What We Want in Future Games

[TheKhanzumer]

I am going to e-mail a list of things that OWI should put in their future games in order for them to please us, their fans. Here are ten things I could think of and please add your own if you have any. If you think one of them should be taken off also let me know. I want my list to be an accurate description of what all oddworld fans want. Hopefully this will help the hardworking inhabitants make some decisions about future games.

P.S. I will submit the e-mail after this thread has gone without response for a week.

[Mac the Janitor]

I voted for better gamespeak. I don't like it how you can only brag or insult when you're posessing something. Sure it's fun to make a slig cuss you out and then chase you around whacking you with a bat, but it got kinda old.

And what's up with those end of level transporter thingies? How ghetto.I think Oddworld is turning into a platform game!!! NOOOOOOO!!!

[One, Two, Middlesboogie]

All of them are pretty good points; but I think the main one should be to bring back the dark and dirty feel; less saccharine and bright outdoor environments.

This may sound like the videogaming equivalent of suicide, but I think the games should go back to 2D. As Oddbodd proved, many people feel the same way.

I don't think there is any real need for better AI; the AI in the two Abe games was fine.

I actually want no more new creatures; I think the original lot were the best. Bring back bats and bees as well.

And I think the spooceshrubs are daft as well. I liked the name 'humshrub' better. Is it true that Abe's chant power is dependent on the collection of spooce, instead of just being reinforced by it? If so, that's just stupid.

[Doug]

The spooceshrubs seem particularly pointless because at any point in the game where you need spooce, there is plenty to be had, and of course you can always grow more by chanting.

I don't remember anywhere in MO where I had to think about conserving spooce because I would need it later where I couldn't collect it. Also, you start each level with none.

I think the biggest improvement would be recreating the darker, more mysterious feel of the outdoor levels of AO and AE. The indoor levels of MO seem suitably industrial, and I've enjoyed the gameplay a lot. Sure, it's a completely different game than AO/AE, but it's still fun.

Edit: By the way, I'm not sure you'll need to e-mail OWI. I've gotten the feeling that Alf keeps close tabs on the Oddworld Discussion forum, and it's also my sense that he's looking in particular for things that we like and things we don't like.

[Genral.E.Stupid]

i think that there should be alot more gamespeak available in the next game

[Wil]

I voted for better Gamespeak, although I really think possession should be improved upon, and become a much bigger part of the gameplay. Like, you can possess a Slig and actually use him tacticly instead of just blowing everyone away, or take control of a Scrab and Gamespeak a whole herd of Scrabs to a place where they can't reach Abe and his buddies. So, Gamespeak and Possession is really what I want improved.

Although better outdoor environments would come a close second. I quite liked the wilderness region in Munch's Oddysee, but it doesn't compare to the diversity of environments in the Abe games.

[Xavier]

I want this

better gamespeak
better AI
better level "backgrounds"
more statuses/ranks
more creatures
bring back old creatures
longer game
more "sadistic" feel
bring back fart possesion

so evrything except:
no spooceshrubs

[Oddsville]

I want baisicly the same thing as Xaiver except deffenatly no more Spooce Shrubs.

[munchman]

same as Oddsville and Xavier,keep the Spooce Shrubs Abe and Munch need them

[Xavier]

munchman...
if you want still spooce it isn't as oddsville, he don't want it anymore

[Black Waltz 0]

I think the main one should be to bring back the dark and dirty feel; less saccharine and bright outdoor environments

I agree! The reason I like Oddworld is because of its dark, sadistic and generally 'Odd' feeling so I vouch that they inforce more of it.

Number two on my list would be to have better gamespeak.

[pinkgoth2]

All of it. Randomly, I picked the sadism bit. It wanted to be clicked. Really.


- TyA

[oddguy 999]

All of the Above...

[Sal the Mudokon]

I think all of those things, especially no spooce shrubs, are important to future games. It seems like what REALLY made people angry about the new game was the neglection of old things that were considered true. It kind of makes the games feel like they don't belong in the same world. I.E. No spooce shrubs to suddenly needing them or being able to suddenly do strange roll/flips in the air. These things didn't have a place in the first two games and therefore we aren't getting the feeling that the Oddworld Universe is expanding, but rather just substituting what it used to have for new ideas.


Put that in the email, ok

[Wil]

I don't mind SpooceShrubs. I just don't want them to be part of the Gameplay. 3D offers a whole new dimension for Abe to go, so you'd think the puzzles would get a bit trickier - but no they're all about speed, strength and timing of jumps, no 'what happens if I pull this lever...oops'. And so we get SpooceShrubs which are really horendous.

