Baffled by the bad press - gaming community not able to adapt to innovative gameplay?

(pinion120) #1

The bad press Brink has received is in some cases warranted in terms of performance issues or what not that are being patched out. But the people that continue to knock the fact that gameplay revolves around choke points or that classes don’t feel “unique” just don’t seem to get it imo.

Objective based gameplay is built around chokepoint combat with teams clashing together. That is how the game is designed, and it leads to some intense and enjoyable firefights. Getting locked on chokepoint #1 the first one in the map? Well your team isn’t up to snuff, sorry - but enjoy the exciting fire fight anyway. People seem to think if they don’t progress through multiple objectives every single time the map is unbalanced. Actually, sometimes you just get outplayed and it is more transparent when this happens in an objective gameplay oriented scenario.

Classes not unique enough? Just open the damn abilities menu and look at all the cool stuff you get at rank 3, rank 4, rank 5… tons of unique abilities for each class. Reviving grenades for medics, soldiers with AP ammo and kevlar + enhanced grenades, Operatives with cortex bombs… The game purposefully slows your progression to ease noobs into the gameplay style who are used to more run n gun games with less abilities and passives etc to worry about.

In general I think Brink is being received by a LARGER portion of the gaming community (thanks to a very successful marketing campaign to build up pre release buzz) that has little to no experience with objective style gameplay games – these persons are just not used to a game like Brink and what makes it shine can take a few plays to see if you are new to this style of gaming.

Unfortunately, and yes I will say it, the COD crowd has marginalized what shooters are allowed to be. Also I think a lot of the reviews are for the 360 version from what I’ve read it is a bit uh MEH. Get it on PC.

That is all. I like to see innovative gameplay thrive, something different than the standard “war” FPS games. For those who still don’t feel Brink - post here and maybe I can help. Even the combat style in this game is somewhat different. If the guns feel “off” try not iron sighting. You don’t have to zoom in to shoot everything in this game unlike in certain other games previously mentioned. Just point and shoot. Accuracy maintains up to a surprising distance even without ironsights.

(Jess Alon) #2

A lot of people are mad because they get to 20 and no more points for them. Even though they have all these abilities to play with and all this stuff to do. I don’t understand how that’s not enough. If you’re bored already you’re doing it wrong. 360, PC… whatever.

(pinion120) #3

I’d like to add that I have been gaming since DOOM was playable on DWANGO (LAN service you dialed into via your 14.4 modem to deathmatch with 4 players)

I only add this because games have become something so different, and I have seen many “modern” gamers just blinded to how GREAT some games can be that are totally different from the formula that these major AAA studios keep delivering to them every year.

Brink is that game that can cross the gap between the two crowds – but it’s rocky release may have faulted that opportunity before it even began. Here’s hoping SD aggressively patches to bring those players back into the fold.

(fearlessfox) #4

There’s nothing innovative about select class go here press button wait x time, rinse, repeat.

And choke-point combat is not fun. OBJ based play can be done without it. Brink was supposed to offer superior freedom of movement which lead to multiple flanking opportunity. Most maps so far simply don’t take advantage of the SMART system to produce this effect.

Brink is a good game with the potential to be a great game, but it’s not a glowing beacon of innovation and in many ways it takes more steps backward than it does forward (VOIP restricted to obscure game types being the biggest negative for me).

Right now I’m crossing my fingers for this. Brink’s style and overall design is my dream FPS (the generic war skin is really not my ideal) and the SMART system and gun mechanics are brilliance in motion.

Let’s hope that the game is supported well over the coming months and it grows into what it could potentially become.

(eMwegA) #5

The general gameplay idea is okay. Its just badly done in Brink. The release did a lot of damage imho. And plz stop to make everyone who doesnt like brink look like hes stupid. “because they dont know objective gameplay” “Because they only want to level up” “people are blind” like the elitist geniuses play brink while the stupid pawns play bf or cod… There are more than enough valid reasons to not like Brink and prefering other FPS imho. For me there are more reasons to not like brink :smiley: see my other fl4m3s :stuck_out_tongue:

(stealth6) #6

[QUOTE=fearlessfox;323835]There’s nothing innovative about select class go here press button wait x time, rinse, repeat.

And choke-point combat is not fun. OBJ based play can be done without it. Brink was supposed to offer superior freedom of movement which lead to multiple flanking opportunity. Most maps so far simply don’t take advantage of the SMART system to produce this effect.
[/QUOTE]

I don’t see how objective gameplay would work without chokepoints, if the enemy can just flood in from all sides it’s pretty much impossible for defence to set up and kind of resistance. THen every match would just be a chaotic mess, not very enjoyable.

It’s precisely thanks to the chokepoints that teamwork comes into play, you need to team up to break though.

(xTriXxy) #7

innovative gameplay?

well, yes. Difference between Brink and other FPS MP games is the problem.
Everyone played many different fps games before Brink. We learned, most kills - > best player (in nost cases). Having most kills is very addictive. It pushes other players to play more and more, and to reach same score as their “godlike” favorite player.

