Silhouette Mirage and Working Designs - A Grand Disappointment?
Victor Ireland
says...
> When fighting most bosses, you are completely WITHOUT a method of
> replenishing your spirit gauge. Hitting them with a same attribute shot does
> absolutely nothing. Add to that, that melee attacks do zero damage, and you
> have two choices. Risk death using a low powered, low level shot to preserve
> your spirit meter, or suck that same meter dry with your more powerful
> shots, and pray you do enough damage quickly enough to finish them off,
> before losing your hard earned weapons - more on the frustation of GETTING
> those weapons later.
>
Where did you get this idea? Most of the bosses (maybe one or two you
can't) allow you to replenish your spirit guage in exactly the same way
as elsewhere in the game, hit them with the same color attribute. In
fact, this is the preferred method of offing bosses in the *US* version.
Steal their spirit until it is low or gone, launching a parasite bomb
each time you get to full power (just one at a time, then wait until
you've stolen enough for the next). Once their spirit power is low or
out, they cannot launch ANY special attacks and are lambs to lead to the
slaughter. BUT, if you don't cash-bash your way through a level, you
can't BUY the weapons you need to make the above happen.
I've noticed that the people that have the hardest time with the US
version are the ones that got used to the Japanese version. I bet you
bought Grattoni and used it heavily in the Japanese game. Unfortunately,
using a single crutch (which was EASY to do in the Japanese version),
left the player tasting only a fraction of the moves and sights/sounds
that Treasure put in there. The US version requires that you be much
more resourceful, and rewards you heavily for doing so.
If you need tips, there's quite a nice series of subjects discussing SM
strategies for the *US* version in detail at
http://www.workingdesigns.com in the FORUMS section.
--
Don't Believe the Hype -
Vic
Victor Ireland
> Tweak RPGs for harder battles and altered spending, and even failure is not
> fatal. In a shooter of this intricacy, though... tweak too much, and things
> start caving in. SM's full potency is dimmed in this outing, and that is a
> shame.
>
Sorry I didn't catch this in the last reply. Actually, Maegawa-san felt
that we improved on the original game, which is a great compliment.
Mike White
was bringing to these shores the Playstation version of one of my favourite
platform shooters, Silhouette Mirage, I was greatly impressed that they
would tackle such an original and bizarre title... however, after playing
the end product, I am filled with a sense of disenchantment, and a
smattering of disgust.
Essentially all of this emotion is created by WD's methods to increase the
difficulty of SM - a worthy goal, admittedly. However, to accomplish it,
they have made ever attack by Shyna drain from her spirit gauge. To
compensate, 'same attribute' attacks are supposed to replenish that same
gauge when used on foes.
This does little to make the levels themselves more difficult, especially if
you use nothing but your primary shot throughout the game. It does damage
enough, and drains little from the gauge. However, this totally negates the
usefulness of every other weapon... till you fight a boss.
Ye gods, the bosses.
When fighting most bosses, you are completely WITHOUT a method of
replenishing your spirit gauge. Hitting them with a same attribute shot does
absolutely nothing. Add to that, that melee attacks do zero damage, and you
have two choices. Risk death using a low powered, low level shot to preserve
your spirit meter, or suck that same meter dry with your more powerful
shots, and pray you do enough damage quickly enough to finish them off,
before losing your hard earned weapons - more on the frustation of GETTING
those weapons later.
All of this wouldn't be too bad, really, if it did not trap you into taking
all attacks with the opposite attribute, for fear of having your spirit
meter siphoned away at an insane rate by a same attribute hit by a boss,
either unreflected, or connecting behind your reflect shield. If you get hit
but once.... well, you'd best decide which shot you want to sacrifice.
Getting weapons is a trial, forcing you to hunt for money by 'cash bashing'
throughout the levels, hoarding your spirit and life in the most miserly
manner.... for if you try and just KILL enemies... half the time you'll get
a 10 spirit replenishment ball... since you will never be at full spirit for
more than a few shots. Half the chance to get money... and WD saw fit to
double the cost of the weapons over the Saturn version. It doesn't matter
much, so long as you have one potent weapon, since the other two will
probably have to be sacrificed in an idiotic boss battle. Still, it would
have been nice to have three useful weapons, as Treasure intended.
SM initially was a flawed game. It was easy, yes, but WD's changes have done
nothing but make it a smidgen harder - still easy - and a LOT more
frustrating. As opposed to a tour de force of imagination and unharnessed
devastation, it becomes a restrained exercise in spirit hoarding and cash
gathering. You spend so much time worrying about your spirit gauge, you miss
most of the fantastic design and unique boss encounters.
It's disheartening that WD thought it could improve on Treasure's effort.
Tweak RPGs for harder battles and altered spending, and even failure is not
fatal. In a shooter of this intricacy, though... tweak too much, and things
start caving in. SM's full potency is dimmed in this outing, and that is a
shame.
Simply a fan's opinion
Raymond McKeithen II
Mike White <mik...@hfx.andara.com> wrote in message
news:Xdwh4.1480$Xb7....@sapphire.mtt.net...
>
<snerplala>
>
> SM initially was a flawed game.
I hope that falls into the category of *opinion*; I find nothing "flawed"
about it aside from maybe it being too long.
> It was easy, yes, but WD's changes have done
> nothing but make it a smidgen harder - still easy - and a LOT more
> frustrating. As opposed to a tour de force of imagination and unharnessed
> devastation, it becomes a restrained exercise in spirit hoarding and cash
> gathering. You spend so much time worrying about your spirit gauge, you
miss
> most of the fantastic design and unique boss encounters.
>
Too easy????? Never heard that complaint levelled at it before, and I
certainly don't think it's too easy (speaking of the Saturn version). I know
some others in this NG have used the secret difficulty level select to put
it on "easy" and it's still damn hard, like most all Treasure games.
> It's disheartening that WD thought it could improve on Treasure's effort.
> Tweak RPGs for harder battles and altered spending, and even failure is
not
> fatal. In a shooter of this intricacy, though... tweak too much, and
things
> start caving in. SM's full potency is dimmed in this outing, and that is a
> shame.
How is any of this a surprise? AFAIK all of the action games have had
difficulty "tweaks" when WD's released them in the US.
HOWEVER.....
Do you *know* that WD did this to PSX Silhouette Mirage? Maybe the Japanese
version of PSX SM has the same changes compared to the Saturn version? I
don't know, that's why I'm asking...
--
Raymond
remove "suchiepai" for email
Enoryt666
>nothing but make it a smidgen harder - still easy - and a LOT more
>frustrating.
Is there a reason you're posting this to the SEGA newsgroup, you little troll
prick? Learn some netiquitte and get this the fuck where it belongs.
---------------------
"If she says, 'It's not you, it's me,' then it is you and you've failed!"
"Evil triumphs when good men do nothing..."
"All I do know is that [God's] a force stronger than Mom and Dad put together
and you owe Him big."
Ronald Spillman
Enoryt666 wrote:
>
>
> Is there a reason you're posting this to the SEGA newsgroup, you little troll
> prick? Learn some netiquitte and get this the fuck where it belongs.
>
>
BWAHAHAHAHA!!!! Since when have YOU EVER learned netiquette,
boy? And perhaps it was because it was originally a SATURN, as in
SEGA, game? I'd suggest taking your own medicine before dishing
it out to others, kid.
Enoryt666
>boy?
This guy is obviously a troll.
>And perhaps it was because it was originally a SATURN, as in
>SEGA, game?
And yet the guy made mention of it being one of his favorite import PLAYSTATION
games. Again, he's a troll.
>I'd suggest taking your own medicine before dishing
>it out to others, kid.
What are you talking about? He was trolling. That has nothing to do with me.
Mike White
> >
> > SM initially was a flawed game.
>
> about it aside from maybe it being too long.
Of course it was; everything offered on this newsgroup is an opinion, more
or less.
> > gathering. You spend so much time worrying about your spirit gauge, you
> miss
> > most of the fantastic design and unique boss encounters.
> >
>
> Too easy????? Never heard that complaint levelled at it before, and I
> certainly don't think it's too easy (speaking of the Saturn version). I
know
> some others in this NG have used the secret difficulty level select to put
> it on "easy" and it's still damn hard, like most all Treasure games.
The boomerang shot was overpowered, and allowed you to finish the game with
relative ease.
> > start caving in. SM's full potency is dimmed in this outing, and that is
a
> > shame.
>
> How is any of this a surprise? AFAIK all of the action games have had
> difficulty "tweaks" when WD's released them in the US.
>
> HOWEVER.....
>
> Do you *know* that WD did this to PSX Silhouette Mirage? Maybe the
Japanese
> version of PSX SM has the same changes compared to the Saturn version? I
> don't know, that's why I'm asking...
I do know, because they stated as much in their translator notes on the back
page of the manual.
Mike White
> can't) allow you to replenish your spirit guage in exactly the same way
> as elsewhere in the game, hit them with the same color attribute. In
> fact, this is the preferred method of offing bosses in the *US* version.
> Steal their spirit until it is low or gone, launching a parasite bomb
> each time you get to full power (just one at a time, then wait until
> you've stolen enough for the next). Once their spirit power is low or
> out, they cannot launch ANY special attacks and are lambs to lead to the
> slaughter.
The alernate form of Zohar, Delia, and Sara I'm 98% certain you cannot
siphon spirit from. A fair amount of the others, such as Malak, and Zohar,
simply move too swiftly for an effective spirit drain - damage combonation
of attacks, even if you can hit them. The case is highlighted during the
core battle with Zohar, where you're lucky to escape with two of your three
weapons.
BUT, if you don't cash-bash your way through a level, you
> can't BUY the weapons you need to make the above happen.
This smacks, to me, of forced level building in RPGs, a crutch designed to
milk more hours, and to developers, "gameplay" out of a game.
Again, I find the original game had a good balance. With a moderate amount
of cash grabbing, you could afford three new weapons. It didn't require you
to beat the money out of every enemy on the level, then go back and pray
they respawned to give you more.
