Me, Myself and I - A thread for we few fans of ALIENS: Colonial Marines

[Rowan Tritton]

Good morning all, let's see what a night of sleep can bring to the thread...

@The Haters
Nothing you write here holds any credibility, because not only do you lack firsthand experience with what you're trying to discuss here, but you also apparently cannot read, as the title of this thread points out this is, "A thread for we few fans of ALIENS Colonial Marines", something you clearly are not. Go back to the other two or three threads on this forum that are already bashing this, you have no place here.


Now for those of you haters who can't understand my meaning in the previous paragraph, I'll discuss some of the criticisms leveled at this game:

THE TRAILER
The trailer is clearly not from any game I'd want to play... and why is that? Because the player has no control over the events, and it's more or less an on-rails shooter chock-full of scripted cinematics. Why didn't the play try to save any of his fellow marines, how else could you ensure you'd be in the right place to activate that grapple transition from Operations down to the next part of the level, what if you'd stopped that powerloader being toppled? These are all questions the game would find difficult to answer or not ensure, lest it lose its desirable impact.

The trailer is complete fantasy, despite the better graphics (which I'll address below) there is nothing in that trailer that average computers of today could be expected to replicate so well unless it were all scripted, and that's an on-rails shooter, not the makings of a truly enjoyable FPS in my opinion.


BUYING THIS GAME ENCOURAGES MORE 'SHODDY' GAMES TO BE MADE
So the couple thousand copies of this game, that weren't digital pre-orders, that are sold after all the hate leveled at this game is going to be slim, most likely, especially at full price. Considering this game isn't even a AAA title, all it's going to do is damage Gearbox, not encourage more to make the same so-called 'mistakes'.


THE BUGS
Yes, because every game before this has shipped without a single bug... sarcasm aside, to Gearbox's credit they jumped on a whole bunch of bugs within the first 24 hours... now many weeks did we wait for Bioware to fix the ME1 to ME3 face import issue again?!?

THE GRAPHICS
With the exception of Rebellion's AvP (2010), this game's graphics all the previous games in the franchise, it's also on par with or better than most of the Valve titles' graphics, you know those much loved games that play smoothly on just about any system and have little problem with multiplayer graphic lag? Yeah, again I find myself repeating my comment from before, this is not a AAA title which was being sold on its graphics, heck even the demo's graphics aren't the best around. This game was designed to be inclusive to most systems and to work long term as a co-op/multiplayer title and the graphics reflect that.

THE GRAPHICS - VERSUS REBELLION'S AvP (2010)
This is just repeating the last point, but in context. AvP has much better graphics, but limits itself to smaller locations and fewer enemies to avoid chugging along; and A:CM is the opposite, sacrificing graphics for better operation over larger environments with more active objects rendered onscreen simultaneously. Neither is effectively worse than the other, they're just aiming to produce different results.


Also it's good to see more people joining in with their positive experiences with the game, oh and in relation to this just being Gearbox PR, if they want to send me money for my efforts drop me a PM and we'll talk.

Cheers
Rowan/LSWSjr

 

[Chairman Miaow]

I was really loving this game at first. You know what made me stop having fun? Everybody complaining about it. Every time I play the game now all I can think about is the complainers. So yeah, thanks for sucking all the fun out. Why do half these people care, most of them haven't even played it.

 

[Rowan Tritton]

I am a fan of Aliens. I am a fan of the Colonial Marines. I am a fan of the Aliens: Colonial Marines that we were sold to via advertising. I am not a fan of the shoddy product that they had given us.

I appreciate that you're a fellow fan, and I know Jim Sterling is too, but have you had a chance to play through it? I only ask because over the last day I've spoken with a lot of fan+gamers who've actually enjoyed the game, perhaps because they weren't critically assessing it.

Demo's are supposed to be full of action set pieces to sell you on the game. Yes. They are full of scripted events that allow such things as an Alien Queen attacking a powerloader or a bunch of aliens pouncing on a powerloader like that was scene in the trailers.

But people suggest that's what the game should have been and I feel that limits the players impact when they can't break the scripting and yet still have the game function satisfactorily. Again I bring up the scene in operations where the Alien wrestles you to transition into the next part of the level, how much railroading would it take to make that work, especially if you were on the other side of the room?

However, in basic game design it is very easy to do 99% of what was shown in the trailer in an actual game environment. Take for example the AI going in/out of various crevices and holes, appearing and disappearing. This was done in both 2010's AvP and id's Rage. Both used AI to take advantage of the Environment, using items and dodging in a realistic manner. These act on the moment, not scripted to work on that second and only that second like you seem to believe. Now lets look at the scene where they put the sentry in the tunnel, right when the aliens started to pour through. There are things called "Triggers" (mind you, mind game design is very basic as I am a CONS major). "Triggers" will activate once a player has performed a certain action or list of actions like "picking up a Sentry gun and placing it at the designated spot". This is very basic game design that can easily be accomplished as we have scene it in MANY if not almost ALL games created.

