RAD contest Ages detailed review

[Zander]

This is just another fine example of why I HATE 3rd person view. I really, REALLY wish Cyan had not introduced it in Uru, NO other Myst game uses it.

I think it was part of Rand's vision for the game from the outset. Doesn't bother me, but I do see your point.

[Trylon]

Hmm, I actually love 3rd person mode, for me it helps in the immersion.
By viewing my avvie in 3rd person mode, I can actually see (and by way of transference "feel") what I'm doing (walking, climbing, etc) , in 1st person view, I would just feel like magically floating around.

[andylegate]

I guess for me the reason 1st person mode works better is that it feels like I'm seeing the Age through my own eyes......not an out of body experience where I'm looking at the back of some avatar. In 1st person, when I turn left, the whole screen turns left, just like RL, same with looking in all other directions. To me, floating back and slightly up from what is suppose to be your body is about as unreal as it gets.

I guess it come from the fact that in RL if I want to see things that way, I have to have someone else take pictures or video tapes and look at them later. Hey, there I am with so and so, in such and such place. Were in a real-time enviorment, I can't do that naturally.

Then again I also play a lot of FPS's and of course Oblivion, the main way you play it is in 1st person.....playing it any other way when you have an encounter with monsters, etc, and you'll get killed quickly. makes it hard to aim that bow or spell.

[D'Lanor]

Uru was designed for 3rd person in the first place. 1st person was thrown in later. My ABM box even states that some areas may not be playable in 1st person.

Personally I cannot use 1st person in any game due to the motion sickness it causes me. Having choices is good.

[Chacal]

Two things I observed about Zephy Cove:
- Is it intended that the beach looks a little dark, is it because this big cloud is masking the sun? This isn't a sun-drenched beach.
- There are two maintainer seals in the Age. I think there's supposed to be only one per Age. It is supposed to act both as a seal and as a surveyor's mark, so the Age can be mapped relative to it. A kind of Zero for the Age, if you will.

[Grogyan]

Not having 1st POV the first time round was a dreadful mistake, i'm glad they fixed it before launch.

I often play in 1st POV as you get a sense of depth from your perspective, not an out of body experience (this may be because I play too much First Person Shooters, but I don't care)

[andylegate]

Yes Chacal, the cloud is blocking the sun (well in the texture anyway,) and is suppose to give you the sense that the sun is not shining down on the beach. However, the dark horizon will have to be fixed.

The 2nd Marker is over in what I call the OOC part of the beach. It's not really a functioning marker but simply a relic from us. I suppose I could convey that better if I had it like out of the ground and leaned up against the rock. Just like the markers we find laying around in Gahreesen.
Thanks for bringing it up, I'll definately do it that way.

[Chacal]

Ah I get it. It could be with a bunch of tools. Real tools, not us.

[Lontahv]

Here's my detailed review of all the ages:


Abysos

When I first linked in here I felt that it was going to be just like all the other "fan ages". Then I started to explore and the place grew on me--it's powerful, it has huge amounts of potential. I tried to get into the boat--I did... with flymode. There's not much more to say about it(since it's unfinished and Trylon would go insane if yet another person said "it is very much a work-in-progress" )



Shell 119

When I got to this place I thought it was going to be another one of the "monolith" ages--I was happily surprised.

The book didn't work though. I enjoyed the cave/maze very much even though I'm not the "pretty crystal" sort. This place feels maybe a bit too "huge" and un-warranted(I mean: WHY?) I pretty good feeling after visiting it.



Shell 201

I entered this shell and at first I though there MUST be some kind of wasp-hole in the ground that I could climb though... but no. Then I thought "meh" this shell is one of those wasted-shells where all the owner does is changes the texture of the ground.

Then I walked around a bit and thought "wow this is kind of cool" then I ran around a bit and though "this is really cool" then I stood still and looked at it a bit and thought "my god, this shell ROCKS".

I give this shell a GOLD-STAR for graphics.


Zephyr Cove

Ok, I'm now the critic of this age but... when I linked here the first time I wasn't.

I arrived between a few rocks and thought "ACK, those rocks are going to crush me if they shift" and "what're those two-pixels of texture doing under my feet".

Then I walked out on the the beach, looked at where the water meets the horizon and cringed, but hey there's more yet to explore.

So, I walked around for a while and saw the sights there were to see and then found the cave. Really nice cave, really nice lighting, really nice cool feel really bad barrels to kick around--ok I just have it out for those barrels .

So, after having my fill of the catacombs(ok, cave) I went outside again and found the "end" sign.

This age could've done well in my rating if it had all looked as good as the caves(catacombs).

But, on the whole a nice age.





~Lontahv

[andylegate]

ouch.