In What Electronic Entertainment Have You Been Partaking #18: Reticulating Splines

[Broken_Erika]

Pfffffft! Play a real game!
https://www.moddb.com/mods/watching-paint-dry-the-game

 

[Synobun]

I had much the same feeling with No Man's Sky. A procedurally-generated environment begins to become noticeable eventually, at which point the novelty wears off. For me, I suddenly realized how shallow the game is when I spent hours and hours learning one of the alien languages only to realize there's no meaningful communication to be had. I forget which language I was pursuing, and I forget how big my vocabulary had become, although one of the NMS players on this forum noted at the time that I'd gotten really far with it. But there's no reason, within the game, to learn those languages. As far as I could tell, the aliens don't treat you any differently, you gain no access to new missions, new equipment, new NPC allies or flunkies. I enjoyed my ~30 hours with it, which was fine, but as you say, it had no replayability for me.

Yes, the languages seem useless besides the random events from a minority of NPCs and the buildings. I've learned a couple hundred words and it has not changed the "talk to every alien to learn another word" model whatsoever in over 30 hours now. I cannot engage these aliens on their quirky little (repetitive) stories. Like a few of these NPCs, when you speak to them, reach out to you and ask questions, and you can't answer them! You can only ask them to teach you a word. Immersive.

Pursuing all the tech upgrades (and finding all the minerals required to implement them) was the most enjoyment I got out of the game.

Second favorite thing was building up my crafting infrastructure to crank out high value products and get rich. Base building was overall a lot of fun and led to a lot of questing for tech and materials but it was constantly ruined by all the game updates that erased chunks of my bases, moved them around or otherwise invalidated all of my crafting infrastructure with economic changes.

I think I would be on pace for 1000 hours of playtime rather than the 200 I actually achieved if I had come to the game around now rather than launch as so much of my dissatisfaction is tied to all the massive updates which are now in the past.

That said, all of the complaints of shallowness and repetition are 100% on point.

I honestly can't see how you found base building fun, unless it was different before the latest big update. It is somehow even weaker than the rest of the stuff I complained about. The building system is somehow divorced entirely from the environment, so there's constant clipping, little to no versatility and adaptability. When I unlocked the prefabs I was excited to finally make an "official" base, but the foundation struts are nowhere to be found so I'm back to having rooms and ramps clipping into the ground, and there's no actual way to make your base look different. You're just playing the most rudimentary of LEGO with parts that look identical to the 500 same buildings you just spent thirty hours exploring.

The first betrayal of the game when it comes to building was when I first unlocked wooden structures, and I was having a lot of issues with the spaceship controls, especially landing. I decided I'd build a giant wooden platform to land on, a big empty, flat space. Easy peasy. Except I then find out that the game doesn't recognize constructed parts while in your ship. It bases landing on the terrain beneath. Big flat platform? Sorry, the ground beneath it is too steep or the ship is "too high" from it. What a joke.

PC only?

Looks like it's on PS4

Yes, it's on PS4!

 

[Birdjaguar]

Cyberpunk’ Game Maker Offers Refunds

Move comes after initial version contained bugs, the latest setback since launch

BY SARAH E. NEEDLEMAN

The maker of “Cyberpunk 2077,” one of this year’s most anticipated videogames, told players they could seek refunds because the initial version included bugs, a rare move for a major publisher and the latest mark on a project beset by launch delays.

Warsaw-based CD Projekt SA said Monday in a tweet that the $60 game, which fea- Hollywood actor Keanu Reeves and came out last week, doesn’t function properly on Sony Corp.’s PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox One. The company apologized and said it has addressed some issues with recent updates and is planning more in the weeks ahead.

“We would appreciate it if you would give us a chance, but if you are not pleased with the game on your console and don’t want to wait for updates, you can opt to refund your copy,” the company said. Analysts had forecast that “Cyberpunk” would sell anywhere from 18 million to 25 million copies in its first month. The day it came out, CD Projekt said the game had eight million preorders, of which about 59%, or 4.7 million copies, were for PCs. A spokeswoman for CD Projekt declined to comment further. CD Projekt shares are down about 25% since Wednesday’s close in Warsaw trading, shedding more than $2 billion of market value.

“Cyberpunk” is the biggest and most expensive project yet for the more than two-decade-old videogame company. CD Projekt’s co-CEOs told The Wall Street Journal earlier this month that they miscalculated how long it would take to complete “Cyberpunk” and that the coronavirus pandemic hindered the later stages of four years of development, which followed preproduction work that started around 2012.