The finished product has a lot of these, I actually commented to that effect in response to Jim's A-LIE-ns video, which in my opinion has Jim not remember a lot of things the Aliens actually do in the game. The popping in and out occurs at a number of points in the game, although granted we don't get the aliens bursting through a destructible ceiling or squeezing through gaps in crates. Ultimately though a lot of their behavior from the demo is shown, such as the pulling marines up into vents (I don't remember a horizontal version though) and we get the triggers you suggest like emerging out of vents.

I agree with you on this. Buying a game you didn't know at first was shoddy, won't hurt the industry. People will return the game and word of mouth will get around to stop others from making the same mistake. It won't promote shitty games from being made at all.

It's good to see someone else who's feet are planted firmly in reality on this issue

Bugs are one thing, however when the entire AI itself is fundamentally broken (which is 55% of the issue, the other half would be the graphics/length). You can't just have a quick patch to fix AI that doesn't work on the most rudimentary level.

I agree, but the melee units of most games generally have the 'charges into the path of bullets' syndrome, they don't have much of a choice and considering the amounts of debris and kibble in some of the levels, I'm not surprised there's problems. Although some Xenomorphs occasionally just become idle till you've pumped a few rounds into them and that's a clear glitch, maybe the AI doesn't realize they're in your LOS at the time. That said the Facehuggers, Lurkers and Spitters all have superior AI to the basic Warriors and Drones, using the environment to screw with you.

It is also very possible to have these graphics on large open world environments. To have the dynamic rain, as Jim Sterling had put it. The lighting is also incredibly easy to pull off with graphics that we have now, while it WOULD strain the system, it isn't impossible. The entire graphics department feels like they didn't even try to make the world interesting. It felt boring and flat in every sense of the word. It felt like they had to scratch together everything within half a month for release and that is just sad. It feels like an Indie Downloadable title, not something coming from a well-established game design company.

Again I ask have you played through it? Because despite the lower detailed textures, the game is quite pretty with it's lighting and rain effects, with a nice touch of rain droplets that appear on the HUD in those sections. I also love the lighting design of the Spitter and irradiated Xenomorphs respectively and the first appearance of the Spitters has them appear as a swarm of fireflies at a distance. Just because the textures have a lower level of detail doesn't mean things can't look impressive when your nose isn't pressed against them.

It doesn't matter. It means nothing. The Witcher 2, which was released... was it two years ago(?), had far superior graphics in a large, beautiful environment. Same goes for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Both have steady frame-rates, huge environments and don't skimp on the graphical detail. Hell, Call of Duty which has been running on the same engine for nearly half a decade now has better graphics with larger environments and lots of active objects rendered simultaneously. There is no excuse for the piss-poor job on the graphics department, especially as we have seen the Demo running smoothly on current console hardware.

Most of the titles you mention though have far bigger budgets, or in the Witcher 2's case a crazy perfectionist design team. But then compare the original Deus Ex to its successors, both sequels had better graphics but much more limited and smaller level design. I admit they could have had their cake and eat it too, but it would have limited performance for lower end machines in my opinion.

Everything should be in bold. I encourage you to read it.

I did and was grateful for the discussion

Cheers
Rowan/LSWSjr

 

[Rowan Tritton]

I was really loving this game at first. You know what made me stop having fun? Everybody complaining about it. Every time I play the game now all I can think about is the complainers. So yeah, thanks for sucking all the fun out. Why do half these people care, most of them haven't even played it.

I'm sorry to hear that, and in part that's why I opened this thread, to provide a more positive place to discuss the game.

Cheers
Rowan/LSWSjr

 

[Chairman Miaow]

I was really loving this game at first. You know what made me stop having fun? Everybody complaining about it. Every time I play the game now all I can think about is the complainers. So yeah, thanks for sucking all the fun out. Why do half these people care, most of them haven't even played it.

I'm sorry to hear that, and in part that's why I opened this thread, to provide a more positive place to discuss the game.

Cheers
Rowan/LSWSjr

I'm glad you have, I'm thinking if I discuss the good bits, I'll forget all the negativity.

 

[Shocksplicer]

Okay, seriously dude, stop signing all of your posts. It's pointless and irritating.

