[IGDA_indies] Black & White as paragon of innovation

[Brandon J. Van Every]

Ronald Hobbs wrote:
>
> As for mainstream games with innovation....
>
> Basically anything done by Peter Molyneux, sure black and white is an
> extension of the old populous, but he did that one to so you can't
> really blame the guy, the AI in it is really fantastic.

No it isn't.  I just played it.  I thought I should be fully conversant
with the famous historical titles.  It's a beautiful, boring game with a
good start.  I only got halfway through it.  It has some innovative
stuff, like the gesture and zooming interfaces, and I like my pet
monkey.  The AI just isn't that bright or easy to train though.  My
impressions square with those of Gamespy: Black & White is the #1
overrated game of all time.
http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/september03/25overrated/

If I were rating B&W in the IGF for Innovation In Game Design, I'd give
it a 10 for innovation and a 6.5 for execution.  It really is too
painfully godawful boring, and the AI isn't as smart or trainable as
people want to believe it is.  A combined score of 65 would make it only
an average contender.  However, other judges might not be so hard-assed
about the execution as I am, or maybe they'd only get through the 1st
level and the 'trick' of B&W would work on them.  It might make the
finals for game design because a 65 won't torpedo an entrant if other
judges think it's more praiseworthy.

Also it would probably do better for 'Innovation Overall', as for that
we consider the agglomeration of game design, art, audio, and
technology.  I think the bouncing ball sailor songs have got to be worth
something, for instance.  :-)  I'd probably give it a 7.5 for execution
overall - the gameplay really is too painful.

> Add to that his
> upcoming releases, the Movies and Fable they both are looking very
> interesting.  I've been waiting for Fable for years now.

Black & White has taught me not to care one whit about what *looks*
interesting.  In fact, B&W demonstrates how powerful a marketing frenzy
really is.  People want to believe that a gozno idea is a breakthrough.
Well, at least they want to believe it when it's got an EA marketing
budget behind it, har har!  Much easier to dismiss an indie when she
doesn't have a marketing machine behind her.

In the same vein, I feel that Grand Theft Auto III is innovative but
overrated.  Not a lot of simulationism or emergent behavior is actually
going on.  What's really happening, is you're surrounded by 'ghosts' in
a radius from your position.  You have the illusion of freedom of
movement and consequential action.  Actually, the ghosts are simply
dematerializing and rematerializing with you, wherever you go.  It's the
same game no matter where you go.  Nothing persists, consequences do not
stack up upon each other, the system has no memory.

GTA3 is a shitload more fun than B&W though.  I'd give it a 10 for game
design execution.

> Another good lot is Elixir studios the game Republic was
> astounding in
> how unlike everything else it was (personally I though it was
> similar to
> a very very large game of Chess but that didn't make it bad)
> Then there is also the Creative Assembly, the Total War
> series, nuff said.

I'm not familiar with these.


Cheers,                     www.indiegamedesign.com
Brandon Van Every           Seattle, WA

Taking risk where others will not.