Hopes for Soulstorm?

[Fraki]

I'm going to be the devil's advocate and say that they used the best material available.

If what they used were the best ones then I would love to hear some of the worse.

One of them probably being the one I submitted, which I am eternally grateful to Oddworld Inhabitants for choosing not to use

[Nate]

I feel like I mustn't have been paying nearly enough attention to the Mudokons in NnT. I genuinely don't remember any of them standing out as wierd.

[V_O_T]

To me the voices sounded too "human". That's the best way I can phrase it. You can tell the fan voice actors were having fun with it but i personally think too much fun. As in, their mindset was hoping to get into a game they like with their voice standing out, not (and I hate to sound like a picky bastard hipstertron 4000) hoping to capture the emotion of a Mudokon scrubbing meaty giblets in a harsh atmosphere where they are beaten on a daily basis. They sounded more like office workers bantering off comedically to me if that makes any sense :/ lol

[Fraki]

Oh yeah, perhaps the most important thing I forgot to mention.

For the love of Odd, bring back the classic control scheme. I could only play NnT with a Keyboard and Mouse, the gamepad controls were literal cancer

[Xavier]

Well I hope they stick to the new control scheme. I liked it better once I got used to it.

[Scrabaniac]

If it controls the same as NnT, I won't mind too much as i'm accustomed to that now. I can't see any games going back to movement controls with the direction pad.

[HOMINIX]

I just hope that if they try to recreate certain puzzles, they don't restrict themselves to being super faithful with landmine placement. The original puzzles were designed for the grid based movement, which made them a bit frustrating with Nnt's free movement. The puzzles and obstacles in Soulstorm should be designed with the free movement in mind.

[Nate]

I'm fine with them not going back to the classic control scheme, as long as they fix the jump controls. And the throwing controls.

[Scrabaniac]

Also, fix that horrendous spirograph when Abe chants too.. Haha

[Connell]

Also, fix that horrendous spirograph when Abe chants too.. Haha

Seconded. I think the original mysterious floating orbs would fit what we've seen the of the atmosphere of Soulstorm better.

[V_O_T]

thirded that^

Abe was not taking hallucinogenic drugs when chanting to see spirals n hippy shit.

The orbs were definitely the way to go. Also I wasnt a huge fan of the temple pieces flying thru the portals. I preferred the original stuff with the light zipping between portal.

[Nepsotic]

The only reason the gamepad controls sucked was because of the deadzone issue, and they fixed it pretty quickly.
The default controls were fine and iirc they were remappable, so I don't really see the problem.

Also I don't mind the portal redesign, the original design wouldn't make sense in a 3D space, hence why they half-arsed the redesign in MO.

[Fraki]

To be honest I actually like the new portal designs. Its a bit different, and perhaps doesnt make much sense, but I think it looks pretty nifty.

You know what won't be nifty though?

Trying to figure out the area where blind mudokons can hear you in a NnT style camera ;___;

[Nepsotic]

You know what I think could work for the camera? The same type as NnT's camera, except it's stationary until you move onto what would be considered the next screen, then it quickly zips over. So the gameplay would behave like the originals, but the camera system would be more fluid and less jarring.

Kind of like what happens when you go through a door in Super Metroid but faster and without pausing the game.

[Shade667]

You know what I think could work for the camera? The same type as NnT's camera, except it's stationary until you move onto what would be considered the next screen, then it quickly zips over. So the gameplay would behave like the originals, but the camera system would be more fluid and less jarring.

I like it how it is.



Also, I want them to test the game. I shouldnt have to jump through hoops to get mudokons to follow me properly.
Its half the reason i dont run 100% anymore.


Just gimme a beta OI. Ill test ur games for free.

[FrustratedAssassin]

You know what I think could work for the camera? The same type as NnT's camera, except it's stationary until you move onto what would be considered the next screen, then it quickly zips over. So the gameplay would behave like the originals, but the camera system would be more fluid and less jarring.

Kind of like what happens when you go through a door in Super Metroid but faster and without pausing the game.

That would be the best way to do it really, but when they were working on NnT they said they want a continuous scrolling thing. I mean I hope they went back on it but they almost certainly did it, so at least maybe they'll fix the other stuff that isn't that.

[Scrabaniac]

As long as Abe moves more realistically, rather than scatty as fuck in NnT, i'll be happy. Also if Abe moved more realistically, the camera from NnT would work well too, as it wouldn't be so jumpy etc. I'd like it if the camera always had a direct view instead of sometimes leaning to the left/right, as I felt that it kind of spoiled the tension in NnT.

[Nate]

The only reason the gamepad controls sucked was because of the deadzone issue, and they fixed it pretty quickly.
The default controls were fine and iirc they were remappable, so I don't really see the problem.

I used the keyboard. It was also remappable, so my issues were more about the way they were integrated with the gameplay (e.g. press jump, then half a second later press the direction; Hold down like three buttons to throw a grenade that will invariably blow up too soon because you were fiddling with all three and couldn't work out which one to press to release it). Also, the process of remapping the gamepad controls was pretty much impossible if you didn't have an Xbox controller. Editing a text file is all very well, but if you don't know which button has what labels, it's simply not going to work.

