Jaded Gamer’s Show Episode 5

Ugh. So busy. I can’t believe I forgot to update my blog with this.

Take a hint from Kojima!

Do you like the Metal Gear Solid franchise? Not everybody does. It is a tough series to like if it isn't your thing and me explaining it now probably will not spur you to jump out of your seats and play the franchise. But if you do decide to play through it... DO NOT START WITH MGS: TWIN SNAKES!  In a nut shell they turned Solid Snake into Neo and have him do the most *R-worded* things. And considering how messed up and absurd the plot gets... That says a lot about how stupid Twin Snakes made the series.

But if there is one indisputable fact about the series... Each game is different in a major way somehow. Kojima productions knows how to do sequels.  Each installment brings either a new take on the series or a new convention every time!

Remember the jump from Doom 1 to 2? What changed? 1 New gun.. and a handful of new enemies and everything else was pretty much assets from the last game.

MGS 2 from 1 improves on every aspect of the previous model even if it turned out to be Kojima saying "See.. I CAN make the same game again and you wont know it til I tell you."

Then Metal Gear Solid 3 comes out and shifts what you are used to and adds more meta type stuff. There is a camouflage meter so you know exactly how hidden you are. The sound is much better and realistic so you can now move through bushes in loud environments without the enemy hearing your footsteps. Let's face it. Metal Gear solids "view cone" made the game seem like stealth pac-man at times. Sound didn't matter so much as you being spotted.  In 3 you have to stay hidden and quiet.

The gadgets in 3 are also more handy by virtue of the fact they are old school meaning that you cant just simply look at a radar, find your foe, point and shoot.  More strategy is involved. The classic boss sniper battle against The End can last 10 minutes or over an hour just by what gadgets you use to track your enemy.  The game has a Cabelis game hunter vibe to it as well. You hunt wildlife for food if you are low on rations. The food can even spoil if left untouched which you can now use to poison hungry soldiers when you blow up their food supplies. There is even a boss you can use that strategy against. 3 is arguably the finest entry into the series.

Metal Gear Solid 4 is definitely lip service to fans. It is very well designed but extremely story heavy which has always been a complaint about the series. And the end game cut scene is pretty much an entire movie. But those mild itches aside, it really is a great journey filled with twists and nostalgia. It may not have the meta elements that 3 did but the battlefield is also very different. There are less places to hide but due to Snake's Octocamo he can hide right out in the open. It is difficult to put my finger on what is so different about 4. But I think the return to form is what makes 4 different. It clashes old and new ideas seamlessly. It is just as modern as it is classic.

Then there is Peace Walker. The best thing about Peace Walker is the one thing missing from portable ops... Co-op multiplayer. Standard missions are 2 player but boss fights against heavy artillery are 4 player skirmishes that are Kojima doing his best to capture the intensity of a Monster Hunter fight. The ability to recruit and upgrade soldiers and their weapons adds tremendous amounts of depth to the game.  I personally don't just want peace walker in HD... But Peace Walker 2 on Ps3 AND the Vita.

Metal Gear Solid is one of the few franchises that makes every sequel feel like it could be a new game not just a grapically superior version of the last entry in the series.

What say you gameland?

IamFN2K aka The Jaded Gamer

Episode 4!

1 Rant/8 Reviews
It’s been a long time. I shouldn’t have left you without a dope show to rep you.

Surrogate assassins update

I have not forgotten about this. Some games came out and I've been working through them.  Plus I have a show to do and I'm so behind.  But good news... I'll have a ton of time over the next ten days to make every thing right. So in conclusion..

Fight night owns me right now

Dev Blog 5 – Location then population

(Future entrance to the Multiplayer arenas)

(Future site of middle class residences as well as a club/bar)

The above picture is a REEEEEEEEALLY early snap of the area. But every screenshot I’ve posted so far as been of an area I’m referring to as “The Crossroads” which is the hub of the entre game world.

The game has started to take on a life of its own and I find myself considering a lot more than I thought. For instance, there is a really good “Sackbot Checkpoint” going around. Now I think do I utilize it? or do I push forward with the checkpoint system I had planned for?

