Played some more today, both single and multi. Very pleased so far.
Multi:
It seems like they toned down some of the graphical elements for online (Depth of field blur, ect.) but doesn't take away from the fun, which it is! some of the modes are so different from standard multi player stuff I found myself laughing and shouting (good thing I don't have wii speak) like I did the first time I ever played ANY game online.
ASE Football (frogball as it should be called, play it, you'll see why) is a blast. If a player gets out in an open field it's like a pile on with automatic weapons! Bounty Hunter is also fun, trying to figure out who is after you makes it tense in a way I can't explain and playing mind games with the other players is funny as hell. Ignore your target so he doesn't suspect you and sneak up behind him with a shotgun, you get the idea.
Single:
Graphics are really tight, the depth of field is pretty cool, lighting effects set the mood really well. I can see how it is a generic story, but that doesn't stop your heart pounding in your chest for certain segments. Controls are the real shining spot here and would love to know how everyone set their shit up. I am using standard controls with the down arrow being 180 and the z button being zoom. My bounding box is tall and narrow.
There's a really nasty tactic some people are using on bounty hunter. They check the score menu to see who the top player is.
After that, they use the peashooter MP5 to shoot the top player if they're not the target so that the top player will shoot back and kill them, thereby netting a score reduction for the top player.
There's a really nasty tactic some people are using on bounty hunter. They check the score menu to see who the top player is.
After that, they use the peashooter MP5 to shoot the top player if they're not the target so that the top player will shoot back and kill them, thereby netting a score reduction for the top player.
Yeah I already thought about this. I am not shooting anyone except my target, especially if I'm in first place. Yes they might be the guy hunting me and I might be giving them a point, but it's better than losing a bunch of points for wrongful kills.
The people I played Bounty Hunter with didn't seem to know the rules and killed whoever. I think one guy ended up with a score of -10.
ASE football really is a blast though. It's fun to watch 5 people scrabble for the ASE and then throw a grenade into the chaos. It's also the only game I can actually win.
For the sequel, it will be great if they incorporate more of the ASE in multiplayer besides for oddball.
For example:
* Say a variant of the TDM where you only have one ball and use it to gain superior firepower by taking the ball to hack a compound/network/server something (basically charge the ball on a mainframe for a long time a la single player campaign).
If you're successful in hacking, anyone in the team near the hacking area who's still alive gets full health, super armor, higher speed, double jumps, and super weapons temporarily.
After the ball has been used to hack, it then disappears and spawns on a random preset location (noticeable in radar).
While you can always kill with normal means and gain points that way, having superior armor/weapon/speed/jump means that you'll be killing much more efficiently (much like the "Dogs unleashed" perk in CoD:WaW).
And yes, it will have really short respawn time.
* A variant of FFA where you can score big points when you kill with the ASE. If you kill with normal means, you get a measly 1 point per kill, whereas killing with ASE nets you 20 points instantly. Killing with ASE means you have to use the ASE to kill - if you kill people with melee or nades while holding ASE, it just gives you 1 point.
However, there is only one ASE and even after you have said ASE, you have to charge it to be able to even shoot. The longer you charge it, the more said ASE transforms into a super weapon.
A fully charged ASE (which takes a long, long, long time) can instantly transform a full battlefield into ruins (nuking power basically).
Obviously the one who has said ASE is always shown in the radar, except when they're crouching or standing still.
I'm pretty satisfied with the game. I'm about halfway through the single-player, and while the controls feel a little off to me, I think that's because I haven't found quite the right setup for me yet. The main problem is that whatever gets mapped to D-up doesn't get much use, since I have to stretch to reach it, which isn't so hot in a fire fight.
The graphics are pretty nice, if rather boring. The gun and enemy graphics look pretty nice, but they could have used a more creative environment designer.
Once you get past the first level, the game gets pretty good. Im having a good time with it.
Final fight at third level is kicking my ass to pieces. I always die by the time I try to destroy the conduits. I gotta try to grab the SMAW while I have health.
Once you get past the first level, the game gets pretty good. Im having a good time with it.
Final fight at third level is kicking my ass to pieces. I always die by the time I try to destroy the conduits. I gotta try to grab the SMAW while I have health.
