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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."

33 of 42 comments (clear)

  1. FreeBSD by AKAImBatman · · Score: 2, Funny
    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.)
  2. Want something different? by lpangelrob · · Score: 3, Funny
    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!"?

  3. Re:A Duality.... Pretentious writing by Psmylie · · Score: 4, Insightful
    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.

    --

    psmylie's dictionary: Godzillion (noun) Any number large enough to destroy Tokyo

  4. Video game rules by CheechWizz · · Score: 1

    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

    1. Re:Video game rules by smbarbour · · Score: 3, Funny

      Namco...

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

      (And now you just did too!)

    2. Re:Video game rules by Red+Flayer · · Score: 1

      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?

      --
      "Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
  5. Changing the storyline by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 1

    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.

    1. Re:Changing the storyline by KDR_11k · · Score: 2, Funny

      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]".

      --
      Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
    2. Re:Changing the storyline by SoapDish · · Score: 1

      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)

  6. It's called a "framework." by ZombieRoboNinja · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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.

    1. Re:It's called a "framework." by Yusaku+Godai · · Score: 1

      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.

    2. Re:It's called a "framework." by LogicHoleFlaw · · Score: 1

      This is not a new idea.

      It still pisses me off when Shakespeare does it too.

      --
      -- Flaw
    3. Re:It's called a "framework." by Enderandrew · · Score: 1

      Same thing for the Ultima series over 20 years ago.

      --
      http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
  7. Now where have I seen this before? by XxtraLarGe · · Score: 2, Interesting
    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?

    --
    Taking guns away from the 99% gives the 1% 100% of the power.
  8. Screw Hollywood! by MMaestro · · Score: 4, Insightful
    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?

    1. Re:Screw Hollywood! by dbhankins · · Score: 1
      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)

    2. Re:Screw Hollywood! by nasch · · Score: 1
      Where are my 'bad/lukewarm endings' in movies?
      Not to give too much away, but have you seen Fallen? Not a happy ending.
    3. Re:Screw Hollywood! by patio11 · · Score: 1
      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.

    4. Re:Screw Hollywood! by geminidomino · · Score: 1

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

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

  9. Re:A Duality.... Pretentious writing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    though the endless repetative dungeon-crawling takes its toll.

    So, kind of like a real MMORPG then?

  10. Love .Hack by jameskojiro · · Score: 1

    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?

    --
    Tsukasa: All I really want, is to be left alone...
  11. Layers of meaning by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    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.
  12. That's not true! by Malakusen · · Score: 1

    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...

    --
    Never give in--never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to conviction
  13. Re:A Duality.... Pretentious writing by Malakusen · · Score: 1

    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.

    --
    Never give in--never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to conviction
  14. Mizuguchi? by tepples · · Score: 3, Funny

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

    Does this include Lumines and Meteos?

    1. Re:Mizuguchi? by wed128 · · Score: 1

      Mmmm...meteos is a damn good game.

    2. Re:Mizuguchi? by justchris · · Score: 1

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

      --
      just some guy
  15. Femi[Godwin] by tepples · · Score: 1

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

    So as not to incur a boycott from feminationalsocialist organizations.

  16. The World by Lord_Dweomer · · Score: 1
    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.

    --
    Buy Steampunk Clothing Online!
  17. What about FF? by bunbuntheminilop · · Score: 1
    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!

    1. Re:What about FF? by nanowired · · Score: 1

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

    2. Re:What about FF? by geminidomino · · Score: 1

      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.

  18. most rpgs? by MemoryDragon · · Score: 1

    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