JohnathanStrange
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A quick search revealed the usual stuff about the game, but has anyone seen any new online articles about M&B since May?
Any New Buzz Outside The Forum About M&B?
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JohnathanStrange
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Actually, I saw that thread but was seeking internet articles that could be linked to so that we all could share them and be able to refer to others online.
Sollars
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I wrote one, if it's any interest.
http://www.sollars.co.uk/games/m&b/index.htm
I don't think it will receive too much wide spread web based media attention until the game goes gold. But seeing such huge support for a game in beta is surely a great indication of what the final product will achieve. The fact that it's currently receiving media attention from major publications can do nothing but boost the community base and increase sales when the game is finished.
I think that Armagan has released this product through very sensible means. If we look at other independant development houses, there is no media coverage up until the launch, at which point it's a desperate scramble to get people to buy it. By making it such an open beta, the game has achieved marketing through word of mouth and has a strong community prior to its release. This, more than anything, speaks volumes of the quality of the product.
A bit off topic, sorry.
http://www.sollars.co.uk/games/m&b/index.htm
I don't think it will receive too much wide spread web based media attention until the game goes gold. But seeing such huge support for a game in beta is surely a great indication of what the final product will achieve. The fact that it's currently receiving media attention from major publications can do nothing but boost the community base and increase sales when the game is finished.
I think that Armagan has released this product through very sensible means. If we look at other independant development houses, there is no media coverage up until the launch, at which point it's a desperate scramble to get people to buy it. By making it such an open beta, the game has achieved marketing through word of mouth and has a strong community prior to its release. This, more than anything, speaks volumes of the quality of the product.
A bit off topic, sorry.
DJ Dethnutz
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Yeah, excessive media exposure before release can even be a bad thing (remember Daikatana?) So if it's not getting a whole ton it doesn't matter too much, just enough to whet peoples appetites... then it goes Gold and we shall all pimp it like we have never pimped before, and new people will come and see the complete game and go NUTS.
OddjobXL
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Heh. Imagine if Daikatana actually had an open beta as a promotion like M&B does. Do you think it would have anything like the warm reaction M&B's getting? No, this is the right way to go. Word of mouth. And any incidental coverage is gravy.
But be realistic. When M&B is actually released with trumpets sounding, red carpet rolled out, and curtain raised the coverage will point out many of the shortcomings we tend to look over. Hell, we're sympathizers. Most of us know this is a small shop and we cut alot of slack because they've got some amazing gameplay elements in there and we want to see more. But I'm not so sure we've really got a game yet just cool bits we love to death.
My advice would be to keep working on M&B as they are now and coordinating heavily with the modding community, as they are now, on making M&B a very popular subject for that community. That'll give it very long legs and keep softselling new customers. But I'd wait on M&B II with alot more content and depth before sticking it in a box and looking for a publisher. Better not to rush things. First impressions stick in the gaming community.
But be realistic. When M&B is actually released with trumpets sounding, red carpet rolled out, and curtain raised the coverage will point out many of the shortcomings we tend to look over. Hell, we're sympathizers. Most of us know this is a small shop and we cut alot of slack because they've got some amazing gameplay elements in there and we want to see more. But I'm not so sure we've really got a game yet just cool bits we love to death.
My advice would be to keep working on M&B as they are now and coordinating heavily with the modding community, as they are now, on making M&B a very popular subject for that community. That'll give it very long legs and keep softselling new customers. But I'd wait on M&B II with alot more content and depth before sticking it in a box and looking for a publisher. Better not to rush things. First impressions stick in the gaming community.
I'm afraid that's the way how things go. We don't expect much from this game, because it's in beta and currently only 3 people are working on it. So when we play it, we are pleasantly surprised.
If this were hl2, and had all the hype surrounding hl2, people would absolutely hate the game, and point out every single flaw, nomatter how trivial.
For some reason i'd like to point out all the stuff that M&B would get criticised on if it were a proper game.
-there's no voice acting. All the people talk through text which is quite lame.
-There's no proper physics or ragdoll effects. There's only one death animation.
-The game isn't immersive, because you are constantly being switched between different levels whenever you go somewhere.
-There's (almost) no bump-mapping, and sub-par shine effects.
-The bows and crossbows don't actually have string, and the staves don't bend when you pull the string back.
-The walk/run animation doesn't look right, the feet don't properly adhere to the ground.
-Characters cannot cast shadows on themselves. (so you have a guy with a fullbright face behind a large concealing visor.)
-There's very little content (we knew this already)
-The way people materialize out of nowhere in battle isn't realistic.
-there are no decals (blood, wounds, marks on walls) in the game.
-You can't chop off anybody's head.
-You can't kill named NPC characters.
-The fire effects from the burning torches looks really cheesy, and doesn't even provide a flickering lightsource.
It's amazing how much dirt you can find on a game, if you think like a fanboy. This can be done with pretty much any game. There's always some anally retentive person willing to point out flaws, no matter how trivial, in a game.
All i'm hoping for is that Mount&Blade will be as good as it can be.
If this were hl2, and had all the hype surrounding hl2, people would absolutely hate the game, and point out every single flaw, nomatter how trivial.
For some reason i'd like to point out all the stuff that M&B would get criticised on if it were a proper game.
-there's no voice acting. All the people talk through text which is quite lame.
-There's no proper physics or ragdoll effects. There's only one death animation.
-The game isn't immersive, because you are constantly being switched between different levels whenever you go somewhere.
-There's (almost) no bump-mapping, and sub-par shine effects.
-The bows and crossbows don't actually have string, and the staves don't bend when you pull the string back.
-The walk/run animation doesn't look right, the feet don't properly adhere to the ground.
-Characters cannot cast shadows on themselves. (so you have a guy with a fullbright face behind a large concealing visor.)
-There's very little content (we knew this already)
-The way people materialize out of nowhere in battle isn't realistic.
-there are no decals (blood, wounds, marks on walls) in the game.
-You can't chop off anybody's head.
-You can't kill named NPC characters.
-The fire effects from the burning torches looks really cheesy, and doesn't even provide a flickering lightsource.
It's amazing how much dirt you can find on a game, if you think like a fanboy. This can be done with pretty much any game. There's always some anally retentive person willing to point out flaws, no matter how trivial, in a game.
All i'm hoping for is that Mount&Blade will be as good as it can be.
