I owe an apology to Shadowrun: Dragonfall

[gurugeorge]

The writing in Dragonfall is terrible for three reasons:

1. Its overreliance on "tell" over "show". For example, everyone tells you how great Monika was, but it is never shown. You just have to take it for granted.
2. Its hamfisted anti-racism.
3. Its terrible use of German.

The funny thing about its ideological activism is how poorly though through it is. It's not even at the level of propaganda, it's just pure self-indulgent libtardism. Isn't the purpose of anti-racist propaganda to deconstruct racist notions? Let's consider the following:

• Orcs and Trolls are clearly identified with non-white minorities, particularly blacks, more than in any traditional fantasy setting. More than in Arcanum(which maintains some vagueness, rather unsuccessfully). Here they're depicted as urban lumpenproles who engage in petty crime. They do Malcolm X style "organizing". Other races see them as brutes with low intelligence. They're antagonized by pseudo neo-nazis. This is not Tolkien-level "analogy" here.
• The good characters claim that prejudice against them is unfair and incorrect, yet the RPG system gives them straight penalties to Intelligence and Charisma(physical beauty). Elves, on the other hand, have higher charisma, as well as being depicted as beautiful, charming and seductive. What are we supposed to think? Do libtards even think? How is having a race of ugly, stupid people, which you arbitrarily identify with Africans supposed to deconstruct racism? It's hilarious to see people who praise the game's writing go along with this.

Then we have the Christian fascists (not an analogy, these words are literally used) like the goth girl's father that like to burn witches and are also super racist, because... well, they're just bad like that. Religion makes you stupid and hateful. What are Christians like in the game, anyway? Who knows, we never meet them. How did fascism appear in a world with mythical races and dragons? Did fantasy Berlin go through a fantasy Weimar too? Again, who knows.

We have all these real-world notions and concepts warped into the game at random, without any context. We're just supposed to carry all our assumptions into this new world and never question them. Isn't this the opposite of good writing? Seen from this perspective, the writing truly is terrible. I was charitably omitting this aspect when I called it competent (which it is, most of the time).

It's the kind of stuff you'd randomly assemble as a Left-leaning, anarchist-inclined freshman student nattering to other freshmen.

 

[almondblight]

As both adaptation and a crpg, SNES version fails miserably. It also fails because is simplistic mechanically, ugly and tiny but let's not go there.

Genesis Shadowrun has more window dressing. But it's actual gameplay is even more simplistic than the SNES game most of the time. If you're not a magic user, the real time combat consists of selecting an enemy and jamming down the attack key until one of you dies, and the majority of the game is grinding the same handful of repetitive missions over and over. At the beginning this consists of running between randomized locations dropping off packages, doing the same thing with someone following you, and going to a building and jamming down the attack key to kill zombies. And you do these missions over and over and over.

Yeah, things like weapons permits are cool, but they don't change the fact that most of the time in the game is a simplistic repetitive grind. SNES Shadowrun has its issues, but at least it keeps the storyline moving forward so you never feel really bored.

I'd also say that the SNES game looks better. Here's a bar scene from the SNES game:

And a bar scene from Genesis:

 

[Silva]

The writing in Dragonfall is terrible for three reasons:

1. Its overreliance on "tell" over "show". For example, everyone tells you how great Monika was, but it is never shown. You just have to take it for granted.
2. Its hamfisted anti-racism.
3. Its terrible use of German.

The funny thing about its ideological activism is how poorly though through it is. It's not even at the level of propaganda, it's just pure self-indulgent libtardism. Isn't the purpose of anti-racist propaganda to deconstruct racist notions? Let's consider the following:

• Orcs and Trolls are clearly identified with non-white minorities, particularly blacks, more than in any traditional fantasy setting. More than in Arcanum(which maintains some vagueness, rather unsuccessfully). Here they're depicted as urban lumpenproles who engage in petty crime. They do Malcolm X style "organizing". Other races see them as brutes with low intelligence. They're antagonized by pseudo neo-nazis. This is not Tolkien-level "analogy" here.
• The good characters claim that prejudice against them is unfair and incorrect, yet the RPG system gives them straight penalties to Intelligence and Charisma(physical beauty). Elves, on the other hand, have higher charisma, as well as being depicted as beautiful, charming and seductive. What are we supposed to think? Do libtards even think? How is having a race of ugly, stupid people, which you arbitrarily identify with Africans supposed to deconstruct racism? It's hilarious to see people who praise the game's writing go along with this.

