Remaking The World

Via GameSetWatch, an Edge Online article about rebooting the .hack series of RPGs. From the article: "Most RPGs work like this: a princess is kidnapped, or in danger. A brave young man comes to the rescue and fights off some great evil. We wanted something different. We wanted a duality between the user and character, between real and virtual worlds. With that, you can play between both those worlds, both realities. You enjoy the virtual world for its environment and story, but then you have the real world interacting with and affecting the virtual world."

Comments

A Duality.... Pretentious writing

[evilorphan]

I do like Edge magazine, really, I do. It's the one computer magazine I buy regularly, partly because it treats me like an adult and partly because I suspect Charle Brooker still writes anonymously for it. (In fact not only is it the only current computer games magazine for mature adults, but is it the only computer games magazine ever written for mature adults?) But I'm sorry, I like you, I really do "It's not often a game comes along that uses division to create its cohesion" - what the Fuck? The game itself looks quite interesting, as far as I can tell despite the complete absence of detail in the article it's some sort of anime based MMORPG. Can anyone comment further? PS I love the first comment to this article "What is this faggot shit" - isn't it so sweet when 13 year olds get their first computer and take to the basement for the very first time.

Re:A Duality.... Pretentious writing

[Psmylie]

Here is a link to the wiki for the PS2 game.

To sum up, both the game and the anime are about a fictional MMORPG called "The World". The anime is mainly about a person who is somehow trapped in the game and can't log out, and the game is about a player who is investigating why some players of the game are rendered comatose while playing. So, in the game you are role-playing a character who is role-playing in an MMORPG. The game itself is sort of a virtual MMO, with all the other "PC's" being computer-controlled.

It's actually a kind of neat concept, and a fun enough game, though the endless repetative dungeon-crawling takes its toll.

Re:A Duality.... Pretentious writing

[Anonymous Coward]

is it the only computer games magazine ever written for mature adults

Its sister magazine in the US, Next-Generation (later rebranded Next-Gen), was pretty similar, and probably at least shared some content. I considered getting Edge after Next-Gen was killed for no good reason, but the price of a US subscription to Edge is too high.

There's also The Escapist, but it has nowhere near the content of an Edge or Next-Gen, it's basically a regular collection of game related editorials.

Re:A Duality.... Pretentious writing

[Anonymous Coward]

though the endless repetative dungeon-crawling takes its toll.

So, kind of like a real MMORPG then?

Re:A Duality.... Pretentious writing

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually, I found the grinding in the .hack PS2 games to be more tedious, more boring, and more meaningless than ANYTHING I've ever done in World of Warcraft.

Re:A Duality.... Pretentious writing

[Malakusen]

The in-game desktop is disconcerting. But neat!

I liked the series and only stopped after I lost the PS2 card that I had my game saved on.

FreeBSD

[AKAImBatman]

I must be losing it. I saw the title "Remaking the world", and all I could think was:

# cd /usr/src
# make buildworld
# make buildkernel
# make installkernel
# reboot

Of course, that's the "new and improved" method of doing it. IIRC, we used to type "make world" to just build everything.

(In case you too want to "Remake your world", the instructions can be found on this page.)

Re:FreeBSD

[Urban Nightmare]

Since I'm a Gentoo user I thought of

emerge --deep world

--
The Nightmare continues...

Re:FreeBSD

[xXenXx]

Actually I was thinking more of:

#apt-build --rebuild world

Want something different?

[lpangelrob]

Most RPGs work like this: a princess is kidnapped, or in danger. A brave young man comes to the rescue and fights off some great evil. We wanted something different.

Well, all right then. What about, after fighting off the great evil, telling the player, "Sorry, #PLAYERNAME, but our princess is in another castle!"?

Right on... wait what?

[Hydryad]

I think it looks interesting, but the only thing I drew details from immedietely was the picture, other than that it seemed more about everything but the gameplay itself. Maybe it is just me though.

Video game rules

[CheechWizz]

As a general rule of thumb, whenever you see the bandai brand on a videogame, just walk away.

Although that might have changed now that they've merged with namco

Re:Video game rules

[smbarbour]

Namco...

I just had this sudden image in my head of a Pac-Man MMORPG.

(And now you just did too!)

Re:Video game rules

[Red Flayer]

So, how about a grind session of pill eating? Or do you want to go fight some Pinky mobs?

