This is a response to a post in my previous blog, but as I began highlighting the gilded age of BYOND and why the Anime Guild would never amount to anything gilded about BYOND's legacy, I realized it needed to be made into its own post.
The Anime Guild isn't a bad institution. However, it's lack of originality is what makes it laughable amongst people with a serious interest in game development.
Older members realize this. Older members realize that BYOND's production quality has diminished exponentially. No one is making games like Lode Wars, Tanks, DWO, Iron Dogs, Scary Games, Morte, Dream Forge, MLAAS, Mafia, Bombard, etc. Some of these are games that pushed BYOND's limits.
Lode Wars had an unparalleled interface in a time before skins
Tanks was the first game to have major implications for subscribers, not to mention the browser interface.
I still have not seen a better use of pixel movement since Bombard
Iron Dogs (II) was the first game I ever saw with dozens of visual effects that didn't look gaudy and didn't ruin gameplay.
Dream Forge... Could creating a character be any more personal and intense? Not to mention the attention to detail in mapping.
Speaking of mapping, can anyone argue that WildBlood is not one of the better, if not the best, map designers BYOND has ever had? All of his games just had uber memorable, functional, non repetitive, seamless, and beautiful maps. Morte, Iron Dogs (1-3), Scary Games (1-3), and Harvest Moon.
Aaiko's Seika is probably the closest thing to a fully developed all original game.
None of these games have been topped to this day. And sadly, it looks like they never will be.
An honorable mention would be D4RK3 S4B3R's (et al) Capellan Conflict. Not since the early days of SpaceTug have I felt such fear of computer AI in a video game. Everything from the dark environment to the eerie sounds contributed to that. Thank you, D5. Not to mention an awesome interface
BYOND's community has gone from creating new output to just redistributing its own pile of fecal matter, like monkeys flinging poo. Are any DBZ games really that unique from another? Same goes for the Narutos.
Now many of the aforementioned developers, including myself, have moved on. Why? Some might say we're fed up with the poor management of the community. Other opinions are that we're fed up with the lack of encouragement by said management for the community to create original content.
Last I checked, it stood for Build Your Own Net Dream. No one wants to go to an art gallery full of interpretations, covers, homages, and copies of Rembrandt, DaVinci, Van Gogh and Picasso. They want to go to an art gallery full of new, up-and-coming, inspiring, and memorable artwork. The same applies to the BYOND hub. Those looking for the former are just blind.
This is the problem.
ID:96011
 May 26 2010, 9:21 pm
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Sorry you feel that way, but you shouldn't need encouragement by "management" to create original content-- this is supposed to be your dream, not ours. Back in the glory days of BYOND (which seem to get more glorious as time goes on), we didn't push people to make any sort of game besides whatever appealed to them. We just happened to have a few very clever developers.
There is nothing preventing you or anyone else to make a good game with BYOND now. The software is better than it ever was. If the community isn't, then just take the game off-site... we provide plenty of ways to do that (more than we did back in the "glory" days). I think people make a lot of excuses because making good games is hard work, and publicizing them is even harder. Yes, we could do a better job helping out and we are going to try (that is what this recent discussion about rips and IP theft amounts to). But 99% of the labor is on your end. We've already provided the tools and the infrastructure. If you really want to make an original game, go do it. | |
Either you have some high tech nostalgia goggles, or you don't get around very much.
Probably both. Admittedly, general quality of games on BYOND is not amazingly high, but in the few years since you last logged into a BYOND game, there has been a few worthwhile games to play. Sounds to me like the reason you're not finding any good games is because you're simply not looking. | |
I've worked hard on my end of the stick, friend. Those games aren't "unbeatable", in fact they're plenty of games that beat the above listed.