And Abe's flip-jump. There was a bit hoo-ha at OWI Studios about how Abe's jumping could be implemented in 3D. Seems strange that they came up with something so silly. If I press the jump button, I want Abe to do his little hoist-type jump. That way we can bring back the platforms of the Abe games and do away with those terrible cliffs in the wilderness.

And I still don't expect Abe to flip while doing a running jump. Make sure that's in the thing, even if it is just an extension of what Sal said.

[kleeng]

Id like to see some more story line related game play more variaton and more complexety.
For example, In mo the original idear was to posess lulu and have him work himself up by running different factorys.
This would thus involve many different tasks and strategys and abit of think work here and there.
Thats the kind of stuf I'd like to see

[Wil]

True, but I think Lulu was taken out of Gameplay for a reason. Look, if the entire middle third of the game was all about promoting Lulu, then this Gluk would become as important as Munch, probably even more so. Then we'd have Lulu's Oddysee, watching him trek up the ziggurat. So I'm glad we didn't see him rise the ranks.

However, the idea of possessing Glukkons and making them run their factories is excelent, and just adds on to my possession/gamespeak idea earlier.

And on the subject of storyline, get rid of those teleporters. When I finished Magog Motors, I was expecting a nice movie explaning how I got to No Muds Land, and same etween Splinterz and Flub Fuels. And how did Abe and Munch get onto the blimp? OWI messed this Oddysee up, but at least they've got several excuses.

[Xavier]

yes the teleporters are to much used in the game, that's true !
and yes Lorne allready talked about the problem of not making lulu the main character of the story

[Gluk Schmuck]

Sligs, Glukkons, Interns, Paramites and Scrabs need Gamespeak more like Abe's so we can have the involving gameplay like in AO or AE. I remember using one of the department managers to take a Slig around a level and open a door in AE. What do you do in MO? Move Gluk ten centimetres, donate. I think Abe also needs more Gamespeak. Remeber the angry, hyper and depressed Muds? That was fun. An implementation of a Gamespeak system as described by Eibu (what happened to him?) where we could solve Mudokons' problems by asking them questions and comforting them would bring great involvement. Maybe we could create a more involving storyline by doing that. Make us care for the Mudokons!
We need some kind of transition between levels. They should go to their destination, not teleport. Maybe once or twice but not for every level. If we had teleporters then they should at least look like teleporters. Pull lever, teleport. Remember?
Sligs and Interns should be able to climb ladders and Big Bro Sligs should be able to pick things up. Big Bro Sligs need more weapons. In the last level, the lucky Vykker you posess has the choice between a large knife and a Snuzi. Poor Big Bros.
We should be able to throw Sligs and such out of windows. We need everything we saw in the old videos. The Sligs need to smoke and have scripted conversations occasionally.
Abe and Munch should have a relationship that we see develop throughout the game. Until the ending FMV we hardly saw any dialog between them. Do they even like each other?
Better AI, obviously. Watch those clever Muds walk into a doorframe and tell you there's nothing to do when there's clearly a Slig not ten paces away. And the enemies! Appauling! They're looking right at you. They don't shout 'attack' until you're within at least five paces.
I think spooce introduces a new level of constraint which I find comforting. If you could always create a posession orb then where would the fun be in that? Posess, kill everything. Where's the puzzle element? As a side note, Chant Supressors should be destroyable. Several of the puzzles in AO and AE could be solved by destroying the Chant Supressors. But now, you're supressed for good!
Bring back old species? I can only think of one species that wasn't included in MO. Fleeches. That would be fun.
I think fart posession should have been included in MO by logic. The Blitz Packer uses Soulstorm Brew, right? Abe drank Soulstorm Brew in AE to gain explosive farts, right? Logic!
I think the levels looked good but I'm not sure they were as good as they could have been given more development time. They certainly weren't as challenging as they could have been.
I miss the fear. In AE, for example, adreneline surged through my body as I ran from Paramites through the Mudomo Vaults but when I ran from Paramites in the Paramite Run, it was at a some what leasurly pace and I didn't fear them because I had Expresso and I knew they wouldn't get me if I kept away from the mines. Boring.
By implementing the changes suggested above, it would be much easier to create a longer game due to the added gameplay opportunities. It would also be more fun.
And where was all the fun we were told about? The old movies which were supposedly to be in MO? Scrapped. We couldn't raise out little Meetles. We couldn't change our environment (appart from making it rain a little) and I'm not entirely sure but did the time even change throughout the game? I certainly didn't notice any dark external levels.
In conclusion, I want constraint, I want freedom, I want involvement. I want fear and emotion. I want a whole lot of development between now and ME.

[Mac the Janitor]

Jeez, you have a lot of good ideas and points, Gluk Shmuck!