And can we all just agree to hate the cherry farmers?

Changing the storyline

[__aaclcg7560]

So the uber-hunk rescuing the uber-babe is getting long in the tooth? Hasn't that always been the ideal nerd fantasy (i.e., Den from Heavy Metal: The Movie)? I guess they will change the storyline to wimpy prince being rescued by nerdy babe who can really kick ass when no one is looking.

Re:Changing the storyline

[KDR_11k]

Actually the standard RPG plotline is "random guy finds magic girls and go out to save the world. Turns out the girl is the key to saving the world and the guy had some sort of important past/heritage which [roll d6: 1-2: Makes him a former bad guy, 2-5: Makes him a legendary warrior, 6: Makes him the brother of the girl, roll twice if so desired]".

Re:Changing the storyline

[SoapDish]

Don't forget that the random guy and magical girl spend the whole time obviously in love with eachother, but they only get together right at the end. At which time, (roll d6: 1-2 girl dies; 3 guy dies; 4-6 they live happily ever after in a utopia)

It's called a "framework."

[ZombieRoboNinja]

And it's not exactly a revolutionary concept - it seems like pretty much every stage play written in the past 20 years has at least one scene with audience participation, "breaking the fourth wall," or something of the kind.

For that matter, Final Fantasy Tactics: Advance does almost the exact same thing. (You play as a kid sucked into a video game.)

And, of course, there was an entire huge four-novel series ("Otherland," written by Tad Williams) with pretty much the exact same plot years ago, even down to the "kids playing an MMO fall into mysterious comas" aspect.

Personally, the framework strikes me as kind of cutesy and ineffective in a video game context, because the writers have to strive to make us care about TWO levels of characters when it's hard enough to make us care about one.

Re:It's called a "framework."

[Yusaku Godai]

Of course it's not an original idea, but since when has Japanese anime and videogames *not* borrowed from existing sci-fi/fantasy ideas? At least they do usually try to add their own spin. And while you bring up FFTA, .hack came out well before that.

Personally, the framework strikes me as kind of cutesy and ineffective in a video game context, because the writers have to strive to make us care about TWO levels of characters when it's hard enough to make us care about one.

Having seen the anime and played the game, I haven't found that to be the case really. It's hard to explain, but you don't really see it as "two levels of characters" like that. For the most part it's written well enough that you start to see the online personas and the real people behind them as one in the same. It helps that you never see them (except towards the end) outside of the game anyways. So regardless of whether or not they're "in character" in the game, the way you interact with them is always the same.

Re:It's called a "framework."

[LogicHoleFlaw]

This is not a new idea.

It still pisses me off when Shakespeare does it too.

Re:It's called a "framework."

[Enderandrew]

Same thing for the Ultima series over 20 years ago.

Now where have I seen this before?

[XxtraLarGe]

We wanted a duality between the user and character, between real and virtual worlds. With that, you can play between both those worlds, both realities. You enjoy the virtual world for its environment and story, but then you have the real world interacting with and affecting the virtual world.

Isn't that just like in Tron?

Screw Hollywood!

[MMaestro]

Were you surprised by its success in the US, or had you planned for it?

Oooh no, this came as a really big surprise. We were actually stunned and asked to double and triple check the figures. I always thought that, in the US, people liked simple stories like in Hollywood movies.

Screw Hollywood, they've been out of touch with what their audiences want for years. Where are my 'bad/lukewarm endings' in movies? Why the hell does the one girl always live when ten other guys die? Why does Hollywood even put guys in action movies if they're all going to simply die before the end?

Same with video games. Why does one hero/heroine always manage to save the world single-handedly? What about the hundreds of other NPCs? Why doesn't anyone (important) DIE and STAY DEAD? Storylines in movies and video games are just plain boring as hell these days. Where are my Alfred Hitchcock style storylines where the hero FAILS to stop the evil plot and merely succeeds in simply killing the villain?

Re:Screw Hollywood!

[dbhankins]

Where are my Alfred Hitchcock style storylines where the hero FAILS to stop the evil plot and merely succeeds in simply killing the villain?

You mean Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines?

(ducks to avoid flying rotten vegetables)

Re:Screw Hollywood!

[nasch]

Where are my 'bad/lukewarm endings' in movies?

Not to give too much away, but have you seen Fallen? Not a happy ending.

