Well, I just completed 'Sleeping Dragon' at 5 a.m. this morning . . . . Yaaaaawwwwn ! We absolutely loved every minute of it !

Thankyou everyone at Revolution for your bravery in changing how we think about adventures, and demonstrating that adventures can be presented in different ways.

I'll never understand why people think it's easier to control games with their thumbs than with their fingers. And nothing beats a mouse for locating and manipulating inventory. I give extra credit to any game manufacturer that makes an effort to incorporate mouse for inventory collection and management into a 3D game. Moving around using the arrow keys or ASWD keys on the keyboard isn't the problem for me (though I prefer using the mouse to steer and an arrow key to move).

I'm glad you enjoyed BS3 though, Gelert.

I just finished this game also. I consider it an action/adventure.This game had beautiful graphics and a great story line, but I liked Broken Sword 1&2 better. I didnt like the controls of the game. I got killed many many times in this game and I didnt like that. I like games where you dont die.I think if they make another game I think I will pass, unless its a point and click.

I think maybe you got me wrong there Jenny. I wasn't tallking about mouse-control at all. The number one best way for me is mouse controlled, without a doubt. I was merely providing some thoughts on advantages of gamepad over keyboard, where mouse-control is not an option.

Fingery keyboard control is all well and good for the more adept. However, depending on how proficient you are at typing, and how good your overall awareness of where keys are on your keyboard is, AND how thin, or otherwise, your fingers are, it HAS to be far better for some people that the only buttons that will ever need to be pressed to play a game are the buttons in your hand. No mistakes in pressing the wrong keys, if you know what I'm saying.

Using a keyboard is difficult for many people because it means they have to divert their attention from the screen, for fear of pressing a key that, either has an inappropriate effect or, is just one of the many unused keys on the keyboard for that particular game.

To me that's a pretty obvious advantage of a 7 to 10 button gamepad for many people.

As it so happens, I only use a gamepad because my children and I take turns in controlling gameplay when we play games together. I find keyboard only games perfectly fine for myself, and my typing skills are easily sufficiently honed to cause no problems.

For my children to be comfortable playing a keyboard control game like 'Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine', or 'Outcast', and many other games, on the other hand, is a bit much to ask. Don't you think Jenny ?

Yes. I enjoyed 'Sleeping Dragon'. Thanks. Did you ever play 'Alien Incident' BTW ? It's well worth putting up with the dated graphics. :kiss:

I didn't like getting George killed either Catsmom. I agree with you completely. I prefer point and click too, but didn't mind the direct control at all. Oh ! . . and yes ! There were a few too many crates and blocks. All in all though, well worth it !

I'm sorry, but it's unlikely we'll be creating any further point-and-click games.

I have very small hands with skinny fingers.

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it HAS to be far better for some people that the only buttons that will ever need to be pressed to play a game are the buttons in your hand. No mistakes in pressing the wrong keys, if you know what I'm saying.

That's exactly the problem I have with the gamepad though. I'm always pushing the wrong buttons. And pressing the buttons themselves can be a problem. Sometimes I think I've pressed the button but I didn't quite press it hard enough. I think the gamepads I have must have been made for someone with fatter and stronger thumbs.

And using the analog control for movement in the Dreamcast version of Dragonriders of Pern was a nightmare. The game doesn't let you map the controls either, so you're stuck with that stupid analog control button. I tried the PC version and the movement control was MUCH easier with the arrow keys. It's still not great, but it was more than 10 times worse with the Dreamcast gamepad.

I'd really like to get a keyboard that would work with the old Playstation and Dreamcast consoles I bought.

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Using a keyboard is difficult for many people because it means they have to divert their attention from the screen, for fear of pressing a key that, either has an inappropriate effect or, is just one of the many unused keys on the keyboard for that particular game.

I know where keyboard keys are from typing every day on the computer. With a gamepad I always have to look where my thumbs are because I hit the wrong button so often. I don't have to look for which key is the right key on the keyboard because I don't have to move my fingers around. They are always above the keys the game uses. With the gamepad you have to move your thumbs all over the place from one button to another. I've tried to put the gamepad on a table and use my fingers, but that is clumsy too.

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To me that's a pretty obvious advantage of a 7 to 10 button gamepad for many people.

For people who already know how to type, I think a keyboard has the advantage. There may be fewer buttons on a gamepad, but that doesn't make their locations any easier to memorize.

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For my children to be comfortable playing a keyboard control game like 'Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine', or 'Outcast', and many other games, on the other hand, is a bit much to ask. Don't you think Jenny ?

How would you play Outcast with a gamepad? I don't think it has enough buttons for all the hotkeys. Of course you can play it without the hotkeys, but they sure are convenient.

Obviously some people do find gamepads easier to use. But I was surprised at how difficult and clumsy they were for me. I certainly don't think they're for everyone.

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Yes. I enjoyed 'Sleeping Dragon'. Thanks. Did you ever play 'Alien Incident' BTW ? It's well worth putting up with the dated graphics.

Yes I played Alien Incident. It was a cute little game and I enjoyed it very much. I wish there were more games like that.

Hey Steve - I don't suppose you happened to catch Gamepad 4 on Bravo the other day...?

Each episode they have a Top 3 of certain types of game - that episode it was adventures.

No.3 was "CSI", No.2 was "In Memoriam", and yes No.1 was "Broken Sword:The Sleeping Dragon".

It must be quite exciting seeing your game on TV like that - does the excitment wear off after several very successful games, or do you still go, "Hey look, it's on TV again - YAY!!!"