Now, we have Brink. What we were searching in brink was that “drug” , that addictive kills. Nothing more. And here is the core problem. Brink is not about that. There is no satisfaction from most kills. Its totally different gameplay. Brink is objective oriented and team oriented game. Maybe SD forgot, there are no real teamplayers on random public servers. No one cares about his team.

Brink is teaching us, to be satisfied from helping each other.

Kids wants their drug. Brink gives you placebo. Thats why so many hate.

Maybe moral question? Maybe. Brink is first real FPS multiplayer game.

(wolfnemesis75) #8

[QUOTE=pinion120;323818]The bad press Brink has received is in some cases warranted in terms of performance issues or what not that are being patched out. But the people that continue to knock the fact that gameplay revolves around choke points or that classes don’t feel “unique” just don’t seem to get it imo.

Objective based gameplay is built around chokepoint combat with teams clashing together. That is how the game is designed, and it leads to some intense and enjoyable firefights. Getting locked on chokepoint #1 the first one in the map? Well your team isn’t up to snuff, sorry - but enjoy the exciting fire fight anyway. People seem to think if they don’t progress through multiple objectives every single time the map is unbalanced. Actually, sometimes you just get outplayed and it is more transparent when this happens in an objective gameplay oriented scenario.

Classes not unique enough? Just open the damn abilities menu and look at all the cool stuff you get at rank 3, rank 4, rank 5… tons of unique abilities for each class. Reviving grenades for medics, soldiers with AP ammo and kevlar + enhanced grenades, Operatives with cortex bombs… The game purposefully slows your progression to ease noobs into the gameplay style who are used to more run n gun games with less abilities and passives etc to worry about.

In general I think Brink is being received by a LARGER portion of the gaming community (thanks to a very successful marketing campaign to build up pre release buzz) that has little to no experience with objective style gameplay games – these persons are just not used to a game like Brink and what makes it shine can take a few plays to see if you are new to this style of gaming.

Unfortunately, and yes I will say it, the COD crowd has marginalized what shooters are allowed to be. Also I think a lot of the reviews are for the 360 version from what I’ve read it is a bit uh MEH. Get it on PC.

That is all. I like to see innovative gameplay thrive, something different than the standard “war” FPS games. For those who still don’t feel Brink - post here and maybe I can help. Even the combat style in this game is somewhat different. If the guns feel “off” try not iron sighting. You don’t have to zoom in to shoot everything in this game unlike in certain other games previously mentioned. Just point and shoot. Accuracy maintains up to a surprising distance even without ironsights.[/QUOTE]
Brink bucks the current FPS trends and in many cases avoids them all together in an effort to create something unique and special, and focuses more on fun and teamplay. Which is so refreshing. Brink is one of those games that years from now people will be pointing to as ahead of its time. Great game.

(kozzy) #9

cosign, I am loving this game. Its a breath of fresh air in a genre that has become very stale!
If we get a few new maps or an editor for hte pc version it would be perfect imo.
Keep up the good work splash damage!

(fearlessfox) #10

Bucks the trend how?

SMART is very cool.
Changing characters at command points to quickly take part in OBJs.
Spreads XP earned to buff team effort over rambo run and gunning.
erm…
Lets us dress our dolls?

Brink is a standard OBJ based shooter with some nice features, but at it’s core it plays very much like every single other OBJ based game.

Run here, hold button, defend guy holding button, rinse and repeat.
etc…

BF2, BC2, TF2, even ET:QW, all of these played with the same core ideas but with slightly different aspects of focus.

Brink is not a beacon of shining innovation, it’s a OBJ based game with a more emphasis on OBJ than most and a cool movement system.

A good game with the potential to be great, but lets not delude ourselves.

Oh, and you do realise that fun is subjective, right? And that OBJ based play =/= intelligent people only will understand, right?

(Glyph) #11

Isn’t that the joke though as it is not ahead of its time. If the objectives were dynamic and kept both teams having to adapt then yes, I’d say that Brink was the next evolution in objective FPSs. Instead we know exactly where to go, what class to use and where the major chokepoints are, how to navigate around them, etc. How is that revolutionary? It is just like de_dust was 10 years ago, except it’s 2011. Brink was supposed to revolutionze the genre, it did not.

(SphereCow) #12

[QUOTE=fearlessfox;323835]There’s nothing innovative about select class go here press button wait x time, rinse, repeat.

And choke-point combat is not fun. OBJ based play can be done without it. Brink was supposed to offer superior freedom of movement which lead to multiple flanking opportunity. Most maps so far simply don’t take advantage of the SMART system to produce this effect.

Brink is a good game with the potential to be a great game, but it’s not a glowing beacon of innovation and in many ways it takes more steps backward than it does forward (VOIP restricted to obscure game types being the biggest negative for me).

Right now I’m crossing my fingers for this. Brink’s style and overall design is my dream FPS (the generic war skin is really not my ideal) and the SMART system and gun mechanics are brilliance in motion.

