Posts made by Brannox

@bigdude1 Oh, okay, thank you for the clarification!

@bigdude1 I'm a little confused by your response, could you please clarify?

Votes sent and honestly, of all the years we've focused on that ISN'T the year of, this is the one I've been looking forward to the most. I've played 16 games from that year, the most from any single year overall, so I'm confident I can be a part of the conversation more thoroughly than normal. Plus, it's 2007. That year had so many EXCELLENT games. I am so excited.

I have a question I want to pose to everyone before I officially send my list. Said list is set, however, one of the games I have in the Honorable Mention area is a game I've only seen in its entirety, and I have not personally played it. I really enjoyed what I saw and want to give it a vote for being a great game, but I defer to everyone here: Is it acceptable for everybody for me to give a vote to a game if I haven't played it, even though I've seen it all, or should my votes be strictly be ONLY games I've personally played?

A few quick things to establish:

1.) This is also future-proofing for lists I have when we get to the outset and close of the respective millennia
2.) The game I want to give a vote is going to place quite high regardless if I give it an additional point.
3.) I can easily move the rest of my list up a spot if the majority feels I shouldn't.

Let me know if this isn't something you're comfortable with and I'll send my list off as soon as I feel I've got enough of a consensus/majority one way or another.

Just wanted to jump in and say I personally not only would be cool with doing either (to be honest, we should wind up doing both, it's just really when we wish to do them), but also, as a reminder, the 2008 vote has not been moved, so if we DO proceed with another, I think it's important to make it known to whomever has the power to move threads (if anyone with said power still logs in now-a-days) that not only should that be moved to be with all the others in the Hall of Fame sub-forum, but the next vote could do with some form of prep to make it easier for a move over once it's done as well.

As far as doing a vote that's not game related, since my interests are mostly games, I don't know if I would be able to participate with my limited knowledge. HOWEVER, IF everyone would prefer to do one that isn't gaming (Regardless of what it would be), I think it would be wise for such a thread/vote to be created underneath the "General" Sub-forum, and I would enjoy watching it take place without the need to be involved.

And lastly, regarding making another pass at our top games of all time thread, the reason that is/was so strong was participation, and there's nowhere near the amount of people that visit the forums like when that list was created. So while I'm game to give it a shot, I do feel compelled to point out it might be a little muted, both in terms of games brought and a LOT more ties or less point total to have a healthy separation. 44 people were involved in that and I think in order for an update to be worth it, I think we would need at MINIMUM half that and (this my perception and I could EASILY be wrong) it feels like the Forums only have half of THAT (so roughly a dozen in total) who pop in every once in a while across the ENTIRE site.

@ffff0 I don't have the space to fit it in with the word cap, though I do say in my last sentence to direct people to come here to the thread if they're curious about how things shook out. For the Showcase, regardless of month, I always write out what I want to say which always means I have to cut and reword a LOT, which takes me days to do, and it's not easy. Since I've already submitted, I don't want to risk Patreon arbitrarily deleting the post if I try to edit anything.

It is. I've already submitted, and it's my closing paragraph.

Congrats to Majora's Mask for getting into the Hall! And again, a high-five to everyone for all coming together to do this. Super fun, and I'm always down to keep it going, but if anybody wants to take a break, that's quite understandable.

As far as any pain-points, I think this went exceptionally smooth, even here at the end to decide how to break the tie. Personally, because I always wanted to see how things progressed, I FELT the wait for others to present and to see what cross-examinations came in, not just for me but everyone as a whole. If there was someway to cut down the time, that would be great BUT I think keeping it at a week long intervals for each step is important, as not everybody will want/can log in every day (or even for an extended period). So the wait feeling long is just a personal quirk, and overall, everything was passionate, cordial, well argued/reason, and I think this model is a great start.

One last note: While I personally don't mind revealing what I voted for now the first two are in, if everything should be kept to ourselves, I understand that as well. If we DO reveal how we voted, I concur that it ONLY should be done once reveals are over. SO: If any/everyone else wants to leave their votes, I'll update this post with my ballot. If not, I'll keep it secret and I say we proceed with the second round if enough people are wanting to do so.

