While I agree with most of your post, and enjoy the AvP demo unlike everyone in the world, it was a horrible idea to release a demo that does not accurately reflect retail quality gameplay.
No matter how impressive graphics can be, with the best ideas, super storyline or immersive sound quality.. if the Gameplay is freaking bad .. the game fails.
.. And fortunately for us UWE knows that too (some company are unaware of that basic principle, yet the only principle in game development)
<!--quoteo(post=1751693:date=Feb 7 2010, 11:02 AM:name=doeseph)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (doeseph @ Feb 7 2010, 11:02 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1751693"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->It's nice that you're sticking up for UWE on their own forum, but please don't be a pompous ass. Rebellion knows damn well how important game play is considering they made AvP2 which is still played to this day (9 years later). Every game company understands the importance of game play, and I personally think they did a good job on AvP3. They just picked the worst game mode to show it.
It's okay to like two different games you know.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--quoteo(post=1751693:date=Feb 7 2010, 06:02 PM:name=doeseph)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (doeseph @ Feb 7 2010, 06:02 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1751693"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->It's nice that you're sticking up for UWE on their own forum, but please don't be a pompous ass. Rebellion knows damn well how important game play is considering they made AvP2 which is still played to this day (9 years later). Every game company understands the importance of game play, and I personally think they did a good job on AvP3. They just picked the worst game mode to show it.
It's okay to like two different games you know.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Pipi doesn't like the gameplay, you flame him for his opinion. Who's the pompous ass?
Also, way to go on confusing developers. Monolith made AvP2, not Rebellion.
<!--quoteo(post=0:date=:name=doeseph)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (doeseph)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->It's not a console port.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yes it is. Rebellion saying "it's not a port- there's dedicated servers and dx11" doesn't make it "a game made for the PC, on the PC". The menus, the auto aim and jump aid were clearly designed for consoles then placed on the PC version. Even more obvious is d-pad shaped weapon selector.
Consolitis. Oblivion got the same flack for being consolified. Seems many a PC gamer are turning their nose up at AVP for being cross platform. Heh. I really like AVP, liked AVP1, loved AVP2. I like the stealth aspects of Pred/Alien, or the urgency of Marine trying to stay on the move and keeping an ear out for the slightest sound to indicate teeth or claws tearing you up. I've read loads of negativity on AVP, but I just fail to see how anyone can call this game bad, it has some of the most fun gameplay in online gaming. Deathmatch sucks as implied by the demo, but I'm in a Steam group which specifically sets up teams, AVP really comes into its own when there's teams, so I can't wait for the 7 multiplayer modes when the game is released. Predator Hunt and Survival Co-op is going to be fun.
First off when you start up the Demo they even say the Demo isn't the polished final build. It isn't the "Gold" copy so to speak when they send the master CD to be copied. Also AvP3 isn't a port. It was built from the ground up for the pc. A lot of games are adding the ability to use a console controler if you wish. People need to take some time and look at things and understand them besides they bash them.
Also first and foremost these games are entirely different.
AvP is a straight up Shooter with your normal game modes.
NS is also a shooter but with the aspect of an RTS game also from the commander PoV and the fact you need to gather resources and such to upgrade.
The only things the games have in common are well they both have marines and aliens, both are fps games and well thats about it.
seriously....alot of you guys are ripping on AVP solely out of being a NS fanboy. As someone who played BOTH AvP1-2 an NS1 to death, I now give 2 cents
First, the MAJOR difference between NS and AvP is obviously NS' heavier focus on RTS elements of buildings and placements. There is a heavy emphasis on claiming, gaining, and defending ground (you know more or less where the fight will be over key areas). Meanwhile, AvP sticks to aliens stalking, predators hunting, and marines surviving.
In terms of <b>IMMERSION</b> AvP completely stomps on NS (exclusing NS2 superior realtime lighting system), the atmosphere create much more of a sense of the humans being "Stalked". Pipes on the ceiling and xenomorph transformed walls become aliens in the mind of the player, making the player tense and on edge the whole time. This is partly due to the design of the alien's themselves (they look like pipes in many places).
A neat detail that is also present in Marine/human play is the <b>motion blur</b> when they turn. For aliens and predators, this motionblur is almost absent (due to increased/heightened perception).
As for the human's motion tracker... The ping on the radar gives an indication of where enemies may be. However, relying on it will get you killed, as it only covers 180degress infront of you and only tracks moving targets...not the alien on the ceiling waiting in the shadows for the human to walk by to pounce on, or the predator hiding behind a box ready to make a trophy out of their skull. The aliens are still detectable by a vigilante marine by their breathing, and predators are detectable by their targeting laser and their cloaking field disturbances. This is in comparison to NS1, where the primary mode of locating aliens is.. 1) sight 2) noisy footsteps
As for the Aliens.... Since I had been playing AvP for years, the wall climbing/running was not disorientating at all. Once again, the immersion that this provides to the alien player is unparalleled. Anyone who says its disorientating has obviously not gotten over the learning curve. The way that they handled the transition from ground to ceiling/wall is MUCH welcomed....Simply point your cursor to the place you want to jump, and when your cursor glows, press jump and you fly to it. This allows SUPER easy access to the ceiling enabling easy transitions.
Also, for the aliens the lighting is significantly enhanced (much brighter). This REAALLLY helps out when navigating. In comparison, the marine's see things MUCH darker. Another nice detail that most people probably don't notice when they play it for 5mins then quit.
A major part of AvP3 is the melee combat system. As aliens and predators, left click is light attack, rigth click is heavy (with ~2sec start up time) and left+right is block. It kinda works like paper, rock, scissors. Block beats Light attack, Heavy attack beats Block, and Light Attack beats Heavy (can hit them and stun before it lands)
There is some intense melee combat moments and TONS of mindgames that go one when fighting someone 1v1. Lets say 2 ppl are blocking at the same time. Initially, each one is waitng for the other to use a light attack (causing the attacker to get stunned and open to counter attack). Then the next thought is "the other guy is blocking". There are 2 options....1) Use a heavy attack to break the guard. 2) wait until they use a heavy attack and try and hit them with light very quickly. This system makes for some intense melee fights....quite a welcome addition and change to the standard....stand by the enemy/move around and spem the <b>MELEE BUTTON</b>.
