Someone further up the page mentioned the Words of Doom-- "given ANTHEM's troubled development history". I haven't seen much coverage of ANTHEM, surprisingly little, really. Care to elaborate on that ?
Another thing is that they released a trailer/preview thing something like a year ago, and the trailer they released today doesn't show much more than what they had then. That is a little worrying on it's own.
I will never understand buying a company, or an IP, and then not letting it do the things it's good at. Why buy them in the first place?
"Hey, we got a boutique firm that makes western RPGs focused on compelling supporting casts and lovingly-detailed worldbuilding. I know! Let's have them make an open world Destiny clone with minimal supporting characters!"
Never sell your art to bean-counters.
The thing that's being missed here is that the Bioware guys wanted to do this. I recall when Mass Effect was announced, people pitched a shit at that time too. And then when the sequels came out, "EA" forced them to remove all the RPG elements probably!
Or Bioware has been going more and more action based since Jade Empire? And most of the guys who did the more RPG games have left by now.
I will never understand buying a company, or an IP, and then not letting it do the things it's good at. Why buy them in the first place?
"Hey, we got a boutique firm that makes western RPGs focused on compelling supporting casts and lovingly-detailed worldbuilding. I know! Let's have them make an open world Destiny clone with minimal supporting characters!"
Never sell your art to bean-counters.
The thing that's being missed here is that the Bioware guys wanted to do this. I recall when Mass Effect was announced, people pitched a shit at that time too. And then when the sequels came out, "EA" forced them to remove all the RPG elements probably!
Or Bioware has been going more and more action based since Jade Empire? And most of the guys who did the more RPG games have left by now.
Exactly. KotOR was a very different game from Baldur’s Gate. Jade Empire was very different than KotOR. Mass Effect was very different from Jade Empire. I don’t want them to just keep making the same game over and over, so I’m really interested in what Anthem winds up as.
As a person who would very much like to play a game where I'm Iron Man, I think a lot of the core ideas in Anthem are solid. There's definitely a lot of questions that, based on us not having answers yet this close to release, does seem worthy of concern. But I'm happy to withhold judgment for now; ME3MP was great and I didn't think Andromeda was outright bad, just pretty significantly flawed. If they learn from the mistakes there, then I could easily see myself spending a lot of time on Anthem.
I saw some N7 paintjob in that Anthem trailer. Like, fuck off with that shit... don't dangle the corpse of my favorite franchise infront of me like that. Heartless!
I also turned the gameplay trailer off after the dude said "co op was very important". That kind of takes away from the message they're trying to sell that Anthem is still a traditional BioWare kind of game =/
Everyone has a price. Throw enough gold around and someone will risk disintegration.
0
Options
SnicketysnickThe Greatest Hype Man inWesterosRegistered Userregular
I saw some N7 paintjob in that Anthem trailer. Like, fuck off with that shit... don't dangle the corpse of my favorite franchise infront of me like that. Heartless!
/
eh, there is a set of Dragon Age armour in ME2 and maybe 3 as well I don't remember. It's fine.
Someone further up the page mentioned the Words of Doom-- "given ANTHEM's troubled development history". I haven't seen much coverage of ANTHEM, surprisingly little, really. Care to elaborate on that ?
Most of the Mass Effect team was pulled from Andromeda and put on Anthem, leading many to believe Anthem was in trouble at one point (and turning Andromeda into what it was).
From the Kotaku article:
"At points during 2014 and 2015, I heard several rumors that the Anthem project was not going well, in part because of the long-running issues that BioWare has faced with its engine, Frostbite, and in part because making a game of this nature can be an excruciating process."
Granted, these are rumors and as the article mentioned, Destiny had similar rumors and a long development cycle.
Technically speaking, you can play through Anthem’s story missions solo – but you probably shouldn’t. “For the critical path … if you do want to play by yourself, you can,” Gamble says. “We’re not limiting that artificially. But the game itself is built for you and a bunch of friends – because your friends are your companions in this case. That’s the whole point.”
Even though you meet a variety of NPCs in Fort Tarsis and have a crew aboard your strider, your actual party is composed of other human players. That’s unusual for a BioWare game, but it is also the main way Anthem opens a new, unscripted vein of storytelling for the studio. You won’t be comparing notes with your friends about how you handled different quests in the shared world, because your friends will be on those quests with you. Instead of a hearing compliments that A.I. characters are programmed to say, you will get genuine reactions. All of your greatest victories – and most humiliating defeats – are shared with other players by your side.
Maybe I'm a fossil, but I'd rather share combat with crafted characters like Tali and Garrus rather than Xx_timeforweed420_xX and b1NeRloRD69.
Man, people are ready to tar and feather Anthem before we really even see much of it. Even these latest videos don't really show much. Reading comments in the other thread, "it's just like destiny!" or "doesn't look as good as Warframe!". Is it going to be a great game, probably not. We've read about it's troubled development. But that doesn't mean it can't be a decent game that is fun. I'm surprised the no romance thing is even a thing. We've known since last year that this was a Destiny clone; that your companions were going to be other people, not written AI. So no romances were pretty much a given. I'm willing to give Anthem a shot since Bioware's main team has earned that. But is it's not really a game for me, so I probably won't stick with it long.
