- Location
- The Hague
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Controversial gaming opinion: video games are good.
What are controversial gaming opinions you have?
- Pronouns
- He
No kidding. Hello, Mass Effect! But JustAAAThings didn't look as good when I was typing it up.
LordInsane
Loyalist to the Alvarian Merchant's Guild
- Location
- Bohuslän, Occupied Norway
They did give her more non-human body elements in Starcraft 2... but in a way that didn't break her silhouette as human, instead visually replicating human clothing as part of her body (and being kinda silly in parts. Bone heels?).
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Since the hype is building for Doom: The Dark Ages, I think now is a good time to re-litigate this debate: I still think Doom Eternal has the best combat in any first person shooter I've ever played. When I get into the rhythm of juggling a dozen weapons, weapon mods, and cooldowns while pinballing around the arena, targeting enemy weak points, and getting in glory kills and chainsaw kills - it's almost like entering a trance-like state. Few other games have done that for me.
LunaMoth
Wings of Kynareth is my comfort song...
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- He/They
I just played though half-life 1, and it's two expansions Opposing Force and Blue shift, definitely in my personal top games of all time list. Starting to play though half-life 2 and honestly I really don't like it that much- it doesn't feel as tight.
I cannot comment on doom eternal, but I really don't like fast paced games, which seems to be the case with the game. Especially with fps games, I want them slow. The last doom game I remember playing was like doom 3 or something and that was like three years ago so my memory of it is pretty hazy, it was pretty slow mostly like walking around a mars base- but it was fun in the exact same way I found half life one to be fun. I don't think I would get quite the same experience out of doom eternal.
I cannot comment on doom eternal, but I really don't like fast paced games, which seems to be the case with the game. Especially with fps games, I want them slow. The last doom game I remember playing was like doom 3 or something and that was like three years ago so my memory of it is pretty hazy, it was pretty slow mostly like walking around a mars base- but it was fun in the exact same way I found half life one to be fun. I don't think I would get quite the same experience out of doom eternal.
Mechanical
Initiate Action: Buzz
- Location
- Somewhere Strange
I've been playing Stalker 2 despite the jank, and it's...
It seems a decent game. But I'm not sure it feels like a good Stalker game - or, at least, the idea of stalker games I had in my head.
So far, having 12 hours or so in it, I've been overflowing with supplies, with absolutely no risk of running low. I've only found a few artefacts, most with minor effects, but since I've not found any anti-radiation ones (beside the one you lose in the tutorial) either I swap them in and out which is a hassle for a minor effect - or I don't bother. Selling ones I don't want has given me a fraction of the money I've got from just shooting blokes and nicking their stuff.
When you find stashes, it's barely worthwhile - each is like a piece of bread, a bottle of vodka, sixteen bullets and a grenade. It's nothing exciting or interesting. It's just a little bit more trash to carry about.
The mutants seem a bit bullet-spongy as well, especially the bloodsuckers, which are downright irritating to fight and weirdly common. They're not fun. It's tedious to empty three mags into them before they fall over and reward you with fuck-all.
There's a few anomalous areas I've encountered which have been really cool and different, but they're uncommon relative to the rest of the gameplay.
It's a stalker game, but artefacts aren't important, stashes are unrewarding, and mutants are obnoxious and unrewarding to fight.
Personally I think doom 3 is just a dogshit game in general because of a variety of things, but it definitely went for a slower, less powerful experience than even the original dooms.
Eternal is completely about constant movement, swapping, and standing still is death. I could only play it in bursts, because the sheer amount of actions I have to do to play makes my fingers ache after a while.
It seems a decent game. But I'm not sure it feels like a good Stalker game - or, at least, the idea of stalker games I had in my head.
So far, having 12 hours or so in it, I've been overflowing with supplies, with absolutely no risk of running low. I've only found a few artefacts, most with minor effects, but since I've not found any anti-radiation ones (beside the one you lose in the tutorial) either I swap them in and out which is a hassle for a minor effect - or I don't bother. Selling ones I don't want has given me a fraction of the money I've got from just shooting blokes and nicking their stuff.
When you find stashes, it's barely worthwhile - each is like a piece of bread, a bottle of vodka, sixteen bullets and a grenade. It's nothing exciting or interesting. It's just a little bit more trash to carry about.
The mutants seem a bit bullet-spongy as well, especially the bloodsuckers, which are downright irritating to fight and weirdly common. They're not fun. It's tedious to empty three mags into them before they fall over and reward you with fuck-all.
There's a few anomalous areas I've encountered which have been really cool and different, but they're uncommon relative to the rest of the gameplay.
It's a stalker game, but artefacts aren't important, stashes are unrewarding, and mutants are obnoxious and unrewarding to fight.