What I like about NS2 is the realtime lightning system. Hopefully lights will break and affect the environment, allowing the aliens to create "dark corridors" (something you can do in AVP3). However, other than the updated graphics engine...I really haven't seen any new combat mechanics added. Especially seeing how they changed the face of combat in AVP3 compared to AVP1, I'm really looking forward to some innovative features.
"I believe you might have missed my point. I was talking about UWE's comment on AvP's demo being "Some good, not-so-good."
As someone that's studying to become a developer, I find it kind of weird to make public negative comments abut the competition, and entice your community to continue said attitude in your own forums."
Ah I see so because they develop a game they are unable to express their own views. It's that attitude that I can not stand, I don't care who they are they have EVERY right to express how they feel or think about another product. They aren't forcing a single person to agree with them, I just hate how every has to be politically correct, only say nice caring things about anything, and if a developer is ever seen saying something criticizing or "negative" about something they are hounded for it, for Christ sakes they are PEOPLE to with opinions, why the hell would you want to chastise them?
If they were bashing it for the sake of bashing it to make the product look bad and push their own that is very different, and in this case that is not what's happened.
I've played it a bit more now and I must admit that it is much better than I found it to be initially. The keys, for instance, needed work (I use EDSF) and it took a long time to figure out how to get rid of the secondary keys so you don't have one keypress triggering multiple actions (protip: just assign the same key twice and the secondary slot turns to "NA").
That said, the gameplay is more sluggish than I really like so I'm not a HUGE fan yet, just encouraged. I think it looks like Rebellion will be getting 50$ from me on Friday, and I was staunchly against the game when I first played it.
<!--quoteo(post=1751754:date=Feb 7 2010, 05:17 PM:name=doeseph)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (doeseph @ Feb 7 2010, 05:17 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1751754"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I stand corrected on the developers. As for it being made for the PC - it was. Just because you want to ignore the PC specific features and focus completely on some streamlined design aspects that made creating a MULTI PLATFORM game easier doesn't make it so. Go cry in a corner now because of a d-pad like menu (OMG HOW STUPID!).<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Most people when calling foul on a PC port usually criticize 2 things.
1) key mapping that doesn't make sense 2) poor/super simplified UI (especially equipment organization like Oblivion and Mass Effect)
It's not a matter of mutliplatform design. It's that you can't just do a game dump onto a PC and expect the control schemes to work the same way. A video game controller has access to more buttons due to the shoulder pads and it's easy to make button combos. On a keyboard and mouse, you have to bind each combo to a different key? That's stupid. Also, since we have access to more key bindings, the console shortcut of only switching weapons in order is defunct. We have learned how to switch by hitting 1-5 on the keyboard. Put that in, it's not too hard.
Batman Arkham Asylum showed that you can make an excellent port to the PC. It's just that too many developers cut corners and fail, and the PC gamers yell at them. The last time there was a PC -> console port was StarCraft 64, and the console people complained and called foul as well because it wasn't designed well for consoles.
<!--quoteo(post=1751769:date=Feb 8 2010, 12:56 AM:name=Iwachiten)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Iwachiten @ Feb 8 2010, 12:56 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1751769"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->As for the human's motion tracker... The ping on the radar gives an indication of where enemies may be. However, relying on it will get you killed, as it only covers 180degress infront of you<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The MT is 360 deg, just the range isn't as great behind you.
AVP3 imo. is what NS2 should <b>not be</b>. The only good thing I can about this game is that it looks good.
Alien physics for example are nowhere as interesting as NS1 with bunnyhop. Also, the weapon and the muzzle flash are way too big. Also as marines you are basically moving along two axis (x,y) unlike in NS1 you can bhop around rails and do lots of curvy dodge jumps while doing a 180 degrees backshot in air. The game lacks the fast-paced feel of NS1 where a lerk or leaping skulk can get from one end of the room to other in quarter of a second. Pistol is some kanker-ass dart shooter which you dont even want use at all. I'll play NS1 combat any day.
I think its typical nowadays shooter where devs have gotten excited about eye candy and atmosphere. Games like these will never be as epic as NS in terms of gameplay. Somehow strange almost none of the later generation games incorporated the unique physics of HL1. Atmospheric Realism is a great approach when making single-player games like Half-Life 2 but I personally hate it as an approach to multiplayers. Almost all newer first-person-shooters (apart from like TF2) are boring and conservative with the human movement. Great art has always been about doing something new and bold.
<!--quoteo(post=1751955:date=Feb 8 2010, 08:39 PM:name=Jiriki)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jiriki @ Feb 8 2010, 08:39 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1751955"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->AVP3 imo. is what NS2 should <b>not be</b>. The only good thing I can about this game is that it looks good.
Alien physics for example are nowhere as interesting as NS1 with bunnyhop. Also, the weapon and the muzzle flash are way too big. Also as marines you are basically moving along two axis (x,y) unlike in NS1 you can bhop around rails and do lots of curvy dodge jumps while doing a 180 degrees backshot in air. The game lacks the fast-paced feel of NS1 where a lerk or leaping skulk can get from one end of the room to other in quarter of a second. Pistol is some kanker-ass dart shooter which you dont even want use at all. I'll play NS1 combat any day.
I think its typical nowadays shooter where devs have gotten excited about eye candy and atmosphere. Games like these will never be as epic as NS in terms of gameplay. Somehow strange almost none of the later generation games incorporated the unique physics of HL1. Atmospheric Realism is a great approach when making single-player games like Half-Life 2 but I personally hate it as an approach to multiplayers. Almost all newer first-person-shooters (apart from like TF2) are boring and conservative with the human movement. Great art has always been about doing something new and bold.
And yeah the menus are not good UI design.
</rant><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
yes exactly. the focus is not on the gameplay as much as the feel of the game.