Let’s hope that the game is supported well over the coming months and it grows into what it could potentially become.[/QUOTE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0q14FZmfIo

(Kalbuth) #13

Let’s be precise : Class-based, objective based.
This is what defines ET serie (anf Brink is part of it) apart from the rest of FPS
And no, BF serie ain’t class-based/obj-based. They appear to have classes, but unrelated to objectives.

  • apart from rush mode, they don’t design ANY fight “front”, like it is shaped in ET serie. BF “front” is more of a “mess”. It opens up possibilities, it cuts down planning.
    Both are quite, quite different
(pinion120) #14

Buck’s the trend how you say? Glad to be of service:

Gameplay that rewards teamplay more than the lone soldier (scoreboard is XP only, kills not visible other than “most kills” stat, no kill streaks ala COD, deaths not visible) – this alone is a huge and ballsy move.

Objective based gameplay. People act like this is a “staple” of FPS games - no it is not. CTF, DM, Team DM - those are FPS staples. Objective based gameplay in which the map tells a story and you fight within the map to complete it is a hallmark of the SD style and something that sets their games apart and makes them play very differently.

An operative that can’t backstab. I even miss the backstab, but is still a unique design in that his role plays out differently here (that’s for a much different post to expound upon)

SMART system. Mirror’s Edge did it first, but this is THE FIRST time we’ve seen it in a multiplayer FPS. Some players claim it doesn’t impact the core gameplay - I agree and disagree. It does offer numerous multiple routes (some very well hidden) that I don’t think everyone has discovered yet. There are some GREAT youtube videos that show this off. Maybe another poster can make up for my laziness here and post some in the thread? SMART does more than you may see at first glance. I imagine this is by design - to ease new players in and reward vets who learn all the multiple routes through the maps.

Leveling system that doesn’t require you to play for 3 months. Most games now will give you an artificial “grind” - Brink does not. I would like to see the stats system implemented that has been discussed in pre-release interviews - long term goals are great and a stats system that gauges your accuracy etc is a wonderful way to do this.

Crouch slide combat. Pretty innovative, done in Bulletstorm, but still new for the FPS genre. Crouch sliding and shooting a guy in the face with the revolver is the best feeling in the world. Seriously. Try it. God it feels awesome. This COULD fall under the SMART category I suppose but people forget CROUCH slide is tied into SMART and still say its not integral in the gameplay - I crouch slide TONS during matches to evade and to attack.

Long enough list for you? I could keep going.

(SphereCow) #15

[QUOTE=stealth6;323838]I don’t see how objective gameplay would work without chokepoints, if the enemy can just flood in from all sides it’s pretty much impossible for defence to set up and kind of resistance. THen every match would just be a chaotic mess, not very enjoyable.

It’s precisely thanks to the chokepoints that teamwork comes into play, you need to team up to break though.[/QUOTE]
SD’s previous games had choke points but they weren’t so tight.

(Sinner) #16

From what I’ve seen, most maps do, it’s the players that don’t take advantage of it. I don’t think I’ve ever ran into a situation where I was completely walled off and couldn’t progress without going through a chokepoint. There’s always side routes, passages ways, gaps to jump over, or something to get around. Granted, sometimes they need to be built, destroyed, or hacked first, but that’s part of Brink.

I have, however, sat back in awe as I watched half my team spawn, run into a chokepoint, get killed, respawn, take the same route back, get killed, etc. I’d wager a guess that most players don’t even realize that every spawn has at least two exits. They take the same one every time and just get spawn camped for 15 minutes straight(assuming they don’t rage quit). It’s not a Brink problem, though, I see it everywhere in online shooters.

(stealth6) #17

I guess that is a valid point :slight_smile:

(fearlessfox) #18

[QUOTE=pinion120;323882]Buck’s the trend how you say? Glad to be of service:

Long enough list for you? I could keep going.[/QUOTE]

I mentioned most of that in my post. and acknowledged them as trend-bucking cool.

My point was that, at its heart, Brink is the same old OBJ based play we’ve seen many times before but with greater focus.

This is a very cool progression, but it’s hardly a massive innovation.

Evolution =/= revolution.

So many of you post like this game is the saviour of FPSs, when really it’s a nice big step in the right direction with a little bit of a slip backwards…

Awkward animation, minimal interaction with environments, lack of communication in consoles, graphics that seems stripped down for this gen, a story mode with no real substance to it, maps that don’t take advantage of one of the game’s largest selling points, etc…

Let’s critique Brink well and make SD aware of the flaws and room for improvement and hope they add to this title or make their next one truly live up to the potential.

(SphereCow) #19

How is it a slip backwards?

(Kalbuth) #20

Loss of possibilities compared to QW, though it’s far too early to tell (I’m discovering things every day)
too tight chokepoints? (though again, time will tell, people use approx 30% of the maps currently, tbh)
Consolized “1 button for all”
etc…

There are a lot of shortcomings in Brink, it’s far, far far from ideal