Codex Review RPG Codex Review: ATOM RPG

[Deleted Member 22431]

So, I guess, that's the punch line: you've been saying that ATOM is not postmodern without knowing what makes a postmodern piece? Kinda an anticipated plot twist.

I'm waiting for the definition of what is postmodern. Please, don't be an idiot presenting a bunch of names. That's what an idiot without scientific rigour would do.

 

[Товарищ]

I really like ATOM RPG. It is great.

 

[Prime Junta]

I'm waiting for the definition of what is postmodern. Please, don't be an idiot presenting a bunch of names. That's what an idiot without scientific rigour would do.

Are you familiar with Karl R. Popper's notion of critical rationalism by any chance?

It's basically a fancy way of defining concepts by pointing at things. And he's only the most influential philosopher of science of modern times. Requires a bit more effort than The Fountainhead though.

 

[Deleted Member 22431]

I'm waiting for the definition of what is postmodern. Please, don't be an idiot presenting a bunch of names. That's what an idiot without scientific rigour would do.

Are you familiar with Karl R. Popper's notion of critical rationalism by any chance?
It's basically a fancy way of defining concepts by pointing at things. And he's only the most influential philosopher of science of modern times. Requires a bit more effort than The Fountainhead though.

I don't even.

 

[Prime Junta]

You have a very strange manner of using boldface, son.

 

[bataille]

I'm waiting for the definition of what is postmodern.

Are you for real? After a couple dozen posts calling ATOM not postmodern and me all sorts of names you demand me to educate you about what you've been talking about? Fine.

If you have trouble understanding that from the review, ATOM RPG is postmodern because of:
1. Intertextuality;
2. using citation as one of its main means of communication;
3. psss, the game itself is a citation of that another game almost to the letter.

It's not that hard. Should have just thought about it for a minute instead of wasting everyone's time with this uninformed garbage and namecalling.

 

[Sigourn]

This looks like the perfect game to kill off the Codex once and for all. The tiny brains are going to implode with these postmodern narrative tricks - but the classical systems of the game are still traditional and attractive - there's going to be someone very confused out there, and I would like to hear about his feelings, and whether or not he would ultimately like to be a woman. I can help with this

Only true if you are Russian and the amount of references fry your brain. For commoners such as myself, said references fly over our heads.

 

[Atomboy]

I really like ATOM RPG. It is great.

Took you long enough!

I'm waiting for the definition of what is postmodern.

Are you for real? After a couple dozen posts calling ATOM not postmodern and me all sorts of names you demand me to educate you about what you've been talking about? Fine.

If you have trouble understanding that from the review, ATOM RPG is postmodern because of:
1. Intertextuality;
2. using citation as one of its main means of communication;
3. psss, the game itself is a citation of that another game almost to the letter.

It's not that hard. Should have just thought about it for a minute instead of wasting everyone's time with this uninformed garbage and namecalling.

Also, on that long discussion, I don't know if that helps, but in school they told me that "post-modern" meant using citations from other works to make your own. In that sense I agree that Atom has post-modern text! But being post-modern doesn't mean being unoriginal. I think that's the main argument here? Is Atom post-modern, or is it original? But it can be both, because one does not exclude the other. Ever since God has left us, all we can do to proceed further is to rearrange pieces of the past, giving them new meaning and stuff, right?

 

[Sigourn]

From what I understood in Sociology, post-modernism in this context is the loss of the original style. It's intertextuality without the intention to parody the original works. It's references, homages, and it doesn't matter that the player doesn't get most of them (or doesn't get any at all), because the game itself isn't meant to be taken as a parody of anything. ATOM RPG is inspired by Fallout but it's not meant to be a parody of Fallout, just an homage (and as such, it doesn't matter if people "get it" or not). Contrast with something like The Naked Gun, which is not only full of references, but the film itself is a spoof of crime films.

It's pastiche, really.

 

[RK47]

I don't read any of Russian literature.
I don't know what post-modern means until this review brought it up.
I don't understand 50% of what the writer is talking about in the review.
But I still enjoy the game anyway. I'm much less critical of it simply because it really reminds me of the original Fallout.

The combat is very much a near 1 to 1 replication of Fallout - minus the really strong perks and amazing violent death animations in the old games. 3D just doesn't capture what 2D sprites do.
Aimed shots, Burst, Single-shot. I like how the limited quantity of grenade is very powerful. And the LMGs doing ridiculous burst damage. However, there's just not enough defensive options in the game to compensate for a powerful offense. Melee-aspirants may want to envision themselves running towards a barrel of RPK equipped with just a machete and a kevlar vest. You're not Dragonborn. And Steel is not with you. Accept that.
Thank god there are no heavy weapons like rocket launchers or else things will get messier. At the very least with high sequence, you can tell your party members to reposition and who to kill first in encounters.

You may think - why is it a good game if it's just copying Fallout's bare-bone combat and somewhat annoying UI?