Once you get up the stairs, radiation grenades are kind of useful while you grab health/reload. Drones are forced to either wait until they run out, or run through and get softened up for a quicker kill.
TERRIBLE oversight by the devs: if you join a game in progress like team ASE (CTF) and can't start playing right away but have to wait for the end of the match, there is NO WAY TO LEAVE THE GAME even if the match is 10 minutes long. Compy battery dying so going now! Come play!
There's a really nasty tactic some people are using on bounty hunter. They check the score menu to see who the top player is.
After that, they use the peashooter MP5 to shoot the top player if they're not the target so that the top player will shoot back and kill them, thereby netting a score reduction for the top player.
Yeah I already thought about this. I am not shooting anyone except my target, especially if I'm in first place. Yes they might be the guy hunting me and I might be giving them a point, but it's better than losing a bunch of points for wrongful kills.
yea, I thought that was all part of the fun. If you run by the top player, pop a shot off in his direction. If you get him to kill you he looses a point, if not you still weakened him by your shot.
Plus, you can't really seek the leader out cause you can't see him on the map, so it only seems fair if you come across them to give them some hell. But if you kill him by mistake you loose a point, so its still risky.
So what're the odds the online scene on this one will last longer than 6 months/a year?
Again, would be much more sold by local multi and partly for that exact reason.
So what're the odds the online scene on this one will last longer than 6 months/a year?
Again, would be much more sold by local multi and partly for that exact reason.
You'd be surprised how much support there is for online FPS games on Wii. MoH:H2 & CoD:WaW both had (and still do, surprisingly!) a large amount of people playing. In my considerable time online with each title, I never saw the same player twice.
There are also a number of clans in both games who play regularly against eachother. I don't know to what extent their organized (there are some amateur leagues for Wii games), but if you venture onto GameFAQs you can bear witness to their arguing.
My friend code is on the OP, and I've added everyone else on it. My overall impression is a little deflated, but quickly improving. I blame IGN for their ridiculous over-hyping, but fortunately the game is still a solid title. It's also taking me a while to find a control scheme I like (which is a difficult process, being unable to edit controls in multiplayer...), but I'm getting closer with each tweak.
I recently discovered the target lock feature, which makes aiming a hell of a lot easier with online players who quickly dodge around. I think I heard in a developer commentary that 'skilled' players don't/won't use target lock, which I can't really believe. Are people using this regularly, or is it a hindrance once you've become comfortable with the controls?
Also, I'm wondering how it compares graphically to Xbox FPS'. It obviously looks a lot better than N64 games (no matter how many times someone brings it up), but I'm wondering if the 'slightly-more-powerful than an Xbox' claim holds true with The Conduit.
I don't use lock-on and I'm placing in the upper 1/3 most games. Haven't won yet, but doing pretty well. I'm trying to find a good place for melee that doesn't completely ruin my aim when I activate it.
It looks way better than Halo, even if the locale is far more bland.
Also, I'm wondering how it compares graphically to Xbox FPS'. It obviously looks a lot better than N64 games (no matter how many times someone brings it up), but I'm wondering if the 'slightly-more-powerful than an Xbox' claim holds true with The Conduit.
I recently discovered the target lock feature, which makes aiming a hell of a lot easier with online players who quickly dodge around. I think I heard in a developer commentary that 'skilled' players don't/won't use target lock, which I can't really believe. Are people using this regularly, or is it a hindrance once you've become comfortable with the controls?
So far Target lock feature is great for close range to melee range. If you have the target locked when you do melee, you don't lose your aim too much.
Also, I'm wondering how it compares graphically to Xbox FPS'. It obviously looks a lot better than N64 games (no matter how many times someone brings it up), but I'm wondering if the 'slightly-more-powerful than an Xbox' claim holds true with The Conduit.
O_o
:v:
I have a friend who insist that splinter cell: chaos theory is the best looking game of last gen. Now, whether that's true or not is up in the air, but he popped it in about a month ago and the game just looked like ass compared to some of the better looking wii games. People always look back on the previous gen with rose tinted glasses. Sure, they looked good then, and they're still a lot of excellent looking games from last gen, but even current wii games look better, even if it is hard to notice sometimes. The wii's graphical improvement is definitely marginal, but it's there nonetheless.
