Sonic Forces | PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC "The Next Generations"

[Red Hot Jack]

As long as they're not fighting for Fiona's love, I'm okay with it.

[Chris Knopps]

1 minute ago, Chameleon94 said:

As long as they're not fighting for Fiona's love, I'm okay with it.

Of all the things to remind folks of...

Oy veh, this franchise has been places. Even worse than the sidekick turned villain schtick is the whole dude-bro jocks getting into it over the girl of the week.

I know they're supposed to be teenagers and/or pre-teens but some schticks are just better left buried. At least in this franchise.

[Endy]

Despite the strange nature of the descision to include a customizable character, frankly something like this was a long time coming, and I think Sonic could enjoy some modest success if they're able to capitalize on this feature properly. Aside Sonic style characters being a trend for years if there's anything that games nowadays are good at its the extent in which they allow you to customize aspects in game, and I think there are few people who don't enjoy aspects of personalization and the ability to share in games. Now obviously you're not going to be able to mess up your character's face as much as you could in something like Dark Souls or most Bethesda games but with the typical Sonic character's naturally appealing aesthetic, if Sonic Team went crazy with the amount of options or features you can change your character with then the character customization could very well be the stand out feature in this game to grab people's attention....in a good way, I mean. 

[Chris Knopps]

1 hour ago, Paaaaaaaa said:

Despite the strange nature of the descision to include a customizable character, frankly something like this was a long time coming, and I think Sonic could enjoy some modest success if they're able to capitalize on this feature properly. Aside Sonic style characters being a trend for years if there's anything that games nowadays are good at its the extent in which they allow you to customize aspects in game, and I think there are few people who don't enjoy aspects of personalization and the ability to share in games. Now obviously you're not going to be able to mess up your character's face as much as you could in something like Dark Souls or most Bethesda games but with the typical Sonic character's naturally appealing aesthetic, if Sonic Team went crazy with the amount of options or features you can change your character with then the character customization could very well be the stand out feature in this game to grab people's attention....in a good way, I mean. 

From what I've seen, no matter how much of a quick glimpse at this and that feature it was, the issue is the Customize concept as a whole is already bland/generic and pretty much features just the most bare-boned and "per-the-norm" kind of experience.

There's nothing special about it whatsoever, nothing to make it stand out. This idea of Character Customizing in Forces is like Open World with Breath of the Wild.

There is a vast, vaaaaaaasssssssssst vast vast VAAAAASSSST amount of games out there featuring this very thing already, and clearly, to a MUCH more advanced and detailed degree, much greater depth to it. Compared to other/most games out there with this kind of feature, Forces is pretty pathetic. Whereas when Zelda wanted to compete with the rest of the market featuring such expansive Open World directions, they insured they put any and EVERYTHING into it.

Forces is just a game saying "Hey, they're doing it, so whatever. here, have it in Sonic." and that's it.

[RubyEclipse]

6 hours ago, Joseph Mello said:

Aaron, where are you? Please give us more hints! 

Why you are on Sonic STADIUM huh

Everything you need is already in front of you. Good luck!

[SSF1991]

Just now, RubyEclipse said:

Everything you need is already in front of you.

The only thing I see in front of me is this SSMB forum post that was made by some RubyEclipse guy.

Why must you lie to me, Mr. Webber? D=

[RubyEclipse]

Just now, SSF1991 said:

The only thing I see in front of me is this SSMB forum post that was made by some RubyEclipse guy.

Why must you lie to me, Mr. Webber? D=

Shut up Donnie.

Just kidding Donnie, you're cool. You can do it!

[Dr. Detective]

6 hours ago, Writer's Blah said:

I swear, if this actually ends up being the game's setup, it's gonna make the House of Cards arc look like Shakespeare by comparison.

Despite my infamous hatred of the House of Cards story arc, the idea of Sonic and Tails fighting was the thing that drew me towards it and the Archie comics in general. Which is irony of the highest order.

God. You know, I still really like the idea of it. 

The idea of Tails being a villain sounds like it'd be cute actually. That sounds friggin adorable.

But then I'd have to remember, it'd be the SEGA of today making that kind of story. 

... And even than I still don't think it'd be as bad as "The kid practically worships me, he'll get over it!"

I still seethe with rage remembering that line.

[Stasis]

https://www.sonicstadium.org/41317-2/

Took a while but got there eventually. Seem to be on a url hunt. 888? Image filename: generic_hero.png

Edit: 888 could be an indie band, but it's 3am and I can't be arsed right now. Cya!

[Chris Knopps]

2 minutes ago, Stasis said:

https://www.sonicstadium.org/41317-2/

Took a while but got there eventually. Seem to be on a url hunt. 888?

 

Three of those are better than another number it could have been.

I'd have been creeped out if that were the case.

[Polkadi~☆]

2 hours ago, RubyEclipse said:

Everything you need is already in front of you. Good luck!

...Is... Is this an ARG...? Woo, time decypher everything and go mad.

Or make a code out of artifacts in the skybox of a level revealed, and look like a complete fool.

i'm still salty about the sombra arg in overwatch, can you blame me

[JezMM]

"Checkpoint" was the name of the song from the Sonic Mania reveal trailer, if that means anything to anyone with more energy for these things than me lol.