Well considering what we've got right now in terms of RPG, I'll take it. Fallout 3, Fallout New Vegas, Fallout 4, Fallout 76 doesn't have the Classic turn-based combat. I think it's fair to say I'm willing to forgive much if the setting is interesting and the engine is emulating Fallout with a mish-mash of ideas from Arcanum crafting. There's plenty of skill and attribute checks in a dialog to keep your character sheet relevant. And in my iron man run, what I consider a dump stat turned out to be something that can make or break peaceful negotiations. It's not a big thing, I agree, but it's a nice thing to have.

Other less well implemented is the hunger (there's hunger, but no thirst?) system, and overall a loot system that seems more grounded. There are no energy weapons. No power armor. And some players even highlight a shortage of certain weapon ammunition. All I can say is try to adapt. Maybe this is part of the intended experience by the developer? To try rationing your ammunition, switch to secondary? We make fun of people crying over 'unfair' classic games, yet we demand games to 'give me what I need right now.' I know how you feel: I want Space Marines to have 2x the hitpoints and higher knockback resistance in Dawn of War, but I never got that. Just try to have fun, OK?

Anyway, I just lost my iron man run. I was 75% though. I'm gonna run it again this Friday.

Let's have fun.

 

[ScrotumBroth]

Wow, a review that didn't make me yawn from overused structure and phrasing.

 

[Deleted Member 22431]

in school they told me that "post-modern" meant using citations from other works to make your own.

Oh, that definition is just dandy ain't? Suddenly i understand everything. Imagine that. How many texts are post-modern according to this useless definition.

I don't read any of Russian literature.
I don't know what post-modern means until this review brought it up.
I don't understand 50% of what the writer is talking about in the review.
But I still enjoy the game anyway. I'm much less critical of it simply because it really reminds me of the original Fallout.

The combat is very much a near 1 to 1 replication of Fallout - minus the really strong perks and amazing violent death animations in the old games. 3D just doesn't capture what 2D sprites do.
Aimed shots, Burst, Single-shot. I like how the limited quantity of grenade is very powerful. And the LMGs doing ridiculous burst damage. However, there's just not enough defensive options in the game to compensate for a powerful offense. Melee-aspirants may want to envision themselves running towards a barrel of RPK equipped with just a machete and a kevlar vest. You're not Dragonborn. And Steel is not with you. Accept that.
Thank god there are no heavy weapons like rocket launchers or else things will get messier. At the very least with high sequence, you can tell your party members to reposition and who to kill first in encounters.

You may think - why is it a good game if it's just copying Fallout's bare-bone combat and somewhat annoying UI?

Well considering what we've got right now in terms of RPG, I'll take it. Fallout 3, Fallout New Vegas, Fallout 4, Fallout 76 doesn't have the Classic turn-based combat. I think it's fair to say I'm willing to forgive much if the setting is interesting and the engine is emulating Fallout with a mish-mash of ideas from Arcanum crafting. There's plenty of skill and attribute checks in a dialog to keep your character sheet relevant. And in my iron man run, what I consider a dump stat turned out to be something that can make or break peaceful negotiations. It's not a big thing, I agree, but it's a nice thing to have.

Other less well implemented is the hunger (there's hunger, but no thirst?) system, and overall a loot system that seems more grounded. There are no energy weapons. No power armor. And some players even highlight a shortage of certain weapon ammunition. All I can say is try to adapt. Maybe this is part of the intended experience by the developer? To try rationing your ammunition, switch to secondary? We make fun of people crying over 'unfair' classic games, yet we demand games to 'give me what I need right now.' I know how you feel: I want Space Marines to have 2x the hitpoints and higher knockback resistance in Dawn of War, but I never got that. Just try to have fun, OK?

Anyway, I just lost my iron man run. I was 75% though. I'm gonna run it again this Friday.

Let's have fun.

Someone should post this as the official review. It's more informative.

I'm waiting for the definition of what is postmodern.

Are you for real? After a couple dozen posts calling ATOM not postmodern and me all sorts of names you demand me to educate you about what you've been talking about? Fine.

If you have trouble understanding that from the review, ATOM RPG is postmodern because of:
1. Intertextuality;
2. using citation as one of its main means of communication;
3. psss, the game itself is a citation of that another game almost to the letter.

It's not that hard. Should have just thought about it for a minute instead of wasting everyone's time with this uninformed garbage and namecalling.

Oh my God. You are doing this on purpose to piss me off, aren't you? Your "review" and your comments bored me to tears. How someone could turn such a light and fun game into this turgid pretentious regurgitation of words? Look at these posts! We should be talking about builds and different paths. Instead, we are discussing a madeup classification that never made any sense because you didn't want to talk about the game.

 

[Van-d-all]

I know how you feel: I want Space Marines to have 2x the hitpoints and higher knockback resistance in Dawn of War

Spoiler

 

[Infinitron]

Common: Getting mad at a good review of a bad game
Rare: Getting mad at a bad review of a good game
UNIQUE: Getting mad at a good review of a good game but it's good in the wrong way

Of course this is all kind of funny coming from the guy who regularly uses the term "Taylorism" when talking about video games.

