Survival Games

[Dark Drakan]

FAQ section has been posted here which explains a lot of things in far more detail.

 

[Gikoku]

I wouldnt class Dying Light as a survival game in the same sense of the other games. More like an action based FPS with some survival type elements incorporated into it.

Well yeah, that's true. Still fun as hell though!

Another early access survival game has just been announced and it's practically Jurassic Park meets DayZ. After the huge controversy and fail of The Stomping Land it seems another dinosaur survival MMO has stepped up to take its place. Known as Ark: Survival Evolved...

Coming to Steam early access in June 2015 & then Xbox One & PS4 release planned for early 2016.

OH MY GOD!!!

People have been begging for something like this since Far Cry 3 (****ing missed opportunity there Ubisoft)! And it actually looks like it can be really fun as well, I'm definitely keeping a close eye on this one. But what the hell is up with the random ass dragon at the end??

 

[Dark Drakan]

OH MY GOD!!!

People have been begging for something like this since Far Cry 3 (****ing missed opportunity there Ubisoft)! And it actually looks like it can be really fun as well, I'm definitely keeping a close eye on this one. But what the hell is up with the random ass dragon at the end??

Apparently its something to do with the mysterious 'Ark' part of the game as there is also a Space (sci-fi elements), Dragons and Giant Scorpions/Ants etc too as well as the Dinosaurs. I guess its being used as a way to explain the modern (and futuristic) tech etc you can acquire to fight with. Its a Dinosaur/Fantasy Survival game, according to the FAQ (linked above)...

There will be a sci-fi tech tier with some pretty crazy stuff, and that aspect of the game becomes ever more prevalent towards the end-game, but we'll leave revealing more about that 'till a little down the road ​

The Dinosaur survival element has been attempted twice before but failed majorly down to untrustworthy developers (see The Stomping Land as example).

 

[Gikoku]

Apparently its something to do with the mysterious 'Ark' part of the game as there is also a Space (sci-fi elements), Dragons and Giant Scorpions/Ants etc too as well as the Dinosaurs. I guess its being used as a way to explain the modern (and futuristic) tech etc you can acquire to fight with. Its a Dinosaur/Fantasy Survival game, according to the FAQ (linked above)...

There will be a sci-fi tech tier with some pretty crazy stuff, and that aspect of the game becomes ever more prevalent towards the end-game, but we'll leave revealing more about that 'till a little down the road ​

The Dinosaur survival element has been attempted twice before but failed majorly down to untrustworthy developers (see The Stomping Land as example).

Well, hopefully they don't get too carried away with the dragons and fantasy side of the game. Kinda hard to be scared of a T-Rex or pack of raptors when a big fat fire-breathing lizard swoops in and interrupts everything. Would be cool if they just have a section or tier of the game you can stick to that only has dinosaurs and you can just sandbox/survive in that for as long as you want.

On the bright side of bad dinosaur survival games, at least we can take solace in the fact it can never get any worse than the game Trespasser. It had so many things for it to go right, yet it all went so horribly wrong.

 

[Dark Drakan]

Steam Finally Has A Good Dinosaur Game

SOURCE - KOTAKU​

 

[Dark Drakan]

Ark Survival Evolved coming to Xbox One Preview Program.

​

 

[queenofdisco]

Ark Survival Evolved coming to Xbox One Preview Program.

​

Please tell me this isn't exclusive to Xbox. It looks incredible. I think I actually drooled a little to that trailer.

 

[Dark Drakan]

Please tell me this isn't exclusive to Xbox. It looks incredible. I think I actually drooled a little to that trailer.

No it's not but as Xbox has the early access program it's coming on that towards end of year before PS4 version hits. PS4 likely won't get it until it hits Beta next year. It's been out on PC early access for a couple of months already too.

 

[queenofdisco]

Oh thank you sweet console lords. And you draky poops, for telling me about this game. It looks AWSHUM!

 

[Dark Drakan]

Oh thank you sweet console lords. And you draky poops, for telling me about this game. It looks AWSHUM!

No problem, I've been keeping a close eye on it since I first heard about it & watching a lot of YouTube videos of it too. Lots of games in this type of genre that never would have seen the light of day on consoles are coming too such as Elite Dangerous, The Long Dark (both available on Xbox One early access at moment), DayZ, Ark: Survival Evolved, & Rust (rumoured) for example.

 

[Precipice]

I've always been terrified of horror survival games. I do better with survival games where hellspawn don't attempt to annihilate me on a regular basis.

Games with other people are worse though. I played Rust for a while. So many very unique experiences there that are funny, I don't know why those things happened, it makes no sense and it makes me glad I played the game. I wouldn't do it again though. Sure, bears are a problem. But you see a bear, you're probably alright. But if you see a person, run. There's something brutally fantastic about being murdered with rocks repeatedly for the crime of walking up to a campfire to say hi.

