Let me begin this with a confession: I love space games. I love the feel of weightlessness that comes along with a really good space simulator and the way that combat can be taken to a whole different level. The trailer promises a game that will deliver an experience that will make the whole industry take notice.
Just looking at that trailer you can tell that this game is going to be beefy and require a lot of your computer just to run. Rumors have been swirling for a while that it could be fifty gigabytes or more when all is said and done. Which is huge, in and of itself, but it was reported yesterday by PC Gamer that the game will actually be closer to 100 gigabytes with updates running nearly 20 gigabytes! So if you're like me and living on a limited bandwidth (because there are no other options than bullshit, satellite internet) then this game is one you won't be playing based on those two factors alone. However there are bigger for this game than just its size and system requirements.
The above video features a little over fifteen minutes of the game's actual play footage and if you made it past the first two minutes than I applaud you. If you watched it to the end as I did then I pity you because this game play is the most boring thing I've watched in years. It's worse than the early Mech games that often consisted of plodding along for thirty minutes trying to find that last enemy unit that was on the other side of the zone while you hoped that your tape wouldn't reach the end of its side. The combat appears sluggish; there is no music; and even the person playing the game appears too bored to do more than suffer through the game. In short, it's terrible.
I realize that the game isn't fully realized yet and that to judge it so early in its life is a bit unfair - but in this case I feel its warranted. According to everything that's been released around this game the core of it is supposed to be the space combat, and that looked boring as hell. From the trailer I had high hopes for it and was actually considering upgrading my graphics card so that I could handle it at its max settings, but the game play killed any such thoughts.
Unless something dramatically changes before the game's full launch I will not be buying it. What about you?
Have you actually played it? The core will not be combat, but if the combat isn't working then much else falls apart. So that's why Arena Commander exists. However, it's not even a third of what the game will be. I really don't think it's fair to judge a game when it's not even in Beta yet.
ReplyDeleteAll that said, the combat is not boring.
How much have you kept up with the production? There is a lot of information available on this game, probably more than with any game before. It's very clear from the literally dozens of production videos available that there's a lot more going on than just Arena Commander. It's this curse of the age of the pre-order. Arena Commander has been out for a good while now. So long that people are just calling it "Star Citizen" when it's not. It's a tech demo and play-test of the graphics and combat engine; nothing more.
Instead, people should be amazed that they have access even to that. Were this a "normal" triple-a title, we wouldn't have any of this stuff. In fact, the game wouldn't even be in production. But people are never satisfied.
Apologies if I caused offense. I've been a backer since near the beginning, and have been following it very closely; I tend to get a bit defensive. I recommend that you look into some of the videos that have been produced, as well as the essay "Death of a Spaceman" by Chris Roberts. Not to mention the embarrassment of riches in other posts and essays explaining the mechanics and philosophy behind the design, and all the amazing work going into the game and the world.
Let's remember that this is the man who brought us Wing Commander and Freelancer. How much more proof does he need to give that he knows what he's doing with space games?
No offense is caused at all Fr. Johnson! In fact, if you want I'll let you write a full rebuttal to the post and publish it on here. Just email me at charlesakins@hotmail.com
DeleteI'll leave this as a placeholder for now. :)
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbZLbb0_RBI
yes i have, the game is horribly boring.
Deleteyes i have, the game is horribly boring.
DeleteAh, Chris, George Lucas brought us the first Star Wars episodes IV, V and VI. He also brought us the first 3 Indiana Jones movies. Then he served up the steaming piles of Episodes I, II and III. And Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
ReplyDeletePrevious work is no guarantee of the quality of current work. You've been pouring resources and expectations into this thing. There are plenty of indicators that this is a massive boondoggle, but I'm sure you'd rather not believe that...
Of course I'd rather not believe it, because I've seen no evidence for it. Time would fail me to point out the many differences in circumstances that make your rather strained Lucas comparison apples to bowling balls.
DeleteIf there are indicators, I'm not sure what they are, but maybe you could tell me? I've not poured too many resources into it - I bought in at the starter level and have not upgraded - but it is true that I have high expectations, as I think any space game fan does.
The difference is in the sheer amount of information and access available to fans. Again, I'm not sure how much of that stuff you've checked out, but if you haven't I highly recommend it. Of course it could all be a snow job. But if it is, why not enjoy it while it lasts?
The only naysayers I've heard from are people who clearly haven't actually looked deeper into it. Or, like this article, they're responding to gameplay video of Arena Commander, which is like a pre-alpha of one piece of the game.
I am genuinely curious; are there any actual indicators of boondoggle that go beyond speculation?
There is music in that gameplay video. It's quieter than the sound effects but it's there.
ReplyDeleteReally? Kelvin I couldn't hear it all!
DeleteRight now it's boring as hell. Looks nice but oh man it's boring.
ReplyDelete