I'm not really that worried about Bioware, we know that the Dragon Age team is still around and working on the next game. Just like SWTOR, the main Bioware team will probably pass maintenance and updates of Anthem over to another sub-studio and start working on something else. If Anthem is successful, great, I doubt it'll keep us from more Mass Effect and/or Dragon Age in the future. If Anthem is a flop, I doubt it'll kill off Bioware either. My prediction is that Anthem will make enough money to recoup costs and then some but it won't hit the high's that games like Destiny or The Division made when they came out. Also a studio is only as good as the people that work for it. Should Anthem "kill" Bioware, I'm sure other studios will pop up with veterans from Bioware working with them.
What's more concerning is that executives don't see a profit in big budget linear single player games anymore. This trend is bigger than Bioware or even EA. I've mentioned this before, while I don't get it, many younger folks have no issues just watching YouTube play throughs instead of buying games. Also given how much content there is for a person to consume these days, it's easier to pass over a game than give it a try or wait for a sale and get the game for a deep discount. It's these kind of factors that go into why a game like Anthem is made or why we hear disturbing comments from the Dragon Age team. Outside of indie's or kickstarted games, I don't think we'll see a game like ME2 released again.
As disturbing as the trend is that I mentioned above, we've seen overwhelming evidence that 'name recognition' and 'nostalgia' sells these days. It's one of the reasons I'm not worried about Mass Effect.
I see people say things like that, but that's simply not true. We see games like Horizon Zero Dawn or God of War or Witcher all the time. We're just not going to see these kinds of games from companies like EA.
It's not even all the big publishers either. Square Enix and Bethesda are big publishers and they're still pushing AAA single player titles on the scale of Mass Effect on the regular. Will we see multiplayer games from them too? Sure, but that's not the breadth and scope of their catalogs.
While true, I'll point out that HZD and Witcher were both open world games. I've not played God of War, but in a polygon article they mentioned adding open world elements to it. Linear big budget SP games do still come out (Uncharted is a good example), but they are becoming less common by the year. You could even make a pretty good argument that Dragon Age Inquisition suffered from it's Open World-ness instead of benefiting from it. And unfortunately EA spends more time chasing fads and money than letting it's development shops do what they are good at.
In addition to their locked-in melee attacks, defensive maneuvers, and ultimate attacks, each suit can equip two weapons, along with two pieces of gear – a category that includes a wide variety of tools like explosives, energy blasts, and more.
Only two powers? It was hard enough settling on three. Now you want me to give up another one?
Hopefully Anthem will bring back some of my old favorites from Mass Effect 3, like Dominate and Sabotage. Mind control is always fun no matter what game it appears in. I suppose I can settle for Drone and Turret if I have to though.
Romance is an important part of Western storytelling. Maybe all storytelling, but I can't really speak for other cultures.
I mean, take a look at the top grossing films of all time: Avatar (major romance plot), Titanic (a straight-up romance), Avengers: Infinity War (had a romance subplot), Jurassic World (have a significant romance subplot), Age of Ultron (had a significant romance subplot), Black Panther (had a romance subplot), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (had a significant romance subplot). I won't argue for Furious 7 (haven't seen it), the Force Awakens (though does have Han and Leia) or The Avengers, but that's seven of the top ten grossing films of all time with a romance plot or subplot.
Human beings are social creatures. Romantic relationships are part of that. And I'm not even asking for "press X to seduce party member." I'd be pretty cool with a main character being in an established relationship with a significant other who doesn't go on adventures, as long as they're written as being an interesting person in their own right.
Civics is not a consumer product that you can ignore because you don’t like the options presented.
0
Options
FencingsaxIt is difficult to get a man to understand, when his salary depends upon his not understandingGNU Terry PratchettRegistered Userregular
Technically speaking, you can play through Anthem’s story missions solo – but you probably shouldn’t. “For the critical path … if you do want to play by yourself, you can,” Gamble says. “We’re not limiting that artificially. But the game itself is built for you and a bunch of friends – because your friends are your companions in this case. That’s the whole point.”
Even though you meet a variety of NPCs in Fort Tarsis and have a crew aboard your strider, your actual party is composed of other human players. That’s unusual for a BioWare game, but it is also the main way Anthem opens a new, unscripted vein of storytelling for the studio. You won’t be comparing notes with your friends about how you handled different quests in the shared world, because your friends will be on those quests with you. Instead of a hearing compliments that A.I. characters are programmed to say, you will get genuine reactions. All of your greatest victories – and most humiliating defeats – are shared with other players by your side.
Maybe I'm a fossil, but I'd rather share combat with crafted characters like Tali and Garrus rather than Xx_timeforweed420_xX and b1NeRloRD69.
Technically speaking, you can play through Anthem’s story missions solo – but you probably shouldn’t. “For the critical path … if you do want to play by yourself, you can,” Gamble says. “We’re not limiting that artificially. But the game itself is built for you and a bunch of friends – because your friends are your companions in this case. That’s the whole point.”
Even though you meet a variety of NPCs in Fort Tarsis and have a crew aboard your strider, your actual party is composed of other human players. That’s unusual for a BioWare game, but it is also the main way Anthem opens a new, unscripted vein of storytelling for the studio. You won’t be comparing notes with your friends about how you handled different quests in the shared world, because your friends will be on those quests with you. Instead of a hearing compliments that A.I. characters are programmed to say, you will get genuine reactions. All of your greatest victories – and most humiliating defeats – are shared with other players by your side.