[Roger_van_der_weide]

12 hours ago, Chameleon94 said:

As long as they're not fighting for Fiona's love, I'm okay with it.

Nah, Sonic and Tails will be fighting over the affection of the custom character, obviously.
 

[StaticMania]

Sonic and Tails fighting seems like one of the more okay things to actually do, if people don't want to see it...that just means they should do it more.

[Kintor]

13 hours ago, Paaaaaaaa said:

Despite the strange nature of the descision to include a customizable character, frankly something like this was a long time coming, and I think Sonic could enjoy some modest success if they're able to capitalize on this feature properly. Aside Sonic style characters being a trend for years if there's anything that games nowadays are good at its the extent in which they allow you to customize aspects in game, and I think there are few people who don't enjoy aspects of personalization and the ability to share in games. Now obviously you're not going to be able to mess up your character's face as much as you could in something like Dark Souls or most Bethesda games but with the typical Sonic character's naturally appealing aesthetic, if Sonic Team went crazy with the amount of options or features you can change your character with then the character customization could very well be the stand out feature in this game to grab people's attention....in a good way, I mean. 

I agree with what you're saying here, character customisation in Sonic Forces is a going to be a major attention grabber. The art style in Sonic games already lends itself naturally to fan characters, as the endless amount of Sonic fan art shows. Having an official character creator in a major game like Sonic Forces is the next logical step really. With how much hype the character creator is already getting it's not hard to imagine that from now on character creators might become a mainstay of 3D Sonic games going forward.

[Meta77]

What do you guys think if they had added a custom 3d stage editor

[Diogenes]

I'd wonder if Sonic Team was trying to transfer the responsibility of making a good game to the players instead of doing it themselves.

[Blue Blood]

5 minutes ago, Meta77 said:

What do you guys think if they had added a custom 3d stage editor

Sonic Team can't even make a decent 3D Sonic game themselves. How could they possibly make a level editor?

Also it just plain wouldn't work even if Sonic  Team were competent. Sonic games aren't at all suited to level editors,  2D or 3D. The level structures are too complex.

[Nepenthe]

Even if they could get it working, what would be the thematic point or design necessity of a stage editor onto Sonic gameplay?

The only way I could see this as somewhat competently implemented is if it were tied into progression. Instead of sitting down and making a level- the opposite of what you should be doing in a Sonic game- instead give Sonic abilities that either augment his movements in real time without having to stop- basically what people kinda want Wisp to do- or somehow have him create/reveal new paths, so that the player can get to different places in different ways of their own choosing. But then again, that isn't really level creation.

In short, let's not put these kinds of gimmicks in Sonic games. Seriously.

[Diogenes]

6 minutes ago, Blue Blood said:

Also it just plain wouldn't work even if Sonic  Team were competent. Sonic games aren't at all suited to level editors,  2D or 3D. The level structures are too complex.

Eh, I don't know if I entirely agree with that. A 2D editor wouldn't be as easy to use as Mario Maker, sure, and I'm not sure it'd be a great move for them to make and sell one because of that, but I don't think it's so complex that people wouldn't be able to figure it out with a bit of time and effort.

[Lord-Dreamerz]

11 minutes ago, Blue Blood said:

Also it just plain wouldn't work even if Sonic  Team were competent. Sonic games aren't at all suited to level editors,  2D or 3D. The level structures are too complex.

To be fair the classic games had debug mode that some people had a lot of fun with. I suppose a simple way of doing it would be kinda like a still simple but more advance version of the old debug modes. It would not be quite the same thing as making whole levels obviously, but some people might still find some fun in it.

[Nepenthe]

The level structures are complex because Sonic Team designed them in a thoughtful way, not because the actual assets and physics would necessarily be too complicated to place in an editing format, I feel. Get the physics system in place, make sure obstacles like loops always act accordingly, throw in some unorthodox items or weird gimmicks, and I don't see why it couldn't physically work. Most people's levels would be shit, but that's par for the course.

[Blue Blood]

21 minutes ago, Diogenes said:

Eh, I don't know if I entirely agree with that. A 2D editor wouldn't be as easy to use as Mario Maker, sure, and I'm not sure it'd be a great move for them to make and sell one because of that, but I don't think it's so complex that people wouldn't be able to figure it out with a bit of time and effort.

Mario levels are based around blocks on a single plane. Sonic levels are more intricate, relying on layers, a variety of gimmicks/objects for variety and sloped terrain doesn't fit very well into a grid. It's not impossible - SEGA themselves made an editor a few years ago on the Play SEGA website. It was limited though, as would any Sonic level editor that's designed to be used by the average person. It wouldn't work nearly as well as even Mario Maker, which is still pretty limited. 

Basically, if you impose the limits of an easy-to-use editor on Sonic, you end up with rubbish. 

[Meta77]

I'd enjoy a Mario maker type set up. I'm sure it could be done. In 3d it's a nice though. Mixing say a death egg with a crisis city vibe. Basically sonic escaping a exploding death egg

[D.K.]

Making a Sonic level through ROM hacking - Huge chunks of level that are pieced together and repeated with infinite combinations - Is difficult enough. Having it stripped down to the bare minimum like Mario did (as in, removing gimmicks and slopes) would only make the problem worse and remove all potential for level design on-par with 3&K.