<!--quoteo(post=1751916:date=Feb 8 2010, 03:53 PM:name=spellman23)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (spellman23 @ Feb 8 2010, 03:53 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1751916"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Batman Arkham Asylum showed that you can make an excellent port to the PC. It's just that too many developers cut corners and fail, and the PC gamers yell at them. The last time there was a PC -> console port was StarCraft 64, and the console people complained and called foul as well because it wasn't designed well for consoles.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> Actually, you make a good comparison there.
I'm not a fan of AvP3 for the same reason I'm not a fan of Arkum Asylum. The port of AA may be decent but the gameplay is still consolised with a lot of things automated - Batman jumping from ledge to ledge, hooking onto certain edges, etc. It's not bad but it could be better than more "free". Too much hand-holding (could also be said as treating it's users like idiots).
<!--QuoteBegin-Jiriki+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jiriki)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> <i>AVP3 imo. is what NS2 should <b>not be</b>. The only good thing I can about this game is that it looks good.</i> <i>Alien physics for example are nowhere as interesting as NS1 with bunnyhop.</i> What does that even mean?
<i>Also, the weapon and the muzzle flash are way too big. </i> No weapon is any bigger than that on NS. As a matter of fact, the HMG on NS is 2X bigger than any gun on AVP3. I believe you are confusing muzzle flash with realtime lighting effects. Also...what resolution are you playing on? The only way I can imagine the guns and muzzleflashes being too big is if you are playing on the lowest resolution possible.
<i>Also as marines you are basically moving along two axis (x,y) unlike in NS1 you can bhop around rails and do lots of curvy dodge jumps while doing a 180 degrees backshot in air. </i> Bunnyhoping and the whole whipping around to do a 180 in a milisecond is what game developers are trying to move away from. It's doubtful you will be able to do this in NS2. So in essence, you are saying NS is better because its human physics make the people able to perform like circus freaks? Super quick turning is archaic and more suited for arcadey FPSs like Quake and Unreal Tournament.
<i> The game lacks the fast-paced feel of NS1 where a lerk or leaping skulk can get from one end of the room to other in quarter of a second. </i> If you press the Q button as an alien...you can actually "run". This allows you to literally run arcoss a room in a slit second. If you combine with jump, you can go even faster. Hold shift to focus, and press jump and you pounce on an enemy (perform a leaping attack)
<i>Pistol is some kanker-ass dart shooter which you dont even want use at all. I'll play NS1 combat any day.</i> Lets take a second to examine this....Lets see.... The lowest weapon available on NS is a <b>KNIFE</b>. Considered last resort backup weapon The lowest weapon available on AVP is a <b>PISTOL</b>. Considered last resort backup weapon NS KNIFE = AVP PISTOL Do you ever <i>want </i>to use your knife in a fight on NS?
<i>I think its typical nowadays shooter where devs have gotten excited about eye candy and atmosphere. </i> With improvements in technology come improvements in graphics and visuals. If you look at all the videoblogs and journal entries of the NS team, more than 75% are of the graphical engine not the gameplay.
<i>Games like these will never be as epic as NS in terms of gameplay.</i> 1) You are not comparing <b>Game A</b> to<b> Game B</b>. You are generalizing. 2) The only <b>gameplay</b> you have discussed so far is; Bunnyhoping and falsely stating that the aliens on AVP do not move fast.
<i>Somehow strange almost none of the later generation games incorporated the unique physics of HL1.</i> Please explain what physics
<i>Atmospheric Realism is a great approach when making single-player games like Half-Life 2 but I personally hate it as an approach to multiplayers.</i> Have you even SEEN the brilliant work the team at NS is doing? In terms of environment and lighting, it is actually more involved than AVP.
<i>Almost all newer first-person-shooters (apart from like TF2) are boring and conservative with the human movement. Great art has always been about doing something <b>new and bold</b>.</i> You say this, yet 2 sentences ago, you were saying how not enough games adhere to Half Life 1...a 10 year old game?
<i>And yeah the menus are not good UI design.</i> Weapons are selected using the number keys on the PC, NO DIFFERENCE AT ALL to NS. They are arranged visually in a square pattern to make the transition to console easier (square Dpad). This is the only menu UI that I could think of relevant to the actual playing of the game.
Please provide better input, as what you said wasnt very informative and did not actually provide any substantive input on how to make NS2 better (by taking good ideas from other great games).
<!--quoteo(post=1752000:date=Feb 9 2010, 10:39 AM:name=Stardog)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Stardog @ Feb 9 2010, 10:39 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1752000"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Actually, you make a good comparison there.
I'm not a fan of AvP3 for the same reason I'm not a fan of Arkum Asylum. The port of AA may be decent but the gameplay is still consolised with a lot of things automated - Batman jumping from ledge to ledge, hooking onto certain edges, etc. It's not bad but it could be better than more "free". Too much hand-holding (could also be said as treating it's users like idiots).<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Unfortunately the game was created to work in conjunction with Consoles because as stated from them "That's where the money is". With PC gaming and the RAMPANT piracy, it's the sad truth.
Nowadays, its stupid to release a game exclusively for PC unless you have either 1) internet authentication 2) Downloadable content/micro transactions 3) Pay to play or quite simply, THOUSANDS of dollars will be leached away by pirates. Take the game Demigod for example, a beautiful RTS made by a relatively small company. When they took a survey of the legimate players using the servers for multiplayer versus hacked/pirated...The number of legimate players was around 18,00 versus hacked/pirated of 120,000
In short, the game is the way it is, because pirates are killing the PC game industry. Just a sign of the times.
What alot of people don't seem to recall, is that NS1 was a free mod to download. How many players would there have been if it was a game they had to pay for? How many people, other than the one's who pre-ordered the game will actually pay for it, rather than pirate it? I do not want to see Unknown Worlds not rewarded for their efforts, but unfortunately, thats the way things are now.
<!--quoteo(post=1752147:date=Feb 9 2010, 05:11 PM:name=Iwachiten)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Iwachiten @ Feb 9 2010, 05:11 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1752147"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Take the game Demigod for example, a beautiful RTS made by a relatively small company. When they took a survey of the legimate players using the servers for multiplayer versus hacked/pirated...The number of legimate players was around 18,00 versus hacked/pirated of 120,000<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Also, their central authentication networked failed on release day. Also, fewer than 10% of the players even go online. And really, Demigod isn't made by a small company. Behold Strategy Game Genre, where they are pretty big.
