• Re: Can Games Get Any Better (2024 Ed)

    From LucLan@21:1/5 to Spalls Hurgenson on Fri Mar 22 18:03:42 2024
    Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

    In August 2013, I asked a question of this newsgroup: did you think
    that games were going to get significantly better in the future? My
    thesis was that - despite radical advancements in visuals and
    quality-of-life features - actual gameplay of a lot of the games of
    the time didn't feel fundamentally different from games of ten or even
    twenty years ago. Sure, "Elder Scrolls: Oblivion" looked far better
    than 1995's "Elder Scrolls: Arena", but was it really that different
    an experience to play? Had the games matured to the point where we
    just weren't going to see any significant changes in the hobby?

    That question sparked a lively discussion (mostly revolving around
    what 'better' meant ;-). So - with ten years under our belt - why not
    ask it again, with an added caveat. Not only do I ask, 'Do you think
    that games are going to get significantly better', but also, 'Do you
    also think we've seen significant improvement - in gameplay, not
    visuals - to modern games over the ones we were playing back in 2013?'

    In other words, are modern games better? More advanced? More fun? Do
    you think games will be better or different in the future? Or are we perpetually stuck in the doldrums?

    (And finally, do you think we'll all be around to revive this topic in
    2035? ;-)







    We all be around in 2035, but I hope we will not drive electric cars :(

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Justisaur@21:1/5 to Spalls Hurgenson on Fri Mar 22 14:42:27 2024
    On 3/22/2024 9:54 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

    In August 2013, I asked a question of this newsgroup: did you think
    that games were going to get significantly better in the future? My
    thesis was that - despite radical advancements in visuals and
    quality-of-life features - actual gameplay of a lot of the games of
    the time didn't feel fundamentally different from games of ten or even
    twenty years ago. Sure, "Elder Scrolls: Oblivion" looked far better
    than 1995's "Elder Scrolls: Arena", but was it really that different
    an experience to play? Had the games matured to the point where we
    just weren't going to see any significant changes in the hobby?

    That question sparked a lively discussion (mostly revolving around
    what 'better' meant ;-). So - with ten years under our belt - why not
    ask it again, with an added caveat. Not only do I ask, 'Do you think
    that games are going to get significantly better', but also, 'Do you
    also think we've seen significant improvement - in gameplay, not
    visuals - to modern games over the ones we were playing back in 2013?'

    In other words, are modern games better? More advanced? More fun? Do
    you think games will be better or different in the future? Or are we perpetually stuck in the doldrums?

    (And finally, do you think we'll all be around to revive this topic in
    2035? ;-)

    Same as always. There will be good games and bad games. There's been
    some significantly better games IMHO than there were. Witcher 3 feels
    much better than 1 or 2 to me. CP2077 is finally a good game. Elden
    Ring brought souls play to the masses (even I think it's a worse game
    than my favorites.) I liked Skyrim better than Oblivion, and Oblivion
    better than Morrowind, but Starfield sounded so bad I wouldn't even buy
    it on steep discount. Larian came out of left field with BG3 which may
    even be cleaned up and modded enough to let me play it to the end.

    Meanwhile AC and FC games are cranked out mostly the same as always, and
    my kids still play Roblox.

    --
    -Justisaur

    ø-ø
    (\_/)\
    `-'\ `--.___,
    ¶¬'\( ,_.-'
    \\
    ^'

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Rin Stowleigh@21:1/5 to spallshurgenson@gmail.com on Fri Mar 22 21:00:18 2024
    On Fri, 22 Mar 2024 12:54:54 -0400, Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:


    In August 2013, I asked a question of this newsgroup: did you think
    that games were going to get significantly better in the future? My
    thesis was that - despite radical advancements in visuals and
    quality-of-life features - actual gameplay of a lot of the games of
    the time didn't feel fundamentally different from games of ten or even
    twenty years ago. Sure, "Elder Scrolls: Oblivion" looked far better
    than 1995's "Elder Scrolls: Arena", but was it really that different
    an experience to play? Had the games matured to the point where we
    just weren't going to see any significant changes in the hobby?

    That question sparked a lively discussion (mostly revolving around
    what 'better' meant ;-). So - with ten years under our belt - why not
    ask it again, with an added caveat. Not only do I ask, 'Do you think
    that games are going to get significantly better', but also, 'Do you
    also think we've seen significant improvement - in gameplay, not
    visuals - to modern games over the ones we were playing back in 2013?'

    In other words, are modern games better? More advanced? More fun? Do
    you think games will be better or different in the future? Or are we >perpetually stuck in the doldrums?

    What I'm curious to know is whether most here....

    (and granted, the demographic of this newsgroup is probably NOT the
    demographic that most game studio marketing directors are targeting)

    ... believe that gaming is better or worst than 10, or 15 years ago?

    My opinions have sparsely peppered this newsgroup over various
    threads, so I won't repeat what's been said in any level of detail
    unless you really want it :)

    Personally I think consolitis and politics have taken their toll on
    the industry. Console sales resulted in a lot of bad PC ports, where
    controls and the overall feel of the game and mechanics became slapped
    together in haste for the PC and/or only worthwhile using a
    controller. Politics interfered with individual artistic vision,
    resulted in design-by-committee and messed up the content, direction
    and overall development decisions.

    It seems like most good forms of entertainment "jump the shark"
    eventually. A gem will emerge here and there occasionally, and some
    of the old mainstays still provide the same level of entertainment
    they used to even if there is a been-there-done-that-vibe.