Yeah, OG dooms, doom 3 and doom eternal are all extremely different.
Personally I think doom 3 is just a dogshit game in general because of a variety of things, but it definitely went for a slower, less powerful experience than even the original dooms.
Eternal is completely about constant movement, swapping, and standing still is death. I could only play it in bursts, because the sheer amount of actions I have to do to play makes my fingers ache after a while.
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- Any
I sometimes wish with like those rogue likes that half something and half action game like cult of the lamb or cuisneer they let you ignore the other thing that isn't action with like an "auto do this with average results", like maybe if you do it yourself and know what your doing you get better results but for those who just want to get back into the action you put that on
Synthesis
Special Mobile Suit Troops, U.E.S.A.
- Location
- Luxembourg City
Well, since it's a debate, I might as well: I don't. I think Doom Eternal is markedly worse than 2016's Doom as an overall first-person shooter package, and I don't think either game qualifies as having "the best first-person shooter [combat mechanic]", acknowledging that I'm going to exempt many acclaimed "classic" shooters because they lack many of the same modern elements that are basically hard requirements in any game of that genre--Goldeneye is probably an obvious example (regardless of how you feel about it), but even the original Doom lacked jumping and true vertical aim.
But...that's completely subjective an evaluation anyway. Your evaluation ("Eternal is the best.") is exactly as accurate as accurate as mine ("Eternal is worse than 2016, and that wasn't the best either."). What I find interesting, on the other hand, is that id--for whatever reason but almost certainly some years of audience feedback--felt compelled to add the most granular difficulty settings to the upcoming Dark Ages that we've seen in any game in the franchise at launch, which is a very abrupt about face from their original position that "Yes, the difficulty--at each ranking, in each level, etc.--is by design, it is deliberate, and not to be altered." That's not a wholly uncommon opinion among designers (some games don't even have difficultly levels to start), but not necessarily a successful one either.
Personally, I quite Eternal twice. The first time playing it on Xbox (I was at the ice fortress level), the second time playing it again, from the start, on the same default difficulty, in Windows (I was at the tramway after the ice fortress level; not an inspired environ, but whatever). Both times for the same reason: I realized I wasn't having any fun at all, and was forcing myself to play for whatever stupid reason, and even when I discovered id's specific intended "loop" for each encounter, I...still wasn't actually having fun, probably because I don't enjoy Doom telling me "Play this way, or don't play at all." It sucked, I quit it again, and haven't played since then. Watching gameplay of the rest of Eternal, I didn't miss anything.
Again, a completely subjective experience. Aside from being annoyed by some of the optional challenge zones, I had no problem completing 2016 Doom on Xbox, on Hurt Me Plenty, when it was new. There were a few weak moments, other strong ones, but nothing that pissed me enough to decide, "Yeah, fuck off. I have other shooters I could play, including with friends, unlike yours." The design decision that they've announced, on the other hand, isn't subjective. I was very surprised to see it at the Developer Direct. Since I didn't finish Eternal, I really had no deep desire to continue with the franchise (on the other hand, I periodically play classic Doom with friends over co-op, because, well, it's OG Doom, and Eternal can't change that), but I'm a lot more interested now. Which was id's intent, I suppose? Good on them?
Now if they play their (new) musicians this time, we'll be set. I laughed when I saw all the "pay Mick Gordon!" chats in the stream, over and over for several minutes. Come on, id, Bethesda pays their musicians, what's your excuse?
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- He/Him
Interesting post! Out of curiosity, what are some games that you consider to have really good combat design?
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The thing is when it comes to gaming, imitation is the name of the game, mechanically, aesthetically, and narratively. I mean like you don't need to guess what these games want to be:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8HUELoNayE
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwvx3ksnOQs
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZGWUpBTnY8
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtG504Nc7_U
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dakJW-dPzAI
This is pattern recurs everywhere. The real problem is that when it happens developers often:
1: Blindly reproduce flaws or obsolete elements of a game that they mistake for features and holy writ.
2: Lack the talent to make the actual features as robust as they were in the game that inspired it, because games that inspire like that tend to be exceptional.
3: Don't pursue new gimmicks or other creative elements that could the game a compelling reason to exist even if it can't quite match the inspiration's peak quality.
While its not impossible it can work (I have 3 of the above on my wishlist for now) games should aspire to be their own thing to at least some degree, evolving, expanding, or combining existing game ideas. I guess you can see hints in some of the above, for example Bo and the Teal Lotus giving greater focus to the pogo mechanic, mixing some ink painting into the aesthetic formula, and delving closer to classical mythology. The others though I kind of struggle to remember much of anything distinguishing them from Hollow Knight.