> I've noticed that the people that have the hardest time with the US
> version are the ones that got used to the Japanese version. I bet you
> bought Grattoni and used it heavily in the Japanese game. Unfortunately,
> using a single crutch (which was EASY to do in the Japanese version),
> left the player tasting only a fraction of the moves and sights/sounds
> that Treasure put in there. The US version requires that you be much
> more resourceful, and rewards you heavily for doing so.
Grattoni, in my opinion, was quite underpowered when compared to Priday, who
could, and still can, eviscerate any boss it can reach.
You still have no reason to use any other weapon, save to hoard spirit. I
don't find that particularily rewarding.
I still insist that melee attacks should do a fair amount of damage, even to
bosses, to save you when you're incredibly low on spirit.... perhaps having
the bounce off the floor technique siphon a tiny fraction of spirit, enough
to get you back into the fight... then I wouldn't be so miffed.
Bosses you can grab are still rather easy, save for Zohar and a few others.
Simply use the old Streets of Rage technique.... grab, release, hit hit hit,
grab, release, hit hit hit... they are totally paralyzed, and usually beaten
with little to no counterattack. It is watching the alternate form of Zohar
hit me behind my reflector with an explosion draining half my spirit bar on
my last good weapon that I spent the last half hour earning beating the cash
out of hapless enemies that just frustrates me on the experience.
Yeah, I played the Satrun version and loved it... but I still think that
entitles me to have, and voice an opinion on the game. If others play and
love it, great. I don't, and I'm just saying why.
Mike White
troll
> prick? Learn some netiquitte and get this the fuck where it belongs.
Um... because... the version I own... is for the Saturn. It was Sega's 32
bit machine, you know, after the Genesis? Before the Dreamcast? I know it
didn't sell too well in comparison to the Playstation, but you don't need to
pretend it never existed. I mean come on. I'm sure the team that designed
the system is hurt.
Mike White
> that we improved on the original game, which is a great compliment.
Most people seem to like the Final Fantasy series; I don't. Not all people
enjoy everything, and I don't enjoy the US version of SM as fully as the
Japanese. Surely I'm entitled to elaborate as to why not.
Raymond McKeithen II
Mike White <mik...@hfx.andara.com> wrote in message
news:sGEh4.1531$Xb7....@sapphire.mtt.net...
> > <snerplala>
>
> > > gathering. You spend so much time worrying about your spirit gauge,
you
> > miss
> > > most of the fantastic design and unique boss encounters.
> > >
> >
> > Too easy????? Never heard that complaint levelled at it before, and I
> > certainly don't think it's too easy (speaking of the Saturn version). I
> know
> > some others in this NG have used the secret difficulty level select to
put
> > it on "easy" and it's still damn hard, like most all Treasure games.
>
> The boomerang shot was overpowered, and allowed you to finish the game
with
> relative ease.
>
Hm, I didn't find that to be true, considering I still can't get anywhere
near finishing it. However, I don't think "overabuse" of one weapon is
reason to call the game "flawed." That's the same as the griping that Soul
Calibur can be won by "button smashing" when that's not how the game is
intended to be played. There's such a thing as self-control. :)
> > > start caving in. SM's full potency is dimmed in this outing, and that
is
> a
> > > shame.
> >
> > How is any of this a surprise? AFAIK all of the action games have had
> > difficulty "tweaks" when WD's released them in the US.
> >
> > HOWEVER.....
> >
> > Do you *know* that WD did this to PSX Silhouette Mirage? Maybe the
> Japanese
> > version of PSX SM has the same changes compared to the Saturn version? I
> > don't know, that's why I'm asking...
>
> I do know, because they stated as much in their translator notes on the
back
> page of the manual.
>
Ah. Well, it falls back to my first question, how is this a surprise then?
AFAIK *every* Spaz game has its difficulty changed in ways that in my (and
probably your) opinion do nothing other than artificially extend the game
difficulty/length. It was true in Raystorm and Thunder Force V, and it's
apparently true here. TFV certainly didn't need to be made any harder...
Victor Ireland
says...
Sure you are, as long as you get your facts straight. You said you
couldn't replenish your spirit guage in boss battles. For all but three
of the more than 20 bosses, you were wrong. Maybe you didn't know? Maybe
you didn't have the skill. All I did was inform that, yes, you CAN
replenish your spirit guage in almost all of the battles if you're good
enough.
Victor Ireland
rfmc...@suchiepaijas.net says...
> Ah. Well, it falls back to my first question, how is this a surprise then?
> AFAIK *every* Spaz game has its difficulty changed in ways that in my (and
> probably your) opinion do nothing other than artificially extend the game
> difficulty/length. It was true in Raystorm and Thunder Force V, and it's
> apparently true here. TFV certainly didn't need to be made any harder...
>
TF5 difficulty wasn't tweaked. All that was taken out was the Kids mode,
so you can't blow through the game and complain it was too easy.
neo_zo...@hotmail.com
"Mike White" <mik...@hfx.andara.com> wrote:
>
> It's disheartening that WD thought it could improve on Treasure's
> effort.
WD's assumption that their changes to the works of the original
developers are unquestionable improvements is perhaps their most
irritating trait.
-ZFP
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Ben Turner
neo_zo...@hotmail.com wrote:
> WD's assumption that their changes to the works of the original
> developers are unquestionable improvements is perhaps their most
> irritating trait.
Roger that.
2nd would be their atrocious voice dubs.. Lunar:SSSC is my gf's first
video game, and even she is near gagging when any one of the characters
starts speaking. Thanks to the crap voices, the anime scenes are
nearly ruined. :/
"Check THIS out!"
Ugh.
"Althena, lend me your power!"
*breaks into conniptions*
BenT <-- *sigh*
-----------------------------------------
The Definitive Guide to River City Ransom
http://www.worldlynx.net/bent/rcr/
atholbrose
>TF5 difficulty wasn't tweaked. All that was taken out was the Kids mode,
>so you can't blow through the game and complain it was too easy.
I wanted to blow through the game. I like shooters -- and I enjoyed TF5 a
good deal, by the way, but I never have gotten very far -- but there's
nothing inherently wrong with having an easy time of it. You see, I like
'em, but I'm terrible at 'em. I played a heck of a lot of the Gradius game
on the PSX, and kept it on the beginner mode the entire time. Still got my
money's worth.
BTW, I'm enjoying Silhouette Mirage, except I never can seem to get enough
money. Gonna try it with a few tips you posted and see what happens
(wasn't too far, anyway).
neo_zo...@hotmail.com
cinn...@shell.one.net (atholbrose) wrote:
>
> I wanted to blow through the game. I like shooters -- and I enjoyed
> TF5 a good deal, by the way, but I never have gotten very far -- but
> there's nothing inherently wrong with having an easy time of it. You
> see, I like 'em, but I'm terrible at 'em.
Same here. I hate it when I have to shelve a promising game because
some developer decided that people at my skill level were somehow not
worthy of seeing the whole game.
-ZFP
Darien Allen
neo_zo...@hotmail.com we were graced with this statement:
>In article <Xdwh4.1480$Xb7....@sapphire.mtt.net>,
> "Mike White" <mik...@hfx.andara.com> wrote:
>>
>> It's disheartening that WD thought it could improve on Treasure's
>> effort.
>
>WD's assumption that their changes to the works of the original
>developers are unquestionable improvements is perhaps their most
>irritating trait.
And when the creators of the original work happen to LIKE the changes
WD has made in their ports, what do you say then?
------------------------
Darien Allen
ICQ-2927081
Victor Ireland
darienNO...@mindspring.com says...
Nothing. That would spoil their ill-conceived notion that we're some
mercenary company randomly butchering hapless Japanese software. The
truth isn't nearly as fun or safe as fanboyland.
Victor Ireland
cinn...@shell.one.net says...
> On Thu, 20 Jan 2000 09:11:55 -0800, Victor Ireland <vire...@nospam.com> wrote:
> >TF5 difficulty wasn't tweaked. All that was taken out was the Kids mode,
> >so you can't blow through the game and complain it was too easy.
>
> good deal, by the way, but I never have gotten very far -- but there's
> nothing inherently wrong with having an easy time of it. You see, I like
> on the PSX, and kept it on the beginner mode the entire time. Still got my
> money's worth.
>
Yes, but here is where the cultural difference between Japan and the US
gamers causes a problem. We CAN'T leave the super-easy modes in and let
you do the whole game in an hour or two because, like it or not, there is
a significant portion of the gaming community that will put it on that
mode, blast through the game, complain it's too easy, and return it to
the store for a full refund. In Japan, when you buy a game, you OWN it.
No returns.
This problem is one of the reason home shooters are a dead/dying market
in the US. Retailers don't want the hassle, and publishers can't make
any money. We're taking active steps to FIX the problem so the genre can
thrive again like in the 16-bit days (remember the Genesis shooters?!!).
If someone else has a better solution to the problem, I'm all ears.
Raymond McKeithen II
Victor Ireland <vire...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.12f0e1b69...@news.mindspring.com...
> In article <%yFh4.1923$l81....@monger.newsread.com>,
> rfmc...@suchiepaijas.net says...
> > Ah. Well, it falls back to my first question, how is this a surprise
then?
> > AFAIK *every* Spaz game has its difficulty changed in ways that in my
(and
> > probably your) opinion do nothing other than artificially extend the
game
> > difficulty/length. It was true in Raystorm and Thunder Force V, and it's
> > apparently true here. TFV certainly didn't need to be made any harder...
> >
>
> so you can't blow through the game and complain it was too easy.
>
Oops, I'm slightly confused. Is Kids mode something unique to the Japanese
PSX version? Unless I'm totally nuts (possible) I don't remember any Kids
mode in the Saturn import (can't check right now).
Enoryt666
>
>2nd would be their atrocious voice dubs.
You're an idiot. WD has some of the best voice actors working today.
