T:V - Where is the "bold and innovative?"

I'm beginning to get worried.

TV is allegedly 2/3 complete. To date we have seen some very pretty screenshots, one truly innovative map (Utopia), a lot of buzz about the single player campaign (which very few of us really care about), some overweight player models, some goofy rag doll physics, a copy-cat vehicle (Halo rip-off) and a blah new weapon system (player guided missiles hrmph - T2 was supposed to have this).

What about T:V will truly be BOLD and INNOVATIVE? What is the NEW thing that will make a 5+ year old franchise (that has failed to live up to its significant potential) worth continuing to play?

I was hugely disappointed (really fucking crushed) to hear Thrax say, without directly saying, that the grappling hook is dead and that we shouldn't expect a new melee weapon (e.g. a sword or some similar thing).

Given this, what is truly going to differentiate T:V? Single-player aside, what will be the hook that can quicken and substantially grow the community?

The obvious path to innovate, in my opinion, is to focus on what makes Tribes so interesting in the first place: speed and freedom of movement. The grappling hook opens up tremendous room for innovation on both of these parameters.

To the extent that Sierra is trying to reach out to the larger FPS community, it would make sense to offer some cool weapons that can be used inside without undue splash damage and to couple this new weapon with a gametype that combines significant indoor and outdoor play (maybe CTF, but probably not). A sword, or some similar thing, offers this possibility.

I have high, high hopes for T:V. We couldn't ask for a more knowledgeable DEV team. Please show us something truly innovative in your next update.

:chill:

As cool as it is, the success of the next tribes game is not dependant on the grappling hook.

:chill:

As cool as it is, the success of the next tribes game is not dependant on the grappling hook.

i thought the grappling hook was a completely stupid idea...

How much fun would it be as a capper getting yanked by 2-3 LD as you're about to grab?

It's about as fun as getting MD'd by 2-3 LD. YAY!

Kindly replace fun with gay and there you have it!

Jesus, quit complaining. Its a freaking grappling hook! For a vet, you sure do complain, ALOT.

:lies: :mardance: :lies:

I think it sucks that a community supported idea for innovation isn't going to make it into a game that really wants to push freedom of movement etc.

a lot of buzz about the single player campaign (which very few of us really care about)

Where 'us' = you and the mouse in your pocket I guess.

Where 'us' = you and the mouse in your pocket I guess.

VGY. I am very excited about the single player campaign, since it was Tribes that killed my desire to play any single player games. I would love to see a tribes game with a powerful single-player which uses the elements of tribes gameplay effectively.

I think it sucks that a community supported idea for innovation isn't going to make it into a game that really wants to push freedom of movement etc.
Let's not get carried away, guys.

This is game development, and it's a business, not *just* an art.

The time and added complexity of the grappling hook is a pretty serious amount of added complexity -- when they're no doubt still struggling to reproduce the Tribes 1 physics!

I think that if they had the code, and had Tribes 1 skiing in there from day one, and a stable and Tribes-1-quality multiplayer game from day one, on a stable and current graphcs engine, THEN they would think about making "large steps forward" or whatever. As it is, to most of the gaming world, Tribes 1's movement model is still new and innovative and exciting. Skiing is innovative, dammit.

Recreating Tribes 1's physics with new graphics is a pretty huge job. Doing it with enough content to justify a multiplayer game that costs paper money is a gigantic job, but it's the kind of job that game companies undertake all the time. But doing it with a single-player campaign is a really enormous job. Given the amount of tweaking that the multiplayer component of this game will take (as opposed to UT, Wolfenstein, etc, where the multiplayer is so similar to other multiplayer games that the tweaking has very minor effect), it's incredible that a real single-player game is any kind of a priority.

Don't whine about the grappling hook. I agree, it offered enormous potential innovation (for instance if it could only grapple on terrain/buildings, not players), but that's the kind of mechanics-altering element that you introduce when the game is already stable, either as a patch or, more likely, an expansion pack.

Where 'us' = you and the mouse in your pocket I guess.


Agreed. I may actually be looking forward more to the single player than the multiplayer. These guys made system shock 2 people.

I'm beginning to get worried... etc.Flatscan,

Here's why you're not hearing anything new: As Menzo pointed out to me earlier this week, we have quite some time left before we ship. We need to hold our best stuff until later in the PR schedule. So if it makes you feel any better, most of what you've seen to date is of the "keep the existing fans excited" variety, and not the "holy crap, that's new" variety.

Also, we're still far enough out from shipping (55% complete, not 2/3) that if we say "we've invented cold fusion" our competition would have time to trump us and ship that feature first. So we're still playing a bit close to the vest. The interesting new weapons, multiplayer stuff, etc.. All still to come. (unless the world ends).

I have high, high hopes for T:V. We couldn't ask for a more knowledgeable DEV team. Please show us something truly innovative in your next update.No. That would be a grave mistake on our part, for the reasons stated above.

Jesus, quit complaining. Its a freaking grappling hook! For a vet, you sure do complain, ALOT.
You don't seem to understand what kind of an amazing dimension a grappling hook would add to the Tribes series.

Fair enough Thrax. I appreciate the need to manage the timing of released information for both PR and competitive reasons.

My post, while motivated by the grapple, wasn't specifically focused on it per se. I just want T:V to have the *tools* to let the community push the game in a whole new direction.

The grapple, and possibly other things you guys have worked up, is an example of one possible tool in this category - something that could radically change gameplay in a good way while still retaining the core essence of Tribes.

By definition, tools "in this class" will require a considerable investment from both a planning and a balancing perspective.

/me waves at the member =). Smurf accounts own.

While the grappeling hook does sound cool, it also seems like a real bitch to implement. Who knows, maybe they will include something that aproximates the idea behind it, but ends up being way cooler.

I mean I'll admit it: I've had my fair share of bionic commando wet dreams, but I'm sure the folks at irrational will come up with something.

If i see any Grappling Hooks at all ill make sure me and others just tune for other game.

If i see any Grappling Hooks at all ill make sure me and others just tune for other game.


you won't be missed.

prolly more than you ,)

You don't seem to understand what kind of an amazing dimension a grappling hook would add to the Tribes series.

No, I do understand, its just the fact of the situation is every other week theres a post about how the grappling hook should be in the game. People, let it go, if it happens it happens. Its really freaking annoying to hear people complain about something that isn't even concrete yet. Give it time, if its in the game then horray for you.

No, I do understand, its just the fact of the situation is every other week theres a post about how the grappling hook should be in the game. People, let it go, if it happens it happens. Its really freaking annoying to hear people complain about something that isn't even concrete yet. Give it time, if its in the game then horray for you.

says the man who hasn't even been registered a month.