I'm hearing more and more about Gamepads. I have no idea on how to work them but I guess I could learn. Are they easier to play than the keyboard on some games? They run from $19.99 to $30.00. I wouldn't have no idea which one to buy. Could I have some advice on which one to get. Can you use the gamepad on all keyboard games? Thank You,
Richard

I often wonder if Revolution or other companies ever look at these responces about their games.Or even aware of them. Do they just think tough you are going to have to like what we put out since we know what you like better than you do

I didn't catch it, but thanks for the heads up. That's really good news and the excitement is probably greater now as we have to compete in such a daunting arena.

Yes we do. And we take them into account. That doesn't necessarily mean we can accomodate everyone's wishes, but it has a bearing on what we do.

some people fnd them easier than keyboards and others don't. what youu should do is go into a store like best buy or comp USA where they have gamepads out and pick them up. You want one that is comfortable. check out this review of the saitek 880. it sells for 29.99 and this week there is a 10 mail in rebate at compUSA.


if a gamepad is programamble as this one is you can use it on any keyboard game even if the game doesn't support gamepads.

i have been thinking of getting the saitek 3000 which is practically identical to this one excpet it is wireless. it has been getting great reviews.

I agree with you Catsmom2. I wish developers would get the message that we do not want metal gear solid stealth/ action game elements in point and click games. Keep to the genre!

1. I love adventure games and play them all.

2. I have really arthritic thumbs and hands.

3. The directions in BS3 are counter-intuitive to me, leading me to twirl endlessy around while I try to figure out which way I am supposed to go and which of the directional arrows works to go that way. To have the arrows change direction according to how you stand and are facing in the game drives me bonkers.

4. Why are point and click harder or less popular to make than keyboard...is it to accomodate the plug and play people?

5. You "may not be able to meet everyone's needs", but those of us not in the majority will have fewer and fewer opportunites to enjoy games, and, it seems to me, you may loose a potential audience who won't get hooked on adventure games, as I did, on the earlier, simpler but fun point and click games.

6. Hooray for Indies who still seem to care...I'll continue to support them!!

waves

Ok Zanthia, I realize I'm pushing 70, but I am not quite blind (yet )

I went to your link for the Game Pad, and I'll be [blip]*d if I can count any more than SIX buttons (not eight) on the right side. Five diff shots, and still only SIX.

What am I missing?? Are a couple of those SIX white buttons double duty? If so, why does the article insist on saying there are EIGHT buttons, rather the eight FUNCTIONS.

Bottom line, it sure doesn't look easier than a keyboard, and how on earth does one drink a Pepsi while holding that gadget in both hands? <img border="0" title="" alt="[Confused]" src="confused.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Confused]" src="confused.gif" />

What about giving the player the option of character-relative movement? What about a mouse/keyboard combination?

What about allowing the players who dislike and/or can't do the timed sequences to skip them or have the game play through them on "automatic."

Or providing alternate solutions to the timed sequences that won't require speed, quick reflexes, or skill of the thumbs and/or fingers.

How about allowing the player to skip cut scenes that play before each timed sequence?

What about more challenging "adventure" puzzles instead of more challenging reflex-dependent sequences?

Granny, there's two buttons on the front of it.


Great big hulking buttons the same color as the rest of the gamepad.

JENNY, that object looks like a two-hand apparatus. Then that leaves no hands free for taking notes. For me, that doesn't seem useful.

Keep em coming Revolution!

We're working on a new interface for our next game.

I'm not sure about this. We'll have to discuss an "easy" mode, but I'm not sure what we'd do to make it work.

But that's the setup of the timed event.

Although some people say that the puzzles are easy, the majority have found it to be about right. We are looking at ways to make the player much more "in charge" of the solving and the gameplay as a whole, though. We want the next game to be much more rewarding.

What game is that?
Are you allowed to tell us about it.

Allowing a longer time for the player to react would help. And in some cases, allowing ample time even for those who keep running the character into the wall and having to back up.

But how many times does the player need to see it? You need to see it the first time you play the timed event, but not every single time you fail and have to repeat the sequence. Load times are already long unless you have a really fast computer. The player doesn't want to have to sit through the same cut scene over and over.

I think they're about right for "casual" and beginning adventure gamers, who are undoubtedly in the majority. But they're kind of disappointing for people who liked the challenge of the puzzles of the earlier Broken Sword games (especially the first). I don't think replacing challenging adventure puzzles with arcade/timed puzzles is the way to go though.

That's good to hear.
The old "Ripper" game by Take Two had separate options for "easy puzzles" and "easy action." So the player could have hard puzzles and easy action or easy puzzles and hard action. Some of their "easy" stuff was still hard, but I think they had the right idea about letting the player choose.

Well, I BOUGHT (notice the caps?) BS3 from Chumbo. It doesn't run on my machine, and that's unique for modern games. My hardware specs are way beyond required on everything, except maybe sound card drivers? In short, I think BarcardiJim might be on to something.

I might wade in more once I get the game to run. Until then, TAC games are on my watch list. A free game like KG2VGA remake that runs is vastly superior to anything you PAY for that doesn't work.

That being said, all the previous Revolution games were excellent, especially for their time. I bought the previous BS games here in the US. I got Lure of the Temptress and Beneath a Steal Sky in a "Complete Revolution" package from Software First before they went under.

Revolution is the last of the old timers I know of. I hate to say it, but I fear they're going the way of Sierra.

Respectfully,
Albert

Keyboard controled games are a step backwards.

Based on on what I've read about Broken Sword 3 I won't be buying it. I have no interest in spending hours trying go get from point A to point B. And action games are what Nitendos are for.


waves, who says point and click games are less popular?