Kevin Roverud
Victor Ireland <vire...@nospam.com> wrote:
*snip.. erased the first line of vic's paragraph by mistake...*
>gamers causes a problem. We CAN'T leave the super-easy modes in and let
That's a shame that you CAN'T leave the mode in, but what about having a
code to unlock it? I mean, there is a difference between using an option
on a menu than using a cheat code. Why not, as a joke, make the
super-easy/kids modes playable AFTER you beat teh game on normal
difficulty. Heh heh heh. Now that is humor.
>you do the whole game in an hour or two because, like it or not, there is
>a significant portion of the gaming community that will put it on that
>mode, blast through the game, complain it's too easy, and return it to
>the store for a full refund. In Japan, when you buy a game, you OWN it.
>No returns.
I never return games either. And I like a lot of Japanese games. (LOVE
Treasure, and love the whole pop culture style in Japan.) I think I'm
turning Japanese...
>This problem is one of the reason home shooters are a dead/dying market
>in the US. Retailers don't want the hassle, and publishers can't make
>any money. We're taking active steps to FIX the problem so the genre can
>thrive again like in the 16-bit days (remember the Genesis shooters?!!).
>If someone else has a better solution to the problem, I'm all ears.
What are these "active steps" of which you speak?
--
Kevin Roverud - rov...@primenet.com - http://www.primenet.com/~roverud
"Kevin is one kewl mofo." ___ -BOB (diaper...@hotmail.com)
CXLI-CCLMDCCCLXXIII-CDLXXXI
Zach Keene
Raymond McKeithen II wrote:
> Oops, I'm slightly confused. Is Kids mode something unique to the Japanese
> PSX version?
Nope.
> Unless I'm totally nuts (possible) I don't remember any Kids
> mode in the Saturn import (can't check right now).
It's there.
Zach Keene
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Author of many FAQs: MK2, FF1, Einhander, CSOTN, AGVS, G3, and G.Darius
ftp://members.aol.com/fnlfanatic/arcanelore/
alt.games.video.shooters - Visit it again for the first time!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"The freedom we lost cannot be re-conquered cheaply, but however high,
it's a price worth paying." - Robert Miles
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Nick Zitzmann
article <867mqi$h1f$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>:
> 2nd would be their atrocious voice dubs.. Lunar:SSSC is my gf's first
> video game, and even she is near gagging when any one of the characters
> starts speaking. Thanks to the crap voices, the anime scenes are
> nearly ruined. :/
I didn't think Lunar's voice acting was that bad - there are far worse games
in that respect (Star Ocean, Castlevania: SotN, etc.). While I thought
Lunar's voices weren't quite on the same level as, say, Metal Gear Solid,
the only bad thing about them was their repetition. (Grandia addressed this
problem somewhat, and I'm hoping Eternal Blue does as well.)
Nick Zitzmann ICQ: 22305512
To see my real signature, finger my E-Mail address.
Darien Allen
neo_zo...@hotmail.com we were graced with this statement:
>In article <slrn88enat....@shell.one.net>,
> cinn...@shell.one.net (atholbrose) wrote:
>>
>> I wanted to blow through the game. I like shooters -- and I enjoyed
>> TF5 a good deal, by the way, but I never have gotten very far -- but
>> there's nothing inherently wrong with having an easy time of it. You
>> see, I like 'em, but I'm terrible at 'em.
>
>Same here. I hate it when I have to shelve a promising game because
>some developer decided that people at my skill level were somehow not
>worthy of seeing the whole game.
<violins play in the background>
------------------------
Darien Allen
ICQ-2927081
Victor Ireland
says...
> > Sure you are, as long as you get your facts straight. You said you
> > couldn't replenish your spirit guage in boss battles. For all but three
> > of the more than 20 bosses, you were wrong. Maybe you didn't know? Maybe
> > you didn't have the skill. All I did was inform that, yes, you CAN
> > replenish your spirit guage in almost all of the battles if you're good
> > enough.
>
> into the Cyhper Za-Zohran or whatever his final version is), but all of
> those whom I did run into proved to be either a) impossible to steal spirit
> from, b) extremely hard to hit with any sort of competent weapon I could
> afford, meaning I should like to focus primarily on attacks if I didn't want
> to spend a half hour on them, or c), so ludicrously easy as to not merit
> mention.
>
But this view goes back to the original problem that you have developed a
playing style that was based on the Japanese Saturn version.
Surprise! That was a LOT different experience. Stealing spirit from MOST
bosses is not hard at all, with practice. Priday and Angara, which were
pretty useless in the Japanese version, are EXCELLENT for stealing
spirit. And that's just it. You have to RELEARN the balance of the
game, a problem that new users of the *US* version don't have to do
because it's all new to them. There are weapons you use for stealing
spirit, and there are weapons you use for straight attacks, and those you
use to clear the room. The balance is there, but as I said before, if
you played the import, you are at a distinct disadvantage because you
learned patterns and habits that are simply not very fun or effective in
the *US* version.
I'm not reaming you, and I hope it doesn't come off as such. I just want
to make it clear that playing the import has put you at a disadvantage.
Ronald Spillman
Enoryt666 wrote:
> >Roger that.
> >
> >2nd would be their atrocious voice dubs.
>
> You're an idiot. WD has some of the best voice actors working today.
>
>
I never thought I would say this, but I would have to agree, for the
most part; Unlike the Capcom VAs for the Resident Evil games,
for the most part, WD's VAs I have enjoyed since the Sega CD
days; really seem to get into the mood fast....unlike HotD2, which,
while a blast to play, I almost felt like wearing earmuffs....
"Don't KILL me!!!"; oyyyyyy....^_^
Victor Ireland
rfmc...@suchiepaijas.net says...
>
> Victor Ireland <vire...@nospam.com> wrote in message
> news:MPG.12f0e1b69...@news.mindspring.com...
> > In article <%yFh4.1923$l81....@monger.newsread.com>,
> > rfmc...@suchiepaijas.net says...
> > > Ah. Well, it falls back to my first question, how is this a surprise
> then?
> > > AFAIK *every* Spaz game has its difficulty changed in ways that in my
> (and
> > > probably your) opinion do nothing other than artificially extend the
> game
> > > difficulty/length. It was true in Raystorm and Thunder Force V, and it's
> > > apparently true here. TFV certainly didn't need to be made any harder...
> > >
> >
> > TF5 difficulty wasn't tweaked. All that was taken out was the Kids mode,
> > so you can't blow through the game and complain it was too easy.
> >
>
> mode in the Saturn import (can't check right now).
>
I don't have it right here, but I'm fairly certain it was in the Japanese
Saturn version. It was definitely in the Japanese PS version.
Victor Ireland
> In article <20000120163650...@ng-ch1.aol.com>,
> enor...@aol.com (Enoryt666) wrote:
> > >2nd would be their atrocious voice dubs.
> >
> > You're an idiot. WD has some of the best voice actors working today.
>
>
Which is a mechanism in fanboyland that makes all the scary facts flutter
away, but in the real world 99.999% of humanity inhabit, has no real
effect except to seem like the poster really had no legitimate comeback,
except maybe "oh yeah?! Well seiyuu ROCK!", which he realized would have
made him look even sillier.
Terrence Huey
> > TF5 a good deal, by the way, but I never have gotten very far -- but
> > there's nothing inherently wrong with having an easy time of it. You
> > see, I like 'em, but I'm terrible at 'em.
>
> Same here. I hate it when I have to shelve a promising game because
> some developer decided that people at my skill level were somehow not
> worthy of seeing the whole game.
*Is reminded of Joshua Kaufman auctioning TFV on ebay last week because it
was too friggin' hard*
Just wanted to say, Vic, that a friend of mine bought the import TFV for the
PSX solely because you guys had made the game harder. I played the Saturn
one a few times and although I like it, I thought it was pretty difficult
already. I can not imagine why anyone would want to up the difficulty.
Terrence Huey
> away, but in the real world 99.999% of humanity inhabit, has no real
> effect except to seem like the poster really had no legitimate comeback,
> except maybe "oh yeah?! Well seiyuu ROCK!", which he realized would have
> made him look even sillier.
I dunno Vic, why is it that you never rebuke that idiot troll Tyrone? Ah I
see, he's probably like your one loyal fan and despite that he's nothing but
a troll, you'll take all the support you can get.
I have no animosity towards you or your company, Vic, but gee. Stop taking
that fool seriously. Even Tyrone knows he's an idiot.
-T
Black Lion
> How many other US based publishers actually bother to even cast decent
> actors at all when they can just grab a janitor to two instead?
"Now bear my arctic blast!"
--
Later,
-Black Lion
Black Lion
did for elemental gearbolt? The practice setting was chooseable, but it
only allowed the first few levels to be played... then told you to go
play it for real. I thought that was a splendid way to introduce the
game without ruining it by making it too easy.
Of course, on normal and hard mode, I find it to be incredibly
difficult, but perhaps it's just me. I keep getting blasted on the huge
ship boss on level 4.
Victor Ireland wrote:
> This problem is one of the reason home shooters are a dead/dying market
> in the US. Retailers don't want the hassle, and publishers can't make
> any money. We're taking active steps to FIX the problem so the genre can
> thrive again like in the 16-bit days (remember the Genesis shooters?!!).
> If someone else has a better solution to the problem, I'm all ears.
>
> --
> Don't Believe the Hype -
> Vic
--
Later,
-Black Lion
ICQ#:5326196
AOL IM:Ben Stylus
eBay: BenStylus
----------------------------------------------------
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You'll find my favourite axe.
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(Brad Lowenberg - Moorpark CA 93021)
Ben Turner
enor...@aol.com (Enoryt666) wrote:
> >2nd would be their atrocious voice dubs.
>
> You're an idiot. WD has some of the best voice actors working today.
