To Prey or not to Prey?

[Asmodeusz]

Hey.

Let me hear your opinions on Prey, coming soon from Human Head. Kind of. Answer these two questions please:

What will be a key factor for you to like the game?
What, in your opinion, will be the dissapointment in the game (even if it rules).

For me, Prey will be succesfull if it has a good story and a good pace. I mean a story that's actually relevant.

I think Prey could dissapoint me in terms of "being aware of WTF". The game with it's mega cool features could become confusing.

[Parkar]

Same for me. It sounds like they have been aware of the risk with making it to confusing so I am not to worried about it though.

[Kristian Joensen]

Yes, indeed, there is nothing to be worried about.

But hopefully mods WILL go all out on the confusion bit.

[Micki!]

Well, i almost only have positive thoughts about Prey...
However, there is one thing that concerns me...

It's the gameplay feel... Sure, it looks nice, but we also got told that the story is a high quality storyline...
I think fast paced (sp) FPS action ala Ala Doom 3 doesn't fit too well with an emotional story like this... So, if it feels too much "running around blowing crap up"-like, it would destroy the serious-ness of the story...

However, i think they know what they're doing...

[Asmodeusz]

Confusion could be great in MP, but as far as SP is concerned, it could break the game for me if I couldn't figure WhatTF WhereTF WhenTF and HowTF. Another worrying thing for me is the plot part. I hope it's not:


Intro


Plot


Run-kill-run


Run-kill-run


Run-kill-run


Run-kill-run


Run-kill-run


Run-kill-run


Plot
End Game

^ this very overused scheme suck. And unfortunatelly it is extremely popular. A variation, with one "plot" point in the middle also suck. Plot and action should be interlaced in a way you can't make a scheme out of it.
:o

[Asmodeusz]

Well, i almost only have positive thoughts about Prey...
However, there is one thing that concerns me...

It's the gameplay feel... Sure, it looks nice, but we also got told that the story is a high quality storyline...
I think fast paced (sp) FPS action ala Ala Doom 3 doesn't fit too well with an emotional story like this... So, if it feels too much "running around blowing crap up"-like, it would destroy the serious-ness of the story...

However, i think they know what they're doing...

Yes, that's exactly my concern. There should be fast paced parts, but the game shouldn't be all fast paced at all.

[Micki!]

Glad you understand... And i hope HHS and 3DR are going at the same direction...

[Asmodeusz]

Well I'm afraid of the 3DR's "The point is the game shall be fun to play" approach. Because fun is not always equal to meaningful or deep.
In FPS such games are cool for MP (Unreal Tournament) but in SP a story driven game (Sin, Unreal 2) is my thing.

[Kristian Joensen]

Story driven/Character driven games is what 3D Realms is ALL about.

[Asmodeusz]

Good to see you saying that Kristian. As you are usually right... :)

/me crosses fingers

[Duke Rocks]

The main selling point for me is the main character. How often do you get a protaganist that doesn't really want that title? I can't wait to see how the person you play as(what's his name again??) goes from being an average joe to becoming a hero. I hope much of the story is developed around this.


Then there are the graphics. I have yet to see a title that makes better use of Doom 3 tech. I hope the art direction is not only good, but creative enough to keep me playing(from what I've seen so far though, I have nothing to worry about).


But there is a huge reason which may lead me to not want to buy the game at all.....the puzzles. Don't get me wrong, I'm not the kind of person that just wants to blast everything away, and in fact I do enjoy puzzles in games and I'm relatively good at figuring them out. But from what I've seen and heard of Prey, the puzzles look like they could be pretty damn difficult, confusing and frustrating-not a good combination.

I really can't see myself getting through Prey without a strategy guide, cheat codes, or posting online and reading walkthroughs-or all of the above.

I love puzzles when they fit into the real world, but when the whole levels and game are structured around them.....meh. I'll have to wait and read some reviews and maybe ask a few questions once the game hits shelves.

So in short, unlike DNF, I won't be holding a delivery truck driver at gunpoint so I can play the game a few hours before everyone else.(That is a joke, btw.:) )

[Asmodeusz]

Well I think it may have impact. the puzzles I mean. But on the other side you don't have to worry about dying, so maybe that makes it up...

