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Neal Stephenson wants to revolutionize sword fighting video games

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Re: Neal Stephenson wants to revolutionize sword fighting video games

#171

Post by kaybe »

ww520 wrote: post #66
tikhonj wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know. As I said earlier, I only really have experience with fencing (and mostly with saber), but real parrying does happen there. And sabers are extremely light and fast. (It feels a little silly to bring fencing up as the example when I just talked about how it isn't entirely applicable to the real world, but I think this part is.) It isn't just parrying in a vacuum--it also involves good timing, footwork an…

Usually parry is done with a return attack. It's more like knocking the opponent sword off balance and thrust mine in. There are much more control with light weapons like foil or sabers to do parry and return than heavy sword.

The same goes for Katanas (which are about as much as I can handle for more than a few minute, so for me they're heavy). You sort of 'catch' the opponent's blade and you can flick it to the side by turning your blade, leaving your opponent open.

Re: Neal Stephenson wants to revolutionize sword fighting video games

#172

Post by jere »

antipax wrote: post #6

Biggest problem with these games (I've found, anyway) is that your sword controller cannot magically stop in mid air when your virtual sword hits another sword or a wall or whatever. It really ruins the immersion.

They addressed this in an update:

>In general, if you drill down deep enough on the actual sword techniques, the tree of possible outcomes gets pruned way down. It turns out that you rarely have to solve the fully general problem of one sword stopping another sword traveling at top speed at an arbitrary location in space. Which is a hard problem!

There's a longer explanation here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/260688528/clang/posts/24...

Re: Neal Stephenson wants to revolutionize sword fighting video games

#173

Post by Camillo »

jes5199 wrote: post #170
Camillo wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I had to bear your financial risk, I would expect a return: if I'm an investor give me shares, if I'm loaning you money give me interest. Why do I not deserve the same rewards as any other investor? I find the entire proposition offensive.

Giving $25 is not bearing financial risk! It's an optimistic pre-order, it's a statement of support, it's a donation to The Arts, it's patronage. And it's less money than it costs out for dinner in San Francisco. It offends and infuriates me that you don't see any value in the creation of new technology other than "give me interest". Your species of cynical profiteering is the reason we have freewheeling boom and bus…

It's none of these things. We're talking about financing a commercial enterprise by people far wealthier than myself. What we have here are rich people trying to set up a system where they are rewarded for their part of the investment, but the little guys are not. That is cynical profiteering. I'm saving my $25 donation for a worthy non-profit cause, thank you very much.

Re: Neal Stephenson wants to revolutionize sword fighting video games

#174

Post by Camillo »

ncarlson wrote: post #144
Camillo wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I had to bear your financial risk, I would expect a return: if I'm an investor give me shares, if I'm loaning you money give me interest. Why do I not deserve the same rewards as any other investor? I find the entire proposition offensive.

The reward is a successful project. Would you chip in $50 bucks to help someone build some interesting widget that otherwise wouldn't get built?

That question is not germane to this kickstarter. Considering their level of funding and the large amount of time and money that they have already sunk into the project, it's patently obvious that it's going to get made anyway. They're just trying to collect some free money from suckers because hey, why not?

Re: Neal Stephenson wants to revolutionize sword fighting video games

#175

Post by hosh »

repsilat wrote: post #98
lionhearted wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> In a real swordfight, where to put your feet is nearly as important as where to put the sword. Arguably more important. I fenced epee in university, and our coach was a little bit old school -- we went weeks just doing footwork before getting a weapon put in hand.

Well, in epee your opponent can score by stabbing you in the foot. That's naturally going to give where you put your place your feet a little importance to begin with.

That's premature optimization. That's the not the important reason for footwork.

Re: Neal Stephenson wants to revolutionize sword fighting video games

#176

Post by eru »

msutherl wrote: post #91
jamesjyu wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is also true for a plethora of sports games as well, specifically racquet based games. Swinging the racquet is less than half the battle -- footwork, in most physical types of activities, is much more important. Omnidirectional treadmill? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omnidirectional_treadmill

These things are ridiculous. Researcher: "We need an omnidirectional treadmill, but how?" Engineer: "Oh, that's easy. We'll just make a gigantic TREADMILL OF TREADMILLS."

That engineer would make a good Haskell programmer.

Re: Neal Stephenson wants to revolutionize sword fighting video games

#177

Post by EternalFury »

If you want to sword fight "realistically", go out, buy a sword and join a sword-fighting club.

Darn, why do people try to solve everything with technology when there is a simple solution in the physical world!?

No matter how they dice it or slice it (ah ah), it's not going to end up "realistic" for anyone who has used a sword before.

Re: Neal Stephenson wants to revolutionize sword fighting video games

#178

Post by nazgulnarsil »

nathan_long wrote: post #81

One of the most interesting games I've ever played was Bushido Blade 2. The best thing about it was realistic vulnerability: get stabbed once and you die (or maybe lose use of an arm). The disappointment was made up for by lots of quick rounds. I always thought it was silly to have games where you'd get shot 20 times and keep fighting exactly the same, just lose some of your energy meter, then suddenly flop over and…

Yeah, my immediate reaction to this is that I just want a real Bushido Blade sequel. The most underrated fighting game of all time IMO.

Re: Neal Stephenson wants to revolutionize sword fighting video games

#179

Post by julianz »

Camillo wrote: post #173
jes5199 wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Giving $25 is not bearing financial risk! It's an optimistic pre-order, it's a statement of support, it's a donation to The Arts, it's patronage. And it's less money than it costs out for dinner in San Francisco. It offends and infuriates me that you don't see any value in the creation of new technology other than "give me interest". Your species of cynical profiteering is the reason we have freewheeling boom and bus…

It's none of these things. We're talking about financing a commercial enterprise by people far wealthier than myself. What we have here are rich people trying to set up a system where they are rewarded for their part of the investment, but the little guys are not. That is cynical profiteering. I'm saving my $25 donation for a worthy non-profit cause, thank you very much.

Given Mr Stephenson's extremely solid knowledge of the foundations of capitalism (e.g. the System of the World trilogy) it seems especially rich. Or maybe he learned a thing or two while writing that.

Re: Neal Stephenson wants to revolutionize sword fighting video games

#180

Post by shard »

EternalFury wrote: post #177

If you want to sword fight "realistically", go out, buy a sword and join a sword-fighting club. Darn, why do people try to solve everything with technology when there is a simple solution in the physical world!? No matter how they dice it or slice it (ah ah), it's not going to end up "realistic" for anyone who has used a sword before.

I think this game and controller is targeted at the superset of people who was to sword fight "realistically" while playing a fun game, without all the bruises and sore muscles and years of training that accompany using a real sword.
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