Messages

46

Off Topic / Re: Prison Architect

« on: October 03, 2012, 09:40:19 AM »

I think the main problem is that whilst communities lend themselves quite readily to pluralism, individual human beings do not. It takes me a conscious effort of will in this instance, for example, not to attempt to show Wingflier the error of his ways. Because objectively, of course, nothing is objective.

47

Off Topic / Re: Prison Architect

« on: October 03, 2012, 07:18:44 AM »

@Wingflier: I long ago realised that sometimes in life you come up against someone whose worldview is based on such a fundamentally different premise that no amount of discourse will prove fruitful - and in those situations it's best to just embrace the pluralism.

Therefore I shall simply say to you, sir: you and I hold remarkably different views; and the world is richer for it.

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A Valley Without Wind 1 & 2 / Re: A Valley Without Wind 2 - a full sequel free for existing customers - is coming.

« on: October 03, 2012, 07:07:49 AM »

Did you ever play Super Metroid?

Let's say you walk into a room and there's a platform up and to your right, and a lake of lava down and to your right. Without enemies, you just hold right, hit jump and you're gravy. But let's say there's a crawler on the platform, making his way ever round the platform. You could time your jump just so and then blast him in the noggin, job done. Then again, maybe he's one of those tough crawlers who's going to take a couple of shots. What are your options? Jump and fire - timing's crucial there. Jump to the platform and try to get two shots in before he gets to you (or fail and get knocked into the lava)? Run right whilst holding up to aim up-right and quickly get a shot in, stop before you hit the lava pool, then walk back the other way and repeat - all the while timing it just right in order to actually hit him?

All that sounds like rather a lot of effort for one measly armored crawler. What if there was a way to toggle aim up-right, then slowly walk right until you can hit him? That turns an annoying nuance of the controls into a nice intuitive mechanism. Well done Super Metroid for that, I say!

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A Valley Without Wind 1 & 2 / Re: A Valley Without Wind 2 - a full sequel free for existing customers - is coming.

« on: October 03, 2012, 06:54:24 AM »

The fact that you have to move fingers to press the button is precisely the reason I suggested if the feature were to be included, the keyboard equivalent should be a toggle!

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A Valley Without Wind 1 & 2 / Re: A Valley Without Wind 2 - a full sequel free for existing customers - is coming.

« on: October 03, 2012, 06:43:10 AM »

Toggle aim up-left on Q; toggle aim up-right on E. Or Tab and R. Or Caps Lock and F.

Also, Chris was the one who brought up Super Metroid's diagonal aiming buttons! I was just suggesting that "shoulder buttons" aren't a concept which naturally translates to a keyboard.

http://strategywiki.org/wiki/Super_Metroid/Controls

51

A Valley Without Wind 1 & 2 / Re: A Valley Without Wind 2 - a full sequel free for existing customers - is coming.

« on: October 03, 2012, 05:00:49 AM »

Hmm, not too sure about that.  I like the Super Metroid method of having a button for "aim up at an angle in front of you" instead.  It's not a toggle, just something you hold generally on a shoulder button.  It also had a button for aiming down and angled, which I guess also is really useful for if you want to stand and then shoot down at something.

It's really intuitive on a controller - which might well be how I end up playing this - but on a keyboard, a toggle or two might be better.

52

Off Topic / Re: FTL: A space based roguelike

« on: October 03, 2012, 04:53:47 AM »

I've stopped playing it constantly and am now instead playing it very often.

Still haven't won!

53

Off Topic / Re: Prison Architect

« on: October 01, 2012, 12:21:37 PM »

@Wingflier: I think I'm better placed to comment on the tone of the game, having actually played it; and the impact it's having on the alpha community, actually being part of it. I'm telling you, categorically, there's something wrong with you if the tutorial mission doesn't affect you emotionally. It's heavy stuff. The lighthearted tone makes it so accessible that the underlying moral quandaries sneak the hell up on you and grab you by the id.

Also, wow. You must really have a problem with war games, huh?

Thirdly: I'd go out on a limb and suggest that Introversion, being British, have a far less America-centric view of the world. You seem to be suggesting that because prisons specifically in America function a certain way, they therefore must do the world over, as a matter of course. I imagine, in fact, you're absolutely not saying that; but when you ram America-this and America-that down the throat of all your arguments, I can't help but be bludgeoned by it.

Finally, I'm glad you mentioned shows like Toddlers in Tiaras. I abhor that show. But I don't think its influence is corrupting. Frankly, I think if anyone is relying on television (of that calibre) to guide their or their children's moral compass, there's a more fundamental problem there.