Maybe I'm a fossil, but I'd rather share combat with crafted characters like Tali and Garrus rather than Xx_timeforweed420_xX and b1NeRloRD69.
Why the fuck wouldn't you just play with us?
My main problem is that I find online interactions in games exhausting and stressful. If I want to run off right now, then I want to do that. Conversely, if I want to spend 30 minutes force blasting a small box off a shelf because I think there might be something hidden in it I want to do that to. I want to build my character EXACTLY as I want, with exactly the level of optimization i want, and not feel I'm spoiling anyone elses fun.
Multiplayer and its trappings have never added anything to a game for me.
Technically speaking, you can play through Anthem’s story missions solo – but you probably shouldn’t. “For the critical path … if you do want to play by yourself, you can,” Gamble says. “We’re not limiting that artificially. But the game itself is built for you and a bunch of friends – because your friends are your companions in this case. That’s the whole point.”
Even though you meet a variety of NPCs in Fort Tarsis and have a crew aboard your strider, your actual party is composed of other human players. That’s unusual for a BioWare game, but it is also the main way Anthem opens a new, unscripted vein of storytelling for the studio. You won’t be comparing notes with your friends about how you handled different quests in the shared world, because your friends will be on those quests with you. Instead of a hearing compliments that A.I. characters are programmed to say, you will get genuine reactions. All of your greatest victories – and most humiliating defeats – are shared with other players by your side.
Maybe I'm a fossil, but I'd rather share combat with crafted characters like Tali and Garrus rather than Xx_timeforweed420_xX and b1NeRloRD69.
Technically speaking, you can play through Anthem’s story missions solo – but you probably shouldn’t. “For the critical path … if you do want to play by yourself, you can,” Gamble says. “We’re not limiting that artificially. But the game itself is built for you and a bunch of friends – because your friends are your companions in this case. That’s the whole point.”
Even though you meet a variety of NPCs in Fort Tarsis and have a crew aboard your strider, your actual party is composed of other human players. That’s unusual for a BioWare game, but it is also the main way Anthem opens a new, unscripted vein of storytelling for the studio. You won’t be comparing notes with your friends about how you handled different quests in the shared world, because your friends will be on those quests with you. Instead of a hearing compliments that A.I. characters are programmed to say, you will get genuine reactions. All of your greatest victories – and most humiliating defeats – are shared with other players by your side.
Maybe I'm a fossil, but I'd rather share combat with crafted characters like Tali and Garrus rather than Xx_timeforweed420_xX and b1NeRloRD69.
Technically speaking, you can play through Anthem’s story missions solo – but you probably shouldn’t. “For the critical path … if you do want to play by yourself, you can,” Gamble says. “We’re not limiting that artificially. But the game itself is built for you and a bunch of friends – because your friends are your companions in this case. That’s the whole point.”
Even though you meet a variety of NPCs in Fort Tarsis and have a crew aboard your strider, your actual party is composed of other human players. That’s unusual for a BioWare game, but it is also the main way Anthem opens a new, unscripted vein of storytelling for the studio. You won’t be comparing notes with your friends about how you handled different quests in the shared world, because your friends will be on those quests with you. Instead of a hearing compliments that A.I. characters are programmed to say, you will get genuine reactions. All of your greatest victories – and most humiliating defeats – are shared with other players by your side.
Maybe I'm a fossil, but I'd rather share combat with crafted characters like Tali and Garrus rather than Xx_timeforweed420_xX and b1NeRloRD69.
Why the fuck wouldn't you just play with us?
My main problem is that I find online interactions in games exhausting and stressful. If I want to run off right now, then I want to do that. Conversely, if I want to spend 30 minutes force blasting a small box off a shelf because I think there might be something hidden in it I want to do that to. I want to build my character EXACTLY as I want, with exactly the level of optimization i want, and not feel I'm spoiling anyone elses fun.
Multiplayer and its trappings have never added anything to a game for me.
One of my friends loves just going off and looking in every nook and cranny of a map. I just want to get the main parts done and come back later. Always stresses me out trying to get him back on track. He may get stressed when we are telling him to come on.
Of course it all depends on the game. I had no issues jumping into ME3 MP all the time since it's pretty straight forward. I wonder if that's how EA pitched Bioware? "Remember how great ME3 MP was? How about a game in a new universe that is just ME3 MP all the time?"
Technically speaking, you can play through Anthem’s story missions solo – but you probably shouldn’t. “For the critical path … if you do want to play by yourself, you can,” Gamble says. “We’re not limiting that artificially. But the game itself is built for you and a bunch of friends – because your friends are your companions in this case. That’s the whole point.”
Even though you meet a variety of NPCs in Fort Tarsis and have a crew aboard your strider, your actual party is composed of other human players. That’s unusual for a BioWare game, but it is also the main way Anthem opens a new, unscripted vein of storytelling for the studio. You won’t be comparing notes with your friends about how you handled different quests in the shared world, because your friends will be on those quests with you. Instead of a hearing compliments that A.I. characters are programmed to say, you will get genuine reactions. All of your greatest victories – and most humiliating defeats – are shared with other players by your side.
Maybe I'm a fossil, but I'd rather share combat with crafted characters like Tali and Garrus rather than Xx_timeforweed420_xX and b1NeRloRD69.