Also, I'm wondering how it compares graphically to Xbox FPS'. It obviously looks a lot better than N64 games (no matter how many times someone brings it up), but I'm wondering if the 'slightly-more-powerful than an Xbox' claim holds true with The Conduit.
O_o
:v:
I have a friend who insist that splinter cell: chaos theory is the best looking game of last gen. Now, whether that's true or not is up in the air, but he popped it in about a month ago and the game just looked like ass compared to some of the better looking wii games. People always look back on the previous gen with rose tinted glasses. Sure, they looked good then, and they're still a lot of excellent looking games from last gen, but even current wii games look better, even if it is hard to notice sometimes. The wii's graphical improvement is definitely marginal, but it's there nonetheless.
Wow, there really is a rose tint. Even more than I thought. I remember Halo 2 looking pretty awesome, even if I didn't like the game, but the difference between it and The Conduit is like the difference between Half Life 1 and F.E.A.R.
I tried my best to find some really nice flattering shots and pretty much ended up with these:
Vs these Conduit shots where nothing is really even going on:
Yes, there's some AA action going on in Halo 2, but beyond that it looks really bland in comparison. They were the only shots that I could find that were even comparable. Search for yourself and you'll find some shots of the Conduit that look AMAZING compared to Halo 2 (Xbox version).
Hmm, I'd say they're about equal there. You're comparing indoor shots to outdoor shots, does Conduit have outdoors that nice? I know Halo has more interesting indoor areas than the ones you posted. Frankly those stone blocks don't look very realistic at all. That pipe in the last pic reminds me exactly of a Halo 1 multiplayer level.
Actually, the multiplayer levels in Halo 2 looked AWFUL in comparison to the Conduit ones, as did the indoor shots. And the Conduit had a few gorgeous outdoor shots posted on IGN.
I was trying to be as seemingly balanced as possible. Either way, the Conduit seems much more crisp and cleanly rendered, with more detail in the shots.
Wait, the Conduit shots were supposed to be the pretty ones?
They're both ugly - one is ugly technically and art-wise, the other art-wise.
Back to gameplay topic: anyone tried the calibration feature in options -> video options -> sensor bar calibration?
Another forumer told me it automatically adjusts your bounding box and sensitivity based on your calibration.
Wait, the Conduit shots were supposed to be the pretty ones?
No, they're the most basic looking shots I could find. And they still looked better than the Halo shots.
So yes? I don't know that they're even comparable. You have bland, inside/city walls screenshots next to open sky screenshots and the former had aliasing all over the place. But whatever floats your boat, I guess.
i'd say halo 2 is by far the better looking game due to its open areas and superior art direction. I mean, c'mon, the conduit is a corridor shooter. A reeeeeally narrow corridor shooter.
But that said, the conduit does pull of quite a few effects you couldn't find in games like halo 2.
anywho, where are the friend codes? shouldn't there be a wiki somewhere?
I'm talking pure graphical effects, not art direction/design. It looks a lot better technically than Halo 2, just like Quake 4 looks technically better than Half Life 2, but HL2 has some amazing art direction making up for its technical faults (and making it better looking in that sense). FEAR also looks better than HL2, by leaps and bounds, but the entire game is set in a large office building... you see gray cubicles and paper boxes most of the time.
Goomba is clearly a troll and I do think the Conduit looks great most of the time, and does do some effects better than Halo, but seriously:
What's that stuff on the ground? There's no shadow, are they cracks or rocks? Are the walls and ceiling even textured? Flat shaded? A game could have the best lighting and AA in the world but if it had flat colors everywhere (without it being the main style ala cel shading) I would have to call it worse-looking.
Posts
Multi:
It seems like they toned down some of the graphical elements for online (Depth of field blur, ect.) but doesn't take away from the fun, which it is! some of the modes are so different from standard multi player stuff I found myself laughing and shouting (good thing I don't have wii speak) like I did the first time I ever played ANY game online.
