Red Dead Redemption 2

OrangeRKN wrote:I don't agree, I was still discovering things 100 hours in. There is also a solid story direction from the opening through the great plateau, Kakariko and Hateno to Zora's domain and the first divine beast, if that's what you want to follow, which can occupy the first maybe 20 hours or so. It's lacking in narrative but I couldn't say there is no story progression at all. I think the Gerudo desert has a decent flow to it too, from getting into the city through the Yiga clan and culminating with the divine beast. I also liked the progression of Tarrey Town.

To bring it back on topic though I'm fully expecting RDR2 to be an awful lot more narrative driven. I hope it leaves enough breathing space in the plot for taking on side activities and generally exploring.

Hime wrote:

Gemini73 wrote:

Hime wrote:

Gemini73 wrote:Dan Houser is desperately attempting to walk back on his statement regarding staff being tied to their workstations like in a Victorian workhouse. People, sorry, dickheads, still defending R*

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018 ... -criticism

Did he actually say that?

No he did not, but he may as well have done is the point. Thinking that having one's staff working 100 hour weeks is perfectly acceptable is an appalling mindset. That Houser is now attempting to backtrack shows he damn well knows it's not acceptable. Anyone defending R*, or any games company, in this regard need to take a good, long look at themselves.

But as already said, once RDR 2 is out and the media have faunicated all over it, this whole scenario will be brushed under the carpet and forgotten about. strawberry float people's health, both mentally and physically, as long as the game is good eh?

Don't you think we need a few more details before jumping to the conclusion that the work environment is akin to a sweat shop? Where I work there we have be very seriously u derstaffed to the point that some have been working 75 hour weeks for almost 3 years now, the thing is it is entirely optional and as staffing has improved it's actually become an issue as some have become so accustomed to inflated salaries.

The point is you don't know if Rockstar's staff are working voluntarily, being rewarded or being threatened that they'll lose their jobs of they don't put in extra hours and I think you need to know these things first.

Photek wrote:As Peter stated, in the US this kinda stuff is the norm. My wife is ASTOUNDED by how much time she has off, she's still genuinely stunned. We both get 26 days off a year paid, which is pretty normal here.

Tafdolphin wrote:

Photek wrote:As Peter stated, in the US this kinda stuff is the norm. My wife is ASTOUNDED by how much time she has off, she's still genuinely stunned. We both get 26 days off a year paid, which is pretty normal here.

I know this (probably) isn't what you're suggesting, but that doesn't make it right.

Photek wrote:I'm not suggesting it's right at all either for the devs to do that or for the US in general.

I'm actually off the day of this games release and the following week also. This decision was made with this game in mind, I got a bonus that I didn't have to bring my little one to shool on that friday because we have a presidential election here in Ireland (a pointless one, Michael D is 56pts ahead) and her school is used as a polling station but found out my missus is in that day so that takes the shine off it a little bit.

Hime wrote:

OrangeRKN wrote:I don't agree, I was still discovering things 100 hours in.

What exactly have you discovered 100 hours in that you hadn't seen before? I'm genuinely curious.

Tafdolphin wrote:

Hime wrote:

Gemini73 wrote:

Hime wrote:

Gemini73 wrote:Dan Houser is desperately attempting to walk back on his statement regarding staff being tied to their workstations like in a Victorian workhouse. People, sorry, dickheads, still defending R*

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018 ... -criticism

Did he actually say that?

No he did not, but he may as well have done is the point. Thinking that having one's staff working 100 hour weeks is perfectly acceptable is an appalling mindset. That Houser is now attempting to backtrack shows he damn well knows it's not acceptable. Anyone defending R*, or any games company, in this regard need to take a good, long look at themselves.

But as already said, once RDR 2 is out and the media have faunicated all over it, this whole scenario will be brushed under the carpet and forgotten about. strawberry float people's health, both mentally and physically, as long as the game is good eh?

Don't you think we need a few more details before jumping to the conclusion that the work environment is akin to a sweat shop? Where I work there we have be very seriously u derstaffed to the point that some have been working 75 hour weeks for almost 3 years now, the thing is it is entirely optional and as staffing has improved it's actually become an issue as some have become so accustomed to inflated salaries.

The point is you don't know if Rockstar's staff are working voluntarily, being rewarded or being threatened that they'll lose their jobs of they don't put in extra hours and I think you need to know these things first.

The thing is, this isn't out of the blue, it's part of a trend within the industry, and a reason unionisation is such a controversial subject.

Also, if you're in a job that regularly requires ("Of course, you don't have to come in...") you do 75 hr weeks... That's a terrible job.

Photek wrote:found out my missus is in that day so that takes the shine off it a little bit.

Tafdolphin wrote:

Photek wrote:Yeah BoTW gets repetitive very fast, and with no story to speak of really, it kinda killed it for me.

My brother in law felt the same. I really do think it's a question of taste. There is most certainly a story there to uncover, more so than in the other Zelda games I've played, but as it's predominantly an exploration game the plot is woven into this aspect rather than presented wholesale. It's not a 'do this mission, get some story' game, it's an 'explore this area, find some story nuggets' game.

It's also the closest thing there is, I think, to the perfect expression of what an open world game should be, one that utilises the vast open spaces not as largely empty terrain to be traversed on your way to a mission marker (a la the GTA games, and even The Witcher) but as spaces for emergent gameplay through sidequests and unmarked elements. The joy of stumbling across the accordian playing eagle by chance is far greater than making it to a mission marker and starting another chase mission. Nintendo's first go at such a game completely shifted the paradigm for the genre.

I think the reason I'm not excited fot RDR2 is that, no-one seems to have told Rockstar this.

Hime wrote:Depends on your point of circumstance, some people would love the chance to work more and increase their income.

Preezy wrote:

Photek wrote:found out my missus is in that day so that takes the shine off it a little bit.

I know that pain.

Moggy wrote:

Preezy wrote:

Photek wrote:found out my missus is in that day so that takes the shine off it a little bit.

I know that pain.

On Tuesdays my son is at nursery and my wife is at work. I have taken quite a few sneaky days off so I can have a day to myself.

Moggy wrote:

Hime wrote:Depends on your point of circumstance, some people would love the chance to work more and increase their income.

Yeah, I am sure people are desperate to be able to work for 100 hours a week.

OrangeRKN wrote:

Hime wrote:

OrangeRKN wrote:I don't agree, I was still discovering things 100 hours in.

What exactly have you discovered 100 hours in that you hadn't seen before? I'm genuinely curious.

Various mechanics and interplay between mechanics, like Octoroks cleaning rusted weapons. I think maybe the last thing I stumbled across were the animations for kicking or punching open a chest without armour equipped and Link wincing in pain, which while not a mechanic is pretty fun