Why the fuck wouldn't you just play with us?
My main problem is that I find online interactions in games exhausting and stressful. If I want to run off right now, then I want to do that. Conversely, if I want to spend 30 minutes force blasting a small box off a shelf because I think there might be something hidden in it I want to do that to. I want to build my character EXACTLY as I want, with exactly the level of optimization i want, and not feel I'm spoiling anyone elses fun.
Multiplayer and its trappings have never added anything to a game for me.
One of my friends loves just going off and looking in every nook and cranny of a map. I just want to get the main parts done and come back later. Always stresses me out trying to get him back on track. He may get stressed when we are telling him to come on.
Of course it all depends on the game. I had no issues jumping into ME3 MP all the time since it's pretty straight forward. I wonder if that's how EA pitched Bioware? "Remember how great ME3 MP was? How about a game in a new universe that is just ME3 MP all the time?"
That's Warframe, FYI.
+7
Options
NEO|PhyteThey follow the stars, bound together.Strands in a braid till the end.Registered Userregular
Technically speaking, you can play through Anthem’s story missions solo – but you probably shouldn’t. “For the critical path … if you do want to play by yourself, you can,” Gamble says. “We’re not limiting that artificially. But the game itself is built for you and a bunch of friends – because your friends are your companions in this case. That’s the whole point.”
Even though you meet a variety of NPCs in Fort Tarsis and have a crew aboard your strider, your actual party is composed of other human players. That’s unusual for a BioWare game, but it is also the main way Anthem opens a new, unscripted vein of storytelling for the studio. You won’t be comparing notes with your friends about how you handled different quests in the shared world, because your friends will be on those quests with you. Instead of a hearing compliments that A.I. characters are programmed to say, you will get genuine reactions. All of your greatest victories – and most humiliating defeats – are shared with other players by your side.
Maybe I'm a fossil, but I'd rather share combat with crafted characters like Tali and Garrus rather than Xx_timeforweed420_xX and b1NeRloRD69.
Why the fuck wouldn't you just play with us?
My main problem is that I find online interactions in games exhausting and stressful. If I want to run off right now, then I want to do that. Conversely, if I want to spend 30 minutes force blasting a small box off a shelf because I think there might be something hidden in it I want to do that to. I want to build my character EXACTLY as I want, with exactly the level of optimization i want, and not feel I'm spoiling anyone elses fun.
Multiplayer and its trappings have never added anything to a game for me.
One of my friends loves just going off and looking in every nook and cranny of a map. I just want to get the main parts done and come back later. Always stresses me out trying to get him back on track. He may get stressed when we are telling him to come on.
Of course it all depends on the game. I had no issues jumping into ME3 MP all the time since it's pretty straight forward. I wonder if that's how EA pitched Bioware? "Remember how great ME3 MP was? How about a game in a new universe that is just ME3 MP all the time?"
That's Warframe, FYI.
Warframe does not at all play like ME3MP.
It was that somehow, from within the derelict-horror, they had learned a way to see inside an ugly, broken thing... And take away its pain.
Warframe/Steam: NFyt
Technically speaking, you can play through Anthem’s story missions solo – but you probably shouldn’t. “For the critical path … if you do want to play by yourself, you can,” Gamble says. “We’re not limiting that artificially. But the game itself is built for you and a bunch of friends – because your friends are your companions in this case. That’s the whole point.”
Even though you meet a variety of NPCs in Fort Tarsis and have a crew aboard your strider, your actual party is composed of other human players. That’s unusual for a BioWare game, but it is also the main way Anthem opens a new, unscripted vein of storytelling for the studio. You won’t be comparing notes with your friends about how you handled different quests in the shared world, because your friends will be on those quests with you. Instead of a hearing compliments that A.I. characters are programmed to say, you will get genuine reactions. All of your greatest victories – and most humiliating defeats – are shared with other players by your side.
Maybe I'm a fossil, but I'd rather share combat with crafted characters like Tali and Garrus rather than Xx_timeforweed420_xX and b1NeRloRD69.
Why the fuck wouldn't you just play with us?
My main problem is that I find online interactions in games exhausting and stressful. If I want to run off right now, then I want to do that. Conversely, if I want to spend 30 minutes force blasting a small box off a shelf because I think there might be something hidden in it I want to do that to. I want to build my character EXACTLY as I want, with exactly the level of optimization i want, and not feel I'm spoiling anyone elses fun.
Multiplayer and its trappings have never added anything to a game for me.
One of my friends loves just going off and looking in every nook and cranny of a map. I just want to get the main parts done and come back later. Always stresses me out trying to get him back on track. He may get stressed when we are telling him to come on.
Of course it all depends on the game. I had no issues jumping into ME3 MP all the time since it's pretty straight forward. I wonder if that's how EA pitched Bioware? "Remember how great ME3 MP was? How about a game in a new universe that is just ME3 MP all the time?"
That's Warframe, FYI.
Warframe does not at all play like ME3MP.
Definitely has its differences, but it's not that hard to see some familiar selling points in an over-the-shoulder, co-op shooter in a sci-fi setting where you complete various missions to collect different classes and weapons that provide unique playstyles to further allow you to... beat missions in order to collect different classes and weapons.