As for the game, yeah. It's a piece of shit. You've managed to find some enjoyment from it, so good for you. That or you're a Gearbox employee desperately trying to make up sales, and having read your posts I honestly couldn't say which is more likely.

Either way, the game is still terrible.

 

[aguspal]

Okay, seriously dude, stop signing all of your posts. It's pointless and irritating.

I always thougt than THAT is exactly the intention of the people like him. LOL.

 

[Detroit]

Okay, seriously dude, stop signing all of your posts. It's pointless and irritating.

This, a thousand times this.

 

[Shocksplicer]

As for the game, yeah. It's a piece of shit.

Based on what exactly?

You've managed to find some enjoyment from it, so good for you.

Thank you for the compliment.

That or you're a Gearbox employee desperately trying to make up sales, and having read your posts I honestly couldn't say which is more likely.

Again, I'm simply a gamer and fan, but if Gearbox wants to send me a free copy of the Borderlands 2 PC Collector's Edition or some other incentives for my continued support of this game, they're free to PM me. Honestly the only game company I've ever worked for was Eden Studios.

Either way, the game is still terrible.

Either way, based on what exactly?

----------

Looks at the last following couple of posts... wow it's like an entire circle j*rk of 'Yes Men', impressive and oh so intellectual and not trollish at all.

Just to address the issue, it's what I always do, regardless of the website, and it doesn't bother me if you like it or not, I have no need or intention to stop doing it.

There's no need to get all childish and call us trolls, or accusing us of having a "circle jerk of Yes Men". It only serves to diminish your own argument.

As for why we don't like the game, howzabout you look at any of the reviews posted all over the internet. It's a safe bet we agree with them.

Average Graphics, shoddy or absent animations, generic gameplay, story that isn't there 90% of the time, and when it is there it's either being generic as all hell or actively shitting all over the Aliens lore.
Take your pick. You might be willing to overlook these things, but the majority aren't.

I hope that clears things up for you.

Xoxo, Gossip Girl.

 

[Rowan Tritton]

There's no need to get all childish and call us trolls, or accusing us of having a "circle jerk of Yes Men". It only serves to diminish your own argument.

I didn't actually mean for you to consider yourself included in that, I was referring to aguspal and Detroit, I'd also tried to keep the replies to your points follow your quotes. That said, I'm sorry and it wasn't meant for you.

As for why we don't like the game, howzabout you look at any of the reviews posted all over the internet. It's a safe bet we agree with them.

Okay, but that's merely paroting the opinions of others, so what's the point? Furthermore the majority of reviews fall between 40% and 60% as of the last time I checked, a absolutely terrible game should be rated in the 10% to 30% range (like where Jim's review sits at).

Average Graphics, shoddy or absent animations, generic gameplay, story that isn't there 90% of the time, and when it is there it's either being generic as all hell or actively shitting all over the Aliens lore. Take your pick. You might be willing to overlook these things, but the majority aren't.

+Average Graphics - admitted by me many times, although the lesser strain on older PCs is a plus in my book
+Shoddy or Absent Animations - I still haven't encountered this in my 10+ hours of playtime
+Generic Gameplay - It's an FPS without the ability to bend the laws of physics, isn't that the same as most popular modern war shooters?!?
+Story not there 90% of time - Hmm, that's completely wrong, the characters may be bland but there's a lot of variation in pacing and storytelling, including: collecting data sources; saving a number of marines (impregnated or not); dealing with conflicts in rank; running/sneaking away from a blind Pratorian and irradiated Aliens whilst completely unarmed; and out manuevering sentry guns and an APC, just for starters.
+Actively shitting all over the Aliens lore -

Spoiler

How, by saying Hicks swapped places with a mercenary attacker and ejected the EEV to avoid them getting the facehugged Ripley?

By saying that you can't remove an Alien embryo when to my memory there's only been three characters to have ever done so, with Riply 7/8 200 year later, a marine that somehow survived the chestbursting (already an impossible feat), and a guy that cut a dead plague-ridden chest burster out of himself? Who's to say WY just didn't know how to do it properly yet?!?


Cheers
Rowan/LSWSjr

 

[Shocksplicer]

There's no need to get all childish and call us trolls, or accusing us of having a "circle jerk of Yes Men". It only serves to diminish your own argument.

I didn't actually mean for you to consider yourself included in that, I was referring to aguspal and Detroit, I'd also tried to keep the replies to your points follow your quotes. That said, I'm sorry and it wasn't meant for you.

As for why we don't like the game, howzabout you look at any of the reviews posted all over the internet. It's a safe bet we agree with them.