PS. But yes, too crazy puzzles may kill the immersion of a game :(

[Duke Rocks]

Actually I'm more a fan of combat than puzzles-it keeps me on my toes, so yeah, I guess I DO like to worry about dying in games.

[Micki!]

Metroid Prime (1 and 2) had tons of puzzles...
However, every time i thought "damn, i need help for this" i figured how to clear it...

I don't think Prey eill focus THAT much on puzzles... And i don't think every puzzle will be like "urgh, i just cleared one hard puzzle, now there's another"
I think the puzzles will variate from easy to hard...

[Asmodeusz]

If there are any puzzles in Prey except for the Esher kind...

[Micki!]

Brick puzzles..? :P
"Damn, i can't find the last piece for the eifel tower..." :D

[Parkar]

Remeber that you will have Talon to give you hints through out the game, I bet the puzzles are no different.

[Micki!]

Remeber that you will have Talon to give you hints through out the game, I bet the puzzles are no different.

Yeah, that's true, i totally forgot about Talon...

[Asmodeusz]

If you are too dumb the bird will just go:

Talon: "Damn kid, I give up. Hit "~" type "nextlevelpleaseimdumb". I'm outta here"







" AND NO! "~" IS NOT A FRIGGIN' SMILEY ARGHHH!!!!"

[Micki!]

How cute, the bird can talk... :p

[Asmodeusz]

Actually it's a good question, Can the bird talk? If it does it should have Tony Hawks voice - he's the birdman after all ;P

[Parkar]

It translates alien writings but I don't think it has been mentioned how it comunicates the translation to Tommy.

[Asmodeusz]

There are two options then: Or it flies over a writting and it becomes readable in english, or he just says what is written - with subtitles probably.
Although when I look at the above options, it becomes almost clear it is the first one. It's more practical if I want to read the stuff again, or need it for let's say a doorcode or something.

[Micki!]

I bet Talon looks carefully on the writings, fly back to Tommy when done reading, and put on some glasses, and then translates the text in old british accent to Tommy... :D

[Gideon]

On the video it looks like it just automatically becomes readable via text overlay.

[Micki!]

NO!!!
British accent..! :nipple:

[Asmodeusz]

On the video it looks like it just automatically becomes readable via text overlay.

I thought so, it is what makes sense the most.
I suppose it is extremely hard to make a bird talk in a dark game like this, and not make it cheese...

[kaisersoze]

i'm really liking the art direction of the game from what we've seen so far.

the portal tech and enemies look great too. i think the game will deliver big time. i'll be buying it the day it ships. :)

[Gideon]

I'll be the first to say I DO NOT like the Doom3 engine. With that said, it's never looked better than it does with Prey. I think Human Head took the tech farther in many areas and I'm stunned with how great the game looks.

[Micki!]

I'll be the first to say I DO NOT like the Doom3 engine. With that said, it's never looked better than it does with Prey. I think Human Head took the tech farther in many areas and I'm stunned with how great the game looks.

Is that what people call a "sceptic compliment"..?:confused: :p
Anyways, i agree with both you and Kaiser... I especially like that the art looks so different from Doom, and still looks kinda similar... I can't tell why...

[Asmodeusz]

I'll be the first to say I DO NOT like the Doom3 engine. With that said, it's never looked better than it does with Prey. I think Human Head took the tech farther in many areas and I'm stunned with how great the game looks.

I hear you, I really think the Doom, Source and Crytek engines are REALLY inferior to the Unreal engine - but I think the Doom one will be the best used with Prey to date.
Proving again, nice graphics are not enough nowadays.

[Gideon]

I LOVE Unreal Tech. It's a damn near perfect editor (with a few issues) that has a great way to navigate through the viewports etc.

Doom tech is just too much like trying to build a skyscraper out of construction paper. The editor is clumbsy, it's built by programmers.

The next gen Unreal Tech is really amazing, and I can't wait to work with it. Working with anything else is a waste of time in my opinion. Even Prey, as much as I want to play this game, I doubt very seriously I'll mod it or make any levels due to the mindset behind the ed.

Unreal Tech literally blows Doom3 out of the water. That said, Prey is one of the best looking things I've seen in a long time, and I can't wait to see what it looks like in maximum detail on my "soon to be purchased" rig.

[Micki!]

Sounds like you would like Prey even better if it was being develloped with UEd..!
Well, Doom 3's engine has never looked any better than this imo...

