I am going to be doing some housekeeping on the blog. As I strive to hit my goal of "a post a day" I want to get the blog looking a little better for all one of the readers out there.
I am going to be doing some housekeeping on the blog. As I strive to hit my goal of "a post a day" I want to get the blog looking a little better for all one of the readers out there.
The first item I was interested in was the open world aspect of the game. I've enjoyed my time exploring the world and finding different fishing spots. The driving and boats are a bit like driving a hammer in a swimming pool, but they are better than hoofing it out on foot. There is a good bit to do beyond fishing and for anyone looking to get a pot of money to start out with doing the "Golden Tour" quests around the map is a great way to get starting cash.
I mentioned a "proven track record" for the developer in my first post and I feel the game has launched in a good state. There are no major bugs and stability + performance has been good for me. Scanning the forums, discord, and Reddit there has not been an uproar of issue reports so I take that as a good sign.
Now, there is the other side of the track record, which is "is the game fun/challenging?". That is a little more of a "jury is still out" situation. There are some things that were done in theHunter Call of the Wild (Expansive Worlds last major game) that would be perfect fits for Angler, but for some reason were not part of the base game.
The first major gap is the lack of a skill/perk progression system. The only progression, and I hesitate to call it progression, is earning cash and buying heavier gear. Once you have that heavier gear you can catch anything with it which means you plateau pretty quickly. A skill/perk system that unlocks better rods/reels/fishing methods along with "knowledge" type skills would go a longs way to improving the game.
The second major gap, which dove tails with my comments about heavier gear being a plateau, is the lack of a "harvest check" equivalent system. For anyone that played theHunter the harvest check system served as a way to ensure you used the proper equipment when hunting different animals. You could not earn a diamond trophy rating by blowing away a turkey with an elephant gun. Oddly there is no such check in the Angler; if you catch a blue gill on 50lb braid and a heavy rod/reel and its a diamond ... it's a diamond rating. Since you can see the fish in the water this makes catching the diamonds trivial.
For comparison; after casually playing theHunter for close to a year I've yet to bag a diamond kill. I came close a couple times with diamond-eligible targets but missed my shots or in one sad case used the wrong caliber weapon. In the first hour of Angler I caught multiple diamond fish and to be honest they felt no different than any other fish.
I still have confidence in Expansive Worlds to improve this game but there are some head scratchers on design decisions for the game thus far.
I was also excited to give multiplayer a go, but its implementation is buggy and also in the "head scratchers" category of design choices. Multiplayer is on by default so you are always put into a multiplayer match unless you turn the setting off (which you have to do every session). Joining a friend is difficult because they are always getting set to a full map with everyone being defaulted to multiplayer. This system makes no sense and a game like this should NEVER default to multiplayer = on. I should be able to create lobbies that are public, private, or friends only. The developers have acknowledged the issues so I am hopeful for quick resolution to the issues.
Over all I am having fun with the game. It is a relax and chill style game. The fishing doesn't require a ton of skill, which I assume they will address longer term, but its enough fun for me to log on and catch some fish every day. With the lack of a progression system it's hard to see a long term investment so I'd weight that as a key priority for them. Anyone looking for an arcade like fishing experience with a side of open world exploration this a game worth giving a try. If you are looking for a full fledged fishing game then I'd hold off until they make some improvements.
I miss blogging. Kids arrived and blogging was kicked to the curb. But I can do this. I can do a post a day. Time to get some thoughts out; whether just something I experienced in a game or a quick reference guide to something.
Here we go!
What has me excited?
Open world fishing game. Instead of being plopped on a shoreline or in a boat somewhere the game will place the player in an open world full of not only places to fish but also other areas to explore and side quests to go on. While I am here for the fishing it is good to know there is a world to go along with it. Bonus: the map looks amazing and much larger than I anticipated; areas like an abandoned mining town look amazing to fish in and around!
