Topic: No Man's Sky

[Scyphi]

You guys heard about No Man's Sky?

Here's a mere teaser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRpDn5qPp3s

It's set for release to PS4 sometime in 2015 and later to PC. Pretty ambitious. I'm not typically one for the open-world RPG-like games, but the scope of this game has caught even my eye.

The fact the piloting of the ships reminds me a little of Descent and Freespace helps, of course, though I doubt it'll play quite like either.

[Sapphirus]

One of the ships make me think of the Viper from Battlestar Galactica

[PyroJockey]

I've been looking at this game and to me the concept seems flawed. The have an infinitely large procedurally generated universe where it is advertised  that you may never meet another real player. But isn't that the whole point of online multiplayer?

Otherwise the concept is similar to the failed Miner Wars MMO.

[Kaiaatzl]

Yeah I don't get the appeal of an MMO where you might not get to interact with anyone.
Saying something like it's a positive selling point doesn't make it one.  Although some of the people who write commercials seem to think it does...

[-<WillyP>-]

Maybe it's an MMO for people who don't like the social interaction aspect of MMOs. Who says they can't redefine the stereotype of an MMO?

[PyroJockey]

Wouldn't that make is a MSO? Massive Single player Online?

[Kaiaatzl]

Then it requires an internet connection for no reason every time you play it.  And that by itself is nearly a dealbreaker.

[Scyphi]

You haven't been doing all of your reading-up on it then, Kai, because it was publicly announced this past August that the game can and will support offline play.

And I think WillyP's on to something, because you can certainly spin it as an MMO to favor those that prefer the more single-player element (like me, in fact that might be exactly why it's grabbed my attention more than other MMOs) and use it as a minor selling point to try and expand your potential buyers. It wouldn't surprise me if that's roughly what the marketing people were thinking behind that line of thought when they started advertising that; that and to show off the sheer massive scope of the game, which quite literally exceeds the scope of any of the other MMOs of its type (that I know of). A kind of "hey, it's geared to be an MMO, but if you prefer going off and doing your own thing as a sort of one-player RPG type-thing, we've got it set so you can do that too" kind of mentality.

At least, that's what I'm personally walking away with.

That said, I suppose you all do have a point, which does make me wonder if the game missed it's true niche by doing the popular thing and making itself a MMO. In my opinion, we've got a real glut of MMOs on the market anyway, especially in the sci-fi genre (seem like all the new sci-fi games are MMOs these days), so it's not like we really need another. Still, on the technical side of things, it's impressive. Like I said, there hasn't really been another MMO that's quite matched its sort of scale so massive or thoroughly before, and it's got a real vivid sense of imagination and visual awe to it that the others lacked as well (and what I thought the Miner Wars MMO especially lacked, since we've brought it up).

Since its scope seems to suggest that the single-player aspect will probably be more common by sheer chance, maybe it should've focused on that, and then turned to support the MMO aspect as more of a side-option.  I think it'd be real fun if you could take the game and just go out and aimlessly explore it and have a new adventure in every star system. Kind of Doctor Who-style sort of adventuring if you stretch it, only no time travel, quirkiness, and bow ties. That's kind of what I'd like to see as an option at least. Wouldn't do to have all those planets to visit but really have much to do on any of them except look around.

The REAL problem the game will have I suppose is that, with it's sort of scale, it'd be hard to really have one (the MMO) without inevitably having to have the other from time to time, whether you like it or not (the single-player play), and I don't know if there would really be any way around that.

I guess only time will tell.

[NUMBERZero]

No Man's Sky sounds like Shores of Hazeron. I hope we get to design our oan ships.

If it is, then watch out for the Stellar Syndicate empire. Syndicate shall rule the galaxy once again! Sieg Syndicate, I guess.

[-<WillyP>-]

Wouldn't that make is a MSO? Massive Single player Online?

It's not really a single player either, as there are multiple players online, it's just that you could go off exploring with out encountering them. I gather you could also stick to the well known areas, then you would, presumably, encounter more of other players.

[-<WillyP>-]

I wasn't able to install SoH on this machine and it apeared to have died off anyway. Too bad, it seemed like an interesting concept.

[PyroJockey]

It's not really a single player either, as there are multiple players online, it's just that you could go off exploring with out encountering them. I gather you could also stick to the well known areas, then you would, presumably, encounter more of other players.

Reminds me of Second Life.

[-<WillyP>-]

I tried Second Life, and I was all like WTF? the whole time.

[PyroJockey]

I checked out Second Life a few years ago, partly out of curiosity and partly because some of the corporations I was working with had established a presence there.

I made a commitment not to spend a single cent on the experiment and I didn't. Without ponying up some cash there's not much you and do there.

There is at least one person who created a Pyro GX in Second life. I don't know if he/she ever made a model that you can pilot. If he/she did I'm sure if won't have 6DOF capabilities.

[-<WillyP>-]

Some serious kinda chording going on in that second vid... had to of been quad-chording or quint-chording there! Maybe even sexta-chording!