[PA Comic] Friday, August 16, 2013 - Innovationes

Geth

Innovationes
http://penny-arcade.com/comic/2013/08/16

Thanatosia

This always bothered me about his Visor thing..... guess his whole suit does it now?

DonaldRumsfeld

from the first game on there were lights in the front and in the back of the character model

how else could you tell which way your character was facing in the shadows?

Beezel

The original reasoning behind the lights if I remember correctly was that the tri-visor and other suit lights were only supposed to be visible to you, the player, for the iconic look and also to help you keep track of where Sam was when you were skulking around in the dark.

Tossrock

the mainstream-ification of MDMA continues apace, I see

Fandeathis

Tossrock wrote: »

the mainstream-ification of MDMA continues apace, I see

Even a decade ago, most of the kids I was in high school with were going to raves and dropping E. At least in SoCal rave culture has been huge for a very long time.

Fiendishrabbit

Fandeathis wrote: »

Tossrock wrote: »

the mainstream-ification of MDMA continues apace, I see

Even a decade ago, most of the kids I was in high school with were going to raves and dropping E. At least in SoCal rave culture has been huge for a very long time.

In scandinavia it was pretty mainstream around the turn of the millenium, but it has died off since then.

klemming

Did Blacklist drop Convictions 'change to black and white when in shadow'?
I liked that system, it was easy to keep track of, and it meant they didn't need to cover Fisher in invisible lights so we could see him.

mr-razzcocks

Fiendishrabbit wrote: »

Fandeathis wrote: »

Tossrock wrote: »

the mainstream-ification of MDMA continues apace, I see

Even a decade ago, most of the kids I was in high school with were going to raves and dropping E. At least in SoCal rave culture has been huge for a very long time.

In scandinavia it was pretty mainstream around the turn of the millenium, but it has died off since then.

Maybe it's just because the UK is pretty messed up, but it's been a pretty big deal here since the late 80s and doesn't really show any sign of slowing

Henroid

In case anyone missed it, Idle Thumbs talked about making a children's book based on Splinter Cell and then a listener drew this:

Slaign

I suppose the difference between now and the lights historically, is now they actually turn on specifically when you are hidden. When you are in the light, they are off. I suppose it's a way to show you are hidden without having to look away from your character.

I would have thought it would be better for the lights to turn off when you are concealed. As others have pointed out, I suppose they might be useful as indicators of character position, but you have night vision mode if things are so dark you cant see your character, right?

Oh well, the lights have honestly never bothered me before, so I'm sure they won't now.

Hevach

Fandeathis wrote: »

Tossrock wrote: »

the mainstream-ification of MDMA continues apace, I see

Even a decade ago, most of the kids I was in high school with were going to raves and dropping E. At least in SoCal rave culture has been huge for a very long time.

Hell, I live in the armpit of America up here in Michigan, and ever since at least mid 90's, it's pretty much weed and ecstasy, in that order (ignoring stupid shit like cough syrup and sharpies, anyway). And mid 90's was when I made the middle school transition from knowing what Dare told me to knowing what people are actually talking about, and looking back I really doubt cocaine or heroin were anywhere near as prevalent as they taught us in 4th grade. The media started running big scary stories about it, what, ten or twelve years ago? That's usually a good sign a "new" drug has either gone mainstream or doesn't actually exist.

Skull2185

It's silly from a realism stand point, but the lights are a good idea gameplay wise so it's cool. Plus it's Tom Clancy stuff, there's always realism mixed with "hacking a dirty bomb into the president's innertron."

Just gimmie dat sweet sweet goggle noise.

Ok Sam, you got 6 tangos in there. Hostages are in the north corner. Cutting power in 3...2...1

*Bweeeeeeeeee*

"Y'all done goof'd" *proceeds to go NSA Batman on everyone*

Praxus1874

I distinctly dislike the noses in this comic. I don't know why, something about it just bothers me.

admanb

Hevach wrote: »

Fandeathis wrote: »

Tossrock wrote: »

the mainstream-ification of MDMA continues apace, I see

Even a decade ago, most of the kids I was in high school with were going to raves and dropping E. At least in SoCal rave culture has been huge for a very long time.

Hell, I live in the armpit of America up here in Michigan, and ever since at least mid 90's, it's pretty much weed and ecstasy, in that order (ignoring stupid shit like cough syrup and sharpies, anyway). And mid 90's was when I made the middle school transition from knowing what Dare told me to knowing what people are actually talking about, and looking back I really doubt cocaine or heroin were anywhere near as prevalent as they taught us in 4th grade. The media started running big scary stories about it, what, ten or twelve years ago? That's usually a good sign a "new" drug has either gone mainstream or doesn't actually exist.

Cocaine and heroin are city drugs.

fightinfilipino

Fisher is supposed to drop insurgents, not beats.

ryamkajr

I really hate the nose style AND coloring that Gabe has migrated too, as well. ESPECIALLY coloring in JUST the nose so that it stands out from the rest of the face. It looks... stupid.

Gaslight

Are we really back to this again? Already?

Roe

Probably the best PA comic I've seen in a while.

furlion

That last panel killed me.

I always chalked it up to 4th wall player information. If the player avatar is so well hidden that no one can see him...how does the player see him? Anyway you slice it is going to be immersion breaking if you really sit down and think about it. How does Sam putting on night vision goggles help the player, from a third person over the shoulder perspective, see in the dark?

Now, they just need to release a DLC pack that makes the lights flash in time to a daft punk song. Personally I would choose One More Time.

Evermourn

Gaslight wrote: »

Are we really back to this again? Already?

I suspect as long as he thinks noses grow out of the top of people's foreheads then people will be bringing it up. Because it looks much worse than it would if he didn't draw them that way.

Commander Zoom

The shape doesn't bother me so much here - it works for Sam and, to a lesser extent, hoodie guy.
The coloring, on the other hand, continues to be ***** distracting.

Incenjucar

Clearly everyone in the comic has a drinking problem or a cold.