*laughs*
BenT
Mike White
> couldn't replenish your spirit guage in boss battles. For all but three
> of the more than 20 bosses, you were wrong. Maybe you didn't know? Maybe
> you didn't have the skill. All I did was inform that, yes, you CAN
> replenish your spirit guage in almost all of the battles if you're good
> enough.
I will admit to not encountering every boss, (having given up after running
into the Cyhper Za-Zohran or whatever his final version is), but all of
those whom I did run into proved to be either a) impossible to steal spirit
from, b) extremely hard to hit with any sort of competent weapon I could
afford, meaning I should like to focus primarily on attacks if I didn't want
to spend a half hour on them, or c), so ludicrously easy as to not merit
mention.
Boss battles are merely an underline to the main point - the handling of
spirit in this version is inherently flawed, in my view. What fun is a
shooter if you have to be worried every time you shoot? In the quest for
difficulty, all that was uncovered was frustration.
All are simply my own opinions. Anyone out there who bought the game and
loves it, power to you. I'm glad you got your money's worth. Me, I'm unhappy
with the job Spaz / WD did, but still find the game good. I'll still
reccomend it to customers searching for a shooter, or a unique experience,
but I'll be a bit more reserved than I was going to be initially.
Paul Acevedo
after completing the game? I like that, at least there's a way to lower the
difficulty (instead of screwing weak players completely).
--
Regards,
Paul Acevedo eas...@segacon.com
- DreamcastLife Editor in Chief -
http://www.dreamcastlife.com ICQ # 10745085
"Kevin Roverud" <rov...@primenet.com> wrote in message
news:8686nn$9de$1...@nnrp02.primenet.com...
> In article <MPG.12f11bb1f...@news.mindspring.com>,
> Victor Ireland <vire...@nospam.com> wrote:
>
> *snip.. erased the first line of vic's paragraph by mistake...*
>
> >gamers causes a problem. We CAN'T leave the super-easy modes in and let
>
> That's a shame that you CAN'T leave the mode in, but what about having a
> code to unlock it? I mean, there is a difference between using an option
> on a menu than using a cheat code. Why not, as a joke, make the
> super-easy/kids modes playable AFTER you beat teh game on normal
> difficulty. Heh heh heh. Now that is humor.
>
> >you do the whole game in an hour or two because, like it or not, there is
> >a significant portion of the gaming community that will put it on that
> >mode, blast through the game, complain it's too easy, and return it to
> >the store for a full refund. In Japan, when you buy a game, you OWN it.
> >No returns.
>
> I never return games either. And I like a lot of Japanese games. (LOVE
> Treasure, and love the whole pop culture style in Japan.) I think I'm
> turning Japanese...
>
> >This problem is one of the reason home shooters are a dead/dying market
> >in the US. Retailers don't want the hassle, and publishers can't make
> >any money. We're taking active steps to FIX the problem so the genre can
> >thrive again like in the 16-bit days (remember the Genesis shooters?!!).
> >If someone else has a better solution to the problem, I'm all ears.
>
Joe Ottoson
<ben...@my-deja.com> wrote:
> In article <20000120163650...@ng-ch1.aol.com>,
> enor...@aol.com (Enoryt666) wrote:
> > >2nd would be their atrocious voice dubs.
> >
> > You're an idiot. WD has some of the best voice actors working today.
>
> *laughs*
>
> BenT
Otaku who completely misses the point #1110010101111191039458323934....
Joe Ottoson
<th...@ucdavis.edu> wrote:
> > Which is a mechanism in fanboyland that makes all the scary facts flutter
> > away, but in the real world 99.999% of humanity inhabit, has no real
> > effect except to seem like the poster really had no legitimate comeback,
> > except maybe "oh yeah?! Well seiyuu ROCK!", which he realized would have
> > made him look even sillier.
>
> I dunno Vic, why is it that you never rebuke that idiot troll Tyrone? Ah I
> see, he's probably like your one loyal fan and despite that he's nothing but
> a troll, you'll take all the support you can get.
Somehow I don't see the rationale for ignoring Tyrone when he's damn
close to the mark in this particular case. (It does happen from time to
time... Toss out enough crap and you'll eventually accidntly offer up a
semi coherant point after all.)
How many other US based publishers actually bother to even cast decent
actors at all when they can just grab a janitor to two instead? WD at
least makes the effort to get them close.
> I have no animosity towards you or your company, Vic, but gee. Stop taking
> that fool seriously. Even Tyrone knows he's an idiot.
Even so. When he says something sensible, it doesn't automatically
disqualify it just because he's a troll. What's true is true...
Andrew Ryan Chang
>How many other US based publishers actually bother to even cast decent
>actors at all when they can just grab a janitor to two instead? WD at
>least makes the effort to get them close.
<ponders Grim Fandango and Monkey Island 3> Hmm... Okay,
granted, they're not console games, but I'd hope GF was doable on the DC.
--
"Ed is the standard text editor."
-Patrick J. Lopresti
Terrence Huey
> Somehow I don't see the rationale for ignoring Tyrone when he's damn
> close to the mark in this particular case. (It does happen from time to
> time... Toss out enough crap and you'll eventually accidntly offer up a
> semi coherant point after all.)
I dunno Joe... at least on Tyrone, I won't agree with your statement. If he
were the boy who cried wolf, I'd be the first one rejoicing when I discover
his body shredded to pieces...
> How many other US based publishers actually bother to even cast decent
> actors at all when they can just grab a janitor to two instead? WD at
> least makes the effort to get them close.
I guess. But that's not to say WD's not without fault. Luna I think, was
played by Vic's wife's friend or something like that.. and some felt it was
quite obvious because her acting wasn't nearly up to par with the rest of
the cast.
-T
Joe Ottoson
<th...@ucdavis.edu> wrote:
> > Somehow I don't see the rationale for ignoring Tyrone when he's damn
> > close to the mark in this particular case. (It does happen from time to
> > time... Toss out enough crap and you'll eventually accidntly offer up a
> > semi coherant point after all.)
>
> I dunno Joe... at least on Tyrone, I won't agree with your statement. If he
> were the boy who cried wolf, I'd be the first one rejoicing when I discover
> his body shredded to pieces...
I'm not saying to respect him, or to even give two farts about him, but
there has to be some kind of rational consideration of things that make
a decent amount of sense no matter the source. I'd hate to think that
(pointless Nazi comment coming) for example we'd all have to like
Hitler if Tyrone said he hated der furher. ;)
> > How many other US based publishers actually bother to even cast decent
> > actors at all when they can just grab a janitor to two instead? WD at
> > least makes the effort to get them close.
>
> I guess. But that's not to say WD's not without fault.
Of course not. Doesn't mean they should be lumped in with Capcom
(Megaman anyone?) and that ilk just becasue Tyrone said they were
better. The point is, WD usually goes further to get a decent dub than
most other console companies do. Doesn't mean they get it right all the
time. It just means that on average, they're better than others when it
comes to dubbing.
Somehow I doubt even the most jaded otaku could realistically counter
that. (Aside from demanding dubbing removed in favor of the far more
sensible and emotive subtitles that is ;)
Henry LaPierre
writes:
>I never thought I would say this, but I would have to agree, for the
>most part; Unlike the Capcom VAs for the Resident Evil games,
>for the most part, WD's VAs I have enjoyed since the Sega CD
>days; really seem to get into the mood fast....unlike HotD2, which,
>while a blast to play, I almost felt like wearing earmuffs....
>"Don't KILL me!!!"; oyyyyyy....^_^
>
Not to change the topic, but Both the US and Japanese versions of
Alundra 2 have exceptional voice actors (especially Ruby).
Henry LaPierre
fre...@ix.netcom.com
Paul Acevedo
--
Regards,
Paul Acevedo eas...@segacon.com
- DreamcastLife Editor in Chief -
http://www.dreamcastlife.com ICQ # 10745085
"Terrence Huey" <th...@ucdavis.edu> wrote in message
news:8691m3$k0t$1...@mark.ucdavis.edu...
neo_zo...@hotmail.com
vire...@nospam.com (Victor Ireland) wrote:
>
> Yes, but here is where the cultural difference between Japan and the
> and let you do the whole game in an hour or two because, like it or
> not, there is a significant portion of the gaming community that will
> put it on that mode, blast through the game, complain it's too easy,
> and return it to the store for a full refund.
I don't think you really know your audiance, Vic. If someone plays a
game on easy, it's because they WANT to blast right through it. Denying
people that option is just elitist nonsense.
> If someone else has a better solution to the problem, I'm all ears.
Why do you think this a solution at all? Is it working?
-ZFP
neo_zo...@hotmail.com
Black Lion <blac...@juno.com> wrote:
>
> Instead of leaving the easy mode in - how about a fix for it like you
> did for elemental gearbolt? The practice setting was chooseable, but
> it only allowed the first few levels to be played... then told you to
> go play it for real.
That's just more of the same "you aren't worthy to play our game"
nonsense. Games should be made so anyone has a reasonable chance of
completing them. That's what difficulty settings are for!
neo_zo...@hotmail.com
vire...@nospam.com (Victor Ireland) wrote:
>
> Which is a mechanism in fanboyland that makes all the scary facts
I hope you're not claiming you DO have the best voice acting in the
gaming industry. Legacy of Kain, Soul Reaver, and MGS make any given WD
game look like ameteur hour. A lot of PC games have done better too.
The in-fight banter in BG was witty and entertaining, and voiced much
better than Lunar's grating, repetetive babble.
neo_zo...@hotmail.com
Joe Ottoson <aj...@dim.com> wrote:
>
> How many other US based publishers actually bother to even cast decent
> actors at all when they can just grab a janitor to two instead?
Who published LoK and SR?
And I hope you're not claiming WD DID cast decent actors. They didn't.
Being better than most publishers doesn't make them good, not by a long
shot.
> Even so. When he says something sensible, it doesn't automatically
> disqualify it just because he's a troll. What's true is true...
...unless I say it, right Joe?
