I really liked FC5. But that's after abstaining from Far Cry for all of the game except for the first one (and a quick foray into Blood Dragon and Far Cry 2, which I didn't like and quit after one hour).

jdreyer wrote on Dec 21, 2021, 15:11:
Took you that long?
I haven't gotten a Far Cry since 3, and Ass Creed since Black Flag.

To be fair, I received FC4 for free and Steam says I have a total of 22 hours in it. All I recall from it is that I hated it and the villain made me want to punch kittens for how cartoonishly obnoxious he was. FC5 I bought because, well, the idea of slaughtering unlimited scores of fundamentalist whackjobs was enticing as Hell. I bought AC Origins because I love ancient Egypt. The story was the same vomit inducing Caeser and Cleopatra shit that has been done to death but, for me, it was exploring ancient Egypt that was awesome. Never finished it, however, because about midway through it got ridiculously stupid.


/---\

Armengar wrote on Dec 21, 2021, 15:13:
SH5 was nasty Even mods couldnt save it for me. SH4 is still played by me even today.

Likewise. Balao-class skippers represent! SH5 was an awful redesign and couple that with the initial DRM of having to download specific parts of the game while you played or loaded in, bleh. I only put in 20.7 hours according to Steam. I have zero interest in going back to it.

Now the Skipjack mod for SH4 is a total blast for "What if" scenarios. Plus, of course, the many other quality mods available for it.

Dev wrote on Dec 20, 2021, 20:43:
"One developer recently said a colleague currently at Ubisoft contacted them to solve an issue with a game, because no one was still there who knew the system."

This is when you say, sure, if I'm paid consultant fees. $400 an hour, minimum of an hour.

Uh, no. Three day minimum.

Bodolza wrote on Dec 21, 2021, 13:04:

the company's standing is in line with the competition based on surveys of employees

So, in other words, all large gaming companies are horrible places to work.

It's certainly looking that way. Although EA seems to get pretty good marks from its employees from a harassment/ abuse perspective, so that might be the exception. Interestingly, EA seems clear-eyed about the issue you articulate:

EA exec says toxic environments are inevitable inside large publishers ‘but you have to take action’

EA has it's own issues of course. An interview with a former EA dev I heard said he left because the focus had gone from "How do we make the best game" to "How do we best monetize the game?" He said the vast majority of his planning meetings were around monetization. And that has born itself out in their game releases and the resulting player backlash.

SH5 was nasty Even mods couldnt save it for me. SH4 is still played by me even today.

Burrito of Peace wrote on Dec 21, 2021, 08:27:

The Half Elf wrote on Dec 21, 2021, 01:51:
Nope Far Cry 6 wasn't worth the full price of admission. And Vahalla while interesting is just another game in the series that (to me) couldn't differentiate itself enough from the gameplay that started in Origins.

And let's be blunt, Ubisoft teams haven't been that good the couple of years leading up to the pandemic and the pandemic didn't make things any easier on any publisher/dev team.

This. I stopped buying Far Cry titles after 5 (with its milquetoast "statement" and that ludicrous fucking ending) and I stopped buying Assassins Creed games after Origins (which became more about the fifty hojillion side quests and area gatekeeping than the actual main story). I haven't seen anything since that has shown Ubisoft has done any better.

Unless Ubisoft happens to publish another Silent Hunter title, I don't see myself buying another Ubisoft title.

Took you that long?
I haven't gotten a Far Cry since 3, and Ass Creed since Black Flag.

the company's standing is in line with the competition based on surveys of employees

So, in other words, all large gaming companies are horrible places to work.

Burrito of Peace wrote on Dec 21, 2021, 09:21:

Beamer wrote on Dec 21, 2021, 08:45:
I still have Primal, maybe will get to it, for $10.

I'm in the minority, but Primal is my favorite Far Cry. To me it makes the most sense from a story perspective and the side quests actually seem to matter to the development and progression of its story. It's also the most coherent and cohesive, gameplay wise, than all the other titles.

Humanity's Neolithic period also really interests me as well so that is part of my attraction to it.

I keep trying to get into Primal (and I'm a whore for pets in games like Far Cry, WoW etc), but there is something that just isn't pulling me into the game, and I can't put my finger on it.

Far Cry 5.... I liked the story and I liked the main villian (and of course the pets) but the ending was a bit over the top... redneck's with nukes? Really? FC6 was just a step back in every direction, not to mention the game felt like a budget version of a Far Cry game, as the production values were shotty as hell (again I think to the pandemic), and a tech wise step back from at least 5.

Ubi has tried to "fix" GR Breakpoint, but you really cant fix bad AI, so the formula is the same and boring as hell "go near a base, use drone to ID everything, pick everyone off with a sniper rifle or the Fireteam, rinse repeat). Also adding Gear Score to real world weapons?!? So to fix that problem everything get's a level and becomes a bullet sponge. Not to mention that they have added content, there are HUNDREDS of worthless locations on the island and no way to filter them. I play with the gear score off, so beyond picking up blueprints, weapon accessories, and clothing stuff, all you get is Skell Credits and it's a very boring game (started up the Sam Fisher story and was so bored, and realized that Sam Fisher is pretty much obsolete that I didn't care to continue).

Steep 2 ie: Rider's Republic is fun in the way that Fall Guys is fun for about a week and then you've done everything in it. Another game that trades Gear Score for Player Skill.

All the AC games since Origins... there MIGHT be some cool side missions, but holy shit I'm not digging through 100 side missions for crap to find the gems. And while I appreciate the ability to climb anywhere, there is no more challenge of sneaking into a base/castle/house/whatever anymore. And with all the REALLY STUPID GOD ABILITIES built into the game there really isn't much of a challenge.

