Opinion of a videogamer

[nander96]

I play lots of videogames and i actually came across this game by accident. I was looking for a list of sci-fi games when i clicked this link, it took me some some time to figure out what it was and I found the story and the concepts really good. I just thought that if this were to be made into a videogame it would be very appealing to large crowds of sci-fi loving gamers because of the diversity of the story and the setup of the gameplay system. I'm guessing there are game-developers out there interested in such a game.

My friendly greetings to all of the forum,
Nander

[Onix]

I'd probably give a different answer than Rob would but I think he'd agree, there is a huge difference between a table top RPG and a computer game. Now I come from the dark times the times of Pong and Pac man, so in the 70's when RPGs were invented computers couldn't touch what a RPG could do. Fast forward forty years and you have MMORPGs and console RPGs with flashy graphics and all the rules are handled for you. You'd think table top RPGs would just die because computer games are just better.

They're not.

TT RPGs can do so many things that an MMORPG can't. Now I'm an old(ish) guy, maybe I'm old fashioned? Well there are groups of teens that play games like Icar just like I used to in the 80's and they love it. Do they play MMOs? Yup but they know that the TT RPGs are far more immersive and flexible.

Come over to the dark side nader96! We have Mountan Dew!

[kumakami]

[Rob Lang]

Thanks Nander, I'm glad you like Icar.

I'm a massive videogame fan too. Been playing/obsessing since on the ZX Spectrum.

I've thought about making Icar a videogame a lot, being a programmer too I can see what sort of a game it would be. Somewhere between Elite, Mass Effect and Doom. However, I am only one man and the effort required to make Icar a computer game would be HUGE undertaking from a team of hundreds. A pencil and paper RPG takes much less effort (although a large team of play testers and feedback givers).

I see the other chaps have weighed in with the difference between roleplaying games and computer games. I like both equally. Computer games are good for 'me time' and roleplaying games are good social things to do with mates.

[misterecho]

"Airborne Ranger" on the Commodore 64 was an early favourite of mine

[DOC_Agren]

I still play Elite on my old C64!

I skipped school for 2 weeks trying to make Elite when it 1st came out.

[misterecho]

Elite is man's greatest achievement. Braben is second only to OGB.

[viziel]

ohhh Elite...

I'm still facinated by the use of fractal programming to generate entire galaxies from a seed number...just amazing.

There are a number of really key things that seperate a true PnP PRG from a computer based one:

* You gather as a group and have a nerd party. Helps you develop social skills that you would normally be sorely lacking when physically attached to your xbox360 yelling at seven year olds on your headset.
* Most rpgs are about the throught process...what are you going to do next? You are given a setting, a situation, resources and contacts and you are expected to use them to solve your in-game problems. Computers tend to drive you (see that guy with the big yellow ? over his head..ya hes got something to say to you...what if you dont want to talk to him...TO BAD... CLICK HIM NOW).
* FRRRrrreeeeeeeedoooommmm (did I capture that right?)

[Chainsaw Aardvark]

Am I to presume mentioning the freely available successors to Elite - and would kill what little productivity remains?

Admittedly, I'm from a slightly later generation, so most of my memories are based on things found on a 386/486 IBM compatible. The early stuff I'm nostalgic for are the old simulations from Microprose like M1 tank platoon, F-19 stealth fighter, and Gunship 2000. Command and Conquer Tiberum Dawn, Unreal, and Fallout came later, but are some of the big highlights too.

I've thought a lot about video games over the years. I'd love to write story lines for them, but I'm just not good enough at math or repetitive tasks to code the even the smallest program.

[misterecho]

I loved the sequels to Elite, Frontier and First encounters. It was this love which led me to Elite. I also loved Microprose, especially the Sid Meier era.

My favourite memories of gaming are my Commadore Amiga. It was a golden age.

I have toyed with the idea of writing a game for facebook, I've just never got around to it.