So has the Sonic Adventure games.
Does anyone else find the term RPG vague? To me I think of Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest(?) style turn based stuff.
But, Then you got Fable and PSO which are real time combat with levelling up.
Then you have Zelda, Okami, Beyond Good and Evil style RPGs which I would say more action orientated.
And then you have Shenmue. Which I would say was a mix of Fable and Zelda if anything.
There you are, my guide to the mind field of RPGs.
They could count.... maybe.
Anyway, I think the reason a Sonic RPG is a surprising concept is because of the following reasons:
1. Having to stop and think about your next step in the game.
2. Engaging in long conversations that lead into a..
3. (somewhat) DEEP PLOT.
4. RPG's target a group of gamers different than those targeted by recent Sonic games.
5. Shadow has already become a "friendly nemesis," so Sonic wouldn't have a villian to eventually join his party.... oh wait, they could always create a new character.
The list could go on. Feel free to add.
Yeah. I guess my idea of RPG automatically leads me to turn-based eventhough I know there are other kinds. This just makes me even more curious.
Yea the term RPG really has changed since the introduction of the genre. I usually do think of things like Golden Sun, Phantasy Star, etc but no it's more than that really. Like JT said this genre can be broken down inot more subcategories. Action RPG, turn-based RPG, combo of both, etc As a matter of fact Sonic and The Secret Rings had very strong tendencies towards an RPG.
"1. Having to stop and think about your next step in the game.
2. Engaging in long conversations that lead into a..
3. (somewhat) DEEP PLOT.
4. RPG's target a group of gamers different than those targeted by recent Sonic games.
5. Shadow has already become a "friendly nemesis," so Sonic wouldn't have a villian to eventually join his party.... oh wait, they could always create a new character."
1. I was thinking about that, but as long as it's fun who cares? Seems to me that Sonic's speed has becoming more and more of a prison. We may be getting a actually fun game, but everybody's scratching there heads because of the speed of it..
2. Just not Golden Sun long. Those texts literally take a HALF-HOUR to read.
3. Sonic games have been experimenting epic stories for a while now. Besides, unlike Sega, Bioware may have writers than can, you know, WRITE.
4. So a new genre for Sonic. So what?
5. That doesn't seem all that suprising.
Wha-? Three pages already? A Sonic RPG must be serious business.
I find all of this surprising myself; gotta read up on the qoute more to see where I stand exactly on all this. (I only skimmed it.) But it's still wierd. We need more of a concept on how the game's controls and how it plays out. But in this early of a stage of announcement, we won't get that for a while.
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4. So a new genre for Sonic. So what?
Well, the past few genres Sonic has tackled have all come across as "cool," or "extreme." Except for the cell phone games, but I don't really count those. Nevertheless, I can't wait to see the advertising for this game. It should be interesting.
*Was drinking coffee when I read this*
*Had spilt the coffee all over my computer and clothes and now wants new clothes and a new computer*
Seriously, wow. If it's Bioware, it could be good. It still might blow though. But if it's good, it will be hailed as the greatest moves that Sega has ever done.
If it fails, then no one cares.
Heh. Sonic may have cursed itself to a point where nobody can help him. But He's just a video game character and where there is fresh ideas, a good reputation, and the courage to pull off the seemingly impossible, There - is - hope.
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But He's just a video game character
And Jesus going by your capitalization. 😛 Yea seriously if it flops who cares, if it succeeds more power to 'em. Plus Sonic Heroes too had some "leveling up" from a more primitive standpoint but still this is going to be a fully fledge RPG, i'm assuming. If the plot rocks, i'll be glad. I want a good plot. Sorry but I do. lol
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Why is a Sonic RPG so surprising? Every mascot franchise has had one except Sonic until this point.
I think the surprising thing is Bioware is making it.
Bioware was BRIBED. Either that or they are feeling heavily daring ambitious.
Yea i'm not sure why BioWare would want to blemish their record. Maybe that just means they'll make sure this game is a knockout. Totally awesome game. Just maybe. I hope.
Oh snapz, if they have an option for created characters...this may give new life to the fan community...whether that is a good idea or not remains to be seen...
I which I could say I've played a Bioware game but alas I haven't. Looks like this could be a first.
Newsweek gaming reporter, N'Gai Croal, explains why BioWare may be involved in this project, in this article:
I have similar thoughts to Mr. Croal's in that I believe that this is a testing ground in Bioware's development for handhelds and possibly training for rookies for future development in bigger games. I mean why did they choose to DS for this type of project instead of the Wii other than it's cheaper to develop on the handheld?
Getting inspiration on how to make games that skews to a younger audience through Sonic does make some sense--seeing that the rest of their library mainly appeals to teens and older. Though I wonder if this would mean this Sonic RPG would be easier and more simplistic than Bioware's usual offerings?
I think this is why some die-hard Bioware fans are complaining about this announcement as to them, Sonic is a dead franchise that appeals to a demograph much younger than them, and that they would rather see something more complex, or a game on par with their usual work on the DS. That and they probably would rather have them using their precoius resources in completing the upcoming Dragon Age.
Precious Resources? Are they running out of something?
I meant their employees and time.
I was thinking about that, but as long as it's fun who cares? Seems to me that Sonic's speed has becoming more and more of a prison. We may be getting a actually fun game, but everybody's scratching there heads because of the speed of it..