Also (Why PC?): <a href="http://pc.ign.com/articles/105/1059477p1.html" target="_blank">http://pc.ign.com/articles/105/1059477p1.html</a>
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->What does that even mean?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> It means, playing as alien is boring. In NS1 there are lots of cool tricks, like bhopping, walljumping and leaping to keep the lifeform even half-interesting.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->No weapon is any bigger than that on NS. As a matter of fact, the HMG on NS is 2X bigger than any gun on AVP3. I believe you are confusing muzzle flash with realtime lighting effects.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> Possibly. I did actually a comparison (<a href="http://jiriki.kapsi.fi/linked/avp.jpg" target="_blank">avp</a>, <a href="http://jiriki.kapsi.fi/linked/ns.jpg" target="_blank">ns</a>) and well they are about the same size, awp is maybe a bit bigger. My resolution is 1600x1200.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Bunnyhoping and the whole whipping around to do a 180 in a milisecond is what game developers are trying to move away from. It's doubtful you will be able to do this in NS2. So in essence, you are saying NS is better because its human physics make the people able to perform like circus freaks? Super quick turning is archaic and more suited for arcadey FPSs like Quake and Unreal Tournament.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> Yes well exactly that's the reason that has kept us running NS League since 7+ years after the game release. And circus freaks? How about <i>nanites</i> and structures dropping out of thin air. The possibility of good timing and movement of outperforming the aliens is one part of NS1 marine, that makes it very fun and challenging. Quake and UT are great games, but they are not FPS+RTS'es games with 7 different tasks. Besides, I reckon bunnyhop is still there for the skulk.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><i>Pistol is some kanker-ass dart shooter which you dont even want use at all. I'll play NS1 combat any day.</i> Lets take a second to examine this....Lets see.... The lowest weapon available on NS is a <b>KNIFE</b>. Considered last resort backup weapon The lowest weapon available on AVP is a <b>PISTOL</b>. Considered last resort backup weapon NS KNIFE = AVP PISTOL
Do you ever <i>want </i>to use your knife in a fight on NS?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> Oh <a href="http://www.ensl.org/movies/82" target="_blank">hell yes</a>. Even without medpacks, knife works very well against skulks when you run out of ammo.
I like how in NS1, you can use pistol as <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu1H_Stv8ck" target="_blank">a kickass long-range weapon</a> (see 2:55).
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><i>I think its typical nowadays shooter where devs have gotten excited about eye candy and atmosphere. </i> With improvements in technology come improvements in graphics and visuals. If you look at all the videoblogs and journal entries of the NS team, more than 75% are of the graphical engine not the gameplay.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> Yeah well nice graphics are good but NS isn't played today because of its nice graphics but because of its awesome gameplay. Starcraft isn't played because of its "awesome" graphics either.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->1) You are not comparing <b>Game A</b> to<b> Game B</b>. You are generalizing. 2) The only <b>gameplay</b> you have discussed so far is; Bunnyhoping and falsely stating that the aliens on AVP do not move fast.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> Actually that may be a false statement, because AVP's deathmatch is boring. I might actually enjoy it as a single player. But if you compare AVP and NS1 combat, I simply prefer the latter because there's a lot more options skillwise.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Please explain what physics<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> Generally the ability to jump around and outmanouver either enemy or bullets. In most modern games you just move along x-y axis, how boring.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Have you even SEEN the brilliant work the team at NS is doing? In terms of environment and lighting, it is actually more involved than AVP.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> And? I wasn't blaming UWE for bad environment and lighting.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->You say this, yet 2 sentences ago, you were saying how not enough games adhere to Half Life 1...a 10 year old game?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> Yes, what I'm saying modern day shooters involve very conservative human movement to make "realistic". Ideas are forever. FPS+RTS was invented over 10 years ago, yet its an awesome gameplay mode but only few games implement it. I'm not saying the age is the problem.
<b>Weapons are selected using the number keys on the PC, NO DIFFERENCE AT ALL to NS. They are arranged visually in a square pattern to make the transition to console easier (square Dpad). This is the only menu UI that I could think of relevant to the actual playing of the game.</b> I didnt talk about menus relevant to gaming. If the menus or eg. server browser is bad, it will affect the the enjoyability. Menus to get into game are part of the game experience aswell. Also the weapon change is not responsive imo.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Please provide better input, as what you said wasnt very informative and did not actually provide any substantive input on how to make NS2 better (by taking good ideas from other great games).<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> What I'm saying is that I'm likely not going to buy AVP, and I hope NS won't be as boring gameplay-wise.
I tried it out last night, and the group i played with was playing it Team Deathmatch style, and we had a pretty good time. TDM >>> DM in that style of game. I can see how the game would be loads of fun with more maps and the finished/polished game. I'd be interested to see if they were going to do any single player type demo... but that's doubtful. Either way, I'll keep my eye on it and maybe pick it up later. I rather enjoyed playing as a Xenomorph. It just was pretty disorienting/took some getting used to at first.
I'm also interested to see the other game modes (there's supposed to be like.. 7 MP modes??)
My general impression based on the demo was that graphicaly it's nice. The ambiance is there and gives a nice feel to it (But then again so did NS1).
Essentially the demo is not a demo. A demo is a demonstration, a taste of what's to come. But I honestly believe, using a 10 month old, ported version demo was not a good marketing practice. I absolutely LOVED the AvP2. (The game NOT made by Rebellion) and you know what? That game is still installed on my computer at this moment. I play it from time to time to get the ambiance, and feel for being in the Aliens Universe.
Today, too many companies feel like Multiplayer needs to be the focus of a game. It doesn't. If a game cannot stand on it's own feet without single-player then why should multiplayer? Now before anyone goes and cites multiplayer only games that have done well, I'd like to point out that some genres NEED a single player. AvP is one of those. The original games 10 years ago were fantastic single player games with entertaining multiplayer game modes. I can only hope that the single player for this 2010 release is just as good. I haven't pre-ordered because the mechanics have left a sour taste in my mouth, the game just doesn't feel quite right.
