I posted this over at the official Big Finish site but thought I might share it here too.
I'm being very careful about the use of the word "action" because not for a second am I wanting this to form the basis of the game or turn it into a first person shooter. But after reading more about the UNITY engine and of course looking to The Pandora Directive and Overseer which both had action scenes (Black Arrow Killer & Jim Slade showdown), i'm curious as to how the enging could be used to make these types of sequences more involving.
Given that it can give the game a "shooter" feel, maybe there could be sequences where you need to outrun the baddie who is shooting at you or maybe even grab an object to knock a weapon out of the person's hand. So, in a sense you wield a weapon but purely for defence purposes and only when the game requires you to.
What do we think?
I'm being very careful about the use of the word "action" because not for a second am I wanting this to form the basis of the game or turn it into a first person shooter. But after reading more about the UNITY engine and of course looking to The Pandora Directive and Overseer which both had action scenes (Black Arrow Killer & Jim Slade showdown), i'm curious as to how the enging could be used to make these types of sequences more involving.
Given that it can give the game a "shooter" feel, maybe there could be sequences where you need to outrun the baddie who is shooting at you or maybe even grab an object to knock a weapon out of the person's hand. So, in a sense you wield a weapon but purely for defence purposes and only when the game requires you to.
What do we think?
I think Aaron hinted on the old Tex exboard forum in the QandA section about him getting a new gun but not using it to shoot others directly. But perhaps there might be a sequence where he has to shoot at something else to cause a distraction or knock someone out etc. I still hope he soon loses his gun again after that in some humorous way. 
He could also sneak up behind people and have to club them over the head to knock them unconscious temporarily before they do the same to him (as has happened to him numerous times).
I think for me, a sequence of stealth missions would work in such engines and could fit Tex well. I'm still wondering how the "dark and dangerous part of Chandler" will be handled, and I hope that it will be more like a stealth thing, maybe trying to sneak past dangers to get to a severely-mutated informant (like Beek was) in the dark underbelly.
http://unofficialtexmurphy17995.yuku.co ... few-things
And from the Kickstarter:
He could also sneak up behind people and have to club them over the head to knock them unconscious temporarily before they do the same to him (as has happened to him numerous times).I think for me, a sequence of stealth missions would work in such engines and could fit Tex well. I'm still wondering how the "dark and dangerous part of Chandler" will be handled, and I hope that it will be more like a stealth thing, maybe trying to sneak past dangers to get to a severely-mutated informant (like Beek was) in the dark underbelly.
http://unofficialtexmurphy17995.yuku.co ... one-it-nowOne of the things that makes Tex so endearing (and easy to relate to) is the presumption that he will NEVER, EVER get a piece...
He may, however, get a new gun.
I can't give full details (loose lips provide new game ideas to other developers!), but I hope this will ease your mind: I've spent a lot of time sketching out sequences that will be exciting, fast-paced, and dangerous, take place in a wide variety of locations, and where Tex has to move quickly and often use a weapon (or tool) to survive. The list has become quite extensive and NONE of the sequences involves using a lethal firearm on a human being.
http://unofficialtexmurphy17995.yuku.co ... few-things
And from the Kickstarter:
Question: With regards to the engine, you've admitted that the engines used in UKAM/PD/Overseer each had their own issues and that you wish to obviously rectify that. Now that First Person Shooters, as compared to the 1990s, are more versatile in their ability to immerse the player and tell stories, such as Deus Ex, is it possible to have an adventure game on an FPS engine with an unarmed protagonist? With NPCs added, Chandler Avenue could be so much more immersive not to mention the free roaming aspect of it. Once again, see Deus Ex.
Answer: it's pretty likely we'll end up using an engine that could also be used for an FPS. But our game, of course, will not be an FPS.
Question: I suppose in parts like that, parts which will appear very sparingly, you could have a first person hand-to-hand combat type scenario?
Answer: I'm not sure how far we would go in that direction. We want to meet our fans' expectations.
(Ruri_Ayanami from the old Tex Murphy ezboard).
"I don't believe in intuition, don't know why... just a feeling." - Tex Murphy
"I don't believe in intuition, don't know why... just a feeling." - Tex Murphy
LOL!!!Sai wrote: And from the Kickstarter:Question: With regards to the engine, you've admitted that the engines used in UKAM/PD/Overseer each had their own issues and that you wish to obviously rectify that. Now that First Person Shooters, as compared to the 1990s, are more versatile in their ability to immerse the player and tell stories, such as Deus Ex, is it possible to have an adventure game on an FPS engine with an unarmed protagonist? With NPCs added, Chandler Avenue could be so much more immersive not to mention the free roaming aspect of it. Once again, see Deus Ex.
Answer: it's pretty likely we'll end up using an engine that could also be used for an FPS. But our game, of course, will not be an FPS.
Question: I suppose in parts like that, parts which will appear very sparingly, you could have a first person hand-to-hand combat type scenario?
Answer: I'm not sure how far we would go in that direction. We want to meet our fans' expectations.
Those were MY questions that I asked
You may be able to dig this one from the archives, Sai. I'm pretty sure the guys spoke at some point in the past about how they wish the black arrow killer scene on the roof could have been played out instead of fully filmed, but the limitations of the time prevented this. I'm just not sure how they had wished to pull it off, exactly.
