are complicated. I think review scores probably do cover 5-10 in general but there's reasons for that. I don't really subscribe the the 50% = average theory because I don't think it's accurate factually or culturally. Most of the time, the really crappy games just don't get covered in the first place, for starters.

 

[Twinfalls]

if it's good at what it does, why the hell shouldn't it get a good score? In general, Saint's review of FATE seems pretty positive to me and that has no story etc - it's just a graphical roguelike with a good interface. If DS2 sets out to be a linear action dungeon crawl and succeeds at it (haven't played it much so this is just an example) - why shouldn't it be judged as such?
.

If Celine Dion sets out to record dull, anodyne, saccharine grammy fodder, why shouldn't she get top marks from every single music reviewer in the world - hey, she's good at what she does!

Anyway, according to the RPGdot review, one of the "ups" of DS2 is "100% Fun Factor". How can we argue with THAT!!!!

I nominate "100% Fun Factor" as the Dot's new slogan.

 

[Dhruin]

Sure, Twinfalls, knock yourself out designing slogans. Someone call me if they actually want to discuss it.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

I'm pretty sure Dhruin didn't write that review, Twinfalls. Yes, that is a pretty lame ass pro for the game, and obviously isn't true or else the reviewer would be playing Dungeon Siege 2 for the rest of his life because he's found something that will always be fun forever and ever.

 

[DarkUnderlord]

Review scores are complicated.

Only because you make them so. At the end of the day, why am I reading a review? To figure out if I want to buy the game. A score doesn't tell me that. Your comments in the review do. How the game plays, what skills I need to use, what other games certain features are like. A simple "Buy it / Wait until it hits the bargain bin / Don't buy it" would suffice as a summary of your opinion. Even if reviewers could say it was a one of their "Recommended Buys" or something. After all, what does 80% really mean? It's only worth 80% of the price you paid for it? You'll only like 80% of the game? 80% of people who read this review will like it? I mean what, exactly, is that supposed to be telling me?

 

[theverybigslayer]

You know fucking what? I don't really care that the viewpoint was changed because, in all honesty, the original Bard's Tale games sucked. I hated them, the viewpoint pissed me off to no end. Navigation was hell and the combat was piss-poor.

At least the new Bard's Tale was funny at times and some of the songs werent' half bad. Viewpoints don't fucking bother me, unless they're totally fucked up a la the dungeons in the early Ultima games.

Do you know what is really sucked? Ultima 7.
I have never seen so terrible graphics, terrible chaotic real-time combat and so boring dialogues and so awful isometric perspective. I see now why you like Dungeon Siege. Dungeon Siege is superior to that piece of shit what is called Ultima7, and I haven't mention Dungeon Lords yet.

 

[Naked_Lunch]

Umm, alright. I don't know what kind of response you were hoping for, but that's cool. What games you like is yours and your business only. Same goes for what games I like.

ZOMG U INSULTED ONE OF MY FAVORITE GAEMS, I CHALLEGNES YOU TO A DUEL!

 

[kris]

wrong thread.