 

[hexer]

I just watched some Twitch streams of this game.
It is so similar to Fallout 2 it honestly looks like a 3D remake.
I'm picking it up today!

 

[Van-d-all]

I just watched some Twitch streams of this game.
It is so similar to Fallout 2 it honestly looks like a 3D remake.
I'm picking it up today!

I'd say it even goes for the looks of Van Buren demo. At least, that's what I actually like about it's 3d style.

 

[Swigen]

Ah, reading a lot of good things about this game. Noticed it’s only 15 dolla on steam, think I’m ready to take the plunge.

 

[Sigourn]

You may think - why is it a good game if it's just copying Fallout's bare-bone combat and somewhat annoying UI?

Well considering what we've got right now in terms of RPG, I'll take it. Fallout 3, Fallout New Vegas, Fallout 4, Fallout 76 doesn't have the Classic turn-based combat. I think it's fair to say I'm willing to forgive much if the setting is interesting and the engine is emulating Fallout with a mish-mash of ideas from Arcanum crafting. There's plenty of skill and attribute checks in a dialog to keep your character sheet relevant. And in my iron man run, what I consider a dump stat turned out to be something that can make or break peaceful negotiations. It's not a big thing, I agree, but it's a nice thing to have.

Other less well implemented is the hunger (there's hunger, but no thirst?) system, and overall a loot system that seems more grounded. There are no energy weapons. No power armor. And some players even highlight a shortage of certain weapon ammunition. All I can say is try to adapt. Maybe this is part of the intended experience by the developer? To try rationing your ammunition, switch to secondary? We make fun of people crying over 'unfair' classic games, yet we demand games to 'give me what I need right now.' I know how you feel: I want Space Marines to have 2x the hitpoints and higher knockback resistance in Dawn of War, but I never got that. Just try to have fun, OK?

Anyway, I just lost my iron man run. I was 75% though. I'm gonna run it again this Friday.

Let's have fun.

I'm behind the developer's decision not to include a thirst system. For a simple reason, really. ATOM RPG, like New Vegas, isn't a very realistic game. Nothing stops you from carrying lots of stuff on you. Including water. Unlike New Vegas, you CAN refill water bottles in ATOM. If you install a mod that lets you do the same in New Vegas, you will find the thirst meter becomes an absolute joke, even when you use mods that make Hardcore more punishing. I'm personally more upset about a game lacking obvious mechanics over a game becoming "easier" because of their presence. Which is why I personally advocate for games where you can suckerpunch an NPC to turn an otherwise difficult fight into a trivial encounter.

I think ATOM is a mix of Fallout gameplay and the Wasteland setting. It's certainly much more grounded than Fallout.

 

[Prime Junta]

thirst system

/insert vodka joke

 

[Van-d-all]

Given the game's abundance of food, I'd rather have it implemented like in Battle Brothers, so that it's just represented as a bunch of stacking items being drained overtime according to party size. Still Offers a decent money sink consideration, but lacks micromanagement and spoon-feeding everyone.

 

[Sigourn]

Given the game's abundance of food, I'd rather have it implemented like in Battle Brothers, so that it's just represented as a bunch of stacking items being drained overtime according to party size. Still Offers a decent money sink consideration, but lacks micromanagement and spoon-feeding everyone.

I don't know, but the game did a great job in making the fool feed tasty as opposed to something you simply click on to consume. Great icons, descriptions, sound effects at the campfire.

 

[Van-d-all]

Given the game's abundance of food, I'd rather have it implemented like in Battle Brothers, so that it's just represented as a bunch of stacking items being drained overtime according to party size. Still Offers a decent money sink consideration, but lacks micromanagement and spoon-feeding everyone.

I don't know, but the game did a great job in making the fool feed tasty as opposed to something you simply click on to consume. Great icons, descriptions, sound effects at the campfire.

Repeted stuff like that gets old real quick, and brings no real value after you've read them all.

 

[ZagorTeNej]

ATOM RPG is everything your average postmodern, post-apoc, post-decline RPG ought to be, a marvelous work of art.

 

[bataille]

Oh, that definition is just dandy ain't? Suddenly i understand everything. Imagine that. How many texts are post-modern according to this useless definition.

Atomboy is not your teacher or caretaker to explain a grown man concepts that they should have learned in their teens.

Oh my God. You are doing this on purpose to piss me off, aren't you? Your "review" and your comments bored me to tears. How someone could turn such a light and fun game into this turgid pretentious regurgitation of words? Look at these posts! We should be talking about builds and different paths. Instead, we are discussing a madeup classification that never made any sense because you didn't want to talk about the game.

This is a weird way of admitting that you didn't know what you were talking about and were pissed at the fact. But I pardon you.
Still, being proud of not knowing and not wanting to learn on your own is embarrassing on a number of levels. Acting bratty, demanding that people explain it to you in kindergarten terms, and then still being angry multiplies it by infinity.
That's my last answer to you. I've explained what you wanted to know, yet you're still unsatisfied. I'm not your mom to force you to do your homework instead of playing with lead toys 'until your eyes bleed.' Bye.

 

[hexer]

Russian RPG Renaissance