Slades scene in the tower was indeed a relic from the past and really failed to bring any sense of danger and seriousness. The pacing just destroyed the scene. Its a bit odd, considering the Slade room break-in was so well played out in comparison. More so that the whole Roswell alien map was ingeniously pulled off and perfectly executed, without the silliness of this guessing option games. Another proof that interactivity has little to do with multiple option buttons, and rather everything to do with the player acting out the story on his own, or playing the story, as I like to call it.
Slades scene in the tower was indeed a relic from the past and really failed to bring any sense of danger and seriousness. The pacing just destroyed the scene. Its a bit odd, considering the Slade room break-in was so well played out in comparison. More so that the whole Roswell alien map was ingeniously pulled off and perfectly executed, without the silliness of this guessing option games. Another proof that interactivity has little to do with multiple option buttons, and rather everything to do with the player acting out the story on his own, or playing the story, as I like to call it.
Part-Time Nomad
Was it this bit about a speeder chase? Since it mentions Dag Horton (Black Arrow Killer).Frank wrote:You may be able to dig this one from the archives, Sai. I'm pretty sure the guys spoke at some point in the past about how they wish the black arrow killer scene on the roof could have been played out instead of fully filmed, but the limitations of the time prevented this. I'm just not sure how they had wished to pull it off, exactly.
http://unofficialtexmurphy17995.yuku.co ... HLQF65nBrYThe one idea I can verify (since it has been mentioned by several people) is several types of "speeder chases" -- just imagine how cool it would have been to pursue Dag Horton (in his Avatar) in a dogfight in, above, and through New San Francisco...diving under the Golden Gate Bridge...rolling to avoid the TransAmerica tower...flying blindly through the encroaching fog...swerving to avoid other speeders, etc. Sounds fun, huh?
However Aaron later said that it was misinterpreted and that they never planned to have speeder chases in a Tex game in the Kickstarter countdown google chat video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d5_t30F4j8Sowden: You guys mentioned that you were planning on a speeder chase in the game. Is that option still on the table?
Aaron: I think that got misinterpreted. The speeder chase idea came from the movie version of Pandora. So we've answered some questions in the past about whether or not we would do a film version of The Pandora Directive, but now that George Lucas has already done it, I don't think we will.
Chris: *laughs*
Aaron: But, Adrian and I spent a lot of time talking about things that we could do in a movie that we couldn't do in a game. And that was one of them. In fact we had this idea of this cool speeder chase through Goblin Valley through Southern Utah, in through the arches and things would be pretty amazing. So I think that idea came up in that context and somehow it got put into the fact that it would be in the game. You know we've never had a game that is kind of an action racer so I think that would be a pretty big departure for us.
Chris: Well unless you count the Mean Streets wireframe speeder chasing.
Aaron & Chris: *laughs*
Chris: But I don't know if anyone would be interested in running through a wireframe of San Francisco.
Aaron: Exactly.
(Ruri_Ayanami from the old Tex Murphy ezboard).
"I don't believe in intuition, don't know why... just a feeling." - Tex Murphy
"I don't believe in intuition, don't know why... just a feeling." - Tex Murphy
I remember this quote, but not what I had in mind. Something about how many of the cut scenes would have preferably been fully interactive and playable scenes, but it just couldn't be done at the time, including, if memory doesn't fail, the roof fight scene.
I think somene mentioned it would have been a shame to remove this hilarious cut scene. Can't say if it was during a chat, interview or just a random comment though.
Either way, I can't help but agree with the idea. That was the entire concept behind the original Deus Ex, event though the game varies in style on several accounts. Playing every cutscenes and conversations to reinvent interactivity. It worked fabulously well, but was sadly never reproduced.
I think somene mentioned it would have been a shame to remove this hilarious cut scene. Can't say if it was during a chat, interview or just a random comment though.
Either way, I can't help but agree with the idea. That was the entire concept behind the original Deus Ex, event though the game varies in style on several accounts. Playing every cutscenes and conversations to reinvent interactivity. It worked fabulously well, but was sadly never reproduced.
Part-Time Nomad
It would be really odd for an action or chase scene to be reduced to a few choices in a cutscene, especially after seeing the fluidity of the engine so far (for those of you who have seen the video i'm talking about). The movement seems so much more free and less stilted as compared to previous engines where the simultaneous control of the mouse and keyboard was awkward. UNITY looks perfect for run-and-duck type sequences. I really hope they don't resort to quick time events. That would really annoy me.
I think some stealth sections would be great, so long as that they make the game fun and not frustrating.
Too much skill being required will turn people off.
But hiding behind a box and then shooting something to distract someone so you can get by would add a new element.
It should be simple action sequenced... nothing overly taxing where you get caught or die every 5 mins.
Deus Ex is a good example, but it should be lighter than that.
Too much skill being required will turn people off.
But hiding behind a box and then shooting something to distract someone so you can get by would add a new element.
It should be simple action sequenced... nothing overly taxing where you get caught or die every 5 mins.
Deus Ex is a good example, but it should be lighter than that.
Matt
Just to be clear, I mean the investigating portions of Deus Ex. I don't expect Tex to run around with a GEP gun anytime soon!lestat666 wrote:Deus Ex is a good example, but it should be lighter than that.
Some may remember some glorious sneaking and spying scenes in No One Lives Forever that were perfectly timed and executed as well. A truly unique game, which made it to game of the year, following Deus Ex.
Part-Time Nomad