    But genuinely curious what the rest of the folks here think.. Clearly
    "good" gaming means different things to different people.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Mike S.@21:1/5 to rstowleigh@x-nospam-x.com on Sat Mar 23 11:00:51 2024
    On Fri, 22 Mar 2024 21:00:18 -0400, Rin Stowleigh
    <rstowleigh@x-nospam-x.com> wrote:

    But genuinely curious what the rest of the folks here think.. Clearly
    "good" gaming means different things to different people.

    I do NOT think games are better or worse now then they were in the
    past. I prefer older games but I always believed this was just because
    of my own personal preferences and not because games themselves have
    gotten worse. There have always been good games and bad games. I don't
    think that is ever going to change.

    The biggest change I have noticed these days I think is that big
    developers no longer take chances. This is not necessarily a bad thing
    though, because the more innovative titles have just moved over to
    smaller indie devs. This is just a switch to me, not a decline. From
    what I can see, there are so many types of games to choose from, you
    should be able to find something that appeals to you. At least on the
    PC side of things.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Joshua Allen@21:1/5 to Mike S. on Sat Mar 23 11:18:18 2024
    On 3/23/2024 11:00 AM, Mike S. wrote:
    On Fri, 22 Mar 2024 21:00:18 -0400, Rin Stowleigh
    <rstowleigh@x-nospam-x.com> wrote:

    But genuinely curious what the rest of the folks here think.. Clearly
    "good" gaming means different things to different people.

    I do NOT think games are better or worse now then they were in the
    past. I prefer older games but I always believed this was just because
    of my own personal preferences and not because games themselves have
    gotten worse. There have always been good games and bad games. I don't
    think that is ever going to change.

    The biggest change I have noticed these days I think is that big
    developers no longer take chances. This is not necessarily a bad thing though, because the more innovative titles have just moved over to
    smaller indie devs. This is just a switch to me, not a decline. From
    what I can see, there are so many types of games to choose from, you
    should be able to find something that appeals to you. At least on the
    PC side of things.
    yea alot of back catalog and with emulators like dosbox old games will
    still be around as long as people still work on the emulators. its
    preservation combined with free software (dosbox, virtualbox, openmpt,vlc).

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Joshua Allen@21:1/5 to Justisaur on Sat Mar 23 11:23:34 2024
    On 3/22/2024 5:42 PM, Justisaur wrote:
    On 3/22/2024 9:54 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

    In August 2013, I asked a question of this newsgroup: did you think
    that games were going to get significantly better in the future? My
    thesis was that - despite radical advancements in visuals and
    quality-of-life features - actual gameplay of a lot of the games of
    the time didn't feel fundamentally different from games of ten or even
    twenty years ago. Sure, "Elder Scrolls: Oblivion" looked far better
    than 1995's "Elder Scrolls: Arena", but was it really that different
    an experience to play? Had the games matured to the point where we
    just weren't going to see any significant changes in the hobby?

    That question sparked a lively discussion (mostly revolving around
    what 'better' meant ;-). So - with ten years under our belt - why not
    ask it again, with an added caveat. Not only do I ask, 'Do you think
    that games are going to get significantly better', but also, 'Do you
    also think we've seen significant improvement - in gameplay, not
    visuals - to modern games over the ones we were playing back in 2013?'

    In other words, are modern games better? More advanced? More fun? Do
    you think games will be better or different in the future? Or are we
    perpetually stuck in the doldrums?

    (And finally, do you think we'll all be around to revive this topic in
    2035? ;-)

    Same as always.  There will be good games and bad games.  There's been
    some significantly better games IMHO than there were.  Witcher 3 feels
    much better than 1 or 2 to me.  CP2077 is finally a good game.  Elden
    Ring brought souls play to the masses (even I think it's a worse game
    than my favorites.) I liked Skyrim better than Oblivion, and Oblivion
    better than Morrowind, but Starfield sounded so bad I wouldn't even buy
    it on steep discount. Larian came out of left field with BG3 which may
    even be cleaned up and modded enough to let me play it to the end.

    Meanwhile AC and FC games are cranked out mostly the same as always, and
    my kids still play Roblox.

    minecraft too but im at the end of my rope with many modern games being
    remakes or remasters, ive played em before why should i play em again
    maybe with deleted scenes or extra stuff

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From JAB@21:1/5 to Mike S. on Sun Mar 24 09:05:35 2024
    On 23/03/2024 15:00, Mike S. wrote:
    I do NOT think games are better or worse now then they were in the
    past. I prefer older games but I always believed this was just because
    of my own personal preferences and not because games themselves have
    gotten worse. There have always been good games and bad games. I don't
    think that is ever going to change.

    The biggest change I have noticed these days I think is that big
    developers no longer take chances. This is not necessarily a bad thing though, because the more innovative titles have just moved over to
    smaller indie devs. This is just a switch to me, not a decline. From
    what I can see, there are so many types of games to choose from, you
    should be able to find something that appeals to you. At least on the
    PC side of things.

    I think that in some ways they are better and in some worse. The big
    budget space seems to have very much stagnated in terms of gameplay and
    gone backwards in terms of innovative overall. As you say innovative and
    risk adverse don't really go together. I'd also add that part of gaming
    in this space that I think has got significantly worse is the wide scale introduction of MTX. You want me to pay £60 for a game and then expect
    me pay even more money if I want an enjoyable game experience, I think
    I'll pass on that. I do remember thinking many years ago that one day we
    might move from where gameplay was the core and a finical model was
    attached to it (we think you'll enjoy this game so give us some money
    for it) to a finical model which the gameplay was just there to support.
    To me, that's now happened.

