This is how ...

[Haunty]

I am liking Valheim. I don't see anything too special about it yet though, it's very similar to other survival games, just different parts stuck together. Some things remind me of Terraria like the map generation and the crafting progression and the biomes.

[blundertwink]

2 hours ago, Haunty said:

I am liking Valheim. I don't see anything too special about it yet though, it's very similar to other survival games, just different parts stuck together. Some things remind me of Terraria like the map generation and the crafting progression and the biomes.

honestly...there's nothing especially unique about Valheim.

 

It is similar to many other games, but that's kind of why it shines -- they created a satisfying experience that is a refined representation of the genre. It might feel similar to games you've played before...because the same concepts that worked for other games work for Valheim. Many concepts feel familiar without feeling repetitive (IMO). 

 

i feel like that's the opposite approach that NQ took with DU -- there's a lot of novelty without purpose in DU.

 

No NPCs or AI in an MMO -- okay, great...you've sold a lot of people on the concept of player-driven everything -- but how will that work, exactly? How do you balance all the game loops lost because "players do everything"? NQ was never able to really answer this question (and a host of other ones) -- sadly, i highly doubt they will ever be able to. 

 

it's like JC looked at the whole of MMO gaming history and thought "I can do much better" without really understanding the dynamics behind the design.

 

Valheim does a fantastic job at cherrypicking the dynamics that work for survival games and creating a cohesively fun experience -- NQ goes the opposite route to be different without really understanding the nature of those differences. 

[blazemonger]

4 hours ago, ShippyLongstalking said:

i feel like that's the opposite approach that NQ took with DU -- there's a lot of novelty without purpose in DU.

 

This is very true. NQ, by being stubborn in their wanting to reinvent the wheel for everything they do and not wanting to embrace tried and tested ways of doing things in MMO games while putting their own twist on it, has made their own lives difficult and it is not unlikely because they lack the experience in the things they are trying to do which makes not doing thing in a more conventional way even harder.

 

NQ has always lived in the bubble which told them that all they needed to do was build the sandbox and thousands upon thousands would come and spend their money building the content for ones that do not have the ability. Even now, with reality having caught up with them, they still seem to think that is what will happen.