Mediocre game at the moment. Hopefully they will release a more polished demo after launch that will entice buyers. (Maybe with a single player demo as well).
<!--quoteo(post=1752472:date=Feb 11 2010, 08:10 PM:name=Sykomyke)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Sykomyke @ Feb 11 2010, 08:10 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1752472"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I absolutely LOVED the AvP2. (The game NOT made by Rebellion) and you know what? That game is still installed on my computer at this moment. I play it from time to time to get the ambiance, and feel for being in the Aliens Universe.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> I'm just revisiting the singleplayer and to be honest, it feels like a game that could've been a lot better with a bit more development. Right now there are some smaller atmosphere breaking bugs (the forever spinning gibs for example) and the predator melee feels annoyingly unreliable considering you're using it about half of the time. There are also some scenes of absolutely horrid design (killing the predator in marine singleplayer seems only possible by abusing the idiotic AI). The controls in general also require some rework before you'll feel natural with them. And the list goes on...
So, I guess there's a tradition of partitially unfinished products in the AvP family. Hopefully they'll manage to finish things for the full game this time.
<!--quoteo(post=1752631:date=Feb 12 2010, 09:20 AM:name=Leon)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Leon @ Feb 12 2010, 09:20 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1752631"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->"So, I guess there's a tradition of partitially unfinished products in the AvP family."
Goes for the movies as well, real stinkers that could have been great.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You mean just the AvP franchise of movies? For a second i thought you meant just the Alien movies or just the Predator movies, and I was pretty concerned (well... you can trash Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection all you want, i don't mind).
But on-topic, I think the game could be fun. I'd be interested to see some single player as well as other game modes. I'm also curious how far off the demo implementation is from the final (the demo loading screen says it's pre-release code that doesn't reflect the final game necessarily) although my guess is the only real difference is graphical stuff (DX11 vs DX9) and maybe some of the netcode or something.
<!--quoteo(post=1752631:date=Feb 12 2010, 09:20 AM:name=Leon)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Leon @ Feb 12 2010, 09:20 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1752631"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->"So, I guess there's a tradition of partitially unfinished products in the AvP family."
Goes for the movies as well, real stinkers that could have been great.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Off-topic: Oh god yes, watched AvP2 on premiere since a friend just really HAD to watch it. He enjoyed it. The other four people that bought his hype were nodding off or weeping silently (with exception on the part with the annoying woman who got nailed to the wall; that was just pure gold). Never, ever again.
To quote from an IMDB comment: "Then, that thing finally ended. To my surprise not only me and my friends didn't know whether to laugh or to cry, but everybody I overheard leaving the room was half-crying, half-laughing about those 1 1/2 hours they just wasted."
Comments
No matter how impressive graphics can be, with the best ideas, super storyline or immersive sound quality.. if the Gameplay is freaking bad .. the game fails.
.. And fortunately for us UWE knows that too (some company are unaware of that basic principle, yet the only principle in game development)
It's okay to like two different games you know.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
They didn't make AVP2, they made AVP1.
It's okay to like two different games you know.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Pipi doesn't like the gameplay, you flame him for his opinion. Who's the pompous ass?
Also, way to go on confusing developers. Monolith made AvP2, not Rebellion.
<!--quoteo(post=0:date=:name=doeseph)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (doeseph)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->It's not a console port.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yes it is. Rebellion saying "it's not a port- there's dedicated servers and dx11" doesn't make it "a game made for the PC, on the PC". The menus, the auto aim and jump aid were clearly designed for consoles then placed on the PC version. Even more obvious is d-pad shaped weapon selector.
Consolitis. Oblivion got the same flack for being consolified. Seems many a PC gamer are turning their nose up at AVP for being cross platform. Heh. I really like AVP, liked AVP1, loved AVP2. I like the stealth aspects of Pred/Alien, or the urgency of Marine trying to stay on the move and keeping an ear out for the slightest sound to indicate teeth or claws tearing you up.
I've read loads of negativity on AVP, but I just fail to see how anyone can call this game bad, it has some of the most fun gameplay in online gaming. Deathmatch sucks as implied by the demo, but I'm in a Steam group which specifically sets up teams, AVP really comes into its own when there's teams, so I can't wait for the 7 multiplayer modes when the game is released. Predator Hunt and Survival Co-op is going to be fun.
Also first and foremost these games are entirely different.
AvP is a straight up Shooter with your normal game modes.
NS is also a shooter but with the aspect of an RTS game also from the commander PoV and the fact you need to gather resources and such to upgrade.
The only things the games have in common are well they both have marines and aliens, both are fps games and well thats about it.
As someone who played BOTH AvP1-2 an NS1 to death, I now give 2 cents
First, the MAJOR difference between NS and AvP is obviously NS' heavier focus on RTS elements of buildings and placements. There is a heavy emphasis on claiming, gaining, and defending ground (you know more or less where the fight will be over key areas).
Meanwhile, AvP sticks to aliens stalking, predators hunting, and marines surviving.
In terms of <b>IMMERSION</b> AvP completely stomps on NS (exclusing NS2 superior realtime lighting system), the atmosphere create much more of a sense of the humans being "Stalked". Pipes on the ceiling and xenomorph transformed walls become aliens in the mind of the player, making the player tense and on edge the whole time. This is partly due to the design of the alien's themselves (they look like pipes in many places).
A neat detail that is also present in Marine/human play is the <b>motion blur</b> when they turn. For aliens and predators, this motionblur is almost absent (due to increased/heightened perception).
As for the human's motion tracker... The ping on the radar gives an indication of where enemies may be. However, relying on it will get you killed, as it only covers 180degress infront of you and only tracks moving targets...not the alien on the ceiling waiting in the shadows for the human to walk by to pounce on, or the predator hiding behind a box ready to make a trophy out of their skull. The aliens are still detectable by a vigilante marine by their breathing, and predators are detectable by their targeting laser and their cloaking field disturbances.
This is in comparison to NS1, where the primary mode of locating aliens is..
1) sight
2) noisy footsteps
As for the Aliens....
Since I had been playing AvP for years, the wall climbing/running was not disorientating at all. Once again, the immersion that this provides to the alien player is unparalleled. Anyone who says its disorientating has obviously not gotten over the learning curve.