54

Off Topic / Re: Prison Architect

« on: October 01, 2012, 02:14:32 AM »

The game concept looks neat, but I object to the theme.  I think prisons are one of the most vile and counter-productive institutions created by mankind, and this game encourages them; if only in a roundabout way.  I wish they would have chosen something else as their subject material.

I don't buy that this game encourages the institution of prison. If anything, it brings the very serious realities of prison, and of crime, into your home in a way which on the surface feels accessible and soft; but underneath is dark and real.

The death row tutorial mission is pretty harrowing stuff - you're constantly being reminded that the decision to proceed is out of your hands; you're basically just a necessary part of the institution. And the truth is, you do feel necessary. Sure, you might think the institutions need to be replaced with something better; but you can't deny that while they exist - as they do, in our status quo - the running of them is no small ask. Especially if you deem to run the most humane operation you can, with the highest chance of rehabilitation. This is gaming in which you don't just revel in the abject horror of the situation - like most war games - but actually consider the implications of what you're doing. And the procedural AI genuinely makes the whole thing feel... alive.

It's a remarkable game in large part because of the subject matter.

55

A Valley Without Wind 1 & 2 / Re: Steam Keygen

« on: September 29, 2012, 04:14:38 PM »

...

I'm not sure you understood the analogy. If your action prevents someone from legitimate possession of their property, that's theft. The exact dictionary definition of theft.

Everything else is a grey area, and one on which I've thus far declined to comment. I'm happy to do so sometime, but it's not acutely relevant to this discussion of ill-gotten Steam keys.

56

Off Topic / Re: FTL: A space based roguelike

« on: September 29, 2012, 05:12:21 AM »

Oh and: what's easy mode? 

57

A Valley Without Wind 1 & 2 / Re: Steam Keygen

« on: September 29, 2012, 05:11:42 AM »

That flow plays out rather differently if you register an ill-gotten key on Steam. By way of analogy:

1. Can I test drive this car?

2. Did the test drive give me enough of an impression to make a purchase decision?

3. Is the car a bargain?

4. Find someone who owns the car, steal it and take it for a joy ride.

5. Did you enjoy driving the car?

And let's assume you don't admit to Valve that your key was ill-gotten, so they should reverse your registration of it. Then the last step's answer roll like this:

Yes: Drive the stolen one into a ditch, then buy your own one.
No: Drive the stolen one into a ditch, then don't buy your own.
Maybe: Drive the stolen one into a ditch, then consider your options.

Even if you do admit to Steam you decided to register someone else's game, you've still prevented them from registering it themselves for the time you had it - which is why it's much easier to define by traditional moral assessment.

58

A Valley Without Wind 1 & 2 / Re: A Valley Without Wind 2 - a full sequel free for existing customers - is coming.

« on: September 29, 2012, 05:00:52 AM »

My only remaining quandary is to do with world gating through acquired abilities. Far and away the most compelling aspect of any Metroidvania game for me is constantly passing that bit of the world where you really need some new ability to progress (but often have no idea that's the case or what ability could possibly help you with that) only to then unlock something which makes it click into place - and suddenly you feel so much more powerful, because you can actually go places and see things you never could before!

For me, that's always been the single biggest shame of making a Metroidvania game procedural, not being able to retain that aspect. Because, honestly, the thing that connects Metroid, Castlevania and Zelda, Soul Reaver, Darksiders, etc., is that one aspect.

It would be amazing if there was a way, for example, to identify internally that a particular slice was gated by x ability, or y and z abilities; and then not use those slices in the generation until that feat had been unlocked. If the feats and slices were designed just right, you could still retain a heavily procedural/random makeup of the world, but one which gates everything in such a way that you genuinely feel like you're becoming more powerful each game. And if the feats list was sufficiently large (or the number of them unlocked per game sufficiently restricted) then you could even retain the sense of discovery past the first game - as each game you'll unlock a different combination, in a different order.

But I feel as I talk through that that unless it's something at the heart of the design, it's definitely not something that'd be easy to tack on the tail.

59

Off Topic / Re: FTL: A space based roguelike

« on: September 29, 2012, 04:16:40 AM »

You'll get there! I'm currently at a standard of play where I can almost* always make it to sector 5 but whether I get any further than that depends on my ship loadout and a hell of a lot of luck. Still loving it though.

*Rock layout A, with its two missile launcher loadout, is freaking crazy. There simply aren't enough missiles in the galaxy.

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Off Topic / Re: FTL: A space based roguelike

« on: September 28, 2012, 02:34:01 AM »

No redshirts there then!