?Bad news?

Discussion in 'Dungeons & Dragons Discussion Forum' started by Sethmage, May 21, 2003.

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  1. Sethmage

    Sethmage New Member

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    It was a while when I did post here, anyway there is no question about it, this is going to be one of the masterpieces (turn based combat, multiple solutions to quests). But, unfortunately it will have its share of… how to put it mildly… disappointments?

    My first (and last so far) is that the animal companion takes up NPC’s slot. Anybody has any others?
     
  2. Jinxed

    Jinxed Active Member

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    Well, to tell you the truth, I'm a little afraid of it's requirements. The game looks beautiful, and that makes me wonder....

    Another thing is the sheer complexity of the game. This game will be huge and the possibilities aplenty, this could mean some broken quests, bugs and so forth. When I played Arcanum, I kept asking myself one question. Why does Arcanum have so many bugs?

    However there is a difference between the development method of these games, Greyhawk is not rushed. But how many patches will it need, we can only guess.

    Oh and, welcome back Sethmage! :wavey: You've been gone for a long time. I hope you stick around. :razz:
     
  3. Sethmage

    Sethmage New Member

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    Now because this game is still in development (I mean they are still adding extra items) the requirements may and likely will change, but 128 RAM and 750MHz plus some video card which support DirectX 8.1 is not that much to ask considering what is right now on the market.

    Bugs are another story, everyone hates them and yet there are everywhere. Very simple explanation for having them thou, Arcanum was done by what, 14 people? Now imagine how many possibilities are there with “cross dressing� the PCs. There is no time to twig most of them let alone all. On top of that so many choices with the characters, remember when they released demo? How long it took us to find a way to get out of first town to explore the emptiness :) ? We as customers have much more time comparing to testers.

    On the plus side this game is single player only so the work on fixing will be cut significantly. Now if you really want to talk about bugs you should try Pool of Radiance, by the time you regain feeling in you fist from hitting monitor and the keyboard your hard drive is wipe out.

    And believe me, there is no such thing as "not rush" game. From Tim’s interviews, they want this game out in 18 months. 18 MONTHS!! When every other game development last no less than 3 years and I’m being an optimistic here.

    Thanks Jinxed for welcome BTW did you know I was born in Skarzysko-Kam it’s between Radom and Kielce.
     
  4. Jarinor

    Jarinor New Member

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    Considering that they already had the engine and were intimately familiar with it, 18 months isn't as bad as it sounds, although it is still rushed.
     
  5. Ferret

    Ferret New Member

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    I don't know where you got that figure from. Both my brothers are games programmers and virtually every game they've written is done between 6 and 18 months, depending on the size of the game and the platform it's written for. 18 for a game as complex as Greyhawk would appear to me to be completely normal. Any holdups would be due to production problems, not programming ones - unless the producers wanted something changed at the last minute (which happens quite often apparently) but then I guess that's still a production problem :p .

    14 people in a team is actually a large team. My brother's teams are 6 and 8 people respectively and they've churned out worldwide best-selling games. However, I will point out that all those games were console games so they're easier to program due to the specific system they are written for. However, they also have to be completely bug free because no console producer will tolerate a buggy game, unlike PC producers for some reason.
     
  6. Phoenix

    Phoenix New Member

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    Who do your brothers work for, and what have they made?
     
  7. Ferret

    Ferret New Member

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    My eldest broter works for Criterion Studios. He was the lead programmer for the Burnout and Burnout 2: Point of Impact games, which were worldwide bestsellers, and he was responsible for the majority of the code. Infact, so much so that he gets royalties from the games! :)

    My twin brother works for Blitz Games. They've mostly done small time stuff, but they're a rapidly expanding company in the time where games companies are going bust. One of the games my twin bro has written just happens to be Bill Gate's favourite game - Fusion Frenzy. Mind you, he's also written several barbie games, but you can't have everything I suppose. :lol:
     
  8. Phoenix

    Phoenix New Member

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    That is just too cool. Let me see here. I have two brothers also. One is seven, the other is four. Guess what. Neither works for a game company. :D
     
  9. Jarinor

    Jarinor New Member

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    Quite the disappointment of the family aren't you, Ferret?
     
  10. Phoenix

    Phoenix New Member

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    NOOO! Must not insult the ferret!!!!
     
  11. Ferret

    Ferret New Member

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    Well, not exactly. I don't earn half of what my brothers do, but I've got the most interesting job! :D
     
  12. Jarinor

    Jarinor New Member

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    Well, I suppose playing with chemicals is fun, but unless you're allowed to be naughty with them, there's a limit to how much fun can be had.

    One of my great ambitions in life is to get a crop duster full of pyridine (piridine?), get all the bastards in the world who shouldn't be allowed to procreate, and spray them. The first part may be doable, but the second part is less likely, so I'll just have to settle for spraying the areas where they live and hope for the best.

    Course, birth rates around the world will drop significantly, but we're overcrowded anyway. Besides, it's probably more humane than my "Kill every third person in overcrowded cities" plan. Same effect, less grieving, but oh so much more pain :D.
     
  13. Ferret

    Ferret New Member

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    Does making gunpowder, thermit bombs, overly corrosive materials and various lethal chemicals for fun count? :lol: Me? Making chemical and biological munitions? I don't know what you're talking about! :p
     
  14. Jarinor

    Jarinor New Member

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    If I ever come to England, can you load me up with some of that stuff so I can have some 'fun' as well?
     
  15. Ferret

    Ferret New Member

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    Unfortunately, that would be illegal. I can do it legally, but if I give or sell anything I make on the premises it's illegal and I lose my job. Go figure. :cry:
     
  16. Sethmage

    Sethmage New Member

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    This number is “an educated guess� or rather I should say an observation. Every announced game is already in production for no less than 10 months then the waiting period starts, the better looking game the longer it takes :/. (For the record if the programming of the engine for the game last only 5 weeks or 5 months it doesn’t really matter because you still will be waiting for the game 2 plus years). If the game is only single player testing is “easy�, if multi-player… well you know how it is.

    I agree there are games that are made in shorter period of time (mostly sequels).
     
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