Edit. Seeing the Elite: Dangerous thread got me thinking about space. Space Engineers is a bit of an acquired taste, it's hard to get into and stay interested in. It's kinda a survival game but instead of killing for food you mine for uranium. It's boring on a good day. I mention it though because on a great day, you can collaborate on a pirate hijacking of a space freighter, a very satisfying feat.

 

[Dark Drakan]

Games with other people are worse though. I played Rust for a while. So many very unique experiences there that are funny, I don't know why those things happened, it makes no sense and it makes me glad I played the game. I wouldn't do it again though. Sure, bears are a problem. But you see a bear, you're probably alright. But if you see a person, run. There's something brutally fantastic about being murdered with rocks repeatedly for the crime of walking up to a campfire to say hi.

Its gone through lots of changes throughout its development but seems its getting closer to the original vision Garry had for it when it started out with the relaunched built from scratch version. DayZ/H1Z1/ & Ark are the more popular games in this genre at the moment however.

Edit. Seeing the Elite: Dangerous thread got me thinking about space. Space Engineers is a bit of an acquired taste, it's hard to get into and stay interested in. It's kinda a survival game but instead of killing for food you mine for uranium. It's boring on a good day. I mention it though because on a great day, you can collaborate on a pirate hijacking of a space freighter, a very satisfying feat.

Lots of them popping up at the moment with No Mans Sky, Elite Dangerous and Star Citizen to name just the most popular ones people have been talking about. Wonder which one out of them all will finally nail the space and planet exploration & combat that gamers are looking for.

 

[Gikoku]

I've always been terrified of horror survival games. I do better with survival games where hellspawn don't attempt to annihilate me on a regular basis.

Games with other people are worse though. I played Rust for a while. So many very unique experiences there that are funny, I don't know why those things happened, it makes no sense and it makes me glad I played the game. I wouldn't do it again though. Sure, bears are a problem. But you see a bear, you're probably alright. But if you see a person, run. There's something brutally fantastic about being murdered with rocks repeatedly for the crime of walking up to a campfire to say hi.

I take it you took a pass on Alien Isolation then, that was probably the most scared I've ever been playing a video game with the other being the original Silent Hill back when it first came out. Thing is I always end up deliberately setting up a session for such games when it's properly dark, lights off, and all alone so I can be fully immersed knowing full well I'm not going to enjoy even 10 minutes of it. Idiocy defined.

Don't forget the ever expanding Naked Mafia, getting surprised once in awhile by a bloodthirsty Yogi is one thing. Getting randomly assaulted and trolled by a hundred naked men proceeding to collectively perform the helicopter with their dangly bits is another case of horror all its own. I don't know if I'll ever bother to properly get into something like Rust, but I won't deny that it still ends up greatly intriguing me.

Lots of them popping up at the moment with No Mans Sky, Elite Dangerous and Star Citizen to name just the most popular ones people have been talking about. Wonder which one out of them all will finally nail the space and planet exploration & combat that gamers are looking for.

There really is a lot of them popping up and it makes me wonder what brought on this seemingly sudden craze for such a genre. Especially when each of those games appear so greatly similar to each other. My money's on the one that manages to properly reward your act of exploration, don't just give me a billion randomly generated galaxies with recolored assets but with zero substance (e.g. TES II: Daggerfall). Whichever one manages to achieve detailed worlds with their own sense of history and evolution is where my money is at. I'm not hyped for NMS as it's only the more popular of them all due to being given time at E3 and its stylish, abstract visuals.

I want at least one of them to not become a case of being as wide as an ocean, but as deep as a puddle.

 

[Dark Drakan]

I'm not hyped for NMS as it's only the more popular of them all due to being given time at E3 and its stylish, abstract visuals.

Not doing bad for a team headed by 4 people (formally of Criterion Games, Electronic Arts, and Kuju Entertainment) though I have to say, very ambitious project for such a small team (only have 10 employees). It was so hyped originally as it was the first new title to truly embrace the idea of being able to fly from planet surface to space seamlessly. Elite Dangerous and Star Citizen are starting to incorporate this idea now but they have been in early access for some time, NMS is meant to be launching with it from the get go.

 

[Gikoku]

Not doing bad for a team headed by 4 people (formally of Criterion Games, Electronic Arts, and Kuju Entertainment) though I have to say, very ambitious project for such a small team (only have 10 employees). It was so hyped originally as it was the first new title to truly embrace the idea of being able to fly from planet surface to space seamlessly. Elite Dangerous and Star Citizen are starting to incorporate this idea now but they have been in early access for some time, NMS is meant to be launching with it from the get go.

Oh wow, they're that small? That's impressive, but then that makes me feel like the hype will be their downfall even more now. Most people I see clamoring for this game are getting their hopes up for an endless and rich experience where they can go anywhere they want and explore planets that will somehow never become repetitive in gameplay & assets . It's aesthetically pleasing, but what about everything else?

