SE5 screenshots ugly?

[Raapys]

Up to a point, then it starts to harm productivity

I'm very aware that assigning more developers on a project can have the opposite effect than desired, unless you have a really well organized project that can actually support it. Obviously, the completely unplanned "Oh, we're running late, let's throw in 10 more programmers!" idea isn't gonna do much good.

That's where the 'time' part comes in. The more money you have, the less you need to rush the game to avoid getting broke. Where you might not have a good enough organized project to support more than a couple of programmers, time is key.

Having, for instance, alot of artists hired, means you have alot more expenses, thus need to rush the game out sooner to make up for those expenses, unless you're one of those people that have unlimited amount of cash and can delay a game as long as they want. I believe they live in a fantasy world, however.

The point is that the total fun of that 10 hour game is spread out over more time.
Thus it either has a lower intensity of fun; it has 6 hours of boring mixed in.

I didn't talk about 'total fun', though. If you reread what I said, you'd notice the "If I have just as much fun when I play that 10 hour game as when I play the 4 hour one" part, indicating that, while playing the 10 hour game I have e.g. 8 points of fun 'each moment' on a 0-10 scala, while on the 4 hour one I also have 8 points of fun, but those 'moments' are far fewer. Put in a very silly way, since talking about 'fun' in such a way isn't really entirely fitting.

[Fyron]

There is no unless, though. Even the most well-organized project will hit the curve. It may be at a higher point than an unorganized project, but it will happen.

[Raapys]

Okay, if we're gonna nit-pick then let me rephrase "unless you have a really well organized project that can actually support it." to "unless you have a well organized project that can actually support *more*". And, as I mentioned, time is just about always the biggest problem at any rate, and money can buy that too.

So I'm not entirely sure why we're discussing that part.

I'm just pointing out the way that many others read it, Raapys.

Fair enough, glad we could clarify it then.

[Suicide Junkie]

I'm just pointing out the way that many others read it, Raapys.

[Hunpecked]

Imperator Fyron said:Up to a point, then it starts to harm productivity... Look for info on the mythical man-month.

I've been in the software business long enough to remember reading that book not long after it first came out. Coincidentally, I had occasion to quote it to my current boss about two weeks ago. Amazing what three decades of "progress" won't accomplish.

[Suicide Junkie]

I don't see playing games as a chore. If I have just as much fun when I play that 10 hour game as when I play the 4 hour one( assuming that I'm actually enjoying the games), then obviously I'd like to have fun for as long as possible and would go with the 10 hour game.

The point is that the total fun of that 10 hour game is spread out over more time.
Thus it either has a lower intensity of fun; it has 6 hours of boring mixed in.

[JAFisher44]

You want an example of a game focusing on graphics over gameplay? Fine. Call of Duty 2. This game is in fact cut gameplay options from its predecessor. They claimed to have created a new game engine for the game, but that was a load of crap. In reality what they did was port the Quake 2 engine over to XBox 360 and then port it back to PC. They did add a grenade button so you could throw a nade without changing weapons, but they removed so much more. They removed portable machine guns and vehicles. Hell, they even removed the weapon mode select key. They reduced the size of all of the maps except for the smallest ones. They removed the sprint option. Who needs it when you spawn on top of eachother anyway? But the game has better graphics. I am really angry that I wasted 50$ on the game. I still play CoD:UO way more than I play CoD2.

The problem with today's gaming market is that games are designed to look really pretty in screenshots, gameplay be damned. Then the screaming hordes all rush the stores on midnight of the release date an buy every copy available. By the time everyone realizes that they bought crap it is too late. The company has made its money and there is no real need to maintain long term sales. And since a great deal of people are lemmings and dont care about good gameplay there is still a trickle of sales that is just gravy for the developers.

Another example of cutting content exists in The Dawn of War expansion, Winter Assault. However, these cuts weren't even made to allow for graphic enhancements. They were just made so that the game would be easier for the hordes of stupid game players who don't want to be bothered to acutally play a game. I am not going to post an exhaustive list, but an example would be the Space Marine Predator tank, which started with just an autocannon and heavy bolter sponsons and could be upgraded to all lascannons, now it just starts with all lascannons.