Adventurewatch?

Would you be interested in an Adventurewatch?

I'm sure this has been asked before but I thought it'd make a good poll.

I'm not a huge follower of Adventure games but I'd be very interested in the news if it were posted here.

AdventureDot was not a huge success, despite enthusiastic work, and died when Kris left. An AdventureWatch only makes sense if we find two volunteers for the news. At least one of them needs to be able to communicate in German, because Germany is the most important market for adventures.

I remember it well. I'm sure we'd already have an Adventurewatch already if we had sufficient volunteers.

I'm just running this poll to gauge interest. Who knows, maybe a few people really follow the genre closely,

I play & review pretty much everything that Dreamcatcher / Adventure Co. puts out ... and I still don't want to take part in an Adventure Watch

Its the new rage with all the kids and their texting <3. Its the emoticon for a heart but gets pronounced less than three.

I remember AdventureDot, and to be honest I was disappointed in it. Maybe it was because of the state of adventure gaming back then, but there wasn't much updates, especially compared to RpgDot.

Oh, and Lucky Day, you really should rephrase that first option. We're not kids around here . I might be just 28 years old, but I still didn't understand it.

Hm, well, I don't know.

There are several well-informed sites out there which specialize in adventures already, that's where I normally tale a look.

On the other hand, such a project like an "AdventureWatch" would remind some people out there that Adventure games still do exist.

I voted "no", because I think RPGWatch should focus on RPG related content instead of other specific genres.
A "Non-RPG Watch" could be interesting though, where we could give special attention to the adventure genre. Should you consider creating a "Non-RPG Watch" then I wouldn't mind volunteering to do some work.

There are several well-informed sites out there which specialize in adventures already, that's where I normally tale a look.

Click to expand...

Precisely.

Asbjoern raises a good point - RPGWatch should focus on RPGs, as it's the best out there (IMHO), while there are already other Adventure sites; of course, this is a moot point if the AdventureWatch group is completely different from the RPGWatch group.

However, I don't agree on a "non-RPG Watch" - adventures and RPGs attract a similar group of people (as evidenced by the many members here who enjoy both genres), while the overlap between, say, FPS' and RPG's is much smaller.

EDIT: As for the poll, I guess my view falls somewhere between the two options: I don't particulary want it, but if it was implemented, I'd certainly welcome it with open arms.

Here are some general thoughts:

A "Non-RPG Watch" would more be a service to the existing clientelle instead of hoping to attract its own readers. Therefore the news provided would be adjusted to the interests of the already existing readers.
There could be a significant focus on non-RPG industry news, adventure games, strategy games, horror games, indie games, innovative games and art games (Personally I would exclude sports games from coverage. There should be an emphasis on narrative games. It should deal with fiction instead of "play").
Something essential and mature. This is a niche not covered by many websites (that I know of), and therefore a "Non-RPG Watch" would be justified whereas an "AdventureWatch" wouldn't have the same uniqueness or necessity.

And of course, it would have to be western PC-only news coverage just as RPGWatch.

But these are just thoughts. Either way my stance is that RPGWatch should focus entirely on RPG games or a "Non-RPG Watch" could be created with heavy emphasis on adventure games.

I think you would title that "Gamewatch" and I think it would be far too broad a subject.

Of course an Adventurewatch would be run by people more interested in Adventures. RPG people running it would likely have it become a chore which is what happened at the Dot.

Ultmadot was good for awhile until only WithstandTheFuryDragon was left. I assume its because the direction Jolt was taking and the plans the editors had to create The Watch. Also, there's just not that big a following for Ultima anymore thanks to EA's incompetence.

I guess any genre or area with adequate competent staff is possible but it's very hard work and I'd prefer the answer was "no". As staff drop off (and it happens more often than not) it puts pressure on the core staff to maintain the subsite - but that all depends on who you have, obviously.

More importantly, I'm not sure there is a need - other than to grow a "network", which I'm (personally) not interested in. Sites such as Randy Sluganski's Just Adventure are very well established and seem to do a pretty good job.

Again, if the right people step up - who knows? I have no interest, though.

I wonder if I should have just asked if people like Adventure games.

I seems this topic has put some the editors on the defensive (offensive?)

