Comments on: Fusing singleplayer with multiplayer, somehow http://www.gameslol.com/2007/01/24/the-crossing/ Marek Bronstring's game blog Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:46:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Marek http://www.gameslol.com/2007/01/24/the-crossing/#comment-47 Marek Wed, 31 Jan 2007 19:55:56 +0000 http://www.gameslol.com/2007/01/24/the-crossing/#comment-47 Whoa, spooky. I coincidentally discovered your blog just today nabeel. My entry point was "Is 2007 the year of the online game?", which is a really interesting post to me since I'm working on a web game that's roughly of the RuneScape type (except with some Web 2.0 philosophy sprinkled on top). The whole angle on measuring time is going to have to go straight into our pitch. Anyway, I like your blog and have it bookmarked. Whoops, I guess I went totally off-topic in my own comments thread! I'm setting a bad example. Whoa, spooky. I coincidentally discovered your blog just today nabeel. My entry point was “Is 2007 the year of the online game?”, which is a really interesting post to me since I’m working on a web game that’s roughly of the RuneScape type (except with some Web 2.0 philosophy sprinkled on top). The whole angle on measuring time is going to have to go straight into our pitch. Anyway, I like your blog and have it bookmarked.

Whoops, I guess I went totally off-topic in my own comments thread! I’m setting a bad example.

]]> By: nabeel http://www.gameslol.com/2007/01/24/the-crossing/#comment-46 nabeel Wed, 31 Jan 2007 18:35:30 +0000 http://www.gameslol.com/2007/01/24/the-crossing/#comment-46 This reminds me of the Monster-play feature that will be in Lord of the Rings Online, where you can inhabit a monster temporarily and try to kill a hero. Not something to base an entire game around, but it's a nice feature to never know if the guy around the corner is real or AI. It's all Bladerunner and shit. This reminds me of the Monster-play feature that will be in Lord of the Rings Online, where you can inhabit a monster temporarily and try to kill a hero.

Not something to base an entire game around, but it’s a nice feature to never know if the guy around the corner is real or AI. It’s all Bladerunner and shit.

]]> By: Snubs http://www.gameslol.com/2007/01/24/the-crossing/#comment-44 Snubs Wed, 31 Jan 2007 16:03:23 +0000 http://www.gameslol.com/2007/01/24/the-crossing/#comment-44 Oh man, Perfect Dark on the N64 had a mode exactly like. One player would play through the normal single player game and the others would be the NPC henchmen. That was so awesome, I played it to death. Oh man, Perfect Dark on the N64 had a mode exactly like. One player would play through the normal single player game and the others would be the NPC henchmen. That was so awesome, I played it to death.

]]> By: Villane http://www.gameslol.com/2007/01/24/the-crossing/#comment-33 Villane Thu, 25 Jan 2007 21:24:16 +0000 http://www.gameslol.com/2007/01/24/the-crossing/#comment-33 They should take a look at what Black Cat Games have done with Thievery UT. Thievery, which puts a team of thieves against a team of guards, was great IMHO, but I suspect a big part of why it didn't really take off is because "nobody wants to play guard". The balance wasn't actually that bad, the game forced some players to be guards even if everyone wanted to be thieves (some guards could be controlled by AI if there were not enough players), but I think still almost everybody wanted to play thief and for most people the enjoyment they got from the game didn't last very long. In their next multiplayer sneaker Nightblade, they are introducing a third side to the equasion, and each three sides will have conflicting goals. It'll be interesting to see how that plays out, but it sounds kind of iffy to me. They should take a look at what Black Cat Games have done with Thievery UT. Thievery, which puts a team of thieves against a team of guards, was great IMHO, but I suspect a big part of why it didn’t really take off is because “nobody wants to play guard”. The balance wasn’t actually that bad, the game forced some players to be guards even if everyone wanted to be thieves (some guards could be controlled by AI if there were not enough players), but I think still almost everybody wanted to play thief and for most people the enjoyment they got from the game didn’t last very long.

In their next multiplayer sneaker Nightblade, they are introducing a third side to the equasion, and each three sides will have conflicting goals. It’ll be interesting to see how that plays out, but it sounds kind of iffy to me.