I see what you mean with the whole paramite chase thing. In MO, It was bright and sunny out, the music was dance music, and Abe looked like he was just taking a morning jog. But in AO and AE, it was dark and creepy, the paramites were hidden in the shadows, they would come out of nowhere, and the music was suspenseful, dark and fast. Ah, those were the days...

[Alcar]

I say they keep Spooce but it is not used for anything like opening Spooce locks or the like. Instead only have it very small quantities and use it for only operating Storm Circles etc.

I'd love to see more wildlife creatures, and the ones that were left out. Also better gamespeak where you can interact with lots of creatures. Every creature should have a gamespeak function, i would love to control a Meep and have it interact with other creatures and Meeps! It opens up so many new things that could be done!

Alcar...

[Huge_Bro_Slig]

yup better lv design and beter a.i the fact of the matter is munch sucks compared to the othe 2 infact its my worst x box gane

[LuxoJr]

You know, scripted conversations have been done to death in FPS games, but never - ever - in a platformer. It could have broken up the superficial atmosphere that infects most games within this genre.

OI could have made NPCs an integral portion of the experience. Mudokons slacking off on the job, getting beaten or pushed around. Sligs going up to glukkon supervisors to ask for work breaks, or abusing slaves. Show the relationship between these classes (sligs taking out their own treatment by superiors upon slaves) - don't just make them game objects.

Link the cutscenes and the actual gameplay - Abe is a complete klutz in FMV, but an Olympic athlete in the game itself. Have running gags that link these elements (like in NOLF) together. Fix the camera lag.

/rant. Sorry.

[Alcar]

This is not my idea, this was what i find an excellent idea formed by Max the Mug.

"Now that's an idea that I like. The concept of 'shadows' was good in the Abe games, I'd like to see it return. Creating your own shadows by dimming the lights or moving a ton of crates in front of a light fitting would be sweet."

I would love to move around crates (etc) to make shadows, especially in 3D it would be incredible.

Now for one of mine:

"If the teleporters are used ever again, that they should be designed like the ones in Abe's Exoddus, they were much more better and believeable than a pad.

But i'd also like to ad that MO was rushed to be produced and a lot of things were scrapped from it. Now with ME they have all the time they want (well...not really...but still!) to produce a fantastic game. Im hoping that the once faithful Oddworld fans turned Anti-Oddworld people will once again rejoin the ranks of the Oddworld fans when ME is released. But im sure everything already knows this.

Alcar...

[Al the Vykker]

I'd agree with Xavier on all of those, and just put " Less " spooce shrubs in the game. But what I would like are more night time environments throughout the game, sorta like Zelda, but like that the environment changes from day to night in realtime. So maybe more creatures come out at either time like nocturnal animals. But also that maybe you have to get to certain areas like secrets only at certain parts of the day. But remember ME I hope will have alot of the features that were cut from Mo because of time issues.

[Xavier]

yeah like scrabs the day and paramites the night...
and things with the weather too: snow, rain,...

[Al the Vykker]

That would be good for the weather, if it was freezing in the cold or snow you set up shelter in the night and have all the muds gather fire wood to make a camp fire, until you can proceed the next morning. A reason for keep ing the muds warm, maybe they wouldn't go any where if this was not done. There are so many possibilities.

[dumboddrw2]

I voted for GET RID OF THE SPOOCE!!!!!
Everything else in MO is brilliant.

[kleeng]

I don't know who sugested this but I thougt it was a realy cool idear.

The game could be linked to an internal clock set this clock befour you start playing. so when you play in the evening its evening in odd world, and when you play during the day its day.

This micht bring along a few interesting posebiletys. you have to wait til evening befour you can bring into action your plan of sneaking into a factory. Mean while you can do some other helpful things like rounding up some mudoken volenteers, helping out with rain making.
Serten game goals wil have to be acheived befour you can progres to the next level but there schould be an element of choice. Like first i go and make some trees grow so the natives will be happy and willing to help in my quest. Or you can decide to try and ask around first if there is any boddy willing to help. Then you can stil decide to go and make rain if you think you dont have enoug people. Or you can go around and ask some warrior what you have to do to convince him to come and join the quest. He micht tell you he needs a new spear or something you can decide if its worth your effort to get a new spear for him or if you got enoug people to do so already.

This kinds of quests wil keep you bussy til evening and you can go and try to break into the factory. Or you wait til 8.00 when the guards change schift. Youl be able to get in even when you dont wait for that time or go in later but youl need more help to do so and you will encounter more resistance.

Etc Etc (I'm ramblin agean)

so thats my 2 cents

[Mac the Janitor]

That would be pretty cool, kleeng! You have very good ideas.