Technically speaking, you can play through Anthem’s story missions solo – but you probably shouldn’t. “For the critical path … if you do want to play by yourself, you can,” Gamble says. “We’re not limiting that artificially. But the game itself is built for you and a bunch of friends – because your friends are your companions in this case. That’s the whole point.”
Even though you meet a variety of NPCs in Fort Tarsis and have a crew aboard your strider, your actual party is composed of other human players. That’s unusual for a BioWare game, but it is also the main way Anthem opens a new, unscripted vein of storytelling for the studio. You won’t be comparing notes with your friends about how you handled different quests in the shared world, because your friends will be on those quests with you. Instead of a hearing compliments that A.I. characters are programmed to say, you will get genuine reactions. All of your greatest victories – and most humiliating defeats – are shared with other players by your side.
Maybe I'm a fossil, but I'd rather share combat with crafted characters like Tali and Garrus rather than Xx_timeforweed420_xX and b1NeRloRD69.
Also I don't have friends who play games too much anymore so thanks EA! Gamers with a rich social circle only, got it.
You won’t be comparing notes with your friends about how you handled different quests in the shared world, because your friends will be on those quests with you. Instead of a hearing compliments that A.I. characters are programmed to say, you will get genuine reactions. All of your greatest victories – and most humiliating defeats – are shared with other players by your side.
These sentences are working real hard to try and make basic online play that has existed for decades sound like an immersive improvement over scripted AI partners.
Other players will be my squadmates and companions? Okay!
So, like in Conan Exiles, where we want to go kill some giant slug thing or something, and it's like 4pm, and my friends finally come online around 5, but then we're all half way spread out around the continent doing stuff, and aim to get there around 5:30, except then a couple say they need to go get dinner, so let's do this around 7:30, and we're like... sure, er, okay, and some others go offline to get food and do laundry and other stuff, and then around 7:30 we're all on and playing again, and someone has to run off and grab stuff from their room and upgrade a weapon which will totally take like a minute (spoiler: it's more like 10 after all the faffing about is done, and confusion about how to repair something is resolved), and then it's a journey to get to the location, there's a mixup with how we even get into the dungeon, but we do, and while there's story rich environment all over, half of the team has already done this before, so they just lead the rest of us through this thing, and there's the boss, which apparently wiped them out the first time, but someone google'd it, and this time we murder it in about a minute. Someone collects the loot, and we're out in no time, hooray... wasn't that thrilling?
I know this isn't perfectly representative, but the larger point I'm trying to make is that replacing NPC's with people involves being with people. These are people I adore, whom I've known for years, that I game with weekly and talk with daily and laugh with and cry with and share experiences with, but people have responsibilities. They aren't necessarily going to be available to run Dungeon X with me at 2am on a weekday because I'm on vacation and nobody else is, or they've got a sick kid/pet, or working long hours, or whatever. Yes, communities like the PA crew are full of awesome skilled and fun gamers, but still, it's not the same as just having an entirely set experience lined up where I expect Garrus and Liara to be at my side, and the game to be built to expect them to fulfill their roles as designed. I don't have to worry about pub/pug members, or explaining the boss fight to someone, or whatever.
*sigh* I'm not trying to extensively shit on Anthem, but what they're apparently trying to be, from what I'm reading here, feels like they're trying to take what we all know is a series of very large Pro/Con lists and quietly gloss over the Con section. Yeah, raiding for loot with my closest friends is great. And when they're not available, doing it with xX_WeedLordBonerHitler_Xx will have to suffice.
Edit: and I speak as someone who has clocked in over 1,200 hours of Warframe, almost exclusively with public matchmaking. It is possible to have very awesome (or at least generally awesome) online communities. Or sometimes you get the community from DotA2, which is to say sometimes toxic as fuuuuuck to a point that the Development team has had to try to address it like half a dozen times over the years.
Forar on
First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKER!
Technically speaking, you can play through Anthem’s story missions solo – but you probably shouldn’t. “For the critical path … if you do want to play by yourself, you can,” Gamble says. “We’re not limiting that artificially. But the game itself is built for you and a bunch of friends – because your friends are your companions in this case. That’s the whole point.”
Even though you meet a variety of NPCs in Fort Tarsis and have a crew aboard your strider, your actual party is composed of other human players. That’s unusual for a BioWare game, but it is also the main way Anthem opens a new, unscripted vein of storytelling for the studio. You won’t be comparing notes with your friends about how you handled different quests in the shared world, because your friends will be on those quests with you. Instead of a hearing compliments that A.I. characters are programmed to say, you will get genuine reactions. All of your greatest victories – and most humiliating defeats – are shared with other players by your side.
Maybe I'm a fossil, but I'd rather share combat with crafted characters like Tali and Garrus rather than Xx_timeforweed420_xX and b1NeRloRD69.
Why the fuck wouldn't you just play with us?
My main problem is that I find online interactions in games exhausting and stressful. If I want to run off right now, then I want to do that. Conversely, if I want to spend 30 minutes force blasting a small box off a shelf because I think there might be something hidden in it I want to do that to. I want to build my character EXACTLY as I want, with exactly the level of optimization i want, and not feel I'm spoiling anyone elses fun.
Multiplayer and its trappings have never added anything to a game for me.
One of my friends loves just going off and looking in every nook and cranny of a map. I just want to get the main parts done and come back later. Always stresses me out trying to get him back on track. He may get stressed when we are telling him to come on.