    The part I very much agree with is that the innovation has just moved,
    or was always there, to medium/small studios and in many ways I think
    there it has improved with the range of games easily available to play.
    Indeed it's possible that they tripe-A developers have done me a favour
    by 'encouraging' me to explore new types of games. Is that something I
    should thank Bobby 'I may look like a potato with a face draw on it but
    I'm rich' Kotick?

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From JAB@21:1/5 to Spalls Hurgenson on Mon Mar 25 10:19:43 2024
    On 24/03/2024 18:15, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
    It's not quite the wild days of the early 80s (when every idea was
    new), or even the 90s (when all the ideas were being reworked) but it
    feels like there is a very subtle change going on, of the sort that I
    feel was largely missing throughout the early part of this century.

    I think the 80's were a period in gaming that can probably never be
    replicated as it's the time when home computers came into the reach of a
    mass market (within a year pretty much most of my school friends had
    either a Spectrum* or a C64) and the games market boomed with the first
    wave of arcade type games before you started getting developers
    realising that you can do something else as you didn't need the draw of
    just one more 10p for another game.

    You also had quite a rapid development of what a home computer could do
    and it wasn't that many years before all of a sudden we had Atari ST's
    and Amigas in the shops.

    As for what's going to happen in the future, difficult to say but I can
    see the PC games market** as a whole becoming more fractured into
    sub-groups. That's always existed to an extent but it does feel as
    though it's a shift away from what we had twenty years ago.

    *I did just check on Spectrum sales figures and it's a grand total of
    around 5 million units of which I presume most were sold in the UK.

    **As a side note it's one of the things that annoys me about a certain
    section of gamers. The seem to think that they somehow own all of PC
    games and if you don't agree with them then your opinion doesn't matter
    as you're not a 'real gamer'.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Justisaur@21:1/5 to Spalls Hurgenson on Mon Mar 25 07:23:17 2024
    On 3/24/2024 11:15 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
    On Sun, 24 Mar 2024 09:05:35 +0000, JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote:

    On 23/03/2024 15:00, Mike S. wrote:
    I do NOT think games are better or worse now then they were in the
    past. I prefer older games but I always believed this was just because
    of my own personal preferences and not because games themselves have
    gotten worse. There have always been good games and bad games. I don't
    think that is ever going to change.

    The biggest change I have noticed these days I think is that big
    developers no longer take chances. This is not necessarily a bad thing
    though, because the more innovative titles have just moved over to
    smaller indie devs. This is just a switch to me, not a decline. From
    what I can see, there are so many types of games to choose from, you
    should be able to find something that appeals to you. At least on the
    PC side of things.

    I think that in some ways they are better and in some worse. The big
    budget space seems to have very much stagnated in terms of gameplay and
    gone backwards in terms of innovative overall. As you say innovative and
    risk adverse don't really go together. I'd also add that part of gaming
    in this space that I think has got significantly worse is the wide scale
    introduction of MTX. You want me to pay £60 for a game and then expect
    me pay even more money if I want an enjoyable game experience, I think
    I'll pass on that. I do remember thinking many years ago that one day we
    might move from where gameplay was the core and a finical model was
    attached to it (we think you'll enjoy this game so give us some money
    for it) to a finical model which the gameplay was just there to support.
    To me, that's now happened.

    The part I very much agree with is that the innovation has just moved,
    or was always there, to medium/small studios and in many ways I think
    there it has improved with the range of games easily available to play.
    Indeed it's possible that they tripe-A developers have done me a favour
    by 'encouraging' me to explore new types of games. Is that something I
    should thank Bobby 'I may look like a potato with a face draw on it but
    I'm rich' Kotick?


    This more or less coincides with my own thoughts.

    Overall, I think that there /has/ been improvement in the industry.
    Yes, the triple-A publishers are absolutely stuck in a rut; they never
    take chances, prefering sequels and remakes over anything even
    slightly resembling something new and unproven. And yes, the low cost-of-entry for Indies means that we are seeing a lot of clones of
    existing games.

    Sequels that are online only, often mobile, and filled with MTX. In
    that regard worse. Diablo IV, Fallout '76, and others.

    -Justisaur

    ø-ø
    (\_/)\
    `-'\ `--.___,
    ¶¬'\( ,_.-'
    \\
    ^'

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From candycanearter07@21:1/5 to Justisaur on Mon Mar 25 14:50:10 2024
    Justisaur <justisaur@yahoo.com> wrote at 14:23 this Monday (GMT):
    On 3/24/2024 11:15 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
    On Sun, 24 Mar 2024 09:05:35 +0000, JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote:

    On 23/03/2024 15:00, Mike S. wrote:
    I do NOT think games are better or worse now then they were in the
    past. I prefer older games but I always believed this was just because >>>> of my own personal preferences and not because games themselves have
    gotten worse. There have always been good games and bad games. I don't >>>> think that is ever going to change.

    The biggest change I have noticed these days I think is that big
    developers no longer take chances. This is not necessarily a bad thing >>>> though, because the more innovative titles have just moved over to
    smaller indie devs. This is just a switch to me, not a decline. From
    what I can see, there are so many types of games to choose from, you
    should be able to find something that appeals to you. At least on the
    PC side of things.

    I think that in some ways they are better and in some worse. The big
    budget space seems to have very much stagnated in terms of gameplay and
    gone backwards in terms of innovative overall. As you say innovative and >>> risk adverse don't really go together. I'd also add that part of gaming
    in this space that I think has got significantly worse is the wide scale >>> introduction of MTX. You want me to pay £60 for a game and then expect
    me pay even more money if I want an enjoyable game experience, I think
    I'll pass on that. I do remember thinking many years ago that one day we >>> might move from where gameplay was the core and a finical model was
    attached to it (we think you'll enjoy this game so give us some money
    for it) to a finical model which the gameplay was just there to support. >>> To me, that's now happened.