The way that they handled the transition from ground to ceiling/wall is MUCH welcomed....Simply point your cursor to the place you want to jump, and when your cursor glows, press jump and you fly to it. This allows SUPER easy access to the ceiling enabling easy transitions.
Also, for the aliens the lighting is significantly enhanced (much brighter). This REAALLLY helps out when navigating. In comparison, the marine's see things MUCH darker. Another nice detail that most people probably don't notice when they play it for 5mins then quit.
A major part of AvP3 is the melee combat system.
As aliens and predators, left click is light attack, rigth click is heavy (with ~2sec start up time) and left+right is block. It kinda works like paper, rock, scissors.
Block beats Light attack, Heavy attack beats Block, and Light Attack beats Heavy (can hit them and stun before it lands)
There is some intense melee combat moments and TONS of mindgames that go one when fighting someone 1v1.
Lets say 2 ppl are blocking at the same time. Initially, each one is waitng for the other to use a light attack (causing the attacker to get stunned and open to counter attack). Then the next thought is "the other guy is blocking". There are 2 options....1) Use a heavy attack to break the guard. 2) wait until they use a heavy attack and try and hit them with light very quickly.
This system makes for some intense melee fights....quite a welcome addition and change to the standard....stand by the enemy/move around and spem the <b>MELEE BUTTON</b>.
What I like about NS2 is the realtime lightning system. Hopefully lights will break and affect the environment, allowing the aliens to create "dark corridors" (something you can do in AVP3). However, other than the updated graphics engine...I really haven't seen any new combat mechanics added. Especially seeing how they changed the face of combat in AVP3 compared to AVP1, I'm really looking forward to some innovative features.
As someone that's studying to become a developer, I find it kind of weird to make public negative comments abut the competition, and entice your community to continue said attitude in your own forums."
Ah I see so because they develop a game they are unable to express their own views. It's that attitude that I can not stand, I don't care who they are they have EVERY right to express how they feel or think about another product. They aren't forcing a single person to agree with them, I just hate how every has to be politically correct, only say nice caring things about anything, and if a developer is ever seen saying something criticizing or "negative" about something they are hounded for it, for Christ sakes they are PEOPLE to with opinions, why the hell would you want to chastise them?
If they were bashing it for the sake of bashing it to make the product look bad and push their own that is very different, and in this case that is not what's happened.
That said, the gameplay is more sluggish than I really like so I'm not a HUGE fan yet, just encouraged. I think it looks like Rebellion will be getting 50$ from me on Friday, and I was staunchly against the game when I first played it.
Most people when calling foul on a PC port usually criticize 2 things.
1) key mapping that doesn't make sense
2) poor/super simplified UI (especially equipment organization like Oblivion and Mass Effect)
It's not a matter of mutliplatform design. It's that you can't just do a game dump onto a PC and expect the control schemes to work the same way. A video game controller has access to more buttons due to the shoulder pads and it's easy to make button combos. On a keyboard and mouse, you have to bind each combo to a different key? That's stupid. Also, since we have access to more key bindings, the console shortcut of only switching weapons in order is defunct. We have learned how to switch by hitting 1-5 on the keyboard. Put that in, it's not too hard.
Batman Arkham Asylum showed that you can make an excellent port to the PC. It's just that too many developers cut corners and fail, and the PC gamers yell at them. The last time there was a PC -> console port was StarCraft 64, and the console people complained and called foul as well because it wasn't designed well for consoles.
The MT is 360 deg, just the range isn't as great behind you.
Alien physics for example are nowhere as interesting as NS1 with bunnyhop. Also, the weapon and the muzzle flash are way too big. Also as marines you are basically moving along two axis (x,y) unlike in NS1 you can bhop around rails and do lots of curvy dodge jumps while doing a 180 degrees backshot in air. The game lacks the fast-paced feel of NS1 where a lerk or leaping skulk can get from one end of the room to other in quarter of a second. Pistol is some kanker-ass dart shooter which you dont even want use at all. I'll play NS1 combat any day.
I think its typical nowadays shooter where devs have gotten excited about eye candy and atmosphere. Games like these will never be as epic as NS in terms of gameplay. Somehow strange almost none of the later generation games incorporated the unique physics of HL1. Atmospheric Realism is a great approach when making single-player games like Half-Life 2 but I personally hate it as an approach to multiplayers. Almost all newer first-person-shooters (apart from like TF2) are boring and conservative with the human movement. Great art has always been about doing something new and bold.
And yeah the menus are not good UI design.
</rant>
Alien physics for example are nowhere as interesting as NS1 with bunnyhop. Also, the weapon and the muzzle flash are way too big. Also as marines you are basically moving along two axis (x,y) unlike in NS1 you can bhop around rails and do lots of curvy dodge jumps while doing a 180 degrees backshot in air. The game lacks the fast-paced feel of NS1 where a lerk or leaping skulk can get from one end of the room to other in quarter of a second. Pistol is some kanker-ass dart shooter which you dont even want use at all. I'll play NS1 combat any day.
I think its typical nowadays shooter where devs have gotten excited about eye candy and atmosphere. Games like these will never be as epic as NS in terms of gameplay. Somehow strange almost none of the later generation games incorporated the unique physics of HL1. Atmospheric Realism is a great approach when making single-player games like Half-Life 2 but I personally hate it as an approach to multiplayers. Almost all newer first-person-shooters (apart from like TF2) are boring and conservative with the human movement. Great art has always been about doing something new and bold.
And yeah the menus are not good UI design.
</rant><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
yes exactly. the focus is not on the gameplay as much as the feel of the game.
will ns2 have air control?
Actually, you make a good comparison there.
I'm not a fan of AvP3 for the same reason I'm not a fan of Arkum Asylum. The port of AA may be decent but the gameplay is still consolised with a lot of things automated - Batman jumping from ledge to ledge, hooking onto certain edges, etc. It's not bad but it could be better than more "free". Too much hand-holding (could also be said as treating it's users like idiots).