Borderlands 2 practically cracked my circle of friends in half because of this exact reason.
I want to like Anthem real bad, but.. they're not giving me anything to work with. Well, other than Colossus Armor.
Technically speaking, you can play through Anthem’s story missions solo – but you probably shouldn’t. “For the critical path … if you do want to play by yourself, you can,” Gamble says. “We’re not limiting that artificially. But the game itself is built for you and a bunch of friends – because your friends are your companions in this case. That’s the whole point.”
Even though you meet a variety of NPCs in Fort Tarsis and have a crew aboard your strider, your actual party is composed of other human players. That’s unusual for a BioWare game, but it is also the main way Anthem opens a new, unscripted vein of storytelling for the studio. You won’t be comparing notes with your friends about how you handled different quests in the shared world, because your friends will be on those quests with you. Instead of a hearing compliments that A.I. characters are programmed to say, you will get genuine reactions. All of your greatest victories – and most humiliating defeats – are shared with other players by your side.
Maybe I'm a fossil, but I'd rather share combat with crafted characters like Tali and Garrus rather than Xx_timeforweed420_xX and b1NeRloRD69.
Also I don't have friends who play games too much anymore so thanks EA! Gamers with a rich social circle only, got it.
Dude, that's what the PA forums are for. I'm literally only on these because Destiny didn't have matchmaking. Ended up making a bunch of gamer pals that I played with. We'll have an Anthem thread and it'll be full of people who want to play Anthem with you. If you're on X1, hit me up when it drops, I'll shoot aliens with you no problemo.
XBL: Morgan Coke Yes, there is a space, not an underscore. I'm old school like that.
Battle.net: morgancoke#1589
Technically speaking, you can play through Anthem’s story missions solo – but you probably shouldn’t. “For the critical path … if you do want to play by yourself, you can,” Gamble says. “We’re not limiting that artificially. But the game itself is built for you and a bunch of friends – because your friends are your companions in this case. That’s the whole point.”
Even though you meet a variety of NPCs in Fort Tarsis and have a crew aboard your strider, your actual party is composed of other human players. That’s unusual for a BioWare game, but it is also the main way Anthem opens a new, unscripted vein of storytelling for the studio. You won’t be comparing notes with your friends about how you handled different quests in the shared world, because your friends will be on those quests with you. Instead of a hearing compliments that A.I. characters are programmed to say, you will get genuine reactions. All of your greatest victories – and most humiliating defeats – are shared with other players by your side.
Maybe I'm a fossil, but I'd rather share combat with crafted characters like Tali and Garrus rather than Xx_timeforweed420_xX and b1NeRloRD69.
Also I don't have friends who play games too much anymore so thanks EA! Gamers with a rich social circle only, got it.
Dude, that's what the PA forums are for. I'm literally only on these because Destiny didn't have matchmaking. Ended up making a bunch of gamer pals that I played with. We'll have an Anthem thread and it'll be full of people who want to play Anthem with you. If you're on X1, hit me up when it drops, I'll shoot aliens with you no problemo.
yeah I'm preordered and locked cocked and ready to rock on the Xbox 1 for Anthem if any bros need me to late night game with disgruntled video gamer dad (tm,cp, cd, cod, legal).
I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.
Other players will be my squadmates and companions? Okay!
So, like in Conan Exiles, where we want to go kill some giant slug thing or something, and it's like 4pm, and my friends finally come online around 5, but then we're all half way spread out around the continent doing stuff, and aim to get there around 5:30, except then a couple say they need to go get dinner, so let's do this around 7:30, and we're like... sure, er, okay, and some others go offline to get food and do laundry and other stuff, and then around 7:30 we're all on and playing again, and someone has to run off and grab stuff from their room and upgrade a weapon which will totally take like a minute (spoiler: it's more like 10 after all the faffing about is done, and confusion about how to repair something is resolved), and then it's a journey to get to the location, there's a mixup with how we even get into the dungeon, but we do, and while there's story rich environment all over, half of the team has already done this before, so they just lead the rest of us through this thing, and there's the boss, which apparently wiped them out the first time, but someone google'd it, and this time we murder it in about a minute. Someone collects the loot, and we're out in no time, hooray... wasn't that thrilling?
I know this isn't perfectly representative, but the larger point I'm trying to make is that replacing NPC's with people involves being with people. These are people I adore, whom I've known for years, that I game with weekly and talk with daily and laugh with and cry with and share experiences with, but people have responsibilities. They aren't necessarily going to be available to run Dungeon X with me at 2am on a weekday because I'm on vacation and nobody else is, or they've got a sick kid/pet, or working long hours, or whatever. Yes, communities like the PA crew are full of awesome skilled and fun gamers, but still, it's not the same as just having an entirely set experience lined up where I expect Garrus and Liara to be at my side, and the game to be built to expect them to fulfill their roles as designed. I don't have to worry about pub/pug members, or explaining the boss fight to someone, or whatever.
*sigh* I'm not trying to extensively shit on Anthem, but what they're apparently trying to be, from what I'm reading here, feels like they're trying to take what we all know is a series of very large Pro/Con lists and quietly gloss over the Con section. Yeah, raiding for loot with my closest friends is great. And when they're not available, doing it with xX_WeedLordBonerHitler_Xx will have to suffice.