    The part I very much agree with is that the innovation has just moved,
    or was always there, to medium/small studios and in many ways I think
    there it has improved with the range of games easily available to play.
    Indeed it's possible that they tripe-A developers have done me a favour
    by 'encouraging' me to explore new types of games. Is that something I
    should thank Bobby 'I may look like a potato with a face draw on it but
    I'm rich' Kotick?


    This more or less coincides with my own thoughts.

    Overall, I think that there /has/ been improvement in the industry.
    Yes, the triple-A publishers are absolutely stuck in a rut; they never
    take chances, prefering sequels and remakes over anything even
    slightly resembling something new and unproven. And yes, the low
    cost-of-entry for Indies means that we are seeing a lot of clones of
    existing games.

    Sequels that are online only, often mobile, and filled with MTX. In
    that regard worse. Diablo IV, Fallout '76, and others.

    -Justisaur

    ø-ø
    (\_/)\
    `-'\ `--.___,
    ¶¬'\( ,_.-'
    \\
    ^'



    Always online sequels to SP games are the WORST.
    --
    user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Dimensional Traveler@21:1/5 to Spalls Hurgenson on Mon Mar 25 13:35:53 2024
    On 3/25/2024 7:48 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
    On Mon, 25 Mar 2024 10:19:43 +0000, JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote:


    **As a side note it's one of the things that annoys me about a certain
    section of gamers. The seem to think that they somehow own all of PC
    games and if you don't agree with them then your opinion doesn't matter
    as you're not a 'real gamer'.


    But... but... I /do/ own all* PC games!

    I'll graciously allow you your own opinion, however. ;-)








    * well, a fairly significant fraction thereof... and I'm working on
    the rest ;-)


    I want to see a definitive list of ALL PC games released to date....

    --
    I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
    dirty old man.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Zaghadka@21:1/5 to Dimensional Traveler on Mon Mar 25 16:26:30 2024
    On Mon, 25 Mar 2024 13:35:53 -0700, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action, Dimensional Traveler wrote:

    On 3/25/2024 7:48 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
    On Mon, 25 Mar 2024 10:19:43 +0000, JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote:


    **As a side note it's one of the things that annoys me about a certain
    section of gamers. The seem to think that they somehow own all of PC
    games and if you don't agree with them then your opinion doesn't matter
    as you're not a 'real gamer'.


    But... but... I /do/ own all* PC games!

    I'll graciously allow you your own opinion, however. ;-)








    * well, a fairly significant fraction thereof... and I'm working on
    the rest ;-)


    I want to see a definitive list of ALL PC games released to date....

    https://www.mobygames.com/

    --
    Zag

    No one ever said on their deathbed, 'Gee, I wish I had
    spent more time alone with my computer.' ~Dan(i) Bunten

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Zaghadka@21:1/5 to Spalls Hurgenson on Mon Mar 25 16:52:37 2024
    On Fri, 22 Mar 2024 12:54:54 -0400, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,
    Spalls Hurgenson wrote:


    In August 2013, I asked a question of this newsgroup: did you think
    that games were going to get significantly better in the future? My
    thesis was that - despite radical advancements in visuals and
    quality-of-life features - actual gameplay of a lot of the games of
    the time didn't feel fundamentally different from games of ten or even
    twenty years ago. Sure, "Elder Scrolls: Oblivion" looked far better
    than 1995's "Elder Scrolls: Arena", but was it really that different
    an experience to play? Had the games matured to the point where we
    just weren't going to see any significant changes in the hobby?

    That question sparked a lively discussion (mostly revolving around
    what 'better' meant ;-). So - with ten years under our belt - why not
    ask it again, with an added caveat. Not only do I ask, 'Do you think
    that games are going to get significantly better', but also, 'Do you
    also think we've seen significant improvement - in gameplay, not
    visuals - to modern games over the ones we were playing back in 2013?'

    In other words, are modern games better? More advanced? More fun? Do
    you think games will be better or different in the future? Or are we >perpetually stuck in the doldrums?

    What I like is that graphics have gotten good enough that games are now choosing an art-style rather than reaching for ever more photorealism.
    This affects gameplay as well as eye candy.

    The way it affects play is that sometimes the point of games is now to
    look around and appreciate the aesthetic. The "walking simulator" could
    never have been a thing back in 2013, and now it's really coming into its
    own. Photo mode is justified in some games. This is because we've stopped dashing for more photorealism, taken stock of what can actually be done,
    and made worlds that are very much different from what we know.

    Exo One does an excellent job of this; I just got an achievement for
    breaking the speed of sound in my titular spacecraft. That's not
    something you'd see in 2013. It oozes style, and it has a Zen-like play mechanic. You have to feel the ship. I want more of this niche gaming.

    Another change since 2013 that I really like is the maturing of co-op MP. Competitive MP just tends to lead to trash talking, toxic communities
    rife with cheating, and the kernel mode drivers that fail to prevent it.
    But co-op, or PvE, has become more nuanced and prevalent and it's fun to
    be working on a team *with* friends. Quality of life improvements abound.

    On the downside of gameplay, most games are hybrid experiences now.
    There's CRPG elements. There's crafting. There's minigames. In depth
    story. In everything, no matter how much it doesn't fit. Even Mortal
    Combat 10 has a "story" mode and a "campaign" mode. Once something is
    deemed to be a feature, it never seems to go away. I imagine this
    development strategy is meant to broaden appeal, but what it does for me
    is make it hard to find a game that doesn't have *some* half-assed play
    element that doesn't annoy me or seem out of place. It's hard to find a
    game that does one thing really well, too. The diversity comes at an
    expense, either in compromises to make it integrate, or just because
    there is less time spent on each element.