Victor Ireland
> Instead of leaving the easy mode in - how about a fix for it like you
> did for elemental gearbolt? The practice setting was chooseable, but it
> only allowed the first few levels to be played... then told you to go
> game without ruining it by making it too easy.
>
> Of course, on normal and hard mode, I find it to be incredibly
> difficult, but perhaps it's just me. I keep getting blasted on the huge
> ship boss on level 4.
>
That's what we did with TF5. It's what we do with ALL our shooters.
neo_zo...@hotmail.com
vire...@nospam.com (Victor Ireland) wrote:
>
> > >WD's assumption that their changes to the works of the original
> > >developers are unquestionable improvements is perhaps their most
> > >irritating trait.
> >
> > And when the creators of the original work happen to LIKE the
> > changes WD has made in their ports, what do you say then?
>
> Nothing.
I say that you claim to be making games for gamers, so the approval of
the creators shouldn't be your first priority, should it?
> That would spoil their ill-conceived notion that we're some mercenary
> company randomly butchering hapless Japanese software. The truth
> isn't nearly as fun or safe as fanboyland.
...wihch is where most of your audiance lives. No, you're not randomly
butchering software, but don't for an instant claim you're doing this
for anyone but yourself. You do things the way you want to do them, and
if the fans like it, that's just icing on the cake.
Ben Turner
Joe Ottoson <aj...@dim.com> wrote:
> > > You're an idiot. WD has some of the best voice actors working
today.
> >
> > *laughs*
> >
> > BenT
>
> Otaku who completely misses the point
#1110010101111191039458323934....
Um.. it doesn't really matter if they're some of the best if they
*still* suck. Let's face it - the majority of video game voice acting
would not be good enough to make it onto local radio plays, much less a
professional animated television show. What I'm getting at is that the
best of a poor lot is still poor. I don't want to give WD kudos for
doing shit voice work, even if it's supposedly a smidgen above the
quality of slightly worse competitors. But of course, my penalty for
expecting any degree of believability or quality is being instantly
called a fanboy or otaku. OK then. That's just super.
In any case, another poster mentioned Curse of Monkey Island and
Baldur's Gate as examples of voice work done right. I would add that
even the FPS Half-Life has decent voices. But in comparison, WD's
latest dub, for Lunar:SSSC, does not. Can't you notice the vast
difference? Dare to compare. :P
BenT, Giga-Otaku-Fanboy extraordinaire (apparently)
-----------------------------------------
The Definitive Guide to River City Ransom
http://www.worldlynx.net/bent/rcr/
Charles E. Taylor IV
Nick Zitzmann <nick...@eskimo.com> writes:
[Voice acting]
> I didn't think Lunar's voice acting was that bad - there are far worse games
> in that respect (Star Ocean, Castlevania: SotN, etc.).
Star Ocean's voice acting (during battles - there's practically no
voice acting at all in SO2 other than battles) is
better than Lunar:SSSC's for one reason - there's simply more OF it.
How many times can one hear Nash's "Check THIS out" before going
completely insane?
One of the very first things I noticed when playing SO2 (after Lunar)
was "Wow! They actually say more than one thing, even if they do all
say it at the same time."
Having said that, I think they're both pretty lame in the voice acting
department. Star Ocean's never actively ANNOYED me while playing,
though, so I give it points for that. SO2 definitely loses out in
sample quality, though.
> While I thought
> Lunar's voices weren't quite on the same level as, say, Metal Gear Solid,
> the only bad thing about them was their repetition.
That and "I'm reading this off a cue card" syndrome. :)
--
Charles E. "Rick" Taylor, IV <cha...@clemson.edu>
http://orangesherbert.ces.clemson.edu
"We got the MRxL, and you got none!"
Ben Turner
vire...@nospam.com (Victor Ireland) wrote:
> > *laughs*
> >
>
> Which is a mechanism in fanboyland that makes all the scary facts
> made him look even sillier.
Actually, I saw no reason to write a real, reasonable reply to a
notorious troll like Enory. But thanks for taking the opportunity to
jump on me nonetheless.
BenT
NonDeskript
> In article <388732C9...@juno.com>,
> Black Lion <blac...@juno.com> wrote:
> >
> > Instead of leaving the easy mode in - how about a fix for it like you
> > did for elemental gearbolt? The practice setting was chooseable, but
> > it only allowed the first few levels to be played... then told you to
> > go play it for real.
>
> That's just more of the same "you aren't worthy to play our game"
> nonsense. Games should be made so anyone has a reasonable chance of
> completing them. That's what difficulty settings are for!
I've always looked at it differently. I've always thought that beating a
game was not some "right" that the gamer has just because they spent
money on the game. Getting to see the ending of a game is a reward for
skill and perserverence. If you suck at a game, you suck at a game. You
don't get to beat it. Oh well. Play it more and get better. Thats what I
do at least.
Of course, there are some games that are just plain impossible due to
poor level design and play control and in the case of those games this
statement is invalidated. But those games are rare, and I don't think
that the WD games fall into that catagory.
-David
neo_zo...@hotmail.com
NonDeskript <ten...@knuf.rd> wrote:
>
> I've always looked at it differently. I've always thought that beating
> a game was not some "right" that the gamer has just because they spent
> money on the game. Getting to see the ending of a game is a reward for
> skill and perserverence. If you suck at a game, you suck at a game.
> You don't get to beat it. Oh well. Play it more and get better. Thats
> what I do at least.
Gaming is entertainment. Would you appreciate it if they kicked you out
of the theatre so you missed the last 1/2 hour of a movie? Things like
dilligent practice and perserverence are for your job, or for something
with REAL rewards, not for something as escapist as gaming. If you want
a challenge, set it on hard, if you don't, set it on easy. That's the
POINT of difficulty settings, and taking away the easy setting is just
elitist. That, or a pathetic attempt to increase playtime.
-ZFP
neo_zo...@hotmail.com
Ben Turner <ben...@my-deja.com> wrote:
>
> In any case, another poster mentioned Curse of Monkey Island and
> Baldur's Gate as examples of voice work done right.
I mentioned BG("Go for the eyes, Boo!"), and the opening of SR left me
speechless. Raziel made an EXCELLENT narrator. All I could think is
"why can't more people get voice talent like this?" Of course, as you
said, this makes us obsessive, die-hard otaku...
Darien Allen
neo_zo...@hotmail.com we were graced with this statement:
>In article <MPG.12f11bb1f...@news.mindspring.com>,
> vire...@nospam.com (Victor Ireland) wrote:
>>
>> Yes, but here is where the cultural difference between Japan and the
>> US gamers causes a problem. We CAN'T leave the super-easy modes in
>> and let you do the whole game in an hour or two because, like it or
>> not, there is a significant portion of the gaming community that will
>> put it on that mode, blast through the game, complain it's too easy,
>> and return it to the store for a full refund.
>
>I don't think you really know your audiance, Vic. If someone plays a
>game on easy, it's because they WANT to blast right through it. Denying
>people that option is just elitist nonsense.
What an incredibly bold statement....then again coming from ZFP.....
------------------------
Darien Allen
ICQ-2927081
Victor Ireland
> Um.. it doesn't really matter if they're some of the best if they
> *still* suck. Let's face it - the majority of video game voice acting
> would not be good enough to make it onto local radio plays, much less a
> professional animated television show. What I'm getting at is that the
> best of a poor lot is still poor. I don't want to give WD kudos for
> doing shit voice work, even if it's supposedly a smidgen above the
> quality of slightly worse competitors. But of course, my penalty for
> expecting any degree of believability or quality is being instantly
> called a fanboy or otaku. OK then. That's just super.
>
Really? The majority of our voice talent is theatre stage actors.
The guy who did Alex from LUNAR was just picked up by Disney for a new
TV show. FACT is (we're outside fanboyland now, don't panic!) most are
very accomplished in their field and some are making a good living doing
acting PROFESSIONALLY - and not in radio plays (which again, are only
popular in seiyuuland, Japan).
You like Anime. Fine. You like seiyuu. Fine. That doesn't mean the
English voices we work had on suck to the ears of the majority of the
gaming public who live and breathe in reality.
neo_zo...@hotmail.com
Darien Allen <darienNO...@mindspring.com> wrote:
>
> >I don't think you really know your audiance, Vic. If someone plays a
> >game on easy, it's because they WANT to blast right through it.
> >Denying people that option is just elitist nonsense.
>
> What an incredibly bold statement....then again coming from ZFP.....
I don't think a man who mocks the opinions of "anime otaku" and
"hard-core gamers", while localizing old-school, anime-influenced games
really knows his audiance.
neo_zo...@hotmail.com
vire...@nospam.com (Victor Ireland) wrote:
>
> Really? The majority of our voice talent is theatre stage actors.
> The guy who did Alex from LUNAR was just picked up by Disney for a new
> TV show. FACT is (we're outside fanboyland now, don't panic!) most
> are very accomplished in their field and some are making a good living
> doing acting PROFESSIONALLY - and not in radio plays (which again, are
> only popular in seiyuuland, Japan).
FACT is(we're outside VicLand now, don't panic!) most of your voice
actors couldn't act their way out of a paper bag. There was a lot of
overacting, and many voices were just plain grating. I don't care if
they're doing it professionally. Whoever was hired to dub Dragon Ball Z
were "professionals", but they still really, REALLY sucked.
> You like Anime. Fine. You like seiyuu. Fine. That doesn't mean the
> English voices we work had on suck to the ears of the majority of the
> gaming public who live and breathe in reality.
They may not suck by the very low standards set by the majority of
localized video games, but rest assured, they DO suck. When you can
manage the level of quality found in MGS, LoK, Soul Reaver, etc. THEN
you can laugh off critisism. Until then, I suggest you divert some of
those resources you use to make spiffy packaging to hiring more talented
actors.
CrazyFei BunsOfSteel
Someone, lost the quote attribute sorry:
> > Same here. I hate it when I have to shelve a promising game because
> > some developer decided that people at my skill level were somehow not
> > worthy of seeing the whole game.
