Anime Criticize my CRPG Book

[felipepepe]

So, I'm working on the next release of the CRPG Book (which will be over 420 pages long), and I want the Codex to do what it does best: criticize the shit out of it.

The last release was this one, 350-pages long: https://crpgbook.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/crpg_book_preview_4a.pdf

Of course, it's a WIP and I already fixed some criticisms, getting another Mass Effect 2 review, re-editing the Mount & Blade review, etc... but this isn't about excuses: I wanna hear your your honest thoughts.

Oddly, some of the best suggestions & criticisms I got came reluctantly, only after I PM'ed people. Feels like people have things they dislike but don't wanna comment because I'm part of the hivemind or they don't wanna hurt my feelings...

Don't.

I registered here to read walls of text criticizing and analyzing stuff, and I would love to see the same about this project. DISCUSS!

 

[Doctor Sbaitso]

OK. Your book is shit.

Spoiler

Will read and give feedback.

 

[Leechmonger]

I bookmarked it, will let you know what I think in 2020.

 

[agris]

felipepepe do you want content + design/layout criticism, or just content?

 

[felipepepe]

felipepepe do you want content + design/layout criticism, or just content?

Kinda late to do major layout changes, but post both if you have them.

Rather know that people hate the layout now than the week after release.

 

[Nyast]

What I dislike the most: most game reviews are a single page. That's too short to get anything but a shallow description. I'd love them to be more in-depth ( especialy for the classics ) but I guess the book would be over a thousand pages at this point, so it's understandable

Is the goal to review the history of cRPGs ? If so maybe the book would benefit from a paragraph every year with a description of the (r)evolutions seen that year, explaining the inspirations and the shifts in popularities (ex.: when action rpgs became the norm, when 3D became the standard.. ) ?

I also notice that the game's titles are displayed vertically; I don't find that very easy to read at a first glance, especially with the longer titles ( which sometimes have sub-titles ).

 

[felipepepe]

Is the goal to review the history of cRPGs ? If so maybe the book would benefit from a paragraph every year with a description of the (r)evolutions seen that year, explaining the inspirations and the shifts in popularities (ex.: when action rpgs became the norm, when 3D became the standard.. ) ?

Something like this:

I made one every 5 years. Still tweaking it, but should be on the next release.

I also notice that the game's titles are displayed vertically; I don't find that very easy to read at a first glance, especially with the longer titles ( which sometimes have sub-titles ).

Yeah, that's the real source of all my hate for Obsidian: Star Wars - Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords

 

[agris]

snip

You know your Westwood Studios logo in the top-right of that image says Weetwood, right?

 

[HeroicBloodshed]

Looks like there may be an error on the first page of your book

Spoiler

 

[Unkillable Cat]

You know your Westwood Studios logo in the top-right of that image says Weetwood, right?

Learn to read, Threspwood.

As for criticism of the book - I'll hold off any real criticism until the upcoming "final preview", but currently I'm left wondering about some of the later chapters of the book. They seem to either lack content or purpose. The "content" part is understandable, but the "purpose" is a bigger concern. The RPG Maker section, for example. There are already a couple of games (at the least) in the main section of the book made with RPG Maker, why are they there and not in this section? Why not just have the games in the main section itself?

(Also, including content from NeoGAF is borderline heresy...but then again, the book is being written by the Codex's Heretic, so...)

And the box cover gallery at the back is a mess - images have the wrong titles associated with them.

 

[King Crispy]

My first criticism is that you have the full real names of several Codexians listed in there which is both hilarious and incredibly irresponsible.

 

[Jick Magger]

Yeah, looked through about 15 of the reviews, and my only real criticism is that a few of them come across as a bit bare-basic due to the small amount of page space dedicated to them. I reckon it'd be good for you to maybe write a few more in-depth reviews of games you believe to be significant towards the CPRG genre, maybe bringing that to about 3-5 pages instead. As it stands, the 1-2 page summaries make the thing feel a bit too uniform, like you're just going through a list or something.

 

[felipepepe]

The RPG Maker section, for example. There are already a couple of games (at the least) in the main section of the book made with RPG Maker, why are they there and not in this section? Why not just have the games in the main section itself?

Page count. Those are interesting titles,but not enough for a full review. Also, there's no RPG Maker on the main section - the only RPG Maker-like title is Barkley, which was made in GameMaker and is more than deserve its place.

And the box cover gallery at the back is a mess - images have the wrong titles associated with them.

You probably have the 4.0 version, not the last 4.a release with the fixed galery: https://crpgbook.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/crpg_book_preview_4a.pdf

My first criticism is that you have the full real names of several Codexians listed in there which is both hilarious and incredibly irresponsible.