    I don't see much more innovation coming in the future though, or I'm not
    smart enough to see it. It seems we've made every kind of game there is.
    Gaming is lively, but my imagination doesn't inform me of what it'll be
    like in 2035.

    So gaming is good, but we've done everything we can with the classical
    period, moved through the baroque, arrived at the romantic, and that's
    just about where music imploded. I don't know what the gaming equivalent
    of 12-tone, tone poems, and prepared piano will be, but I'll bet it feels
    like a gimmick.

    But it won't be the doldrums. It will grow, flourish, and capture our
    interest. It just won't be through play mechanics. I think we're done
    there.

    How's that for a "640KB should be enough for anyone" statement?

    (I have notably left VR out of this, because I think the "year of VR" is getting to be like the "year of the Linux desktop." Vendors keep trotting
    it out, but no one really knows what to do with it so it goes back in the
    box until someone thinks it should come out again. Maybe someone will
    figure out how to use it. I could it making a major change by 2035. I
    predict it will go back in the box again once, however.)

    --
    Zag

    No one ever said on their deathbed, 'Gee, I wish I had
    spent more time alone with my computer.' ~Dan(i) Bunten

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From JAB@21:1/5 to Spalls Hurgenson on Tue Mar 26 09:46:39 2024
    On 25/03/2024 14:48, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
    On Mon, 25 Mar 2024 10:19:43 +0000, JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote:


    **As a side note it's one of the things that annoys me about a certain
    section of gamers. The seem to think that they somehow own all of PC
    games and if you don't agree with them then your opinion doesn't matter
    as you're not a 'real gamer'.


    But... but... I /do/ own all* PC games!

    I'll graciously allow you your own opinion, however. ;-)


    As I say, it's just one of the things that annoys me. Those they seem to
    think that PC gamers are some sort of homogenous group so when someone
    says this is what gamers want what they really mean is this is what me
    and some of mates want. I have very little idea of what gamers want
    beyond games they enjoy playing, of which there's lots to choose from,
    but there also seems to be a small section of people who view games as
    an opportunity to get worked up about whatever they've been 'told' they
    need to get worked up about today.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From JAB@21:1/5 to Zaghadka on Tue Mar 26 10:30:39 2024
    On 25/03/2024 21:52, Zaghadka wrote:
    On Fri, 22 Mar 2024 12:54:54 -0400, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,
    What I like is that graphics have gotten good enough that games are now choosing an art-style rather than reaching for ever more photorealism.
    This affects gameplay as well as eye candy.

    The way it affects play is that sometimes the point of games is now to
    look around and appreciate the aesthetic. The "walking simulator" could
    never have been a thing back in 2013, and now it's really coming into its own. Photo mode is justified in some games. This is because we've stopped dashing for more photorealism, taken stock of what can actually be done,
    and made worlds that are very much different from what we know.


    Very much my view. I want the style of graphics to fit in with the game
    overall and I think Firewatch does this well. It captures that feeling
    of being in the 'great outdoors' by combining a sense of realism with a
    certain atheistic. Borderlands is another one when the cartoon style
    graphics fit with the over-the-top world.

    For photorealism itself, to me all I want is graphics that look
    realistic enough I'm not constantly reminded that I'm play a computer
    game. As an aside, it one of the reasons I don't like horribly cluttered
    UI's withe quest markers and other information littering the screen.

    On the downside of gameplay, most games are hybrid experiences now.
    There's CRPG elements. There's crafting. There's minigames. In depth
    story. In everything, no matter how much it doesn't fit. Even Mortal
    Combat 10 has a "story" mode and a "campaign" mode. Once something is
    deemed to be a feature, it never seems to go away. I imagine this
    development strategy is meant to broaden appeal, but what it does for me
    is make it hard to find a game that doesn't have *some* half-assed play element that doesn't annoy me or seem out of place. It's hard to find a
    game that does one thing really well, too. The diversity comes at an
    expense, either in compromises to make it integrate, or just because
    there is less time spent on each element.


    And agreed, I very much in the camp of I want a game to do one thing and
    do it well and not try and cram in as many different elements as
    possible. FO:4 is one the springs to mind here - I'm supposed to be
    wandering the wasteland find stories to uncover and shooting things. Why
    have a base building aspect tacked on?

    I don't see much more innovation coming in the future though, or I'm not smart enough to see it. It seems we've made every kind of game there is. Gaming is lively, but my imagination doesn't inform me of what it'll be
    like in 2035.

    So gaming is good, but we've done everything we can with the classical period, moved through the baroque, arrived at the romantic, and that's
    just about where music imploded. I don't know what the gaming equivalent
    of 12-tone, tone poems, and prepared piano will be, but I'll bet it feels like a gimmick.

    But it won't be the doldrums. It will grow, flourish, and capture our interest. It just won't be through play mechanics. I think we're done
    there.

    How's that for a "640KB should be enough for anyone" statement?


    Yes indeed, the thing about innovation is you never realised it's
    happened until it's already with us!

    (I have notably left VR out of this, because I think the "year of VR" is getting to be like the "year of the Linux desktop." Vendors keep trotting
    it out, but no one really knows what to do with it so it goes back in the
    box until someone thinks it should come out again. Maybe someone will
    figure out how to use it. I could it making a major change by 2035. I
    predict it will go back in the box again once, however.)