That's my biggest concern. You know how people hate anything different.
And if speed really is an issue, it can probably be like Kingdom Hearts-equse.
And if speed really is an issue, it can probably be like Kingdom Hearts-equse.
So, like, running around in a party of three? Didn't we have enough of that from Sonic Heroes?
Yeah but it was completely Linear. KH lets you roam as in any direction as far as the levels boundaries. Thats the notable difference.
"That's my biggest concern. You know how people hate anything different."
I know, I can already see reviewers giving this game a 5 because it's not the Super fast classic game everyone wants. The speed thing tends to keep Sonic gameplay in a box. You can't do anything original becuse it won't be fast, so it's not "Sonic". That's how we get games like Sonic Advance 2 and 3, games that try so ard to be fast, they forget to be fun. I want a battle system that's fun and has depth,not fast just to be fast.
And where as a trio in Sonic Heroes pretty much moved like one character (suppose to anyway), KH just lets you control Sora while the AI handle the other 2 members of the party.
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I know, I can already see reviewers giving this game a 5 because it's not the Super fast classic game everyone wants. The speed thing tends to keep Sonic gameplay in a box. You can't do anything original becuse it won't be fast, so it's not "Sonic". That's how we get games like Sonic Advance 2 and 3, games that try so ard to be fast, they forget to be fun. I want a battle system that's fun and has depth,not fast just to be fast.
No. Reviewers give certain Sonic games low scores, because they are buggy and unplayable messes. I don't remember people giving Super Mario RPG a low score because it was turn-based with timed cues instead of action-based game you see in Mario platformers.
I will not.
MY EARS! X_X
But that aside, I just realized something. This might be the first Sonic game where you actually explore cities and villiages that might contain more hybrid animals than humans. Sure, there Echidna tribe in SA1, but that was more of a vision.
There's just as much chance that instead you'll go around human populated cities such as Station Square, City Central, and Westopolis.
Stephen Hawkins?
Oh geez. That's actually quite cool. 
Well that was pointless.
So yeah, let's hope Bioware has more sense than that.
^Indeed.
Ugh...
Thats every old RPG in general with sonic sprites added. XD thats what Sonic Team would come up with. Hopefully Bioware will have better ideas.
It's pretty much impossible to convert a high-octane speedy game like Sonic into an inherently slow genre like RPGs without having it be some level of failure, so let's hope the degree of that failure is small.
All RPG are not slow, or have you not played the Tales of...or Star Ocean games?
Tales games are significantly slower than Sonic games.
Plus, you know, the whole plodding around on the overworld thing is going to be hard to explain.
You can make a fast RPG. The adventure stages in SA are an example of how the map could be done, and while SA didn't take advantage of them for much besides pointless carrying of keys and some bonus items, the system could be used well.
Now you say, what about the battle system? It doesn't have to be turn based or even a bunch of menus. Mario RPG handled it by letting you win battles with platforming, or you could integrate the system with the map and have a sort of extreme version of the homing attack (or E-102 or power mode) that uses stats. Actually the battles in Sonic Heroes are a simple example, where you have a party and each formation has different attack power, attacks, and status effects.
Adventure map + customizable party + variety of attacks + enemies with complex abilities, like HP, shields, weapons + utility and status moves = cool Sonic RPG. It could be like a more complex Sonic Heroes battle mode with no pits and open roaming in the maps. That would be a series savior.
Of course, that is way too awesome for them to actually do it.
I want some news on this game so I know whether it will be spectacular or a ton of crap. The role of Shadow is probably directly proportional to the crap option, as demonstrated on that Youtube video.
If it is similar to what I said, has the Chaotix playable, and has no Shadow, I will be wildly excited. A Metal Sonic race would be icing too.
Wonder B.
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Tales games are significantly slower than Sonic games.
Plus, you know, the whole plodding around on the overworld thing is going to be hard to explain.
IIRC, starting with Eternia, the point of Tales battles were to complete them as fast as possible without taking too much damage. The better and faster your victory was, the higher your reward was.
Also, not all RPGs have a overworld.
Vec
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If it is similar to what I said, has the Chaotix playable, and has no Shadow
This will never happen--especially the no Shadow part. =(
.......I have just one word for this, as a Sonic fan, as a DS owner and as an RPG novice......
....*SQUEE!* ^__^
*crosses fingers*
Hours of dialogue. YAY
I can understand all the hesitation if this RPG was being developed by Sonic Team...but this is BioWare here! Have they ever made a bad game?
Jade Empire, to be honest, was kind of a bad game.
Well, no one's perfect.
And that one bad game outta what...12?
I can understand all the hesitation if this RPG was being developed by Sonic Team...but this is BioWare here! Have they ever made a bad game?
There are variables to consider:
- Who's writing the plot? If Sonic Team, this could be bad.
- Will they try to intergrate speed/platforming or otherwise innovate from their usual systems to accomodate Sonic? Such a risk is a gamble.
- Will Shadow be in it?
etcetc.
Personally I have faith that it'll be good, but there's no guarantee.
Blah. Everyone is so darned pessimisstic.
"Personally I have faith"?
I'm optimistic, just not stupid enough to blind myself to the possibility of failure.
Sorry.
I, however, am ENTIRELY pessimistic.
