gokickrocks
Regular
I'd say that gears pushed the envelope...it pushed MS into incorporating 512mb instead of 256mb into the 360 
Pushing the Envelope
- Thread starter TheChefO
- Start date
This all depends on how you define 'pushes the envelope'.
Does it mean to polish a formulae, or to take a risk?
With the exception of spore, what risks do those games take?
Both move the industry forward, but in different ways. The real test is if games that follow feel like something is missing.
I know I bang on about it, but I still feel TDU was one of the bigger risks of the year. And it has paid off. When I now look at media for games like GT5, or a lesser extent motorstorm, I can't help think 'if that were TDU, I'd be able to drive up that mountain - and I'd probably find some crazy aussie up there too'...
Does it mean to polish a formulae, or to take a risk?
With the exception of spore, what risks do those games take?
Both move the industry forward, but in different ways. The real test is if games that follow feel like something is missing.
I know I bang on about it, but I still feel TDU was one of the bigger risks of the year. And it has paid off. When I now look at media for games like GT5, or a lesser extent motorstorm, I can't help think 'if that were TDU, I'd be able to drive up that mountain - and I'd probably find some crazy aussie up there too'...
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Even the C64 had first eprson 3D games, though I can't recall the exact name and I'm quite sure at least some of them weren't action games...
Wolfenstein is still the mother of all FPS games we're seeing today, for it has defined most of the gameplay mechanics. Also, even though Ultima Underworld has been released a bit later then Wolf as it was an RPG and took more time to complete, it has been a lot more advanced and it was technically closer to the Quake generation of games, having true 3D levels and movement. And still, the gameplay was so different that we can't really look at it as the first big FPS game.
Wolfenstein is still the mother of all FPS games we're seeing today, for it has defined most of the gameplay mechanics. Also, even though Ultima Underworld has been released a bit later then Wolf as it was an RPG and took more time to complete, it has been a lot more advanced and it was technically closer to the Quake generation of games, having true 3D levels and movement. And still, the gameplay was so different that we can't really look at it as the first big FPS game.
Even the C64 had first eprson 3D games, though I can't recall the exact name and I'm quite sure at least some of them weren't action games...
where the enemies in that game by any chance german ?
How about catacomb 3D then ?
Naboomagnoli
Newcomer
I'd like to give a special mention to Galactic Civilizations 2 on the PC. It has poor graphics, terrible sound, and no real-time weapon change.
However it really does have terrific AI. This is where all the effort has gone. The game doesn't even have multiplayer, but you really don't miss it because the CPU civilizations adapt to your strategy so well. If you are using ships that are heavy on missile weapons and low on laser defences, the AI will catch on and develop new ships designed to beat you. If you build up an armada on the edge of a neutral's border they will pre-empt your attack. Their ability to conspire with each other to spring a trap on you is uncanny, and the number of different gameplans they can pull out of nowhere makes every playthrough unique and challenging.
The shipbuilder mode within the game is extraordinarily good too. You have the freedom to build anything you want out of the vast array of parts available to you. As well as the weapons, engines, sensors etc (which have a size value to limit the number of functional parts you can attach to the ship) there is a huge number of 'free' aesthetic parts which have no size cost and hence can be used to build real works of art. Forget create-a-character in EA games etc, this is what edit modes should be about:
http://members.aol.com/provenlogic/tempest1.jpg
http://img376.imageshack.us/img376/4158/condorsidejpg7sb.jpg
http://img376.imageshack.us/img376/1369/dragon01jpg3yr.jpg
http://www.ryanmsmith.com/gfx/cactus.jpg
And the star of the show (and most architecturally impressive if I say so myself), Pidge
Last but not least, their patches aren't just fixes for bugs. The AI is constantly tweaked and gameplay is constantly added to and balanced according to feedback from the forums.
So to summarize: this level of intelligence; this level of freedom to create; this level of care and attention; this is what I want from the next-gen.
Except with CGI graphics.
(I was going to go into more detail, but I'm too distracted by looking at other people's ship designs and comparing with my own! Yes by the way, it's the single life for me)
However it really does have terrific AI. This is where all the effort has gone. The game doesn't even have multiplayer, but you really don't miss it because the CPU civilizations adapt to your strategy so well. If you are using ships that are heavy on missile weapons and low on laser defences, the AI will catch on and develop new ships designed to beat you. If you build up an armada on the edge of a neutral's border they will pre-empt your attack. Their ability to conspire with each other to spring a trap on you is uncanny, and the number of different gameplans they can pull out of nowhere makes every playthrough unique and challenging.
The shipbuilder mode within the game is extraordinarily good too. You have the freedom to build anything you want out of the vast array of parts available to you. As well as the weapons, engines, sensors etc (which have a size value to limit the number of functional parts you can attach to the ship) there is a huge number of 'free' aesthetic parts which have no size cost and hence can be used to build real works of art. Forget create-a-character in EA games etc, this is what edit modes should be about:
http://members.aol.com/provenlogic/tempest1.jpg
http://img376.imageshack.us/img376/4158/condorsidejpg7sb.jpg
http://img376.imageshack.us/img376/1369/dragon01jpg3yr.jpg
http://www.ryanmsmith.com/gfx/cactus.jpg
And the star of the show (and most architecturally impressive if I say so myself), Pidge
Last but not least, their patches aren't just fixes for bugs. The AI is constantly tweaked and gameplay is constantly added to and balanced according to feedback from the forums.
So to summarize: this level of intelligence; this level of freedom to create; this level of care and attention; this is what I want from the next-gen.
Except with CGI graphics
.(I was going to go into more detail, but I'm too distracted by looking at other people's ship designs and comparing with my own! Yes by the way, it's the single life for me
)
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