[KasiaD]

Originally Posted by Keregioz

I'm halfway through and it's more boring than ever...and I only got there using a walkthrough cause otherwise I would have fallen asleep...

hahaha
No hope for improvement then.
I forgot to mention how bored I got playing Jack Keane - the only thing that kept me playing for a couple of hours was the sense of humour - which was so bad.. Really, sometimes so bad that almost funny, in a pathetic way.

[AndreaDraco83]

Originally Posted by Pavel4444

In another thread you told somebody to stay away from Moment of Silence. What if they would play it and love it? You can state your opinion, but don't tell people to stay away of some game, especially one that was generally liked.

The Moment of Silence could be generally liked: does that means that the game is good? I don't think so: in the thread you're quoting, someone asked personal opinions on the game - so I gave my personal opinion.

Anyway, I didn't think that "stay away from that game" would make such a strong argument: it's a pretty common expression in Italian, and it doesn't have the imperative feeling that you describe. Even if it has, it was clearly a personal statement, since I've no reason - I'm not conducting a purge toward TMoS: I know that many people liked it, as I know that many people disliked it - to say something ab solutum: it's just a matter of opinion and if it was the case that TMoS arose in many threads in few days, it's not my fault - from now on, in every thread I happen to read <<Moment of Silence>>, I'll look out not to express myself.

[Martin Gantefoehr]

By the way, seeing that you're from Italy, which version of the game did you play? The English or the Italian one?

[AndreaDraco83]

The Italian version of the game, published by NeWave Italia.

Are there some differences between the two versions?

[Martin Gantefoehr]

Originally Posted by AndreaDraco83

The Italian version of the game, published by NeWave Italia.

Are there some differences between the two versions?

The language, obviously.

I'm only asking because you've quite harshly criticised the quality of the voice acting and dialogue. The Italian version was translated and dubbed entirely by our Italian publisher. We had no creative control over the process. (We don't know Italian.)

The English version, on the other hand, was edited and directed by me personally. That's not to say it's anywhere near perfect (-- it isn't). But I think that it is of higher quality than various other versions (Polish, Russian, Italian, Czech) that were translated and dubbed without our direct involvement.

[AndreaDraco83]

When I criticized the Italian translation and voice acting, I wasn't by any means criticizing your work, of course. I was only pointing out one of the reason I didn't like the game.

I don't know if I can find a streaming video of the opening sequence in Italian: if I could, I'm sure that - even if you don't understand Italian - you'll agree with me that the main character has a really awful voice.

This problem, plus the pathfinding glitch, really ruined my enjoyment of the game, disrupting the necessary suspension of disbelief and making me aware that I was playing a game, rather than making me think I'm actually inside the game.

[Martin Gantefoehr]

Originally Posted by AndreaDraco83

I wasn't by any means criticizing your work, of course.

Yes, you were, of course! -- and that's perfectly fine with me. (Trust me, I've heard far, far, FAR worse in the course of the last ten years.)

Your feedback is valuable in any case. It helps us identify and understand production problems that could be adressed (or at the very least: taken into account) for future titles.

[Kazmajik]

I remember being excited about Moment of Silence before it came out, and then the reality of playing it left me rather unenthusiastic. I mean, it had its moments, and overall I found the story somewhat compelling, but the gameplay too restrictive and linear. The world seemed a little too vacant and unreal. One minor gripe is whenever you go to a certain place, there's a camera zoom effect of going up the street, which was fine the first time, but it happened every single time you went there and really had no purpose. Same with riding the elevator, which got repetitive (to emulate a real elevator experience?) also. And the ending puzzle annoyed me.

It's been awhile since I played the game, and I'm sure I'm forgetting a lot of things about the game, both good and bad, but that might be the root of the problem. Ultimately, I didn't find it to be a memorable game. It never made that leap into the realm of greatness, but these days, there aren't too many games that do, so I guess it's in the right company.

[Pavel4444]

Originally Posted by AndreaDraco83

The Italian version of the game, published by NeWave Italia.

Are there some differences between the two versions?

Your English seems good, why on earth did you get the Italian version?

[Fantasysci5]

I agree with Pavel. Andrea-your English is immpeckable, although my spelling is certainly not.

[AndreaDraco83]

It was the only version to come onto the shelves, here in Italy. I picked up the game years ago - when I wasn't even registered to this forum - without having too much information about it, so I was stuck with the horrible Italian dubbing. It was the same problem I had with other two games: Runway (although this was not a problem, since I don't like very much humorous adventures) and Culpa Innata.