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Synthesis
Special Mobile Suit Troops, U.E.S.A.
- Location
- Luxembourg City
Thanks, sometimes I actually explain things well. Unfortunately, I'm one of those people who tends to look at things in a historiographic fashion, it's what I was trained in after all, so my choices would be affected as such. I was never actually a fan of Goldeneye, though I watched it played substantially (which left a poor impression coming from someone with a Doom, Rise of the Triad, and Quake background); I'd say Halo (even though I didn't actually enjoy the demo when I first played it) would have to be included, since not only did it finalize the twin stick shooter model (the same way Gears of War basically set the groundwork for all third-person cover shooters going forward, even though it wasn't the first), while some of the running and gunning elements are obviously aged, the vehicle combat integration is still unrivaled next to games like Battlefield that also rely on that. So, to actually answer: Halo 3 and Halo 5: Guardians (since it maintains the franchise's strengths but adds updated mantling and aim-down-sights combined with excellent Titanfall-style verticality).
Those are games that could be immediately compared to new Doom though. If we meant, by contrast, third-person shooters, I'd say Gears 5, since that franchise is highly iterative (with gradual tweaks and refinements across sequels), with the largest move base, can hold up against literally any other third-person shooter. Even really good games like The Last of Us and later Uncharted games, while obviously good, tend to have noticeably weaker, less refined actual cover-based shooting (which they still emphasize on; so the first Uncharted game, however you feel about the narrative and performances, plays like a significantly worse Gears of War (1).)
But, again, there's a lot of subjectivity in there. I was very sad when the Halo franchise dropped dual-wielding (a nod to Marathon I guess) with Reach, but it then lots of people think Reach was the G.O.A.T., etc., and it did obviously massive expand 3's use of battlefield equipment in depth and complexity.
Kuja
I'M A SQUIIIID
- Location
- AZ
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- He/Him
I thought Doom Eternal was a lot of fun...for a week. By the time I beat the game and finished up my collectible hunt though, I was extremely burned out on it and never touched it again until picking up TAG. In the name of forcing constant tactical choices on the player, Eternal had accelerated the combat loop to a point that I got extremely sick of going through the repetitive cycle of weapon swapping. Pair that with Eternal's running of popular Doom memes into the ground with similar repetition and I really regretted giving into the hype and buying it day one.
Synthesis
Special Mobile Suit Troops, U.E.S.A.
- Location
- Luxembourg City
I've never found Warframe's (third-person) shooting combat particularly impressive. It's absolutely serviceable, the same way Destiny 2's first-person shooting is, but neither is at all outstanding. But I don't have literally the hundreds of hours of experience that this kind of gameplay model is intended to foster.
- Location
- Somewhere!
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Warframe still has a bit of the old arena shooter movement DNA. if you like it, maybe look into unreal tournament or quake 3?
- Location
- Somewhere!
- Pronouns
- She/Her
yeah the gun play is very 'adequate' but it's a little faster in terms of parkour than Titanfall, which is rare nowadays.
destiny movement felt unplayably floaty and slow to me, and stamina sprinting feels weird too.
destiny movement felt unplayably floaty and slow to me, and stamina sprinting feels weird too.
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Rule 6: Acceptable Content on SV
This is a good character design actually
Newt from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (I mean how couldn't you love Nerdy-Buff-MilitaryComisar "blade")
I saw some people say this is a bad design... I admit she looks goofy as hell but she isn't that serious a character, What do you think?
Newt from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (I mean how couldn't you love Nerdy-Buff-MilitaryComisar "blade")
I saw some people say this is a bad design... I admit she looks goofy as hell but she isn't that serious a character, What do you think?
LunaMoth
Wings of Kynareth is my comfort song...
- Pronouns
- He/They
Yeah warframe puts combat last, its a story and an mmo first.
- Location
- Georgia, US
- Pronouns
- He/Him
You say it's not about combat and then mention two of three things that are combat related
Combat isn't just gunplay. Character speed, the visual consequences of shooting, TTK, and player durability (or lack thereof) are all crucial parts of combat and (with the arguably exception of TTK) do not have a direct connection with how the shooting 'feels'.
So I would definitely say that Warframe is about combat, it's just that things like combat movements are given higher premium then gun-feel. It's still combat, just a focus on a part of combat that many shooters don't necessarily prioritize.