The executives also said the company found itself overwhelmed by efforts to make “Cyberpunk” playable on nine platforms at launch. It previously developed games for three platforms at a time. It is unusual for game publishers to suggest players seek out refunds for their big-budget releases. Typically companies will delay games riddled with problems to make fixes before letting them go on sale. One or two delays are relatively common, but not more. Still, players in recent years have come to expect games to debut with some imperfections and for developers to do away with them via post-release online updates.

“It’s a major misfire,” Jefferies analyst Ken Rumph said about CD Projekt. The game has gotten mixed reviews from professional reviewers as well as everyday players, with some complaining aggressively on social media. Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk tweeted a reply to CD Projekt’s tweet with a screen-shot of a message expressing disappointment with a Play-Station 4 copy of “Cyberpunk” from an unidentified writer. “I took a week off of work to play this game and I quickly realized it’s not the game I’ve been thinking about every day for eight years,” the message said.

Several other prominent developers postponed games this year, citing work-from-home challenges caused by the health crisis as a key factor. For example, Microsoft in August pushed back the release of a new installment of its shooter franchise Halo to next year. It is important for “Cyberpunk” to be a hit for CD Projekt. The company has only one other major franchise, “The Witcher,” and its last major release is now five years old.

 

[aelf]

They should not have tried to release it on multiple platforms at launch. They should have just made the PC version like they seem to want to and eventually release inevitably inferior ports (as most ports are) for consoles. There'd be a lot of whine from console players, but at least the game would probably have been in a much better state when it releases on the respective platforms.

 

[Lexicus]

How the hell does someone think about an upcoming game every day for eight years?

 

[hobbsyoyo]

The PC version is just as bad as consoles if you don't have a fairly powerful rig. There has been accusations that CDPR
outright manipulated reviewers by restricting both when they would get review codes and on what platforms. They also avoided showing last generation console gameplay as well to cover up the issue.

They knew what was going to happen and released anyways. The game is basically unplayable for most players and then is just meh at best absent the technical issues and simultaneously overlooking culture war stuff.

I think it's clear to me that this goes way beyond hype and overheated expectations on behalf of gamers.


@Synsensa yeah basebuilding in NMS is tricky and especially so on console with terrible build controls but I really like the lego aspect and had no issues making large, unique creations that were functional and aesthetically pleasing. But I did have a billion credits and every material in the game by the time I go started building multiple complexes so ymmv....

How the hell does someone think about an upcoming game every day for eight years?

Being on the spectrum can be like that. While I don't think I'm on the spectrum, I think about space every single day. A game is a bit silly to me but I don't think it's that outlandish. I remember thinking about Spore a lot before it released. (Though not 8 years)

 

[aelf]

How the hell does someone think about an upcoming game every day for eight years?

A nerd with all its negative connotations. Would probably have flipped out too if they hadn't released the game at launch for his last gen console. I guess this is what they meant by gamer entitlement.

 

[AmazonQueen]

Is it procedurally generated?

Sort of. The maps are procedurally generated but can then be edited. If you play multiplayer on a server somebody else has done all that.
I only played offline on a procedurally generated unedited map.

 

[aelf]

The PC version is just as bad as consoles if you don't have a fairly powerful rig.

The rig I have at home is more than 3 years old (not top of the line back then), but it runs the game quite well. Definitely playable (vs. unplayable on last gen consoles)

There has been accusations that CDPR
outright manipulated reviewers by restricting both when they would get review codes and on what platforms. They also avoided showing last generation console gameplay as well to cover up the issue.

Saw on Reddit that someone attended a shareholder meeting or something where CDPR said that the last gen console versions were being worked on until 1 day before launch so they couldn't show it. Apparently Microsoft and Sony certified the game because they trusted CDPR to fix the issues by launch.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Thanks for the correction.

I heard it runs well on Stadia too

Edit: This is a last generation game! Not having working versions on its base hardware at launch is not acceptable!

Oh and Sony has started to refuse refunds because "there will be patches in January and February"

 

[aelf]

I mean, that's just my experience, though I'm kind of skeptical about the criticism for the PC version. There are definitely bugs, annoying ones too, but there are those who seem to be conflating the issues with PC with the last gen console ones.

I'm cutting CDPR some slack because they apparently paid their devs for the crunch and are offering refunds so quickly.

Edit: This is a last generation game! Not having working versions on its base hardware at launch is not acceptable!

