Topic: Epic Mickey - Wii Exclusive

[SilverGrey]

I was just curious. I think it's a series that is worth trying one of the games (watching does tell you something of the game, but playing is still recommended), though which one would be tough to say since many of them are so different. I don't really like Final Fantasy myself, but one thing I do, that I encourage others to do as well, if possible, is make a point of owning at least one game in every established series. Whether or not I actually like/play it is another matter entirely. But that's just me, I like to be experienced in a wide array of games, even ones for which I don't much care.

I think that's a fair assessment.  Here is my main problem with Final Fantasy, and please remember I  know next to nothing about the series so I'm not sure this is the case, I do not understand turn-based fighting (and no, never played Pokemon either).  If something is illogical to me, I have a hard time motivating myself to be interested.  The other thing I don't really care for is how you can be going along, and then suddenly get sucked into a battle.  I don't like that, I like to know what's coming, I find being pulled from my course to be very jarring to my gameplay experience.  And also, Final Fantasy has always struck me as rather angsty, and I have enough people in my life who are angsty without adding to it in my games.  So, there you have it, my justification for never having played Final Fantasy.  I own a Playstation 2 entirely for the existence of KH1 and KH2, and also Okami.  Aside from that, it's a DVD player.

[Mop it up]

Which aspect of turn-based fighting do you not understand? Is it how it works, or how to strategize? Or, does it have more to do with the logistics of it? I mean, I've always felt turn-based combat was very strange within the context of the game. Why are the participants taking turns and trading attacks? Why would I, if I were the character in the game, wait whilst my opponent makes their move? If this were a real scuffle, it wouldn't play out anything like this!

That's certainly an accurate description of Final Fantasy games, I would agree. At least, of the ones I played. The games have always felt a bit behind the times with the random battles, other RPGs have moved away from that long ago. I don't know if the ones after number 8 are still like that, but I have a feeling it hasn't really changed. They very likely are something you wouldn't like. I do still think you should try one, if an opportunity comes up, even if it's an hour, or ten minutes, if for no other reason than so you can say with confidence "I have tried Final Fantasy I do not like it."

[SilverGrey]

I think it's more like what you think, if it were a REAL fight, you wouldn't be standing there waiting your turn, you'd be in on the action.  I always figured if I wanted to wait my turn, I'd play a board game.

[Stratos]

I think it's more like what you think, if it were a REAL fight, you wouldn't be standing there waiting your turn, you'd be in on the action.  I always figured if I wanted to wait my turn, I'd play a board game.

[broodwars]

The games have always felt a bit behind the times with the random battles, other RPGs have moved away from that long ago. I don't know if the ones after number 8 are still like that, but I have a feeling it hasn't really changed.

They've sort of changed in that regard.  Final Fantasy used random encounters up through FF X,  FF XI's an MMO, so encounters there work like any other MMO; FF XII plays like an offline MMO so it works just like that as well; and FF XIII does not use random encounters but has fights so frequent (and due to the linear corridor nature of most of the game, it can be difficult to avoid enemies without using a shroud) it might as well have them.
 
If you're going to play a Final Fantasy, my personal suggestion is to play either Final Fantasy X (my favorite Final Fantasy, with probably the most complete world the franchise has ever done), Final Fantasy XIII (probably the most "fun" Final Fantasy I've played), or Final Fantasy VI (easily the best 2D Final Fantasy title).  I would recommend Final Fantasy IX, but honestly it's so steeped in fanservice and nostalgia that I don't think it's made for newcomers (plus, the random encounter rate is insane, and the world and plot isn't that interesting).

[Louieturkey]

I think it's more like what you think, if it were a REAL fight, you wouldn't be standing there waiting your turn, you'd be in on the action.  I always figured if I wanted to wait my turn, I'd play a board game.

But that's exactly how video game RPGs started.  They were basically D&D role playing games brought to life on a computer screen.  As time and technology has gotten better, they just tell a more complete story.  If you changed away from turn-based play, it wouldn't be an rpg anymore, it'd be an action rpg.
So that is a better way to think about it.  RPGs are games you are playing with turns.  It's not a real life adventure like FPS games try to be.

[KDR_11k]

Pen and paper RPGs are turn based because computing all that stuff in realtime is too hard, I'd argue that a true-to-the-spirit RPG should have realtime combat.

[SilverGrey]

I just don't find taking turns to be immersive, I can absolutely understand the origin of play and the reasoning behind it, but I play games to enjoy the story and get lost in it, and taking turns is disruptive to my reality in the game.  I have no problem that such games exist, or that people enjoy them, I don't even think they're bad, I just don't enjoy them, personally.

[Louieturkey]

I just don't find taking turns to be immersive, I can absolutely understand the origin of play and the reasoning behind it, but I play games to enjoy the story and get lost in it, and taking turns is disruptive to my reality in the game.  I have no problem that such games exist, or that people enjoy them, I don't even think they're bad, I just don't enjoy them, personally.

I think you mean get immersed in it because no game can you really get lost in it, otherwise you start thinking you are the character and that is why pen & paper rpgs have a bad rep.  If you wanted to get lost in it, you'd want a movie more likely.

RPGs just aren't your style for the most part.  You are an action RPG or action based game player.