Okay, but that's merely paroting the opinions of others, so what's the point? Furthermore the majority of reviews fall between 40% and 60% as of the last time I checked, a absolutely terrible game should be rated in the 10% to 30% range (like where Jim's review sits at).

Average Graphics, shoddy or absent animations, generic gameplay, story that isn't there 90% of the time, and when it is there it's either being generic as all hell or actively shitting all over the Aliens lore. Take your pick. You might be willing to overlook these things, but the majority aren't.

+Average Graphics - admitted by me many times, although the lesser strain on older PCs is a plus in my book
+Shoddy or Absent Animations - I still haven't encountered this in my 10+ hours of playtime
+Generic Gameplay - It's an FPS without the ability to bend the laws of physics, isn't that the same as most popular modern war shooters?!?
+Story not there 90% of time - Hmm, that's completely wrong, the characters may be bland but there's a lot of variation in pacing and storytelling, including: collecting data sources; saving a number of marines (impregnated or not); dealing with conflicts in rank; running/sneaking away from a blind Pratorian and irradiated Aliens whilst completely unarmed; and out manuevering sentry guns and an APC, just for starters.
+Actively shitting all over the Aliens lore -

Spoiler

How, by saying Hicks swapped places with a mercenary attacker and ejected the EEV to avoid them getting the facehugged Ripley?

By saying that you can't remove an Alien embryo when to my memory there's only been three characters to have ever done so, with Riply 7/8 200 year later, a marine that somehow survived the chestbursting (already an impossible feat), and a guy that cut a dead plague-ridden chest burster out of himself? Who's to say WY just didn't know how to do it properly yet?!?


Cheers
Rowan/LSWSjr

Gameplay: You said it yourself, the mechanics are the same as most popular modern shooters. That's pretty much the definition of generic, no? Also, it isn't done nearly as smoothly as most shooters.

Story: Okay, most of the examples you gave are not story. They are either gameplay scenarios or objectives. The only thing you said that comes close to "story' is the conflicts in rank, and by your own admission the characters are bland, so why would we care about what happens to them or conflicts in rank?

Lore: The whole thing with

Spoiler

Hicks

is unnecessary and silly, only there to give the game a fairly forced link to the film.
As for the deal with being unable to remove an embryo, while it's not something that has been done at this point, all the characters are ADAMANT that it's totally impossible, when they should really be more willing to give it a shot, seeing as how they've had so little contact with the Xenomorphs at this point and being so damn sure that it's utterly impossible just seems pessimistic.

 

[Rowan Tritton]

Gameplay: You said it yourself, the mechanics are the same as most popular modern shooters. That's pretty much the definition of generic, no? Also, it isn't done nearly as smoothly as most shooters.

True, but why not criticise all modern war shooters for the same thing? I mean, if you did start including gravity/portal/time-freeze guns the fans would cry foul even more.
Regardless, compared to its predecessors it adds a lot of new elements to the gunplay, as mentioned earlier, like sealing doors, driving a powerloader, having customisable weapons and armour, and by having an equip command for the motion tracker which restricts weapon use (instead of just having it as a HUD element).

Story: Okay, most of the examples you gave are not story. They are either gameplay scenarios or objectives. The only thing you said that comes close to "story' is the conflicts in rank, and by your own admission the characters are bland, so why would we care about what happens to them or conflicts in rank?

Honestly there's never been much in the way of story in these games, period, except for AVP2+PH. Granted the characters could have been written better, they're not terrible, just lacking in more convincing facial animations for the most part, most of the voice acting is pretty solid (for the meathead characters it's acted for).

Spoiler

Lore: The whole thing with

Spoiler

Hicks

is unnecessary and silly, only there to give the game a fairly forced link to the film.

Actually I suspect the only way they got his involvement was by bringing Hicks back from the dead. But it's not that much of a stretch for it to be true. Hicks originally survived (and in some cases was the star) in most of the early versions of Alien 3 and Dark Horse already had Ripley, Newt and him working to stop the Aliens in a regular comic (which they later had to retcon), and prior to AR there was a fan theory that Alien 3 was a nightmare of Ripley's. Also there's never been an absence of fans who'd rather be hadn't died, so it's like Christmas has come early for many fans (including me).

Anyway can't we get back to those of us this thread is meant for and talk about the things we liked about this game?!?

Cheers
Rowan/LSWSjr

 

[Iwata]

However, for the second mission I switched over the campaign co-op. I joined a group that played the first mission on Ultimate Badass and that, THAT felt like the Aliens game I was looking for. Panic as the motion tracker picks up, unloading massive amounts of ammo because they just keep coming, frantically trying to hold off the swarm while someone hacks a door. That was fun. Best part: first level when O'Neal's hacking those two doors to the hanger control room. One of our team went down on the walkway. The remaining three made it to first door as O'Neal started to hack. One went back to try to save the down man and got torn to shreds. Just me at the other guy now. O'Neal hacks the first door just as the other guy goes down. I try to revive him, but five of those things are coming for me. I back into the room just as one of them grabs me and rips my face off with its second month. Classic Aliens moment right there and I had a blast with it.