Watch Dogs Legion: A very interesting concept that actually had a pretty solid story that has no longevity beyond the single player story. Online is puddle deep, with pay to win/grind easy characters like Wrench from Watch Dogs 2.
Would extend the life of the title with at least a Single Player Campaign Co-Op, and more diversity and things to do in online.

Rainbow Six Infection or whatever it's called... I was invited into the beta and didn't play because it has no interest in me. It looks to be a cash grab on the Back 4 Blood/whatever co-op mission game.

Was still hoping for the Pirate Ship sailing game... but would love to have a love child of Black Flag and Sea of Thieves.

Beamer wrote on Dec 21, 2021, 08:45:
I still have Primal, maybe will get to it, for $10.

I'm in the minority, but Primal is my favorite Far Cry. To me it makes the most sense from a story perspective and the side quests actually seem to matter to the development and progression of its story. It's also the most coherent and cohesive, gameplay wise, than all the other titles.

Humanity's Neolithic period also really interests me as well so that is part of my attraction to it.

Burrito of Peace wrote on Dec 21, 2021, 08:27:

The Half Elf wrote on Dec 21, 2021, 01:51:
Nope Far Cry 6 wasn't worth the full price of admission. And Vahalla while interesting is just another game in the series that (to me) couldn't differentiate itself enough from the gameplay that started in Origins.

And let's be blunt, Ubisoft teams haven't been that good the couple of years leading up to the pandemic and the pandemic didn't make things any easier on any publisher/dev team.

This. I stopped buying Far Cry titles after 5 (with its milquetoast "statement" and that ludicrous fucking ending) and I stopped buying Assassins Creed games after Origins (which became more about the fifty hojillion side quests and area gatekeeping than the actual main story). I haven't seen anything since that has shown Ubisoft has done any better.

Unless Ubisoft happens to publish another Silent Hunter title, I don't see myself buying another Ubisoft title.

Far Cry was the only Uni franchise I played, and in my posting history I'm revealed to have been a huge fanboy of 3 and 4.

5 was a monster letdown; a huge step backwards everywhere, and just very boring. I did get 5.5, and found it only slightly improved, at best. Played it, finished it, but was frustrated with so many bad decisions made. I still have Primal, maybe will get to it, for $10.

6 I'll do the same. $10-15 maybe. I just haven't seen much to make me think it fixed the flaws. Most of the flaws of 6 were also in 3 and 4, but just got magnified, either by bad design choices around them, bad design choices other places, or throw simple stagnation while other titles advanced. But 5 was the first Far Cry to actually discourage exploration, making me wonder why it bothered with a vast (and empty) open world.

The Half Elf wrote on Dec 21, 2021, 01:51:
Nope Far Cry 6 wasn't worth the full price of admission. And Vahalla while interesting is just another game in the series that (to me) couldn't differentiate itself enough from the gameplay that started in Origins.

And let's be blunt, Ubisoft teams haven't been that good the couple of years leading up to the pandemic and the pandemic didn't make things any easier on any publisher/dev team.

This. I stopped buying Far Cry titles after 5 (with its milquetoast "statement" and that ludicrous fucking ending) and I stopped buying Assassins Creed games after Origins (which became more about the fifty hojillion side quests and area gatekeeping than the actual main story). I haven't seen anything since that has shown Ubisoft has done any better.

Unless Ubisoft happens to publish another Silent Hunter title, I don't see myself buying another Ubisoft title.

Without any substantiating in context facts for either position presented, this is turning into the usual he said, she said that irresponsible social media and yellow press loves to dwell on.

Exodus: movement of jah people!
Oh-oh-oh, yea-eah!
Men and people will fight ya down (tell me why!)
When ya see jah light (ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!)
Let me tell you if you're not wrong (then, why?)
Everything is all right
So we gonna walk, all right! -
Through de roads of creation
We the generation (tell me why!)
(Trod through great tribulation)
Trod through great tribulation
(Bob Marley: Exodus)

When I read "Top-Name Talent" and "Ubisoft" in the same topic or sentence, I have to chuckle for a little bit.

Jim wrote on Dec 21, 2021, 00:33:
LOL Everybody hates ubisoft. But they still buy the next farcry and assassins creed. and then bitch about them

Nope Far Cry 6 wasn't worth the full price of admission. And Vahalla while interesting is just another game in the series that (to me) couldn't differentiate itself enough from the gameplay that started in Origins.

And let's be blunt, Ubisoft teams haven't been that good the couple of years leading up to the pandemic and the pandemic didn't make things any easier on any publisher/dev team.
And ya had Far Cry 6 ship, Vahalla DLC complete, Steep 2 shipped, so you generally have people on dev teams leave after products are done.

LOL Everybody hates ubisoft. But they still buy the next farcry and assassins creed. and then bitch about them

Fantaz wrote on Dec 20, 2021, 21:11:
I don't know why people are picking on Ubisoft here. A lot of developers have been moving around during the pandemic, they just don't talk about it. It's been pretty rough on game development these days.

White Knight much?

Fantaz wrote on Dec 20, 2021, 21:11:
I don't know why people are picking on Ubisoft here. A lot of developers have been moving around during the pandemic, they just don't talk about it. It's been pretty rough on game development these days.

Sure, but I wonder if that's because a lot of them have been having the same kind of HR issues Ubi's been having.

Gaming futures are on indie devs. MOST AAA games will become GaaS, loot box based, NFT/crypto tech, free to play mechanic with a full retail price.

Companies are never going to learn, that the most important asset of any company is its employees. Treat them like shit, and don't expect them to hang around and be loyal. Loyalty is a two way street. Many companies don't care and in the end this is what happens.