Problem #2 stems from bad game design as well; if getting stuff in the game wasn't so tediously time-consuming, then most people wouldn't feel the need to buy things with real-world money. Some still would, but it would cut down on the practice a lot. Of course, this bad game design is done on purpose, since there's no other way that any of the current MMORPG developers have thought of to keep people playing for longer than a few days.
The article isn't about moments in games that got you emotional, but moments in gaming, like real-life events that are related to games. For example, the "bow, nigger" article that's gained popularity over the past little while. That said, it's pretty difficult to remember moments like those since my favored form of video gaming is primarily solitary, so I'm going to go along with everyone else and list a few moments that really drew me in.
I'll have to agree with the Final Fantasy 6 opera scene, no matter how sappy that was. It's actually the only scene in a Final Fantasy that I can think of that really moved me in any way (I couldn't care less about Aeris, for example).
I also remember playing games like Resident Evil and Half-Life for the first time, before I got somewhat used to their penchant for suddenly throwing monsters in your path, thus scaring the hell out of you. In Half-Life's case, I'm thinking specifically of those ceiling creatures with the long tongues that try to eat you. You'll be walking along, not notice the black "rope" in front of you and snap! there you go towards the abomination's gullet.
Oh wait, I remembered a good one: Dogmeat in Fallout. Those of you who've played through the game know exactly what I'm talking about; those of you who haven't should go ahead and do so.
There might be others, but I can't think of them right now (unless you count screaming at the screen because you're losing, which I don't. Count, that is). I tend to get strong reactions more often from movies and books. Whether this is because of the relative maturity of the media, because of their relative quantity and variety, or what, I can't say.
Beyond Good and Evil was more of a console adventure than a computer adventure, but that's still pretty funny (especially since he didn't specify which half of the genre he was talking about).
"For the RPG, simply Final Fantasy 6. It has the best story, greatest variety of characters, tons of different music, and added many secret areas. It was the first game to truly to define a real experience of an RPG to the player. -Anonymous"
I can only assume that Anonymous' finger slipped and he meant to type "Final Fantasy 7," because that makes a lot more sense in reference to "best story" and "a real experience of an RPG" and such. Of course, even FF7 doesn't completely fit the last sentence, which suggests that every RPG made beforehand didn't really feel like role-playing.
Here's what I would think of as a much better list of genre-defining RPGs:
Console RPGs: Early traditional: Dragon Quest/Warrior Modern traditional: Final Fantasy 7 Early tactical: Shining Force Modern tactical: Final Fantasy Tactics Early action: Secret of Mana Modern action: Can't think of one offhand (note that Zelda games and the like are not RPGs)
Computer RPGs: Early top-down: Ultima 4 "Second generation" top-down: Ultima 7 Modern top-down: Fallout, Baldur's Gate, Planescape: Torment, take your pick Early first-person: Wizardry "Second generation" first-person: Ultima Underworld, Eye of the Beholder Modern first-person: Morrowind
Dune 2 was the first RTS, but I don't think it defined the genre. That honor would go either to Warcraft or Dune 2's spiritual sequel, Command & Conquer.
You should play Ultima 4. I think just about everyone agrees that that's the best of the pre-late-80s RPGs. I would say it belongs on a genre-defining list far more than FF6 does.
Of course, it depends on which Final Fantasy you're playing. FF8, for example, doesn't really fit within the paradigm you're talking about, though FF6 certainly does. And then there are other console RPGs that have decent gameplay (though granted, most of those aren't "traditional" console RPGs). I agree that computer RPGs are superior in the role-playing aspect to console RPGs, but the latter still shouldn't be dismissed out-of-hand.
Seems to me like it would make more sense to get people interested in a campaign by making PnP modules for it, then get a lot of money by making an MMORPG about it, than the other way around.
Here it is without that 8BT crap added to it. And here is the second part. Both of them are by the Dead Alewives, a comedy troupe that did skits for Dr. Demento a while back.
There's nothing in that first sentence that suggests that those places given are only examples. The second sentence is an example, but of redundancy in one of the places given in the first sentence.
BTW, hopefully that oh-so-clever moderator is gone, otherwise we're both going to be modded down.
The obvious implication is that the previous comments took place within the discussion for that particular article (an implication that you snipped out). If it were otherwise, then it would require the assumption that people reading the discussion have already read all of the discussions on/. previous to it, which certainly isn't true.
Redundant -- Redundant posts are ones which add no new information, but instead take up space with repeating information either in the Slashdot post, the attached links, or lots of previous comments. For instance, some posters cut and paste otherwise legitimate comments in multiple places in the same discussion; the pasted versions are Redundant.
Even if Nintendo doesn't manage to give this new Zelda a distinctive art style, though (which I seriously doubt), it'll still look much better than that cel-shaded crap that they foisted on us last time.
Imagine that every time you played a certain game, you got smacked upside the head every five seconds. No matter how good the game was, wouldn't you rather play it without getting smacked upside the head?
Slashdot Mirror
Problem #2 stems from bad game design as well; if getting stuff in the game wasn't so tediously time-consuming, then most people wouldn't feel the need to buy things with real-world money. Some still would, but it would cut down on the practice a lot. Of course, this bad game design is done on purpose, since there's no other way that any of the current MMORPG developers have thought of to keep people playing for longer than a few days.
Rob
You're absolutely right. FFX-2 is not as good as Wind Waker, it's better.
Rob
The article isn't about moments in games that got you emotional, but moments in gaming, like real-life events that are related to games. For example, the "bow, nigger" article that's gained popularity over the past little while. That said, it's pretty difficult to remember moments like those since my favored form of video gaming is primarily solitary, so I'm going to go along with everyone else and list a few moments that really drew me in.
