Miasmata trailer 2

[luzburg]

Miasmata is a first-person survival/adventure game

 

Its not an RPG though, well at least not how I see RPGs. I suppose you are playing the role of the lead character but by that logic you could call Call of Duty a role playing game too. Perhaps I just see character creation as central to what an RPG is to me. Anything else is secondary really. Does that game have levelling and stats and such?

[JanusForbeare]

Plenty of old-school RPGs didn't have character creation. In fact, the genre started with text-based games where you barely had a "character" at all. Much of the Ultima series, which many people would agree defined the genre in its infancy, put you in an assigned role, with a standardized character.

 

To me, an RPG is a game that is multi-pathed, with an open world intended for exploration, and usually has multiple dialogue options. Even that is open to interpretation; in the broadest sense, a "role playing video game" is about the player being immersed in a complex, fictional world that can be interacted with in a variety of ways.

 

That said, trying to define RPG is going to be as difficult as trying to define lore (a constant and unending battle on these forums). I think it really comes down to your personal experiences and expectations of the genre.

[slainia]

Nosiab - none of us are really saying the technical comments will stop us from playing. Buying any kind of game means taking different elements of it into consideration. I think pretty much everyone has indicated that they see a fair bit of potential in the game.

The Dear Esther game thing - the concept of having no interaction - really isn't my cup of tea (i'd rather read a book or whatever, sometimes maybe watch a movie) but the game definitely has potential even outside that.

I think most people are going to want quality graphics and technical details, if only because in some ways they allow for more depth - think of the map for example. (i really like it, as far as I can tell from the 1 trailer.)

I meant no criticism, but yourself said it all, it is not without interaction (actually it brought "alchemy" to another level) but looks like you'll be going from a narrative of the guy's sickness to into finding (or not) a cure.

 

If, just for example, this is not your cup of tea, the graphics may not help a bit.

 

Does not matter, for a lot of people the quality is in the varnish anyway. Whatever the judgement, it would be subjective.

 

I think you've missed what I was trying to say, but anyway.

[luzburg]

Plenty of old-school RPGs didn't have character creation. In fact, the genre started with text-based games where you barely had a "character" at all. Much of the Ultima series, which many people would agree defined the genre in its infancy, put you in an assigned role, with a standardized character.

 

To me, an RPG is a game that is multi-pathed, with an open world intended for exploration, and usually has multiple dialogue options. Even that is open to interpretation; in the broadest sense, a "role playing video game" is about the player being immersed in a complex, fictional world that can be interacted with in a variety of ways.

 

That said, trying to define RPG is going to be as difficult as trying to define lore (a constant and unending battle on these forums). I think it really comes down to your personal experiences and expectations of the genre.

`

 

Yep thats true. My first RPG was Mystic Quest and that didn't have char creation. It didn't have choices either though, Final Fantasy is extremely linear. After thinking about it, I'm going to say levelling stats/ attributes/perks and being able to change weapons/armour/clothes are probably even more core to an RPG than char creation.

[thompsonar]

*Myst. That was my thought as well.

 

 

Thanks for the spell correction, I couldn't for the life of me remember if it was a "y" or and "i." Switched it back and forth a couple times before posting.

 

I enjoyed Myst for a while but ultimately got worn out on all the puzzles. I think I finished it though (not sure) but never picked up Riven.

 

I hope Miasmata has a little more life. Wildlife, people, something. The description gave the impression that there was one "creature" and that is your only enemy (besides the virus I guess?). I hope that's not the case. Everything is just kind of assumptions at this point I guess but it doesn't look like there are stats/levels, or character customization.

[nakakita]

 

I did! I think they're still sitting in a box in my parents house somewhere. I actually loved them... I never played Myst (though I enjoyed Riven), but the books really brought the series to life for me.

 

Even if there aren't many weapons in Miasmata (there are some, clearly - the player picked up a knife in one of the trailers) I think I'm really going to enjoy this game, simply for the feeling of returning to the old-school RPG genre.

 

You know, that's almost creepy. What are the odds? Anyway, I missed the knife, but I only watched part of it, and was a bit distracted at the time. (Bad kitty.) I didn't actually mind lack of weapons in Myst, except for that final scene (for Riven), where it was just so unfair. But well, you had a trap, so it all worked anyway? There were similar endings in game 3. In the original, if you make mistakes you won't die.. you just get life imprisonment.

 

One of the funniest things about the original Myst though is that you can 'finish' the game in about 3 minutes if you know what you're doing. But of course, that isn't the 'fun' way at all. There's a lot of little things in Myst (like the frogs in Riven, if you remember that?) that unnerve you just a bit while not being completely obviously 'evil'. More unease than just shock tactics. You don't interact with the other characters much, but you get an idea of their personality by looking at the areas they created for themselves. Then again, that's one of the best ways to find out about real people.. Not by listening to what they say, but by watching their actions, and looking at their stuff.

 

And I actually stick some of Exile's soundtrack in TES games. It fits really well. I think the best thing about Myst gameplay-wise though, was that while you got hints, and occasionally vague orders.. you had to figure things out yourself. There was a guide-option if you're really stuck, but I ended up doing the ages completely backwards because I didn't use it. But that didn't matter which was nice. Now I'm wanting to play Myst again. Or some other game that isn't trying to direct my actions though helpful 'hints' that I don't need.

 

I hope Miasmata has a little more life. Wildlife, people, something. The description gave the impression that there was one "creature" and that is your only enemy (besides the virus I guess?). I hope that's not the case. Everything is just kind of assumptions at this point I guess but it doesn't look like there are stats/levels, or character customization.

 

Yeah, that would be nice. That was my only real issue with Myst. It made sense that there was no one around, but it still felt.. so lonely.

 

I wonder if you'll at least get to see the character in cutscenes? Myst didn't have this because 'You' are the character. You can see your own hands, know your own strengths, weaknesses, ect, and do not have any foreknowledge of everything in Myst's world. But the main character in Miasmata obviously isn't you.