Proven track record. The developer, Expansive Worlds, has a solid track record with theHunter: Call of the Wild. If Angler follows along the lines of theHunter then I expect a solid stream of content coming to the game. Yes, that means I expect to pay for additions but in today's market it is something to be expected. I never felt theHunter's model of add on content was predatory and I've been happy to pay for the content that interested me (and in some cases paying for convenience).
The fish exist in the world. Many fishing games don't have any actual fish in them; the fish *poof* into existence when they are caught. In Angler the fish spawn and are visible in the world allowing for players to target them and see them interact with lures and bait. This is powered by a complex spawning system that takes several factors into account on determining what fish is where. Once there you can see and target the fish (of course in deeper water you won't see the fish).
Multiplayer. Up to 12 fisherplayers can be in a single map. Assuming it works like theHunter it will be simple to host other players or join other players sessions. I look forward to playing with my oldest son.
What needs to improve?
Admittedly I haven't played the game so I am basing this off live streams and early access content creators, but there are a couple big items I am hoping will change early in the games life cycle.
Strike indicator. When a fish strikes your lure there is a large yellow "STRIKE" banner on the screen. This is fine for the tutorial and for those that want it, but I'd prefer the ability to turn it off. I want to key off rod, line, or other feedback from the game to know there is a strike.
Clunky cut scene when catching a fish. When a fish is caught, instead of the fisherman bending over or netting the fish, instead the game cuts to a scene of them holding the fish. I'd much prefer to see the fisherman get the fish out of the water and have a screen more like theHunter's harvest screen with details about the catch.
What should they add?
I can't leave the post without a small wish list of content I'd like to see them add. For anyone that has played theHunter you know that the community's feedback will be key to what gets added.
Fish finder... of course! There are already boats so this is a no-brainer to add. Also would like to see versions added that can be used from the shore.
Fishing kayaks. The hot trend in real life fishing are 'yaks (aka fishing kayaks). Fishing kayaks are the ultimate customizable fishing apparatus (way more so than bass boats in my opinion) so are a perfect opportunity to enhance the game and offer an array of customization for players to add and show off in multiplayer.
Tournaments. Not sure if this was already a thing or not, but if its not... I want to be able to host a tournament that is enforced by the game.
Tight lines; see everyone on the water tomorrow!
Let's talk about the term "sandbox game". We'll take a look at a couple games I consider as true sandboxes and a couple that misuse the term. Through this exploration; the definition -- my definition -- of sandbox will be apparent.
Games I consider as true sandbox games
Games that need to stop using the term "sandbox"
Starting with Foxhole there is a very clear sandbox. First, I can log in and choose what I want to do and in order to do what I want I need to either pull resources together myself, use resources shared by other players, or steal resources from other players in the Sandbox. Important to note; the game allows me to choose any path, change path, or blend paths. In my first couple of hours (outside of the tutorial) I moved seamlessly between logistics (known as logi in game) supplying other players to the frontline where the fighting was at (and once there I switched between playing medic, infantry, and frontline logi).
The "frontline" in Foxhole also illustrates another of my tenants of a sandbox; the world can be changed. In Foxhole the frontline is defined by the players changing the world. There is a world map in Foxhole that defines some features (where water bodies are, what area is a mountain, etc) but beyond that everything else is defined by the player. The frontline area I ventured into was in the middle of a field; one team on one side the other team on the other side. Our side had dug in foxholes and trenches. Behind those were numerous medical tents and forward bases; all placed by players. A little further back a group of players were working on a hardened base with cement fortifications. Somewhere in the middle were players setting up long range artillery. All of this build up was defined by the players choosing exactly what to build and where to build it.
Another key aspect to the build up was that the resources came from the game itself. Every gun, bullet, bandage, and piece of building material was manufactured by a player somewhere and then transported by a player in a player-crafted vehicle to that area. Nothing happens in Foxhole without a player somewhere putting in the work to make it happen. And the end result? A sandcastle that can be smashed by the other kids in the sandbox who can then take that sand and make their own castle you get to smash.