I'd like an Adventurewatch sure (I like our format, I liked the one at the dot) better than say JustAdventure (great site!). Did I, do I think it would ever happen? Not unless we get 20 more regulars that are really into them and one or two of them is just as passionate with them as Dhruiny is here or Maximus at the Vault is about RPG's. (a difference in Maximus's case, he's actually getting paid)

<3 come on Lucky day,,, you expect this ancients to get it. I am sorry to say, I LOVED adventure games but now they can't interest me anymore.

Beautiful hand drawn full of humor simon the sorcerer 1 and 2... they made it 3D CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP idiots. Gobliiins 1,2,3 anyone remmember it? , leisure suit larry.... willy beamish(spelling?), Full Throttle,,,, so many great ones... these days there is just 3D crap.

@GG, have you noticed A Vampyre Story? May be one to watch if you're an old-time adventure game fan.

I am checking it,,,, might be fun.. but why this cell-shaded graphics stuff?? it really puts me off. I guess it is just to much work to do the beautiful adventure of past with handdrawn stuff. I love the adventure games of old, maniac manson, day of the tentacle, even wayne's world hehe, Space Quest..... I will start to cry... so many great games all gone. I tried some modern ones, they were all crap even that broken sword series that got so much critical aclaim... they just lack all the charm and atmosphere of the old days!

If you are a fan of Simon, I strongly recommend part 4!

Click to expand...

I checked it out, looks like you can only buy it in germany so far??

The Longest Journey and Dreamfall, or the Moment of Silence are of similar quality.

Click to expand...

Loved the first part of the longest journey! after the ship sank I was like WTF happend! I was so angry I couldn't bring myself to finish it, talk about ruining a lovely game... didn't try dreamfall because of that dissapointment. The moment of silence? never heard of it going to check it out! Thanks a lot for your reccomendation

GothicGothicness said:

Beautiful hand drawn full of humor simon the sorcerer 1 and 2... they made it 3D CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP idiots.

Click to expand...

I know - played the "3D" game as well.

Part 4 seems to be better, then. I haven't bought it yet, but it is on my list - together with Everlight.

I'm so elderly gg that I've loved Adventure games since Colossal Caverns Adventure on Apple ][. I still haven't finished it. Technically, I did play Venture on Atari 2600 but you can't really call it an Adventure game.

Did you know, the first graphical computer game made for microcomputer was Roberta Williams Time Traveler (IIRC). She invented flood fills.

Scott Adams claims to invent the computer game when he wrote the Zork/CCA inspired Adventureland for the TRS-80. I recall an urban legend that he was laughed at for trying to make a game as complicated as Zork for a microcomputer and set out to prove his critics wrong (which he did). I used to correspond with him, maybe I'll ask him again and see about a lost game he wrote in BASIC for a magazine using the Caesar Cypher to hide the clues.

I had a book that taught me how to write Adventure games. It really focussed on arrays and that was some of my first coding experience.

Infocom, of course, stomped all the competition with its incredible parsar. That was until Activision bought them out jsut for the name. The result was Zork Zero which I think flopped and the groundbreaking Return to Zork.

A number of companies were trying to bring Adventures into the modern mouse click era and didn't quite get it. With Return to Zork the parsar was finally abandoned. Its time had come sure but its like the difference between Radio and Television, or book and a comic book. It lost something.

Of course Myst was the Killer App for "multimedia". That is to say, it sold the CD-ROM drive and sound card.

I don't dislike modern 3D Adventures. 3D for its own sake can be silly and seemingly an awful waste of time but gamers today may expect or demand it. From the previews of Sam and Max: Freelance Police I was actually a bit worried if they'd pull it off.

But if it was anything like Season 1 or 2 then it works.

The two Syberias are incredible. I'm still stuck at the end of Syberia II. The pet polar was adorable in the demo and I had to buy them. I loved the cell phone calls from her mom and boyfriend as she abandons her old life for this incredible adventure. The intro trailer of the first one with the giant clockwork toy funeral was outright freaky.

When Dhruin reminded me of justAdventure the other I checked it out. I was surprised Vampyre Story isn't finished yet. They've been working on that for Dragon Age.

Lucky Day said:

Did you know, the first graphical computer game made for microcomputer was Roberta Williams Time Traveler (IIRC). She invented flood fills.

Click to expand...

What are "flood fills" ?


And - I still have to get the Syberia deluxe version ... stopped somehow in the midst of Sybera I ...