[Louieturkey]

Pen and paper RPGs are turn based because computing all that stuff in realtime is too hard, I'd argue that a true-to-the-spirit RPG should have realtime combat.

Actually true to the spirit would be VR and you would be the character in real time, since in pen and paper games, you create your own character and play as that character.

[NWR_insanolord]

I just don't find taking turns to be immersive, I can absolutely understand the origin of play and the reasoning behind it, but I play games to enjoy the story and get lost in it, and taking turns is disruptive to my reality in the game.  I have no problem that such games exist, or that people enjoy them, I don't even think they're bad, I just don't enjoy them, personally.

I think you mean get immersed in it because no game can you really get lost in it, otherwise you start thinking you are the character and that is why pen & paper rpgs have a bad rep.  If you wanted to get lost in it, you'd want a movie more likely.

Okay, seriously, people nitpick stupid, unimportant details on this site way too often.

[broodwars]

Considering that the only reasons RPGs ever started using Turn-based systems is because Pen & Paper D&D used them to simulate real-time combat, I think it's insane to lock the entire genre to that particular convention (plus, turn-based systems have always been boring to me).  Personally, I prefer a mix of the two, such as the ATB system in Final Fantasy or the Tales/Star Ocean battle systems (which are turn-based, but sped-up to be much more action-centric).
 
But enough of this topic.  It's the Epic Mickey thread!

[that Baby guy]

I just don't find taking turns to be immersive, I can absolutely understand the origin of play and the reasoning behind it, but I play games to enjoy the story and get lost in it, and taking turns is disruptive to my reality in the game.  I have no problem that such games exist, or that people enjoy them, I don't even think they're bad, I just don't enjoy them, personally.

I think you mean get immersed in it because no game can you really get lost in it, otherwise you start thinking you are the character and that is why pen & paper rpgs have a bad rep.  If you wanted to get lost in it, you'd want a movie more likely.

Okay, seriously, people nitpick stupid, unimportant details on this site way too often.

If someone doesn't like a gaming mechanic, they don't like a gaming mechanic.  Some people get bored by turn-based combat, while others see it more as a derivative of a game like chess, where strategy can be planned out.  It's just personal preference.

[NWR_insanolord]

I just don't find taking turns to be immersive, I can absolutely understand the origin of play and the reasoning behind it, but I play games to enjoy the story and get lost in it, and taking turns is disruptive to my reality in the game.  I have no problem that such games exist, or that people enjoy them, I don't even think they're bad, I just don't enjoy them, personally.

I think you mean get immersed in it because no game can you really get lost in it, otherwise you start thinking you are the character and that is why pen & paper rpgs have a bad rep.  If you wanted to get lost in it, you'd want a movie more likely.

Okay, seriously, people nitpick stupid, unimportant details on this site way too often.

If someone doesn't like a gaming mechanic, they don't like a gaming mechanic.  Some people get bored by turn-based combat, while others see it more as a derivative of a game like chess, where strategy can be planned out.  It's just personal preference.

I was referring to Louieturkey's unnecessary nitpicking of SilverGrey's choice of words in the part I quoted, when everyone knew what she meant.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Warren Spector Reveals Epic Mickey's 275-Person Team

Recently, Junction Point studio head Warren Spector revealed that not only is the approximately-115 person team at Junction Point developing Epic Mickey, but that after factoring in outsourcing, the total number of people working on the game is closer to 275. Spector joked, "When you have a project this ambitious, you have to go big!"

Spector followed up on his earlier remark by pointing out that large team sizes are a necessity nowadays -- specifically citing Call of Duty: Black Ops' near-300-personnel development team and how Assassin's Creed had 450 individuals working on it at its peak. What's interesting to us is that this is the first we've heard of a third-party Wii title having manpower that rivals a Call of Duty title, and it confirms that Disney Interactive Studios is taking Epic Mickey, and its development, very seriously.

video at the link above.

[Mop it up]

The whole point of Wii is that you aren't supposed to need a team of hundreds of people to develop a game. Can a game which spits in the face of that ideal actually be good? We shall soon see!

[BlackNMild2k1]

But atleast we know they are putting their money where their mouth is.
This game cannot fail.

[Mop it up]

That's what they said about the PS3...

[BlackNMild2k1]

PS3 hasn't failed. Sony won't let it.
It's not the success they blindly thought it would be, but all things considered, PS3 has done surprisingly well.

[Stratos]

If it fails, then it will kill our argument about 3rd parties needing to take Wii development seriously. If it succeeds then we has a new 3rd party success story but the skeptics will still say that it was the Disney/Mickey brand that sold it.

We can never truly win, can we?

[Mop it up]

Right, because developers are using such things as coverups for the truth, which is less marketable.

[BeautifulShy]

New video interview

He talks about his goals for the game and many other things.

[Kytim89]

I wonder if Disney could allow all of the famous Disney NES and SNES games to be placed on a wii disc and sold as either a pre-order bonus, or a tag along game for when Epic Mickey is released?

[Mop it up]

Could they? Yes. Will they? Extremely unlikely.

[Kytim89]

Could they? Yes. Will they? Extremely unlikely.

I just imagined the game as something like a classics collection similar to what SEGA and Capcom did with Sonic and Megaman. I imagine that it would be inside the case with the actual game disc.