I have noticed that, even if i enjoy other games, most of the big hits in my pc gamer's life have mostly been published by the same companies:

1. Blizzard: Diablo1 - Diablo2 - (soon Diablo3) - World of Warcraft

2. Bethesda: The Elder Scrolls (Morrowind & Oblivion) - Fallout

3. ID: Quake 1 & 2 - Doom 1-2-3 - Wolfenstein

And you, have you already noticed something similar?
[Reply]

Did you meant developers, rather than publishers? Morrowind for example was published by Ubisoft, but developed by Bethesda. Anyway, yes, I think most of us tend to follow certain developer's work, or a game series that specific developers started. Much the same as on the Amiga with such greats as the Bitmap Bros or Cinemaware.

Bioware is one of my favourites. Creating Neverwinter Nights, Knights of th old Republic etc.

Black Isle was another, with Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale.

Valve with the Half Life series, and it's expansions.

But I think it is more true on consoles than on the PC. For the PC there are so many great games by so many different developers. On consoles, especially for RPGs, I tend to follow specific developers/publishers.
[Reply]

Yeah "developers" is what i meant

I don't know how i couldn't mention Valve and it's awesome Half-life serie

For console, i really can't say, i've always been more of a micro kind of person. I've been through the GTAs, Marios and Zeldas though (mostly on emulators) but i don't have a clue of the name of their developers.
[Reply]

In my opinion the Diablo games are overrated, I didn't like that hack & slash gameplay, perhaps for 30 minutes.
[Reply]

Overrated?! Diablo?! I failed my first year at univ because of Diablo 1 (just came out during an important serie of exams) and almost another year when the second opus came out. I've finished Diablo 2 almost 7 times (solo + online) and not once, i ever got tired of the game. I can't describe the hysteria that followed the announcement of a third one being developped. (I was at WWI of Blizzard in Paris last year)

That you didn't like it is one thing but you can't say it's overrated when it's being considered as masterpiece by so many people.
[Reply]

Just like the movie Blade Runner
[Reply]

I didn't really like Dungeon siege or Icewind Dale. For me, a hack'n slash isn't with a full party to command, just a hero, maybe some minions but that's all. I don't like games that require changes of character or that you aren't 100% clicking every swing of your axe. That's why i've never enjoyed anything Baldur's gate related.

I think that "Do androids dream of electronic sheep?" was more of an ambiance roman. That ambiance, I've never found it back in no other reading or movie EXCEPT in the movie Blade Runner. It's not so much about what could have been done in terms of possibilities but more in term of Ambiance. I believe we already had the same chat (here) about another movie (Children of men).

Another developer i could add to my list is Relic Entertainment with the Warhammer 40000 serie. Anyone tried Dawn of War 2?
[Reply]

I actually installed DoW2 this week. I've not had time to play it much, but what I did I liked. Quite a change from the first game. Gone is the large scale RTS battles, and instead you are closer to the action, with direct command over up to 5 units, each with unique skills, and you have to utilise these skills to stay alive and complete each mission.

I also installed Call of Duty: World at War, and that is quite a cool game, although it is very linear, and from what I've so far played I haven't felt in control of many of my actions. Yes you get to run about, shooting Japanese soldiers with some nice guns, and some nice graphics, but everything is very story driven with the soldiers around you ordering you all of the time so you know exactly what you are doing and have to do every second. So it's a good shooter, but not as immersive as other WWII. I much preferred MOH: Airbourne.

Anyway, back to RPGs and Actions Adventures. I've always preferred it the other way around, with an RPG giving you complete control over everything you are doing, where you go, who you talk to, what you are wearing and carrying etc... and also the ability to meet and build up a party of adventures. I much prefer that to a game where you are a lone character fighting the world. I also prefer combat systems that are a bit more tactical than a basic hack and slash button basher. I like to be albe to manage the moves of each character in my party, fighting against large groups of enemies. It was only reason I liked Dungeon Seige. Instead of being and all out and out hack and slash, you could pause the action and issue some commands and actions, rotating and examining the battle, and then unpause and watch it carried out.
[Reply]

DOW: Two months ago, i was all excited about starcraft 2 and was checking regularly the site to see an eventual date (but the "when does it come out? When it's ready!" policy of Blizzard never let us know when to expect their releases) Then came DOW and since then, the screenshots of SC2 look too rainbowish to me. I like to be closer to the fight and to have to collect less ressources than before. I'm usually not a fan of RTSs (i'm more a lone warrior making my way through dark dungeons with the help of heavy bouton mashing ), but this one maybe the one that will change my mind about the genre...

COD - WAW: I've completed it a week ago and i had a good time, even if i didn't feel the same intensity as in Modern Warfare (can't wait for the second opus).

RPGS and slashing mobs: I love gearing and levelling up and also constructing builds that can afford me to speed run some hard bosses (an oracle in Titan quest - i can share my build with anyone interested btw, a necro in Diablo or a Mage in Oblivion)... What i love the most is to really roleplay a character, cross it with some readings... For example, at the moment i've rolled an assassin in Oblivion and i'm reading the books of Robin Hobb. But, when i was reading RE Salvatore, i was playing a warlock in WoW... I just can't have that feeling of being close to my characters when they're not a single.
But i don't mean either that i don't like being part of a team. In WoW, what i enjoy the most is the strategies, the synergy with the other players, as long as i command only one character.
[Reply]