Hmmm. On the surface I do agree with this, people should have an
easy mode if they want it, with say only the "good" ending available
if you beat it on hard.
It's just that it seems in the US market, folks beat the game on
easy or with a billion continues, then complain they blew through it and
return or otherwise pan the game. Not accusing you of doing something like
that, but being a shooter fan I want to see more shooters made and the
genre kept alive. Shooters get their play-life by needing time to master
and giving people the chance to figure out ways to nail the shot sequences
that take skills, however that particular shooter engine has those things
set up.
Then we do it in progressively more difficult ways...ie, next completion
must be with no bombs. If that gets conquered, then try with no special
weapons, or with just the weakest weapon, or 100% kills, or kills
within a time limit for the highest bonus, or whatever. Radiant Silvergun
is the exception to some of this, but that game has more than enough
other stuff to keep track of. :)
Anyway, if there were a way to somehow have the game still be easy for
such players and also still good enough so that such players do not pan
the game and return it to the store, while keeping the rest of us shooter
fans happy, I'm all for it I guess. It's just that it gets to feel like
the shooter genre is one of those genres that falls under the "they just
don't get it" thread when it comes to folks who do the Easy-Mode-with-
a-billion-Continues-then-return-for-refund thing.
On Thu, 20 Jan 2000, Terrence Huey wrote:
> Just wanted to say, Vic, that a friend of mine bought the import TFV for the
> PSX solely because you guys had made the game harder. I played the Saturn
> one a few times and although I like it, I thought it was pretty difficult
> already. I can not imagine why anyone would want to up the difficulty.
I don't think I qualify as a supreme shooter player (Radiant Silvergun
majorly makes my brain hurt to play, though I love it), but personally I
found TF5 just right on Hard and too easy on Normal.
What I mean by too easy on Normal: I work really long hours and have
very little time to devote to games. At the time I first got SAT TF5,
I played it on a schedule that was exactly one or two games (no continues)
per weekend. Each weekend I got significantly farther in the game,
despite so much time lapse between these short sessions. This progress
didn't stop until I reached the last stage. When I realized where I had
gotten, that was when I decided to put the game on Hard and replay it that
way because I didn't want to get to the end on Normal if that's all it
took.
I think the weapons (especially Free Range) are too powerful on Normal.
You hardly have to do anything...just point Free Range to the right of
the screen or to the left, depending where the arrows say Danger, and
the thing just wipes out everything before you even have a chance to
see what it was. Then by the time the things that take a few seconds
to kill pop up, there's nothing else around to distract you from just
targetting the Free Range plus CRAWS to them until they explode.
I also thought there were too many breaks in the action where you're
flying along with absolutely nothing attacking you. In addition, I think
Technosoft shouldn't have put those long time breaks before each end boss,
thus giving the player so much time to recharge the CRAWS. Takes away from
resource management throughout the stage.
(heart),
Damned Fei-Yen!
-- currently playing Guardian Force shooter on my Saturn. :) (but still
only once a week...*sigh*) :(
Virtual On Cybertroopers:
http://www.drizzle.com/~tirah/vo.html
/\ "And those who call the shots,
/(__||__)\ are never in the line of fire.
( {} ) Why, when there's life for hire
\(--||--)/ out there? If a flag of truth
|| were raised, we could watch
|| every liar rise to wave it..."
||
|| "Not So Soft"
\/ -ani difranco-
NonDeskript
Gaming != movies. Gaming is an interactive form of entertainment, movies
are passive. Very different. In gaming, the reward is supposed to be the
journey. Video games, like any game, are supposed to rewards skill and
experience. Thats just part of the nature of the beast. When I first
played SFII, I sucked. There was no way I could beat the game. I played,
learned moves, learned how to play, and eventually I beat it. It was a
rewarding experience. If I had just set it to super easy and blown
through the game would it have been rewarding? No.
-David
Joe Ottoson
> In article <210120000052133409%aj...@dim.com>,
> Joe Ottoson <aj...@dim.com> wrote:
> > > > You're an idiot. WD has some of the best voice actors working
> today.
> > >
> > > *laughs*
> > >
> > > BenT
> >
> > Otaku who completely misses the point
> #1110010101111191039458323934....
>
> Um.. it doesn't really matter if they're some of the best if they
> *still* suck.
Oh that changes my point...
neo_zo...@hotmail.com
CrazyFei BunsOfSteel <ti...@no.crap> wrote:
>
> It's just that it seems in the US market, folks beat the game on
> easy or with a billion continues, then complain they blew through it
> and return or otherwise pan the game. Not accusing you of doing
> something like that, but being a shooter fan I want to see more
> shooters made and the genre kept alive.
For better or for worse, I don't think you're going to keep a genre
alive by making it appeal only to hard-core fans. You need mainstream
support for a genre to thrive, and making a game hard enough to
frustrate a casual gamer isn't going to get you that support.
neo_zo...@hotmail.com
NonDeskript <ten...@knuf.rd> wrote:
>
> Gaming != movies. Gaming is an interactive form of entertainment,
> movies are passive. Very different. In gaming, the reward is supposed
> to be the journey.
Exactly, and when that jorney is repeatedly cut short, forcing you to
cover the same ground over and over and OVER, I just don't think it's
much fun.
> Video games, like any game, are supposed to rewards skill and
> experience. Thats just part of the nature of the beast. When I first
> played SFII, I sucked. There was no way I could beat the game. I
> played, learned moves, learned how to play, and eventually I beat it.
> It was a rewarding experience. If I had just set it to super easy and
> blown through the game would it have been rewarding? No.
Maybe not to you. I set most fighting games to an easier difficulty
setting because I enjoy some competition, but I don't especially want to
lose. I don't want to have to devote time and effort to practicing
moves and combos or mastering a character and I don't think any
developer has a right to force me to do those things. Better to offer
bonuses to the skilled then to penalise the less dedicated.
Also, there's the fact that on some fighting games, especially those by
SNK, setting to easy may let you breese through most of the game, but if
you set it any harder, the final boss becomes nearly invincible.
icky...@hotmail.com
something about voice actors
<snip snip snip>
You know who I think made the best ever decision in terms of voice
acting in a video game ever? It's SEGA of all people, with Sonic
Adventure. Maybe it's just an incidental side effect of the whole
"international edition" thing, but giving the choice between a Japanese
and English language dialogue had to have been the coolest move ever.
The default is set to English, so as not to confuse the average gamer,
and the option is there for the raving otaku. I hardly consider myself
a raving otaku but the SA dub was so horrific (Did the girl playing Amy
have ANY idea how horrible she was??) the first thing I did was switch
the language over before I even started playing (I had heard the voicing
before, from videos). In a game where subtitles don't appear on the
screen, this obviously a lot harder to do, but as an extra option (for
those who don't care if they understand, or have a keen grasp of the
language, or whatever..), I think it's well worth doing.. if you've got
room for it on the CD, that is. ^_^
--
Michael Stearns
http://www.ellensburg.com/~katharin
atholbrose
>Yeah, doesn't Metal Slug 1st Mission offer the Kids and Expert modes only
>after completing the game? I like that, at least there's a way to lower the
>difficulty (instead of screwing weak players completely).
If it had had a Kids mode from the get-go, I wouldn't have traded the game
in (well, proabbly I would've, but not quite so soon). It was a fun game
but the learning curve was too darn steep for me.
NonDeskript
> FACT is (we're outside fanboyland now, don't panic!) most are
> very accomplished in their field and some are making a good living doing
> acting PROFESSIONALLY - and not in radio plays (which again, are only
> popular in seiyuuland, Japan).
#1 Radioplays have a fanbase outside of "seiyuuland, Japan" regardless of
whether you realize it or not.
#2 Just because an actor does or does not act professionally does not
relate at all to their quality. Lots of "proffessional" voice actors are
horrible, see Dragonball Z or most modern American cartoons.
The problem is that voice acting is not taken seriously in America like
it is in Japan. I can't really comment on the comment of voice acting in
any WD games, since the only one I've ever played that I can recall is
Alundra, and I only played it for about 15 minutes before my friend took
the controller away so that he could keep playing ;)
-David
Scott Wozniak
*** Yeah, doesn't Metal Slug 1st Mission offer the Kids and Expert modes only
after completing the game? ***
This never made sense to me. If somebody isn't good enough to finish the game
on normal or hard, what good is opening up the "easy" mode AFTER beating the
game? They'll never be able to do it. I think games should be accessible to
players of all skills right from the get-go. This way, my daughter could
enjoy playing something on "kids" or "easy" mode and then I could set the game
on "normal" or "hard" when I felt like playing. Another way to do it would be
like Konami used to... setting the game on "easy" only takes you to a certain
level and then when you're good enough to complete it you move up to the next
difficulty.
- S c o t t W o z n i a k
**********************************************************
Check out my Videogame Want / Trade list here:
http://members.aol.com/swozniak/page1.html
**********************************************************
NonDeskript
> This never made sense to me. If somebody isn't good enough to finish
> the game on normal or hard, what good is opening up the "easy" mode
> AFTER beating the game? They'll never be able to do it. I think games
> should be accessible to players of all skills right from the get-go.
> This way, my daughter could enjoy playing something on "kids" or "easy"
> mode and then I could set the game on "normal" or "hard" when I felt
> like playing. Another way to do it would be like Konami used to...
> setting the game on "easy" only takes you to a certain level and then
> when you're good enough to complete it you move up to the next
> difficulty.
Well, I can see a rationalization for having the kids mode as a hidden
thing. Its the same as why I used the God mode on DOOM. I could beat the
game if I wanted to, but sometimes you want to play around a little more
or try new things or look for hidden items or areas, and its easier to do
that on Kids mode. So the programmers make it hidden so that the player
can go back after they've beaten it and "earned" the option to play
around like that. I don't know if there are any secrets in MS1M that make
it worthwhile, but its the best rationalization I can come up with. Yes I
know how weak it is ;)
-David
Victor Ireland
swoz...@aol.comeGETsome says...