The frontlines of Foxhole are exactly why Foxhole is a true sandbox game; they are defined by the players collecting from and manipulating the world with minimal restriction and that manipulation has meaningful impact on the game.
In summary; what we take away from Foxhole in regards to the term sandbox:
If we roll what we learned from Foxhole into Minecraft we see that we hit all of the marks at an entirely new level. In my opinion Minecraft is the truest sandbox game in existence.
So that covers items 1 and 2 from my Foxhole list. The question is then; is there any other tenants of sandbox games that Minecraft brings to the table?
Those changes by players have meaningful impact (i.e. "sand castles can be smashed")
Somewhat already covered by the bacon hole example, but to expand on the impact players can have in Minecraft I'll talk about multiplayer servers as that's the closest equivalent to the MMO space. On a multiplayer server under non-modded players are free to modify the world however they see fit. If player A stacks two blocks then player B can break those two blocks and if they so choose place them somewhere else. If player A digs a bacon hole then player B could fall into it ending in death. There have been numerous "chaos" servers whereby the entire world becomes an apocalyptic wasteland with anything resembling order quickly converted to chaos by the players.
There
is minimum restrictions on what can be done where (i.e. "build my sand
castle anywhere / permanent sand castles aren't already built")
At the end of the day some form of restriction will always exist in games just as even in the real life sandbox there is eventually an end to the sand and physical limits on what you can do with it. Minecraft is no exception here. But Minecraft goes a long way in minimizing restriction. For example; I can build a house out of any material that I can dig up and stack. A fond memory for every Minecraft survival player is that makeshift shelter of dirt and wood blocks hastily assembled to survive the first night. For the most part; if you can dream it you can build it in Minecraft. Journey into the world of mods and the sky is the limit.
Players can move between roles seamlessly (i.e. "eat sand if want to")
Minecraft has no real concept of a role. One moment the player is digging a hole and the next they are in combat and the next they are an interior decorator in their home. The only requirement is that you need to have picked up some sand and turned it into whatever you need for the activity you want to do.
With the exploration of the "true sandbox" that is Minecraft let's look at some not-a-sandbox offenders in the MMO space.
The one that jumps immediately to mind, mostly because the owning company uses sandbox in their name, is Albion Online by Sandbox Interactive. Interestingly enough their video for "What is Albion Online?" goes a long way trying to defend it's place as a sandbox. Let's go through the checklist.
Final Judgement? Albion Online has some sandbox aspects but is far from the "king of sandbox MMORPGs" that it tries to bill itself as. With that said; don't let this scare you off of the game. I played it for several months and absolutely loved the time I spent with the game. It is on the short list of MMOs I'd recommend and on the even shorter list of MMOs with original ideas; it just is not a sandbox.
Next on the evaluation list is EVE Online.
Final judgement? EVE can count as a sandbox, but is best for those that are looking for a multi-year engagement to get that experience. EVE is another game on the short list of recommended MMOs and that shorter list of games doing something unique.
Now let's look at Crowfall. All I'll ask "Sandbox? Really? REALLY!!??".
Final judgement? Crowfall is not anywhere close to a sandbox and should not use the term. My prior posts on Crowfall will give you my opinion on the game. I'd not recommend it and it is not doing anything all that exciting or different. It's a crappy World-of-Warcraft-a-like.
As can be surmised from my rambling I have a tendency to be attracted to games that purport to be sandbox experiences. Then I play them and realize they fail to hit my key tenants of a sandbox as influenced heavily by Minecraft - yet I still enjoy and recommend some of them. What that boils down to say is that games that advertise as sandboxes are really saying "I am different" and for anyone that knows me I tend to jump on the "I am different" bandwagons. I'd still prefer that sandbox was more indicative of Minecraft-like experiences and thus not used in error by games like Crowfall.