The problem, for Culpa Innata e The Moment of Silence, was also that I don't like the sci-fi/cyberpunk setting, unless I feel it very human and warm, realistic and vivid (Blade Runner, the movie, or the Tex Murphy series): I surely don't like the hyper-bureaucratic, Big Brother-y type of game, nor the themes of authority vs. individuality that such games often bring up (I like the themes in our present/past days, but for some reason I can't care less about them in a future setting).

[Fantasysci5]

Wow-Andrea. I am so glad I am not the only one who doesn't really like humorous adventure games. I thought I was the only one. A little bit of humor in a game is wonderful, but a game with no serious moments and all funny is just not something I really enjoy. "The Longest Journey" had really funny moments, but also balanced it out with serious/sad moments, and did it the best way I've seen. On the other hand, I can't get very far in "Grim Fandango" because it seems like a comedy, but since everyone loves it and says the plot/characters are so wonderful, I have to trudge on!

[AndreaDraco83]

Originally Posted by Fantasysci5

On the other hand, I can't get very far in "Grim Fandango" because it seems like a comedy, but since everyone loves it and says the plot/characters are so wonderful, I have to trudge on!

I dare not tell what I think of Grim Fandango

Not a fan, simply.

[Jelena]

Originally Posted by AndreaDraco83

It was the only version to come onto the shelves, here in Italy. I picked up the game years ago - when I wasn't even registered to this forum - without having too much information about it, so I was stuck with the horrible Italian dubbing.

I guess convincing you to buy the English version is to ask too much, but it would be interesting to know whether you liked the game better in English. It seems somewhat unfair to the game (which I liked btw) that the Italian voices ruined a big part of your experience. I'd be happy to lend you my English copy for as much time as you need to play it. PM me if you're up for it.

[AndreaDraco83]

Thank you, Jelena, for the nice offer. I will consider it

A thought: I'm all for subtitles in cinema, and I'm for subtitles even in games. Or, at least, for a language choice between the original and the translated one.

Another example: here in Italy, The Longest Journey was only subbed, but Dreamfall was fully translated - and the actor playing Crow is really awful.

[Fantasysci5]

Andrea-thank God. I just don't find purely amusing games funny. In our PM, I would love to hear your thoughts on "Grim Fandango". I found most of your "reviews" you give me to be beneficial and fun to hear! So please, do tell me, at least in the PM, if you are afraid of the reprucusions of "Grim Fandango"-adoring fans. I know I was when I said my misgivings about Syberia!

I like subtitles if someone has an accent or I miss a word, so I can see exactly what they're saying, if the subtitles are done right. Okay, dense moment-can you explain the difference between subbed and translated, please? *blush*

Oh no!!!!! Crow is awesome, at least I think so, though others do not. It seems no one likes sidekicks, like I love Crow and Cedric (from Kings Quest 5).

[Keregioz]

Originally Posted by Fantasysci5

Okay, dense moment-can you explain the difference between subbed and translated, please? *blush*

Subbed means that there are subtitles in different languages but the voices (audio) remain in English (or whatever the original language is). When we say translated we mean the actual voice has been replaced from english to a different language using different voice actors.
For example andrea played the italian translated version of MOS so the voice actors were different and the overall quality of the voice acting (according to andrea) much worst than the original in english.

P.s. Andrea, I 've told you that before, from the way some people here seem to have interest in your opinions, I can't help but think that they believe you are a girl ...

[Keregioz]

Originally Posted by KasiaD

hahaha
No hope for improvement then.
I forgot to mention how bored I got playing Jack Keane - the only thing that kept me playing for a couple of hours was the sense of humour - which was so bad.. Really, sometimes so bad that almost funny, in a pathetic way.

I've made some progress in the game yesterday (always with a walkthrough) and the game got kind of interesting in the fourth chapter. But the whole experience is ruined for me now anyway from the awful first half of the game.

[crabapple]

Originally Posted by Fantasysci5

On the other hand, I can't get very far in "Grim Fandango" because it seems like a comedy, but since everyone loves it and says the plot/characters are so wonderful, I have to trudge on!

Grim Fandango never seemed like a comedy to me -- not in the way Sam & Max or Day of the Tentacle or most of the other LucasArts games were. The humor in Grim Fandango was more low key than in those games, and maybe appeals more to fans of the film noir movie genre that it parodied.

[Fantasysci5]

Thank you very much, Keregioz. Now I remember that, and I don't know why I didn't know it earlier. lol

Andrea is a...boy???!!! *shock gasp horror faint* lol Just kidding. Although I must admit, that detail escaped my notice. Oops, sorry, Andrea!!!!