> Somebody wrote:
>
> *** Yeah, doesn't Metal Slug 1st Mission offer the Kids and Expert modes only
> after completing the game? ***
>
>
> on normal or hard, what good is opening up the "easy" mode AFTER beating the
> game? They'll never be able to do it. I think games should be accessible to
> players of all skills right from the get-go. This way, my daughter could
> enjoy playing something on "kids" or "easy" mode and then I could set the game
> on "normal" or "hard" when I felt like playing. Another way to do it would be
> like Konami used to... setting the game on "easy" only takes you to a certain
> level and then when you're good enough to complete it you move up to the next
> difficulty.
>
Which is exactly what we do. You can play to the halfway point
(thereabouts) on easy. Normal is required to finish the game.
Reasonable, eh?
Shiranui Gen-An
neo_zo...@hotmail.com wrote:
>
>
> For better or for worse, I don't think you're going to keep a genre
> alive by making it appeal only to hard-core fans. You need mainstream
> support for a genre to thrive, and making a game hard enough to
> frustrate a casual gamer isn't going to get you that support.
I would have to disagree. All that will do is alienate the core audience
the developer was aiming at. Look at fighting games today. In an effort
to make them more mainstream, the quality of games has gone way down since
SF2, with the exception of maybe Virtua Fighter. Just take a look at the
posts on alt.games.sf2 and you'll see what I mean. To me, it seems like a
sell-out when companies do as you suggest; it's like they're saying "Hey,
screw all those people who supported us when we first started making these
games; let's make them easier for the mass market so we can make more
money!"
Darien Allen
neo_zo...@hotmail.com we were graced with this statement:
>In article <hhnh8ss10i58v0mid...@4ax.com>,
> Darien Allen <darienNO...@mindspring.com> wrote:
>>
>> >I don't think you really know your audiance, Vic. If someone plays a
>> >game on easy, it's because they WANT to blast right through it.
>> >Denying people that option is just elitist nonsense.
>>
>> What an incredibly bold statement....then again coming from ZFP.....
>
>I don't think a man who mocks the opinions of "anime otaku" and
>"hard-core gamers", while localizing old-school, anime-influenced games
>really knows his audiance.
And you do right? No, don't bother answering.
------------------------
Darien Allen
ICQ-2927081
Darien Allen
neo_zo...@hotmail.com we were graced with this statement:
>Maybe not to you. I set most fighting games to an easier difficulty
>setting because I enjoy some competition, but I don't especially want to
>lose. I don't want to have to devote time and effort to practicing
>moves and combos or mastering a character and I don't think any
>developer has a right to force me to do those things. Better to offer
>bonuses to the skilled then to penalise the less dedicated.
>
>Also, there's the fact that on some fighting games, especially those by
>SNK, setting to easy may let you breese through most of the game, but if
>you set it any harder, the final boss becomes nearly invincible.
As a fighting game fan I have to say this is one of the most pitiful
things I've ever seen you post.
------------------------
Darien Allen
ICQ-2927081
Victor Ireland
Scott Wozniak
*** Which is exactly what we do. You can play to the halfway point
(thereabouts) on easy. Normal is required to finish the game.
Reasonable, eh? ***
Yes, totally.
-Scott Wozniak
pslinux
neo_zo...@hotmail.com wrote in message <86ant6$ou3$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>......
>
>Maybe not to you. I set most fighting games to an easier difficulty
>setting because I enjoy some competition, but I don't especially want to
>lose.
How can you say you make it easier to enjoy some competition? I think
fighting games are not just about beating up someone...its about *how* you
beat them up.
Its about technique. I think Victor said it best...something like...If the
game is too easy, you won't use and learn some of the techniques that might
make the game more fun.
> I don't want to have to devote time and effort to practicing
>moves and combos or mastering a character and I don't think any
>developer has a right to force me to do those things. Better to offer
>bonuses to the skilled then to penalise the less dedicated.
Maybe that's the experience they're trying to give you. You'll only be able
to beat game X when you put in the time to *learn* the game. Some games are
for die hard gamers. Maybe Silhouette Mirage is not for you. Give it some
time.
With all that said...I can understand if you just rent games. I wasn't too
happy with Elemental Gearbolt when I rented it. The gun didn't work right
and I couldn't beat it in one day. If I bought it...I would be happy though.
>
>Also, there's the fact that on some fighting games, especially those by
>SNK, setting to easy may let you breese through most of the game, but if
>you set it any harder, the final boss becomes nearly invincible.
>
>-ZFP
>
Ben Turner
Joe Ottoson <aj...@dim.com> wrote:
> > Um.. it doesn't really matter if they're some of the best if they
> > *still* suck.
>
> Oh that changes my point...
Welp, since you're apparently living several planes above my level of
existence, it would be nice if you stated exactly what the point of
contention is here. I think WD's voices are mediocre. You don't.
What else is there to it? I thought I had this all squared away, but I
guess I didn't.
BenT <-- poster of multiple sentences
-----------------------------------------
The Definitive Guide to River City Ransom
http://www.worldlynx.net/bent/rcr/
Mike White
> playing style that was based on the Japanese Saturn version.
I don't see it as a *problem*... just the way things are.
> Surprise! That was a LOT different experience. Stealing spirit from MOST
> bosses is not hard at all, with practice. Priday and Angara, which were
> pretty useless in the Japanese version....
I beg to differ. Priday (the boomerang) was by FAR my favourite weapon. It
did great damage, and then came back to do it again.
> I'm not reaming you, and I hope it doesn't come off as such. I just want
> to make it clear that playing the import has put you at a disadvantage.
I entirely agree. I still don't like the changes, though, even after this
mammoth thread as to clarify why. I just felt like posting my own opinion on
these groups. It's nothing I'm really upset over, it just kept me from
buying the game, even though I still like it, and reccomend it to shooter /
platformer fans seeking a unique purchase.
I think a great job was done on translation (save for the HORRID interview
with the producer... but that's nothing critical to the game, so I don't
count it as much of a black mark), and the voices ranged from adequate to
actually pretty interesting and amusing. Shyna grated on me at first, but I
suspect that was because I was used to the Japanese... Now I'm indifferent,
though different sample for a punch and 'cash bash' might've been better.
It's not really important though.
The Lunar 2 movie was neat, even if the music was woefully understated, and
the battle screens kind of sad. More of SSSC, which means I'll be eagerly
anticipating purchasing it about a year after WD's current estimated release
date. :)
I hate the loading time, but that's no fault of anyone but that fat grey
box. Lack of multiple save file support without a second memory card seems a
bit stingy, but I can live with it. All the weird commands you can do on the
analog sticks seem just bizarre, and if there is a point to them, it eludes
me.Again, nothing that detracts from the experience, but is mildly puzzling.
Overall, a C+ to B-, in my book.
Enoryt666
And you're wrong.
---------------------
"If she says, 'It's not you, it's me,' then it is you and you've failed!"
"Evil triumphs when good men do nothing..."
"All I do know is that [God's] a force stronger than Mom and Dad put together
and you owe Him big."
Mike White
> >
> > *laughs*
>
> away, but in the real world 99.999% of humanity inhabit, has no real
> effect except to seem like the poster really had no legitimate comeback,
> except maybe "oh yeah?! Well seiyuu ROCK!", which he realized would have
> made him look even sillier.
In terms of dramatic production, I put WD's voice acting about the same
level as your average action cartoon show. A fair comparison, I think, given
budgets, and they both draw from the same pool of talent: voice actors. It's
entirely valid to state that voice acting is FAR more developed, and
respected in Japan.
I still maintain Panzer Dragoon Saga was the most brilliant game in terms of
atmosphere ever developed, and not dubbing the voices was a masterstroke...
surely not done because Sega didn't wanna fork over the cash. :) I would
have liked it if they translated the end credits though....
But for me, the ideal solution was found in Sonic Adventure, where one could
CHOOSE whether one wanted the subtitled or dubbed voice acting... everyone
walks away happy, the standard gamer who leaves it on the default dubbed,
and the hardcore gamer who prefers the subtitles and Japanese acting. The
royalties, I imagine, would be higher, but a company out to really cater to
ALL fans should go for it.
Miasfis32
This review sounds just like videogames.com 's review of silhouette mirage
Raymond McKeithen II
Mike White <mik...@hfx.andara.com> wrote in message
news:dlai4.1805$Xb7....@sapphire.mtt.net...
>
> In terms of dramatic production, I put WD's voice acting about the same
> level as your average action cartoon show. A fair comparison, I think,
given
> budgets, and they both draw from the same pool of talent: voice actors.
I'd tend to agree; I also tend to be repulsed by both. I'dd add that I think
some US cartoon shows have far better voice acting than average and those
games, such as Tiny Toons, Animaniacs, and Batman: Animated Series (for
example...since I never watch TV anymore there may well be other newer
things).
> It's
> entirely valid to state that voice acting is FAR more developed, and
> respected in Japan.
>
Agreed.
>
> But for me, the ideal solution was found in Sonic Adventure, where one
could
> CHOOSE whether one wanted the subtitled or dubbed voice acting...
everyone
> walks away happy, the standard gamer who leaves it on the default dubbed,
> and the hardcore gamer who prefers the subtitles and Japanese acting. The
> royalties, I imagine, would be higher, but a company out to really cater
to
> ALL fans should go for it.
>
Yes. It's at least getting more technically feasible with storage space on
GD and DVD media. It's never going to happen in, say, Shenmue because that's
already multiple discs and 2 audio soundtracks would make it even bigger,
but for games like Sonic and SM it's at least feasible now. How often it'll
actually happen is a different question though.
--
Raymond
remove "suchiepai" for email
Jon Allegrezza
Enoryt666 wrote:
>
> > I think WD's voices are mediocre
>
> And you're wrong.
>
How wrong is he? Wrong as in "There's such a place as MTV Japan" wrong,
or is he just kinda wrong?