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Relatedly hot take but I think this is a good thing, video games are a much more iterative media where having imitators is a sign of health for that genre(Indie specifically, since the higher amount of releases and shorter turn-around means improvements/divergences spread and happen faster). Like the open-world AAA's issue to me is that since there's not much AAA that are released per-year you really feel the staleness
Like if over 2 years there could be 5 Ubisoft-style open world not made by Ubisoft and they're unlikely to be that different from each other due to the low amount of examples. But by 2 years there would be a lot of divergences as seen in Slay The Spire-style deckbuilder roguelites
- Location
- Finland
Combat generally assumes some level or, resistance, from the people you are fighting.You say it's not about combat and then mention two of three things that are combat related
Combat isn't just gunplay. Character speed, the visual consequences of shooting, TTK, and player durability (or lack thereof) are all crucial parts of combat and (with the arguably exception of TTK) do not have a direct connection with how the shooting 'feels'.
So I would definitely say that Warframe is about combat, it's just that things like combat movements are given higher premium then gun-feel. It's still combat, just a focus on a part of combat that many shooters don't necessarily prioritize.
Or an effort on your part.
And quite often neither happens in Warframe.
In fact, i do quite a lot of missions where i use neither my abilities, or my weapons, to harm a single enemy, i just look fab, jump around like a grasshopper on speed, and watch as everything explodes (becaose some has a frame that let's them kill the whole map from the starting location).
Mandemon
Gentlemen, I love brawl.
- Location
- Cookie Jar
From my experience, at least Cult of the Lamb, isn't of the gameplay kinda like "longer you go on, more this side becomes automated so you can focus on major tickets"? Early on managing the cult is a task that requires attention, but more you play, more upgrades you can buy, and less attention you can pay to it.
She looks goofy, yes, but... it's not bad design, IMO. Especially with the setting like Xenoblade Saga. I might put some more clothes on her, no reason why she needs to run around looking like half her wardrobe is missing, but that's just me.
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Unfortunately this iterative process tends to mostly produce inferior clones of the most trendy games, genres, and mechanics. Part of the issue is that it is not fully iterative. Many of those inferior clones I mention actually come up with elements that are good in a vacuum, but are unpolished or in mediocre games, and consequentially will not be fully explored. Here's some examples from various StS-likes:
Neoverse
1: Automatically draw a card whenever you play a card, but your deck doesn't reshuffle until end of turn, or in response to certain card powers.
2: Having your block exactly match an incoming enemy attack parries it and stuns the enemy. Dealing exact lethal damage to an attacking enemy
3: Playing cards of a certain type in a certain order gives you a bonus, here a "next attack deals double damage".
4: You can access the shop at any time, not just at predetermined locations.
5: The relic pool is randomized at the start of the game and in a 5x5 grid, purchasable with a different resource than the one you buy cards with. Getting a full column, row, or diagonal rewards bonus relic effects.
Rogue Lords (not actually a deckbuilder but still)
6: Has that "if you have 3 of a thing they become 1 upgraded version of the thing, if you have 3 upgraded, it becomes the ultimate version of that thing" which I think comes from autobattlers but is a neat fit for deckbuilders.
7: You can 'cheat' almost any parameter like moving statuses around or manipulating health, but doing so costs you life... which is worth it if it'd preclude taking a hit.
Blood Cards
8: Your deck is your HP bar. Every time you get hit, you exhaust that many cards from the top of your deck.
Steamworld Hand of Gilgamech (not actually a roguelike but still)
9: All cards are either free and give energy, or cost energy to play, with a finite number of players per turn, and energy retained from turn to turn. You also get a finite number of discard and draw per turn.
10: Playing all cards from the same character, or one character leading into another, gives a combo reward of some sort.
Many of these ideas are interesting and feel like they could even become a standard, or at least be featured in certain playable characters, cards, or alt modes. In practice though I don't see most of them. The main ideas that seem to have permeated following StS in StS-likes are things like:
A: Having a party of characters instead of just one.
B: Block retained at end of turn.
C: Cards retained at end of turn, for better or worse.
D: Roguelite progression elements instead of roguelike where the only change is variety.
E: Having some kind of actual field of play.
F: Having modular upgrades, rather than a single upgrade.
Monster Train feels like the most prominent evolution. While other games have feature E or F, it has them implemented in ways both unique and clever. It was also just more refined in general, with more distinct starts and ends for playthroughs.
Meanwhile god help you if you like a quirky unique game that never achieved significant popularity. Beglitched is my goto example for that. Its core gameplay centers on a hybrid of Bejeweled and Minesweeper, whose gameplay also interacts with a secondary level of play that is even more overtly Minesweeper. Wanted a free play arcade mode? Or just more games that used and expanded the idea? Too bad, Beglitched came out in 2016 and got like 90 Steam reviews. I'm sure that there are countless other games like this, most of which I'll never stumble into. It'll be buried under a pile of wall to wall deckbuilder roguelites, or precision platformers that may or may not have a gravity or time manipulation gimmick, or bullet heaven survivor-likes, or FNAF wannabees, etc etc.
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