Side question to you @Capnbobamous: If we keep going, am I correct in assuming you would keep the OP for each thread an updated list of all games that have made it in to that point? Because if there's some way to keep a nice one-stop spot for every winner, that would be nice. Kind of like the Allies' Hall.

UPDATE: Since others have left their votes, here's where I landed:

3 votes: THUG
2 votes: Majora's Mask
1 vote: Apex Legends
JUST missed: Sands of Time

For me this round, I felt both presentations and cross-examinations combined to really strengthen my picks for THUG and MM. And what ultimately had Apex barely edge out Sands of Time for me is the difference in how the gameplay clips provided either supplemented or hindered the arguments/answers were provided.

1.) WOW. I thank all who felt I both presented my pick well enough and answered cross-examinations satisfactorily (if that's a word). If we keep doing them, I FULLY expect my next pick will NOT make it. All the same, I greatly appreciate the votes.

2.) As far as the tiebreaker, two ideas come to mind (And if there's a better one, I'll gladly hear it): A.) We go off of most amount of highest votes (so which of the two had the most three votes) OR B.) All seven of us vote in a strawpoll (Hidden results until all seven votes counted).

Option A means we don't need to revote, just rely on whichever submission meant the most to the most participants. Option B ensures there is NO tiebreaker, because there's seven of us. Just a couple of ideas, and again, I'm totally open for doing anything that is better.

Votes sent. Excited to find out what will be our first Greats!

@capnbobamous Regarding FF VII and oversaturation:

Honestly, my answer is likely biased because it's my favorite game of all time, but I personally don't think so. Primarily, VII has three stretches of time in which it's in the major zeitgeist: The explosion of its initial release, the 10 year anniversary with the compilation of FF VII, and now. As you reference with the movies and a couple of spin-off games, while they do exist, they are 14 years old, and they aren't necessary to watch/play respectively to enjoy VII as it is. In the current day, with the Remake project, it has (so far) handled referencing Compilation events well without being too overt or in your face EXCEPT for the final segment of the main game and like, half of the Yuffie DLC. And since the Remake project will be years between installments (this IS Square-Enix we're talking about here), there should be enough time in-between for it to not matter. Sure, there's the Battle Royale First Soldier, but I haven't heard anything about it since the Beta and it doesn't look like it'll stick around long enough to matter, and there's Ever Crisis, which if I'm understanding it correctly, will be a chapter based "highlight reel" of many of the major story moments across the entire VII timeline, which looks to serve as a compliment to the main Remake.

And ALL of that being said, I don't think it impacts the actual game in itself, but I do enjoy going in depth about that world. VII is a strong enough game to stand and be enjoyed on its own and while there's a lot of material and games surrounding that universe, the same could be said for many other properties, both in and out of games like Marvel, Star Wars, Call of Duty, Pokemon, etc.

@Shoulderguy regarding Final Fantasy VII's Shotgun:

The Shotgun is the first weapon you can buy and the second weapon you can find for Vincent (you can happen across a gun for Vincent MANY hours before you even reach him by opening a particular chest in Kalm). It has a decent attack stat (48), high hit percentage (112%), and a terrible magic stat (12). It has only two linked materia slots with an average materia growth rate. It's located in Rocket Town, for sale for 3,100 gil, and is one of the few weapons across the entire game where if you choose to not buy it, it becomes permanently inaccessible. Overall, it's only better than Vincent's starting weapon and dependent on your playstyle, maybe obsolete by the time you can get to it.

Okay, before getting to my questions, it's a TOUCH overwhelming to keep track of all that's been asked and I'm going to try to avoid asking duplicates. To cut down on this on my end, I'll just have one mega post with all my questions to keep others from scrolling back and forth as much. Apologies for any potential things that may have already been answered and a massive thanks to all who read and especially those who respond. Let's get to it:

For @ffff0 in regards to Apex Legends:
1.) Because I'm someone who avoids Battle Royales on principle as its a mode that introduces too much anxiety for me, does Apex Legends have other ways to play outside of the genre like traditional multiplayer or a training mode of some kind?