"Are any DBZ games really that unique from another? Same goes for the Narutos." Yes, they're plenty of developers with original game ideas and concepts creating games that differ from all the other DBZ/Naruto games. My game has entirely brand new game mechanics and artwork brought to the table, as well as various other games that are in their beginning or development stages. I guarantee once some of these games are finished, the anime guild won't look so bad. Here's some great games: http://www.byond.com/games/Flick/ManoAMano http://www.byond.com/games/UnknownPerson/Ultimatum http://www.byond.com/games/Efencea/Efencea http://www.byond.com/games/DerDragon/BombermanArena http://www.byond.com/games/Avlein/KWRPGPlatformerOnline Those are just the ones from the top of my head that are stable and ready to play. My whole point is, things change. The BYOND software has improved, and we're getting some nifty developers on BYOND. It just takes awhile longer now a days depending on the game and the amount of people working on it. I commend all those who have put hard work into their projects. | |
The Anime Guild isn't a bad institution. However, it's lack of originality is what makes it laughable amongst people with a serious interest in game development. What exactly is unoriginal about it? The fact they have something to base their games off? Show me one RPG on BYOND that doesn't have some basis somewhere else. It might be D&D, it might be Baldurs Gate, it doesn't matter; hell, they don't even have to know they've done it. Show me one RPG on BYOND that someone can't immediately identify a feature that another game already has. Essentially, if I was to make a Dr. Who game, you'd be directing this comment towards me as well. Sure, there isn't millions upon millions of games based upon Dr. Who, but it's still a borrowed concept, therefore you seem to have an issue with it. Older members realize this. Older members realize that BYOND's production quality has diminished exponentially. Please don't speak on my behalf. I don't agree with you. I ignore BYOND Anime, stick to transfusing my own guild with sweet life fluids and ignore most of the controversy going on around BYOND. As a result, I'm much less of a whiny bitch than most people 'round these parts. Thanks. 'Cause you know, that's all people who sit around and complain about rips are. Whiny bitches. How about shutting up, and making a game "to combat the evil horror that is BYOND Anime". No one is making games like Lode Wars, Tanks, DWO, Iron Dogs, Scary Games, Morte, Dream Forge, MLAAS, Mafia, Bombard, etc. Some of these are games that pushed BYOND's limits. Yeah, back in 2003 - 2005 maybe. The limits of BYOND that these games pushed now no longer exist (with the possible exception to Dream Forge). You're being senselessly nostalgic. The only game in that list I gave a damn about was Lode Wars, and even it's too outdated for me to bother playing any more. I enjoy playing it, a lot, but it's just too outdated. Lode Wars had an unparalleled interface in a time before skins And now we have skins, this point is moot. Tanks was the first game to have major implications for subscribers, not to mention the browser interface. Good for it. Ancient browser interfaces aren't all that spectacular now considering the power we have at our finger tips. None of these games have been topped to this day. And sadly, it looks like they never will be. That's your opinion. You say none of them have been topped, how many players do they have these days? According to my pager, Lode Wars is offline, and the most people I've seen in it in the last six months was 8. A really big seller there. BYOND's community has gone from creating new output to just redistributing its own pile of fecal matter, like monkeys flinging poo. Are any DBZ games really that unique from another? Same goes for the Narutos. Welcome to say... 2003! Man, you sure are with the times... Now many of the aforementioned developers, including myself, have moved on. Why? Aforementioned whiny bitch comment, apparently. Some might say we're fed up with the poor management of the community. With the minor exception to punishments not being as harsh as they could be for the small few assholes who go around ruining everything for everyone. I say the community leaders (myself included) do a pretty damn good job. And we get stuff all in return from the community for our effort. Other opinions are that we're fed up with the lack of encouragement by said management for the community to create original content. I'm taking this comment rather personally. Why the hell should we force incentive for you to create content? If you want to make a game, then make a bloody game. We shouldn't have to pay you bribes to do stuff. I want to know this from you: Why should we spend our hard earned dollars to Not to mention the inaccuracy of this comment. There's a competition going on right now. There was a competition on just before it, and people have planned one for after it. How much more incentive do we need to give you to make your own game? This one point alone contradicts your entire final argument. This is the problem. Misguided, insulting, and downright incorrect blog posts like your own are more of a problem then people spreading stolen source code. Ignoring BYOND Anime is easy, I do it on a daily basis. If it wasn't for posts like this one, I'd probably forget it even exists. It's a pity the better most of BYOND's non-anime player base can't do this. Or else there'd be less bitching about rips and more making actual games without the seemingly necessary monetary incentive. I get the feeling I wrote this post exactly for people like you... | |
Yes.