Re:Screw Hollywood!

[Anonymous Coward]

Why doesn't anyone (important) DIE and STAY DEAD?

Apparently, you've never played FFVII.

Re:Screw Hollywood!

[patio11]

Why doesn't anyone (important) DIE and STAY DEAD?

They tried that in FFVII. It did not exactly go over well with a large segment of fans. Other games where its used are Grandia II, Skyes of Arcadia (not a playable character but I was almost choked up), the Baldur's Gate series, etc etc.

Re:Screw Hollywood!

[geminidomino]

Or VI (Leo).. or V (Galuf)... or IV (Tellah)...

Seriously, why does everyone think that annoyingly vapid flower girl was the first?

Love .Hack

[jameskojiro]

I love .hack//sign and the video games, really fun, in some ways I wish the online world was more like it was portrayed in the game/anime, danger and all, heh.

Where is Pluto's kiss when we need her?

Layers of meaning

[Anonymous Coward]

So, in the game you are role-playing a character who is role-playing in an MMORPG.

There are layers of meaning there I couldn't begin to interpret.

That's not true!

[Malakusen]

Final Fantasy 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 aren't like that! Oh, wait. Well, um, Kingdom Hearts isn't like- whoops. Um. Grandia! Grandia was different. Well, wait, it wasn't. Err...

Mizuguchi?

[tepples]

As a general rule of thumb, whenever you see the bandai brand on a videogame, just walk away.

Does this include Lumines and Meteos?

Re:Mizuguchi?

[wed128]

Mmmm...meteos is a damn good game.

Re:Mizuguchi?

[justchris]

No, just any game inextricably tied to an anime license. Especially if it's a good anime. It can only ruin your memories.

Femi[Godwin]

[tepples]

Why the hell does the one girl always live when ten other guys die?

So as not to incur a boycott from feminationalsocialist organizations.

Best Game Idea Ev4r

[Anonymous Coward]

A cross-game expansion pack entitled "Farmers, AWAY!" where in addition to being able to 1 shot known chinese/korean...whatever gold/gil/item farmers, the database has a built in system to send them Norton Antivirus, without the patch, and Sony style DRM music CDs. 400 (yes, four Hundred) man raid's include "OMG Help Google Fight Off Communism, Cavern" and "My Minimum Wage Can Pay Your Mortgage, Lowlands"

The World

[Lord_Dweomer]

The fantasy of The World is that you can play an MMORPG and literally do just about anything. The kind of user input system they have essentially allows for true VR. The World itself is so in depth that the sandbox physics of it are far beyond current technology (I'm talking about the concept of the game, not the ACTUAL game).

I can't wait for the day when we have full VR interaction....it will make MMORPGs SOOOO much more fun since individual player skills will really stand out instead of having two fighters each swinging their swords in exactly the same way every time.

What about FF?

[bunbuntheminilop]

I'm struggling to think of a final fantasy game where there was a princess that was kidnapped. Maybe some of the earlier ones (?), but the games become engaging when a much better antagonist appears.

This is similar to the works of Michael Crichton. An initial antagonist is presented, but the real bad guy is the dinosaurs or the twister.

Anyway, you have to stop thinking Zelda when you think about RPG games!

Re:What about FF?

[Anonymous Coward]

Well in Final Fantasy IX, YOU kidnap the princess...after she asks you to...does that count?

Re:What about FF?

[nanowired]

I think the very first one - although i may just be mixing it up with 8-bit theatre.

Re:What about FF?

[geminidomino]

The original FF: The first thing you do in the game is rescue Princess Sara from Garland. This prompts the king of Coneria to build the bridge to the mainland for you.

most rpgs?

[MemoryDragon]

Gothic... you are kicked into a slave prison and get your pants kicked within the first five minutes by the inmante committee.
Gothic2... free from prison the orc army lingers for an invasion


Ultima 4... become some kind of messiah
Ultima 5... robin hood retold
Ultima 6... false prophet, enough said
Ultima 7... The guardian an uber evil tries to enslave your world
Ultima 8... you are thrown by the guardian onto an enslaved world and by escaping you kill anyone off by freeing their old gods
Ultima 9.... garbage Fallout 1... the water supply in your vault is damaged you have to find replacemend and you stumble into a post nuclear weird world
Fallout 2... find the garden of eden construction kit
No princess stories there, it all matters what you play