Oh and Sony has started to refuse refunds because "there will be patches in January and February"

CDPR also made it clear during the shareholder meeting that they were focusing on the PC performance. Sounds like PC is its base hardware but for some reason, maybe because of profits, they decided to launch on so many platforms.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I mean, that's just my experience, though I'm kind of skeptical about the criticism for the PC version. There are definitely bugs, annoying ones too, but there are those who seem to be conflating the issues with PC with the last gen console ones.

I'm cutting CDPR some slack because they apparently paid their devs for the crunch and are offering refunds so quickly.

My PC info came from a couple of reviews.

I would not be quick to take them at their word on compensation because they can say one thing and do something good else entirely. They are beholden only to shareholders, after all. Remember when they said "no crunch" multiple times? And I do not know the refund policy from CDPR actually helps if you buy it on console or through a console purchasing app - you may still have to go through Sony regardless.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

CDPR also made it clear during the shareholder meeting that they were focusing on the PC performance. Sounds like PC is its base hardware but for some reason, maybe because of profits, they decided to launch on so many platforms.

Nah, if it released on multiple platforms without any clear disclaimer that one platform has significantly better performance then you can't really claim its meant for any one platform. And better/worse performance =/= stable/unplayable.

Even then, we would not find it acceptable if a PS4 exclusive launched for the base and pro model console and then only ran on the pro.

 

[aelf]

I don't pay much attention to game reviews on big sites these days (maybe Eurogamer?). I feel like game journalists are mostly out of touch with gamers in general - kind of like film critics. I find reviews are better assessed retrospectively after I get a feel for how the majority of players feel about the game (see The Last of Us 2, which seem to have done better among reviewers than among its players).

Nah, if it released on multiple platforms without any clear disclaimer that one platform has significantly better performance then you can't really claim its meant for any one platform. And better/worse performance =/= stable/unayable.

Even then, we would not find it acceptable if a PS4 exclusive launched for the base and pro model console and then only ran on the pro.

Of course, a company should be held to its word and its marketing.

But I'm basing it off of my sense that this sort of game (open world, single player, with more player choice) is more traditionally a PC title. And the devs do sound like they care about the PC version more, regardless of what the suits want.

 

[Synobun]

@Synsensa yeah basebuilding in NMS is tricky and especially so on console with terrible build controls but I really like the lego aspect and had no issues making large, unique creations that were functional and aesthetically pleasing. But I did have a billion credits and every material in the game by the time I go started building multiple complexes so ymmv....

I cheat, so blueprints and materials are no matter.

I just can't seem to build anything off the ground, so everything clips or is hanging precariously half on land and half in the air. I was really excited when I saw the foundation strut blueprints, but they are nowhere to be found in my build menu, and the "foundation" has the same problem as the rooms.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

@aelf
TLOU2 is tricky because of what an outsized role misogyny and general immaturity played in player perceptions. And I don't mean to take a swipe at any particular player or player group, it's just undeniable the role those things played based on what player complaints focus on

That said, I wrote many a lengthy post on my issues with the game, particularly its length

 

[aelf]

I wouldn't know how many players disliked TLOU2 because of their misogyny. But I think reviewers and the creators totally missed the point about what it is that made the narrative unlikeable to some people. From an aesthetic perspective, to me, its clear that they're using tropes that are already cliche in films in order to make the narrative more interesting. Not sure why they think that deserves plaudits. It's condescending and takes away from the rest of the game.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I don't recall it veering into cliche territory, though that's a subjective thing to assess. It's not like there is any truly unique media out there in any format or genre - everyone borrowers and references everything else.

And sure, we can't poll every gamer who was let down by the game to see if they disliked it because of mysogeny. That's part of why I said it's tricky to assess. But the hate messages on boards and death threats were pretty big indications of what was going on.

To reiterate, I too had issues with the plot and they weren't all about length either. Its just that my criticisms don't begin and end with the death of one character and they don't have anything to do with the protagonist and antagonists gender either. And there was a lot of good stuff there too!

 

[aelf]

Even the major themes were cliche. That revenge imposes a cost on the avenger, no matter how justified it feels, is very old and tired. It seems to assume that people have not already seen that done in other media. And killing off a main character that everyone likes to drive the plot is cliche by now. It's not as if Game of Thrones was not a huge cultural phenomenon.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

We'll have to agree to disagree on all that

I mean that revenge plots exist doesn't somehow mean that it's particularly overused. Same with major characters dying.

Edit: lol but if you want to talk about really bad Palestinian allegories, I'm all ears