GTA Online - The Saga Continues

[BinnZ]

I don't totally agree on that video. Well, they have a point of course, but I don't think it is a problem. Every major publisher got its ways to poor every last drop of income out of a successful title. That's logic. I would do the same as a publisher. GTA O has become enormously big and has so many parallel features, each introduced with a new dlc, but it's not that one doesn't w0#k anymore. They sort of create a rage on a new feature, it will pass. It keeps the game surprising and fresh, for as long as it lasts. You see people drive around in lowriders now? No, but the lowriders are still cool and unique. If a new player finds out about it, it's still a joyful thing.
I think this video is based more on other games being displayed, and of course those titles wear off, no matter how much now content they throw at us. Eventually a new game will rise to entertain us. What I find interesting in the vid is his comments on Civ V. Is that true? I mean, I remember some of the things Fragger told us about the comparison and the disappointment. Then again, maybe it was indeed a good idea.
UBI*bleep* never managed the create a FC2.1. All the new FC titles were a shadow of that great experience. But there will be something else coming.

I'd like to compare game design to art; music, dance, drama, paintings whatever. People tend to go on with a certain theme until the power's gone. Then it's time for something really creative. And like my old teacher used to tell me; true artists are their times ahead at least 20 years.

[fragger]

I didn't really agree with what he said about the Civilization series. Civ IV and Civ V were as different as chalk and cheese. I never got into IV as I just didn't like it (don't like VI either) so I can't really testify to it, but I do know there were a number of expansion packs for it, just as Civ V has had two major expansions. But this is the difference between Civ's expansions and the usual kinds of DLC for many other games: the expansion packs for V (and, from what I can gather, IV) are literal game-changers which not only added a plethora of new stuff and tightened up the gameplay, but entirely re-wrote substantial parts of the core game (such as how a Cultural victory in V is achieved in the game's expanded form. It is nothing like how it was achieved in the vanilla game). The original game was excellent, but the expanded version is superb. The changes are permanent, so if you want to play vanilla again, you'd have to uninstall the lot and reinstall just the vanilla. I can't imagine why anybody would want to return to vanilla after playing the fully expanded game though - that WOULD be a step backwards. Many steps backwards, actually.

I don't consider the expansion packs for Civ games as being typical examples of DLC being offered simply to sustain interest in an established game. For instance, Civ V's EXPs comprise significantly major innovations, so much so that the game now is strategically enormous compared to the original - not just in terms of the generous amount of new options, discoveries (from a completely reworked tech tree), cultures and units, but in the introduction of sweeping new concepts such as Espionage, Religion, Archaeology and the World Congress. And each of those new additions represents myriad new strategic options for the player.

Civ V wasn't merely expanded upon - it evolved and developed in a progressive manner, eventually culminating in the meticulously polished and refined future classic it has become. It didn't just have tweaks applied and superficial stuff added to it, so I don't think it really belongs in this (the video's) discussion.

The other thing too about IV vs. V is that V was a total re-imagining of the concept, rebuilt from the ground up. It HAD to be, because of all the significant departures from earlier established Civ conventions: A hexagonal grid instead of a square one, elimination of unit "stacking" (i.e. having more than one unit within a single space), the aforementioned brand-new concepts like Religion and such, and the list goes on. I don't think it matters how experienced a player may have been with IV, or any earlier version of Civ. V was a totally new experience for everyone, veteran Civvers and newcomers to the franchise alike. I never felt like it was a step back - it's a whole new game altogether.

Firaxis have gone well beyond the extra yard with their EXPs, and the devs' passion for Civ V is evident in numerous ways - the beautiful artwork, the elegant design and usability of its interface, the depth of its gameplay, and its practically glitch-free operation (I've never had a hang, a CTD or any kind of game-breaking glitch while playing Civ V, ever). Their pride in their game (in the case of V anyway) is highly evident. These folks care about the quality of what they offer. Sid Meier once said that he attributes the success of his games to the fact that he and his buddies make games for themselves to play - and play them they do. I think that makes a big difference.

[Art Blade]

that was a very elaborate post and worthwhile reading. I can see how different the approaches are regarding "DLC" and how much more went into the Civ franchise.

+1

[BinnZ]

Thanks for your opinion on the Vid regarding Civ, Fragger. I think I was mistaken by the numbers, and thought to recognize the difference between V and VI instead. But your explanation makes it quite clear that it indeed doesn't belong in this video either. 

[fragger]

Cheers guys

[LowPolyOWG]

 

Hospital bills have started to increase for my character this month I am currently having a blast with the cops and convenience stores. Went to a random session yesterday and caused mayhem in my Hydra

Also found a new method to clear gang attacks. I just do the same thing as Art and Nomad did. Call the cops after triggering the attack. When the cops show up, I kill them, until I have a 4 star wanted level. An Armoured Kuruma or any bulletproof vehicle is necessary, you can't survive cops/angry gangsters shooting at you. Also, cops despawn when you get killed so this process can be tedious if you don't have a bulletproof vehicle. You might want to escape the cops quickly so either call (Mo)Lester or use the SecuroServ "Bribe Authorities" ability. Or, just have a shootout

[Art Blade]

"molester" nice one

Yep, we did that a lot. But you forgot to mention that you found out that if you destroy the cops' car, they respawn = more cop power.

[LowPolyOWG]

Yeah, forgot that. But that only apply to cops that's not chasing you. I discovered the same thing in SP, the game stops spawning police if their car is nearby.

Btw, Trevor calls Lester "Lester the Molester" in the singleplayer game.

Shoutout to BinnZ promoting me to Crew Commisioner

[BinnZ]

 

... err, shootout? Should I be worried?

[LowPolyOWG]

Oops, I mean shoutout

[Art Blade]

 

[BinnZ]

 

[fragger]

See what playing violent video games does to you?

[LowPolyOWG]

 

[Art Blade]