prepared enough(quite rushed) or very well prepared sequel?

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Please justify all speculations with reasons why you think such an event could happen.
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shinro-kun
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prepared enough(quite rushed) or very well prepared sequel?

Post by shinro-kun »

which do you prefer for a sequel? a sequel that goes each year or even twice a year but is quite rushed(but still prepared) or a sequel that is very very well prepared but takes about 2-3 or more years to make?

oh, and let's not discuss about 'konami not being able to do it anyway' or 'konami wont even care doing so anyway' here..
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Lemmy Claypool
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Post by Lemmy Claypool »

Anyone that chooses quantity over quality really shouldn't play a series like Suikoden. Think about it; say Konami release a Suikoden game every year (imagine that they only had the one team working on all the games, therefore making them quite rushed) would you be willing to spend £40 a year on a shoddy product? Or would you rather wait an extra year or so and spend that same money on a good quality game?
Oppenheimer
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Post by Oppenheimer »

I think Suikoden IV is what you get wish a rushed product. Short, shallow and undeveloped. Although they are making up for that somewhat with Rhapsodia. I'd much rather have a lengthy game such as II and III, even if it takes longer it'll be replayable, unlike #IV which I don't paticularily want to replay, so it'll be worth it.
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patapi
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Post by patapi »

Time is not really the question. It's all about the amount of effort and critical decision-making that goes with each game. There was a significant time interval between III and IV, so I don't exactly blame its shortcomings for it being "rushed" or similar.

Honestly, I find the decision to streamline the game system and presentation was far more detrimental than the shorter amount of time spent on development. It's the kind of decision that you make early in the production stage which has a significant impact throughout the production, but that doesn't exactly take forever.

Konami can wait a million years between installments, and it will still be "crap" if they don't do a good job with it. Sure, time is important, but the actual amount needed to be "very, very well-prepared" is subjective.

That overly generic battle system needs to go. I couldn't care less for "fans" who cannot stand the supposedly slow-paced battles of Suikoden III.
Archangel_X

Post by Archangel_X »

I think that the main flaw of S4 was the fact that the "silent hero" was very poorly executed. In both S1 and S2, the silent hero had companions that deeply cared about him (Cleo, Gremio, Pahn in S1, Nanami, Pilika, and Jowy in S2), and in turn, the gamer cared about the companions and as a result the events of the game. In S4, "Lazlo" seemed to be just some guy who came to weild a True Rune through dumb luck. His only real friend seemed to be Snowe who was neither likable nor around the hero for much of the game. This misuse of the "silent hero", IMO, caused this game to feel like a suiped up version of some generic 16-bit rpg in which there was no real emotional connection between the gamer, the characters in the game, and the events that unfold through out the game. People can say what they want about the generic battle system, ugly character portraits, and the tedious boat travel, but if S4 had a main character which gamers could identify with and actually care about, this game would have overcome most of its numerous flaws.
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Stallion
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Post by Stallion »

Certainly the "fewer but better developed" style is what I would choose. Of Konami's games there are a few that still live on in my heart and I can play over and over, games like Suiko 2, Castlevania: SotN and Metal Gear Solid.

FEWER AND BETTER DEVELOPED
Why are they so replayable? First off they feel polished, the world has a set style and it is used to its fullest, second the story is really strong and it has memorable characters which come from good planning, and third they are so packed with hidden bits and extras that its unlikely you'll get everything in any one save.

Each of these games I have played through more times than I can remember, and they never get old. That IMO is how a great game is written - so much customisation that you can make each play through completely different.

MORE AND RUSHED
On the other side of the spectrum there are games that started MASSIVE, then have fallen over by trying to rush out multiple sequels in successive years, eventually getting to the stage where people just arent interested anymore. Best example of that..? Tomb Raider. The first game had awesome level designs and brought platforming into 3D forever.

TR2 was released the next year and while the graphics were improved it lost the appeal of being an Indiana Jones exploring ancient ruins and became a run around and shoot stuff with lots more guns. They contined TR3, 4, 5, chronicles... each time becoming more focused on just Lara and making her more gung ho - until it got the stage where she wasn't in tombs at all, and they were relying solely on Lara to carry the series.

FINALLY they have realised this is stupid and are actually taking the time and care to make another real Tomb Raider game, one that might breathe life back into the series.

CONCLUSION
If they rush Suikoden as they have Tomb Raider it could flop a lot faster than TR did. Since they are developing 108 characters each time, rushing games leaves characters looking common and uninspired, and they start to get weak generic storylines as well. There was hints of this in Suiko 4, but I believe they realise this is an issue and will start to bring that known Suikoden depth back in upcoming games.
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Jamuswin
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Worth The Wait.

Post by Jamuswin »

Well I like to have a good game sequal. Its better to wait a while, and make a better gaming experience. Imagine if Konami made Suikoden 1 and then did Suikoden 2 like a year or less later. If anyone has played Suikodens 1&2 they know that 2 is so good that it chalenges 1 in nearly every way. Thats what every game genre should try to do. If we've learned anything from Naughy Dog(TM) , its not to make a game that dosn't need to be made. And not to whore every scrap of it into any platform you can. So yeah. I think that its better to wait until you have a solid continuence of the series. And not another crapy, over hyped, quick buck experience.
I'd like to say something witty. And I usually do. But I don't have anything this time. Don't like it? Well to friggin bad.
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