Caltrops - Rants - Re: How does the Holy Goat of Power feel about all this?

Forum Overview :: Rants

by The Holy Goat of Power 12/28/2004, 7:35pm PST

This subject is beneath me other than a mild amusement I feel over a lurker who insists on using the one nick specially designated for anonymity in this forum seeking recognition for his individual achievements. I am too busy loving the fuck out of Dark Cloud 2 at the moment.

While it's no Devil May Cry in terms of fighting mechanics, its ridiculously convoluted weapon leveling system coupled with the sporgasboard of side activities you can dabble in -all of which increase one stat or another- makes this a far more enjoyable game for me than Diablo 2. The plot and setting suck, but the game's almost apologetic treatment of them makes them a nonissue for me. I'd rather play a game with lots of fun things to do and a minimal background to justify doing them than a drawn-out Square crapfest shoving the same plot down my throat and cursing me for not having an emotional reaction to its amateur soap-opera storytelling.

Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic is also intensely fun, combining all that was good about Heroes of Might and Magic 3 with all that was good about Warlords 3 (not sure if the AI's as devious, though) with a sense of humor that makes it clear that they're not taking themselves and their little plot seriously. Just don't bother with the campaign mode and stick with skirmish scenarios.

Beyond Good and Evil also heralded the deathknell of RPGs as we know them, being a game with enjoyable, real-time controls and an epic and touching plot. Why would anyone want to go back to wading through menus to tell a static fighter to "drink potion" with the plot (which will probably be terrible) as the only payoff ever again?