Adventure Gamers - Forums

I was just thinking that the other day when I was trying for an hour withouth success to play Dream (Steam Early Access). Definitely No.

Unlike Strategy or Multiplayer FPS, Adventure games are not highly replayable games for me and I don’t want the first contact to be a buggy mess

Only in the way Double Fine will be doing alpha funding is it a good idea. Though if the game isn’t designed with an episodic structure in mind the result can be a less than ideal reception by customers and critics alike, like with The Raven.

Releasing a completely finished part of an adventure game early is alright, but since adventure games are unlike something like Minecraft or Prison Architect not very interesting to play once you already experienced the content, it doesn’t make a lot of sense as a customer to experience an unfinished adventure game. On the other hand, unfinished versions of Minecraft might have offered a different experience than the final version does. To see the game form over time while still being able to have fun with what you already got might even be of additional value.
But that’s because these games feature heavily simulated elements and a narrative that is merely implied and changes by what the player brings to the game, how he plays it and how the simulation of the game world plays out. Developers of such games give players the toolset to craft their own narratives, but they don’t preset a strictly scripted explicit narrative.

Simply put, adventure games are not really viable candidates for the alpha funding model, though episodic, piecemeal releases of finished, polished content can work for them.

Yeah, I don’t understand the sudden infatuation with all these alpha releases. It’s cool in theory to play a game early on but you’re really not going to get much enjoyment out of playing something in an unfinished, buggy state. There’s a reason testers get paid to endure the monotony of alphas so I’m not sure why you’d want to do it for free and for fun.

Yeah, releasing Alphas isn’t great.  You’re not really playing the game early - you’re playing an unfinished and buggy version.  Unless you’re really looking to help a team out and play the hell out of it, take notes, mark bugs…. it’s not worth it for anyone involved.

Bt

Lucien21 - 13 September 2013 05:06 PM

I would fundamentally disagree that adventure games are not replayable or interesting to play once you have completed the content.

I’ve replayed plenty of adventure games.

I’ve replayed adventure games too, but not for the gameplay. Once you know the solutions to the puzzles, they’re no challenge anymore, so you go through the motions, triggering the actions you know will lead to progress in the narrative or trying to find new content you might have possibly missed the previous times around. Nevertheless, it can be worth it to replay an adventure game, if just to experience the pre-set story by the author again, like it’s worth it to reread a book or rewatch a movie.

No. But I like to check alphas after completing the final do see how the game and ideas evolved. Lost Horizon did it well, unlocking part after the game was done. Also The Whispered Wor[l]d 2005 alpha was nice to check out after I finished the retail version.

OT: Speaking of Lost Horizon, I’m really worried what is being done with sequel.

According to Blizzard’s press release, which is partly in Wikipedia too, Warcraft Adventures wasn’t up to Blizzard standards. But I’ve also read that Blizzard (and whole industry) didn’t see future in 2D anymore and moved to 3D. Warcraft 3 came also in 3D.
I’ve always dreamed that as Blizzard is swimming in money, one day it allocates small team to finish and release WA. Not in alpha, but final form, not upgraded much, in 2D as it is. Just fix bugs, tie up loose ends, make it compatible etc. Not much money is needed even for marketing as Warcraft is pretty known name by now. Even better would be free game, of course. Let’s say, to market the upcoming movie.

And jumping back to Lost Horizon 2 3D and direct control topic - yes, there are lot to learn from, but I guess Animation Arts hopes to better mistakes of Jack Keane 2, Broken Sword 3, and I suppose - though I’m yet to play the Fenimore Fillmore trilogy - Wanted: A Wild Western Adventure.

tomimt - 14 September 2013 12:57 PM

From what I’ve understood Warcraft Adventures was pretty far in terms of content and such. Some time ago there was a quite a lenghty Youtube video where some russian dude was playing through the alpha version of the game.

Yep

Its look pretty good.