]]> By: Duncan http://www.gameslol.com/2007/01/24/the-crossing/#comment-32 Duncan Wed, 24 Jan 2007 12:27:47 +0000 http://www.gameslol.com/2007/01/24/the-crossing/#comment-32 I'm very confused by this concept. Are the enemies above "grunt" level controlled by players too? Or friendly NPCs? If you have all these actors just running around then I don't know how this is going to work as a linear plot-based game without either forcing players into a lot of scripted events or having any plot important character be an AI, which kind of fucks with the verisimilitude ("everyone you're fighting is a real person!") I don't think I'd want to play a single-player story if it had a ton of real guys running around in it trying to ruin it for me. If I was playing Half-Life 2 I wouldn't get five friends over to take turns punching me in the face. I’m very confused by this concept. Are the enemies above “grunt” level controlled by players too? Or friendly NPCs? If you have all these actors just running around then I don’t know how this is going to work as a linear plot-based game without either forcing players into a lot of scripted events or having any plot important character be an AI, which kind of fucks with the verisimilitude (”everyone you’re fighting is a real person!”)

I don’t think I’d want to play a single-player story if it had a ton of real guys running around in it trying to ruin it for me. If I was playing Half-Life 2 I wouldn’t get five friends over to take turns punching me in the face.

]]> By: Wrestlevania http://www.gameslol.com/2007/01/24/the-crossing/#comment-31 Wrestlevania Wed, 24 Jan 2007 11:18:36 +0000 http://www.gameslol.com/2007/01/24/the-crossing/#comment-31 Well that's certainly a more interesting take on things for sure. It's an idea I've tossed around with friends for many years now, discussing how gaming might be able to scrap NPCs altogether--in any game genre, be it FPS, RPG, full-grid racing games, etc. It'll be interesting to see how the Arkane Studios (and Valve?) manage multiplayer sessions in that case. Will you have to participate a set number of times on 'goon duty' before you're allowed to play as the lead character(s)? I very much doubt it, but I agree; it's going to be very hard to get this right, but the rewards would be massive for the whole games industry. I think this is also indicative of the huge resurgence in interest of co-op play in modern games. Anything that can help bring that back - and mature it - would be nothing short of revolutionary. Well that’s certainly a more interesting take on things for sure. It’s an idea I’ve tossed around with friends for many years now, discussing how gaming might be able to scrap NPCs altogether–in any game genre, be it FPS, RPG, full-grid racing games, etc.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Arkane Studios (and Valve?) manage multiplayer sessions in that case. Will you have to participate a set number of times on ‘goon duty’ before you’re allowed to play as the lead character(s)? I very much doubt it, but I agree; it’s going to be very hard to get this right, but the rewards would be massive for the whole games industry.

I think this is also indicative of the huge resurgence in interest of co-op play in modern games. Anything that can help bring that back - and mature it - would be nothing short of revolutionary.

]]> By: Marek http://www.gameslol.com/2007/01/24/the-crossing/#comment-30 Marek Wed, 24 Jan 2007 09:47:22 +0000 http://www.gameslol.com/2007/01/24/the-crossing/#comment-30 The main difference between this game and mods like Hidden is that the super character is playing through a whole string of game sessions that are part of a larger singleplayer experience with story elements, triggered events, etc., etc. That means the role of super character isn't being rotated between players. It also means the group cannot win very often. The main difference between this game and mods like Hidden is that the super character is playing through a whole string of game sessions that are part of a larger singleplayer experience with story elements, triggered events, etc., etc.

That means the role of super character isn’t being rotated between players. It also means the group cannot win very often.

]]> By: Wrestlevania http://www.gameslol.com/2007/01/24/the-crossing/#comment-29 Wrestlevania Wed, 24 Jan 2007 09:40:41 +0000 http://www.gameslol.com/2007/01/24/the-crossing/#comment-29 On the face of it, this concept is nothing new to my mind. As far back as the original Quake, people have been making mods which let one player be a super character whilst all other players must work together to kill him. The twist is that the person who kills the super character automatically becomes the super character next round. (For a contemporary example, have a look at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hidden:_Source" rel="nofollow">Hidden: Source</a> for Half-Life 2.) Anyway, I could be completely wrong. I'll listen to the 1UP show and see if that can shed any more light on the game's setup. But I'll admit it's a very brave decision to make a commercial title based around this concept... On the face of it, this concept is nothing new to my mind. As far back as the original Quake, people have been making mods which let one player be a super character whilst all other players must work together to kill him. The twist is that the person who kills the super character automatically becomes the super character next round. (For a contemporary example, have a look at Hidden: Source for Half-Life 2.)

Anyway, I could be completely wrong. I’ll listen to the 1UP show and see if that can shed any more light on the game’s setup. But I’ll admit it’s a very brave decision to make a commercial title based around this concept…

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