2.) I live in an area that sometimes doesn't have reliable internet if bad weather happens, plus like yourself, I'm someone who is hard out if I'm playing with people I don't trust/know. Is there a way to play Apex offline with bots and without the need of others?

For @JDINCINERATOR regarding GTA: Vice City:
1.) If someone isn't a fan of the 80s or 80s aesthetic, does the gameplay of Vice City do enough to overcome what appears to be presented as 80s pop culture, the game?

2.) As each GTA has exponentially grown with each iteration in what it offers players to do, how it looks, and in scale, what does Vice City do uniquely that other GTAs don't or don't do as well as Vice City that anyone could do in say, San Andreas, IV, or V for example?

For @DIPSET regarding Tony Hawk's Underground:
1.) I really enjoyed your video, but there are a couple of things you didn't touch on I was curious about heading in, the one foremost on my mind: Roster, deck selection, and customization. Does THUG have a diverse and plentiful enough roster of skaters that feel different from one another or is this a game that you play as one skater (be it creating your own or a predetermined character) and no matter what, it plays the same regardless of who you play as?

2.) As someone who played one of the Pro Skaters (I think 4), I remember just going around, doing tricks and creating my own parks to test if they were playable. Does THUG have more to it than accomplishing goals and combos i.e. creating your own park with a diverse amount of options or perhaps a story campaign?

For @Oscillator regarding The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask:
1.) I'm someone who has shied away from the Zelda franchise for the most part because in many cases I feel I get lost pretty easy as to what I need to do. In Majora's Mask's case, after watching a full playthrough of one the Allies, I was struck as to how they knew which NPC/quest was associated with a given mask, and there's nothing (that I saw) the game did to direct the player (without prior knowledge/playthroughs/etc.) as to what to do to get a particular reward. Does MM do a good enough job in demonstrating how to get particular masks/items/etc. outside of a journal of notes the player has already interacted with in prior cycles?

2.) From what I remember, to tie in with a previous answer you've given, the story is WEIRD. While watching the playthrough, at least at the outset, I felt I could follow along but by the time the four giants (? I think? I'm not sure. Again, I've only watched, not played) were called upon to catch the moon from impacting the town, I felt the story took a hard turn into a different direction. Do you think the events that take place inside the moon are believable in the context of all the events that took place prior?

For @Sentinel-Beach regarding Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
1.) From the clip you provided, a lot of the traversal shown was pretty repetitive: Wall run over a switch, land on the activated platform, and move on before the timer runs out. Can you speak to the level design for the game as a whole and is what was shown indicative of the entire game, or are there other platforming mechanics like swimming, climbing, shimmying, rope traversal, etc.?

2.) The combat seems simple: Attack an enemy enough until you can use your dagger finisher: Are there other combos, abilities, skills, etc. you can implement while fighting, or is it just the mindless dance of out brute-force your opponent until the battle is over?

For @Capnbobamous regarding Katamari Damacy:
1.) How is the game structured in terms of length and setup, as in is it mission/level based with a few hours of total playtime, or is it one continuous campaign?

2.) The gameplay I've seen is just rolling smaller objects into small objects until it's big enough to roll into larger objects until you reach or surpass the size goal. Is there anything else to the game, because in light of your argument of it being simple, I'm concerned the game is too simple, so beyond rolling around and dialogue, is there any jumping, sliding, etc. that adds anything to the gameplay?

@dipset To respond simply, then go in depth:

Both.

For players (like me) who don't mind grinding, it's an enjoyable time as the difficulty balance is just right, especially if you're a mega-nerd like me and know the best spots to unlock Limit Breaks (as in, the soonest you can fight four or five enemies at once), the leveling and stats, both in materia and characters, puts you ahead of the difficulty pace. But if someone is strapped for time, only cares to see the story, or just wants to feel powerful, then those options are there. It's a choice, to be implemented at a click of a button, at any time. The cheats don't take away from how good it is, it adds to it, providing players different ways to play, and all are strong for each person's preference.

