From: gblock@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Gregory R Block)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject: Re: Game content Re: PCheads go *thud* Re: Amigan-whalloping Re: An Amigan does it *again*
Date: 25 Jan 1993 00:47:04 GMT
Organization: University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
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In article <1993Jan23.231238.16759@usl.edu>, Stephenson Daniel A (das9674@ucs.usl.edu) wrote:
: How much more innovation is there today, anyway?  Lemmings was innovative.
: Stunt Island is innovative.  But there is *always* lots to be said for
: the graphics and sound of a game.  I peronally ove action movies.  Would
: would Predator or Terminator be with the effects gone?  Do you want a 
: 'love story movie' type of game?! :-)

Terminator was a fine movie to see once, but it's not something I went
google over, okay?  I waited until I could rent it.  Special Effects
aren't enough to make a good movie.

T2's storyline was good though, and that was why the effects weren't
just flash.

: People like aethetics.  Go figure.

People revolve around aesthetics, it seems.  The new Sierra stuff is
proof.

: So an AGA version is comeing out Real Soon Now?

Aren't they always?

: Most games do not depend on storyline.  Gimme a break, of course not!
: I do not love those move-esque Sierra games.  Is that what you want?

I _USED_ to like Sierra games.  I _USED_ to like King's Quest.  I
remember enjoying games like The Black Cauldron.

Now their storylines are as dead as Ultima's, and when you see the
graphics, they're wonderful.  Play them for an hour, the novelty of
the graphics is gone, and you're left with a boring game that you wish
you hadn't bought.

: Storyline, eh?  Most games get a great game *concept* or *capability*
: and _then_ make the 'story'.  Ultima Underworld, for heaven's sake, isn't

So, the person who wrote the screenplay for T2 saw someone do a
morph-creature, and wrote the script around that?

No.  The 'story' should come first, and then all of the flash you want
to put on top can only add to the game.  The novelty of flash always
wears off, and you're left with the game itself.

Lately, those games have been pointless.

: supposed to carried along by the *story* of 'save the Princess', but the
: fantasic graphcis engine.   Falcon 3.0 is the best flight sim put out by

So Ultima Underworld wouldn't have even needed a story.  If they'd
have given you monsters and some holes to crawl down, you'd get
endless hours of enjoyment out of it?  No, the story means a lot.
Take games like DungeonMaster.  Bard's Tale III had a very cool story
to it, and that made it worth continuing across 9 worlds and times,
worth climbing into what must have been 30 dungeons.  It was worth
making your ArchMage in BT II the nastiest mage in the realm.  It was
worth reaching the next level of Lemmings just to see if you could
figure it out.  It was worth playing Shadow of the Beast II, just to
see if you could do the undoable.

BT II and III had really good graphics, from what I remember, on my
Apple 8-bitter.  But the graphics became old hat, and in the end, it
was the GAME that made you take that chronomancer and that thief and
kick butt.

Ultima Underworld has 10x the flash of BTIII, but none of the story's
fascination.  When the graphics wear off, you're left with a game that
sits on your hard drive, collecting rare amounts of dust.

What do I expect from a game?

I expect _MORE_.  After all, isn't that what we should all be expecting?

Greg

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