<i>AVP3 imo. is what NS2 should <b>not be</b>. The only good thing I can about this game is that it looks good.</i>
<i>Alien physics for example are nowhere as interesting as NS1 with bunnyhop.</i>
What does that even mean?
<i>Also, the weapon and the muzzle flash are way too big. </i>
No weapon is any bigger than that on NS. As a matter of fact, the HMG on NS is 2X bigger than any gun on AVP3.
I believe you are confusing muzzle flash with realtime lighting effects.
Also...what resolution are you playing on? The only way I can imagine the guns and muzzleflashes being too big is if you are playing on the lowest resolution possible.
<i>Also as marines you are basically moving along two axis (x,y) unlike in NS1 you can bhop around rails and do lots of curvy dodge jumps while doing a 180 degrees backshot in air. </i>
Bunnyhoping and the whole whipping around to do a 180 in a milisecond is what game developers are trying to move away from. It's doubtful you will be able to do this in NS2. So in essence, you are saying NS is better because its human physics make the people able to perform like circus freaks? Super quick turning is archaic and more suited for arcadey FPSs like Quake and Unreal Tournament.
<i>
The game lacks the fast-paced feel of NS1 where a lerk or leaping skulk can get from one end of the room to other in quarter of a second. </i>
If you press the Q button as an alien...you can actually "run". This allows you to literally run arcoss a room in a slit second. If you combine with jump, you can go even faster. Hold shift to focus, and press jump and you pounce on an enemy (perform a leaping attack)
<i>Pistol is some kanker-ass dart shooter which you dont even want use at all. I'll play NS1 combat any day.</i>
Lets take a second to examine this....Lets see....
The lowest weapon available on NS is a <b>KNIFE</b>. Considered last resort backup weapon
The lowest weapon available on AVP is a <b>PISTOL</b>. Considered last resort backup weapon
NS KNIFE = AVP PISTOL
Do you ever <i>want </i>to use your knife in a fight on NS?
<i>I think its typical nowadays shooter where devs have gotten excited about eye candy and atmosphere. </i>
With improvements in technology come improvements in graphics and visuals. If you look at all the videoblogs and journal entries of the NS team, more than 75% are of the graphical engine not the gameplay.
<i>Games like these will never be as epic as NS in terms of gameplay.</i>
1) You are not comparing <b>Game A</b> to<b> Game B</b>. You are generalizing.
2) The only <b>gameplay</b> you have discussed so far is; Bunnyhoping and falsely stating that the aliens on AVP do not move fast.
<i>Somehow strange almost none of the later generation games incorporated the unique physics of HL1.</i>
Please explain what physics
<i>Atmospheric Realism is a great approach when making single-player games like Half-Life 2 but I personally hate it as an approach to multiplayers.</i>
Have you even SEEN the brilliant work the team at NS is doing? In terms of environment and lighting, it is actually more involved than AVP.
<i>Almost all newer first-person-shooters (apart from like TF2) are boring and conservative with the human movement. Great art has always been about doing something <b>new and bold</b>.</i>
You say this, yet 2 sentences ago, you were saying how not enough games adhere to Half Life 1...a 10 year old game?
<i>And yeah the menus are not good UI design.</i>
Weapons are selected using the number keys on the PC, NO DIFFERENCE AT ALL to NS. They are arranged visually in a square pattern to make the transition to console easier (square Dpad).
This is the only menu UI that I could think of relevant to the actual playing of the game.
Please provide better input, as what you said wasnt very informative and did not actually provide any substantive input on how to make NS2 better (by taking good ideas from other great games).
I'm not a fan of AvP3 for the same reason I'm not a fan of Arkum Asylum. The port of AA may be decent but the gameplay is still consolised with a lot of things automated - Batman jumping from ledge to ledge, hooking onto certain edges, etc. It's not bad but it could be better than more "free". Too much hand-holding (could also be said as treating it's users like idiots).<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Unfortunately the game was created to work in conjunction with Consoles because as stated from them "That's where the money is".
With PC gaming and the RAMPANT piracy, it's the sad truth.
Nowadays, its stupid to release a game exclusively for PC unless you have either
1) internet authentication
2) Downloadable content/micro transactions
3) Pay to play
or quite simply, THOUSANDS of dollars will be leached away by pirates.
Take the game Demigod for example, a beautiful RTS made by a relatively small company. When they took a survey of the legimate players using the servers for multiplayer versus hacked/pirated...The number of legimate players was around 18,00 versus hacked/pirated of 120,000
In short, the game is the way it is, because pirates are killing the PC game industry. Just a sign of the times.
What alot of people don't seem to recall, is that NS1 was a free mod to download. How many players would there have been if it was a game they had to pay for?
How many people, other than the one's who pre-ordered the game will actually pay for it, rather than pirate it?
I do not want to see Unknown Worlds not rewarded for their efforts, but unfortunately, thats the way things are now.
Also, their central authentication networked failed on release day. Also, fewer than 10% of the players even go online. And really, Demigod isn't made by a small company. Behold Strategy Game Genre, where they are pretty big.
Also (Why PC?):
<a href="http://pc.ign.com/articles/105/1059477p1.html" target="_blank">http://pc.ign.com/articles/105/1059477p1.html</a>
It means, playing as alien is boring. In NS1 there are lots of cool tricks, like bhopping, walljumping and leaping to keep the lifeform even half-interesting.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->No weapon is any bigger than that on NS. As a matter of fact, the HMG on NS is 2X bigger than any gun on AVP3.
I believe you are confusing muzzle flash with realtime lighting effects.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Possibly. I did actually a comparison (<a href="http://jiriki.kapsi.fi/linked/avp.jpg" target="_blank">avp</a>, <a href="http://jiriki.kapsi.fi/linked/ns.jpg" target="_blank">ns</a>) and well they are about the same size, awp is maybe a bit bigger. My resolution is 1600x1200.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Bunnyhoping and the whole whipping around to do a 180 in a milisecond is what game developers are trying to move away from. It's doubtful you will be able to do this in NS2. So in essence, you are saying NS is better because its human physics make the people able to perform like circus freaks? Super quick turning is archaic and more suited for arcadey FPSs like Quake and Unreal Tournament.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yes well exactly that's the reason that has kept us running NS League since 7+ years after the game release. And circus freaks? How about <i>nanites</i> and structures dropping out of thin air. The possibility of good timing and movement of outperforming the aliens is one part of NS1 marine, that makes it very fun and challenging. Quake and UT are great games, but they are not FPS+RTS'es games with 7 different tasks. Besides, I reckon bunnyhop is still there for the skulk.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><i>Pistol is some kanker-ass dart shooter which you dont even want use at all. I'll play NS1 combat any day.</i>
Lets take a second to examine this....Lets see....