I asked everyone how they wanted to be credited.

Yeah, looked through about 15 of the reviews, and my only real criticism is that a few of them come across as a bit bare-basic due to the small amount of page space dedicated to them. I reckon it'd be good for you to maybe write a few more in-depth reviews of games you believe to be significant towards the CPRG genre, maybe bringing that to about 3-5 pages instead. As it stands, the 1-2 page summaries make the thing feel a bit too uniform, like you're just going through a list or something.

That's a matter of focus, I think. There are other, more focused books who do what you're saying - Matt Barton's Vintage Games, for example, has 370+ pages dedicated to just 25 games.

My main inspirations were indeed list-like books like 1001 Albums to Listen Before you Die and especially the The Strawberry Bricks Guide to Progressive Rock, which are more shallow but show you things you probably never heard about before.

Let's say - I'd rather list 300 games "superficially", have a reader get curious about the screenshots / review / dev quote of obscure title #247, download it with the recommended mods/fixes and have a blast. From there he can discuss it online, google for more info, etc... that's how I explore music, movies and books, so I wanted to create something like that for RPGs.

 

[agris]

hey felipepepe do you have Golden Land in your book and, if so, where the fuck do I find a version with english text?

 

[KILLER BEAR]

Something minor I noticed in the VTMB synopsis:

The game manages to do the impossible, merging classic RPG gameplay with modern FPS visuals.

Instead of "modern FPS visuals" it is more accurate to say "modern 3D visuals".

 

[felipepepe]

hey felipepepe do you have Golden Land in your book and, if so, where the fuck do I find a version with english text?

it's not on the book, but I googled it before. The original game, Zlatogorye, was released in English as Heath: The Unchosen Path, but I never heard of Golden Land (aka Zlatogorye 2) having an English version or fan-patch. Even the Codex pics are in Russian.

 

[KILLER BEAR]

Ok I have another nitpick:

Your adventures will vary from straightforward fights against humans, vampires or other supernatural creatures to solving the mystery of a haunted hotel without any combat, a level that is regarded as one of the spookiest locations in gaming ever!

The phrase "without any combat" is kinda out of place in the above sentence.

 

[agris]

hey felipepepe do you have Golden Land in your book and, if so, where the fuck do I find a version with english text?

it's not on the book, but I googled it before. The original game, Zlatogorye, was released in English as Heath: The Unchosen Path, but I never heard of Golden Land (aka Zlatogorye 2) having an English version or fan-patch. Even the Codex pics are in Russian.

There's reports of it being available in English, and I actually saw the box art cover that poster described in an earlier search, but I can't find it right now.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Ok I have another nitpick:

Your adventures will vary from straightforward fights against humans, vampires or other supernatural creatures to solving the mystery of a haunted hotel without any combat, a level that is regarded as one of the spookiest locations in gaming ever!

The phrase "without any combat" is kinda out of place in the above sentence.

Take it up with the author of the article, Werner Spahl.

Now shorten that name...We - Sp.

Wesp.

Ring any bells?

 

[Jick Magger]

Also, might wanna update the first paragraph of the Princess Maker 2 section (page 98 if you can't be fucked looking) seeing as the game has since been released on Steam, though I've heard conflicting reports regarding the quality of the translation.

 

[Wayward Son]

Will read and tear to shreds when I have the tim.

 

[Sigourn]

The Morrowind review is nice and all. But I played Gothic after Morrowind, and afterwards Morrowind looked like a pathetic rip-off (despite the huge differences, of course).

It would be nice if some games of similar subgenres were contrasted one with another, and not just "one sequel compared to its predecessor".

Other than that, good book, I will definitely buy it at my first chance as I need some toilet reading material (and I mean it in a good sense, most of the time I just fap).

 

[KILLER BEAR]

Take it up with the author of the article, Werner Spahl.

Now shorten that name...We - Sp.

Wesp.

Ring any bells?

Well he is right that there is no combat in this level (Ok maybe one encounter).

I was referencing to the fact that a certain phrase doesn't put up well with the rest of the sentence, I mean take a look:

(...)to solving the mystery of a haunted hotel without any combat, a level that is regarded as one of the spookiest locations in gaming ever!

It is just a needless detail that feels weird in the context.

 

[Doctor Sbaitso]

Not sure whether you want structure and editorial feedback or not.

Also I am not sure whether feedback on the review text is approproate.

Be happy to give some inputs but spell out what specifically you are and are not looking for.

Needs a fleshed out introduction, the journey to create it and more about the author (you).

 

[Gregz]

Honestly it looks pretty good, but I think you should embrace hyperlinks and an electronic (ebook) format. The flat 'book' format is well...