[SligValet]

As long as Abe moves more realistically, rather than scatty as fuck in NnT, i'll be happy. Also if Abe moved more realistically, the camera from NnT would work well too, as it wouldn't be so jumpy etc. I'd like it if the camera always had a direct view instead of sometimes leaning to the left/right, as I felt that it kind of spoiled the tension in NnT.

He moved realistically in NnT, what with there being inertia to his steps and needing to get a running start for things, etc

Theres a difference between a character moving realistically, and a character moving in a way that makes the gameplay not frustrating as fuck though

[Oziah]

I always thought I did a good job with the Mudokon voice (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_m2fcbdh0w), and I made it into the game, but the devs wanted them done in a normal pitch to be sped up at a later date and I could barely tell which Mud I ended up playing Without speeding it up, and just doing the voice like in the video above...that would have been better I think

In regards to changes I hope to see:

1. A hard mode, with trophy, where you can't Quiksave or you at least have a limited number of Quiksaves per chapter. It makes the game way too easy being able to save whenever, which is one of the problems I had with the original Abe's Exoddus.

2. No visible checkpoints. This is a bit picky, but because there were so many they seemed to plague the landscape.

3. Shadows. Please, oh please, shadows. I remember them saying it's too difficult to implement or something, but I just don't buy this. If they wanted to find a way, they would. Think of the stuff other devs can accomplish (Naughty Dog's games for example). I refuse to believe they can't work out how to implement something like shadow spaces in a 3D world next time around.

4. Tweak the audio mix. Music was never loud or tense enough, and there were FAR too many sound effects. Checkpoint noises, overly loud snoring sligs, incessant Mudokon chatter, that mysterious banging/explosion sound that happens every few minutes for some reason...the list goes on. Less random noise, more focus on music and atmosphere.

5. Fix the lighting and general presentation. Everything is too clean, even the main menu. It's all so bright and pretty. Grime it up a bit and darken the environments - at least in the industrial sections. I can imagine FeeCo just being a vast abyss of bright yellow background fog if done in the style of NnT hahah.

6. Keep Greeters, but implement their security lasers properly. Don't turn them into steam or something. Make it cover the platform, like the motion detectors in NnT, but have it free from the rails.

7. Remove the motion detectors from rails if possible. They were too easy being individual like that.

8. CGI cutscenes (won't happen, but dreaming along with some of the others on here)

9. Keep the humour but balance it out with the darker tone of the story more. NnT never felt like Abe was in a threatening universe. It needs to feel full of danger (where everything wants to eat you )

10. No needless changes. Don't turn Soulstorm Brewery into the bright lights arcade that RuptureFarms became. Re-envision it, sure, but keep it in the same vein as the industrial, bleak and ultimately more realistic version from Exoddus. Same goes for all the major industrial locations.

There's probably more, but I still loved NnT and I don't want it sounding like I hated it. I just don't think it matached AO so hopefully they really seize the opportunity with Soulstorm to learn from what went right, what went wrong and what the Oddworld games should really be about.

[Varrok]

CGI cutscenes?

[Nepsotic]

Quiksaves never decreased difficulty. Obnoxious checkpoints only created artificial difficulty by making you frustrated.

[Oziah]

I know people talk about how outrageously difficult Oddysee was, but my brother and I managed it and we were young kids at the time. It was hard, but a good run would mean succeeding to the next section. I don't find it artificially difficult; I see it as testing the player's skill over longer, more challenging sections. But that's me. I don't mind it being difficult.

In my experience, Quiksave sort of took away any sense of danger. There's no consequence for messing up right at the end of a sneaking section, say, because you can just Quiksave every step of the way. And I know you could simply not use it or whatever, but being that it's now a click of a button in the middle of the controller...it's almost too easy to do haha. So all I'd like is a mode where Quiksave is either disabled, or you have say only 5 or 10 to use per chapter

[Connell]

I think a bone-crushingly hard mode where quick save is disabled would appease everyone. Those who want to use it can, and then there's the option for those who don't.

I'd hope there was still a hard mode with quick save though. Basically the same difficulty setup from new and tasty but with an extra, quick-saveless mode as well. Perhaps unlocked after one run through?

[Scrabaniac]

I think invisible checkpoints should be a thing again. If not, then something inanimate like a graffitied Mudokon Smiley or something. Those Sonic The Hedgehog style checkpoints in NnT were not appealing at all.

[Varrok]

What was wrong with the diamond sign?

Nothing.

[UnderTheSun]

What was wrong with the diamond sign?

It was too edgy.

On a serious note, if the NnT checkpoints aren't coming back, but the team still wants to use visible checkpoints, what if the diamond sign was carved into a background surface, and lit up when it was activated (not too intrusive, while still fitting the setting)?

[racx_00]

I don't have a problem with Quiksave, it was very innovative in my opinion. It took a lot of frustration out of the game and at times made it more enjoyable.

NnT definitely benefitted from Quiksave. Something about the meat grinders, I could never time them properly so I would always Quiksave next to one before rolling, otherwise I'd forever be restarting the section over and over.

My hope for Soulstorm is that it has that dark and twisted environment and overall feel of the originals. IMO NnT didn't really capture that feel. I still thoroughly enjoyed NnT but I'd definitely like to see a return to that dark vibe.

[Samtastic]

I use Quiksave and Quikload a lot in my speedrun attempts. It really helps especially with parts that are really fast like the meat grinders.

[Shade667]

Keep Quiksave please.

If u dont like it, dont use it. Imagine its not there.