Edit: and I speak as someone who has clocked in over 1,200 hours of Warframe, almost exclusively with public matchmaking. It is possible to have very awesome (or at least generally awesome) online communities. Or sometimes you get the community from DotA2, which is to say sometimes toxic as fuuuuuck to a point that the Development team has had to try to address it like half a dozen times over the years.
I'm firmly in the wait till it's out to judge camp. It could be like your scenario above. In which case I'll probably lose interest in it quickly. But given the central hub, it could be more like Vermintide or ME3 MP with the ability to get your friends together quickly and immediately set out, run a 30 minute mission and return to the hub.
My friends are just like yours. But thus is the life of 30+ year olds, responsibilities and such. I imagine these types of games are easier to play at the 15 to 26 age range.
EDIT:
The BioWare team confirmed that players will have the option to play the entire game solo if they wish.
If it ends up like SWTOR where I can do a decent amount myself with some things better co-op, I'm totally ok with that as well.
Sure, if I can run the entire game solo from start to finish, but there are Hard Mode versions or Raids or something that incentivizes team play, I could get behind that.
First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKER!
Sure, if I can run the entire game solo from start to finish, but there are Hard Mode versions or Raids or something that incentivizes team play, I could get behind that.
One of the producers mentioned 4 person content like instances or something. No one asked if there was match making, but seeing as me 3 and andromeda had match making I can't assume Anthem won't.
I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.
Sure, if I can run the entire game solo from start to finish, but there are Hard Mode versions or Raids or something that incentivizes team play, I could get behind that.
Given that this is basically a destiny clone, it's very likely to contain raids and such.
Posts
It sounds to me like you do understand.
Maxis may be dead, but the Sims have made EA millions.
Another thing is that they released a trailer/preview thing something like a year ago, and the trailer they released today doesn't show much more than what they had then. That is a little worrying on it's own.
The thing that's being missed here is that the Bioware guys wanted to do this. I recall when Mass Effect was announced, people pitched a shit at that time too. And then when the sequels came out, "EA" forced them to remove all the RPG elements probably!
Or Bioware has been going more and more action based since Jade Empire? And most of the guys who did the more RPG games have left by now.
So spiritually I guess Andromeda is getting a sequel after all :P
Exactly. KotOR was a very different game from Baldur’s Gate. Jade Empire was very different than KotOR. Mass Effect was very different from Jade Empire. I don’t want them to just keep making the same game over and over, so I’m really interested in what Anthem winds up as.
I also turned the gameplay trailer off after the dude said "co op was very important". That kind of takes away from the message they're trying to sell that Anthem is still a traditional BioWare kind of game =/
eh, there is a set of Dragon Age armour in ME2 and maybe 3 as well I don't remember. It's fine.
D3 Steam #TeamTangent STO
From the Kotaku article:
"At points during 2014 and 2015, I heard several rumors that the Anthem project was not going well, in part because of the long-running issues that BioWare has faced with its engine, Frostbite, and in part because making a game of this nature can be an excruciating process."
Granted, these are rumors and as the article mentioned, Destiny had similar rumors and a long development cycle.
Mass Effect is dead as disco
Hopefully not permanently.
As a story nerd, this stuck out to me:
Maybe I'm a fossil, but I'd rather share combat with crafted characters like Tali and Garrus rather than Xx_timeforweed420_xX and b1NeRloRD69.
While true, I'll point out that HZD and Witcher were both open world games. I've not played God of War, but in a polygon article they mentioned adding open world elements to it. Linear big budget SP games do still come out (Uncharted is a good example), but they are becoming less common by the year. You could even make a pretty good argument that Dragon Age Inquisition suffered from it's Open World-ness instead of benefiting from it. And unfortunately EA spends more time chasing fads and money than letting it's development shops do what they are good at.
Only two powers? It was hard enough settling on three. Now you want me to give up another one?
Hopefully Anthem will bring back some of my old favorites from Mass Effect 3, like Dominate and Sabotage. Mind control is always fun no matter what game it appears in. I suppose I can settle for Drone and Turret if I have to though.
The best feeling was when you could dominate a phantom and sabotage an atlas at the same time.
KOTOR had fade-out, off-screen kissing.
And we all know that's a slippery slope to boobs.
Romance is an important part of Western storytelling. Maybe all storytelling, but I can't really speak for other cultures.
I mean, take a look at the top grossing films of all time: Avatar (major romance plot), Titanic (a straight-up romance), Avengers: Infinity War (had a romance subplot), Jurassic World (have a significant romance subplot), Age of Ultron (had a significant romance subplot), Black Panther (had a romance subplot), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (had a significant romance subplot). I won't argue for Furious 7 (haven't seen it), the Force Awakens (though does have Han and Leia) or The Avengers, but that's seven of the top ten grossing films of all time with a romance plot or subplot.
Human beings are social creatures. Romantic relationships are part of that. And I'm not even asking for "press X to seduce party member." I'd be pretty cool with a main character being in an established relationship with a significant other who doesn't go on adventures, as long as they're written as being an interesting person in their own right.
Why the fuck wouldn't you just play with us?
Is there any Dragon Age in development right now? The franchise is still in flux, since Gaider left.