The lowest weapon available on NS is a <b>KNIFE</b>. Considered last resort backup weapon
The lowest weapon available on AVP is a <b>PISTOL</b>. Considered last resort backup weapon
NS KNIFE = AVP PISTOL
Do you ever <i>want </i>to use your knife in a fight on NS?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Oh <a href="http://www.ensl.org/movies/82" target="_blank">hell yes</a>. Even without medpacks, knife works very well against skulks when you run out of ammo.
I like how in NS1, you can use pistol as <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu1H_Stv8ck" target="_blank">a kickass long-range weapon</a> (see 2:55).
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--><i>I think its typical nowadays shooter where devs have gotten excited about eye candy and atmosphere. </i>
With improvements in technology come improvements in graphics and visuals. If you look at all the videoblogs and journal entries of the NS team, more than 75% are of the graphical engine not the gameplay.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yeah well nice graphics are good but NS isn't played today because of its nice graphics but because of its awesome gameplay. Starcraft isn't played because of its "awesome" graphics either.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->1) You are not comparing <b>Game A</b> to<b> Game B</b>. You are generalizing.
2) The only <b>gameplay</b> you have discussed so far is; Bunnyhoping and falsely stating that the aliens on AVP do not move fast.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Actually that may be a false statement, because AVP's deathmatch is boring. I might actually enjoy it as a single player. But if you compare AVP and NS1 combat, I simply prefer the latter because there's a lot more options skillwise.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Please explain what physics<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Generally the ability to jump around and outmanouver either enemy or bullets. In most modern games you just move along x-y axis, how boring.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Have you even SEEN the brilliant work the team at NS is doing? In terms of environment and lighting, it is actually more involved than AVP.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
And? I wasn't blaming UWE for bad environment and lighting.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->You say this, yet 2 sentences ago, you were saying how not enough games adhere to Half Life 1...a 10 year old game?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yes, what I'm saying modern day shooters involve very conservative human movement to make "realistic". Ideas are forever. FPS+RTS was invented over 10 years ago, yet its an awesome gameplay mode but only few games implement it. I'm not saying the age is the problem.
<b>Weapons are selected using the number keys on the PC, NO DIFFERENCE AT ALL to NS. They are arranged visually in a square pattern to make the transition to console easier (square Dpad). This is the only menu UI that I could think of relevant to the actual playing of the game.</b>
I didnt talk about menus relevant to gaming. If the menus or eg. server browser is bad, it will affect the the enjoyability. Menus to get into game are part of the game experience aswell. Also the weapon change is not responsive imo.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Please provide better input, as what you said wasnt very informative and did not actually provide any substantive input on how to make NS2 better (by taking good ideas from other great games).<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
What I'm saying is that I'm likely not going to buy AVP, and I hope NS won't be as boring gameplay-wise.
Demo not impressive.
I'm also interested to see the other game modes (there's supposed to be like.. 7 MP modes??)
Essentially the demo is not a demo. A demo is a demonstration, a taste of what's to come. But I honestly believe, using a 10 month old, ported version demo was not a good marketing practice. I absolutely LOVED the AvP2. (The game NOT made by Rebellion) and you know what? That game is still installed on my computer at this moment. I play it from time to time to get the ambiance, and feel for being in the Aliens Universe.
Today, too many companies feel like Multiplayer needs to be the focus of a game. It doesn't. If a game cannot stand on it's own feet without single-player then why should multiplayer? Now before anyone goes and cites multiplayer only games that have done well, I'd like to point out that some genres NEED a single player. AvP is one of those. The original games 10 years ago were fantastic single player games with entertaining multiplayer game modes. I can only hope that the single player for this 2010 release is just as good. I haven't pre-ordered because the mechanics have left a sour taste in my mouth, the game just doesn't feel quite right.
Mediocre game at the moment. Hopefully they will release a more polished demo after launch that will entice buyers. (Maybe with a single player demo as well).
I'm just revisiting the singleplayer and to be honest, it feels like a game that could've been a lot better with a bit more development. Right now there are some smaller atmosphere breaking bugs (the forever spinning gibs for example) and the predator melee feels annoyingly unreliable considering you're using it about half of the time. There are also some scenes of absolutely horrid design (killing the predator in marine singleplayer seems only possible by abusing the idiotic AI). The controls in general also require some rework before you'll feel natural with them. And the list goes on...
So, I guess there's a tradition of partitially unfinished products in the AvP family. Hopefully they'll manage to finish things for the full game this time.
Goes for the movies as well, real stinkers that could have been great.
Goes for the movies as well, real stinkers that could have been great.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You mean just the AvP franchise of movies? For a second i thought you meant just the Alien movies or just the Predator movies, and I was pretty concerned (well... you can trash Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection all you want, i don't mind).
But on-topic, I think the game could be fun. I'd be interested to see some single player as well as other game modes. I'm also curious how far off the demo implementation is from the final (the demo loading screen says it's pre-release code that doesn't reflect the final game necessarily) although my guess is the only real difference is graphical stuff (DX11 vs DX9) and maybe some of the netcode or something.
Goes for the movies as well, real stinkers that could have been great.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Off-topic:
Oh god yes, watched AvP2 on premiere since a friend just really HAD to watch it.
He enjoyed it. The other four people that bought his hype were nodding off or weeping silently (with exception on the part with the annoying woman who got nailed to the wall; that was just pure gold).
Never, ever again.
To quote from an IMDB comment: "Then, that thing finally ended. To my surprise not only me and my friends didn't know whether to laugh or to cry, but everybody I overheard leaving the room was half-crying, half-laughing about those 1 1/2 hours they just wasted."