Digging through old posts on comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg

[octavius]

Ah, console evolution. Each new generation moaned about "limitations" of the past, then proceeded to spend 90% of its power on graphics management and 10% on gameplay.

Before the X-Box console games and computer games were largely two different worlds. Consoles were for little kids, made in Japan and the games were usually simple, while older/smarter kids and adults used computers and played games made in the west, and there was little overlap. But with the X-Box things changed, and suddenly developers had to work with the limitations of the X-Box. Instead of the large, unlinear levels of Thief 1-2 and Deus Ex, we got the small, cramped levels of Thief 3 and Invisible War, for example. But kudos to Bethesda for managing to fit Morrowind on the X-Box, though.

 

[shihonage]

Yeah I remember when cross-platform shit impacted the PC big-time. It never really left.

 

[hakuroshi]

War... War never changes...

 

[Cyberarmy]

WoW.
Somehow I felt ancient...

 

[Jack Dandy]

It really is pretty stunning to see just how similar these arguments were back then.

I remember seeing some Usenet posts of people complaining about how every recent anime is shitty and generic.. And these posts were made in the very early 90's!

Back to the subject at hand though- I think this gigantic wait has been worth it. We're already going through a complete RPG Renaissance that was enabled due to digital distribution and METEORIC improvements in appearance for costumers.

 

[MicoSelva]

Nice find, Infinitron!

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

I really enjoy using my warrior (equipped with obsidian weapons of course)

Ladies and Gentleman! I am happy to announce, our new spin off!! :

Back to the Future : The Attack of Unintended Future References

 

[taxalot]

Everything in these olds posts is depressing except

I hear Melrose Place has a good episode on tonight.

That was downright hilarious.

 

[Kane]

I think what Infinitron is showing us here that Usenet is far superior to internet bulletin boards.

 

[taxalot]

Was.

 

[Kane]

Was.

 

[Surf Solar]

1993-96 was pretty shitty times for rpg games. I was all about scanning 3d models into pixilated turd sprites & hideous portraits

 

[Abelian]

Great finds, Infinitron!

Of course, they had their popamolers too.

I found it hilarious that he considered himself too old-school to enjoy RPGs. In his defense, he wonders whether he became "tainted from mindless games."

We make a loosely structured world in which you can truely be whatever sort of character you'd like: from chivalrous hero to brutal warrior to annoying mennace.

How can he tell them apart?

JAWESOME!

I think Josh coined his own epithet right there.

 

[Johannes]

We make a loosely structured world in which you can truely be whatever sort of character you'd like: from chivalrous hero to brutal warrior to annoying mennace.

How can he tell them apart?

He's talking about online play, where you can form a reputation.

 

[Outlander]

12/29/1996 - "Missing the good old CRPG Days": https://groups.google.com/forum/#!s...sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg/j_MjXs1qALk/TiUs1oXVnGMJ

This stuff produced a manly tear. Well, almost.

 

[Volourn]

This reminds me of old folks who constantly whine about the younger generation and how 'back in their day' when 'back in their day' they were the 'younger generation' with their old geeaers whining about them.

That's what old people do. Whine about youngsters largely because they know theya re passe and death is coming for them and its out of sheer jealousy.

'Back in my day'.. LMFAO

 

[mondblut]

23/1/1996 - "The Decline of Computer Gaming": https://groups.google.com/forum/#!s...sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg/_b7L-lZ18uQ/5vANimA82voJ

The ironic thing is that the Golden Age of PC Gaming started not long after this. The merging of video and computer games only became a real problem with the release of the X-Box in 2002.

No. They were perfectly right in their accessment.

 

[Modron]

Yeah they were pretty much correct as Mondblut says.

The "Golden Age of PC gaming" was just an aberrant event that stemmed from all the money being thrown around back then in the technology and related sectors. We'll probably never have that trifecta of easy money, cost of developing games, and decent amount of medium sized development studios again necessary to pump out lots of gems in a short time specially given the cost of "AAA" development. Right place, right time kind of affair.

 

[Daemongar]

Lots of memories this brings back. I was just searching around and found one with some relevance. Holy crap, I haven't even THOUGHT of Derek Smart in 10 years at least! Wow.

> Who thinks Cleve and Derek are the same person? Has Cleve ever claimed to
> have a PhD? If so, that would certainly seal it!
Give Derek credit where credit is due. He has at least unleashed his buggy
POS on the world; we still await Cleve's masterwork.

15 years ago...

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg/h0C9JR_Zkqw

 

[shihonage]

The older I get the more awesome Derek Smart becomes.

 

[aris]

And in 10 years from now, people will whine about modern rpg aren't more like mass effect and skyrim, I guarantee it. And not necessarily because they are better or worse, but because they will be different.

There was never a doubt in my mind that also during the so called golden age, codexers were complaining about the decline.

 

[taxalot]

Last time I hung out on the Usenet gaming forums, there was a fucking guy called "Steamkiller" who posted an insane amount of antisteam bullshit. We thought he was just trolling but he apparently supplied the forum with proofs of buying the same game over and over again to "support pc gaming". He was awesome.

 

[Xor]

And in 10 years from now, people will whine about modern rpg aren't more like mass effect and skyrim, I guarantee it. And not necessarily because they are better or worse, but because they will be different.

There was never a doubt in my mind that also during the so called golden age, codexers were complaining about the decline.

This modern generation of gamers will probably be complaining about the lack of Skyrim and Mass Effect-like games 10 years from now, yes. But codexers who bemoan the lack of Fallout- and Torment-like narrative based RPGs or Wizardry- and Might and Magic-like RPGs will not be among them. We all have our preferred styles of games.

 

[Infinitron]

There was never a doubt in my mind that also during the so called golden age, codexers were complaining about the decline.

Well, RPG fans complained about the decline in 1996 because there WAS a genuine decline in that period. A few years later, a subset of RPG fans who hated RTwP combat complained about its increasing dominance, but I don't think anybody else did.

It'd be interesting to see if anybody thought "RPGs are going down the toilet" before 1994, but I don't know where you could find discussion about that.

 

[mikaelis]

That's what old people do. Whine about youngsters largely because they know theya re passe and death is coming for them and its out of sheer jealousy.

'Back in my day'.. LMFAO

Back in my day, I new I would die. And I knew it long before being in your age.

Also, Infinitron MOOOAAR!!!!11!