Mindless Entertainment on the PC by HaniTrader

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Mindless Entertainment on the PC

POSTED BY: HANITRADER
UPDATED: Sunday, May 15, 2005 19:58
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Sunday, May 15, 2005 6:10 PM

OK... Any game players out there? Mostly curious as to what is popular out there...

Personally, I'll make a shameless plug for a software title. There is a independent title out there goes by the name of Flatspace. It's a 2D space opera- career path is up to you, including Trader, mercenary, pirate, scavenger, cop, or Bounty Hunter- and just 'cause you start in one field does not mean you can't do the other paths. Big universe, highly detailed, approx 100 ships and tons of upgrades. Freeform, missions, stuff. Been hooked on this one awhile. There are many other games that are great, but this one has proven to be addicting. Anyway, mostly curious as to how others are 'biding there free time...

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Sunday, May 15, 2005 7:11 PM

JADEHAND

I've been very disappointed with PC games lately. I tend towards self contained RPGs and such with LAN potential(Diablo II, Never Winter Nights are both good though a bit older). I like FPS(first person shooters)too, but the campaigns are often short and they in general are really only fun in a LAN setting with friends.
I hate MMORPGS! I will not buy one ever, unless it's unclear that it's that type, then it gets returned. [Mal voice on] I buy a game, I get to play [Mal voice off] This pay per month of use is just not for me. And I don't get why other think it's ok.
I heard horrible things about Dungeon Lords(new), not of lot of new stuff for PC that interests me.
I also do PS2, I find that the Japanese games ported by ATLUS tend to be very entertaining to me. Currently playing Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga through for the second time to get to a hidden boss, The good news is the save for this one affects the sequal out later this year. Also Nippon Ichi has made some great ones Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, Phantom Brave, and the upcoming Maikai Kingdom(SP?) (Phantom Kingdom) I like these because there are no real limits to character development (levels, skills, weapons can always grow) and difficulty can increase to keep up with you.
I hope something decent for PC comes out soon, Or maybe I missed someting. Anyone else?

Visit WWW.Marillion.Com for a better way to live

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Sunday, May 15, 2005 7:24 PM

RKLENSETH

Well, not mindless but I play and am a staff member of a game called Cantr II ( www.cantr.net). It is a society simulator/role playing game. It is continuously(sp? I can't spell tonight) being worked on. I started playing back when it was first started (around 200 days into and now it is well past 1000 days). Pretty much you build societies and role play characters in these societies. Everything in the game is created by the characters from the politics, empires, cities, shops, industries, food, history, etc.... The game will never be reset so it is a continuing story that has already spanned decades within the game. I think about 100 years (about 20 days make up a year) have past. So within that time frame, empires have risen and fallen, cities have crumbled to dust, and characters have become legends and myths.

This is what I think games should be I think. And the best thing is that the game is being worked as we speak. Recently degradation and rot of items in game has been programmed with the ability to repair them.

But be warned, this is not a hack and slash game, it can be slow at times, and it requires you to work with other people's characters in order to be productive in anything.

Oh, and play Cantr II at www.cantr.net.

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Sunday, May 15, 2005 7:58 PM

SERGEANTX

The latest game I've been excited about is an MMORPG called YoHoHo! Puzzle Pirates. Its a very different model for RPGs in that all the 'skill tests' are based on actual player performance on various live puzzles (think Tetris, Bust-a-Move, etc.)

The game features a player driven economy, exploration and development and, hey, it's got pirates! arrrhh! The graphics are relatively simple, but elegant, and serve the purpose well. The cool thing is what it DOESN'T feature - namely the silly level climbing paradigm that turns most MMORPG's into senseless tedium.

Another key feature is that raiding other ships (a central activity in the game) is a truly cooperative effort for a crew. Each crew position on a ship is performed with a different puzzle. The players' performances on the various puzzles interelate (the sailing puzzle makes the ship go faster, the cannon puzzle reloads the cannons, the carpentry puzzle repairs damage, etc.) and determine the ships maneuverability and power for the navigator, who guides the ship and fires the cannons.

I'd really like to see something like this done for a Firefly setting. The key, in my opinion, would be a similar kind of crew cooperation dynamic. In an online RPG, that would be key to recreating the 'family-as-crew' theme that makes Firefly what it is.

I'd also think that any Firefly game would do well to avoid the steady-climb-to-uberhero spiral that spoils most games in the end. The fun shouldn't be about power-ups and skill boosts, but about scraping to get by out in the black. But I seriously doubt any designers these days would have the guts to produce a game with such a mature theme.

SergeantX

"Dream a little dream or you can live a little dream. I'd rather live it, cause dreamers always chase but never get it." Aesop Rock

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