But it sounds like it's the Doom editor you don't like, and not the engine...
In that case, i never tried any editor (at least not successfully) before, but i've heard that UEd is indeed better than most...

[Gideon]

It's the editor, and the engine I don't like. The engine can't handle that many polys as a rule. Unreal can. I think with prey that have overcome A LOT of the engines limitations, and added other things that are really amazing.

Don't get me wrong. Prey is the biggest game on my Radar right now with the exception of DNF. Sure, Quake Wars looks good too, but Prey is my prime interest for now.

[Micki!]

I understand..! ^^
Now, i wonder what the average maximum of AI's will be on the screen in Prey..!
That's one of Doom 3's other "bad things"...

[Theseus314]

Obviously I've no idea of what changes have been made to the engine, and this is just conjecture, it could all be wrong. But I'd imagine that limitations would be similar to Doom3. Although perhaps a little more forgiving, but only because PCs generally are a little bit faster now 15 months on.

Not showing the limitations of your technology / hardware is one of those big issues with level design, moreso these days because we're really having to make war with it to get it to do what we want, rather than making love, as it was closer to the Duke3D days. And this pretty much goes for all publically released tech, (I imagine it's worse with ID and Epic's new tech, but I've never played with it, so I don't know).

It's kinda silly, but I've always remembered what an English teacher told me about poetry, in that it was a collection of "The best words, used in the best places", and in a sense I've tried to apply this to the editing aspect of designing levels; balancing design features, versus that the dragon that is framerate is so important in making levels but it's always possible to make levels play great, no matter what tech you've been provided with. And the Doom technology is pretty awesome when you play to its strenghs, and find other ways to create fun to play (and look at) enviroments than by either filling them up with monsters, or making poly heavy enviroments.

[FireFly]

I've heard from various modders that the engine can actually handle very high polygon counts. I know Human Head have said they were limited with regards to the maximum number of enemies on screen at once, but I wonder if that's an issue with the shadowing system.

[Gideon]

I'd rather have a game use more detail and keep me in more controlled areas than give me an expansive area with medium details. Prey looks like it's done an above average job at this in the area of level design. There are a few things that look too blocky for me though, like this...

http://www.prey.com/images/preyscreen_12xx.jpg

I would have NEVER made a sphere if it had to be that low poly. That might be overly critical, but that's just me. The bird also seems a little low poly looking, even though he looks amazing. I like how he looks soft in contrast compared to the rest of the environment. I'm sure most of these concerns won't be all that noticable when the game is in motion, so I'm not gonna worry about that for now. But that's my main beef with the tech.

The water in the ocean habitat look really nice, I hope they look good in motion too.

I really can't judge this game cuz I havn't played it. But I'm REALLY looking forward to it.

[Asmodeusz]

I'd rather have a game use more detail and keep me in more controlled areas than give me an expansive area with medium details. Prey looks like it's done an above average job at this in the area of level design. There are a few things that look too blocky for me though, like this...

http://www.prey.com/images/preyscreen_12xx.jpg

I would have NEVER made a sphere if it had to be that low poly. That might be overly critical, but that's just me. The bird also seems a little low poly looking, even though he looks amazing. I like how he looks soft in contrast compared to the rest of the environment. I'm sure most of these concerns won't be all that noticable when the game is in motion, so I'm not gonna worry about that for now. But that's my main beef with the tech.

The water in the ocean habitat look really nice, I hope they look good in motion too.

I really can't judge this game cuz I havn't played it. But I'm REALLY looking forward to it.

For me, Prey may be a small visual tease at max, as Doom 3 will be probably a year old game when Prey is out. Besides, as Oblivion is close to release - I've never saw such a beautyfull FP game, so Prey won't have the WOW at graphics factor for me. And I don't really care that much as what I'm really looking forward is the playability.

At this point visuals in Prey, are only as important, as not making the game look too dated. The only possibility for it is the Daikatana path, judging by the current screenshots, It's really high on my list IF it's realeased within a year from now. :)

[Gideon]

I think there is tons of eyecandy in Prey.
Also, I would hope that Prey would be released in the next couple of months.

[Asmodeusz]

Just to be clear - I mean visuals tech wise, won't really surprise me. Orginality and lots of variations are the nice thing about graphics in the bits of Prey I saw.