    I don't see it ever happening until at least a few other things are in
    place. So maybe a killer app that becomes an almost must have. Other
    problems the price point really isn't at the impulse buy just to try it
    out level. The last, and probably the biggest for me, the headset are
    just too big and not they comfortable to wear for extended periods of time.

    As you say though it still comes across as a technology looking for a
    need and the current trend seems to be towards augmented reality and
    away from games. I did watch a couple of reviews of Apple VR and all I
    could think was it all looks very interesting but not £3,000 interesting.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Werner P.@21:1/5 to All on Tue Mar 26 12:47:02 2024
    Am 22.03.24 um 17:54 schrieb Spalls Hurgenson:
    In other words, are modern games better? More advanced? More fun? Do
    you think games will be better or different in the future? Or are we perpetually stuck in the doldrums?

    (And finally, do you think we'll all be around to revive this topic in
    2035? 😉

    well many games like movies have become formulaic spreadsheet todo lists
    in game design, the bigger a game the more likely this is to be the case.
    Add on top that we are in phase agewise where we literally have seen
    everything in this area just with less sophisticated graphics.

    So yes the games industry has gone the way of the movie industry,
    formulaic games, indie games which try to do something new or are just
    junk and from time to time a really good title which tries to break new
    ground or at least does not feel formulaic, like BG3 for instance.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Justisaur@21:1/5 to Werner P. on Tue Mar 26 07:09:16 2024
    On 3/26/2024 4:47 AM, Werner P. wrote:
    Am 26.03.24 um 12:47 schrieb Werner P.:
    Am 22.03.24 um 17:54 schrieb Spalls Hurgenson:
    In other words, are modern games better? More advanced? More fun? Do
    you think games will be better or different in the future? Or are we
    perpetually stuck in the doldrums?

    (And finally, do you think we'll all be around to revive this topic in
    2035? 😉

    well many games like movies have become formulaic spreadsheet todo
    lists in game design, the bigger a game the more likely this is to be
    the case.
    Add on top that we are in phase agewise where we literally have seen
    everything in this area just with less sophisticated graphics.

    So yes the games industry has gone the way of the movie industry,
    formulaic games, indie games which try to do something new or are just
    junk and from time to time a really good title which tries to break
    new ground or at least does not feel formulaic, like BG3 for instance.

    PS I am slowly phasing out gaming as my hobby, i frankly do not have
    time for it anymore, and the have seen everything effect is big on me.
    So expect to hear and read from me less and less unless I got rid of my gaming fatique!

    I feel like that to some extent, but physical limitations keep me from
    doing too much else so I go back to it. However I'm also at the point I
    get fatigued much quicker than I used to and can't play as much, and
    faster twitch games while I can keep up with them a little typically
    leave me in a state that feels like it's getting close to death's door.

    My other hobby has mostly moved past me. D&D I don't like the new
    rules, I can't find a group that's like the old ones, kids make it
    difficult to schedule, and our last move left me with nowhere to play it
    at my place.

    Unfortunately that leaves me with two habits I'd really like to stop, or
    at least curb considerably watching youtube and reading reddit which
    just feels like waiting to die.

    --
    -Justisaur

    ø-ø
    (\_/)\
    `-'\ `--.___,
    ¶¬'\( ,_.-'
    \\
    ^'

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Zaghadka@21:1/5 to Spalls Hurgenson on Tue Mar 26 09:49:10 2024
    On Tue, 26 Mar 2024 10:41:13 -0400, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,
    Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

    On Mon, 25 Mar 2024 16:26:30 -0500, Zaghadka <zaghadka@hotmail.com>
    wrote:
    On Mon, 25 Mar 2024 13:35:53 -0700, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action, >>Dimensional Traveler wrote:

    I want to see a definitive list of ALL PC games released to date....

    https://www.mobygames.com/

    Ninja'd by Zaghadka.

    Wikipedia also has some lists: >https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Lists_of_PC_games
    but - because they are broken up into subcategories - they're far less >accessible. It's a useful reference for those weirdos trying to
    complete their DOS-game collection, though. It does list "Gorilla"
    though, the QBasic game that came with MS-DOS which most other
    compilations miss.

    Less legitimately, https://www.myabandonware.com/ (and yes, it is a
    naughty site, but it is a good reference too, as I've found it lists
    some games - usually obscure shareware titles - that are missed
    elsewhere.

    But no list, I think, will ever be complete just because there was
    such a wide-ranging community of shareware and freeware developers in
    the 80s and 90s pumping out so many titles. Most only had the tiniest >distribution though - some never even making it out onto bulletin
    boards, but only shared by passing floppies - and have since been lost
    to time. So there will always be a few games missing from any list.

    This project has the most complete collection of DOS and Windows 3.1
    games available (but also naughty):

    https://www.retro-exo.com

    --
    Zag

    No one ever said on their deathbed, 'Gee, I wish I had
    spent more time alone with my computer.' ~Dan(i) Bunten

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Zaghadka@21:1/5 to Justisaur on Tue Mar 26 09:56:00 2024
    On Tue, 26 Mar 2024 07:09:16 -0700, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,
    Justisaur wrote:

    On 3/26/2024 4:47 AM, Werner P. wrote:
    Am 26.03.24 um 12:47 schrieb Werner P.:
    Am 22.03.24 um 17:54 schrieb Spalls Hurgenson:
    In other words, are modern games better? More advanced? More fun? Do
    you think games will be better or different in the future? Or are we
    perpetually stuck in the doldrums?

    (And finally, do you think we'll all be around to revive this topic in >>>> 2035? ?

    well many games like movies have become formulaic spreadsheet todo
    lists in game design, the bigger a game the more likely this is to be
    the case.
    Add on top that we are in phase agewise where we literally have seen
    everything in this area just with less sophisticated graphics.