Then we have the Christian fascists (not an analogy, these words are literally used) like the goth girl's father that like to burn witches and are also super racist, because... well, they're just bad like that. Religion makes you stupid and hateful. What are Christians like in the game, anyway? Who knows, we never meet them. How did fascism appear in a world with mythical races and dragons? Did fantasy Berlin go through a fantasy Weimar too? Again, who knows.

We have all these real-world notions and concepts warped into the game at random, without any context. We're just supposed to carry all our assumptions into this new world and never question them. Isn't this the opposite of good writing? Seen from this perspective, the writing truly is terrible. I was charitably omitting this aspect when I called it competent (which it is, most of the time).

Most of those questions are answered in the tabletop setting books.

 

[Gilius Thunderhead]

Good to know, my mind is at rest.

 

[Sykar]

As both adaptation and a crpg, SNES version fails miserably. It also fails because is simplistic mechanically, ugly and tiny but let's not go there.

Genesis Shadowrun has more window dressing. But it's actual gameplay is even more simplistic than the SNES game most of the time. If you're not a magic user, the real time combat consists of selecting an enemy and jamming down the attack key until one of you dies, and the majority of the game is grinding the same handful of repetitive missions over and over. At the beginning this consists of running between randomized locations dropping off packages, doing the same thing with someone following you, and going to a building and jamming down the attack key to kill zombies. And you do these missions over and over and over.

Yeah, things like weapons permits are cool, but they don't change the fact that most of the time in the game is a simplistic repetitive grind. SNES Shadowrun has its issues, but at least it keeps the storyline moving forward so you never feel really bored.

I'd also say that the SNES game looks better. Here's a bar scene from the SNES game:

And a bar scene from Genesis:

This was something that really annoyed me, how empty such a locale was. I mean look at that, there is no one, the room apart from you and the merc is empty.

 

[Nano]

How did fascism appear in a world with mythical races and dragons? Did fantasy Berlin go through a fantasy Weimar too? Again, who knows.

We have all these real-world notions and concepts warped into the game at random, without any context. We're just supposed to carry all our assumptions into this new world and never question them. Isn't this the opposite of good writing? Seen from this perspective, the writing truly is terrible. I was charitably omitting this aspect when I called it competent (which it is, most of the time).

The Awakening happened in 2011, before this the game world was just our world. So it is partly a real-world setting. You learn this info in the character creator, my dude.

 

[Gilius Thunderhead]

How did fascism appear in a world with mythical races and dragons? Did fantasy Berlin go through a fantasy Weimar too? Again, who knows.

We have all these real-world notions and concepts warped into the game at random, without any context. We're just supposed to carry all our assumptions into this new world and never question them. Isn't this the opposite of good writing? Seen from this perspective, the writing truly is terrible. I was charitably omitting this aspect when I called it competent (which it is, most of the time).

The Awakening happened in 2011, before this the game world was just our world. So it is partly a real-world setting. You learn this info in the character creator, my dude.

Had to look up a Youtube video, as I've since uninstalled the game. You're absolutely right.

Truth be told, this doesn't really help the setting make sense to me. From convergent evolution of fascism to retrofitted fascism. Mythical races suddenly appear in the world and neo-nazis (a significant feature of 2011 Germany) automatically transfer their grievances to the new races. Then they start fighting with punk rockers, because 80s subculture wars never ended. And Orcs manifest as blacks and Christians burn witches. OK.

 

[Jason Liang]

Whenever I read a Dragonfall thread, I feel like 95% of you guys have never bothered to play the game with unnerfed AI.

Also I see so much criticism of Dead Man's Hand, but the maps in that game are no where as linear as some of you think. Maps like the Mercy Hospital and the UB compound have a ton of hidden areas and content that you probably missed if you only played through the game one time. And even if the last levels are dumb, they are not as dumb as Hong Kong's last level:/

Also, for those that actually like Dragonfall and Hong Kong, I'm halfway through Marvel's Guardians and the Galaxy and, other than some annoying adventure elements, the rest of the game is excellent and reminds me a lot of Dragonfall.

 

[orcinator]

aps like the Mercy Hospital and the UB compound have a ton of hidden areas and content that you probably missed if you only played through the game one time

Nigger I know how to mow the fog of war and click hotspots.

 

[Jason Liang]

aps like the Mercy Hospital and the UB compound have a ton of hidden areas and content that you probably missed if you only played through the game one time

Nigger I know how to mow the fog of war and click hotspots.

On Dead Man's Hand, a lot of hotspots don't show up unless you have the correct skills or a dtajack.