It reminds me of when Mass Effect was first unveiled and there were these promises/claims for extensive galactic exploration and the regular discovery of rich and detailed uncharted worlds. Unlocking amazing planetary secrets, discovering their civilizations and greatly shaping the galaxy. Well, we know how that turned out.

 

[Dark Drakan]

Oh wow, they're that small? That's impressive, but then that makes me feel like the hype will be their downfall even more now. Most people I see clamoring for this game are getting their hopes up for an endless and rich experience where they can go anywhere they want and explore planets that will somehow never become repetitive in gameplay & assets . It's aesthetically pleasing, but what about everything else?

It reminds me of when Mass Effect was first unveiled and there were these promises/claims for extensive galactic exploration and the regular discovery of rich and detailed uncharted worlds. Unlocking amazing planetary secrets, discovering their civilizations and greatly shaping the galaxy. Well, we know how that turned out.

Yeah they are a small team & though they have worked for big developers they are an indie studio. It's gamers that have hyped it based on play tests and footage, the team have just knuckled down and got on with their work.

I am worried that with the randomly generated planets it might end up quite shallow as there is no actual design behind the planets. They are just randomly generated by AI systems & may feel rather lifeless in the end. If they support it well then it could be something special in the genre.

 

[Gikoku]

Yeah they are a small team & though they have worked for big developers they are an indie studio. It's gamers that have hyped it based on play tests and footage, the team have just knuckled down and got on with their work.

I am worried that with the randomly generated planets it might end up quite shallow as there is no actual design behind the planets. They are just randomly generated by AI systems & may feel rather lifeless in the end.

Usually how it goes and is exactly what's happening with FO4 right now, Bethesda has actually not done much hyping for the game themselves. While the fans have rocketed the hype train beyond Half-Life 3 levels and it might hurt the game down the road especially for those who have never played the series before. For everyone else though, eh, I think it's justified lol.

That's the problem I always have with games that use procedurally generated content and make that a selling point for itself. It's just randomized content that continues the further you go on and seemingly never ends, Daggerfall made use of it with the entire landscape & provinces of Tamriel, but when you explored those provinces they were all the same just with palette swaps. It didn't feel like the real thing and I can't help but expect the same with NMS, they're a small team of talented people but they aren't superheroes. They can only do so much with what little they have.

I think a good way to have countered that would have been to allow players across the world to inhabit each planet of their own and give the ability to pull minecraft-esque construction/settlements allowing for all planets to have rewarding discoveries and proper uniqueness. You build the foundation and tools, community takes care of the rest.

 

[Dark Drakan]

Usually how it goes and is exactly what's happening with FO4 right now, Bethesda has actually not done much hyping for the game themselves. While the fans have rocketed the hype train beyond Half-Life 3 levels and it might hurt the game down the road especially for those who have never played the series before. For everyone else though, eh, I think it's justified lol.

That's the problem I always have with games that use procedurally generated content and make that a selling point for itself. It's just randomized content that continues the further you go on and seemingly never ends, Daggerfall made use of it with the entire landscape & provinces of Tamriel, but when you explored those provinces they were all the same just with palette swaps. It didn't feel like the real thing and I can't help but expect the same with NMS, they're a small team of talented people but they aren't superheroes. They can only do so much with what little they have.

I think a good way to have countered that would have been to allow players across the world to inhabit each planet of their own and give the ability to pull minecraft-esque construction/settlements allowing for all planets to have rewarding discoveries and proper uniqueness. You build the foundation and tools, community takes care of the rest.

You normally start to see a pattern of creation with procedurally generated content which makes things feel rather artificial. Thats why I liked it in Skyrim where a different artist and designer designed different caves, made them all feel rather unique rather than copy and pasted assets with different textures and colour palette.

Its all fine and well having loads of places to explore but gamers have got to actually have something to do there to entertain them rather than spectating. I think NMS might miss a trick with it being a relatively solo experience for the most part, games like this deserve interaction and for people to share their experiences. Worlds wont feel alive if you are the only actual player on the planet besides AI controlled creatures etc. Multiplayer/Co-op has to be a consideration somewhere down the line for it to have any longevity.

 

[Dark Drakan]

Found this to be a good read last night, detailing the current state and future plans for the extremely popular dinosaur survival title Ark.

Ark: Survival Evolved is currently the fifth most played game on Steam. It’s not the first early access survival game to reach such heights, but so far it’s one of the few to have maintained it. At this year’s Gamescom 2015 RockPaperShotgun spoke to co-creative director Jesse Rapczak about what he feels Ark is doing different, their release and expansion plans, how you foster a less sociopathic survival game playerbase, and why his game is so grindy...

The Future Plans Popular Grind Of Ark: Survival Evolved​

 

[Dark Drakan]

Open world survival horror with crazy ambitions made by six people​