    So yes the games industry has gone the way of the movie industry,
    formulaic games, indie games which try to do something new or are just
    junk and from time to time a really good title which tries to break
    new ground or at least does not feel formulaic, like BG3 for instance.

    PS I am slowly phasing out gaming as my hobby, i frankly do not have
    time for it anymore, and the have seen everything effect is big on me.
    So expect to hear and read from me less and less unless I got rid of my
    gaming fatique!

    I feel like that to some extent, but physical limitations keep me from
    doing too much else so I go back to it. However I'm also at the point I
    get fatigued much quicker than I used to and can't play as much, and
    faster twitch games while I can keep up with them a little typically
    leave me in a state that feels like it's getting close to death's door.

    My other hobby has mostly moved past me. D&D I don't like the new
    rules, I can't find a group that's like the old ones, kids make it
    difficult to schedule, and our last move left me with nowhere to play it
    at my place.

    Unfortunately that leaves me with two habits I'd really like to stop, or
    at least curb considerably watching youtube and reading reddit which
    just feels like waiting to die.

    You interested in a paid game? $25 a session, Pathfinder 1e with 3.5e supplementation. Basically OP 3.5 with PF skills. Played over Roll20 and Discord. Sessions meet every other Wednesday at UTC 18:00. Next session
    is April 3rd. Traditional dungeon crawl.

    A good friend of mine went pro-GM a couple of years ago. He's put a lot
    of work into it. Email me at my header address if you'd like to try it
    out or join.

    --
    Zag

    No one ever said on their deathbed, 'Gee, I wish I had
    spent more time alone with my computer.' ~Dan(i) Bunten

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From candycanearter07@21:1/5 to Werner P. on Tue Mar 26 15:40:11 2024
    Werner P. <werpu@gmx.at> wrote at 11:47 this Tuesday (GMT):
    Am 26.03.24 um 12:47 schrieb Werner P.:
    Am 22.03.24 um 17:54 schrieb Spalls Hurgenson:
    In other words, are modern games better? More advanced? More fun? Do
    you think games will be better or different in the future? Or are we
    perpetually stuck in the doldrums?

    (And finally, do you think we'll all be around to revive this topic in
    2035? 😉

    well many games like movies have become formulaic spreadsheet todo lists
    in game design, the bigger a game the more likely this is to be the case.
    Add on top that we are in phase agewise where we literally have seen
    everything in this area just with less sophisticated graphics.

    So yes the games industry has gone the way of the movie industry,
    formulaic games, indie games which try to do something new or are just
    junk and from time to time a really good title which tries to break new
    ground or at least does not feel formulaic, like BG3 for instance.

    PS I am slowly phasing out gaming as my hobby, i frankly do not have
    time for it anymore, and the have seen everything effect is big on me.
    So expect to hear and read from me less and less unless I got rid of my gaming fatique!


    Good luck!
    --
    user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From candycanearter07@21:1/5 to Justisaur on Tue Mar 26 15:40:12 2024
    Justisaur <justisaur@yahoo.com> wrote at 14:09 this Tuesday (GMT):
    On 3/26/2024 4:47 AM, Werner P. wrote:
    Am 26.03.24 um 12:47 schrieb Werner P.:
    Am 22.03.24 um 17:54 schrieb Spalls Hurgenson:
    In other words, are modern games better? More advanced? More fun? Do
    you think games will be better or different in the future? Or are we
    perpetually stuck in the doldrums?

    (And finally, do you think we'll all be around to revive this topic in >>>> 2035? 😉

    well many games like movies have become formulaic spreadsheet todo
    lists in game design, the bigger a game the more likely this is to be
    the case.
    Add on top that we are in phase agewise where we literally have seen
    everything in this area just with less sophisticated graphics.

    So yes the games industry has gone the way of the movie industry,
    formulaic games, indie games which try to do something new or are just
    junk and from time to time a really good title which tries to break
    new ground or at least does not feel formulaic, like BG3 for instance.

    PS I am slowly phasing out gaming as my hobby, i frankly do not have
    time for it anymore, and the have seen everything effect is big on me.
    So expect to hear and read from me less and less unless I got rid of my
    gaming fatique!

    I feel like that to some extent, but physical limitations keep me from
    doing too much else so I go back to it. However I'm also at the point I
    get fatigued much quicker than I used to and can't play as much, and
    faster twitch games while I can keep up with them a little typically
    leave me in a state that feels like it's getting close to death's door.

    My other hobby has mostly moved past me. D&D I don't like the new
    rules, I can't find a group that's like the old ones, kids make it
    difficult to schedule, and our last move left me with nowhere to play it
    at my place.

    Unfortunately that leaves me with two habits I'd really like to stop, or
    at least curb considerably watching youtube and reading reddit which
    just feels like waiting to die.


    I have gotten really burned out on most of my library.. RN, I'm
    replaying the Phoenix Wright games.

    I at least do have another two hobbies in drawing (my username) and
    coding/tech stuff.
    --
    user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Justisaur@21:1/5 to Zaghadka on Tue Mar 26 15:30:13 2024
    On 3/26/2024 7:56 AM, Zaghadka wrote:
    On Tue, 26 Mar 2024 07:09:16 -0700, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action, Justisaur wrote:

    On 3/26/2024 4:47 AM, Werner P. wrote:
    Am 26.03.24 um 12:47 schrieb Werner P.:
    Am 22.03.24 um 17:54 schrieb Spalls Hurgenson:
    In other words, are modern games better? More advanced? More fun? Do >>>>> you think games will be better or different in the future? Or are we >>>>> perpetually stuck in the doldrums?