My main problem is that I find online interactions in games exhausting and stressful. If I want to run off right now, then I want to do that. Conversely, if I want to spend 30 minutes force blasting a small box off a shelf because I think there might be something hidden in it I want to do that to. I want to build my character EXACTLY as I want, with exactly the level of optimization i want, and not feel I'm spoiling anyone elses fun.
Multiplayer and its trappings have never added anything to a game for me.
@Fencingsax, are you asking @cloudeagle to romance you?
Just an FYI, I respond better to bribery than negging.
One of my friends loves just going off and looking in every nook and cranny of a map. I just want to get the main parts done and come back later. Always stresses me out trying to get him back on track. He may get stressed when we are telling him to come on.
Of course it all depends on the game. I had no issues jumping into ME3 MP all the time since it's pretty straight forward. I wonder if that's how EA pitched Bioware? "Remember how great ME3 MP was? How about a game in a new universe that is just ME3 MP all the time?"
That's Warframe, FYI.
Warframe/Steam: NFyt
but I dunno, if Anthem is closer to that I'd be down for ME3 multi with like, a dusting of story
Pluto was a planet and I'll never forget
Definitely has its differences, but it's not that hard to see some familiar selling points in an over-the-shoulder, co-op shooter in a sci-fi setting where you complete various missions to collect different classes and weapons that provide unique playstyles to further allow you to... beat missions in order to collect different classes and weapons.
Also I don't have friends who play games too much anymore so thanks EA! Gamers with a rich social circle only, got it.
These sentences are working real hard to try and make basic online play that has existed for decades sound like an immersive improvement over scripted AI partners.
So, like in Conan Exiles, where we want to go kill some giant slug thing or something, and it's like 4pm, and my friends finally come online around 5, but then we're all half way spread out around the continent doing stuff, and aim to get there around 5:30, except then a couple say they need to go get dinner, so let's do this around 7:30, and we're like... sure, er, okay, and some others go offline to get food and do laundry and other stuff, and then around 7:30 we're all on and playing again, and someone has to run off and grab stuff from their room and upgrade a weapon which will totally take like a minute (spoiler: it's more like 10 after all the faffing about is done, and confusion about how to repair something is resolved), and then it's a journey to get to the location, there's a mixup with how we even get into the dungeon, but we do, and while there's story rich environment all over, half of the team has already done this before, so they just lead the rest of us through this thing, and there's the boss, which apparently wiped them out the first time, but someone google'd it, and this time we murder it in about a minute. Someone collects the loot, and we're out in no time, hooray... wasn't that thrilling?
I know this isn't perfectly representative, but the larger point I'm trying to make is that replacing NPC's with people involves being with people. These are people I adore, whom I've known for years, that I game with weekly and talk with daily and laugh with and cry with and share experiences with, but people have responsibilities. They aren't necessarily going to be available to run Dungeon X with me at 2am on a weekday because I'm on vacation and nobody else is, or they've got a sick kid/pet, or working long hours, or whatever. Yes, communities like the PA crew are full of awesome skilled and fun gamers, but still, it's not the same as just having an entirely set experience lined up where I expect Garrus and Liara to be at my side, and the game to be built to expect them to fulfill their roles as designed. I don't have to worry about pub/pug members, or explaining the boss fight to someone, or whatever.
*sigh* I'm not trying to extensively shit on Anthem, but what they're apparently trying to be, from what I'm reading here, feels like they're trying to take what we all know is a series of very large Pro/Con lists and quietly gloss over the Con section. Yeah, raiding for loot with my closest friends is great. And when they're not available, doing it with xX_WeedLordBonerHitler_Xx will have to suffice.
Edit: and I speak as someone who has clocked in over 1,200 hours of Warframe, almost exclusively with public matchmaking. It is possible to have very awesome (or at least generally awesome) online communities. Or sometimes you get the community from DotA2, which is to say sometimes toxic as fuuuuuck to a point that the Development team has had to try to address it like half a dozen times over the years.
I want to like Anthem real bad, but.. they're not giving me anything to work with. Well, other than Colossus Armor.
Dude, that's what the PA forums are for. I'm literally only on these because Destiny didn't have matchmaking. Ended up making a bunch of gamer pals that I played with. We'll have an Anthem thread and it'll be full of people who want to play Anthem with you. If you're on X1, hit me up when it drops, I'll shoot aliens with you no problemo.
Battle.net: morgancoke#1589
Titan's Creed: Jump first, don't ask questions, punch everything
yeah I'm preordered and locked cocked and ready to rock on the Xbox 1 for Anthem if any bros need me to late night game with disgruntled video gamer dad (tm,cp, cd, cod, legal).
pleasepaypreacher.net
I'm firmly in the wait till it's out to judge camp. It could be like your scenario above. In which case I'll probably lose interest in it quickly. But given the central hub, it could be more like Vermintide or ME3 MP with the ability to get your friends together quickly and immediately set out, run a 30 minute mission and return to the hub.
My friends are just like yours. But thus is the life of 30+ year olds, responsibilities and such. I imagine these types of games are easier to play at the 15 to 26 age range.
EDIT:
If it ends up like SWTOR where I can do a decent amount myself with some things better co-op, I'm totally ok with that as well.
One of the producers mentioned 4 person content like instances or something. No one asked if there was match making, but seeing as me 3 and andromeda had match making I can't assume Anthem won't.
pleasepaypreacher.net
Given that this is basically a destiny clone, it's very likely to contain raids and such.