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3D Realms announces Graven, the spiritual successor to Hexen II

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31–40 of 51 posts

Re: 3D Realms announces Graven, the spiritual successor to Hexen II

#31

I really would like to see a proper successor of Commander Keen. Although I have no idea how it would look like with modern technology. Afaik, 3D Realms has the rights on it, right? https://legacy.3drealms.com/keenhistory/

You're in luck: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpneMd8xTFw It looks like they went for a cartoon aesthetic similar to Fairly Odd Parents & co.

Not much luck. That's a mobile game and probably cancelled since there hasn't been any news about it for more than a year.

Re: 3D Realms announces Graven, the spiritual successor to Hexen II

#32
Yess!! I'm probably going to be disappointed by this one, but I'm cautiously optimistic. Definitely the best 2020 news so far. HeXeN was one of most thrilling games of my childhood. It left a big impression on me. I even made a pretty creative balancing/fun mod for HeXeN using the source port Vavoom. I lost the code in a hard drive crash though.

The game was far from perfect and there are good reasons it didn't reach the popularity of DooM or even Heretic. What would you do to make HeXeN and HeXeN II more fun? Here's my take:

1. Both HeXeN games suffered from unfun level design. It was nice looking, but confusing to navigate, especially switch hunting. You alternatively had adrenaline rushes and pixel hunting. I think both provide a different experience and doesn't mesh better than Chess Boxing.

2. HeXeN classes don't really have distinct playstyles. They're all shooters at core except for Warrior/Paladin. More could be done to diversify them. In particular, no late game weapon was meant for up close.

3. The game is too linear and not very modular in its level design. You can warp to any Heretic level and start slaughter from that point. It was a legacy of DooM design which was originally meant to play with limited lives, arcade-style.

4. HeXeN 1 was notorious for "haha, you die!" traps that required either foreknowledge or LIGHTNING reflexes to dodge.

5. Low enemy variety compared to DooM 2. You kept fighting the same few dudes over and over, and 4 weapon limit per class is... not a lot, even with Tome of Power.

6. They should limit the ability to hog inventory items, for example like in Heretic where you can only carry 1 of each to next level.

7. HeXeN never rewarded people for finding secret rooms. It punished those who didn't find them, because instead of goodies they had switches and keys mandatory to progress. H1 and H2 had very few optional secret rooms.

Re: 3D Realms announces Graven, the spiritual successor to Hexen II

#33
post #27
post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This was a victory for the common sense right to make fun of things. A parody brand of soap called "ogay" simply is not harmful any more than a gentle parody of white people, America, southerners, Christians, etc as seen all over games like GTA5. Let people laugh at things. In the end it's far more socially healthy for everyone than constantly cranking up the hypersensitivity. Acceptance built of fear and power is no…

Yes, because belittling minorities and other groups that have historically had their rights systematically violated, by the people now making jokes at their expense is 100% ok. It’s not hypersensitive for someone to say “stop making jokes out of our existence”, especially when those groups are still routinely murdered for the crime of existing. Jokes that punch down should be judged accordingly

How do you fairly determine the punching direction? Also, are you being sarcastic with these tired, stereotypical phrases?

Re: 3D Realms announces Graven, the spiritual successor to Hexen II

#35

I really would like to see a proper successor of Commander Keen. Although I have no idea how it would look like with modern technology. Afaik, 3D Realms has the rights on it, right? https://legacy.3drealms.com/keenhistory/

Someone on social mentioned that one of the main current IP holders was an individual who is racist or white supremacist or some grossly ugly thing. I just did some fast searching to try to suss out how BS this is but didn't get anywhere. Apologies for passing on rumors I couldn't even find to cite. But that would change my interest, for sure.

Also yeah I'm struggling to imagine what we'd do with modern graphics technology here.

Re: 3D Realms announces Graven, the spiritual successor to Hexen II

#36

I really would like to see a proper successor of Commander Keen. Although I have no idea how it would look like with modern technology. Afaik, 3D Realms has the rights on it, right? https://legacy.3drealms.com/keenhistory/

Isn't Commander Keen just a 2d platformer, something that is abudantly available on most platforms nowadays? Though I've never played it, so I might be missing something

Re: 3D Realms announces Graven, the spiritual successor to Hexen II

#37
post #33
post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, because belittling minorities and other groups that have historically had their rights systematically violated, by the people now making jokes at their expense is 100% ok. It’s not hypersensitive for someone to say “stop making jokes out of our existence”, especially when those groups are still routinely murdered for the crime of existing. Jokes that punch down should be judged accordingly

How do you fairly determine the punching direction? Also, are you being sarcastic with these tired, stereotypical phrases?

Are you trying to psychologically pin the reaction of others with that second sentence of substance-free rhetoric?

I hope the initial question is naivety and not sealioning.

Re: 3D Realms announces Graven, the spiritual successor to Hexen II

#38
post #27
post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This was a victory for the common sense right to make fun of things. A parody brand of soap called "ogay" simply is not harmful any more than a gentle parody of white people, America, southerners, Christians, etc as seen all over games like GTA5. Let people laugh at things. In the end it's far more socially healthy for everyone than constantly cranking up the hypersensitivity. Acceptance built of fear and power is no…

Yes, because belittling minorities and other groups that have historically had their rights systematically violated, by the people now making jokes at their expense is 100% ok. It’s not hypersensitive for someone to say “stop making jokes out of our existence”, especially when those groups are still routinely murdered for the crime of existing. Jokes that punch down should be judged accordingly

> “stop making jokes out of our existence”

what defines your existence?

> those groups are still routinely murdered for the crime of existing

routinely? In America?

Re: 3D Realms announces Graven, the spiritual successor to Hexen II

#39
post #32

Yess!! I'm probably going to be disappointed by this one, but I'm cautiously optimistic. Definitely the best 2020 news so far. HeXeN was one of most thrilling games of my childhood. It left a big impression on me. I even made a pretty creative balancing/fun mod for HeXeN using the source port Vavoom. I lost the code in a hard drive crash though. The game was far from perfect and there are good reasons it didn't reach…

A few months ago I did a passthrough of Wrath Of Chronos, and it really breathed some life into Hexen. It even works for other DOOM wads and can be a fun change of pace to your standard IWAD, give it a shot if DOOM RPGs sound up your alley :)

https://forum.zdoom.org/viewtopic.php?t=35846

Re: 3D Realms announces Graven, the spiritual successor to Hexen II

#40
post #37
post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do you fairly determine the punching direction? Also, are you being sarcastic with these tired, stereotypical phrases?

Are you trying to psychologically pin the reaction of others with that second sentence of substance-free rhetoric? I hope the initial question is naivety and not sealioning.

Just an honest invocation of Poe's law, swear. edit: self-censored a small rant
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