As far as not being sure what to do, that's a legitimate point. Granted, for me, I've always known what to do, because it wasn't ever really difficult for me to remember my current objective, but again, I can only speak for myself. However, regarding the overworld, I actually disagree, but up to a point. I would say the world has you going in one direction up until the events of Rocket Town, because there's only really two or three areas MAX you can visit at several points, and while some are optional, you always know which area you need to get to. But once you get the Tiny Bronco (and ESPECIALLY the Highwind), I can understand that as the world completely opens, you may lose track where you need to go, but by then most of the locations have already been visited and with the see through map you can bring up while exploring, you'll always know where you are, where you've been, and where you're going. You're constantly being pushed forward until you recruit Cid, then you have the option of going off to Wutai, or proceed with the main story, which at that time, events kick into high gear.

Before answering the questions posed to me, I want to give a quick note:

I will create a massive post with two questions per game in a little bit as I just got off work. I need some time before I can properly ask questions.

Now on to my answer, which actually (to me) seems like the two posed (so far) are asking the same thing:

To @JDINCINERATOR, absolutely. Now, if I didn't think was enjoyable at all I wouldn't nominate it in any capacity, but enjoyment really comes down to the individual. Over the years, while there are a variety of reasons I've heard people say they didn't enjoy VII, or bounced off of it after a few hours, the most common complaint I've heard is that people didn't enjoy the turn based battle system. And this could also be for several reasons itself: It maybe paced too slow for some, or the menu based system wasn't as organized as others would have liked. As games have evolved over the last two plus decades, it's evident many, MANY games have adopted an action-first or action-emphasized pace, in battle system, storytelling, etc. But what has made it stand the test of time is at its foundation, it's easy to follow along in all of its mechanics from movement, to inputting commands, character management, and the activities you do from battles to the mini-games I mentioned. And, if you choose to play the PS4 version, by clicking the sticks you activate certain cheats. Don't like grinding or random battles? Turn them off. Want to have Limit Breaks always on to always do the strongest attacks? Turn those on. Want to make the game go at super speed? There's a cheat for that too.

And all of this actually ties into what you asked @ffff0. To simply ask if something is "Great" is entirely subjective to a person's tastes. If someone struggles with RPGs in how the genre is structured, they're not going to like VII, or any game of its kind, immediately. However, VII became as popular as it did because it made easy to understand, coupled with being a part of a franchise that heralded games on the SNES/Super Famicom in FF II & III (IV & VI in the west). As such, if anyone played the Remake with its action based system and liked it enough to check out the source material, then the original game is easy enough to pick up and enjoyable to play. That is one it's "Great"; it's comprehensive and welcoming design to new players.

In regards to the storytelling example you gave, that's a very specific example that is inherit to Mass Effect, because heading into that mission, it's already been long established Jack and Miranda hate each other, so taking Miranda on the loyalty mission without comment is odd, but not a guarantee for many players if they chose to take anyone else and they don't have that on their mind, whether they like other crew members or don't like using Miranda. In VII, there are all these little choices throughout that, in the moment, may not seem like much, but over time add up to a big impact. For example, choosing whether or not to give Marlene the flower or pushing the wrong barrel in the church when trying to escape Shinra forces with Aerith adds up (among many other choices) to who you go on a date with much later on. Also, to provide a different kind of storytelling example, there is a place called Gongaga that is the home of a crucial character and if you have Tifa, or Aerith or BOTH of them in your party, you get different dialogue on a scene that's otherwise completely missable, and that's just one example. Now these examples aren't SUPPOSED to be known for first time players, so on the surface, you shouldn't know you need to have specific members at specific times for certain optional dialogue. Taking Tifa into Nibelheim is a GREAT example, as you would have experienced the flashback sequence LONG before arriving, and having that context when you bring Tifa adds more to the narrative and again, is completely missable.