I'll have to agree with the Final Fantasy 6 opera scene, no matter how sappy that was. It's actually the only scene in a Final Fantasy that I can think of that really moved me in any way (I couldn't care less about Aeris, for example).
I also remember playing games like Resident Evil and Half-Life for the first time, before I got somewhat used to their penchant for suddenly throwing monsters in your path, thus scaring the hell out of you. In Half-Life's case, I'm thinking specifically of those ceiling creatures with the long tongues that try to eat you. You'll be walking along, not notice the black "rope" in front of you and snap! there you go towards the abomination's gullet.
Oh wait, I remembered a good one: Dogmeat in Fallout. Those of you who've played through the game know exactly what I'm talking about; those of you who haven't should go ahead and do so.
There might be others, but I can't think of them right now (unless you count screaming at the screen because you're losing, which I don't. Count, that is). I tend to get strong reactions more often from movies and books. Whether this is because of the relative maturity of the media, because of their relative quantity and variety, or what, I can't say.
Rob
Beyond Good and Evil was more of a console adventure than a computer adventure, but that's still pretty funny (especially since he didn't specify which half of the genre he was talking about).
Rob
"For the RPG, simply Final Fantasy 6. It has the best story, greatest variety of characters, tons of different music, and added many secret areas. It was the first game to truly to define a real experience of an RPG to the player. -Anonymous"
I can only assume that Anonymous' finger slipped and he meant to type "Final Fantasy 7," because that makes a lot more sense in reference to "best story" and "a real experience of an RPG" and such. Of course, even FF7 doesn't completely fit the last sentence, which suggests that every RPG made beforehand didn't really feel like role-playing.
Here's what I would think of as a much better list of genre-defining RPGs:
Console RPGs:
Early traditional: Dragon Quest/Warrior
Modern traditional: Final Fantasy 7
Early tactical: Shining Force
Modern tactical: Final Fantasy Tactics
Early action: Secret of Mana
Modern action: Can't think of one offhand (note that Zelda games and the like are not RPGs)
Computer RPGs:
Early top-down: Ultima 4
"Second generation" top-down: Ultima 7
Modern top-down: Fallout, Baldur's Gate, Planescape: Torment, take your pick
Early first-person: Wizardry
"Second generation" first-person: Ultima Underworld, Eye of the Beholder
Modern first-person: Morrowind
Rob
Dune 2 was the first RTS, but I don't think it defined the genre. That honor would go either to Warcraft or Dune 2's spiritual sequel, Command & Conquer.
Rob
You should play Ultima 4. I think just about everyone agrees that that's the best of the pre-late-80s RPGs. I would say it belongs on a genre-defining list far more than FF6 does.
Rob
Of course, it depends on which Final Fantasy you're playing. FF8, for example, doesn't really fit within the paradigm you're talking about, though FF6 certainly does. And then there are other console RPGs that have decent gameplay (though granted, most of those aren't "traditional" console RPGs). I agree that computer RPGs are superior in the role-playing aspect to console RPGs, but the latter still shouldn't be dismissed out-of-hand.
Rob
I would have preferred "Xbox 2", but at least they didn't pick "Xbox Next".
I beg to differ; "XBox Next" would've been far superior to "XBox 360."
Rob (Christ, what's their slogan going to be, "Sit and Spin"?)
Good job, microsoft.
Rob
2004 was truly a banner year for this genre; how many years can we have that contain UT2004, Doom 3, Painkiller, and Half-Life 2?
Painkiller, but not Halo 2? Can't wait to see the reaction from the people who only know about FPSes from consoles.
Rob
People malign Captain N? They must have no childhood sense of wonder left in their poor, shriveled hearts.
Rob
Seems to me like it would make more sense to get people interested in a campaign by making PnP modules for it, then get a lot of money by making an MMORPG about it, than the other way around.
Rob
Here it is without that 8BT crap added to it. And here is the second part. Both of them are by the Dead Alewives, a comedy troupe that did skits for Dr. Demento a while back.
Rob
Zonk didn't tell us that this was an April Fools' hoax. Does that mean that it's true!?!?!?
Rob
There's nothing in that first sentence that suggests that those places given are only examples. The second sentence is an example, but of redundancy in one of the places given in the first sentence.
BTW, hopefully that oh-so-clever moderator is gone, otherwise we're both going to be modded down.
Rob
The obvious implication is that the previous comments took place within the discussion for that particular article (an implication that you snipped out). If it were otherwise, then it would require the assumption that people reading the discussion have already read all of the discussions on /. previous to it, which certainly isn't true.
Rob
Actually, it does at Slashdot. From the FAQ:
Redundant -- Redundant posts are ones which add no new information, but instead take up space with repeating information either in the Slashdot post, the attached links, or lots of previous comments. For instance, some posters cut and paste otherwise legitimate comments in multiple places in the same discussion; the pasted versions are Redundant.
Rob
At this point I think it's safe to say that SOE is going to be the cause of the downfall of Civilization.
How about we just go ahead and extend that to MMORPGs in general, eh? No reason to single SOE out.
Rob
Hell, it's usually done throughout the game. They're called "camera controls."
Rob
Should've still been linked in the blurb.
Rob
Seriously, though, it can't really be such an affront to your senses, can it?
I exaggerate to make the point easier to understand. But I'm not exaggerating much.
Rob
Look at ICO for proof of that.
Even if Nintendo doesn't manage to give this new Zelda a distinctive art style, though (which I seriously doubt), it'll still look much better than that cel-shaded crap that they foisted on us last time.
Rob
Imagine that every time you played a certain game, you got smacked upside the head every five seconds. No matter how good the game was, wouldn't you rather play it without getting smacked upside the head?
Rob
That would be stupid. It would just prove that Bungie/Microsoft rushed Halo 2 out the door. Why would they want to give their critics more ammo?
Rob