ASE Football (frogball as it should be called, play it, you'll see why) is a blast. If a player gets out in an open field it's like a pile on with automatic weapons! Bounty Hunter is also fun, trying to figure out who is after you makes it tense in a way I can't explain and playing mind games with the other players is funny as hell. Ignore your target so he doesn't suspect you and sneak up behind him with a shotgun, you get the idea.
Single:
Graphics are really tight, the depth of field is pretty cool, lighting effects set the mood really well. I can see how it is a generic story, but that doesn't stop your heart pounding in your chest for certain segments. Controls are the real shining spot here and would love to know how everyone set their shit up. I am using standard controls with the down arrow being 180 and the z button being zoom. My bounding box is tall and narrow.
After that, they use the peashooter MP5 to shoot the top player if they're not the target so that the top player will shoot back and kill them, thereby netting a score reduction for the top player.
XBL Gametag: mailarde
Screen Digest LOL3RZZ
Yeah I already thought about this. I am not shooting anyone except my target, especially if I'm in first place. Yes they might be the guy hunting me and I might be giving them a point, but it's better than losing a bunch of points for wrongful kills.
ASE football really is a blast though. It's fun to watch 5 people scrabble for the ASE and then throw a grenade into the chaos. It's also the only game I can actually win.
For example:
* Say a variant of the TDM where you only have one ball and use it to gain superior firepower by taking the ball to hack a compound/network/server something (basically charge the ball on a mainframe for a long time a la single player campaign).
If you're successful in hacking, anyone in the team near the hacking area who's still alive gets full health, super armor, higher speed, double jumps, and super weapons temporarily.
After the ball has been used to hack, it then disappears and spawns on a random preset location (noticeable in radar).
While you can always kill with normal means and gain points that way, having superior armor/weapon/speed/jump means that you'll be killing much more efficiently (much like the "Dogs unleashed" perk in CoD:WaW).
And yes, it will have really short respawn time.
* A variant of FFA where you can score big points when you kill with the ASE. If you kill with normal means, you get a measly 1 point per kill, whereas killing with ASE nets you 20 points instantly. Killing with ASE means you have to use the ASE to kill - if you kill people with melee or nades while holding ASE, it just gives you 1 point.
However, there is only one ASE and even after you have said ASE, you have to charge it to be able to even shoot. The longer you charge it, the more said ASE transforms into a super weapon.
A fully charged ASE (which takes a long, long, long time) can instantly transform a full battlefield into ruins (nuking power basically).
Obviously the one who has said ASE is always shown in the radar, except when they're crouching or standing still.
XBL Gametag: mailarde
Screen Digest LOL3RZZ
The graphics are pretty nice, if rather boring. The gun and enemy graphics look pretty nice, but they could have used a more creative environment designer.
It seems for the Grinder they're using a better art designer though.
XBL Gametag: mailarde
Screen Digest LOL3RZZ
3ds gamer tag: Texas eye. friend code: 2019-9652-5207
Final fight at third level is kicking my ass to pieces. I always die by the time I try to destroy the conduits. I gotta try to grab the SMAW while I have health.
XBL Gametag: mailarde
Screen Digest LOL3RZZ
Strange glitch: joined a game, stared at a brown wall, no buttons worked.
Edit: H'ok... same thing again with the same game, when trying to join agoaj. This is bizarre... how do I contact the developers?
I followed you into that game, same glitch, only I can move my look around and see and floating bazooka.
And now you've followed me into the game...
Once you get up the stairs, radiation grenades are kind of useful while you grab health/reload. Drones are forced to either wait until they run out, or run through and get softened up for a quicker kill.
TERRIBLE oversight by the devs: if you join a game in progress like team ASE (CTF) and can't start playing right away but have to wait for the end of the match, there is NO WAY TO LEAVE THE GAME even if the match is 10 minutes long. Compy battery dying so going now! Come play!
I don't know, agoaj's a pretty popular name for boys this year.
yea, I thought that was all part of the fun. If you run by the top player, pop a shot off in his direction. If you get him to kill you he looses a point, if not you still weakened him by your shot.
Plus, you can't really seek the leader out cause you can't see him on the map, so it only seems fair if you come across them to give them some hell. But if you kill him by mistake you loose a point, so its still risky.