Sadly, the majority of people I seem to play with prefer Recruit and just rushing through the levels. That kills the game completely. I really only bought this game to kill time until my friend picks up Dead Space 3. I want to do that in co op and I don't want to spoil myself, so I'm just waiting for him. So for me, this game is doing exactly what I wanted it to do: kill time and have a bit of fun. A pity that it could have been so, so, SOOOOOOOO much better.

That is EXACTLY what I said in another thread just now.

The game is clearly made to be played in Ultimate Badass difficulty for a real Alien experience. It's tense, it's terrifying, and the Aliens are as threatening as they have to be.

 

[maddawg IAJI]

Good morning all, let's see what a night of sleep can bring to the thread...

@The Haters
Nothing you write here holds any credibility, because not only do you lack firsthand experience with what you're trying to discuss here, but you also apparently cannot read, as the title of this thread points out this is, "A thread for we few fans of ALIENS Colonial Marines", something you clearly are not. Go back to the other two or three threads on this forum that are already bashing this, you have no place here.

Its a public forum. They can go where they please and can post where they please provided they are not breaking any of the rules. And before you ask, no, posting their opinion, even if it does differ from yours, is not against the CoC.

They're not trolls. They're trying to have a debate, which is something we like to encourage.

 

[Lt._nefarious]

Well, I'm apparently a terrible gamer. I loved Syndicate and Resi 6, prefered New Dante to Old Dante and Dante's Inferno to God of War. But damn I am digging Colonial Marines. I've only played 2 new games this year (the other being Hitman Absolution) and I do think this was a really good start to the year...

 

[Still Life]

They did a magnificent job of butchering the lore. Kudos to Gearbox for managing that -- quite a feat.

I'll just leave this here for future posterity:


Fancy putting more effort into a gameplay demo; I'll buy A:CM when it's free.

 

[burningdragoon]

The amount of qualifying language you used in your defense of the game is impressive to say the least.

 

[Rowan Tritton]

Its a public forum. They can go where they please and can post where they please provided they are not breaking any of the rules. And before you ask, no, posting their opinion, even if it does differ from yours, is not against the CoC.

They're not trolls. They're trying to have a debate, which is something we like to encourage.

How are they having a debate? The ones I was responding to were simply saying the game is bad/terrible/etc without giving reason, and generally without giving evidence of having first-hand experience with the game. In the case of those who have wanted to actually post more than a sentence or two of bad mouthing the game, I've happily responded in kind and explained my reasons in the course of an actual debate.

Here's a selection of the so-called debate's you seem to be referring to, and that I was responding to at the time:

there is no way a game like this can be defended.am an aliens fan and i wont support the maker for making a game like this

It actually looks a little bit like someone from Gearbox made an account to try and sell this game.

haha if only had they put in half as much effort in actually making the game better

PS i really wish u pirated the game so me and other sentient consumers arent forced to bare to such money grabbing scams by you simply showing your approval to such tactics

----------

sorry but you are listing things that automatically should be in a game about space marines in the aliens universe.

So why didn't any of the previous games incorporate them, and again I assume we're talking about things like a motion tracker that's more used like in the movies and is more than just a HUD element; driving a powerloader; and using the welding torch to seal/open doors?!?

the aliens move like ghouls from fallout 3.

Not in my opinion, I'm familiar with both and they both scare me for completely different reasons, actually in my time with A:CM last night I watched as the Xeno AI actually performed frighteninly well when given a more open environment, like in the mid to late period of the campaign.

and the story is twisted beyond reason. sorry, maybe next time gearbox.

I'll touch on that again in a moment (refer to Still Life's quote below).

also, if you are a aliens fan (and a fan of colonial/space marines) you should also have the right to express how you feel about how they handled this.

Yes I agree, but I'd appreciate if more fans actually played it through first before expressing said opinions.

They did a magnificent job of butchering the lore. Kudos to Gearbox for managing that -- quite a feat.

I actually have to run right now (as of posting this), but this is something I really want to address in detail (maybe in an hour or two) and I will either edit this post ASAP to do so or will make a new post if too many respond to this one.

The amount of qualifying language you used in your defense of the game is impressive to say the least.

If you're referring to me, then thank you.

Cheers
Rowan/LSWSjr