The game keeps growing but I think it is for the better. I don’t see “The Crossroads” expanding any further (until an expansion pack) so I’ll be populating it and moving closer to that damn beta very soon. I’m actually considering some sort of closed beta.

Again, these screenshots shouldn’t reflect the final product. This is looking pretty good. There is a persistent world MMO aspect happening and I’m still figuring everything out. I wont give up on making it multiplayer/co-op

JG

Surrogate Assassins Dev Blog #4

I know it has been a little while between updates so I tried to make this one meatier.

For the past two weeks I’ve said I was gonna aim for a beta on Saturday.  (I’ve also promised to upload episode 4 of the Jaded Gamer show – Oops – I will, its just complicated) And I thought I would definitely have some sort of beta.  But the game got more complex. Back when I thought I’d have a playable version, I thought the game would hinge on one game mechanic but as it evolved it became so much more.

(Very ugly beta of the quest giving system.  Would you like to accept this quest? Then select the green highlighted option… if not… Red means “cancel”  When it’s completed properly it will look more fitting.  Now it is just coloured squares.)

The area to the left used to be pure stone till I hollowed it out and now its going to be… something.

(Before and after shots of what I call “kill houses” these are houses/structures that your surrogate cannot “see through” that are there purely to “kill” AI sprites so they respawn) Simply put… any house you cannot see your player in, will kill you. Think of it as home security against your surrogate.

  Early build of the Assassin guild’s heaquarters. *Note the “see-thru” aesthetic on the structure. This may change.

It is very hard to tell but the player is levitating that brown/rusty looking square. Holding down R2 (*subject to change) initiates telekinesis. Telekinesis can be used to crush your opponent with debris or possibly throw your opponent.

Again… Very difficult to tell… but the player is free floating/levitating.  Hitting L2 initiates levitation.  Since this is a “gamebreaker” ability, an annoying sound effect has been added to help prevent abuse. If this does not detour it…than a time limit on levitation will be used. But for now… I’m gonna see what happens.

Anyways… Everything in this game is beta…. however… within the next few updates I’ll offer an outlook on things like character/plot… etc. etc. 

I know I’ve been calling this game Surrogate Assassins but the correct title is (Non-Officially) Surrogate: Assassin…  Its a small edit … but theoretically the name of the franchise is “surrogate” and every spin off or sub story is a method of employment. . . a la… Surrogate: Thief… Surrogate: Soldier…  Stay tuned in the coming weeks as things are becoming more and more official.

JG

Surrogate Assassins Dev Blog #3

Another small update. 

Here’s a snap of the single layered homes with a lighting pass and a rooftop connection  

I’ll be adding small hideaways within any stone walls.  This one I think will be turned into a bar

Surrogate Assassins Dev Blog #2 – Mo Healthbars, Mo Problems

 

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Small healthbars on neutral citizens.  Regular healthbar on player. 

 

Separate healthbars for player and surrogate.  (Bars are functional but largely untested)

Surrogate Assassins Dev Blog #1

So after about three days of thinking this through, I think I’m going to do it.

Day 1: I said to myself… “Hey. I wanna make an assassin game for LittleBigPlanet.”

Day 2: I came up with a game mechanic for “hidden blade” assassinations. 

Day 3: I’m blogging about it.

What is Surrogate Assassins?   Well it’s my idea for a somewhat living world in Little Big Planet. It is inspired by Assassin’s Creed but also by games like Max Payne, Super Mario bros and Monster Party.

The game will look and act like a 2D platformer when it comes to running and jumping but some of the combat mechanics will pay homage to some of my favourite 3D shooters.

Enter/exit from the roof or front door.

Early shot of some homeless sackpeople.

This blog will track my idea game development from conception to fruition.

The first Screenshot above is an example of the simple architecture of the “Home world” It allows for swiftly entering and exiting the property for assassination purposes and if needed, quick escape.  After some stickers and a lighting pass this area will look cleaner.

The second shot is a still of a homeless community of refugees outside the entrance to what will be the “Slums”

I’ll be back every day or two to blog about this game as it nears a playable beta.  Once this game becomes a beta, I fully intend to release it to the public and watch it grow. 

JG