Again, would be much more sold by local multi and partly for that exact reason.
You'd be surprised how much support there is for online FPS games on Wii. MoH:H2 & CoD:WaW both had (and still do, surprisingly!) a large amount of people playing. In my considerable time online with each title, I never saw the same player twice.
There are also a number of clans in both games who play regularly against eachother. I don't know to what extent their organized (there are some amateur leagues for Wii games), but if you venture onto GameFAQs you can bear witness to their arguing.
My friend code is on the OP, and I've added everyone else on it. My overall impression is a little deflated, but quickly improving. I blame IGN for their ridiculous over-hyping, but fortunately the game is still a solid title. It's also taking me a while to find a control scheme I like (which is a difficult process, being unable to edit controls in multiplayer...), but I'm getting closer with each tweak.
I recently discovered the target lock feature, which makes aiming a hell of a lot easier with online players who quickly dodge around. I think I heard in a developer commentary that 'skilled' players don't/won't use target lock, which I can't really believe. Are people using this regularly, or is it a hindrance once you've become comfortable with the controls?
Also, I'm wondering how it compares graphically to Xbox FPS'. It obviously looks a lot better than N64 games (no matter how many times someone brings it up), but I'm wondering if the 'slightly-more-powerful than an Xbox' claim holds true with The Conduit.
SteamID: FronWewq
Battle.net: Orange#1845
3DS Friend Code: 1289-9498-5797
It looks way better than Halo, even if the locale is far more bland.
:v:
So far Target lock feature is great for close range to melee range. If you have the target locked when you do melee, you don't lose your aim too much.
XBL Gametag: mailarde
Screen Digest LOL3RZZ
I have a friend who insist that splinter cell: chaos theory is the best looking game of last gen. Now, whether that's true or not is up in the air, but he popped it in about a month ago and the game just looked like ass compared to some of the better looking wii games. People always look back on the previous gen with rose tinted glasses. Sure, they looked good then, and they're still a lot of excellent looking games from last gen, but even current wii games look better, even if it is hard to notice sometimes. The wii's graphical improvement is definitely marginal, but it's there nonetheless.
Wow, there really is a rose tint. Even more than I thought. I remember Halo 2 looking pretty awesome, even if I didn't like the game, but the difference between it and The Conduit is like the difference between Half Life 1 and F.E.A.R.
I tried my best to find some really nice flattering shots and pretty much ended up with these:
Vs these Conduit shots where nothing is really even going on:
Yes, there's some AA action going on in Halo 2, but beyond that it looks really bland in comparison. They were the only shots that I could find that were even comparable. Search for yourself and you'll find some shots of the Conduit that look AMAZING compared to Halo 2 (Xbox version).
XBL Gametag: mailarde
Screen Digest LOL3RZZ
I was trying to be as seemingly balanced as possible. Either way, the Conduit seems much more crisp and cleanly rendered, with more detail in the shots.
They're both ugly - one is ugly technically and art-wise, the other art-wise.
Back to gameplay topic: anyone tried the calibration feature in options -> video options -> sensor bar calibration?
Another forumer told me it automatically adjusts your bounding box and sensitivity based on your calibration.
XBL Gametag: mailarde
Screen Digest LOL3RZZ
No, they're the most basic looking shots I could find. And they still looked better than the Halo shots.
What does being able to see the sky have to do with anything?
p.s. that's a nice (repeating) skyline
because at this point, Goomba just wants to troll for the heck of it.
@Goomba: besides replying to inane thread derailment, anything else to offer on the Conduit?
XBL Gametag: mailarde
Screen Digest LOL3RZZ
But that said, the conduit does pull of quite a few effects you couldn't find in games like halo 2.
anywho, where are the friend codes? shouldn't there be a wiki somewhere?
mine is 0818-1547-6329.
PM me when u add me
I guess this is the perspective I'm coming from.
What's that stuff on the ground? There's no shadow, are they cracks or rocks? Are the walls and ceiling even textured? Flat shaded? A game could have the best lighting and AA in the world but if it had flat colors everywhere (without it being the main style ala cel shading) I would have to call it worse-looking.