Jon Allegrezza - Jon's Hunk of Web 2 Dash
www.tiac.net/users/heyimjon
VG Fan Art & Online Portfolio
"In my world I like to see the glasses as half-full...OF SCOTCH!" -
Craig Kilborn, freak
Keep the Lick-Me Spamboy in E-Mail to respond (filters out both unwanted
pyramid schemes AND the sarcastically challenged)
Gregory K
Something like that.
Shiranui Gen-An
Victor Ireland wrote:
> Thank you.
My God, what have I done...
Darien Allen
<shiran...@mindspring.com> we were graced with this statement:
>
>
>Victor Ireland wrote:
>
>> Thank you.
>
>My God, what have I done...
Hehehehehhehe
------------------------
Darien Allen
ICQ-2927081
Benjamin
>
> In article <388732C9...@juno.com>, blac...@juno.com says...
> > Instead of leaving the easy mode in - how about a fix for it like you
> > did for elemental gearbolt? The practice setting was chooseable, but it
> > only allowed the first few levels to be played... then told you to go
> > play it for real. I thought that was a splendid way to introduce the
> > game without ruining it by making it too easy.
> >
> > Of course, on normal and hard mode, I find it to be incredibly
> > difficult, but perhaps it's just me. I keep getting blasted on the huge
> > ship boss on level 4.
> >
>
> That's what we did with TF5. It's what we do with ALL our shooters.
>
> --
> Don't Believe the Hype -
> Vic
You probably also want to make it more difficult so that someone _earns_
that $10,000. :^)
Just curious, how do you determine what games coincide with your money
prize? Is it to reward people for completing your more challenging games
or as an incentive to purchase more obscure titles?
Benjamin
Paul Acevedo
and hidden items to find. It's deep and expansive enough to warrant a
strategy guide IMO...
--
Regards,
Paul Acevedo eas...@segacon.com
- DreamcastLife Editor in Chief -
http://www.dreamcastlife.com ICQ # 10745085
"NonDeskript" <ten...@knuf.rd> wrote in message
news:MPG.12f2a9931...@news.pdq.net...
> On 21 Jan 2000 23:23:01 GMT, Scott Wozniak wrote:
>
> > This never made sense to me. If somebody isn't good enough to finish
> > the game on normal or hard, what good is opening up the "easy" mode
> > AFTER beating the game? They'll never be able to do it. I think games
> > should be accessible to players of all skills right from the get-go.
> > This way, my daughter could enjoy playing something on "kids" or "easy"
> > mode and then I could set the game on "normal" or "hard" when I felt
> > like playing. Another way to do it would be like Konami used to...
> > setting the game on "easy" only takes you to a certain level and then
> > when you're good enough to complete it you move up to the next
> > difficulty.
>
Benjamin
>
> In article <MPG.12f25d298...@news.pdq.net>,
> NonDeskript <ten...@knuf.rd> wrote:
> >
> > I've always looked at it differently. I've always thought that beating
> > a game was not some "right" that the gamer has just because they spent
> > money on the game. Getting to see the ending of a game is a reward for
> > skill and perserverence. If you suck at a game, you suck at a game.
> > You don't get to beat it. Oh well. Play it more and get better. Thats
> > what I do at least.
>
> Gaming is entertainment. Would you appreciate it if they kicked you out
> of the theatre so you missed the last 1/2 hour of a movie?
Should we rewrite all novels so that an eight-year-old can understand
them? Just because games are entertainment doesn't mean that they fall
under the same criteria as other forms of entertainment.
> Things like
> dilligent practice and perserverence are for your job, or for something
> with REAL rewards, not for something as escapist as gaming. If you want
> a challenge, set it on hard, if you don't, set it on easy. That's the
> POINT of difficulty settings, and taking away the easy setting is just
> elitist. That, or a pathetic attempt to increase playtime.
>
> -ZFP
The keyword is "_gaming_." Games are challenges; it is a competition,
and in all competitions there exists a loser of some kind. Without some
risk of losing, there is no competition. Would people enjoy sports if
after the match both were declared a winner? Where's the thrill,
challenge, and fun in that? Why not just remove all enemies while you're
at it?
Benjamin
neo_zo...@hotmail.com
Benjamin <benj...@tmbg.org> wrote:
>
> The keyword is "_gaming_." Games are challenges; it is a competition,
> and in all competitions there exists a loser of some kind.
The CPU. :)
> Without some risk of losing, there is no competition.
There can be the risk of losing without a lot of actual losing.
Besides, my point is not that games should be easy, simply that they
should have difficulty settings so they're acessible to anyone. Are you
going to put children up against NBA players if they want to play
basketball?
-ZFP
neo_zo...@hotmail.com
Darien Allen <darienNO...@mindspring.com> wrote:
>
> As a fighting game fan I have to say this is one of the most pitiful
> things I've ever seen you post.
You have no right to tell me how I can or cannot enjoy my games. If
you're going to look down your nose at others just because they don't
want to put in hours mastering a video game, then YOU are the one who's
pitiful here. I would NEVER devote significant time or effort to
practicing something as inconsequential as a video game.
neo_zo...@hotmail.com
Darien Allen <darienNO...@mindspring.com> wrote:
>
> >I don't think a man who mocks the opinions of "anime otaku" and
> >"hard-core gamers", while localizing old-school, anime-influenced
>
> And you do right? No, don't bother answering.
Call me crazy, but I figure Lunar appeals to anime fans and old-school
RPG fans. It's not like all the fans introduced to RPG's by FF7 are
going to flip over a slow, dated, cliched game like Lunar.
neo_zo...@hotmail.com
vire...@nospam.com (Victor Ireland) wrote:
>
> Thank you.
For what? Nothing he said contradicted the fact that a genre isn't
going to flourish as long as it's fanbase is only a handful of die-hard
fans. The notion that a game with mainstream appeal is some sort of
"sell-out" is a perfect example of the elitism that is associated with
rabid fans of any medium or genre.
neo_zo...@hotmail.com
vire...@nospam.com (Victor Ireland) wrote:
>
> Which is exactly what we do. You can play to the halfway point
> (thereabouts) on easy. Normal is required to finish the game.
> Reasonable, eh?
Sure, if you don't give a damn about casual gamers and are only looking
to play to elitist, hard-core fans. How much sense does it make to play
through only the ealier, easier levels on "easy"? It's things like this
that have made me pretty much ignore any games that don't have save
points, passwords, or a wide range of difficulty settings. I don't mind
a challenge, but I'd rather have the option to steamroll through a game
than to have it gather dust unfinished.
Terrence Huey
> For what? Nothing he said contradicted the fact that a genre isn't
> going to flourish as long as it's fanbase is only a handful of die-hard
> fans. The notion that a game with mainstream appeal is some sort of
> "sell-out" is a perfect example of the elitism that is associated with
> rabid fans of any medium or genre.
WTH are you talking about Square-fanboy?
It's really simple:
I like FF I-VI. Square releases FFVII. It appeals to mainstream, yes.
People bash it. Why? Because it appeals to everyone? NO! We bash it
because it's a lousy game! Even if you disagree, we DO feel that FFVII
looks and plays differently than FF I-VI. *SOMETHING* was changed in the
process of VI and VII.
That is why I feel Square sold out. They made games that I enjoyed. Then
somewhere along the line, they changed things.
It's not necessarily eliticism. Something is changed when it goes
mainstream, can't you understand that?
Same thing with Street Fighters. While I can enjoy a crazy game of XMvsSF,
Marvel vs SF, or maybe even Zero/Alpha series, I realize that I don't like
any of these nearly as much as I did the original Street Fighter II series.
A lot of old schoolers don't like the "vs" series and I can totally
understand why. It throws away the intensity of raw fighting in exchange
for wacky air combos, huge supers, and super jumps. But in the same way, i
can understand why some like it for its wackiness. Still, things were
changed. Old schoolers may not and do not like it.
That's the bottom line.
D. Bingham Brown
"Terrence Huey" <th...@ucdavis.edu> wrote in message
news:86fvnd$pt1$1...@mark.ucdavis.edu...
> Same thing with Street Fighters. While I can enjoy a crazy game of
XMvsSF,
> Marvel vs SF, or maybe even Zero/Alpha series, I realize that I don't like
> any of these nearly as much as I did the original Street Fighter II
series.
> A lot of old schoolers don't like the "vs" series and I can totally
> understand why. It throws away the intensity of raw fighting in exchange
> for wacky air combos, huge supers, and super jumps. But in the same way,
i
> can understand why some like it for its wackiness. Still, things were
> changed. Old schoolers may not and do not like it.
Man, the local arcade has, in the back corner, an old Street Fighter
II Turbo machine... The monitor is old and in crap shape (the upper
right corner has colors almost inversed), and the cabinet is falling
apart, but a bunch of people got together and spontaneously decided
that they were all the best old-school player and went at it...
Was grand fun. I think I did a 3 hit combo a couple of times. I don't
think Capcom has beat SF2T in terms of raw gameplay in a fighter.
Bingham Brown
D. Bingham Brown
<neo_zo...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:86fufm$7e3$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...
Ever played Nethack?
Bingham Brown
Justinian
or in other words every night when ZFP goes to bed...
<ZFP praying>mmmmaaaaaaaahhhhhhhmmmmm. Oh mighty Squaresoft please
forgive me for it's been 2 days since I watched your CGI FMV eyecandy
mmmmmmmmaaaaaaahhhhmmmmm. And please protect me from the Great Satan
WD and their evil leader Vic mmmmmmmaaaaaaaaaaahmmmmm. And I'll try
harder to remember the Square Sabbath to keep me worthy
mmmmmmmmmmaaaaaaaammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....<ZFP praying>
Justinian
------
Jimmy, it's Angel. Don't pay no attention to my other
message. You're out of it. You're clean, no trouble at
all. Just ignore the first message.
From Gearjammers Part Two/Rockford Files, 1974-1980