    (And finally, do you think we'll all be around to revive this topic in >>>>> 2035? ?

    well many games like movies have become formulaic spreadsheet todo
    lists in game design, the bigger a game the more likely this is to be
    the case.
    Add on top that we are in phase agewise where we literally have seen
    everything in this area just with less sophisticated graphics.

    So yes the games industry has gone the way of the movie industry,
    formulaic games, indie games which try to do something new or are just >>>> junk and from time to time a really good title which tries to break
    new ground or at least does not feel formulaic, like BG3 for instance. >>>>
    PS I am slowly phasing out gaming as my hobby, i frankly do not have
    time for it anymore, and the have seen everything effect is big on me.
    So expect to hear and read from me less and less unless I got rid of my
    gaming fatique!

    I feel like that to some extent, but physical limitations keep me from
    doing too much else so I go back to it. However I'm also at the point I
    get fatigued much quicker than I used to and can't play as much, and
    faster twitch games while I can keep up with them a little typically
    leave me in a state that feels like it's getting close to death's door.

    My other hobby has mostly moved past me. D&D I don't like the new
    rules, I can't find a group that's like the old ones, kids make it
    difficult to schedule, and our last move left me with nowhere to play it
    at my place.

    Unfortunately that leaves me with two habits I'd really like to stop, or
    at least curb considerably watching youtube and reading reddit which
    just feels like waiting to die.

    You interested in a paid game? $25 a session, Pathfinder 1e with 3.5e supplementation. Basically OP 3.5 with PF skills. Played over Roll20 and Discord. Sessions meet every other Wednesday at UTC 18:00. Next session
    is April 3rd. Traditional dungeon crawl.

    A good friend of mine went pro-GM a couple of years ago. He's put a lot
    of work into it. Email me at my header address if you'd like to try it
    out or join.

    Thanks for the offer, but I prefer to DM, and PF just felt like 3.5
    taken to 11, which was the wrong way to go in my opinion, it needed to
    be reigned in a bit.

    The only game I ever payed to be in (well if you don't count paying for
    entry to a con of which I've only been to 3) ended quickly and very
    poorly with the DM tearing my character sheet up after targeting me for
    1 damage from each of a hundred bees as the first encounter. Back in
    the early days of Player vs. DM of course in 1e. So I'm a bit shy of
    doing that.

    I'm tempted to check into if WotC has 'living FR' or whatever it is now
    games at the local comic book store, as I ran a few of those games I had
    a blast at with a bunch of teens in the 4e days (Yes worst edition ever,
    but the kid's enthusiasm more than made up for it.) I tried running my
    own homebrew edition a couple times at meetups and the comic book store,
    but only had 2 newbie takers as overflow from one of the 5e games one
    time, it went o.k., but they were more interested in trying 5e.

    I thought I was feeling some hostility from the 5e DMs there, but it
    could've just been me, or maybe it was from the comic book store as I
    wasn't using the books they were selling.

    --
    -Justisaur

    ø-ø
    (\_/)\
    `-'\ `--.___,
    ¶¬'\( ,_.-'
    \\
    ^'

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From JAB@21:1/5 to Justisaur on Fri Mar 29 09:04:10 2024
    On 25/03/2024 14:23, Justisaur wrote:
    Sequels that are online only, often mobile, and filled with MTX.  In
    that regard worse.  Diablo IV, Fallout '76, and others.


    The mobile gaming scene is just awful, low production values, games that
    are just a rip off of a different game and as you say stuffed with MTX
    and aggressive MTX at that. It's a shame really as it just crowds out
    certain type of paid games which I find are more suited to my iPad than
    the PC.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From candycanearter07@21:1/5 to JAB on Fri Mar 29 21:40:05 2024
    JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote at 09:04 this Friday (GMT):
    On 25/03/2024 14:23, Justisaur wrote:
    Sequels that are online only, often mobile, and filled with MTX.  In
    that regard worse.  Diablo IV, Fallout '76, and others.


    The mobile gaming scene is just awful, low production values, games that
    are just a rip off of a different game and as you say stuffed with MTX
    and aggressive MTX at that. It's a shame really as it just crowds out
    certain type of paid games which I find are more suited to my iPad than
    the PC.


    Yeah.. I still miss the early 2010's app store.
    --
    user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From JAB@21:1/5 to Spalls Hurgenson on Sun Mar 31 09:34:09 2024
    On 29/03/2024 14:43, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
    On Fri, 29 Mar 2024 09:04:10 +0000, JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote:

    On 25/03/2024 14:23, Justisaur wrote:
    Sequels that are online only, often mobile, and filled with MTX.  In
    that regard worse.  Diablo IV, Fallout '76, and others.


    The mobile gaming scene is just awful, low production values, games that
    are just a rip off of a different game and as you say stuffed with MTX
    and aggressive MTX at that. It's a shame really as it just crowds out
    certain type of paid games which I find are more suited to my iPad than
    the PC.

    Or just flat out false advertising. They'll show pictures of videos of gameplay or visuals that appear NOWHERE in the game, and aren't even
    close to representative of what the game is like. It's not even the
    usual 'bullshot' images that used to adorn video-game boxes. It's
    showing you pictures of "FarCry 6" and then delivering "Ultima V".


    They are notorious for that and it's got to the stage where it's
    considered something that's worth mentioning in the advert. What you see
    is actually what the game looks like. Bonkers really that it's got to
    that stage.

    There are good mobile games on the market... but they're increasingly
    rare. It's a market that is best avoided entirely.



    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)