Opinions on how TCR & FG are dealing with AAMFP criticism

[Cuyir]

I've always thought that it would be interesting to reverse the situation - let's say that A Machine For Pigs was the game that was released 3 years ago and The Dark Descent was the new release. I'm sure that there would be criticisms of that too when the two were compared. I can imagine people complaing about the following in TDD compared to the game that they were used to, AAMFP

Well said, Ossie.

[MyRedNeptune]

As long as I am myself a movie editor in the past and scriptwriter right now for 5 years already I can easily imagine, that the situation with a Machine of Pigs is ABSOLUTELY SATISFYING both for Frictional and Chinese Room. When my own works were and are causing just right now both positive and negative reactions I realize that I did make something unexpected and innovative. More than a pleasant feelings for an author I might say with my own personal life and working experience.

To be fair though, there are two things in this world that subvert peoples' expectations: innovations and bullshit.

Not suggesting anything, btw. Just pointing out a flaw in your logic.

[gremstein]

For me, it was more than just the interaction, although that was a HUGE part of why AMFP disappointed me. The other big thing for me was the lack of any real freedom of where to go or what to do. The only "linear" part of TDD I can recall is the beginning part, and it didn't bother me there because it was a setup level specifically so the player can get used to the controls and get a feel for the atmosphere. Once out of that area, you had a clear objective, but you could almost always choose what way to go about it first. For example, you could choose to check out the archives first, or you could go spelunking in the lab or the wine cellar, it was up to you. And then after the water monster chase, you could choose to screw around in the machine room, go upstairs to the guest room or the study area, or you could go down into storage.

The only time I recall having any real freedom in AMFP was when I arrived at the mixer, and I could choose to to go cold storage or whatever the other one was, and even then that part of the game was so short I barely remembered it. This sort of thing, combined with the environment interaction, is what made TDD so awesome and immersive. It's true being able to pick up and throw a random hammer served no real progressive purpose, but it made me feel more like I was there in this world they had created.

[Ossie]

I think this fits in the General discussion area as one of the games being discussed is of course AAMFP:

http://www.edge-online.com/features/the-...g-concept/

[Fortigurn]

Yeah... nah.

[Kurton]

[...] we were heavily penalised for the removal of the mechanics that featured in the original game. Why was that a problem? Well…it just was because, games, y’know, should have, like, mechanics. Duh!

I've yet to read any review, professional or otherwise, that criticized the removal of interactive elements only because "it's different." The grounds for this criticism was, as far as I can tell, that "less touchy, more walky" led to a heavily crippled sense of operational freedom/agency within the game's world. Maybe she's just lumping it together with the responses to Dear Esther though, I dunno.

[Lewk]

That was a great article, Ossie.

Yeah... nah.

I respect your opinion as I wish for you to respect mine.

[Kurton]

Yeah... nah.

I respect your opinion as I wish for you to respect mine.

The jarring difference between edits here made me chuckle.

[Paddy™]

It's not so much an article on diversity in games as it is a giant hand, waving away any and all criticism.

I already talked about the article in the Review thread so I'll shut up now.

I love Jess, she's always such a warm, bright, talented, and all-around lovely person and I think I have some sort of weird fanboy crush on her. But fuck this article.

[felixmole]

As I said, the sanity meter or the inventory are nothing but details, it wouldn't have changed anything had they left them on. Not sure she actually understands why some reviews were so bad.