OT: Master of Magic 2 - now looking quite likely

Arryn · #1 July 18th, 2004, 04:34 AM

Gandalf,

The only thing I can add to your reply is don't rely overmuch on what you read in trade press (for any particular trade). I get rags for my trade (software consulting) and what I read rarely jives with what I see in the real world around me. The same was true when I was in network support a decade ago. A friend of mine is a hotel manager and what he reads in his industry's trade rags bears little resemblence to reality according to the stories he tells me.

Plus, limiting yourself to just what you read about US developers (even assuming it's true for them) is hardly representative of the broader context of the global economy. You'd see that your trade is prospering quite nicely if you'd cross that big chunk of water to our east.

And please, please don't remind me about outsourcing. My Last permanent job ended up in Calcutta. I'm am still quite sore (a massive understatement; I'm livid) about it.

Norfleet · #2 July 18th, 2004, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gandalf Parker:
They get our geeks jobs, and send our geeks wives.

Actually, if they steal all your jobs, pretty soon they won't need to send you any wives because you'll be poor, and it'll be your turn to send THEM wives.

major^3 · #3 July 20th, 2004, 11:20 PM

i hope bethesda does a good job on FO3... cuz if its in the same style of MOrrowind the whole feel is going to be ruined...

Arryn · #4 July 20th, 2004, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by major^3:
i hope bethesda does a good job on FO3... cuz if its in the same style of MOrrowind the whole feel is going to be ruined...

I doubt you have that particular issue to fear. FO is top-down isometric view and MW is first-person. If FO was made using a MW-style engine, it wouldn't *be* FO anymore, except in name. I don't honestly think Bethesda could be *that* stupid. The bigger worry is that they'd keep the format the same as in FO/FO2, but lose the irreverent, tongue-in-cheek humor that made the original so popular. IOW, put out a POS game like Lionheart (built using the FO engine by an "no-name" developer, instead of Black Isle, for Interplay), which was not only tedious and boring, but horrendously buggy (adding insult to injury).

But Bethesda does have a tendency to try to get things right, and to take however long it takes to do so (as opposed to rushing stuff to market). Morrowind (and their earlier games) may have their flaws, but they weren't *bad* games.

It's JA3 I'm worried about, not FO3. I see the same thing happening with JA3 that happened with Lionheart, and for the same reason.

Vicious Love · #5 July 21st, 2004, 12:17 AM

Getting back on topic here: Woohoo! MoM 2!
Let the festivities begin!

Incidentally, StarDock were originally unsure of whether to remake MoM or Star Control II. Their choice of games fills me with optimistic fuzzytude.

Update: Correction, either a remake of MoM, or a sequel to StarCon II. Which doesn't suck. ***. With gusto.

[ July 20, 2004, 23:23: Message edited by: Vicious Love ]

archaeolept · #6 July 21st, 2004, 12:22 AM

i'm pretty sure Bethesda are going to make fallout first person realtime ie. like morrowind. you think they're going to go develop a new engine when they have a perfectly servicible one?

the real Q is whether they can create something w/ the original feel, at least as far as setting, story and interaction, if not as to game dynamics.

Norfleet · #7 July 21st, 2004, 02:14 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by archaeolept:
the real Q is whether they can create something w/ the original feel, at least as far as setting, story and interaction, if not as to game dynamics.

No, the real question is whether they can code something where you don't have to hop up on top of furniture so you can't be reached while repeatedly shooting your opponent because he won't die when shot.

A related question is whether you still have to bunny-hop around the map because it beats walking.