To close, people's tastes change so if you're someone who doesn't like the aesthetic, gameplay, etc. of the various components of a game, then there really isn't anything that can be said to convince someone their updated tastes retroactively make a game bad. Personally, I didn't play VII for the first time until TEN YEARS after it came out and it was an experience that permanently left a mark. Sure, in many aspects, many other games had better visuals, gameplay structure, etc. the medium had introduced in the intervening time, but VII is "Great" because regardless of the time period, its ingredients are timeless.

Hello fellow forum friends! As we come together to celebrate and recognize what we collectively consider what games are Greats™, I’ve decided to bring all the games from list of my favorites of all time, meaning I’m starting our first ceremony by nominating my favorite game ever:

Final Fantasy VII

While it’s been stated to the point of cliché how Final Fantasy, and VII in particular, popularized JRPGs to a Western audience, my presentation will center on how it impacted me with various aspects of what makes VII special.

First up: The story. Stories and narratives are difficult things to properly pull off in games, whether it may be a failure of bad writing, unappealing characters, terrible storytelling, convoluted devices, tropes, and the like, but VII is exceptional in all these categories and more. From the opening moments of seeing a mysterious girl praying over a dim light in the darkness to seeing smash cuts of a train where the characters jump out to carry out a bombing, the opening grabs you in a way that compels you to move forward and see what will happen next, and this feeling never leaves. Initially, the story of a small band of rebels taking on the world’s largest corporation in its quest of eco-terrorism is unique enough, but how it transforms into something greater, fighting for the planet against what is arguably one of the most well-known villains, not just from Final Fantasy but gaming as whole in Sephiroth, is captivating.

And this story wouldn’t be great if not for the cast of characters along the way. Your main party of nine is an eclectic ragtag group, but each stand on their own for their indelible personalities. Obviously, there’s Cloud, which you play as for the majority of the game and his growth of being a standoff-ish jerk looking for his paycheck in the beginning to eventually becoming someone who cares deeply for his friends is a progression that never gets old. Barret, with his gun-arm and loud persona immediately establishes a presence of a man who fights for what he believes in. Aerith, with innocence and an occasional teasing quip showcases her to be one of the most beloved characters out there. Tifa, who, through her need to keep her friendship with Cloud strong out of the fear of losing the last of everything Shinra (and ultimately Sephrioth) took from her makes you root for her to succeed and be happy. I could go on, but just know I feel as strongly about Red XIII, Yuffie, Cait Sith, Vincent, and Cid, plus all of the supporting cast as well.

But games live and die by their gameplay, and VII’s is a system that’s easy to learn and provides you different ways to outfit your team. Sure, the battle system can just be, “Select Attack, pick enemy, execute, and repeat,” but the depth materia gives you opens up a world of possibilities. From magic to abilities, having each skill be a single orb to equip on your weapon and/or armor allows for anyone to use anything (though it would be in your best benefit giving Aerith and Red magic materia, for example, in light of their inherit magic stats being stronger than other party members). Having these skills gain experience alongside your team with each battle ensures you’re always working towards getting stronger in one way or another. And for putting in the effort of maxing out a materia, a new copy is created for you, rewarding you with a replacement if you need to sell your maxed out version for a pretty payday. Plus, with the limited number of spaces each character will have dependent on what weapons and armor are equipped, you have to be strategic in creating a loadout that balances your playstyle and making sure whomever you’re fighting with is prepared with the materia on hand.

Limit Breaks, earned by both defeating a set number of enemies AND using particular Limits a certain number of times, are spectacles that will help you out in a pinch. Summons are just as incredible, with some of the most satisfying attacks in the game coming from the rarest and most powerful of them all (Hello Knights of the Round and the trio of Bahamuts). Yet, gameplay is more than battles though. Sidequests and mini-games are fun distractions whether you’re on a motorcycle or snowboard, the battle arena’s various modifiers, catching, raising, and racing Chocobos, all of these and more provide excellent rewards for your effort.

Probably my favorite part about my favorite game has to be the soundtrack. There are very, VERY few songs that I don’t think are exceptional, but even then, those that aren’t are still really good. If I had to pick my absolute favorites, it would have to be Still More Fighting, Valley of the Fallen Star, and Cid's Theme. Of course, there’s so many more, like the themes for Aerith, Shinra, and the Overworld, The Highwind Takes to the Skies, and obviously, One Winged Angel just to name a FEW. For a game with no VO (understandable for its time), it’s crucial to have excellent music and sound effects, and VII delivers on every front.

The last thing I want to touch on is how it looks. Up front: Yes, I understand the polygonal character models when you’re running around and talking to others can be a bit much. But beyond that, VII still looks fantastic, with the many, Many, MANY beautifully illustrated and painted 2D backgrounds, and I would argue the battle models in actual fights are really good as they’re more detailed and correctly proportioned. While I personally have never minded or thought the character models look bad, I DO get where people may view that as a turnoff, but in the grand scheme, I think everything else more than makes up for it.

There’s a reason Final Fantasy VII is getting remade and has multiple spin-offs, old and coming soon. It’s that phenomenal.

@capnbobamous I'll send my submission along once you officially create the thread and as far as bringing the game, more power to you. I don't have a problem with you also taking part alongside the curation.

For the record, I only presented the currency concept because I only have the Community Showcase rules to pull as a reference, but I don't necessarily consider them strict, but as a rough template to make sure submissions don't get out of hand, to adjust along the way. Regardless, I'm fine either way and honestly I'm only ever going to focus on word count, and maybe whatever we decide on music constrictions as a means of supplemental material.

Per allowing those who don't present to vote: How would it be balanced? Again, I truly DON'T think it would be much an issue, but it's still necessary to at least give all considerations now and allow for wiggle room to adjust every process accordingly. And to that end: To me, it feels like there needs to be a comparable (but not necessarily exact) amount of non presenters to participants. Meaning: Too few non presenters vote, it doesn't feel like their vote(s) would carry enough weight. If too much, it may outweigh the presenters. And what do we mean with a one point vote? As in non presenters can only vote for a single game? They can vote for three games, but only one point each? Are their votes the ones to settle any potential tiebreakers? Again, I'm fine to try because I feel doing this needs a feeling out period, but this proposal (for me and me alone from what I've read so far) introduces the very complexity we're trying to avoid.

@capnbobamous Since I would mostly rely on text, I can only give a suggestion regarding word count. Initially, I would say the baseline for the Community Showcase would be a good template (500 words), however, I think that might not be enough to provide thorough enough arguments. I like Oscillator's pick of a 1000, but without going through the process once, it's difficult for me to feel confident in any particular number until we try it out.

I do like how if we provided video, it should use up some that said word count, kind of like a currency. For example, it would cost us, say, 250 words of our submission for a one or two minute clip. If we provide background music (a.k.a a link to something audio only) I don't think that would count against the word limit. As far as pictures go, I think they should be applicable where appropriate to a person's argument, but I don't think anyone needs to go overboard. In terms of what that threshold would be, I don't know.

These are just top of mind, but I think a trial by fire period of the first one or two rounds of this would help iron out the details and work out the kinks to see what's comfortable/acceptable and what could use some trimming.

Just wanted to chime in that I concur preparing a recording of/for myself is a bit much for me, and not how I personally would want to participate. I'm a text and links type. While I don't want to discourage anyone who wants to put in the effort to create a presentation, be it recording themselves, making a video, etc., I think the more options given in how people choose to present their picks is better. And speaking for myself, I personally have no interest or desire to take part in a Zoom, so if that was a requirement (and NO, I'm not saying it was or is) it IS a deterrent for me.

I also concur there needs to be parameters in both submission and cross-examination (especially in my case when I struggle to shut up), but I don't think it needs to be restrictive to the point we're having to juggle multiple things to adhere WHILE we're preparing our pitches, questions, votes, etc.